St Aloysius Newsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

From the Principal - Issue #9, 2026

The winter weather certainly arrived in full force this week. Thankfully, at this time of year we have plenty happening at school and beyond to keep us warm!

Seventeen students participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation last week at the Cathedral. The students and their families engaged thoughtfully in the liturgy and Fr James McEvoy and Fr Matthew Newman led the students through their first reconciliation with respect and compassion. Thanks to the many families who attended, along with our beautiful primary choir, who lifted our hearts with their voices. We hope this step in the sacramental journey will remind each student of how deeply they are loved by God.

Reconciliation Week has been a special time of connection with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families. Thanks to everyone who came along to Nunga Night last week, and to the students and staff who set up the stalls and activities to make the evening so much fun. We also attended the National Reconciliation Week breakfast, with over 3000 guests at the Convention Centre, and the Lowitja O’Donoghue Oration at Bonython Hall this week. Professor Larissa Behrendt AO reflected on a concept that feels more urgent than ever: Strength with Grace: Bringing the Nation Together. She spoke of how First Nations women’s leadership can guide us towards unity, with a style that is strategic, steady and focused on connection. It was an inspiring address that left us hopeful and committed to our ongoing work for reconciliation.

We were thrilled to hear that Year 7 student, Senudi, has made it to the Grand Final of Rostrum Voice of Youth 2026. Senudi will present both a prepared speech and a short notice speech in the Junior Section Final at Parliament House on 27 June. Congratulations also to Aamina, Year 10, who made it to the semi-finals and sincere thanks to teachers Rachel Morant and Lucy Newton, who have prepared the girls so well for these public speaking opportunities. Alongside our many Debating Teams performing well this season, it’s great to see students developing confidence in raising their voices and articulating their ideas with strength and clarity.

It has been a very busy start to Term 2, and the long weekend will provide some welcome rest for both students and staff. We wish our senior students well as they prepare for their upcoming exams, marking the end of Semester 1. As with all forms of assessment, we encourage students to view these as one of many opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do across the curriculum, and the feedback will help them to direct their efforts in Semester 2.

Wishing everyone a restful long weekend.

Ms McEvoy
Principal

Big Splash energy at this year’s Swimming Carnival "Dressed as the year you were born!"

Last Friday's Swimming Carnival delivered non stop energy across every lane and event! This year’s highlights included students taking on the Wibit, impressing in synchronised swimming and giving it their all in water polo, all while showing huge spirit, competition and some iconic birth year throwbacks through their costumes!

Days like this are what school spirit is all about, with students, staff and families coming together in such a great way.

A huge thank you goes to our PE staff, sports leaders and all staff involved, including the staff relay winners, for making the event such a success. Congratulations to St Margaret’s on taking out the overall win, and to Amelia Williams for winning the 50m Freestyle.

Enjoy the snaps of the day, the energy, the costumes and all the memories made.

Go SAC! 

From the Primary Sport Coordinator

Ms Zoe Duffy
Primary Sport Coordinator

Exciting few weeks for Primary Sport!

Our Year 5/6 Knockout AFL team, coached by old scholar and PE assistant, Gracie, put in a fantastic performance. Although the team was relatively inexperienced, they showed incredible determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the match. We are very proud of their effort and the way they represented our school. Congratulations to goal scorers Maggie, Allie, Sian & Emily W. Unfortunately Highgate Primary came away with the victory on the day. We wish them the best of luck for Round 2.

The Year 5/6 Knockout Soccer Round 1 Carnival was postponed due to the forecast of inclement weather. We look forward to carnival being rescheduled for a later date and getting back on the pitch soon.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Sean, Technical Director, from Adelaide Jaguars Women’s Soccer Club for his ongoing support of our soccer program. His contribution has been invaluable, and we are excited to continue building a strong partnership to grow soccer opportunities for our students.

Nominations for the SACPSSA Cross Country team are now open on Clipboard (Activity Selection - PS SACPSSA Cross Country | Clipboard) for students in Years 3-6, with submissions closing on Monday 8^th June. Students must be able to comfortably run 2km. When nominating, you can choose between a competitive race or a participation run based on your child’s ability and confidence.

We look forward to seeing lots of students involved in cross country next term!

Ms Zoe Duffy
Primary Sport Coordinator

SAC’s Retreats Inspire Connection, Reflection and Growth

At St Aloysius College, retreats are more than a day away from the classroom – they are opportunities for students to pause, reflect, connect, and to grow.

Throughout the year, secondary year levels participate in age-appropriate retreat experiences designed to nurture their spiritual, emotional, and personal development. While each retreat has its own unique focus, all are steeped in the College's commitment to encouraging young people to reflect, be courageous, and feel inspired to make a difference in the world.

