St Aloysius College Adelaide

Our Year 3s aced the LEGO League Challenge! 🚗💡 From electric cars to eco-friendly transport, they built innovative solutions for a sustainable future. Their teamwork and creativity were on full display at the expo. Well done, Year 3! 👏

Today we had the honour of welcoming Heidi, Priyanka and Lisa from the Rotary Club of Adelaide to SAC. The JAM students led a beautiful Peace Pole Ceremony in honour of tomorrow’s International Day of Peace. We are very grateful for the gift of this Peace Pole, which is one of many worldwide. We hope that everyone is able to find a moment of peace tomorrow. We pause to consider those who do not enjoy the peace and freedoms that we do. Rotary Adelaide Rotary Adelaide Peacebuilders

Fifteen children and their families from Early Learning Centres around Adelaide joined us for a Discovery Day at SAC last week. This term's focus was on how we develop literacy skills and the range of experiences on offer in the Physical Education department at SAC. The children had a wonderful morning engaging with all the learning experiences on offer, supported by some of our outstanding early years teachers. We look forward to our next session in Term 4.

It's always a joy to welcome the wonderful Aunty Janice Rigney to SAC! The ancient art of weaving wound its way into our Year 4s' hands thanks to Aunty Janice's sharing of story and skills. Aunty Janice is a Buandig Elder, who learnt this intricate craft from her grandmother as a child. We are grateful to Aunty Janice for passing on this cultural understanding to a new generation. Mia A in 4JC said, "I loved to learn weaving from Aunty Janice and see the progress and everybody learning!" Sabrina H agrees and also says, "it takes a lot of practice to get it right, but it is FUN!"

The Year 11 Legal Studies class visited Parliament as part of their studies of democracy and representative government, guided by Lucy Hood, Member for Adelaide. Students, Retha M and Zahra I, share their insights into the special visit:
“Attending Question Time at Parliament was an eye-opening experience that helped us to reflect on the power of words, the significance of respectful dialogue, and the role of government in representing diverse views. Ultimately, it left us more curious and engaged, prompting us to think critically about how we communicate and make decisions as a community.”

The verdict is in... meet The Law Society of South Australia's 2024 Mock Trial Competition winners! In a strong contest involving 16 teams, the SAC team claimed the ultimate title. The Mock Trial Competition helps students to develop skills and face challenges while gaining confidence and experience in the legal sphere. Congratulations to the team, and to Ms Zwolski and Ms Sarunic who have supported their success.

Tonight, we celebrate the musical success of our students with Spring Concert at Adelaide Town Hall, just down the road from the College. Based in the heart of the city, students have a window to the world. Read about some of the wonderful ways a city location inspires imagination and connects young people to great opportunities. https://www.sac.sa.edu.au/news/a-city-school-with-a-world-view/

Spring has sprung! 🌸🎶 Join us tomorrow night for SAC's Spring Concert at the exquisite Adelaide Town Hall, showcasing our talented musicians. If last year's performances were anything to go by, you certainly don't want to miss this! Concert starts at 7pm, tickets available at: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1276719
$28 Adult, $14 Child/Concession.

We are thrilled to announce that the Year 9 Yellow debating team has made it to the grand final on Saturday 21 September! Kira, Leila, Gianna, Saachi and Evelyn (absent in photo) will compete before an audience at Parliament House. This is an outstanding achievement and we say a special thanks to Ms Genevieve Pelekani for her exceptional coaching, and to Ms Anne-Marie Prior for her dedicated supervision and support at each debate.

Year 5 Design and Technologies students drew inspiration from 9-year-old Caine Monroy and his well-known ‘Caine’s Arcade’ project to host SAC Arcade. Caine’s original project saw him transform discarded boxes into an arcade with a ticket and prize redemption system, designing and operating the games himself, initially using old toys as prizes before incorporating items from dollar stores. Like Caine, our Year 5 students tapped into their creativity to design and build their own arcade games using sustainable materials. The results were a fantastic showcase of imagination, problem-solving, and eco-friendly innovation!

We have some exciting activities this week to mark Fairtrade Fortnight! Before school each day, pop over to the Jordan Courtyard to enjoy a Fairtrade hot chocolate, coffee or tea and learn about the importance of shopping ethically. It’s tastier knowing that the workers involved in farming, making, manufacturing and selling your goods are treated fairly! To close the week, at lunchtime on Friday, Sister Meredith Evans will share her insights as a long-time Fairtrade advocate. Students from Years 6-12 all welcome to attend!

The first of two Year 9 groups have conquered their year level camp at Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park! During this five-day wilderness immersion, students triumph over physical challenges amid one of Australia’s most impressive outback locations. We thank the land’s custodians, the Adnyamathanha people, who welcomed the group to country with a smoking ceremony, which itself was a highlight of the journey.
Amelia in Year 9 explains the experience beautifully:
"Year 9 Camp was a wonderful opportunity used to connect with nature, create new friendships and lasting memories. The walks were not only challenging, but rewarding, with breathtaking views, wildlife, and many laughs along the way. The camp provided so many experiences that pushed us out of our comfort zones, and that will be cherished forever."

