Newsletter 3 July 2025
- Principal's Message
- Faith and Mission News
- Pastoral Care
- K-2 Parent Storytelling 2025
- FIREFLY Arts Festival
- NAIDOC WEEK Assembly
- NAIDOC WEEK Activities - 'Walk With Us'
- Year 1 Enchanted Wood dress-up day
- Year 2 Gangsta Granny Day
- Year 3 Spiritus Retreat
- News from the LARC
- Sport News
- CANTEEN NEWS
- Notices
Principal's Message
Firefly Arts Festival 2025
Celebrating NAIDOC WEEK at St Augustine's
Friday 4 July 2025 - Term 2 Week 10
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we come to the end of another vibrant and successful term, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the many wonderful events and experiences we have shared as a school community.
It has truly been a great term, filled with joy, learning, and connection. We began with our heartfelt Mother’s Day celebrations, where we honoured the special women in our lives. The smiles, the hugs, and the community spirit made it a beautiful occasion for all.
Our students showed their fun and colourful sides on Crazy Sock Day, adding a splash of colour and laughter to the playground while supporting a great cause. The money raised will help empower Zambian women by providing opportunities to work at a maize mill and develop entrepreneurial skills.
In sport, our Year 3–6 students demonstrated enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and team spirit at the Athletics Carnival. It was inspiring to see their efforts and the encouragement they gave to one another. Congratulations, Green House, for taking out the trophy!
Our Parish connection is very strong, as demonstrated through liturgies, masses, retreats, our attendance at parish luncheons, and the Sacramental Program. Many of our students took important next steps in their faith journey by receiving their First Communion.
This term culminated in our much-loved Firefly Arts Festival, which brought together music, art, and community in a celebration of creativity and light. Over 1500 people attended the event. We were thrilled to welcome families into the heart of our creative community. Firefly 2025 was a true celebration of light, learning, and togetherness.
Yesterday, we concluded the term by honouring and reflecting during our NAIDOC Week celebrations, paying tribute to the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It was a rich and meaningful time for our school.
All of these events remind us of what makes our school community so special: the care, commitment, and involvement of our students, staff, and families. We are truly blessed to be part of such a supportive and welcoming environment.
As we head into the holidays, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for your ongoing support and partnership in your children’s education. I wish you a restful and safe break, and I look forward to welcoming everyone (including Mr Watts!) back for another exciting term ahead.
Kind regards,
Naomi Loader
Acting Principal
Faith and Mission News
First Eucharist
Congratulations to all the candidates who have received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. We pray that receiving Him in Holy Communion again and again will bring these children to a deeper relationship with our Lord.
Confirmation
It’s not long now until many of our students receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Confirmation Liturgies will be held at 5:30pm on Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 July. Preparation for the candidates in Year 3 is happening in RE lessons and for candidates in Years 4, 5 and 6 there will be some sessions run in class time early next term by Mrs Woods. We keep these candidates and their families in our prayers as they receive this holy sacrament.
"Heavenly Father, God of power and of love, We pray for all the children who are preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. May your Holy Spirit help them to grow in faith, hope, and love and may they come to know you as the one true God who loves them without limit. Amen"
Jubilee Art Prize
Attention all budding artists! Click on the link below if you are interested in participating in a Diocesan wide art competition to celebrate the Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’
https://www.lismorediocese.org/jubilee-art-prize/
‘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
Pastoral Care
K-2 Parent Storytelling 2025
FIREFLY Arts Festival
Firefly 2025: A Dazzling Display of Student Creativity!
What an absolutely unforgettable night at Firefly 2025! Our students were thrilled to share their incredible creativity with you, transforming our space into a vibrant gallery and performance hub. From captivating digital artwork projections and the meticulous artistry in our original artwork gallery, to the immersive cohort installations (each a collaborative masterpiece by over 100 students!), and the charming K-2 'Blossoms and Butterflies' Tree, every single student contributed to this magnificent, whole-school celebration of the arts.
The air buzzed with excitement as our Aboriginal and Contemporary Dance groups delivered stunning performances, while our senior drama students captivated audiences with their innovative expressions of 'living art'. The evening culminated perfectly with the beautiful harmonies of our combined choir, featuring a fantastic guest drumming spot by Sam that truly brought the house down.
This spectacular event wouldn't have been possible without the unwavering dedication of our staff. A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who poured their time and energy into making Firefly a reality, especially those heroes on 'installation day', our wonderful canteen crew, and the BBQ legends who served over 1,000 sausage sandwiches!
