St Raphael’s School

From the Principal

Dear St Raphael's School Community,

As we approach our Cultural Connections Fair Day on March 30, I am excited to share with you a deeply personal and inspiring story from my family's history—a tale of resilience, education, and cultural pride rooted in the life of my great-grandmother, Annie Brice.

Annie Brice, born around 1849 near Penola, South Australia, was a Boandik woman whose life exemplified strength and determination. Despite the challenges of her time, Annie's journey was shaped by education and advocacy. She was taught to read and write by Saint Mary MacKillop herself, an extraordinary opportunity for an Aboriginal child in the 19th century. This education empowered Annie to stand up for her rights, including representing herself in court during legal disputes—a bold act for an Aboriginal woman in that era.

Annie's life was not without hardship. She worked as a domestic servant and teacher while raising her children as a single mother. Her ability to persevere through adversity left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire her descendants today. One of those descendants is Aunty Michelle Jacquelin-Furr, who has worked tirelessly to preserve Annie's story through books and cultural initiatives. These efforts ensure that Annie's contributions to education, Indigenous rights, and cultural preservation are remembered.

In honour of Annie's legacy, educational institutions have recognised her impact by naming buildings after her and sharing her story with future generations. Her life serves as a reminder of the importance of education and cultural heritage as tools for empowerment and renewal.

As we gather for Cultural Connections Fair Day, I invite everyone to reflect on the stories within their own families—stories that speak to resilience, hope, renewal, and the richness of our shared humanity. My tribute to Annie Brice is just one example of how storytelling can connect us across generations and cultures. I hope this inspires others in our school community to share their own family stories during this special day of celebration.

At St Raphael's, we believe that our strength lies in our diversity and our commitment to fostering a community where everyone feels valued and included. The Cultural Connections Fair Day is a testament to our school's dedication to celebrating the rich tapestry of cultures that make up our vibrant community.

Together, let us honour the power of storytelling as we celebrate diversity and build connections that strengthen our community. I look forward to seeing you all on March 30 for a very special afternoon filled with food, art, storytelling, and connection.

Warm regards,
Emma Fowler
Principal, St Raphael's School

APRIM News

Dear Families and friends,

How is your Lent going?

We are just over the halfway mark in our preparation for Easter and I am amazed at the fast pace of the passage of time. I asked myself the question “How is my preparation for Easter going?” In reflection, I think I need to put more effort into action. I need to give myself more time for prayer, giving God the space to speak to me and reach out and offer assistance to others a little more.

In Lent we are also reminded to think of others through Project Compassion which is an Australian Catholic outreach programme, supervised by Caritas Australia, many families may have the Project Compassion boxes to collect coins or be aware of the QR code to donate money.

PROJECT COMPASSION - Toefuata'iga (Toy-foo-ah-tah-ing-ah) a primary school student from Samoa faced severe water shortages at her school. Thanks to Caritas Australia and the generosity of supporters like you, her primary school now has a 10,000 L water tank. Teachers and students now have access to clean drinking water at their school and are able to focus on education. You can support Project Compassion 2025 through the donation boxes or envelopes. Online at: caritas.org.au/project-compassion Or by calling: 1800 024 413

The actions of preferential care for the vulnerable and marginalised people, whose needs and rights are given special attention in God’s eyes was an element of the early Christian communities and we continue today. Supporting Project Compassion is one way to fulfil almsgiving which is one of the tasks we offer up to God during Lent.

Year 6 Leaders Retreat at the Monastery

Last week, Wednesday, March 12 our students from Year 6 gathered at the Monastery for their beginning of the year Retreat. Students reflected on their current skills for leadership and what they needed to develop to improve their ability to be better leaders. Fr Tony joined us and shared about the skills of Jesus as a leader, and we saw Jesus actions as a model for us even today.

Parish Sacramental Programme – First Reconciliation 2025

Student enrolment for the First Reconciliation Programme has closed and the first Parent Meeting was held on Wednesday, 19th March in the Sebastian Centre at the Monastery. If you require any information regarding sacraments in the parish please ring Sue Schulz on 83381277 during business hours.

Farewell & Thank You

It is with a heavy heart that I say farewell to St Raphael’s school community. I have only been here for a little less than two terms but in that time, I have enjoyed and will cherish my time at St Raphael’s.

The community and parish have been such a pleasure to work with and I know that Emma, Anthony and each staff member take individual student’s needs very seriously, striving to enrich and cater for learning and social emotional support.

We are also gifted with the Monastery Parish, and the support and care of Fr Tom, Fr Tony, Sue Schulz and their co-workers. I thank them for their support of me in my position as APRIM and the ongoing support they continue to give the community of St Raphael.

‘Love one another and you will be happy.’

It’s as simple and as difficult as that.

There is no other way.

Amen

(Pg 126 “When I Talk To You” Michael Leunig)

Farewell and God bless

Lin Low

Retreat day - a report by Henry

The Retreat Day was a very interesting day filled with activities and fun. We played some games, like "Toxic Waste." In the Toxic Waste game, we used sports equipment such as skipping ropes and other items, and we had to figure out how to get a bucket and ball across to the other side and drop it into the bucket. We also played a leadership M&M game, which was one of my favorite games because we got to eat the M&Ms after we finished. Additionally, we did a "Get to Know" bingo activity. We enjoyed this time learning how to be good leaders by learning how to be good listeners and being respectful to all the students, allowing them to have their say.

By Henry - one of our Year 6 leaders and Reporters for 2025

Reception learnings

Hello Families!

Literacy: We have been having so much fun exploring our letter sounds in the alphabet! Using the Playberry program, we have been learning to identify different letter sounds and practising how to write those letters. So far, we have focused on these letters:

s, a, t, i, m, n, o, p, b, c, g, h, d, e, f, v.

To make learning even more exciting, we complete a special letter craft! This helps us connect the letter to a word that begins with that sound. For example, F is for Flamingo! These crafts help us remember our sounds in a creative and hands-on way.

We have also been learning some heart words—these are high-frequency words that we need to remember by heart! Our heart words this week are:

· I

· is

· a

· the

· my

· of

· give

· have

Along with our letter sounds, we have been using our new skills to practise reading simple sentences with our teacher Miss S. Please watch our video! via this Youtube link OR inside this newsletter down the bottom right of your screen, as you scroll.

We are so proud of the progress our little learners are making! Encourage your child to share the letter sound with you by asking your child to go on a letter hunt around the house and find objects that start with one of our letters!

Geography: We have been on an exciting journey exploring our connection to different places! We have been discussing places we know, what we can do there, and why they are special to us.

Through our conversations, we have discovered that some places make us feel happy, calm, excited, or safe. We have been working on identifying our feelings about these places and sharing why they are important to us.

To bring our learning to life, we have created special drawings and stories about our favourite places. We are so excited to share them with you! Look out for some wonderful examples of places that are close to our hearts.

Isaac “My special place is the dumpling shop because they are so yummy.”

Liana “My special place is Brazil because I am Brazil.” – her picture of the Brazilian flag.

Here are some fun ways to continue this learning at home:

· Go on a little adventure to a familiar place and talk about what makes it special.

· Look through family photos and discuss places that hold special memories.