Dear SCA Families,

We are excited to invite members of our school community to consider nominating themselves for a position on the School Community Council Executive. Serving on the Council Executive is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of our school, and to work together to enhance our community and the educational experience for all our students.

The School Council Executive plays a vital role in shaping the community and direction of our school, and your involvement will provide valuable insight and ideas. Whether you have prior experience or are new to this type of role, your passion and commitment to our school will make a difference.

If you are interested in nominating yourself or learning more about the role, please contact myself, Jo Reed or any present member of the Executive. We encourage you to be part of this important journey! Nominations are open until this Friday (but if you need the weekend that’s okay too).

For further details, please refer to the note sent via Compass on Thursday 10^th of October. Thank you for your ongoing support of our school.

Fete

The countdown to our biggest event of the year is well and truly on. Please let all of your extended family and friends know about our Fete on Friday 15^th November, from 4 – 8pm.

Thanks to our generous (and small) group of volunteers who are working extremely well to make sure everything is organised. Your help is needed, so please follow links and directions elsewhere in this newsletter to give a hand.

Hats

Please remind your child to have their school hat at school each day. They should also be wearing it before and after school to ensure they are fully protected. I highly encourage all families to check tonight to make sure hats are clearly labelled.

Is It Fruit?

An effective practice each of our classes participates in is “Fruit Break”. Research has shown that a short break, when children snack on fresh fruit or vegetables, is beneficial to learning as well as overall health.

Why have a Fruit and Veg Break at school?

• To improve the overall intake of fruit and vegetables in students while at school
• To ensure all students have some nutritious food early in the morning, especially as some children do not eat breakfast
• Fruit and veg breaks can help to improve student’s concentration and learning capacity
• Kids are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if other snacks are not an option
• Kids are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if their friends are doing it too
• Kids may skip recess to play - they can be very hungry by lunch time

What can my child eat?

• All fresh fruit is permitted (e.g. whole fruits such as a banana or a small apple, chopped melon)
• Fruit canned with artificial sweeteners added is not permitted. Artificial sweeteners are not recommended for children
• Fruit canned in water, juice or no added sugar is permitted (e.g. peach slices).  Don't forget a spoon!
• Dried fruit is permitted, although, fresh fruit or vegetables is the first choice because dried fruit contains high concentration of natural sugar and it tends to cling to teeth, increasing risk of tooth decay (e.g. sultanas)
• All fresh vegetables are permitted (e.g. celery, carrot sticks, broccoli bits etc.)

What foods are not allowed?

All other foods are not permitted including:

• 'Fruit' products (e.g. fruit leather, fruit roll-ups, fruit bars or similar)
• Fruit jams or jellies
• Fruit pies or cakes
• Fruit canned in syrup or jelly or with artificial sweeteners
• Canned or processed vegetables
• Vegetable or potato crisps, hot potato chips, olives
• Vegetable pastries (pies, pasties, sausage rolls)
• Baked vegetable breads
• Vegetable cakes, fritters, quiches or similar
• Popcorn

Reminder to Families: Supervision Before 8:25am

We kindly ask that students not be dropped off before 8:25am, as supervision is unavailable until that time. For families needing to drop off children earlier, Before School Care is available to ensure they are safely supervised. Please contact us for more information on this service. Thank you for your cooperation!

End of Year Events – Please note them in your diary now

• SCA Fete – Friday 15 November from 4.00pm
• 30^th Anniversary Picnic – Thursday 28 November from 4.30pm
• Kinder Christmas Concert – Monday 9 December at 12.10pm
• Semester Two Awards Assembly – Tuesday 10 December at 9.00am
• End of Year Thanksgiving Mass – Wednesday 11 December at 11.30am
• Year 6 Graduation – Wednesday 11 December at 5.00pm
• Term Four Ends for students – Monday 16 December (at 3.00pm)

It was once said…

Blessings to you and your family.

Matt Egan-Richards

Principal

matt.egan-richards@cg.catholic.edu.au

This Sunday's reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Mark: Jesus gives sight to Bartimaeus.

