Dear parents and friends of Nazareth Catholic College,

I trust that this edition of the Newsletter finds you well as we bring Term 1 to a close. As I am sure you can attest, Term 1 is filled with many activities and events that see the college burst back into life after the long summer break.

Before mentioning a few of the highlights, I offer my congratulations to the many students who have completed their first term at Nazareth - from the youngest in our ECC to those who have commenced in senior school in 2024. On behalf of the Nazareth community, we are delighted that you have joined us and hope that you are finishing the term feeling welcome and already connected to many new friends. As you know, joining new communities can be a bit daunting until we get to know the people around us and realise how sincere they are in their efforts to make us feel at home. As one of the ‘newbies’ this has certainly been my experience over the last few months.

We have been fortunate with the calendar this year to celebrate Easter a few weeks earlier than the school holidays. The separation seems to give us a little extra time to reflect upon the Good News of Jesus resurrection and the promise that God is always with us. Having experienced the warm welcome of the Nazareth community in my first Term with you, I am reminded of a comment from Pope Francis that, ‘We encounter God in the people we bump into throughout life.’ Thank you for being that gift this Easter season.

To the many students who participated in formation days and retreats in Term 1, we congratulate you on your willingness to reflect upon the bigger questions of what it means to be created unique in the image of God. Likewise, we are grateful for the many young people who have contributed to our College Liturgies, Prayers and Masses this Term – in partnership with your teachers and our local Priests, you helped us find calm in the middle of a busy world and to listen to who God calls us to be.

While one’s first term in a new school passes in a flash, I have been continually reassured and delighted by the priority of focus given to teaching and learning amid everything else that happens. Whether it is speaking with teachers, observing many lessons during my daily wanders or diving into lesson plans, assessment tasks, grades, and teacher feedback on SEQTA I have been thoroughly impressed by the collective focus on learning over the last eleven weeks.

Schools, like our learning, are a work in progress. Consequently, there is always something being refurbished, upgraded or added to ensure that we provide the best opportunities for the children and young people entrusted to our care. A couple of highlights – construction is underway for the eagerly awaited new ECC play space and of course we have made full use of the new Kidman Park Campus for senior students. Just like our learning, such projects don’t always go to plan and require us to make adjustments and rethink our approach to current challenges – we have done plenty of that at Kidman Park and as I write, the pedestrian crossing on Findon Road is nearing completion slightly ahead of schedule.

Finally, on behalf of our staff I wish you every blessing for the next two weeks knowing that it is different for every family depending upon your work commitments and holiday plans. May the slightly slower pace of not making the daily school-run bring opportunities to enjoy the autumn weather and extra time with your family. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 30 April for the start of Term 2.

With best wishes,

Brian Schumacher
Principal

This is a final reminder for current families to ensure you have completed an application form for any children who currently attend other primary schools and are entering Year 7 in either 2025 or 2026 (eg siblings)

This information and reminder has been shared throughout 2023 and in the newsletter this term. Our Online enrolment form can be found here.

Applications for Year 7 2026 closed in December 2023 and first round offers have now been made.

Applications received after the closing date will be waitlisted, with any second round offers occurring in July. Offers will be based on our current enrolment criteria.

Please note that current families with children attending Nazareth Findon Campus do not need to enrol for Year 7, your enrolment is R-12.

For any further questions please contact our registrar team via registrar@nazareth.org.au or 8406 5012

A reminder for families that R-12 students will recommence for Term 2 on Tuesday 30 April due to a pupil-free day on Monday 29 April. 

The ECC will also be closed on this day for Staff Formation Day. This will provide an opportunity for our staff to come together for planning and this year the focus will be on reviewing our centre philosophy. There will be no charge for this closure day.

For a full list of 2024 Term Dates & Pupil Free days, please visit our website: Calendar | Nazareth Catholic Community

Please note our Finance Office located at the Kidman Park Campus will be closed for the school holidays (Monday 15 April to Friday 26 April) and will re-open on Monday, 29 April from midday.

Please contact the Finance Office during the holidays on 8406 5032 or via email.

For further finance information, please visit our website.

Thank you for your understanding.

Register here. 

Grounded by our Catholic beliefs, we aspire to be a living experience of Church, with every family at the heart.

The 'Nazareth Connects’ food relief program offers care and support through preparing meals and snacks and other short-term help for families who may find themselves “running on empty”.

We are looking for volunteers to help with our next Nazareth Connects Cook-up on Tuesday 14 May, 6pm at the Flinders Park Campus.

You only need to help once to make a difference. For more information or to register your interest, please contact Anne Ucci.

