Principal Update
Dear Parents and Carers,
Last Sunday – Mrs Franks, Keeva (Yr 6), Adam (Yr 6), Dylan (Yr 4) and Seraya (Yr 2) and myself joined hundreds of others for the Diocesan launch of the Jubilee Year of Hope, which included a walk from Foreshore Park to the Sacred Heart Cathedral, a Mass and a festival in the Cathedral grounds. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the Cathedral was full to overflowing for the Mass which was presided by Bishop Michael. There was lots of yummy free food at the festival. Thank you to Mrs Franks and the children for representing our school community.
Last Wednesday, we celebrated our Ash Wednesday liturgy. We thank Fr Christian for presiding and the parents and grandparents who were able to attend.
Lent is a special time in the Catholic calendar, offering us the opportunity to prepare our hearts and minds for Easter. It is a season of reflection, prayer, fasting, and giving, modeled after Jesus' 40 days in the desert. Lent encourages us to grow closer to God and to live out our faith in meaningful ways. For children and families, it can be a time to reflect on the blessings in our lives and to practice gratitude. It reminds us to focus on helping others, whether through acts of kindness, supporting those in need, or simply being more understanding and patient with one another. Lent teaches us that small sacrifices, like giving up a favorite treat or taking time away from screens to pray or spend with family, can bring us closer to God and to each other.
Even for young students, Lent is a wonderful time to think about how we can live more like Jesus in our daily lives, by showing love and compassion to those around us. To learn more about the meaning of Lent and how we can embrace its lessons in our lives, watch this short and engaging video, "Lent in under 3 Minutes," available here Lent in 3 Minutes (NEW!)
May this season of Lent bring blessings, growth, and joy to you and your family as we journey together towards Easter. Let us continue to pray, give, and grow in faith as a community.
Take care and God Bless,
Dani Reed
CONGRATULATIONS MRS CABAN – Tegan and Marcus were married last Saturday. What a beautiful bride! Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Caban, may your days ahead be filled with happiness.
We asked Mrs Caban for a photo we could share and she sent the following message and picture:
"Our day was absolutely incredible. Everying was so beautiful and we were very lucky to have Mrs Jeans be our celebrant"
Enrolment Information Evening - Will be held Monday 10th March at 5pm in the hall. If you have a sibling enrolment, please complete an application ASAP, as places are filling fast!
Staffing Change – We thank Miss Emily Epis for teaching in our library this term while we recruited a new teacher/librarian for the remainder of the year. Emily has secured a position at St Patrick’s Cessnock for Terms 2 – 4, and we congratulate her on her appointment.
Our new teacher librarian, beginning in Term 2, is Mrs Sabrah Clarke. Mrs Clarke is a highly experienced teacher librarian who will bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to igniting a passion for books and research in our children. I am sure you will join me in welcoming Sabrah to our school.
NAPLAN – Naplan testing begins this Wednesday for students in Years 3 & 5. Parents have been sent home information regarding the tests. The ACARA (Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority) website has a parent information page that can be found here: NAP - For parents and carers.
NAPLAN testing can be an important milestone for primary school students, offering an opportunity to understand their progress in literacy and numeracy. As parents, preparing your child for NAPLAN involves fostering a calm and supportive environment. Encourage them to approach the tests with confidence by framing it as just another way to show what they know. Ensure your child is well-rested in the days leading up to the tests, eats a healthy breakfast on testing days, and has all the necessary supplies ready.
If your child feels anxious, acknowledge their feelings without judgment. You might say, “I understand you feel worried, and that’s okay. Everyone feels a little nervous sometimes.” Reassure them that it's normal to feel this way and that you are proud of them no matter the result. Encourage deep breathing or visualization techniques, where they imagine themselves calmly completing the test.
Finally, remind your child that NAPLAN doesn’t define them. Their parents and class teachers know them best, and teachers are constantly assessing their students to adjust tasks to their level. This is just one piece of the puzzle in their educational journal. NAPLAN doesn’t measure their creativity, kindness, artistic or sporting ability or any of the other many things that make them unique and loveable. But their parents, family and teachers know all these things about them.
CROSS COUNTRY Our school Cross Country event will be held this Tuesday at Pasterfield Sports Complex. Children in Years 2 – 6 will leave school at 9am to walk to the event, which will commence at 9.30am. If the rain continues, a decision will be made on Monday and parents notified via Compass if we are moving to our alternate date.
P&F Meeting: Our P&F meeting will be held on Monday 24th March at 6pm. This will be the Annual General Meeting and the agenda will include transition to the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) model. We need enough people present to vote on this decision, so please come along if you can. “Questions with notice to the principal” should be emailed to the school by Thursday 20th March, please.
Pupil Free Days – Term 2 Week 4: Friday 23rd May – Staff will be attending a Formation Day for the Religious Education syllabus.
Term 3 Week 1: Monday 21st July (First day of Term) – Staff will be attending a professional development day focused on the new curriculum rollout.
OOSH services have been notified about these dates.
Harmony Day
