November  - Month of Remembrance 

November is referred to as the month of remembrance in the Catholic church. We began our month with our two significant feast days, All Saints Day and All Souls Day. 

Miss Remkes and her Year 2 and 3 class organised a whole school All Souls Day Mass. During the Mass, we commemorated our departed family members by inscribing their names on a big heart, symbolising their eternal place in God's heart. Our All Souls Mass is a meaningful ritual that is a beautiful way to always cherish and remember the stories of our loved ones who have passed away. 

In honour of Remembrance Month, Year 4/5 students and Mr Dunn lead the school in a solemn Mass on Remembrance Day (11/11). As a symbol of respect, all students created red poppies and wore them during Mass. At the end of Mass, we followed the Australian tradition of observing a minute of silence and listening to the Last Post and Rouse to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and the ability to live in peace. 

Remembrance Day is dedicated to honouring the men and women who voluntarily served their country to bring peace. However, as we celebrated our Mass, we also paused to reflect on the heartbreaking and turbulent effects of war on our global community. We keep in our prayers the innocent men, women and children trapped in countries where peace has disappeared.   

Below are some of the year 4 and 5 students with their Remembrance Day artwork. 

Socktober Splash Day 

Our school is organising a fundraising event on Thursday, 23th November, to support underprivileged communities worldwide. The event supports Socktober and will involve fun activities to raise awareness and generate essential funds. The cost to participate in the day will be $5 per student. Father Emil recently informed us that schoolchildren in Morogoro lack access to clean drinking water due to the absence of taps on site. With our donations, we can make a difference and provide the necessary support to communities in need.  

Our activities will work around swimming lesson times on this day; rest assured that swimming lessons will still go ahead. 

Following in the footsteps of our founder, St. Mary Mackillop, we must remember the needs of families in our local community. Last year's Giving Tree was a tremendous success, and we thank everyone who contributed generously. We encourage each family to contribute to this year's Giving Tree by donating a new, unwrapped gift to someone in need. All gifts will be given to St. Vincent de Paul, who will deliver them to local families in time for Christmas. The goal is to help families in need and ensure their children have a joyful Christmas with a new toy or gift. You can place your gift under the tree in the front office starting next Wednesday. If you don't have time to purchase a gift, you can make a cash donation in the Giving Tin placed in the Front Office. With everyone's support, we can ensure that all Riverland Families have a memorable Christmas. 

A Prayer for Peace 
God of Peace,
Lead our world from despair to hope,
from fear to trust;
from hate to love,
from war to peace; 
Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe. 

Amen 

Rosie Perre
APRIM