Kindergarten students at Our Lady of the Rosary Primary performed the gathering song, A Cross of Stars
Events were held across the diocese of Parramatta on Friday 8 August in honour of the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
Canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on 17 October 2010, Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop’s Feast Day was marked with liturgies, family events and social justice fundraisers at a number of schools and the Catholic Education office.Students, staff and families from St Mary MacKillop Primary School in South Penrith celebrated mass at St Nicholas of Myra to remember and acknowledge St Mary MacKillop’s important work.
Students travelled to St Nicholas of Myra Church to join the Feast Day Mass and were treated to hundreds of green and yellow helium balloons decorating their classrooms on their return. In the afternoon, students came together to make a coin trail with donations going to the St Mary MacKillop Institute in East Timor.
Our Lady of the Rosary Primary, St Marys was founded by Mary MacKillop and the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1880. Students celebrated a moving liturgy to celebrate the inspirational life of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. By bringing the letters written by Mary MacKillop to life, students were encouraged to learn from her example by working, learning together and caring for others particularly those in need.
Staff at the Catholic Education office, Parramatta gathered for a liturgy with Sr Rosie Drum MGL reading the letters of Mary MacKillop and leading a prayer asking for guidance and care for students, staff and school communities.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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02 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐ ๐ฆ Year 2 Goes WILD! ๐๐ง Today, our Year 2 students headed off on an exciting adventure to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo! ๐๐ฆ From discovering incredible underwater creatures ๐๐ข to getting up close with some of Australiaโs amazing wildlife ๐ฆ๐จ, our students had a fantastic day of learning, exploring and making memories together! ๐โจ What a WILD day for Year 2! ๐๐พ๐01 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Celebrating Our School Community, Safely ๐ You may begin to notice some changes in the way we share photos of our students on our public social media pages. We love giving our families a glimpse into school life and celebrating the learning, achievements, friendships, faith experiences and special moments that make our community so wonderful. However, as technology continues to evolve, particularly with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and the ways images can be accessed, altered and shared online, we are becoming increasingly mindful of how we share identifiable images of our students publicly. Our studentsโ privacy and online safety must always come first. Donโt worry, our socials arenโt disappearing! We will continue to celebrate all the wonderful things happening across our school, from learning and sporting achievements to liturgies, excursions, performances and special events. You may simply notice fewer full-face or individually identifiable photographs of students appearing on our public social media pages. ๐ฑ Families wonโt miss out! More photos and special moments will be shared directly with our families through Compass, providing a more appropriate space for us to celebrate and share our studentsโ experiences. The way we share may be changing, but there will certainly be no shortage of wonderful things to celebrate. ๐ Thank you for supporting us as we continue to navigate an ever-changing digital world while keeping the safety, privacy and wellbeing of our students at the centre of our decisions. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
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02 Sep 2026
From Facebook
๐ ๐ฆ Year 2 Goes WILD! ๐๐ง Today, our Year 2 students headed off on an exciting adventure to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo! ๐๐ฆ From discovering incredible underwater creatures ๐๐ข to getting up close with some of Australiaโs amazing wildlife ๐ฆ๐จ, our students had a fantastic day of learning, exploring and making memories together! ๐โจ What a WILD day for Year 2! ๐๐พ๐
01 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Celebrating Our School Community, Safely ๐ You may begin to notice some changes in the way we share photos of our students on our public social media pages. We love giving our families a glimpse into school life and celebrating the learning, achievements, friendships, faith experiences and special moments that make our community so wonderful. However, as technology continues to evolve, particularly with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and the ways images can be accessed, altered and shared online, we are becoming increasingly mindful of how we share identifiable images of our students publicly. Our studentsโ privacy and online safety must always come first. Donโt worry, our socials arenโt disappearing! We will continue to celebrate all the wonderful things happening across our school, from learning and sporting achievements to liturgies, excursions, performances and special events. You may simply notice fewer full-face or individually identifiable photographs of students appearing on our public social media pages. ๐ฑ Families wonโt miss out! More photos and special moments will be shared directly with our families through Compass, providing a more appropriate space for us to celebrate and share our studentsโ experiences. The way we share may be changing, but there will certainly be no shortage of wonderful things to celebrate. ๐ Thank you for supporting us as we continue to navigate an ever-changing digital world while keeping the safety, privacy and wellbeing of our students at the centre of our decisions. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