Week 4 | Tuesday 21 May, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Findon Campus, Gallery

Join us for a night of creativity and relaxation at our Paint and Sip event, hosted by Pinot and Picasso! The instructors from Pinot and Picasso will lead you step-by-step through the creation of a beautiful masterpiece (no prior painting experience is necessary). BYO Drinks and Nibbles. All art supplies are provided. Tickets are $65(+BF) each, available via Humanitix. Hurry, as spots are limited!

Tickets available at Upcoming Events | Nazareth Catholic Community

Please register via the CESA Registration Centre

This week you would have noticed that our carpark spaces have been reduced due to the outdoor yard works.

We urge all community members to ensure they are following the car park expectations by parking on the street or using the Kiss and Drop areas for any drop off/collections for families wishing to enter the College grounds for older students.

Additionally, during this period ECC families may wish to park on surrounding streets to avoid congestion and waiting periods for car parks. This is a friendly reminder that vehicles should not be waiting across footpaths as this poses a risk to others.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Results:

• Click here to view the latest R-6 Co-curricular sports results.
• Click here to view the latest 7-12 Co-curricular sports results.

Fixtures:

Weekly fixture information and training times can be viewed on the Nazareth website here.

Fixtures are updated regularly; please ensure you check the relevant fixture pages regularly. Significant changes to fixtures will be communicated by your sports coordinator via email. Please check the R-12 Cocurricular Sports Handbook for more sports information.

Year 7 | Winter Uniform Fittings

A reminder for Year 7 families that appointments must be made for Winter Uniform Fittings, as it can take up to 30 minutes to be fitted for the full winter uniform.

Bookings can be made on our website at Uniform Fittings | Nazareth Catholic Community

A separate fitting appointment is required for each child, with multiple bookings required for families with multiple children. When booking online, please use the student’s name under “add your details” and then repeat this name under “provide additional details”

A reminder for parents to be patient and respectful to our uniform shop staff and others when visiting during this busy period.

Numbered Apparel Items

Effective from 2024, students and families purchasing numbered co-curricular items for Basketball, Soccer, and AFL via the Uniform Shop, will no longer have the option to select a specific player number for their guernsey. Instead, numbers will be assigned based on availability at the time of purchase.

Families can attend a fitting at the Uniform Shop, where they will choose the appropriate size for their guernsey and make payment. Numbers will be allocated based on the availability of options at the time of purchase. Please note that we are unable to accommodate specific number requests. Once the co-curricular guernsey has been purchased, it will be promptly delivered to your child on their respective campus within one week. To ensure accuracy in allocating the guernsey numbers, please understand that our staff needs time to consult our database and assign students with appropriate numbers. This process is done outside of store opening hours to ensure time efficiency for our families.

Please note: Families are welcome to acquire second-hand numbered co-curricular uniforms through platforms like Facebook sell-swap. However, it is imperative that you contact our Uniform Shop to notify them of your player-number. This ensures that our database remains current and up-to-date.

Junior Primary Co-Curricular Uniform Update

From 2024, Reception and Year 1 Basketball students, as well as U6 Soccer participants, will now have their uniforms provided by the school at no cost to families. All other cocurricular sporting teams will continue to purchase their appropriate co-curricular uniform from the Uniform Shop (as per the process above).

For detailed information on sport and uniform requirements, please refer to the Sport Handbook and/or the Uniform page on the Nazareth website.

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact the Uniform Shop.

Until the end of Week 2, Term 2 (Friday 10 May) students may wear either their full winter uniform or full summer uniform, depending on the day’s weather condition as the weather can be quite varied at this time of the year.

This flexible option will only apply to the two-week period indicated above and it is stressed that students must wear either the complete summer uniform or the complete winter uniform, not a combination of both.

Information about uniform requirements can be found on our website. Please note the Uniform Shop Opening Hours can also be found on the College website should you need to purchase any new items.

We expect all students to wear the correct Nazareth uniform with pride. Thank you to the students and parents / caregivers who consistently support our Personal Presentation and Uniform Policy. Your cooperation is much appreciated.

Uniform Donations
As we approach the summer-winter uniform changeover period, we'd like to remind you that we are always grateful to receive donations of good-quality uniform items to support other Nazareth families who need a little extra help. Donations can be left at the Reception office of either Campus, where our Pastoral Care team will collect them for distribution to families. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.

Lost Property

A reminder that lost property will be removed by the end of this week. Please check the lost property boxes outside Student Services at your Campus. Please ensure that all clothing, water bottles and containers are named in case they are misplaced or lost. Thank you

This session is aimed at families with children from Reception to Year 6, but all families, regardless of children's ages or school, are welcome to attend.

