Sad News

Early last week we received the tragic news that Catherin D’Rozario, one of our former students (Year 10 Little, 2018), had passed away suddenly over the weekend. It is hard to believe that she is no longer with us. We remember her as a beautiful, feisty and caring young woman who was a loving daughter, a wonderful sister and a fun loving, loyal and generous friend.

All who knew Catherine feel a keen sense of loss but for her family the grief is unspeakable. I ask that you remember her parents, Stella and Matthew, her brothers, Stalis and Benedict (Year 8 Attard), and her extended family and friends in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days, weeks and months.

At times such as this, we remind ourselves that God will never forget us, that in life and death, he is always with us, holding us gently in his hands. Catherin’s life, though far too short was lived in the spirit of the Beatitudes and we trust that she is now in God’s loving care.

SACCSS Athletics

Congratulations to all the students who participated in Monday’s SACCSS Athletics Carnival. It was a mighty day with many outstanding performances, both individually and as a team. The relays were particularly exciting with St Albans taking first place in 6 of the 8 relays. This is no small feat when you are competing against schools with three times as many students! Special congratulations to the Intermediate Boys who won the aggregate.

All involved with the team were delighted with the team spirit: the support they gave each other, the sportsmanship they showed and the fact that everyone gave 100%. Thank you to the staff who have run many lunchtime and afternoon selection and training sessions, and to all the students who represented us to well on the day.

National eSmart Week

There are many days and weeks dedicated to raising awareness of a range of social and cultural issues. Whilst we cannot attend to them all – these weeks are often a good conversation starter.

This week (1 – 7 September) is National eSmart Week. Promoted by the Alana and Madeline Foundation, this is a week where communities come together to encourage everyone to be smart, safe and responsible when using digital technology. It creates the opportunity for families, classes and community groups to discuss issues of cyber safety, bullying and wellbeing online, and offline.

National eSmart Week provides an opportunity to re-visit some of the protocols and strategies we have in place, as a school, as a family and as a community to ensure everyone is safe.

The Office of the eSafety Commissioner provides education around online safety and supports families and young people with information about what to do should an issue arise. I highly recommend the website to families, particularly the iParent section.

If you have come across illegal content, wish to report Cyberbullying or just want some strategies to assist you in managing digital devices visit the website of the eSafety Commissioner at https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Following are some interesting questions that we might ask ourselves before posting online. These are as relevant for us as adults, as they are for young people.

• Do I have a right to share this?
• Is this the right thing to do?
• Am I willing to take responsibility if this post goes viral or is shared without my permission?
• Will I regret this tomorrow when I am not angry or upset?
• Is the risk worth the reward of 15 minutes of fame or shame?
• Am I ready for the social, emotional, verbal or legal battle that might ensue?

(Excerpt is from Social Media by Daphne Donaldson)

Since our last newsletter…..

Over and above the day to day activities of the school since our last newsletter students, families and staff have participated in the following:

• Science Week
• Year 7 2020 interviews
• Year 10 RE incursion
• Years 7 and 8 Maths Games Days
• 7 AV classification incursion
• Year 7 STEM Day
• SACCSS Interschool Athletics
• ICAS Science competition
• Year 9 City Experience
• Year 10 Reflection Day
• Year 8 Kryal Castle excursion
• Year 10 Evolution and Genetics excursion

I am sure that students and their families are very appreciative of all these opportunities and the time and energy that staff put into organising and offering these experiences.