We also extend immense gratitude to the team from INSPIRED Audio Visual (and our own incredible Mr. Kerr) for brilliantly framing the students' work with a phenomenal light show that truly elevated the experience. It was genuinely heartwarming to see so many family and friends join us to celebrate.
NAIDOC WEEK Assembly
This week at St Augustine’s, we proudly came together to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2025. It is a time to honour and recognise the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Under this year’s theme, "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy", students and staff participated in a range of meaningful activities over the week.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and boys worked with Cordell Lockwood and our very own Aunty Gloria to create a dance connecting to Mother Earth. The dancing workshops that they were involved in were showcased at the NAIDOC Assembly. Each moment offered an opportunity to reflect, learn, and deepen our connection to the world’s oldest living culture. We were so lucky to have Cordell and Aunty Gloria to help the students perform their amazing dances and give our thanks.
We would like to give a special thanks to our local Elders, Uncle Troy Robinson who presented a significant Smoking Ceremony & Aunty Narelle who gave us an amazing Welcome to Country. Thank you to Lachie from OneMob Radio for broadcasting our beautiful culture and Sara Widders for providing us with a coffee to start the day. We also want to give our thanks to all the staff who had come along to help us on this very special day.
At St Augustine’s, we are committed to walking together with respect, truth, and pride, not just during NAIDOC Week, but every day.
Darradung (Thank You)
Aunty Gloria and Miss Brhi
NAIDOC WEEK Activities - 'Walk With Us'
Following the NAIDOC assembly all our students came together
to celebrate with games and activities in cross cohort groups.
Year 1 Enchanted Wood dress-up day
Year 1 enjoyed a special dress-up day to celebrate their Term 2 novel 'The Magic Faraway Tree: The Enchanted Wood' by Enid Blyton. Throughout the day, students took part in a range of fun and creative activities related to the story, including decorating (and eating) pop cakes, challenging their knowledge with a Kahoot quiz, making leafy crowns and creating new worlds as trioramas.
A magical way to celebrate our learning and bring the book to life!
Year 2 Gangsta Granny Day
Year 2 enjoyed a special dress-up and activity day to conclude their Term 2 study of David Walliams' award winning book 'Gangsta Granny'. Activities included building a Tower of London, a high-stakes game of Kahoot, decorating a royal crown and creating their own 'Gangsta Granny' book cover.
Year 3 Spiritus Retreat
On Wednesday, the Year 3 cohort participated in a retreat day focusing on the theme of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. Through prayer, testimonials, singing and games the students were given opportunities to share their faith and grow in understanding of how God the Holy Spirit is at work in their lives.
News from the LARC
We encourage all students to read during the holidays. If you are looking for more books to read, the Coffs Harbour Libraries have an amazing collection to borrow for free.
Coffs Harbour Libraries are offering some very exciting activities in their School Holiday Program. Click here to find out more.
Sport News
Term 3 2025 | ||
Week 1 | ||
Wed 23 Jul | NSW PSSA Cross Country | Sydney |
Fri 25 Jul | Year 3-6 Elective Sports | Various |
Week 2 | ||
Wed 30 Jul | AFL Paul Kelly Cup State Final | Sydney |
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 | ||
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 |
Polding Rugby Union Trials
Well done to our students who trialled at the NSW CPS Rugby Union Trials in Forbes last week: Nate Butcher, Riley O’Brien, Lachlan Speirs, Louis Harrigan.
An outstanding accomplishment to have four students attend such a high level of rugby union trials. Congratulations boys! St Augustine’s is proud to have you representing our school.
Clarence Zone Athletics Carnival
Yesterday our Athletics Team competed at the Clarence Zone Athletics Carnival. Many places on the track and in field events resulted in St Augustine’s being awarded the winning school shield.
Congratulations to our age champions -
Hugh Morgan (Senior Boy Champion)
Pippa Rowbotham (11 Year Girl Runner Up)
A full report of results will be in our newsletter next term.
AFL Paul Kelly Cup - Regional Final
A big congratulations to our girls AFL team who won the Paul Kelly Cup Regional Final! A fantastic achievement that has given them a ticket to the State Final in Sydney! Good luck girls!
CANTEEN NEWS
Canteen Roster
Week beginning 21 July
- Monday -Staff Development Day
- Tuesday - M & M Black
- Wednesday - C Jones
- Thursday - J Murphy, D Kelly
- Friday - W McLean, C Williams, L Lawler
Week beginning 28 July
- Monday - Chrissy
- Tuesday - M & M Black
- Wednesday - C Jones
- Thursday - L Hardaker
- Friday - W McLean, C Rose, B Symons
Notices
