2024 - Term 1, Week 9

Dear parents and caregivers,

As we find ourselves approaching the close of Term One, we're filled with an immense sense of gratitude for the moments we've shared with your children here at school. It is so very rewarding to witness them interact, laugh, and grow alongside their friends. School holds a special place in each child's journey—it's a place where they not only learn, but also explore, connect, and understand the world around them.

Reflecting on our own memories of school days gone by often brings a wave of nostalgia. Those formative years play a significant role in shaping who we become as adults, and it's a privilege to be part of your child's journey during this critical time.

Little Learners Information Night

Our information night for our new little learners will be held on Wednesday 3rd April at 6pm and we look forward to meeting our new families.  At Emmaus, we strive to ensure our early years children transition from playgroup through to Little Learners and again into Reception as gently as possible. We offer this transition program to ensure the best possible start for our students. It also means we can begin teaching our new children from where they are at; each child comes to us with a story and this allows us the time and opportunity to get to know each child’s story. Being involved in Little Learners provides children with the opportunity to get to know the school, make new friendships with other children who they will begin school with, and become familiar with the Emmaus environment.

We have already advertised for a new Reception teacher and will be holding interviews towards the end of the term. Once appointed, the new teacher will work in Little Learners, alongside Wendy and the team, to build relationships before they begin in Term 3. This is just another way to show our commitment to going above and beyond for our students, ensuring they have the very best of starts.

We are almost full for the beginning of 2025 so if you know anyone interested in joining the Emmaus family, please advise them to contact the office.

Soccer 2024

Can you believe it is soccer time again?

Amanda Parry, our new soccer coordinator, has been working hard to get the ‘ball’ rolling this year. Amanda is new to the role and has already attended many meetings through NDJSA and our own sports committee here.

As you would have noticed, our full-size pitch will not be used this year due to the two transportable classrooms taking up this space.  Unfortunately, there were no other spaces in the school that could accommodate these classrooms. These will be used to house the playgroup, Occasional Care and Little Learners and new midyear receptions, and we needed these classes to be close to amenities.

Despite these challenges, soccer will be going ahead as per usual, and we already have approximately 113 children from Emmaus and Antonio that have shown interest in playing school soccer.

Big shout out to all the Receptions that are going to give soccer a go this year!!

Given there is such a huge interest, we will need coaches!!

We need…

2 under 6 coaches
2 under 7 coaches
2 under 8 coaches
1 under 11 coach

Please see Amanda, Josh (PE teacher) or the front office if you can help out with any of these positions. You may even wish to share a role. All volunteers will need to complete the volunteer induction.

Could all families that have children wanting to play soccer this year also join up to the Emmaus Soccer Facebook page as updates will be occurring there.

Learning Conversations

We trust that you've found value in connecting with your child's teacher in recent weeks, whether through PPL meetings or Learning Conversations. Our goal is to enhance our communication with families regarding each child's learning journey and well-being. Danielle McNab is dedicated to supporting students who require Personalised Plans for Learning (PPL). Should you wish to arrange a meeting with Danielle, please reach out to the front office, and we'll be happy to schedule one for you.

We hope that these interactions have provided insight into your child's learning and ways in which you can support their educational goals. Research underscores the significant benefits of parental engagement in children's education and fostering strong ties with the school community.

Some significant benefits include:

• Increased enjoyment and motivation for learning
• Enhanced peer relationships
• Improved confidence and social skills
• Academic success and heightened well-being
• Reduced absenteeism

At Emmaus, both teachers and parents share a common desire: to provide the very best for each of our students. You need not wait for scheduled interviews twice a year; we encourage you to regularly touch base with your child's teacher(s). Together, alongside quality teaching and learning, this is what we're here for!

Thank you to our amazing volunteers

A warm and sincere thank you goes out to all the wonderful parent volunteers who make such a difference here at our school. Whether you're serving on the Board, contributing to the P and F, or lending a hand in various ways, your efforts truly make our community shine.

Your support has helped shape our sports program into something truly special, promoting health and camaraderie among our students. And to those involved with the Garden Club, your passion for nurturing curiosity in our young gardeners is inspiring.

From helping out at Bunnings BBQs to assisting in classrooms and on field trips, your contributions are invaluable. We couldn't offer such a diverse range of activities without you. Thank you for everything you do to make our school a better place. If you would like to volunteer, please collect a volunteer pack from the front office, or visit our website.

Vacation care

Our April Holiday Vacation Care program is finalised! We have some awesome incursions, excursions and home-based days planned such as a trip to Wallis Cinema – Noarlunga, to watch Kung Fu Panda 4, a visit from GooRoo Animation, Rev It Up Racing and Games2U – Get ready for the giant hamster ball! Throughout the program, children will be involved in activities that foster creativity, learning through play, social skills and more!