‘Jesus hears,’ Pope Francis says, ‘and immediately stops. God always listens to the cry of the poor.’ The story of Jesus’ encounter with blind Bartimaeus shows this to be true. Shouting for aid, Bartimaeus evidently irritates many of those following Jesus. To an extent, this is understandable. They wanted to see and hear from Jesus, after all, and Bartimaeus was disrupting the procession. But Jesus hears the cry of one who, as the Pope puts it, is ‘full of faith, a faith that is not afraid to insist.’

As the Pope points out, Bartimaeus keeps his prayer simple. He honours the Lord and then asks first for mercy and only secondly for sight. In light of this, the Pope suggests that we take Bartimaeus’ prayer as our own and use it to reflect on the authenticity of our prayer life. Adapted from Nick Brodie

Important Reminders and Upcoming Dates:

Reconciliation Parent Formation Evenings: A reminder that our parish Reconciliation Parent Formation evenings are tonight (5:30 - 6:30) and tomorrow night (7 - 8 p.m.) at Holy Family Church. This is a compulsory parent session; children are not required to attend. 

Year 4 Reconciliation Retreat Day: On Tuesday, November 12th, Year 4 students will attend Holy Family Church and participate in the Corpus Christi, 

Reconciliation Retreat Day. Further details will be sent out via Compass shortly.

This week White Cards will be presented on Thursday Morning Assembly at 8.45am. Congratulations to the following children.

We are excited to announce that the Year 6 Graduation school photo will be taken on Tuesday, 29th October, at 10:00am.

This date is now set, and we kindly ask that no appointments or commitments be made for your child during this time, so they can be part of this special moment.

Boorowa Carnival Update

Today, all students attending the Boorowa Carnival participated in an important meeting. Your child will be bringing home a booklet from the meeting with all the relevant details, so please check their bag!

A few key reminders:

• For students traveling by bus, the bus will depart school at 6:00am. Please ensure you arrive at school by 5:45am. The bus is expected to return by 5:30pm.
• For those traveling by car, please arrive at the carnival by 8:20am.

Students must wear their full sports uniform, including hats. Please pack enough food, water, sunscreen, and a jumper to ensure your child is prepared for the day.

Katherine Austin

Sports Coordinator

Volunteer Opportunity at the Fete!

The saying "many hands make light work" couldn’t be more accurate!

Earlier this week, each child received a slip of paper with a QR code to sign up to volunteer at the Fete on Friday, November 15th. This makes it simple and convenient to get involved!

We truly appreciate your support!

The National School Futsal Championship took place in Brisbane from September 27th to 30th, 2024, with several SCA students participating.

Levi (3B), Shiloh (3B), and Henry (3R) competed in the U8 and U9 competitions. Although neither team reached the finals, they demonstrated outstanding effort, teamwork, and had a fantastic time throughout the experience.

Lachy (6G) and Josh (6R) also competed. They played at three different arenas and achieved remarkable success, winning 6 out of 7 games and reaching the quarter-finals.

Other students who attended were Sienna (4R), Kaden (5R), Luca (6G), Sofia (6G), Noah (6G) and Lucas (6G). Competing against teams from other states and territories was an incredible experience, and the tournament concluded with a celebratory presentation night at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast. On the night Levi was recognised with the Australian All-Star award, making the experience even more memorable for everyone involved!

Exciting Opportunity for Josh 6R and Kaden 5R!

We are excited to share that, following their participation in the National Futsal Championships in Brisbane, Josh and Kaden have received offers from national selectors to join the Australian Representative Futsal Team. Josh will be representing the U/13 Boys, and Kaden the U/12 Boys, as they tour China in July/August next year!

During this exciting tour, the boys and their teammates will participate in the Jiangmen Futsal Festival and have the opportunity to play alongside teams from Southern China over a two-week period. Congratulations, Josh and Kaden! We can’t wait to see you represent Australia!

This marks the end of an era for our Year 6 girls who represented the ACT Cougars at the Junior Australian Oztag Championships in Coffs Harbour from October 18th to 20th, 2024.

Congratulations to Dakota (6G), Jasmine (6G), and Lacey (6B) for their exceptional performances throughout the tournament. We wish you all the best as you transition to high school and pursue many more opportunities in representative Oztag competitions!

Jade M (5G) also represented the ACT Cougars at the 2024 Australian Junior OzTag Championships in Coffs Harbour. The team made it through to Finals day and lost in a drop off to Central Coast 2-1 in the quarter final. It was a great tournament and we congratulate Jade on her effort.