The College’s 2026 liturgical theme,‘Animated by Love’, encourages students to recognise love as both a feeling, and a force that influences how we live, learn, and relate to others. Through prayer, discussion, reflection, and engaging experiences, students are invited to consider how love can be expressed through kindness, service, gratitude, resilience, and care for those around them.

Retreat days provide valuable opportunities for students to step away from the busyness of everyday life and engage more meaningfully with themselves, their peers, and their spirituality. In a world that often favours a fast-pace, and not to mention, digital endeavours, these moments of stillness and reflection are increasingly important.

Across the College, retreat programs are carefully tailored to the developmental needs and experiences of each year level. Students explore topics such as identity, belonging, friendship, leadership, wellbeing, faith, and social justice. Through carefully curated activities and conversations, they are encouraged to reflect on their values and consider how they can contribute positively to their communities. Retreats also offer students the chance to explore new concepts and crafts.

Year 7 student, Nancy M, whose cohort retreated to Ayers House and the Botanic Gardens, says, “I was able to talk to new people during the activities. I got to experiment with new art types, which was really fun because I had never even thought of doing them before. 

I liked doing the sketching in the Botanic Gardens because it was quiet and relaxing there.”

One of the enduring and most successful aspects of the retreat program is the sense of connection it fosters between students who otherwise may scarcely interact. Whether it be through extending a helping hand on the high ropes at Year 12 Retreat, or writing a note of affirmation to someone in a different home class, students have the opportunity to strengthen relationships with their peers and build trust in a supportive environment offsite. These moments often create lasting memories that stay with students well beyond their schooling.

The retreat experience also reflects the Mercy tradition that lies at the heart of St Aloysius College. Inspired by the vision of Catherine McAuley, students are encouraged to respond to the needs of others with empathy, compassion, and action. They are challenged to consider how they can be people of mercy in their everyday lives—whether through acts of service, advocacy for justice, or simple gestures of kindness.

Year 7 student, Isla H, shares that “retreat helped me to connect with lots of new people, through craft, meditation and all the other activities. It was fun to talk with new people and build friendships, but it was also fun to add to existing friendships throughout the day.”

Importantly, retreats create space for students to explore questions of meaning and purpose. They are invited to reflect on who they are becoming and the gifts they bring to the world. In doing so, students are encouraged to develop a deeper sense of self-awareness and confidence as they navigate the opportunities and challenges of adolescence.

Clarisse C, also in Year 7, described retreat as "a really great experience to take us away from the stress of schoolwork. It was a fun day full of mindfulness activities and a great opportunity to make new friends from other classes."

Through SAC’s retreat program, students are reminded that they are part of something larger than themselves: a community that is indeed animated by love, strengthened by faith and renewed by hope.

These experiences help ensure that a St Aloysius College education is not only about academic achievement, but also about nurturing young women who are inspired to lead with the Mercy values at heart, using their unique insights and experiences to make a meaningful difference in the world.

Ms Maddie Kelly
Justice and Mercy Coordinator

Year 7 Retreat: Building Connections

YEAR 8 ReflectionS by the Sea

Crafting Memories Together & Exploring Faith at Year 9 Retreat

Sunset, Spirit and Connection at year 12 retreat

Poetry in Action Performance: The Power of Poetry

Recently, our Year 8 students enjoyed a performance from spoken word poetry group Poetry In Action, called ‘The Power of Poetry’. The three performers enthusiastically and hilariously discussed, debated and brought to life a range of classic and contemporary poems. The poems included represented many different times, places and styles, from a sonnet by Elizabeth Robert Browning, to Palestinian Poet Mahmoud Darwish’s The Prison Cell, to snippets from Banjo Patterson and Eminem.

The students were engaged and drawn into the story, all about mistaken identities and how poetry can help us express our innermost feelings. The hint at a possible romance between the performers particularly captured our SAC students’ interest! Overall this was a fun performance which should lead well into our further study of a range of poetry in Year 8 English classes.

Ms Amy Klar
English Teacher

A Wild Night at Adelaide Zoo!

Year 2 students enjoyed a special Zoosnooze adventure, spending the night at the Adelaide Zoo and discovering the wonders of wildlife after dark.

Our Zoo explorers reflected on their adventure:

"My favourite part was the night walk, when the zoo was all dark. I liked seeeing the wolves in their den." Winter

"I liked sleeping at the zoo next to my friends. It was so much fun." Isla

"We were so quiet when we were walking around the zoo at night that we saw lots of animals." Yasvi

"I liked seeing the Mane Wolf. They have really long legs, and they have big pointy ears." Onara

This was such a memorable experience filled with learning, friendship and adventures that our Year 2 students will treasure for years to come.  

From the Faith and Mission Coordinator

Living ‘Animated by Love’ Through Sacrament

This year our liturgical theme is ‘Animated by Love’ and we have considered together the ways in which love motivates our actions and interactions with our friends, family and in our school community. It is important that we also recognise the times our choices are not loving. In the Catholic tradition the Sacrament of Reconciliation provides us with an opportunity to consider these times and turn to our forgiving and loving God, with repentance and a desire to restore the relationships hurt by our actions.

