Dear Parents and Caregivers

I would like to extend my best wishes to some of our Year 6 students who are preparing for their Sacrament of Confirmation this weekend. This is a significant milestone in their spiritual journey, and we are incredibly proud of the commitment and dedication they have shown.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is a profound step in affirming their faith, and it symbolises their growth and maturity within the Christian community. It is a time for them to reflect on their beliefs, embrace the Holy Spirit, and make a conscious commitment to live out their faith in their everyday lives.

May the Holy Spirit guide and inspire our Year 6 students, filling them with wisdom, courage, and grace. We are confident that they will shine brightly as they continue to grow in faith and character.

As we reach the end of Term 2, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the tremendous efforts and achievements of our school community. This term has been filled with hard work, dedication, and numerous accomplishments, and it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate these collective efforts.

Firstly, to our amazing students: your enthusiasm for learning and commitment to your studies has been truly inspiring. Each of you has shown remarkable growth and resilience, tackling challenges with determination and achieving great successes. Whether it was excelling in academics, sports, arts, or other extracurricular activities, your hard work has paid off, and you should be very proud of yourselves.

To our wonderful teachers and staff: your dedication to providing a nurturing and stimulating learning environment for our students is the backbone of our school's success. Your passion for education and unwavering support for our students has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for going above and beyond in your efforts to make this term a fruitful and enriching experience for everyone.

Lastly, but certainly not least, to our supportive parents and guardians: your involvement and encouragement are crucial to our students' success. Your partnership with our school helps create a strong community that values education and personal growth. Thank you for your continued support, patience, and trust in us as we work together to provide the best possible education for your children.

As we prepare for the upcoming holiday break, I wish each of you a restful and joyous time with your families and loved ones. Take this opportunity to relax, recharge, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for the exciting challenges and opportunities that Term 3 will bring.

Yours in partnership

Mr Anthony McElhone

Principal

Confirmation

Please keep our students in your prayers as they make their Sacrament of confirmation this Saturday at 11 am.  thank you to our Liturgy Group students who will lead us in song.

Celebration for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly

Our Parish is holding a celebration for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on Sunday 28th July to coincide with the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (the grandparents of Jesus.) The celebration will begin with Mass at 9:30am, followed by morning tea and activities for children, parents and grandparents in the Parish Hall. 

An expression of interest form was emailed out last week. If you are interested in attending this event, please complete the FORM as soon as possible.

Mass and Lunch to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Father Sean’s Ordination.

This year, Fr. Sean celebrates his 40th Anniversary of priestly ordination, on Sunday 4th August (feast of St, John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests). Tickets are available at the parish office and a website is now set up for online purchasing. Tickets can be purchased here.

RSVP: 19th July Cost is $55 per head. Children 12 years and under $20 per head.

Children’s Liturgy

All children are warmly invited to attend Children’s Liturgy each Sunday at our 9:30am Mass.  (Not in school holidays.) This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to unpack the Scriptures and interact with other children from the parish. All welcome!

Important dates

Please note down the following dates in your diary. We would love to celebrate these important events with you. Our Liturgy Group are looking forward to leading us in song.

• • Confirmation: Saturday 6th July at 11am for any students who have made their First Holy Communion.
  • Stage 2 Mass:  Sunday 8th September at 5pm. All families welcome!
  • Early and Stage 1 Mass:  Sunday 3rd November at 5pm. All families welcome!
  • First Holy Communion: Sunday 24th November at 11am. For all students who have made their First Reconciliation.

Renee McFayden

Religious Education Co-ordinator

CEDoW Netball Gala Day

Thank you to Mrs Cupitt & Mrs Faavae and to all parents who assisted with teams and supervised the students at the recent Gala Day in Minto.

The aim of our Gala Days is to support the engagement of students in sport to experience the benefits of learning a new sport, being a part of a team, representing the school and interacting respectfully and positively with our wider Catholic community.  

The students all had an enjoyable day mixing with students from other schools and displayed excellent sportsmanship.  Well done all!

MacKillop Rugby Trials

Tommy C & Hudson S travelled to Forbes last weekend to trial for the MacKillop rugby team.  They were not successful on this occasion but enjoyed their trip out to the country and meeting rugby players from various other Catholic schools.

Upcoming events

Providing consent and payment via Compass

There are a lot of sport events and excursion that are happening at this time.  If your child is attending an event and it requires payment / consent could you please complete the details via Compass as soon as possible.  This assists the staff who have to follow up if the permission has not been completed.  Thank you very much.

Contacting staff

• If you need to email a staff member, could you please use the email address:  info@stabdow.catholic.edu.au and your email will be directed to the relevant staff member for you.
• If you would like to make an appointment with a staff member (including the Principal and Assistant Principal) could you please contact the office to organise a convenient time.

Year 6

On Wednesday 12 June our Year 6 classes travelled to Canberra to learn about parliament.  When we first arrived, we went to the Natiional Electoral Education Centre.  There we learnt about the three main laws of voting, how the Constitution was made and significant points in Australian history.

After this we went to the War Memorial.  We learnt about Australians going to fight in World War 1 & 2, as well as the roles they played in the Australian Army.  We got to see the traditional uniforms, the weapons they used and even some army vehicles.

Finally we went to Prliament House and visited the Senate and the House of Representatives.  We learnt about the roles of people in both Chambers and we even found out where our local member, Stephen Jones, sits.

We also did a few other fun activities like rolling down a gigantosaurus hill and playing tip in the Rose Garden.