Friday, 11th September is a Student Free Day - OSHC will be available for those families needing care.

Three Way Conversations (formerly Parent/Teacher Interviews) will be held in Week 3 of Term 3.

On Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, and now, we journey into ‘ordinary time’ in our Liturgical Calendar. Ordinary Time refers to a specific season in our Liturgical Calendar which falls outside of the major seasons of Lent, Easter, Advent and Christmas, making up most of the year. We call this time ‘Ordinary’ because the weeks of Ordinary Time are numbered. The numbered weeks of Ordinary Time represent the ordered life of the Church—the period in which we live our lives neither in feasting (as in the Christmas and Easter seasons) or in more severe penance (as in Advent and Lent), but in watchfulness and expectation of the Second Coming of Christ. The colour we use in our liturgies is green during this time. Our priests wear green vestments and the Sanctuary may be decorated with green cloths. In our classrooms, green prayer cloths are used for daily prayer to remind us that we are in Ordinary Time.  

This coming Sunday will be the twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, and we hear Jesus telling his followers “do not be afraid”. In our world right now, there are many reasons for people to be afraid – afraid of illness, unemployment, uncertainty, death, and the list goes on. At the lowest points of our life journey, of course, feeling afraid is a natural human expression. We all feel it at times. But our God, the God of infinite love and goodness, the God who lives amongst us, calls us to trust in God’s promise of eternal life and happiness. Jesus shared this message with his followers two thousand years ago, and we hear it again on Sunday: “Do not be afraid”.

Our final Vinnies Winter Appeal food collection occurred on Monday, and another huge load of non-perishable food was donated. Thank you for such wonderful generosity. Your donations of food have helped many local families through a very difficult time. Our actions, as a school community, have helped alleviate the fear of hunger for those who are experiencing hardship. Our Year 5 and 6 Student Leaders have been very helpful in collecting food from classrooms and delivering them to the hall for the Vinnies Volunteers to collect. Thank you again!

The COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings for Masses and prayer in churches are still in place. Parishes are regularly updated with information regarding this and are continually adapting to new ways of gathering. Last weekend, 20 people were permitted to be present at Saint Pius X Church for Masses. From this week, 75 worshippers are permitted to attend. Attendance at Mass requires a booking. If you would like to attend either a weekday Mass at 9:15am or a weekend Mass (Saturday Vigil 6:30pm, Sunday 9:30am & 5:30pm), please ring the Parish Office on 8261 2428 and book your space. We particularly acknowledge the dedication and commitment of our Parish Priest, Fr Mathew, as he has continued to minister to our parish community during this time. We look forward to welcoming Fr Mathew back to school when restrictions ease.

We are also awaiting further notification regarding First Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Eucharist. At the present time, COVID-19 restrictions prevent these from occurring. I will continue to update affected families as the weeks progress.

There are still a few Sacrament Program enrolment forms yet to be returned (Year 3 students). If you wish your child to celebrate Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Eucharist in our Parish Community, you must return the enrolment application, a copy of your child’s Baptism certificate and the program fee.

Have a blessed week

A reminder that the first bell rings at 8:42am each morning. Please ensure your child is at school by this time. Gates are locked soon after this bell. Students arriving after the gates are locked must enter the school via the Windsor Grove main entrance and have their late arrival recorded.

If you have a child born between 1st November 2016 and 31st October 2017 and you would like them to attend Reception at St Pius X School in 2022 please contact Susan Trimboli on 8261 4466 as soon as possible.

We anticipate Enrolment Interviews for 2022 Reception Students will be offered in Term 3 this year and families who have already sumitted an Application Form will be contacted regarding the process once it is finalised.

Traffic around the school
Parking - We have observed cars stopping on the yellow lines along the curb near the school crossing on Windsor Grove and dropping children off in the morning.  This is extremely dangerous and it puts our students and staff at risk. Council regularly patrol this area and issue fines through the post. If you need to drop your child off, please use legal street parking spaces and walk your child to the office door.

Pick up along Acton Avenue - Thank you to those who wait patiently along Acton Avenue at the end of the day. Please continue to adhere to social distancing and ensuring that the area in front of the double gate is kept clear. Children must be collected from the gate or along the footpath. Students can not cross the road without a parent/caregiver.  

Kiss and Drop - As you would be aware, many families are using the Kiss and Drop and the queue can be considerably lengthy. To assist us in achieving a smooth flow of traffic, please ensure your child is ready to exit the vehicle (from the kerb side) quickly and safely. We ask parents to remain in their vehicles and move off immediately after dropping children off (morning) and once children are safely inside your vehicle (afternoon).

Please continue to be mindful of our neighbour’s driveways and their need for access. The staff and visitor carpark entrance must also be kept clear at all times.