Newsletter 16 – 22 October 2025

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to Term 4. I hope the school holidays provided opportunities for you and your family to enjoy some rest and leisure time together. Having been away on SLRL and LSL for the last four weeks of Term 3 it was such a joy to see our students’ smiling faces on Monday morning. Hearing about their school holidays is always a highlight for me. Seeing how much they have grown over the past six weeks blew me away;  so many of them have had massive growth spurts!

SLRL
I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to visit the churches and Marian sites where our Blessed Mother appeared. The tour group I journeyed with was full of beautiful, faith filled people from all parts of the world and the tour itself provided the perfect balance of spiritual renewal, connection with Christ and a deepened knowledge of our Catholic faith. I miss the sound of Church bells and the time to be still, to be in prayer, connected with God.

I will share with you two churches and locations where I felt the presence of Christ and our Blessed Mother most strongly. The first of these was in Santarem, on route to Fatima, in the Church of the Most Holy Miracle. The minute I walked into this Church I felt the transcendent presence of Christ. Despite the large number of people who were gathered there, no one uttered a single word. There was complete silence. In this Church, the faithful can walk up the stairs, behind the altar to venerate the host with Christ’s blood in it. I know what you’re thinking ‘Is it really Christ’s blood?’ The answer to that question is a resounding ‘YES’. The host and the blood within it has been scientifically anlaysed and the results show it matches the blood on Jesus’ shroud, the one he was wrapped in after his crucifixion. As I type this, I have goosebumps, recalling the feeling I had walking up those stairs. As I neared the host, the feeling grew stronger and when my turn came to stand before Christ, I could not help but kneel down. Initially, I could not think or pray anything. I was just completely awestruck and overwhelmed by the strong feeling of Christ’s presence. I could have stayed there for hours on end but of course, I was conscious of the others lined up behind me waiting their turn. As I watched others, I couldn’t help notice people bursting into tears, falling to their knees, deep in prayer and veneration. As we walked to the bus, everyone was still in complete silence. Minutes into the bus ride to Fatima, as people returned back to the present moment, we started to share our experiences of the Divine. Most people conveyed their disbelief at how powerful and moving God’s presence was.

The Marian location I want to share with you is Lourdes. When I arrived in Lourdes, the rain had set in. Nevertheless, the sanctuary was teeming with people. As we walked through the gates into the sanctuary, I immediately felt Mary’s transcendent presence. Walking through the grotto where Mary appeared to St Bernadette, touching the stone with her healing water trickling over it, I felt a magnetism that I can only conclude as descending from Mary herself.

At Lourdes, you have the option to have a full body immersion or to do the Water Act. I chose to do the Water Act. Whilst waiting in line, the faithful repeatedly prayed the Rosary. The priest leading the Rosary chose people sitting in the front row, at random, to pray the Hail Mary in their native tongue. It was a beautiful reminder that regardless of culture and heritage, we are all united in Christ. In addition to able bodied pilgrims, there were a great many people in wheelchairs and stretchers waiting to do the Water Act, to be healed. Seeing so many people with various physical afflictions was heartbreaking yet inspiring. So many people have been healed as a result of their strong faith in Mary’s intercessions and God’s ability to heal them. Faith, faith, faith! Strong, enduring faith, no matter what the circumstances is what the saints before us had and what we need to nurture and strengthen in our earthly lives.

I have to be honest, I didn’t quite know what to expect once being called in for the Water Act. After an hour of waiting and praying the Rosary, I was finally called forward. As I entered the cubicle, I was instantly aware of the transcendent presence of our Blessed Mother. The two nuns, who guided me through the process, told me to stand before the statue of Mary and share with her where in my life I needed healing. I stood before the statue and felt as though it was Mary herself standing before me. The feeling of peace and gratitude was immense. The sisters then explained that they would re-enact St Bernadette’s experience with Mary by pouring the healing water in my hands for me to wash my hands with, then again to wash my face with and once more for me to drink from. This experience was incredibly spiritually fulfilling, and I truly wish everyone had the opportunity to come to Lourdes to experience this for themselves.