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๐ถ๐ A SYMPHONY OF STORIES! ๐๐ถ Today, our school was filled with characters, creativity and a whole lot of BOOK WEEK MAGIC! โจ๐๐ญ In celebration of Childrenโs Book Week 2026 and this yearโs theme, โSymphony of Storiesโ, our students brought the pages of their favourite books to life! ๐ Just like a symphony brings together different instruments to create something wonderful, stories bring together different characters, voices, adventures and ideas to create a world of imagination. ๐ถ๐๐ซ From magical creatures and courageous heroes to much-loved storybook characters, our school was certainly making some beautiful literary music today! ๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฆธโโ๏ธ๐ป๐ A huge thank you to our wonderful families and staff for helping make today such a special celebration of the joy of reading. ๐ ๐ถ Every story has a voice. Every book has an adventure. Together, they create our Symphony of Stories! ๐โจ Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
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In Maths, Year 2 has been learning about 2D shapes ๐. We explored the language of quarter-turns, half-turns and full-turns ๐. We used the Beebots ๐ to strengthen our understanding of the language and compared it to the clock โฐ to discuss clockwise and anticlockwise. Check out our Year 2 mathematicians hard at work! ๐บ๏ธ Mapping Our Way! ๐งญโจ Year 3 students have been learning how to draw and read maps using legends and symbols! ๐๐ They have been practising how to use symbols to represent different features and using a legend to work out what each symbol means. ๐๐บ๏ธ Theyโre becoming confident little mapmakers! ๐โจ
23 Aug 2026
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๐โจ BOOK WEEK IS HERE! โจ๐ Get ready to celebrate Childrenโs Book Week 2026 โ Symphony of Stories! ๐ถ๐ We have a fantastic week ahead filled with books, imagination and plenty of fun, including our Book Performance, Book Fair, Author Visit, family picnic and our much-loved Character Parade! ๐ ๐ Thursday 27 August is our BIG celebration! ๐งบ 1:40pm โ Families are invited to bring a picnic blanket or cushions, find a spot on the grass and share a book with your child. ๐ญ 2:30pm โ Stay and enjoy our Character Parade on P2! Students are invited to come dressed as a favourite book character and donโt forget to bring your completed Character Profile with you! We canโt wait to see our school come alive with a Symphony of Stories! ๐๐ถโจ
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โ Vinnies Winter Sleepout โ Faith in Action โ Our students took part in a meaningful evening of prayer, meditation, learning and service as part of our Vinnies Winter Sleepout. Using Davidโs story and reflected on how quickly and unexpectedly people in our community can be one crisis away from homelessness. Students shared a simple meal of soup, a bread roll, fruit and water, before gathering in our Holy Family Prayer Garden for a Liturgy of the Word, where they led us beautifully in prayer and song. We finished the evening with a team-building challenge, constructing our own shelters. While this was a fun experience for us, it carried an important message, for many people, finding a safe place to sleep is not a game or a choice. It helped our students finish the night with a deeper sense of gratitude, compassion and responsibility to care for others. Through our Faith in Action initiatives, our Holy Family community has raised $1,277 so far to support the vision and mission of the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW and the important work they do supporting people experiencing hardship and homelessness. Thank you to our students, families and staff for continuing to put our faith into action.๐ Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Vinnies Australia
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The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mary is being taken body and soul into heaven. The Assumption reminds us that Maryโs life was a perfect โyesโ to God, and because of that, she was drawn fully into His glory body and soul. It is a feast of hope. Her Assumption is not only a moment of triumph; it is a promise. A promise that holiness is not wasted, that love is not forgotten, and that every faithful โyesโ is gathered into eternity.
12 Aug 2026
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๐ง BAKE SALE SUCCESS! ๐ง What a sweet success! ๐ A huge thank you to our generous teachers for donating delicious treats and to our wonderful students for showing up and supporting our Vinnies Bake Sale. Together, we raised an incredible $454 for our Winter Sleepout! ๐โจ Every cupcake, cookie and donation is helping us shine a light on homelessness and put our faith into action. ๐ฏ๏ธ๐ #Vinnies #WinterSleepout #FaithInAction #ShiningALightOnHomelessness Vinnies Australia
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10 Aug 2026
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๐ฐโจ Bake Sale for a BIG cause! ๐ Grab a delicious treat and help us shine a light on homelessness as we support Vinnies and our upcoming Winter Sleepout! ๐ ๐ ๐ช Treat yourself, make a difference, and spread a little kindness! โจ Every treat helps us put our faith into action. ๐
10 Aug 2026
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๐ค Parents, this one is worth your time! Friendships can be one of the trickiest parts of growing up, and itโs not always easy to know when to step in or what to say. This FREE session with Michelle Mitchell will give parents practical strategies to help children navigate friendship issues, conflict, boundaries and bullying. ๐ Monday 31 August | 7:00โ8:30pm ๐ Nagle College, Blacktown Highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity! ๐