SMM Newsletter, Term 3, Week 4, 2025

📚 The Adventure at Woodhouse: A Camp to Remember

It was a crisp Thursday morning—July 3rd to be exact—when a bus full of buzzing excitement rolled out of the school gates. Inside were Year 5 and 6 students, their eyes sparkling with anticipation, and their teachers, equally thrilled (though perhaps a tad more quietly). The countdown had been long, the wait even longer, but finally, the day had arrived: camp at Woodhouse!

As the bus hummed along the hour-long journey, the air was filled with chatter, laughter, and the occasional burst of song. When they arrived, the students spilled out like popcorn, eager to explore. Luggage was whisked away to the grand old Manor, and after a quick snack to refuel, the real fun began.

🎯 Challenge Accepted

The group split in two—half heading off to conquer Challenge Hill, the other diving into the world of laser tag. Challenge Hill was a playground of obstacles, each one daring the students to climb, crawl, and balance their way through. Most tackled the challenges with ease, their determination shining through. The teachers, however, opted to cheer from the sidelines—there were reasons, of course, but those shall remain a mystery 😉

🔫 Laser Tag Legends

Meanwhile, the laser tag arena echoed with shouts and laughter. Some students played it safe, while others dashed through the course like action heroes. It was clear: this was a hit.

🎢 Sliding into Joy

But nothing quite matched the thrill of the tube slides. Students (and the brave Mr Max) raced down with glee, though the uphill trek—dragging the tubes behind—meant the more seasoned teachers were content with a single ride. Still, the joy was infectious.

🏠 Evening at the Manor

By 5pm, it was time to return to the Manor. Dorms were assigned, beds were claimed (though sleep was more of a suggestion than a reality), and showers washed away the day’s adventures. Dinner was hearty, and Mrs Storrie had a lineup of games that kept spirits high. A movie was attempted, but the excitement of the day had everyone too eager to chat and giggle in their dorms. As expected, the night was lively and sleep… elusive.

🥞 Day Two: Teamwork and Toast

Morning came early, greeted by toast and pancakes. Legs were sore, eyes a bit bleary, but the energy was still there. Dorms were packed, luggage relocated, and groans about stiff muscles echoed through the halls. The second day’s theme was teamwork. Students navigated a maze, helping each other find the way out, and played games that tested their collaboration and communication.

🚌 Homeward Bound

After lunch, the group waited for the bus, tired but happy. The ride home was quieter, filled with reflections, sleepy smiles, and shared memories. The camp had come to an end, but the stories would live on.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this adventure possible. For the students and teachers alike, Woodhouse wasn’t just a camp—it was a chapter of joy, laughter, and unforgettable moments.

Gratitude is an important part of our school day at St Mary Magdalene’s

Each morning or afternoon in our classrooms, we spend a few mintues thinking about what has gone well in our day and discuss it with our peers. It’s how we begin to learn how to practice gratitude.

By focusing on what’s gone well, we learn to be more positive and thankful, even when things aren’t perfect. It helps us to feel happier and more connected to others.

To keep the gratitude going at home, our students will begin to hand out some special gratitude questions at the end of our school day. These are simple questions that you can ask your children after school, like … “what made you smile today?” or “who was kind to you?“.

We think that this will be a fun and easy way for families to talk about the good parts of their day, and to help us remember that there is always something to be grateful for.

Look out for our first lot of Gratitude questions this week!

We invite you again to attend this special, FREE, event:

Wednesday, 27 August 2025 6.30pm – 8pm
St Thomas More School
50 Yorktown Road, Elizabeth Park

At the event, you will:

• Get advice on how to raise children’s emotional intelligence and social emotional wellbeing
• Learn how to give your child the best chance at regulating their emotions thoughtfully and constructively
• Learn crucial ways to handle uncomfortable emotions you can role model to your child

To register for FREE and save your place just click the button below, or contact our Front Office for support.

Our Student Ambassadors have begun to visit local kindies as part of a ‘Story Time’ program.

We are very proud of both Krislyn and Stella, and the amazing job they did representing SMM at Kindy Patch Salisbury Heights this week. This amazing duo will be venturing out to a few more local kindies over the course of the term – and we can’t wait!

A big thank you to Kiara, Temi, and their families, for becoming the face of St Mary Magdalene’s School for the next few months!

Back in May, our two stars attended a special photoshoot at the Catholic Education office in Thebarton, and the product are the images you see today. You might notice their smiling faces on bus shelters, outdoor digital screens, and our Facebook page over the next 6 months, as they promote our lovely school to other families in the area.

We encourage you to spread the word about St Mary Magdalene’s in your own family, and friendship circles – we have vacancies for the 2026 school year and beyond.

This term in Religious Education

Special Days in these coming weeks

The Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop of the Cross

The fest of Saint Mary MacKillop of the Cross, Australia’s first saint is celebrated on the 8^th of August. This commemorates the anniversary of her passing and is a day to honour her life and work here in Australia. St. Mary MacKillop is the founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph, which is a religious order dedicated to the education of young people, particularly those in poor and rural areas.

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary

On this Holy day of Obligation, the Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, was taken up body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. As a Church, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, on August 15^th each year.

Ordinary time and Feast Days: There are many Saint’s feast days celebrated during Ordinary time. In previous articles, I have mention that ordinary time is when we can look to the role model of Jesus and perhaps learn and follow in His footsteps. Saints are ordinary people who have done extraordinary things. Feast days offer us an opportunity to focus on those extraordinary things ordinary people do to make our world a better place. It also provides us an opportunity to learn from their lives and to try to follow in their footsteps too.

ReLAT

Later this term students in Year 4 will be sitting the Religious Education Literacy Assessment Tool (ReLAT). This tool, provides the school with a snapshot of the Year 4 students’ basic religious literacy, based on the content from the Year 3 and 4 Crossways Knowledge strand of the Curriculum. Students will have an opportunity to complete the practice test which allows the teachers to discuss with students, what they need to do during the test, as well as the technique of answering multiple choice questions.

Masses and Liturgies

This term there will be a Combined Year 3/4 and 5/6 class Mass held on Friday the 19^th September at 12:00pm in the Mary Magdalene Chapel with Father Santosh. Please mark the date in your calendars. Students will send home invitations later in the term to invite families to attend.

Andrew Chinn Workshop and Concert

With a heavy heart, the leadership team made the decision to postpone the workshop and concert that was to occur in Week 3. We apologise for any inconvenience that this caused. We were notified that Andrew was unwell and while best efforts were made to have him be here, mainly by him, we wanted him to rest and recover before joining us.

Andrew will be visiting us soon and will host the planned workshop with students and concert with families. When we have the details for this, we will communicate this to you all.

Ordinary time and Feast Days

There are many Saint’s feast days celebrated during Ordinary time. In previous articles, I have mention that ordinary time is when we can look to the role model of Jesus and perhaps learn and follow in His footsteps.

Saints are ordinary people who have done extraordinary things. Feast days offer us an opportunity to focus on those extraordinary things ordinary people do to make our world a better place. It also provides us an opportunity to learn from their lives and to try to follow in their footsteps too.