Dear Parents and Caregivers
We are right in the middle of one of the most exciting weeks of the year for our students; Mary MacKillop Week! It’s our opportunity each year to take time to remember and celebrate Australia’s first and only saint, Mary MacKillop, whom our school was named after. Our school’s name was chosen by the students some 35 years ago. Prior to that, we were known as Ballajura Catholic Primary School. From what I have been told, we were almost called St Matthew’s. However, the decision makers of the day listened to our students, and we were named after Mary MacKillop instead, which I think was absolutely the right choice. This Friday, our current Year 6 students along with all of the other classes will lead our community in organising the Mission Fete. All money raised will be given to the Sisters of St Joseph (Mary MacKillop’s order of nuns) who will use it to help children receive an education in poor countries such as East Timor. It certainly is keeping the spirit of Mary MacKillop alive in our community!
Scripture Reflection Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God is with you wherever you go.”
Confirmation There is a fair bit happening for our Year 6 students as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the very near future. This evening, we will be holding the parent information session in the Library from 5.30pm. All parents, students and sponsors are most welcome to attend. This coming weekend, we will be having two commitment Masses on Saturday at 6.00pm and Sunday morning at 9.30am. It is important that our students attend one of these Masses and make their pledges. Next Tuesday 12 August, the Year 6 students will participate in a retreat in the hall which will be run by Carl Brown from Faith Retreats. Please keep our students and their teachers in your prayers as we approach this important milestone in their spiritual journeys.
Assumption Mass In the days of old, we used to have a number of holy days of obligation where all Catholics were expected to go to Mass. These days, we only have a few. One of these is of course the Feast of the Assumption where Mary was taken body and soul into Heaven at the end of her life here on Earth. Therefore, we will be having a whole school Mass on Friday 15 August from 8.45am in the Church. All parents and grandparents are most welcome to come along and join us in prayer.
Catholic Day Every year, the staff are granted one extra day of leave in recognition of the extra time we put into school events on the weekends which are linked to our faith. This year, the school will be closed on Monday 18 August as we take our Catholic Day.
Staff PD Day As we stated earlier this year, we had to move our professional development day from the start of this term to Tuesday 19 August as our presenter was unavailable. Therefore, the school will also be closed on this day as the staff undertake further training on our understanding of working with students with autism. This will be a valuable opportunity for us to gain further insights into this area. For the rest of you, it will be a lovely mid term extra long weekend!
Laurie Bechelli
Principal