Acknowledgement of Country
From the Principal
Principal
Dear Parents/Guardians, Friends & Students of SAC,
Our community came together in prayer and reflection this fortnight to mark the most significant week in the liturgical calendar. Staff and students entered the Holy Week liturgy last Thursday in silence and were deeply moved by the beautiful singing of the choir and reading and acting out tableaus from scripture. Sadness turned to joy as we celebrated the resurrection in our Easter Mass at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral this Wednesday. Father Lancy D’Silva CSC, Dean and Administrator of the Cathedral parish, joined our chaplain, Fr James McEvoy, in concelebrating the Mass. Once again, the music was a source of inspiration for all present and we are deeply grateful to the Cathedral staff who have made us feel so welcome this year for our whole school Masses.
GATHERING in silence to commemorate Holy Thursday last week
2024 EASTER MASS CELEBRATION
Open Night brought more families than ever to our doorstep this year, despite the cooler weather. At SAC, we find that prospective families appreciate being able to see the full program of College activities on display along with meeting teachers and students. Thanks must go to our current students and their families who are fantastic ambassadors for the College, as well as to the staff who are key to making visitors feel welcome at these events. Thanks also to the Marketing Team, whose work is central to sustaining our strong enrolments and ensuring that the world knows what is so special about SAC.
2024 Open Night Success!
Last week we farewelled two of our Study Tour groups, from St Capitanio and Mejiro Kenshin High School in Japan. The students loved building new friendships and experiencing life in Adelaide, and we hope that they will visit Adelaide again someday. During this school holidays, Doreen Maiello and I will travel to Japan and visit a number of schools that have been sending students to St Aloysius for many years. We look forward to seeing these schools with our own eyes, and acknowledging how much we appreciate the many years of friendship between our schools.
さようなら、また会いましょう (bye bye and see you soon!)
As Term 1 draws to a close, the work in the Redden Centre is well underway. Year 7 and 8 classrooms are undergoing a major refresh as a result of consultation with students, staff and parents last year. The Village has had some teething problems, but through flexible timetabling we believe we have found a solution that will work well for the students and staff who are based there next term. As many of you will appreciate from your own renovations, timelines are often impacted by availability of materials, but we are hopeful that the Redden first floor will be back in action before too long. Thank you for your patience and support as we as we create some exciting new learning spaces for our middle years’ students.
Ms Paddy McEvoy
Principal
Coding a Promising Future in SAC’s new Tech Studio
Mercy Light: Learning
In 2015, United Nations world leaders announced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 goals, their 'roadmap', to achieving it. One of those goals is to ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education. Today, nearly 10 years on from this declaration, the global community has faced unprecedented challenges. The emergence and advancement of digital technologies has enabled us to seek and find solutions, and these technologies are increasingly important tools in student learning. Digital technologies promote collaboration, creativity, independence, critical thinking and innovation; skills leaders need to address complex problems facing our global community. [1]
On Wednesday April 3, SAC’s Tech Studio was officially opened, the culmination of a vision shared by passionate staff and students alike.
The College’s Digital Technologies Coordinator, Mr Tom Cotton, proposed the idea in 2023, and almost exactly 12 months later, proudly welcomed visitors into the fully-functioning space for the first time. The open-plan Tech Studio is equipped with everything from robotics, to 3D printers, to a podcasting studio and video production technology.
“Digital Technologies is a field that’s always changing and it's not necessarily about teaching students how to use one program or one type of technology, it's about giving them skills to use technologies effectively and ethically. We wanted a modern and versatile learning area to teach Digital Technologies, and this space achieves that,” Mr Cotton said.
“A lot of this subject involves project-based learning, and the Tech Studio is designed so that students can work effectively in small groups. It’s a multi-purpose space, and many faculties within the school will benefit from its use.”
Enthusiastic Digital Technologies students, Myf H and Molly R (Year 9), Maria J and Stephanie K (Year 10), enjoyed collaborating with classmates and staff to provide input into how the space was set up and designed.
“Mr Cotton showed us the construction bit by bit and allowed us to make suggestions so that we’d get the most out of the space once it was set up. We really enjoyed that,” Maria explained.
Stephanie is excited about the range of equipment and programs the Tech Studio can host: “It’s not just about coding, there’s many opportunities for us to explore, to have a less formal and hands-on approach to many technologies.”
Myf and Molly, keen podcasters, are particularly keen to use the Tech Studio’s podcasting equipment to engage in what they describe as, “professional talking.”
Myf said, “This space opens up doors for us. I wasn’t interested in Digital Technologies until we started learning the subject at school, and our podcasting night in Year 8 got me into it. I love to talk and in podcasting, I can do what I love with a purpose.” Molly, who has represented SAC at a podcasting leaders day hosted by Arch D Radio, agrees.
“When you are podcasting, you get to be yourself. Digital Technologies is also good because we can learn about how these devices are created and how they can be used.”
