Term 1 Week 11

Dear Families and Friends of St Gabriel's

Launching 70 Years of St Gabriel's

Last Friday our community gathered for our first ever Colour Run, which was a huge success. It was delightful to see staff, students and parents gather for this fun, engaging event. 

Colour Run is the first school community event which was organised to mark the 70 year anniversary of our school. Thank you to all members of the Community Group for organising this event and to school staff for their support. 

Thank you to all families for your extraordinary generosity. Overall, Colour Run raised $11,500 which will go towards the provision of additional shade for students.

Celebrating Growth and Opportunity in Term 1

As we conclude Term 1 there is much to be thankful for in this wonderful school community:

• The relationships that have been established this term between students and teachers
• The learning progress already being made by students across the school
• The opportunities that we have shared together this term, which included our Annual General Meeting, Learning Conversations, excursions, camps, a recent visit form Behind the News for our middle to Upper Primary students, and of course Colour Run which was last Friday. We also celebrated Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, yesterday's Holy Week reflection and 15 candidates celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation, 7 from our school.

Welcome to New Staff this Term 

This term we have appointed additional ESOs to work across our school. Some of the new ESOs already work in our OSHC service which provides our students with further continuity between school and OSHC.

Please join me in welcoming:

• Jessica Cosmai 
• Emily Clune
• Oscar Burrows 
• Julia Pham 
• Stella Tronnolone  

We also welcome Emily Rocca who has just commenced this week. Emily has been appointed as Marketing and Community Engagement Coordinator, which replaces the role previously fulfilled by MJ Manalo who left St Gabriel's at the end of last year.

Change of Day for Term 2 Assemblies

This term we trialled morning assembly on a Friday, and we are delighted that families are attending this important community event. In Term 2 please note that assembly will change to a Thursday at 9.15am. This change of day enables playgroup and assembly to have separate times in the weekly timetable. We look forward to seeing families at assembly on Thursdays. Please check the important dates for Term 2 available in this newsletter.

Have a Wonderful Break

As we reach the end of this school term, we give thanks for the growth, learning, and shared moments of this term. 

May the joy of the risen Christ fill your hearts with hope, peace and purpose. May His sacrifice remind us of God's deep love for us.

Wishing all St Gabriel's families a blessed Easter and a restful term break. I look forward to seeing you all on the first day of Term 2, Tuesday 29 April. 

What a busy and fun term it has been in the Year 3 learning community!

Religious Education

In Religious Education, students have been learning about Lent and its importance in the liturgical calendar. We explored how Lent is a time for reflection, kindness, and preparation for Easter, with a focus on the three traditional pillars of Lent—almsgiving, fasting, and prayer. Each student thoughtfully made a Lenten promise, writing it on a paper leaf. These leaves are now proudly displayed in our classrooms as a reminder of our personal commitments during this special season.

Harmony Day

Recently, we celebrated Harmony Day—a time to reflect on the importance of inclusion and respect for all. We shared stories, traditions, and experiences that helped us appreciate the rich diversity within our school and country. Students created individual artworks highlighting important words connected to our understanding of Harmony Day, embracing the message that everyone belongs.

Lenswood Apple Orchard Excursion

In Week 7, the Year 3 classes went on an exciting excursion to Lenswood Apple Orchard in the Adelaide Hills.  The students loved picking their own Golden Delicious apples and learning firsthand how apples are grown and prepared for sale. The fresh apples were crispy, juicy and tasty! The steep walks through the orchard were a fun challenge (and great exercise!), and the whole experience tied in perfectly with our Biology learning about life cycles. It was a fantastic way to see our Science learning come to life.