St Gabriel's School | eNewsletters

From the Principal

Dear Families and Friends of St Gabriel's

THANK YOU for your SUPPORT - Annual General Meeting

Thank you to all families for your active support at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) last Wednesday night. Apart from the excellent parent support of this event, the other highlights included, support from our School Board and Community Group, and our wonderful student performances including keyboard, choir and percussion. Parent feedback was another highlight of the evening, and we are already reflecting upon how this feedback from parents will help to inform the future direction of our school. There will be an opportunity for all families to provide feedback to these questions in due course.

Learning Conversations

This week teachers, students and parents/caregivers from across our school gathered for Term 1 Learning Conversations. These conversations are a celebration of student progress and they also provide a formal opportunity to shape how home and school work together to promote the learning progress of every child in our school. Whilst we offer formal learning conversations in Term 1 and Term 3, I encourage all parents/caregivers to engage with teachers throughout the year if there are any questions or concerns. Your child's teacher is always the first port of call as needed. Similarly, teachers will always contact you to clarify information or share any concerns. As a school we view these occasions as an important part of each child's learning development and an opportunity to work together as partners.

Before and After School Traffic

Since our last newsletter myself and our Assistant Principal, Bernie Meixner have had a meeting with a representative from the Port Adelaide Enfield Council. The focus of this meeting was to discuss Council observations of Barrington Avenue, including parking, bus access, and the current risks related to community safety and wellbeing.

The Council is about to commence a two phase consultation process with residents.

In Phase 1, residents will receive a notification from Council about plans for the installation of a crossing on Barrington Avenue. Phase 2 will be to consult with residents about parking. In the coming weeks we look forward to some proactive changes on Barrington Avenue which promote the safety of all members of the community. Further information about these changes will be communicated once the details have been finalised.
Thank you to those families who have shared their concerns with us.

Term Dates 2025

Please continue to refer to our school calendar for important dates including our term dates for 2025. Our term dates for 2025 include the following Pupil Free Days, which cater for staff strategic planning and curriculum development responsibilities:

Term 1 - Tuesday 28 January - Friday 11 April
Term 2 - Tuesday 29 April - Friday 4 July (Pupil Free Day: Monday 28 April)
Term 3 - Tuesday 22 July - Friday 26 September (Pupil Free Day: Monday 21 July)
Term 4 - Monday 13 October - Wednesday 10 December (Pupil Free Days: Thursday 11 December & Friday 12 December)

To support families during these days our St Gabriel's OSHC will be open and available for bookings. Information about how to book for Pupil Free Days will be provided by OSHC ahead of time.

I look forward to seeing many St Gabriel's families at tonight's Parish Bingo event in our school Gym. Bingo starts at 6:00PM.

From the APRIM

LENT

Third Week of Lent

As the Season of Lent progresses, different Gospel stories are read to help the faithful understand the significance of this preparation time leading up to the death and resurrection of Christ.

This week the Gospel reading was the Parable of the Fig Tree, Luke 13: 1-9.

He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none'. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”

CARTIAS KAZ

Last week at assembly, Cartitas Kaz ( Karen de Sousa) visited the students to give some insight into what Caritas does to support disadvantaged communities throughout the world. This year Caritas is focusing on communities in Vietnam and Samoa. We were told that in Samoa there is a water shortage so children have to go home from school if there is not enough water in their rain tanks.

In Vietnam people with disabilities are being reintroduced to the workforce to help them become self-sufficient and become active in their community life.

Children at St Gabriel’s School have Caritas Money Boxes they have brought home, so please be generous in your contribution to Project Compassion.

THE BIG WATER WALK

Many students have been learning about the daily trials some families must endure just to have the basic necessities in their home.

One such necessity is clean water. Some communities are required to travel up to one hour at a time to collect clean water for daily use. Some people in communities without a central water supply have to complete such tasks four times a day.

The Year 5 students went on their own Water walk this week to gain some insight into what this might be like. The students carried a bucket of water around the school to see what it would be like to complete such a task. One litre of water weighs one kilogram. The students had up to eight litres of water to carry. The students gained a new perspective about what it would be like to live without running water in their own home.

Caritas Australia, through the money raised during Project Compassions helps communities provide easier access to clean running in communities in need.

Please be generous this Lent.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Term 1 Week 9

Social