Dear Parents,

Pope Pius XI in his Encyclical on Education indicates that a child grows and develops in three environments: the family, the Church and the (modern) school. On the Feast of Saint Pius X we looked at the educational environment made up around the Church and, in particular, the liturgy: this was in the light of the splendour of the solemn Pontifical Mass of Confirmations.

The Church environment is also made up of the Sacraments. A child’s First Communion Day is of great importance. Not because of a pretty dress that will be worn or new clothes. For the first time God will come into a pure, innocent soul; Body, Blood Soul and Divinity. There is no greater grace for a soul and what a grace it is for the family and, by extension, for the school. The child’s individual preparation by parents, priests and teachers is critically important as is their prayers for the important day. What a great lesson is learnt if Holy Communion and the Blessed Sacrament become the centre of a person’s life amidst all the daily cares and concerns that surround them. How many graces are given on First Communion Day!

After the Mass and reception of Holy Communion, the Sacrament which the children and students approach most frequently is Confession. What a school that is! It is an ongoing school of humility, with a true sorrow for offences against God, against neighbour and against self – with the intention to change. It is in this context that this Sacrament, properly prepared, correctly confessed, is able to have an effect not only in eternity but also in time by the changing and the modifying of behaviour. We must never underestimate the supernatural power of the sacraments, nor ought we to forget their effects in the natural order.

In these days leading to First Holy Communion let us keep these children in our prayers.

Fr Michael Delsorte
Principal

What's On

23rd October		KANGA CRICKET Yr 9/10 Musical Evening
25th October		CHRIST THE KING First Holy Communions
26th October		VCE STUDY WEEK
28th October		Bendigo Banking Day
29th October		Fr Johnson & Fr Elias visit
30th October		VCE EXAMS START Adult Catechism
2nd November		NO SCHOOL TODAY
3rd November		NO SCHOOL TODAY Melbourne Cup
9-13 November	7.30pm	Ladies Talk
12th November		KANGA CRICKET Year 7/8
16th November		PRIMARY SCHOOL CONCERT
18th November		GR 5/6 KANGA CRICKET
20th November		Scienceworks 4G
10th December		TERM FOUR CONCLUDES
	7PM	PRESENTATION NIGHT

There are no bank fees for primary school students.

Your child will be able to bring a passbook and deposit money
to school each week for the school to send to the bank.

Parents can open an account for each of their children
by meeting with Customer Service Officer Jenna Milner at
8.30 am
Wednesday 28th October
STAC School Library

Application forms will be handed out at school a few days beforehand for you to fill out.

To open an account you need to bring a completed application form,
an original birth certificate for each child and your driver’s licence.

My Prayer Book

Happiness in Goodness
Reflections, Counsels, Prayers and Devotions
By Rev. F. X. Lasance
Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur, New York, 19 September 1908
The following Reflection is found in this little treasured book.

Don’t go to Heaven Alone
Don’t go to Heaven alone! Take somebody with you. Mothers, take your children with you. Pray as long as you have breath in your body– never despair and never give up hope that your loved ones, no matter how far their footsteps have wandered, will one day stand with you before the Great White Throne.

Let us go about doing Good
If we are educated, let us, in the Master’s name, instruct the ignorant; if we possess wealth, let us use it as God intended; if we have health, let us cheer some drooping soul; if we enjoy any singular opportunities, consider them prayerfully, and in so doing we shall find that the moments that really shine out in our lives are those in which we have buried self and gone out into this busy and sinful world, and have endeavored, by prayer and effort, to do the will of Him, whose one great mission was to go about doing good.

The Love of God
If you love God, you will keep His commandments. That is the visible proof of charity. Love cannot rest in words - it must go out into action. If you love God, you will do something for Him. Love is ingenious at finding ways in which to show itself. It manifests itself in acts of praise, in acts of self-denial, in acts of kindness to God’s other creatures. Love without works is dead.

GENERAL NOTICES

BOOK WEEK ORDERS
If your purchase has been paid in full your books are now available for pick up. Please pick these up from the library.

PRIORY DINNER
This dinner will take place on 31st October. A waiter and waitress are needed. If you are willing to assist please call Mr Anthony Singh on 0430452174. Note: People coming to the dinner who have any dietary requirements are asked to please call Anthony Singh in regards to this.

3RD TERM REPORTS
Parents are reminded that if you have not returned the acknowledgement of receipt slip on the bottom of the 3rd Term Interim Report you are asked to do so as soon as possible. This enables us to verify that parents have received the reports which were sent home with the students at the end of last term.

UNIFORM SHOP NEWS
A new order of summer hats has arrived, if yours is looking worse for wear. I also have a large range of new and second hand leather shoes in junior and senior sizes, priced from $3 to $20. Other items include: Pure cotton socks for girls: $2.50 - $3 a pair. Cotton rich senior boys grey socks 3 for $10.

