Reminder tomorrow School Photo Day.

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

This coming Sunday we celebrate the wonderful gift of our dads. I take this opportunity to wish all fathers a very special day. In our sacred Scriptures, we hear many stories of fathers. Joseph, the father figure for Jesus, was a model of great patience. He gently guided Jesus and would have taught him many lessons about life.

The story of the Prodigal Son also speaks of a father’s deep and lasting love for his son. A man had two sons. One demanded his inheritance despite his father still being alive and left the family, wasting his money on things that would not bring lasting happiness. The father grieved for his son. Not a day would have passed when the father didn’t think about, or pray for his son’s safe return. So deep was the father’s love for his son. We know the ending of this story all too well – after the son wastes all of his father’s money, he returns and is embraced by his father and welcomed home with a banquet of fine food.

This sort of unconditional love is the love that God, the father of us all, has for each of us. God is always ready to welcome us back, no matter the circumstances of our distance.

This Sunday, I pray that all fathers have a special day. We also cast our minds towards our fathers who are rejoicing with the angels in heaven, and to those who are separated by distance. May your day be peace-filled. Happy Father’s Day.

I ask for your continued prayers for the children who will receive Confirmation and First Eucharist on Thursday evening and for our Year 3 Reconciliation candidates who will celebrate this Sacrament next week. Despite the restrictions that COVID-19 has placed on our gatherings in churches, we are fortunate to be able to celebrate together, albeit with limited numbers.

I pray your week is blessed.

Choir News

The St Pius X School Choir will be travelling to Sacred Heart College in Week 10 to record the Catholic Schools Music Festival Concert. As we are unable to perform at the Festival Theatre this year, the 11 or 12 other schools that would have performed with us on one of the 4 evenings, will spend the morning recording all the repertoire with us, which will then be put onto a DVD and given to each choir member’s family as a memento of the occasion that never was!

Huge congratulations go to Jacquie 6J who has been chosen to sing the solo section in one of the songs. Jacquie will sing the opening verse of “One” in the John Farnham Medley. 

The 50 member Choir is sounding strong and we are busy squeezing in a few extra lunchtime practises as well as our Thursday afternoon rehearsals in these last 3 weeks. They all sounded glorious on Monday during a quick lunchtime rehearsal.

Exciting times ahead! 

2020 School Photo Day - Wednesday 2nd September

Envelopes for ordering School Photos were distributed to all students on Monday. Please take the time to read the information on the envelopes carefully.

• Do not seal envelopes inside each other—you can pay for all children in one envelope however each child needs to have their own envelope on photo day.
• Family Photos are ordered separately (cannot be ordered online) and envelopes are available at the front office. Parents who are ordering Family Photos are asked to bring their children to the De Mazenod Hall at 8.25am so that the photographers can commence these photos before school starts. Any family photos not taken in the morning will be taken during the day.
• Please enclose correct money as no change is given—cash only in envelopes or pre-payment online is available.
• Individual and class group photos will be taken.

Students will be required to wear the new Active Wear Uniform. We have purchased some new soft-shell jackets (sanitized in between wearing) for students to borrow if you have not purchased the new uniform - please contact the office if you are not comfortable with this arrangement. 

In this time of transition, we understand that not all families have all items of the new uniform.  Year 6 students will wear their Senior Jackets.

All school rules in relation to grooming, hair, accessories and jewellery apply on this day. The photographers will have rubber bands available to provide to any boy or girl with hair longer than shoulder length that needs to be tied up. Only plain navy hair accessories will be permitted.

Please do not bring your children to school if they are not well or displaying symptoms of illness in the morning. It is very important that we protect our staff, the photographers and other children from illness and we ask for your co-operation.

Any children missing out on photos tomorrow will be able to take part in a catch up day. 

If you have any questions in regards to this, please phone Master School Portraits on 8132 1148.  Alternative arrangements can be made.

Please return photo envelopes to the Front Office.

Fathers Day Lap of Honour

We would like to encourage as many Dads, Grandpa's or other significant males as possible to come and collect their children after school this Friday 4th September at Acton Ave gates (gates onto the oval) will be open from 2.30pm.

Due to COVID we are unable to host our well attended Community Breakfast, but we would love to invite the important men in our students lives into the school to complete a lap of honour around the running track.  We apologise for the late notice, but as COVID regulations continue to change we are only able to offer these opportunities as they are deemed safe.

Please click on link below for more information.

Dear Community

Our Parents and Friends will be running a Father's Day Stall on Thursday 3rd September.  Each class will be allocated a time to visit the stall and purchase a gift for a significant male in their lives.  Gifts will range from 50c to $5.00.   The children really enjoy purchasing a gift independently.

Thank you to our Parents and Friends for organising this service for our families. It is much appreciated.

Congratulations to the four singing students who passed their recent AMEB (Australian Music Examination Board) ‘Singing for Leisure’ exams with very pleasing results.

They are:
Haasini of 2CG, who received an A (Honours) for her Grade 1 exam
Gabe of 2R, who received a B+ (High Credit) for his Grade 2 exam
Javale of 3T, who received an A+ (High Distinction) for his Grade 2 exam
Tahlia of 5R, who received an A (Honours) for her Grade 4 exam

Well done to all the students, and to their families, who support and guide them with their practice and opportunities.

Virginia Rawlinson
Singing Teacher

Dear Parents/Caregivers

The school is giving away a piano which is located in one of our classrooms (RTS).  If you are interested to have in your home please contact the school on 8266 9400 to organise a time to collect. Thank you.

Traffic around the school
Please observe road rules when driving around our school site.
We have noticed cars stopping on the yellow lines near the school crossing on Windsor Grove and dropping children off before school.
Please do not stop in this area. It is not safe for children and other road users. Police and council regularly patrol this area and issue expiations.  

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