Maria explained that, “Digital Technologies is a subject that is mouldable to the individual’s passions, it is such a broad subject, but it can give us pathways to many other opportunities and careers. I don’t have to stick with coding if I don’t want to, I could move into digital design!”
In a world increasingly dependent on digital literacy, it’s imperative to for young people to know how technology can be used for good.
Next time you are at SAC, come and have a peek into the Tech Studio, or if you’re considering SAC as an option for your child, why not book a School Tour?
[1] https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
Ms Maddie Kelly
Marketing & Communications Team
Year 10 Charter Ambassador Government House Pin Presentation and Workshop at the Festival Centre
On Tuesday, 19 March, we were invited to the first Charter Ambassador Meeting of 2024. We started the morning at the Festival Theatre where we were joined by participants from other schools around South Australia and the program coordinators. We had time to bond with our other Ambassadors and were introduced to the program. The purpose of this program is to connect young minds and give them the opportunity to have a say about their futures. We discussed the fundamentals of the program, to ensure all youth have equal opportunities. We were fortunate to hear from Matthew Cowdrey former Paralympian and current Parliamentary member for Colton. Matthew shared his experiences of living with a disability and inspired us persevere through challenging situations. We then made our way to Government House where we had an opportunity to interact with other ambassadors and explore Government House. The Governor then presented us with our badges and delivered an insightful speech.
Written my Maria Jurasic, Liliana Bagnato, Emily Cornish and Alessia Giglio
Being faithful stewards of Easter joy!
Patients at Calvary Adelaide Hospital enjoyed a splash of colour with their meals over Easter, thanks to some creative students who made Easter-themed placemats for them. We also thank all who donated Easter eggs to be gifted to families supported by our neighbours, Centacare. We send prayers of healing and goodwill to those in need at this time.
heartfelt letterS to all Staff and Students from Calvary Adelaide Hospital & Centacare
From the Secondary Sport Coordinator
Secondary Sport Coordinator
Term 1 Sport Wrap Up
This Saturday marks the final round of the SACSSGSA Term 1 season. We wish all teams the best of luck with their final matches and thank them for their effort and commitment over the last 6 weeks. A special thankyou to the families, teachers and coaches who have come out to support our girls, score or assist in any way. Whilst there are no finals in Term 1 & 4, any team that finished top of their premiership table will be presented with an award at the end of year assembly.
Term 2/3 Sport
Information packs, team lists and training schedules will go up on the Term 2/3 SEQTA Sport Portal next week (Week 11) and draws will follow shortly after this once released by SACSSGSA. Venues and game times will not be available until this information is released. Please continue to check the portal for updates.
All trainings and games will begin in Week 1 of Term 2.
Sport uniforms can be purchased from the SAC uniform shop. Here are the requirements for each sport:
- Netball (tunic)
- Soccer (playing top & shorts)
- Badminton (PE uniform)
- AFL (universal singlet)
Families are encouraged to contact the SAC Uniform Shop to make an appointment for uniform fittings. The SAC Uniform Shop is open at the following times:
School Terms:
- Tuesday 8:15am - 11:30am
- Wednesday 1:00pm - 4:00pm
- Thursday 8:15am - 11:30am
Holidays:
See newsletter for open hours.
Sporting Spotlight
Congratulations to Year 9 student, Raven, who was recently selected to play in the 2024 Hockey SA U14 zone championships on the 23-24th March at MATE stadium, Gepps Cross. Her team was Southern Storm which considered players from Seacliff (her club), Forestville, and Adelaide Hills hockey clubs. She plays a defensive position for her team during the State Championships, in which they play 4 other zone teams. They played 3 games on Saturday, in which they drew two games and won the other. On Sunday they played the last zone team which they won and finished at the top of the table and went straight through to the finals. It was a nail-biting final that finished in a one-on-one penalty shot against the opposition goal-keeper. It was an exciting finish, with Raven’s team, the Southern Storm, winning the championship. Well done Raven!
We JAMmed a lot into Term 1
Justice and Mercy, known informally as JAM, is a student-led group that focuses on education and awareness of social justice in our community and on a global scale. We meet on Thursday at lunchtimes to discuss topics, global events and causes, and plan ways that we can raise awareness with the wider SAC community! All students between Years 6-12 are welcome to join us and share their ideas.
Our JAM group has been extremely busy over the last few weeks, acknowledging and celebrating key dates in our social justice calendar! In March alone, we held activities for International Women’s Day, Harmony Day, National Close the Gap Day and Earth Hour Day, getting the whole school to come together for lots of learning and fun about diverse issues.
On March 21st, we recognised both Harmony Day and National Close the Gap Day with many colourful activities. Harmony Day encourages us to celebrate cultural diversity and National Close the Gap Day raises awareness of First Nations health equity. To ‘Close the Gap’, students created and walked through the school with a colourful paper Chain of Harmony, representing how we at SAC, a multicultural community, can be links of peace and hope in the world.
On Earth Hour Day the following week, students and staff were encouraged to work with the lights turned off when possible and use screens minimally. At lunch, Ms Sandra Eustace guided eager Year 9 students in building SolarBuddy lights which will be distributed to people in developing countries who do not have reliable access to electricity.
