Newsletter Term 2 Week 9 (28.6.24)

Message from the Principal - Lynne Pull

Dear Parents and Guardians

Students in Years 3 – 6 who are involved in choirs, vocal groups or recorder group will have their chance to shine on Monday at the Murwillumbah Festival of Performing Arts. Students will travel by bus (departing at 8.45am) to and from Murwillumbah for their events which will commence at 9.30am in the following order:

• Years 3 & 4 choir – no actions -              Competitor No.2 from 2 competitors
• Years 5 & 6 choir – no actions -              Competitor No.3 from 4 competitors
• Years 3 & 4 choir – actions -                    Competitor No. 1 from 3 competitors
• Small Vocal Group -                                     Competitor No. 2 from 2 competitors
• Vocal group -                                                  Competitor No.1 from 2 competitors
• Recorder group -                                           Competitor No.2 from 2 competitors

Please ensure you have given permission for your child to attend through Compass if they are involved. Full day dress uniform is expected to be worn.

On Wednesday next week it will be Years 1 & 2 choir and percussion group to perform in Murwillumbah. Once again full dress uniform - NOT sports uniform - will be required. Their bus will depart at 8.45am. The percussion group will perform first at 9.30am followed by the choir singing the songs with no actions (2 competitors) and after that they will do the songs with actions (they will be 4^th group out of 5).  Please ensure you have given permission via Compass if you have received this request for your child to participate.

I hope this information will assist you in knowing when to be at the Civic Centre in Murwillumbah to see you child perform. There will be a charge to enter the auditorium.

Reports are currently being finalised and will be sent home next week. Here is a video link   video link to help you understand the reports. You will also receive information about the 3-way Learning Conferences which will be held during Weeks 2 & 3 next term. We would expect that all families would give these sessions priority. This is an opportunity for your child to share some of their learning and their goals with you. It is giving students a voice. Some parents may not realise the value of this process but much recent research is indicating that this is powerful and best practice. Of course the younger students will be supported through the process and they will be limited in what they have to say but each year they will build on this, so that as they get older they will take more ownership and be more accountable for their learning. Each session is set down for 15 minutes so there should be some time at the end for parents to speak with the teachers without their child if that’s what they want. However if you need more time to talk with your child’s teachers then I suggest you make an appointment for another occasion to do this. Teachers are always happy to talk with parents provided an appointment has been made.

Next Thursday there will be a Mufti Day – students may wear free dress as long as it is appropriate – for a gold coin donation. This will be to support Year 6 student Harper Gallagher who has made the state AFL team and who will be in a training camp for four days near the NSW/Victorian border and then in Geelong in Victoria for the national competition. This is a one-off to support the family as in this case greater distances than normal are involved, plus interstate travel. We are very proud that one of our students has made it into this state team; it is worth our support and we wish Harper and his family all the best.

It was wonderful to see lots of families at Mass last Sunday, with certificates being presented to students who had recently received their First Holy Communion. We had a magnificent cake after Mass which was enjoyed by all!

Next Friday at the morning assembly all classes will showcase their Verse Speaking for all parents who would like to join us. It will be a great way to celebrate the term.

On Wednesday evening next week we will have our annual Orators’ Evening where the best six public speakers from each grade will present their speeches to an audience. The evening will commence at 6pm in the school hall. It is always a wonderful occasion so I encourage everyone to come along.

With just one more week of school to go I would like to wish all our families an enjoyable break over the school holidays. Thank you to everyone for the support you give in so many ways as we build a vibrant school community together. Term 3 will commence for students on Tuesday 23^rd July.

Hate has 4 letters but so does Love. Enemies has 7 letters but so does Friends. Lying has 5 letters but so does Truth. Cry has 3 letters but so does Joy. Negativity has 10 letters but so does Positivity. Life is 2-sided so let’s choose the better side of it.

God bless

Lynne

Important Dates & School Information

Term 2 2024

Monday, 1st July - Primary Choirs, Eisteddfod

Tuesday, 2nd July - Tropical Fruit World - Year 2

Wednesday, 3rd July - Infant Choirs, Eisteddfod

Wednesday, 3rd July - Orator's Evening 

Friday, 5th July - Last Day of School 

Term 3 2024

Monday, 22nd July - Pupil Free Day - NO SCHOOL

Child Protection Policy can be found on our School Website under Information/School Policies: St Anthony's Primary School Website or in the following link: https://www.kngplism.catholic.edu.au/policies

Sports News

St Anthony’s 2024 Athletics Carnival

Well done to all the students who competed at the St Anthony’s Athletics Carnival last week. The effort and sportsmanship was outstanding and participation was at a very high level.

