Dear Families,

Can you believe we’re already halfway through the school year? It feels like we blinked and Term 2 was gone—where has the time gone? It’s been an incredibly full and enriching ten weeks, bursting with learning, activities, and moments of celebration.

Highlights have included joyful Masses in the Magdala Chapel, which remain a meaningful cornerstone of our school life, our delightful Mother’s Day Morning Tea, celebrations during Catholic Education Week, and the vibrant Reconciliation Week activities—including those delicious donuts! Our “Bangers and Bingo” Fathering Project night was also a hit once again, with a fantastic turnout. We’re so grateful to our community for embracing these moments with such warmth and enthusiasm.

Most importantly, it’s been amazing to see our students striving every day to be the best versions of themselves. Their determination, growth, and sense of community truly shine through everything they do. So, after what has been a jam-packed term at St Mary Magdalene’s School, our last day for our students is tomorrow, Friday 4 July. School finishes at the normal time of 3:00pm on this day. Our students return on Tuesday 22 July. Please be aware that Monday is a Pupil Free Day as staff undertake professional development.

What a Busy Week

We have saved lots of busy activities for this final week of term. Many of our students have ventured out into the community for a fun filled and enriching time. Excursions and camps are such an important time in your child’s school experience as they enhance relationships and allow students to experience a range of activities that go beyond classroom learning. We acknowledge our staff who are leading these excursions and thank them for their work with organising and preparing the students.

On Tuesday our Senior choir ventured to Our Lady of Hope School for their workshop ahead of a busy term where they will prepare for their performance at the Festival Theatre. Yesterday our Year 3/4 students who are enrolled in the Children’s University program went into the city to participate in a range of hands-on workshops that promoted team work and higher order thinking.

As you read this Newsletter our Year 5/6s will be settling into their camp at Woodhouse Adventure Park in the Adelaide Hills. They will experience a range of outdoor activities that will see them crawling, climbing, splashing and taking risks. No doubt we will have some very tired students when they return tomorrow.

Semester One Report and Parent Teacher Interviews

By now you would have received your child’s Semester 1 Report. This report provides a detailed summary of your child’s learning progress throughout the first half of this year. Included with the report is a letter to encourage you to book a Parent Teacher Interview. We encourage all families to book a time so the report can be shared and discussed. We are using the same booking process as last term. Please contact the Front Office or your child’s teacher if you require support making a booking.

Lost Property

Our Lost Property tub is overflowing. Please encourage your child to have a look through if they have misplaced their school jacket or any other items. Alternatively, feel free to have a look when you are at school to pick up or drop off. We appreciate that school uniforms come at a cost, so it is important that items are clearly labelled.

Parking

Please consider where you park around our school. We are aware of some families running the risk of parking in restricted areas and as such have received fines from the local council. The safety of our students is paramount as they arrive to and from school. Please consider parking a little further away to ensure you are following the road rules and keeping our children safe.

Positive Behaviour

As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a positive and predictable learning environment, we continue to embed the principles of Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports (PBIS) across our school. Students are being explicitly taught and supported to follow clear routines and expectations in a variety of settings. These routines are reinforced through modelling, practice, and positive feedback. These expected behaviours are very visible in our schools, feature on charts in all our classrooms and are referred to daily in class. By building a shared understanding of expected behaviours, we aim to create a safe, respectful and supportive school environment where all students can thrive.

As Term 2 draws to a close, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our families for your continued support, encouragement, and partnership in your child’s learning journey.

The holidays are a well-deserved time to pause, reflect, and recharge. We hope these coming weeks offer your family moments of rest, joy, and time together. Whether you’re staying close to home or heading off on an adventure, we wish you a safe and restorative break.

We also send our warm wishes to our incredible staff, who have poured so much energy and care into the term—may this time be an opportunity to unwind and refuel for the exciting term ahead.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 3, refreshed and ready for more rich learning, new goals, and meaningful moments together.

Take care, and happy holidays!

Shaping out future together,

Belinda and Gareth