Each week, JAM students have also been busy volunteering at Sister Janet Mead’s Adelaide Day Centre each Wednesday, helping the Day Centre to provide support for some of Adelaide’s 7,000 people experiencing homelessness. We ended Term 1 on a high, planting herbs and vegetables in the planter boxes in Michell Courtyard. Next term, we hope to donate the harvest to the Day Centre.
A special thanks goes to our Senior JAM Leaders (Grace C and Caitlin S) and Primary JAM Leaders (Harper M, Grace H, Lucy B, Rosanna A, Daniela M and Mariana M) who have done an exceptional job in their roles this term!
Ms Maddie Kelly
JAM Coordinator
Ms Angie Alfaro
JAM Support Coordinator
St Jude's News - Meet Angel
Since 2019, Year 12 students have sponsored a scholarship for a student attending The School of St Jude in Tanzania. St Jude's is a pioneering leader in charitable education within Africa, providing free, quality education to 1,800 bright, poor primary and secondary students. Its Australian Founder, Gemma Sisia, opened the school in 2002 with a big dream to bring educational opportunities children living in poverty. Several SAC Old Scholars have dedicated years of their lives to working at the school in Tanzania.
Junion, a young woman whose secondary school scholarship was sponsored by the Classes of 2019-2023, recently graduated. Now, our Class of 2024 is giving the gift of a free, quality education to six-year-old Angel, who is just starting her academic journey. On International Women's Day, all SAC students were invited to write a letter or draw a picture for Angel, which will be sent to St Jude's in Tanzania for her to enjoy. Angel, whose first language is Kiswahili, has just started learning to read, write and speak in English. Angel sent a letter to our SAC community, which you can see below. We look forward to strengthening our connection with Angel and St Jude's as we follow her schooling. The Year 12s will be fundraising for Angel's scholarship throughout the year, so stay tuned for updates!
Year 3 Mandala Workshop
Year 3 students were lucky enough to spend some time with Cathy from Inkwork, who taught them all about the magic of mandala artwork. The students explored the different ways we see mandalas in our everyday life, before they had the opportunity to put their skills into action. Students worked slowly to bring their creativity to life, carefully crafting lines and shapes that would contribute to their very own mandala design.
Ms Sarah Costanzo and Ms Isabella Deluca
Year 3 Teachers
From the Drama Department
Drama Coordinator
Year 11 Drama – Be My Baby
Last week the talented Year 11 Drama class presented Be My Baby, a play set in a home for un-wed mothers in the 1960s. Exploring the world of four un-wed mothers who are forced to give up their children for adoption, as was the expectation at the time, Be My Baby is a wonderful play full of great acting, music and emotion. The Year 11 Drama class had a great time researching the era and their roles within the play and were shocked at how cruelly un-wed mothers were often treated by society. Enjoy some snapshots from the play..
Mr Tom Coultas
Drama Coordinator
Bringing His Spirit Home: Podcast launch
Our school was privileged to have students attend the podcast launch of "Bringing His Spirit Home: Private Arthur Thomas Walker, Ngarrindjeri Anzac". This podcast, which is an initiative of the Virtual Australian War Memorial, documents the story of Private Arthur Thomas Walker who fought in Gallipoli. It might be surprising to know that many Aboriginal men and women fought for Australia in World War 1 despite the fact that government regulations excluded them from enlisting and leaving the country. However, First Nations people have cared for this Country for millennia so it makes sense that they would have fought to protect this country and the freedom of the people living within it.
Reflection of the podcast launch BY yEAR 7 STUDENT, Nekeesha:
Being able to go to the podcast launch was a rare and exciting experience for all of us. It was interesting to hear about the podcast and what it was about, and what a national significance it had. It was about honouring Arthur Thomas Walker, who was a Ngarrindjeri ANZAC. We started with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony by Uncle John Lochowiak (Arthur Thomas Walker's great-grandson) in front of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander War Memorial. He sang a song in his mother language which he said was to diminish evil spirits and purify our spirits. As we were walking inside after the ceremony was finished, Mrs Graney pointed out what a coincidence it was that earlier that morning we had the Easter mass and there was the incense, which like the smoking ceremony is used for purification. This had us thinking about how the two experiences were similar and this really resonated because Uncle John had talked about how finding our similarities would help bring Reconciliation. When we went inside, there were three speeches. The first one was by Kyam Maher, minister for Aboriginal Affairs. After that, Uncle John Lochowiak gave a speech to us about his family’s fascinating story. Then our last speech was by Megan Spencer, the podcaster, who spoke about the honour and process in creating the podcast. Overall, the launch was very wonderful and special.
Ms Viviana Graney
First Nations Focus Teacher
Remember how much fun we had last year?
Not long to go for our next big event the 'SAC Colour Fun Run'!
Help us reach our goal this year, and support Mercy projects including Catherine House, the Adelaide Day Centre and the Vinnies Women’s Crisis Centre.