Bookings can be made via FullyBooked.

Just a reminder that if you need to cancel a Before School Care or After School Care booking, please do so by emailing oshc@emmaus.catholic.edu.au or phoning/texting 0438444714. Permanent bookings may be cancelled with 12 hours’ notice. Casual bookings may be cancelled on the day up until 12pm. Late notice will incur full session fees.

Next term…

It might seem like we've just wrapped up the Mary McKillop Build, but here we are once again, poised to embark on another exciting refurbishment and extension project. Our library, in particular, has been showing signs of wear and tear, and not aligning with modern teaching methods and resource-based learning. To fulfill the next phase of our Master Plan, we're gearing up for another construction endeavour.

As we prepare to send out the plans for tender, the commencement of this project is set for early next term. We kindly ask for your attention to any adjustments regarding school grounds' entry and exit during the construction period. For families with children in Early Years, rest assured, we'll ensure a safe pathway onto the school premises.

We're committed to minimizing disruptions as much as possible and sincerely hope for your understanding and patience throughout this process. Thank you for your cooperation.

Don’t forget, we kick start Term Two with the best day of the year - Sports Day on Friday, 3 May. Mr Neiderer and the committee have been working super hard to make this day a very special, action filled day of fun, physical activity, and comradery! This is one of many community events enjoyed by staff, students, and families alike. Our wonderful Woodcroft School neighbours have again allowed us to use their oval in addition to ours and we are extremely grateful for their graciousness and goodwill. We can’t wait to see you all here.

If I do not get to catch up with you before the end of term, I wish you all a wonderful term break. I hope you get the time to take a breath and be present with your children, enjoying time with family and friends.

Suzanne Budd

HOLY WEEK…ALLOW IT TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!  

As we move through Holy Week this year, we are exposed to the radical nature of God’s forgiveness in the manner in which Jesus accepts his crucifixion and death. Jesus is a victim of great injustice but instead of nursing feelings of hurt, anger, disgust and contempt, he exhibits a strong sense of compassion toward those responsible for his execution when he says, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”.  

Jesus’ lack of self-pity is further illustrated as he slowly approached his death, crucified between two criminals and mocked by the religious officials and others who passed by. When one of the criminals makes fun of him saying, “Are you the Messiah? Then, save yourself and us!” Jesus has no angry response. Instead, when the second criminal asks, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom,” Jesus does not ask him what he has done or how repentant he is, but with compassion responds, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”  

The events of Holy Week remind us of our calling to be active Christians in the way we lead our own lives. If we are harbouring hurt within us, Jesus’ actions can encourage us towards forgiveness and away from grudges and bitterness. We have all experienced hurt through the actions or words of another and this hurt we might have carried for years and deprived ourselves of the opportunity to embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy by being unforgiving.  

Forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. In place of anger, confusion, maybe anxiety or even depression through being swallowed up by our own bitterness or sense of injustice, we can move away from our role as victim and relieve the power, that the offending person or situation has on our life. As we let go of hurt and resentment and don’t allow them to define our life, we open ourselves to find compassion and understanding. Slowly, we embrace forgiveness and begin once more to live a truly Christian life.  

Jesus’ example to us on Good Friday, clearly defined for us the extent of God’s forgiveness and the encouragement for us to do likewise in our own limited human way. But Jesus’ example has an after effect as well, for on Easter Sunday he rose gloriously to new life. How about us this Holy Week? Is there unforgiveness we still have to deal with, that overshadows our lives? How will we truly experience and celebrate the new life on offer this Easter? (Adapted from Prinscripts, 2011)  

JOURNEY TOWARDS EASTER  

“Happy Easter!” Well, almost. There are still a few days to go before we enter into the joys of “Chocolate Land!” Of course, one important thing to do before we loosen our belts on Easter Sunday, is to have a bit of a rethink about what actually happened on the first Easter day.  

No doubt, if we had been alive in Jesus’ time we, too, would have been astonished by the miracle of his resurrection. “Jesus’ Resurrection was about breaking out into an entirely new form of life, into a life that is no longer subject to the laws of dying and becoming, but lies beyond it – a life that opens up a new dimension of human existence.” Jesus is WITH US ALWAYS, challenging us and strengthening us to be more.  

Now, what would we have been thinking if we were one of Jesus’ followers on that first Easter day? “.... they were simply overwhelmed by the reality, but after their initial hesitation and astonishment, they could no longer ignore that reality. It is truly he. He is alive; he has spoken to us; he has allowed us to touch him, even if he no longer belongs to the tangible in the normal way.”  

