Newsletter 1 August 2025
Principal's Message
Mini Vinnies Reps deliver donations to Pete's Place
Our AFL team - Competing at the Paul Kelly Cup State Final!
Friday 1 August 2025 - Term 3 Week 2
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we move into the heart of Term 3, I’d like to take this opportunity to share some exciting updates and important notices with our wonderful school community.
Sacrament of Confirmation – A Joyful Celebration
We are so proud of our many students who recently received the Sacrament of Confirmation. It was a truly moving and spirit-filled celebration, and we thank Bishop Greg, Fr. Joe, our school team, and the families who supported the children on their journey. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to guide and strengthen them in their faith and lives.
Harmony Day – Celebrating Our Beautiful Diversity
On Friday 8 August, we will be celebrating Harmony Day as a whole school. This is a special time to recognise and honour the cultural diversity within our community. Children are invited to wear national dress, casual clothes with orange colours or you can just add an accessory e.g. an orange ribbon, to your school uniform. This represents our diverse multi-cultural community, promoting respect and belonging. Families are warmly invited to attend our morning assembly where we can witness many cultural activities from right around the globe. Parents are asked to give your child a gold coin to donate to our sister school in Arunachal Pradesh so we can share our love to others in need.
Canteen Volunteers Needed
Help! Our school canteen continues to be a valuable service for our students, and we are currently in need of parent and carer volunteers to assist with food preparation and service. If you can spare even an hour or two, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please contact the office to register your interest.
Landscaping Around the Flagpoles
Many of you may have noticed some early work near the flag area. We are planning to lay new turf and complete the landscaping, which will improve both safety and aesthetics. However, due to the cool conditions, we’re waiting for the weather to warm up so the turf can establish successfully. We’ll keep you posted on progress.
Flood Recovery: Hall Renovations Underway
As you may recall, our school hall was flooded in May due to blocked drains during heavy rain. Since then, it has undergone a thorough clean and assessment. We are pleased to let you know that it is now being refurbished with new flooring, storage space and a kitchenette, which will enhance the space for both school and OSHC use. Thank you for your patience as this work continues.
As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership. Our community is stronger because of the generosity, faith, and spirit of everyone involved.
Grace and peace,
Peter Watts
Faith and Mission News
A Joyful Celebration of Confirmation at Our Parish
We are delighted to share that our parish recently celebrated two wonderful nights of Confirmation, filled with joy, reverence, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was an uplifting time for our community as we witnessed our students take this important step in their faith journey.
We extend our thanks to the parents for their support, guidance, and encouragement throughout the preparation process.
A special thank you to Bishop Gregory Homeming for his presence, prayers, and the beautiful way he led the Confirmation ceremonies. We are also deeply grateful to Fr. Joe for his ongoing pastoral care and for helping guide our students with wisdom and love.
Congratulations to all our students—your commitment and faith were encouraging to all who attended. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen and guide you always.
‘Pilgrims of Hope’
Many classes have begun their ‘pilgrimage’, working through the activities on the poster below. This pilgrimage will take almost all year to complete and we look forward to sharing some of the experiences that bring us closer to God.
Naomi Loader - Assistant Principal Mission
Maria Woods - Leader of School Evangelisation
HARMONDY DAY FRIDAY 8 AUGUST
A reminder that we will be celebrating Harmony Day on Friday, 8 August 2025. Please see below some updated information.
- Wearing orange or traditional clothing or cultural accessories is optional but encouraged.
- Students are also invited to make a gold coin donation, with all funds going to support our Sister School, St Xavier’s in Bhalukpong, Arunachal Pradesh.
- If you or your child/children would like to share something from your cultural background (e.g. a song, dance, or other performance) at the 9am assembly, please complete this this Google Form, and Maria Woods will be in touch. This may be an individual performance or a group of families coming together.
- We will create a video featuring students stating their names and sharing their families' cultural backgrounds. The compilation will outline the incredible diversity we have here at St Augustine's. We will play the video at Harmony Day and then share it with our parent community via Compass. To be part of the video please add your child’s details to this Google Form by Wednesday 30 July. For example... My name is XXX, and my family's cultural background is Portuguese.
All St Augustine’s families and friends are warmly invited to attend the Harmony Day assembly at 9:00am. You are also welcome to wear traditional cultural dress to the event.
Pastoral Care
Short Courses that may interest you:
ADHD: This short course was developed with the help of Parents for ADHD Advocacy Australia (PAAA). This course is aimed at supporting the parents and carers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Other people may also find it helpful, such as other relatives, teacher assistants, and teachers.
Autism: This short course is directed at parents and carers of children with autism. Other people may also find it helpful, such as other relatives, teacher assistants, and teachers.
Parents of children who’ve been identified on the autism spectrum have been interviewed to identify the issues that concern them the most. This is reflected in the videos throughout this short course.
Please find more information about the courses on the OLT platform linked here.
Mini Vinnies visit Pete's Place
A HEARTFELT THANK YOU!
Our senior Mini Vinnies Reps delivered the donations from our school community to Pete's Place on Wednesday 23 July. The donations were very warmly received by Pete's Place representative Gaye, who took the students on a short tour of the facilities, explaining the many services available to those in need. A huge MINI VINNIES THANK YOU to our school community for supporting Pete's Place, as they rely on donations such as these to continue their amazing work for our local community.
K-2 Parent Storytelling 2025
Week 3 - No reading Harmony Day
Week 4 - No Reading Assumption Mass
Week 5 - Kindy
Week 6 - No reading Colourthon
Week 7 - No reading Fathers Day
Week 8 - Year 2
Week 9 - Kindy
News from the LARC
Book Week is coming soon! We will be celebrating Book Week on Wednesday 20 August (Week 5) with a parade at 9.10am. All students are invited to dress up as a character from a book. Please don’t spend any money on your costume, use items you already have at home or get creative and use some cardboard and paints etc to create a costume. You do not need to have the book that you are from.
