Dear Families,

Spring is here!

Welcome to Spring. The recent sunshine over the weekend and start of the week was glorious. Spring provides us an opportunity to take stock and notice all the new life around us and give thanks for our ever-changing environment. We thank our students for their patience in recent weeks while our oval has struggled with the soggy conditions. As the weather warms up, we will be reminding students to wear their school hat from the start of Term 4. Now would be a good time to find the hat and whip it through the washing machine so it is ready to go.

Spring provides us with so many new opportunities:

• Help us to observe the natural world around us and notice new growth.
• Let us sense the warmth of the sunlight and feel the freshness of the air.
• Allow us to contemplate personal growth and opportunities for renewal.
• Guide us to be open, grateful and truly present.

Book Week was Awesome!

Thank you so much to everyone who played a role in making our Book Week full of fun, laughter and community spirit. We had a huge crowd in the Yarning Place on Friday for our parade. Days like this remind us of the joy school can bring for our students. We thank you for the effort you put in with costume preparation to ensure your child was comfortable and included. It was a special morning. Check out all the photos!

Father’s Day

Tomorrow we warmly invite all fathers, grandfathers, and special father figures to join us for our Father’s Day Liturgy at 9:15am in Yarning Place. This special morning will be hosted by the students in Year 4 Storrie.

This special celebration is an opportunity for our school community to come together in gratitude and prayer as we acknowledge and honour the important role fathers and father figures play in the lives of our children. Following the liturgy, we invite all dads and father figures in attendance to stay and enjoy a morning tea with us.

Heavenly Father,

You entrusted your Son Jesus, the child of Mary,
to the care of Joseph, an earthly father.
Bless all “fathers” as they care for their families.
Give them strength and wisdom, tenderness and patience;
support them in the work they have to do,
protecting those who look to them,
as we look to you for love and salvation,
through Jesus Christ our rock and defender.

AMEN

Building Development

We are delighted to provide a positive update on the School Building Project. Following the completion of the tender process, Horizon Builders has been selected as our construction partner for the project. We are pleased with the outcome and look forward to working closely with Horizon as we move into this exciting next phase.

Das Studio Architects continue to lead and oversee the project, providing valuable expertise and ensuring the development remains aligned with our vision and strategic objectives.

The project will see the creation of a modern Learning Hub designed to support contemporary teaching and learning. The new facility will house four to six general learning areas including a new Library, a variety of breakout spaces, and a central collaborative learning area that will provide flexible opportunities for students to learn, connect, and thrive.

This is a very exciting time for our school community. After considerable planning and preparation, we are thrilled to see the project taking shape and moving closer to becoming a reality. We look forward to sharing further updates as construction progresses and this exciting vision comes to life.

Eye Screening for Receptions

We are looking forward to working in partnership with the team from “Eyes and Vision” to provide an opportunity for our Reception students to get their eyes tested during Week 9. We ask all Reception families to register for this upcoming free service. You may recall in 2025 our entire cohort had the opportunity to get tested, hence the focus being on our newest students this year.

Car Parking

We remind all families of the importance of parking safely around our school. At the moment there are road works impacting the surrounding streets. Please avoid parking across yellow lines and allowing your child to quickly jump out of the vehicle as this is quite dangerous and generally rushed. There is ample parking in the Church carpark across the road. This also allows your child to cross safely at our road crossing. Under no circumstances are parents to park within the staff carpark. Thank you for your cooperation.

Child Protection Week 2026

Next week is Child Protection Week. The 2026 theme is “Every Conversation matters: Shifting conversation to action.” This is a special week where we emphasize the importance of turning discussions about child safety into tangible actions. We value the importance of school life and home life working in partnership to keep our children safe. Our Year 3-6 students will have the opportunity to engage in an online webinar about age related topics ranging from cyberbullying, navigating peer pressure and gaming safely online. For more information, please see your child’s teacher.

Bullying No Way Week provided an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of bullying and positive relationships. Throughout the week, teachers discussed what bullying is and how it differs from conflict, mean moments and teasing. Students learned that while disagreements and social challenges can occur, bullying is ongoing, repeated behaviour that seeks to cause harm to another person. Teachers also reinforced the importance of speaking with a trusted adult within a child’s identified support network when concerns arise. This year’s theme, “Small Acts, Big Impact,” aligns strongly with our Mercy values of respect, compassion and hospitality, as well as our recent Grow Your Mind Friendship unit. Through this learning, students explored healthy friendships, resolving conflict and setting personal boundaries when they feel uncomfortable.

To support this important learning, information brochures were shared with families at the school gates, outlining our commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive school community. Families were encouraged to talk openly with their children about any concerns, to gently explore their child’s understanding of events and to remain open to the possibility that there may be different perspectives to consider. By working together with empathy and understanding, we can help children develop the skills they need to navigate friendships and challenges successfully. If concerns do arise, we encourage parents and caregivers to contact their child’s teacher as the first point of contact so that we can work in partnership to gain a clear understanding of the situation and provide the best support for everyone involved. The week concluded with Mr Molyneux and the student leadership leading an activity that involved creating friendship bracelets that celebrated kindness, inclusion and the positive impact of friendship.

Catholic Schools Music Festival

We are getting excited for Week 10 when the combined choir from St Mary Magdalene’s and St Thomas More will be joining voices with hundreds of students from across South Australia at the Catholic Schools Music Festival, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre. This annual celebration of music and community showcases the incredible talent, dedication, and spirit of our Catholic school students.

Our choir will be part of a massed ensemble, performing in harmony with others to create a truly uplifting and memorable experience. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to shine on a professional stage, build confidence, and share the joy of music with a wider audience. Our students will be performing on the Thursday night and are already sounding amazing!

Planning for 2027

As we begin to look toward the 2027 school year, now is the perfect time to start planning ahead. As we do every year, families will soon be sent via Edsmart the “Class Preparation 2027” Form to be completed

If you have a child starting Reception in 2027, and have not yet enrolled them, we encourage you to contact the school as soon as possible. Early enrolment helps us plan staffing, resources, and classroom placements to best support every student.

If your family is planning to transition away from our school community in 2027, we kindly ask that you inform the front office as early as possible. This helps us manage enrolments and support your child’s next steps with care and clarity.

Do you know a family who might be interested in joining our school? Please encourage them to make an enquiry or come for a tour—word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways to build a strong, connected community. We welcome all new families with open arms and are happy to provide tours or answer any questions.

Week 10, Pupil Free Day

For forward planning, please be aware that our final day of term is a Pupil Free Day for our students while our staff undergo Professional Development. The final day for Term 3 is Thursday 24th September.

A busy end to the term

As Term 3 gently draws to a close we give thanks for all the opportunities our students have had and the unwavering support of our staff. The next few weeks are still quite busy with various sporting carnivals, incursions, festival choir and religious celebrations. As always, please keep an eye on the calendar and our school website for key events that impact your child.

Shaping our future together,
Belinda and Gareth