In regard to summer uniform dress length: the hem must be at mid calf length. If yours is only knee length or less, you need to buy a new one straight away or let down the hem. Senior longer length: Sizes 8,10,14, 16 & 18 will arrive next week. Junior sizes - longer length will arrive in 4 weeks. Next year all dresses must be the more modest, dignified length.

MISSION STAMPS
Thank you to the many generous people who so kindly bring used stamps for the Missions. Your support is much appreciated. A. Paar

DRIVERS REQUIRED
If there are any parents who can assist with driving for the Kanga Cricket at Keysborough on Fri 30th October could you be so kind as to contact the school and leave your name with the office staff? There are two teams attending. Many thanks!

MAJELLAN PRAYER GROUP
Ladies are encouraged to attend Rosary and Benediction tomorrow evening at the church in honour of St Gerard whose feast day it is tomorrow(16th October). Due to all the activities for the church and school during October there will not be a meeting this month. Our next meeting will be on 27th November. Recipes from our last meeting will be handed out at that meeting. Any ladies still needing to hand those to Pauline could you please do so asap. At the next meeting you are asked to please bring along soup recipes.

PRIMARY CONCERT
There has been a change of the date for this concert due to the talks from Fr Black taking place at the church. The concert will now be held at the Tynong Hall on Monday 16th November.

NO HAT, NO PLAY
Primary students are reminded that during 4th term they must wear a hat when in the playground. Whilst the weather so far this term has been very mild with little sunshine the warmer days are fast approaching.
Secondary students: it is recommended that you also follow the sunsmart policy and wear a hat during recess and lunch in 4th Term. Hats are available for purchase and one can be viewed in the front office.

End of Term

10th December
TERM FOUR CONCLUDES

7PM
PRESENTATION NIGHT
CARDINIA CULTURAL CENTRE

MONDAY 1st February
2010 SCHOOL YEAR COMMENCES

What is Your Speed????

When travelling through the township of Garfield along Main St are you observing the speed limits at the appropriate times? It has been noted that some of our parents are not aware of the necessary limits on the speed allowed and hence are putting themselves in the danger of getting a speeding fine. On a more serious note though, we are concerned for pedestrians, especially school children. Near the butcher school crossing flags are displayed even though the crossing is not manned. When these flags are displayed you are to treat it like a normal crosswalk and give way to pedestrians.
Also at school times the speed limit in that area is 40km per hour!

Musical Evening

Friday 23rd October
7.00pm
Bunyip Town Hall

All are welcome to attend this
most enjoyable evening

Tickets available on the night:
$15 Family
$8 Single, Pensioner, Student

Families please bring a plate for supper.

DID YOU KNOW?
Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries?
Perth is Australia's windiest city?
Switzerland eats the most chocolate equating to 10 kilos per person per year?
Sound travels almost 5 times faster underwater than in air?

STAC SNIPPETS
The P&F of St Thomas Aquinas College have raised nearly $400,000 for the College through their very successful Dinner Auctions. The first Dinner Auction was held in 2001. Congratulations!

STAC snippets are kindly supplied by Mr Arthur Paar.

From the Bursar….

School Fees:
Fees for Term 4 have been posted and are due for payment by 9 November. Conveyance for Term 4 will be credited to your accounts once it is received, usually towards to the end of the term.
As we are getting closer to the end of the school year, it is imperative that all fee accounts are paid in full by 18 December 2009. If there are any families who need to make arrangements to pay off their fees, please come in and see me as soon as possible.

EMA:
Please note that there are a number of EMA cheques for Semester 2 which have not been collected/or signed over to the College to be offset against fees.

School Start Bonus:
Parents with students commencing Prep or Year 7 in 2010 will be issued with $300 School Start Bonus vouchers. They will be handed out by the end of this term.
There are several families who have not redeemed their 2009 School Start Bonuses. These vouchers are only valid until 11 January 2010. If you need a replacement voucher, please let me know.
Thank you and regards.
Kelly

Saint of the Day

15th October: ST. TERESA.

WHEN a child of seven years, Teresa ran away from her home at Avila in Spain, in the hope of being martyred by the Moors. Being brought back and asked the reason of her flight, she replied, "I want to see God, and I must die before I can see Him." She then began with her brother to build a hermitage in the garden, and was often heard repeating "Forever, forever" Some years later she became a Carmelite nun. Frivolous conversations checked her progress towards perfection, but at last, in her thirty-first year, she gave herself wholly to God. A vision showed her the very place in hell to which her own light faults would have led her, and she lived ever after in the deepest distrust of self. She was called to reform her Order, favored with distinct commands from Our Lord, and her heart was pierced with divine love; but she dreaded nothing so much as delusion, and to the last acted only under obedience to her confessors, which both made her strong and kept her safe. She died on October 4, 1582.

Reflection."After all I die a child of the Church." These were the Saint's last words. They teach us the lesson of her life - to trust in humble, childlike obedience to our spiritual guides as the surest means of salvation.


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