Please RSVP your attendance via our website: Upcoming Events | Nazareth Catholic Community 

A reminder for families, the Mayoral Make-a-Book Literacy Challenge is open. Please visit the Week 3 Newsletter for details on the criteria, entry requirements and judging tips.

All entries must be submitted to the Resource Centre by Friday 24 May.

Parent / Caregiver Information Session
Week 2 | Monday 6 May, 7:00pm
Our Lady of the Manger Church, Findon Campus

Families with children enrolled in the Sacrament of Reconciliation program will soon be invited to reserve their preferred dates for the Candidate Presentation Mass and Ceremony. Bookings will open at 9:00 pm on Monday 6 May (Term 2, Week 2) following the Parent Information Night, online at: RSVP to Sacrament of Reconciliation Events | Nazareth Catholic Community

The Sacrament of Reconciliation Parent Information Night will be held on Monday 6 May, at 7:00 pm at the Findon Campus OLM Church.

The program fee of $25 can be paid through the Qkr app or at the Kidman Park Campus Finance Office.

More details about the program will be provided at the Parent Information Night. However, key dates to note are as follows:

• Sacrament of Reconciliation Parent Information Night
  Monday 6 May (Term 2, Week 2) from 7:00pm
  Our Lady of the Manger Church, Findon Campus
• Candidate Presentation Mass for Sacrament of Reconciliation
  Saturday 11 May at 6:00pm OR Sunday 19 May at 11:00am
  Our Lady of the Manger Church, Findon Campus
• Sacrament of Reconciliation Workshop Day
  Friday 5 July, from 9:00am - 2:30pm 
  All Year 3 students will be at the Parish Mass and then the Reconciliation candidates will participate in the workshop
• Sacrament of Reconciliation Ceremonies
  Tuesday 27 August at 6:00pm OR Thursday 29 August at 6:00pm
  Our Lady of the Manger Church, Findon Campus

By enrolling, you have agreed that it is your responsibility to work with your child at home, with the support of Nazareth and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish Hindmarsh-Findon, in preparing your child for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You have also agreed to adhere to the program’s requirements and understand that our Church is a sacred place.

Further updates regarding the program will be regularly provided through our College Newsletter.

For enquiries, please get in touch with Catherine Hamilton via email – catherine.hamilton@nazareth.catholic.edu.au

Please RSVP online via Upcoming Events | Nazareth Catholic Community

As part of the Year 10 and 11 Wellbeing, a new program Wellio has been implemented in the students' learning.

Wellio is a digital platform to proactively improve students' wellbeing. They help build a bespoke scope and sequence, run engaging wellbeing lessons and measure impact in one powerful tool.

They will be hosting free online webinars via Zoom for parents:

• Tuesday 14 May 6:00pm - Wellio Parent Webinar: Phones & Social Media
• Thursday 29 August 6:00pm - Wellio Parent Webinar: Building Healthy Relationships
• Thursday 31 October 6:00pm - Wellio Parent Webinar: Resilience & Setbacks

Click here to registers to attend any of the sessions.  

Please see below the workshops scheduled for Stage 2 students during the upcoming Term 1 holidays. Due to maintenance works occurring at the Kidman Park campus, all workshops will be held at the St Gabriel Centre or the Flinders Park Campus.

Please note that not all classes and subjects will have a workshop scheduled, and individual teachers determine whether a class requires this additional time during the term break. We are very appreciative of teachers who choose to give up some of their holidays to enable this extra time with their students.

Students who are unable to attend a workshop are expected to contact their teacher to explain their absence. Students are also reminded that they must only be on campus when they have a workshop scheduled.

• Discover SAPOL Work Experience Programs in June & October. Click here to view the Application Form.
• Adelaide Zoo Careers Day 

Creative Arts and Industries Year 12 Taster Day at Flinders University

Flinders University is offering an opportunity for year 12’s interested in Media, Film, Visual Effects, Game production and Creative Writing to explore our different courses, meet our Creative Arts teaching staff, find out what career opportunities there are, and experience some practical activities.

Creative Arts and Industries Year 12 Taster Day at Flinders University

Who: Year 12 students

When: 9.30am-1.45pm Wednesday 17th April

Where: Flinders University, Bedford Park, Humanities Building

Why: Experience hands on activities in our Creative Arts and Industries courses, including expert advice on how to prepare a portfolio of your work.

You will get to participate in the following workshops:

• Game Production and Visual Effects
• Screen and Film
• Creative Writing
• Media and Communication

And lunch will also be included!

• Learn about our courses and potential careers
• Get advice on how to put together a portfolio of creative work
• Meet and talk with our specialised teachers.

Register and reserve your place via this link Year 12 Creative Arts and Industries Taster Day

• Youth Advisory Committee: Applications are open! Click here for the Application Form and Consent Form.