Adelaide turned on the sunshine to welcome Louisa Rennie, Chief Executive of Mercy Education. We share a vision to make the world “less cold and more just” through education, and we hope Louisa felt the warm embrace of Mercy hospitality at SAC today.

Hospitality and Compassion were at the heart of a special initiative close to our Year 12s' hearts. The cohort today hosted a special morning tea fundraiser for staff, with proceeds going towards local charity, Childhood Cancer. For over 40 years, Childhood Cancer has supported families whose lives have been impacted by their child's diagnosis. The charity receives no public funding, relying on generous donations from people and groups, like our Year 12s. We are proud of the Class of 2024 for shining a light on this important cause.

Happy Father's Day to all the incredible fathers and significant men in our students’ lives! 🌟 Today, we celebrate your love, support and the sacrifices you make for others. It was wonderful to welcome so many inspiring men to our Father's Day Blessing on Friday morning and to capture special memories. Enjoy today's celebrations! 💙

A handful of Year 10/11 debaters and orators have returned from a whirlwind adventure, representing SAC at the Frayne Speech Festival in Melbourne! Congratulations to our debating team and public speaking student, Harnaaz, who made it all the way to the finals! Read all about the exciting experience: https://www.sac.sa.edu.au/news/frayne-speech-festival-a-platform-for-impact/

The sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion are significant steps in a person's journey of Catholic faith. This week, many Year 4 students celebrated these sacraments with loved ones and staff from the College community at St Francis Xavier's Cathedral. Supported by their teachers, sponsors and families, students have spent the past few months preparing and growing in their understanding of these sacraments and the responsibilities they carry.
Congratulations to all the students who celebrated these spiritual milestones. May they continue to grow in their faith and live out the teachings of Christ with courage.

This year, SAC proudly entered 10 debating teams into the Debating SA competition, marking a highly successful season for our enthusiastic debaters. Our students have excelled, learning invaluable public speaking and persuasive writing techniques. They worked collaboratively to construct logical, well-researched, and persuasive arguments. Many of our students were honoured with the Speaker of the Night award, and all teams celebrated multiple victories in their debates. A special congratulations goes to the Year 9 Yellow team who advanced to the quarter finals and the Year 10 Purple team who have made it to the finals. Well done to all our debaters for their hard work and dedication this season and a special thanks to the staff who coached and supervised the teams.

There's a saying that, "grandparents make the world a little softer, a little kinder, and a little warmer." This kindness and warmth flooded our Reception classes today, when many grandparents and grand-friends joined us for a fun-filled few hours, creating memories to cherish while learning and playing with the young people who love them. Enjoy a glimpse into this special occasion!

140 students. 10 days. 8 flights. 2 birthdays. 13 divisions in the Senate. One camp we’ll never forget.

This term the Year 7 students have been exploring their democratic rights and responsibilities, which led us to travel to our nation’s capital in Canberra. Between our parliamentary visits, we also visited sites of national significance and importance. From Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles to the wall of red poppies in the Hall of Memory, our week away was filled with colourful moments, rich learning opportunities and endless amounts of fun.

Congratulations to the 40 SAC students whose stunning artworks will be featured in the Art, Craft and Design competition exhibited at the Royal Adelaide Show from August 31 to September 8. We are so proud of the amazing effort that went into their drawings, paintings, mosaics, and ceramic sculptures. We can’t wait to see them all on display!

Our SAC Music ensembles had an amazing time at the ABODA SA School Band and Orchestra Festival last week! Over 4 days, our Orchestra, Concert Band, Stage Band, and Primary Concert Band performed alongside 150+ ensembles. We are proud to announce that all our competitive ensembles earned Silver Awards! Special shoutout to our Primary Concert Band for their fantastic non-competitive performance and congratulations to all our musicians!

We are now eagerly anticipating the performances at our upcoming SAC Spring Concert, to be held at the Adelaide Town Hall – don’t miss it! Tickets are available to purchase here: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1276719

It was a pleasure to deliver some special gifts to our friends at local Mercy-founded charities. Students from the Blankets of Love knitting group personally dropped off their warm creations to Sister Janet Mead's Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless Persons, and Year 12 Executive delivered gifts to Catherine House. These essentials were generously donated by our SAC community in the leadup to the Winter Sleepout.

Year 12 Society and Culture students have been turning their passion and efforts to curating this year's Social Action Lunchtime, which raises vital funds and awareness for a range of human rights and charity initiatives. The whole school community enjoyed learning from our Senior change-makers, with the knowledge that money spent on goods at each stall goes to a great cause.

On Friday, the Just Add Music (JAM) Band, an educational and entertaining group of musicians, visited and performed at SAC. The students had so much fun dancing, singing along and getting involved with the show! The JAM Band aims to inspire and help build confidence in students through their interactive performance. Their energy and enthusiasm left a lasting impression on our students, and we’re sure they won’t forget the fun that was had!