In our classrooms, we have started collecting Christmas hamper items that will be donated to our local St Vincent de Paul Conference during our Advent/Christmas Liturgy. Students have brought in a range of suitable Christmas items for their classroom bags including Christmas cakes, puddings, sweets, fruit mince pies, serviettes, or other staple foods such as pasta and bottled pasta sauce, tinned fruit or vegetables.

The liturgy was an opportunity for all families and members of the local St Vincent de Paul Conference and parishioners to come together as a community. During the liturgy we were reminded about the great prophets who were messengers of God, and how they spoke about the Promised One God would send to save the world.

While the Gospel was read, Year 3 students re-enacted the journey Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem on that very first Christmas.

Advent is a time of waiting and watching. The word Advent literally means “coming”. We wait for God’s coming into our midst now, just as the world waited so many years ago. Advent is a time to prepare for Jesus’s birth through prayer, reflection and action.

After the liturgy, students were presented with awards ranging from Academic Excellence, Citizenship, Creative Arts and various others for Year 6 students including Mary MacKillop and Catherine McAuley citations.

Later in the evening, students and staff donned their most colourful Christmas clothes while they celebrated together as a community with a carols night and barbecue in the school playground. Members of the band Roolya Boolya led us in singing Christmas carols while students showed off their groovy dance moves.

Follow mnnews.today on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.