Summer (and Christmas) are just around the corner...

I’m sure that, like me, many of you felt the joy of the long weekend – the sunny weather on Melbourne Cup Day tempting us to think about the upcoming pleasures of the summer holidays.

With the Chapel surrounded by Santa Sacks—which were picked up yesterday, I’ve been feeling in the Christmas spirit for some time now. Really though, it is just beginning!

Those of you who have been part of Casey Grammar School for a number of years will know that, every year, our School community shares Christmas with our local community through our consistent support of some wonderful local organisations.

Below are details of how our Junior School and Senior School students can be involved.

Showing our Support

Junior School

While we would all love to return to the ‘Adopt a Family’ baskets for the Salvation Army in Cranbourne, once again, it will not be possible this year. Last year we were overwhelmed by the generosity of our Junior School families who instead donated money to purchase items for hampers. We’d like to do the same this year and a letter will be sent to families this week with details.

We will be having a ‘touch of Christmas’ day in Week 9 and instead of purchasing an item for the basket, families will be invited to donate money to go towards an item. Some families may even wish to purchase the entire hamper!

As parents, you may wish to ‘pay’ your child to do a job so they can donate to these hampers. The hampers will still be donated to our neighbours at the Salvation Army.

Senior School

In Wellbeing groups over the coming weeks, each group will select a Wellbeing pack that each student will contribute to. We will be supporting Backpacks 4 Vic Kids with stationery and toiletries packs and we will create Share the Dignity packs for women in insecure accommodation.

Over the last few years, we have been proud to donate hundreds of secondhand textbooks to the Les Twentyman Foundation. Students in Senior School who are not selling their books through the PFC Secondhand Book Sale are invited to leave them at the Chapel.

Books must be published in 2018 or more recently but there are no date restrictions for English novels and plays, dictionaries, atlases and thesauruses

Please contact me via email (m.riviere-pendle@caseygrammar.vic.edu.au) if you have any questions regarding our Christmas appeals.

Each of these appeals is motivated by the Christian foundations of our school and the emphasis on equity and social justice as a result of the inclusive message of Christ. We hope that each family will respond as they can.

Every blessing to you and your family.

Monique Riviere-Pendle

Chaplain