Term 1 concludes next Friday, 12th April at 3:00pm.  

Monday 29th April is a Pupil Free Day - OSHC will be available for those families needing care.

Term 2 commences on Tuesday 30th April at 8:45am.

This year's Sports Day will be held at SA Athletics Stadium, Mile End on Friday 18th October (Week 1, Term 4).

The Gospel reading in Sunday’s liturgy, told us the story of the Prodigal Son. We heard about a son’s demand that his father gives him his inheritance, and then goes off and wastes all the money. His father missed him terribly, and when he eventually came home, hungry, poor and scared, was welcomed with open arms. What a beautiful image of God – the one who always welcomes us back with open arms. During Lent, we are reminded that God is always present. Lent has been a time to turn back to God and rebuild relationship with each another.

Year 5B/L will be presenting ‘The Passion of Jesus’ musical on Friday 12^th April at 11:30am in the hall. This is a whole school event, and you are most welcome to attend. You will also notice that the Stations of the Cross will be placed around the school. Each class will be praying the Stations of the Cross during Holy Week.

If you would like to join me on a meditative Stations of the Cross walk, please meet me in the Courtyard next Monday morning at 9:00am.

Project Compassion boxes can be returned to school from this week. Thank you for your generosity. This week, we learn about Salma from Bangladesh. This is her story:

Salma lives with her husband, Masud, in the rural community of Gazipur, two hours from Bangladesh’s bustling capital.

She was just 18 years old, pregnant and fearful for her life and that of her unborn child, when she featured in Project Compassion 2013. 

In Bangladesh, maternal and infant mortality rates are still tragically high. During her first pregnancy, Salma was very sick, she experienced abdominal pain and couldn’t eat. She sought the help of a midwife called Pronoti, trained by Caritas Australia’s Safe Motherhood Program.

Pronoti helped Salma safely through two pregnancies, thanks to her comprehensive training in midwifery, antenatal and postnatal care.

The program has reduced maternal and infant mortality in the area by almost 70 percent. Over 400 women have been trained in midwifery since 2008 – and they have given over 28,000 women antenatal checkups and delivered more than 15,000 babies.

Now 24, Salma smiles as she watches her one-year-old boy and six-year-old daughter play together. She is pleased that they are growing up strong and can focus on their hopes for the future. 

“If the Safe Motherhood Program had not trained midwives like Pronoti, many of us would have to go to the private clinics 11 kilometres away.Some of us women and our babies might die because of that.”

 “We are poor and so it is easy to get discouraged about the future. However, if we have hope, we have the courage to try and do things that seem difficult or impossible at the time.”

On Monday 18^th March the school held the AGM and we provided families with the opportunity to present the Board ‘questions with prior notice’, however, none were received.  We then held the Week 8 School Board Meeting and elected Office Bearer positions for 2019 - Anthony Pryzibilla was elected as Chairperson with Adrian Caperna as the Deputy Chairperson. Marta Kalinowski will continue as our Treasurer and Brett Ford, Tessa Carey and Qamar Patras as Board members.  Please click here to view  further information regarding your School Board for 2019. 

Building Update- the school is close to putting in the submission to the Port Adelaide/Enfield Council for all 3 stages of work. Along with the nature play space, building work is expected to commence in the second half of the year. We very much look forward to this work commencing and will provide you with further updates as they happen.

Projects and Programmes- the school is very fortunate to have a large number of programmes on the go at the moment, working under the following themes: Quality learning and wellbeing, Catholic Identity and General capabilities.  Our  projects include: Primary Maths Challenge, Tournament of Minds, STEM, Be You – KidsMatter, ICT Change Makers, Ecological Sustainability, MiniLit, MacLit and InitiaLit (the Early Intervention Literacy Programmes) and SHIP (Gifted and Talented).

Traffic Safety- we would like to remind all families to practice safe driving around the school, in particular the pedestrian crossing (which is NOT a drop-off zone), and the kiss’n’drop areas and thank you for your co-operation.

Anyone who can spare some time on Thursday 2nd May to help organise the Mothers Day Stall would be very welcome.  Gifts are all organised and it is just a matter of putting items aside for each class.  Many hands make light work...

Also if you are able to help on the Mothers Day Stall on Friday 10th May please leave your details at the front desk.

Thank you to the Parents and Friends for their organisation of this event - I know how much our school community appreciate it and how much the students enjoy picking out a gift for you!

Gifts will range from 50c to $5.00.

Financial Assistance, Academic, Performing Arts and Parishioner scholarships available - Applications close 29 April, 2019 at 5pm. Visit: www.olsh.catholic.edu.au/enrolment/scholarships or contact the College on 8269 8800.