Confirmation and Communion at St Pius X Church, Dernancourt

On Tuesday 30^th May, 28 children from St Pius X School received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Father Dean Marin, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Adelaide conferred the sacrament and was supported by our new Parish Priest, Father John Sebastian. The Sacrament of Confirmation can be traced back to the early Church, when the apostles of Jesus would lay their hands on newly baptised believers, praying that they receive the Holy Spirit. The Sacrament of Confirmation symbolises a conscious decision made by the individual being confirmed to strengthen their faith as well as to renew and commit to the promises that were made on their behalf of their parents when they were baptised.

The Sacrament of Confirmation was a wonderful celebration, and I would like to congratulate all the children who showed commitment to receiving this important sacrament.

I would also like to thank Rita Campbell for her oversight of the Confirmation ceremony and for the support of the Year 4 teachers in preparing the children for the sacrament.

Next Tuesday, 27^th  June, the children will be receiving the Sacrament of First Holy Communion at St Pius X Church at Dernancourt at 7:00pm. All are invited to come along and celebrate with these children as they signify an important step in their faith journey.

Enrolments for 2025 and beyond

We are currently experiencing an influx of enrolment enquiries for Reception 2025. At this rate it is looking likely that our Reception places may fill up before the end of this year.

If you have child who is due to commence Reception in either Term 3, 2024 or at the beginning of 2025 it is imperative that you submit your enrolment application as soon as possible.

We will guarantee the siblings of our current families enrolment at St Pius X School, however, the onus is still on parents to enrol their child in a timely manner to ensure that we may honour this guarantee.

If you know any family members or friends who are considering enrolment at St Pius X School for mid-year 2024 or the beginning of 2025, please encourage them to contact us to avoid disappointment.  

Cyber Safety Sessions

On Monday 5^th and Wednesday 7^th June, Cybersafe families held cyber safety sessions for our Year 4-6 students.  Sessions were also offered to our parents, and we thank those who were able to attend, the feedback was very positive. Some of the key take aways from the sessions that I believe that all parents should be aware of include:

1. Technology and social media are now part of our everyday lives and rather than preventing children from using technology, we need to teach them how to use them responsibly and develop healthy online habits (which includes not allowing them too much screen time).  Studies have shown that online addiction has a detrimental impact on their healthy brain development.
2. Parent supervision online is vital. Parents should not allow children to use devices unsupervised in their bedrooms, rather devices should be used in a public setting within the house where parents can see what children are doing online. Cyber bullying and social media are major contributors to the poor mental health of our children. Parents should watch for signs of distress or withdrawal after children have been online and develop open communication channels for them to discuss these issues. Children should be encouraged to take screen shots of any cyber bullying as evidence.
3. Children should never interact with someone they do not physically know online, including online games. Unfortunately, there are people who use the online world as way to connect with children and try to entice them to engage in activities which are not age appropriate and some children find themselves in situations where they are blackmailed and abused online.
4. Be aware of the apps and games that your child is engaging with online. Many games have hidden risks which are not obvious. The website Common Sense Media provides parents with a great guide to the safety of the different games and apps that the children may ask you to use online. Spend some time playing the games with your children so you know what they are seeing online.
5. Know where to get help. Should your child experience problems online then the esafety commission website gov.au is a good tool for parents and children to seek advice from.

The school can also support you with actions you can take.  The online safety of children is a joint responsibility, and we all need to play our part. Parents play a crucial role in protecting their children online as most online abuse occurs in the home environment.

End of Term Two and beginning of Term Three

Just a reminder that school finishes for Term 2 on Friday 7^th July at 3:00pm. School resumes for Term 3 on Tuesday 25^th July. Staff will be engaged in professional learning on Monday 24^th July which is a pupil free day – OSHC will be available for those families requiring care.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our families an enjoyable mid-year break.

God Bless

Ashley Keane