The key messages Mary gave the three shepherd children (Jacinta, Franceso and Lucia) in Fatima and to St Bernadette in Lourdes was ‘penance, penance, penance’, ‘pray the Rosary daily’ and ‘pray for the conversion of sinners and salvation of souls’ so that we may have world peace.  In the busyness of our daily lives we sometimes forget to give God primary focus and attention. Yet, Jacinta (age 7), Francesco (age 9), Lucia (age 10) and Bernadette ( age 14) modelled complete devotion to God, praying to Mary our intercessor. They prayed the Rosary devoutly each day and made sacrifices daily, offering them up as penance for the salvation of souls and conversion of sinners. We have much to learn from these young saints. If you don’t already pray daily, regularly reflect on the Word of God presented to us in the scriptures, receive Eucharist weekly and offer up your sufferings to God for the repentance of sinners and salvation of all, I strongly encourage you to start making baby steps towards doing so. The inner peace, trust in God’s providence and the sense of communion with heaven and earth that comes with placing Christ front and centre in our lives is immense. Like each of you, I too have to challenge myself to continue to do this, to not lose the momentum in my prayer life that I developed whilst on my pilgrimage.

Reconciliation – Parent Child Workshop & Commitment Mass
Last Tuesday, our Year 3 students attended a workshop with their parents to learn more about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Clare, who facilitated the workshop, beautifully articulated that Reconciliation isn’t just about confessing our sins to God, but about helping us to grow into the best versions of ourselves, the loving, caring, patient, considerate people that God intended us to be.

It was wonderful to see our students and their families, together with our staff and parishioners attend the Commitment Mass on Saturday night.

Loud Shirt Day
On Friday, our students and staff were dressed in brightly coloured shirts and socks to celebrate Loud Shirt Day. Mrs Marshall, our TSH teacher, visited each of the classes sharing with them what Loud Shirt Day is all about and helping them understand what life is like for children with hearing impairment. Students covered their ears whilst attempting to listen to music and Mrs Marshall speak. This helped them to appreciate how muffled sound is for people with hearing loss and how challenging listening to instructions or people speak is, particularly when there is background noise. On behalf of TSH, thank you to all the families who donated money to this special cause.

Power of Speech
Congratulations to Emme, in Year 2, who was invited to present her Power of Speech speech at Parliament House on Thursday 16^th October.  After the presentation, Emme met around 30 parliamentarians and was shown around Parliament House.    All the Parliamentarian also dressed up with Loud Shirts for the Day.

Edu Dance
Edu Dance lessons kicked off last Tuesday and our students are revved up and excited about the upcoming End of Year Concert. On Tuesday mornings, right up until just after lunch, I can hear the music blaring from my office and the joyous shrieks from the students as they master a new part of the choreography.

Interschool Spelling Bee
Next Wednesday, representatives from our Yr 4-6 classes will be attending our region’s Inter-school Spelling Bee. I know they have been studying and practising their spelling of tricky words in the lead up to this event.

Year 5 Camp
The highly anticipated Year 5 Camp is etching closer and closer.  Our Year 5s will be attending Woodman Point Recreational Camp for a day and a half of fun filled team building and leadership activities next Thursday afternoon through to Friday afternoon.

Reminder: School Fees Due by 25 October 2025
A friendly reminder that all school fees must be paid in full by 25 October 2025. Please ensure all payments are finalised by this date.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Cath at the School Office on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Thank you for your cooperation.

Annual Community Meeting
If you haven’t already done so, please lock Tuesday 11^th November 5.30pm into your calendars. This is a wonderful opportunity for our P&F and CSAC to showcase all the achievements over the course of the year. The quality learning and community building experiences we enjoy here at St Pius X are thanks to the hard work of our parents and staff. It would be great to see as many parents as possible attend our Annual Community Meeting.

