Primary Campus
OUT OF AFRICA AND ON OUR DOORSTEP
Never mind the Serengeti, we have Monarto which is fortunate for both us and for the Serengeti.
Our Monarto Safari Park (the park’s new name to coincide with its major expansion), aims to connect people with nature and to save endangered species. To help us with our connections and passions, the dedicated staff at Monarto hope that their wonderful visitor’s experience will strengthen or develop, within us all, an empathy for matters that we should care about and a push to consider what we might want to do about that issue.
It’s this care factor, as well as ‘digging’ muscles, that were developed by our Year 4’s last week as they participated in the Monarto’s Conservation Education Program by assisting with tree plantings on the new ‘Wild Africa Site’. Students planted over 120 trees in one hour which was a great effort and the locals were very impressed. On completion of the tree planting, when combined with the existing land, Monarto Safari Park will be the biggest Safari Park in the world apart from in Africa itself!
Speaking of locals, as the bus weaved its way through the Safari Park we were greeted by a giraffe, got up close and personal with the zebras and spotted the rhinos. Let’s not forget the magnificence of the big cats including cheetahs and nine lions – luckily we weren’t quite so close! As we oohed and aahed, we learnt about endangered animals, in particular the White Rhino. It is estimated that three rhinos are killed in the wild every day and that within five years this beautiful animal will be extinct. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Monarto Zoo, 34 White Rhinos will be introduced into their new Wild Safari Park, helping this critically endangered animal.
Children are capable of so much more than we sometimes give them credit for. Who would have predicted the planting of 120 trees in an hour? Hopefully, the care factor is also strong with these students and they continue to care about the planet. At the very least, our students will be very proud to see their established trees whenever they visit the Wild Africa site again in the future.
Ms Joanne Gilmore, Director of Teaching and Learning – Primary
2021 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL
On Wednesday 18 August, over 40 St Michael’s Primary students participated in the annual Catholic Schools Cross Country Carnival held at the East Parklands Oval. On a sunny day, the boys competed against over 30 different Catholic primary schools from across the state, with each running event consisting of over 150 runners per race.
We had some outstanding individual results in particular congratulations to Tyler Freeborn (3B) for receiving a gold medal in his Year 3 Division A running race, and Lachlan Jones (4M) receiving a silver medal in his Division A Year 4 race.
Overall, the boys should be proud of the way they represented the college, as well as their incredible achievements on the day.
Mr Dion Gazettas, Physical Education Teacher/ Primary Sports Co-Curricular Coordinator
WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY…THE CELEBRATION OF OUR CHILDREN’S CONFIRMATION
So much time, care and dedication has gone into preparing for this special occasion – and what a glorious day it turned out to be. It was Saturday 21 August, the sun was shining brightly, and we all felt enveloped by a warm embrace as we eagerly prepared to go to Sacred Heart Parish, where 22 students would receive the sacrament of Confirmation. The Ceremony on the day was presided by the Vicar General, Fr Philip Marshall with concelebrants Parish Priest, Fr Lancy D’Silva and Deacon Michael Moore.
Interestingly, when we think of faith, we may imagine people praying alone, thinking and believing religious thoughts. Yet, faith is so much more. Pope Francis, in a recent meeting with young people in Italy, spoke of faith as an ongoing and open interaction between “the head, the heart and the hands”. Receiving the sacrament of Confirmation helps us to understand this interaction and the importance of “the hands” in people coming together to renew their faith as a Christian community in action.
The Holy Spirit gives us the grace to help our faith to grow and use our hands to show care and concern for self, our neighbour and the world. We first receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at Baptism, enabling us to live a good life. At Confirmation, the children of St Michael’s renewed their Baptismal Promise. Following this, together with their sponsor, they were invited by the Vicar General, Fr Phillip Marshall, to gather in a semicircle at the Altar, where the laying of hands on each child’s head took place. Through the sacrament of Confirmation, each child is strengthened in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and is challenged to develop and nurture these gifts to the full, accompanied along their faith journey by the trusted and loving adults in their life. The evidence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be seen in the ways we grow in the life of Jesus.
Thank you to Fr Lancy, Sr Nithya, Mr Ray Becker and Mr Mitchell Boulton for their ongoing work, insight and wisdom in preparing the children for the sacrament of Confirmation. We extend our congratulations to the families, sponsors and especially, the 22 children who have received the sacrament of Confirmation: Orlando Azzaro, Lachlan Bell, André Bonifacio, Nathaniel Braham, Tex Caruana, Jack Dempster, Hugh Foulis, Baylin Gough, Max H, Samuel Jones, Lachlan Lawlor, Daniel Romano, Hudson Littlefield, Oliver Lorick, Benji Lynch, Johnathan Markvukaj, Thomas Mendes, Bailey Palmer, Mason Pannuti, Tommaso Trento, Hudson Williams, and Isaac Zonta.
As a faith community, we pray that they may feel Jesus’ presence in their head, heart and hands and that they may bring Jesus to others. Amen.
Mrs Patrizia Puglia, Religious Education Coordinator
Confirmation Workshop Day: Students designing shields for the Church pews
Sacrament of Confirmation Sacred Heart Parish, Hindmarsh, 21 August 2021