In Week 5, 17 students from Years 3 to 11 took the next step in their sacramental journey, which began with Baptism, and celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. We congratulate them and hope that, following the advice of Catherine McAuley, they will resolve to be good today and better tomorrow, allowing this sacrament to turn their hearts to choices that are truly ‘Animated by Love’.

We are grateful for the involvement of Fr James McEvoy and Fr Mathew Newman who celebrated the sacrament with us, and Ms Viv Graney, who helped prepare the students and direct proceedings on the night. Thanks also to the Primary Choir, supported by Ms Maddie Binney, Ms Olivia Spadavecchia and Ms Sasha Champion, whose singing enriched our liturgy.

We look forward to continuing the Sacraments of Initiation with our students in the coming months and into next year, when they prepare for Confirmation and receive the Eucharist for the first time.

Ms Genevieve Pelekani
Director of Faith & Mission

Storytime Comes to Life!

National Simultaneous Storytime

National Simultaneous Storytime is an annual event held across Australia where children in schools, libraries, and community groups all read the same picture book at the same time. This event promotes the importance of reading, literacy, and sharing stories together in a fun and engaging way. Every year, our 1EG class brings each book to life! This year's dramatisation of Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller was enthusiastically enacted by Ms Griffith's class of performers. Our primary classes loved sharing the story and joining in the fun of the soccer game right up until the nail-biting finish! A big thank you to our talented and courageous actors!

Finding Their Voice

Rostrum Voice of Youth is a national public speaking competition for students in Years 7-12 which provides an excellent opportunity for entrants to gain experience and confidence in expressing their views and communicating a message.  Eight students from SAC competed in the first heat of the competition alongside hundreds of other students from across SA.  Each competitor had to present a pre-prepared speech as well as a quick preparation round where students had only 15 minutes to prepare a three-minute speech on an unknown topic.  Our students demonstrated Mercy Values throughout the day, both in their conduct and the content of their speeches.  Aamina (10LS) and Senudi (7AP) were both then invited to compete at the Semi-Finals two weeks later.  Good luck to Senudi who will now be competing in the State Final to be held at the House of Assembly, Parliament House on Saturday 27 June.  Congratulations to all our incredible speakers.   

Ms Combe and Ms Morant
Teachers

Picture Perfect Moments

The St Aloysius College Year 8/9 Social at the Carrington Function Centre was a fantastic evening filled with fun, music, and dancing. Students enjoyed the opportunity to socialise and dance the night away alongside students from Rostrevor College, Christian Brothers College, and Blackfriars Priory School. It was wonderful to see students engaging positively, building connections, and creating lasting memories!

SAC Stories Episodes 1, 2, 3 🎬

This student-led series is all about sharing the voices, moments, and stories that make our community so special. Tune in and celebrate this students’ space with us!

👉 Click here to watch Episode 3

👉 Click here to watch Episode 2

👉 Click here to watch Episode 1

Extraordinary Talent on Display

On a night that showcased the extraordinary talent within our school community, Year 10 students delivered two unforgettable theatrical performances that left the audience buzzing with excitement and pride.

The evening opened with 21 Guaranteed Ways to Get Detention, a quirky comedy had the audience in stitches from start to finish, with our performers demonstrating an impeccable sense of comic timing that is genuinely rare to find. The physical comedy was crisp, the delivery was confident, and the energy on stage never once wavered. The girls clearly relished every moment, and that joy was entirely infectious laughter rippled through the audience throughout.

The second production, Little Women 2: Wrath of the Dead, demonstrated an entirely different dimension of our students' abilities. This bold and imaginative reimagining breathed new life into a beloved classic, with our young performers showing remarkable range balancing moments of genuine emotional depth with perfectly timed dramatic flair. Each student commanded the stage with a confidence that belied their years, drawing the audience into their world with every scene. The chemistry between the cast was palpable, with every interaction feeling authentic and carefully crafted.

What made the evening truly special was the evident dedication these students had brought to their craft. The performances spoke to hours of hard work, careful character development, and a deep commitment to storytelling.

The audience response was overwhelmingly positive applause rang out enthusiastically, and the pride in the room was impossible to miss. Year 10s, you were sensational. Take a bow!

Mr Tom Coultas
Drama Coordinator

Coming Soon in Week 9!

We are getting ready for our 2026 SAC Can Drive! Together we CAN build a better world.

This whole school event is a proud SAC tradition that supports Sr Janet Mead’s Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless Persons through the donation of canned food. As part of our community effort, classes will buddy up and take on a timed challenge to build sculptures using the cans they collect, showcasing creativity, teamwork and school spirit!

Be ready to donate and create to make a real difference together!