Wishing you all a peaceful, faith filled week ahead. Don’t forget to dust off those Rosary beads and start praying!! October is the month of the Rosary.

God bless,

Melissa

Year 3 Sacrament Retreat at Schoenstatt Shrine

Last Wednesday the 15th of October, Year 3 students a wonderful day at Schoenstatt Shrine for our Sacrament Retreat! Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Sister Lisette, who shared a thoughtful message about the importance of gratitude, reminding the children to say, “thank you” and never waste food. After recess, we gathered to offer prayers of thanks, as they offered these prayers each child pinned a flower to a crown as a symbol.

We then took our beautifully adorned crown to the shrine, where we sat in quiet reflection and learned about the importance of reconciliation and God’s greatest treasure. The children engaged beautifully in this experience, as they connected with the idea of forgiveness.

Later in the day, the students were divided into groups and each given a “mountain” to work on. Their task was to gather and add all the things a shepherd might need for their flock, such as water, shelter, food, and greenery. It was during this activity that each child received a special lamb, which they carefully placed somewhere safe on their mountain. Sister Lisette took this time to teach the children that, like the shepherd with their flock, we are always welcomed back, no matter how far we stray, through the grace of reconciliation.

Welcome Back!

Dear Families,
Welcome to Term 4 – we can hardly believe how fast the end of the year is creeping up on us! It’s been a big year already, and as we head into these final weeks, we’re looking forward to making the most of every moment.

🏫 Wrapping Up Term 3
Last term was a busy one, filled with exciting events and activities. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the Book Fair – your generosity and enthusiasm made it a great success!

Thanks to your support, the Parents & Friends (P&F) committee was able to donate $1100 worth of brand-new books to our school library. We asked both students and teachers for their wish lists and tried to include as many requests as possible. Keep an eye out – some of these books will start making their way home in schoolbags very soon!

🥐 Parents’ Breakfast – Save the Date!
Our annual Parents’ Breakfast is coming up on, November 7th. This is always a special morning to connect with other families and staff, and we hope to see many of you there.

More details will be shared via your class groups shortly – so please keep an eye out!

📅 Upcoming: P&F Annual Community Meeting
Please mark your calendars for our upcoming P&F Annual Community Meeting (ACM)on Tuesday 11th November 6pm-7pm. All parents and friends are warmly invited to attend. It’s a great opportunity to hear more about what the P&F has been working on and how you can get involved.

We are also  calling for nominations  for anyone interested in joining the P&F committee. It’s a rewarding way to support our school community, and we’d love to see some new faces join the team! Please fill in your nominations forms by 3rd November- these will be available from the front office or download here.

Thank you for your continued support – we’re looking forward to a wonderful Term 4 together!

Warm regards,

Your P&F

🎾 Marshall’s Tennis Academy – Term 4 Lessons 🎾
We’re excited to announce that Marshall’s Tennis Academy will be offering tennis lessons for Year 3–6 students on Thursday afternoons during Term 4.

• Start Date: Week 2 – Thursday, 23 October
• Duration: 8 weeks
• Time: 3:15pm – 4:00pm
• Who: Years 3 – 6
• Where: School Courts

This is a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their tennis skills in a fun and supportive environment. For more details on registration please click on this link.

Reds Volleyball Club – Term 4 St Pius x After-School Program

Registrations are now open for the Reds Volleyball Club’s Term 4 Kids Volleyball Program from 3:30pm-4:30pm on Tuesday afternoons!

Register now to join in the fun in this skills-development and game-play program!

Registrations: 👉 https://www.redsvolleyball.com.au/stpiusx/

• When: Tuesdays, 3:20 PM – 4:20 PM
• Start Date: 21st October (week 2)
• End Date: 9th December (Week 9)
• Venue: St Pius x Oval