Centenary Gala Dinner, Saturday October 18 - have you saved this date?
Preparations are well underway for the Centenary Gala Dinner and tickets will soon be on sale for you to purchase. We are so excited as it will be a fantastic evening with raffles, a silent auction, music, dancing and more throughout the evening. This event will bring together families, old scholars, and friends of the school to celebrate our 100-year history and our hopes for the future. More information to come very shortly. We still need more donations of high-quality items for either our silent auction, raffle basket, door prizes, wine, chocolate, beauty products, gift vouchers, etc. If you have any questions, please contact cjarell@sts.catholic.edu.au 

Sacramental Program

Preparation is underway for our sacramental candidates to receive their first communion. Families are actively involved through parent evenings, parish celebrations, and ongoing learning activities ensuring the children experience these sacraments with a strong connection to both school and parish life. On Sunday 14 September we held a workshop and mass to prepare our students for their first communion on November 9 at 6pm in the St Therese Church. We have already had some enquiries from families interested in enrolling in the 2026 program and there will be an information session in Term 1 next year for families who would like their child to be a part of the 2026 Sacramental Program.

Parish Partnership

Our school continues to work closely with Emmaus Parish and they provide a range of supports to us. Parishioners have expressed excitement and pride in celebrating our centenary milestones together. Father John, Carmel White and Deacon Shane O’Dea have been an incredible support with planning and preparation for the Centenary Mass with the Archbishop.

We are also deeply grateful for the continued pastoral leadership and support of Father John. His presence at liturgies, sacramental preparation, and within the daily life of the school strengthens our Catholic identity and parish-school partnership. Fr John recently spent time with our students to help prepare them for our upcoming Centenary Mass by talking about the different parts of the mass and the meaning behind symbols and rituals that are used through the mass.

Recently our school hosted the Parish’s Family Fun Time evening. It was a fantastic night and provided families with an opportunity to share and enjoy time with other families and get to know members of our parish.

Growing Deep

Our school is one of several CESA schools that is participating in the “Growing Deep” program which uses a specially designed framework to guide strategic planning, faith formation and curriculum development as we take steps to deepen and further enhance our school’s Catholic identity and embed our Dominican and Catholic values into everyday practice.

ReLAT

Over the last few weeks the Year 3/ 4 Teachers have been working with their Year 4 Students to prepare them for the Religious Literacy Assessment Tool (ReLAT) test. Students had a practice session in Week 8 and the test occurred this week on Monday. ReLAT Data helps us to ensure that we are delivering a high-quality Religious Education curriculum and supporting students to develop both knowledge and lived faith.

Season of Creation

The Season of Creation has begun (September 1 to October 4) and we have celebrated across the school with prayer, reflection, and practical action. Students have been encouraged to connect their faith with ecological responsibility and care for creation. Several incursions have been arranged with Bunnings to grow vegetables in the Community Garden.

Laudato Si – Student Agency

Our Laudato Si-Student Agency group have reached their Planning for Impact and sustainability stage. They have just launched a Bin Label Competition with our students to hopefully raise awareness of correct recycling and waste practices, while giving students a sense of pride and ownership.

We have been fortunate to work alongside sustainability educator Jeremy Gramp from Green Adelaide as a mentor. Jeremy has guided staff and students in deepening their ecological understanding and implementing practical initiatives for change.

Our LS-SA Students are showing a strong ownership of sustainability and care for our common home via their awareness campaigns and the impact they hope to have that will improve the use of our bin system and more sustainable practices in our community.

Carol Jarell
APRIM & Wellbeing Coordinator