Did you know there is a Parent Library in the LARC? These are two new titles that have just been added. Feel free to come in and borrow anytime during school hours.
How to Use Sora Sessions in the LARC Next Week
Your child has access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks through the Sora App. Come along next week to learn how to use this incredible resource.
Please see the attached for more information.
Happy Families
Anxious
Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry
It's heartbreaking to see our kids struggling with anxiety. The statistics paint a stark picture: anxiety disorders are on the rise, affecting approximately one in seven primary school children and one in four adolescents. We see our kids burdened by fears and worries, their confidence fading, and sometimes even experiencing panic attacks. As parents, we desperately want to help but often feel lost or unsure of what to do.
Anxious: Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry offers a lifeline. In this presentation, Dr Justin Coulson will unpack what anxiety looks like in children and provide you with simple, practical strategies that are both clinically proven and easy to implement at home.
Empower yourself with the knowledge and tools to support your child's emotional wellbeing and help them build resilience in the face of anxiety.
Anxious: Helping Your Child Navigate a World of Worry
Wednesday 20 August, 2025
7pm AEST
Register for reminder emails and will be sent a link to watch the session live:
Sport News
Term 3 2025 | ||
Week 3 | ||
Thu 7 Aug | K-2 Athletics Carnival | St Augustine’s School |
Fri 8 Aug | Year 3-6 Elective Sports | Various |
Week 4 | ||
Fri 15 Aug | Year 3-6 Elective Sports | Various |
Week 5 | ||
Sun 17 - Fri 22 Aug | National Hockey Championships | Bendigo |
Mon 18 Aug | Chris Gangemi Cup - NSW CPS Rugby Union State Final | Hunter’s Hill |
Fri 22 Aug | Year 3-6 Elective Sports | Various |
Week 6 | ||
Tue 26 Aug | Diocesan Athletics | Coffs Harbour |
Tue 26 Aug | Netball NSW Schools Cup | Port Macquarie |
Week 7 | ||
Wed 3 Sep | Zone Football and Netball Knockout | Yamba |
Fri 5 Sep | Rugby Friendly | St Augustine’s School |
Week 8 | ||
Fri 12 Sep | NSW CPS Athletics | |
Fri 12 Sep | Year 3-6 Elective Sports | Various |
Week 9 | ||
Fri 19 Sep | Year 3-6 Elective Sports | Various |
Week 10 | ||
Wed 24 Sep | Diocesan Football and Netball Knockout | Grafton |
NSW PSSA CROSS COUNTRY
Last Wednesday our speedy cross country duo Hugh and Angus Morgan competed at the NSW PSSA Cross Country Championships held at the Equestrian Centre in Sydney. In an incredibly talented field the boys ran across the finish line in 13th (Hugh) and 15th (Angus). Congratulations on such an incredible race boys!
CLARENCE ZONE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
At the end of Term 2, our St Augustine’s Athletics Team competed at the Clarence Zone Athletics Carnival.
Congratulations to our Senior Boy Age Champion, Hugh and 11 Year Girl Runner Up, Pippa! And to all our students who contributed to the winning of the School Shield!
Congratulations to the following students who will now compete at the Lismore Diocesan Athletics Carnival held back at the stadium on Tuesday 26th August.
Lola Bjorksten, Chloe Blackett, Nate Butcher, Autumn Chapman, Hudson Cochran, Rylee Cutler, Lucas De Jong, Vinnie Fenson, Blake Galvin, Aria Grebert, Edison Hay, Koby Lindsay, Hamish Loy, Archie Lynd, Tuscany McCarthy, Beau McMillan, Angus Morgan, Hugh Morgan, Riley O’Brien, Lily Orton, Pippa Rowbotham, Emma Sandes, Halle Timms, Arlo Tuala, Jack Tyler, Poppy Warren, Frankie Zuvela.
INTERSCHOOLS EQUESTRIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Our first Equestrian! Blair had a great time representing St Augustine's School at the NSW State Interschools Equestrian Championships. Amongst tough competition Blair and her pony Gus placed 6th in the Primary School Preliminary Dressage. Congratulations!
AFL PAUL KELLY CUP STATE FINAL
Congratulations to our Senior Girls AFL Team who played against the best teams in NSW at the Paul Kelly Cup State Final held in Sydney. Thanks to Mrs Orton for coaching and well done to all the girls on their exceptional sportsmanship and representing St Augustine’s School.
ELECTIVE SPORTS
Our Year 3-6 Elective Sports program kicked off last Friday. We had perfect conditions for our outdoor sports and the fish were biting!
After a break this Friday, Elective Sports will return Friday of Week 3.
CANTEEN NEWS
Canteen Roster
Week beginning 4 August
- Monday -C Williams
- Tuesday - M & M Black, K Hunn
- Wednesday - S Rowan
- Thursday - V Paul
- Friday - W McLean, C Rose, B Symons
Week beginning 11 August
- Monday - M Mainey
- Tuesday - M & M Black
- Wednesday - S Rowan, Amy
- Thursday - B Symons
- Friday - W McLean, C Williams, R Felton
Notices
FREE ShowerStar Trial
Want to reduce the cost of your water and electricity bill, while helping the environment at the same time? The City of Coffs Harbour is looking for households within the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area (LGA) to trial the ShowerStar for FREE! Learn more here. (Trial the ShowerStar | City of Coffs Harbour)
