Dear Parents and Carers,

Prayer for Reconciliation

God of all creation,

as we journey together in this Great Southern Land,

we pray for healing, forgiveness and unity,

 creating a path of good will, with justice and compassion.

Jesus, through the power of your love, you have given us the courage, wisdom and strength to share our gifts and talents in humility.

 In peace and understanding we reconcile with each other.

Creator Spirit, we come together in prayer and thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received. Allow your Spirit to wash over us and give us strength to walk together as one. Amen.

Following the outcome of Saturday's referendum, I include the Prayer for Reconciliation again this week. I also invite you to read the following document from Bishop Charles Gauci in his role as Chair of the Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. In it he states that "At this moment in our history, it is time for the Church and its ministries to redouble our efforts to close the gap – not as a slogan, but as a commitment."

Beyond_the_referendum_it_s_time_for_a_new_beginning.pdf

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Year 6 Canberra Excursion

It was my pleasure to join the Year 6 students and staff on their excursion to Canberra last week. The way that they positively engaged with the activities at each of the venues ensured that they made the most of their learning and enjoyment of the two days. Maybe some of them were inspired by what they experienced to pursue a life of public service in the future!

Wishing you a great week,

Paul Moroney

Principal

STUDENTS ARRIVING LATE TO SCHOOL

We understand the challenges that come with getting students ready for school and ensuring they arrive on time. However, we'd like to emphasise the importance of punctuality, as it plays a significant role in your child's education and overall well-being.

Children can be brought to school between 8:15am-8:45am. The school gates close not long after 8:45am. So far this term, there have generally been 40 students late for class each day. 

We kindly request your support in ensuring that your child arrives at school on time. We understand that unforeseen circumstances can lead to occasional lateness, but regular tardiness can disrupt the learning environment for all students.

We believe that a strong partnership between parents, carers, and the school is essential for the success of our students. By working together, we can ensure that your child receives the best education possible.

If you have any questions or need assistance in promoting punctuality, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support you and your child.

TERM 4 CLASS CAPTAINS

On Monday, 23 October, Term 4 Class Captains will receive their badge at our morning assembly. We will inform parents via Compass before this Friday, who our Term 4 Class Captains are, so you might be available to grab a photo and see your child receive their badge.

We are confident that our student leaders will be great examples for others and demonstrate our Good Samaritan values. 

YEAR 6 CANBERRA EXCURSION

Our Year 6 students and teachers had a memorable and enriching experience last Thursday, 12 October & Friday, 13 October at the heart of our nation's capital, Canberra. The excursion allowed them to delve into the history, culture, and government of our great country.

The Year 6 students were a credit to their families, teachers and our school. Their behaviour overall was outstanding. Many positive remarks were made from guides and members of the public about the children’s behaviour, good manners and wearing their uniform with pride.

It was a valuable learning experience for all the children. Apart from the opportunities to learn at the different venues, there were also times where the students were learning about life skills. 

Special thanks to Mrs Hampton, Mr Moroney, Mr Nash, Mr Toohey and Mrs Watson for their dedication and time away from their families to support the Year 6 students with this overnight excursion.

Camp/ Excursion to Canberra 

 On the 12th of October 2023, Year 6 headed off to Canberra at 7:00am. We threw our luggage under the bus and we were off. We had been on the bus for maybe 45 minutes and we were all extremely bored. Some of us played Uno, and we discussed our  situation. At about 1 hour into our ride we had to stop near a cafe, we grabbed our morning tea, took bathroom breaks and met up with friends on the other bus. At around 8:30am we were back on the buses since another school stopped by. A further 1 and ½ hours went by, suddenly we all saw this enormous lake and if you’ve been to Canberra before which a vast majority of my bus had, you know that the enormous lake means you're only 30 minutes or even 20 minutes away from Canberra!!

Then finally we made it to Canberra, everyone was so excited. We all wanted to just get off the bus and walk around. 

The trip to Canberra was long but worth it. On the first day we did lots of things. We went to the New Parliament, the National Arboretum and the National Exhibition centre. After this we arrived at our accommodation and we had dinner. The  name of the hotel was the Ibis hotel where we stayed the night. Everyone was mucking  around in their rooms and some people were doing knock n 'run. 

We woke up the next day at 6:00am and everyone got dressed and packed their bags. We went down, had breakfast, then loaded our bags onto the bus. We went straight to the National Museum. Here we learned a lot and got to go to the gift shop. After that we went to Mount Ainslie which is a great place to see all of Canberra. It was windy and cold so we didn’t stay long. Everyone was excited because we were then heading to the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) . Everyone had lots of fun there and we had another chance to go to the gift shop. Lastly, we went to the Old Parliament House which is now the Australian Electoral Commission. We learnt all about Democracy and the system of voting. 

After that, we went back on the bus and prepared to go home. We stopped for some dinner on the way, and kept going from there. I think everyone was excited to go home. I couldn’t wait. I missed home and wanted to go back to my Sister, my parents and my cats. We made it back to school safely and that was our Canberra trip. It was so fun and I’m glad I went.

(Lucinda and Jasmine 6 Gold )

TRANSITION TO SCHOOL PLAYGROUP

Yesterday we had the privilege of welcoming our 2024 Kindergarten students and their families to the first day of our Transition to School Playgroup.

Thank you to all the children and their families who were able to participate in this program yesterday. We understand that those who were unable to attend will hopefully join us in coming weeks. It was evident that there were already some genuine connections made. The children were all extremely settled, particularly during story time. 

Thanks to Miss Witheridge and Mrs Gilbert for their planning and coordination of our playgroup. We also thank the Year 4 students who assisted throughout the morning. Thanks also to the P & F with Erin and Kaye Jones for their support yesterday.

We look forward to the continuation of our Transition to School Playgroup in the weeks ahead.

 

DIOCESAN CHRISTMAS STORY ART COMPETITION

Big congratulations to Amelia Rayfield 6B, who had her artwork “The Arrival” chosen as a finalist in the Diocesan Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition. This is an incredible achievement considering her piece was selected across students across all Primary Schools in the Wollongong Diocese.

Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who are celebrating their birthday this week 15th October - 21st October

Justice

KB -. Charbel N - for looking out for the needs of his friends.

1B- Zak S - for being a good friend to his classmates by playing fairly and helping them in the classroom.

2B - Antony A- for always being fair and just towards his peers 

3B - Alex R - for being concerned with the welfare of others.  

4B - Saiya K - For displaying justice, kindness and compassion towards your peers and teachers.

5B - Jacob B - for thinking about others and always making thoughtful choices.

6B - Raquel B - for demonstrating Justice and including others in group work in class.