So, when Easter Sunday does arrive we can join with the writer of Psalm 117 in saying, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad”. We can rejoice and be glad, because Jesus, through his humanity, has given us the opportunity of true resurrection. However, as the resurrected Jesus said to the once doubting Thomas, “You believe in me Thomas, because you have seen me; happy are those who have not seen me, but still believe.” John 20:29. That’s us.  

The eggs and bunnies that we share are symbols of the new life that is found in Jesus. And as commercial as we may think the season has become, we can’t deny the happiness that is experienced in the giving of eggs and the family-times shared. May your Easter be filled with love and happiness and may your family be blessed with new life found in Jesus.  

Happy Easter – enjoy those chocolate eggs!  

(Adapted from Prin-Scripts 2012- All Quotes from “Jesus of Nazareth” by Pope Benedict XVI)  

Justine Raponi 

Acting Leader of Religious Identity and Mission 

jraponi@emmaus.catholic.edu.au 

Scholastic Book Club - Issue 2 orders are due today - Thursday 28th March!

Please order via the Scholastic LOOP app!

Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students is a top priority here at Emmaus. As such, we would like to remind all parents and guardians of the multiple avenues available to report student absences or late arrivals.

To report your child's absence or late arrival, please use one of the following methods:

Reply Text to 0417 038 063. Please note that direct messages to this number will not be received.

Phone (08) 83227211: Speak to our friendly staff or leave a message on our answering machine if calling before 8:30am.

Email: Send an email to absent@emmaus.catholic.edu.au or information@emmaus.catholic.edu.au.

We kindly ask that you contact the front office for any absenteeism notifications. Due to the morning activities in classrooms, it may not always be possible for teachers to relay messages to the office before 9 am.

For extended leave requests of 5 days or more, please complete the absenteeism form at the front office.

Late Arrivals and Early Departures:

If your child arrives late to school or needs to leave early, they must be signed in/out via the iPad at the front office by a parent or guardian.

It's important to note that if a student is late to class and the arrival hasn't been reported to the front office, they will be marked as absent, and a text will be sent to parents from 0417 038 063.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in ensuring the safety and well-being of all our students.

The Kiss and Drop zone is the yellow marked area as you enter the carpark from Todd Street, that enables you to drop off and pick up your children safely and quickly.

The intention is that drivers do not wait in these zones and that you stay in the vehicle to ensure traffic is streamlined and traffic queues are minimized.

In reality, it only takes one or two inconsiderate drivers to overstay in the zone and the system breaks down, leading to frustration and delays.

Please familiarise yourself with our Kiss and Drop guidelines:

• Kiss and Drop zone is a NO PARKING zone. If your child is not ready and waiting for you, please continue to lap the carpark. Alternatively, park your vehicle in a carpark and wait. Please do not park in the kiss and drop zone to wait for your child as this builds up traffic on Todd Street where accidents have occurred. The aim of Kiss and Drop is for free flowing traffic.
• It is an expectation that drivers continue to the end of the kiss and drop zone, to allow room for others.
• For safety, it is recommended that students exit and enter the vehicle kerbside only. Children should have their schoolbags on their lap to ensure the driver does not need to exit the vehicle.
• Do not get out of your car.
• If you are required to get out of your vehicle to assist your child with their bag or seatbelt, please do not use Kiss and Drop. Park your vehicle so you can assist your child safely. 
• Staff will be on Kiss and Drop duty to assist with free flow of traffic and child safety from 8.30am - 8.45am and 3.05pm - 3.25pm. Please ensure your child is collected by 3.25pm.
• Please use the pedestrian crossing when walking between the carpark and the Kiss and drop area.
• Please ensure you remain under the speed limit of 10km/h at all times.

Staff have been advised to remind all families to use the crossing correctly. If you choose not to use the crossing, you will be redirected by staff on duty. Please do not take this personally; it is their job to keep everyone safe.

Please visit the link to the Emmaus Catholic School Uniform Policy - about-us/uniform

In line with our SunSmart policy, students are required to wear the Emmaus bucket hat during Terms 1, 3 and 4. 

Students without a hat will be required to play under the shelter only at recess and lunch times. 

Emmaus hats are available for purchase at Lowes, Colonnades. A small number of hats are available for sale in the Front Office for $21. Sizes small or medium.

2026 Cardijn Enrolment

Please be reminded that applications for enrolment into Cardijn Year 7 2026 close at the end of this term (Friday 12 April). If your child will be attending Cardijn, please submit an application now.

Applications are to be submitted online via the Cardijn website.  Click on the box “Apply Now” on the welcome page, or access the direct link below:

https://enrol.cardijn.catholic.edu.au/enrolment-form/start