Dear SCA families,

One of the most used, motivating and known sayings of Mary MacKillop is:

“Never see a need without doing something about it. (1871).

This Saturday is the feast of St Mary MacKillop. A simple way to celebrate this day would be to discuss the above quote at the family table tonight. If each family were to identify one practical thing they could do to help someone in their community, we would all wake up to a better world tomorrow.

Next week we celebrate the life of another woman of great faith, the Patron Saint of our school. St Clare of Assisi devoted her life to God, leaving her family and their lifestyle behind and following closely in the footsteps of St Francis and his mission. Following Francis’ death, Clare continued to work in the Assisi area, in the church that Francis ‘rebuilt’ and began her own order called the Poor Clare’s. The Poor Clare Sisters still work in Assisi, Italy and around the world.

You will find details of our planned celebrations later in this newsletter.

Our thoughts this week are with Mrs Claire Walsh, who recently fell at school and broke her ankle. She has been ordered to stay at home to ensure the best chance of recovery. Who would have thought teaching was so dangerous! We hope she feels better soon.

Tuckshop

A reminder that the Tuckshop is still operating, but only for lunch orders via the Qkr app. There will be no over the counter sales until we are confident it is safe and responsible to do so.

Special thanks this term to Nina Said, who is managing the Tuckshop while Michelle Wood is on leave.

Travel Advice

All in our community are reminded that the following restrictions are in place:

Students and Staff must quarantine for 14 days from the date of their arrival in the ACT and cannot come to school if they have travelled from:

• Anywhere in Victoria
• A COVID Hotspot
• Overseas

Find up to date information on COVID hotspots in NSW here

Find up to date advice from the ACT Government here

When to Stay Home From School

Thank you for your support in keeping home children who are sick. We understand this can be problematic for some families but appreciate the extra effort parents are making in keeping sick children at home. Please keep your child at home if they are showing any symptoms of sickness. Once your child is well again, they can return to school.

If your child develops any symptoms such as a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath:

Call your GP in the first instance. By calling your GP before arriving they can take appropriate infection control measures.

Call your school to let them know.

In the event of an emergency please dial 000.

COVID-19 Hotlines

If you need advice or have questions concerning COVID-19 please contact:

ACT COVID-19 Hotline – (02) 6207 7244 between 8am and 8pm daily.

Mental Health Support

During this difficult time remember to reach out for support available to you and your children:

CatholicCare – (02) 6162 6100

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Mental Health Line – 1800 011 511

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636

Lifeline – 13 11 14

Mensline – 1300 789 978

Visit the Headspace website

Hats On

Though it’s still cold, the UV is on the increase so we remind you of the School policy regarding exposure to the sun: Simply stated, from August until May, SCA has a ‘No Hat – No Play’ policy.

Please ensure your child’s hat is clearly labelled with their name.

It was once said…

“Someday everything will make sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.” - unknown

Blessings to you and your family. Take care and go gently.

Matt Egan-Richards

Be the Light 

'Let Your Light Shine Before Others'

Celebrating our Grandparents and Grand-Friends

We hope that everyone enjoyed sharing the student’s grade videos with their Grandparents and Grand-Friends. If you haven’t seen your child’s video, you can find the link on SZapp.

This week the students have been writing their letters or drawing their pictures to post to their Grandparents or Grand-Friends. Please fill in the Grandparents and Grand-Friends form sent out via Schoolzine. This form needs to be completed by Friday morning, as the last letters will be posted on Friday afternoon. 

Confirmation Enrolment Extended 

The parish has decided to extend the Confirmation enrolment period for another week. All enrolments will need to be submitted by this Friday, 7th August. 

Parent Formation Night 

Any parent of an enrolment candidate that is interested in speaking at the Parent Formation Night about their experience of celebrating the sacraments and/ or their faith journey, please contact Kristy Everding (Acting REC) at Kristy.everding@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Confirmation Key Dates

26 August- Student Retreat Day: All day at SCA     

27 August- Parent Night: 6.30pm – 7.30pm at Holy Family Church, Gowrie

16 September- Confirmation Masses: 5.30pm and 7pm at Holy Family Church, Gowrie

Next Week is SCA Feast Week!!!!!  

I am taking over from Joseph McGrath and will be the acting Defence School Mentor for Term 3 at SCA. I have been associated with SCA for 6 years now and already know many of you but look forward to getting to know more. I will be sending out an email in the next few days to introduce myself and give you an update about the term ahead. If you are a Defence family but haven’t let us know please contact the office and they will get you down on my list of contacts.

Stay warm and safe

Renee

Renee.reid@cg.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations to the children who will be awarded white cards this week.  

The items in the photos below are currently sitting in lost property (photo taken Tuesday morning). If you recognise anything could you please ask your child to collect it from lost property prior to it being cleaned out next Tuesday.

Every week lost property has a large number of unnamed items, equating to hundreds of dollars. Please ensure all items are clearly marked with your child's name.