Congratulations to the following students who achieved Age Champion for the day:

8 Year Boy - River Irvine

8 Year Girl - Reiya Cordy

9 Year Boy - Harrison Morley

9 Year Girl - Amelia Popov

10 Year Boy - Darcy Elliott

10 Year Girl - Bonnie Brownjohn

11 Year Boy  - Edwin Keast

11 Year Girl - Cate Thierjung

12 Year Boy - Harper Gallagher

12 Year Girls - Andie Staunton

Congratulations to the winning house for the day, Presentation.

Well done to McKillop house who won the All Age Relay and Leonard house who won the War Cry competition.

Good luck to all the students who are attending the Tweed Zone Athletics Carnival on Friday 2nd August at Walter Peate Reserve, Kingscliff. The team and events have been placed on the sports notice board and Compass permission notes will be published soon.

The Diocesan carnival is in Coffs Harbour on Friday 16th August. 

Something to think and pray about

Reflection and Learning

The philosopher Socrates spoke about living reflectively. It got him into trouble. It’s easier to go with the flow and make no waves. However, without reflection, we don’t grow. Ignatius of Loyola proposes reflection as a way of life. Learning from experience was essential for him, but applying that learning was even more important. Without reflection there’s no way forward. We get stuck in a rut. We get trapped in a rigid world-view both personally and communally, which inspires poor decisions that impact negatively on ourselves and our world. Sooner or later we get stuck in our ways, unable to adapt to change. Ignatius has given us helpful strategies for structured reflection to cover all areas of life. For Ignatius, the Cartesian slogan ‘I think, therefore I am’ could be better adapted to ‘I learn, therefore I am’.

Excerpted from Reimagining Religion: A Jesuit Vision by Jim Maher SJ (p.12)

The 2024 Premier's Reading Challenge is open!

Dear Parents and Carers,

All children at St Anthony’s are invited to take part in this year's NSW Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC). This is a program that encourages students to read quality fiction and non-fiction books from a selected list nominated by the premier's office.

What does the challenge involve?

To become involved in the challenge, Kindergarten to Year 2 students need to experience 30 books, 20 of these books need to come from the K-2 PRC booklists. 10 books can be their own free choice. Children can read the books on their own OR be read to by parents/carers. 

For years 3-6, students need to read 20 books, 10 of these books must be on the PRC booklist and 10 books can be their own free choice.

PRC books can be found in our school library, at home and in local council libraries. For the PRC booklists, please visit:  https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/booklist/home.html

All books need to be read and recorded online by 23rd August 2024 (by 11:59 pm).  Students will receive a certificate from the PRC team on completion. PRC Certificates will be awarded in Term 4.

Further information is contained on the PRC website including the booklist for each level of the challenge: https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/rules.html

How to register and record books online:

Students can begin their reading now! Follow the below instructions to log on and begin registering your books:

1. Go to the PRC website https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html or Google Premier's Reading Challenge NSW 2024.
2. Click on the yellow ‘PRC Student Site’ box then select the "log on" button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
3. Enter the student's username and password. If you have forgotten details or are registering for the first time please email lauren.plunkett@lism.catholic.edu.au and a username and password will be generated and emailed to you. 
4. Enter the PRC ID code for each book the student has read. You can search for books on the website.

Please feel free to contact Mrs Plunkett if you have any questions, and look out for more information about the PRC in our School Newsletter, library displays and awards throughout the term. 

Happy reading!

Mrs Plunkett

PRC Coordinator

Important Notice Regarding Dogs on School Grounds

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope this message finds you well. As part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all students, staff, and visitors, we would like to remind you of the regulations concerning dogs on school premises as outlined in the Companion Animals Act 1998 (NSW, Section 14).

Dogs on School Grounds

According to the Companion Animals Act, dogs are generally prohibited on school grounds unless the principal has granted specific permission. Such permissions are typically reserved for:

• Assistance or service dogs
• Farm working dogs
• Visits by organised groups or programs for school incursions
• School support dogs

We understand that many families enjoy walking their dogs during school drop-off and pick-up times. However, we kindly ask that dogs remain outside the school gates. You are welcome to wait with your dog just outside the gate and arrange for your child to meet you there. This practice helps us ensure the safety and comfort of all students, particularly those who may have allergies or a fear of dogs.

Important Points for Consideration

Responsibility: Only individuals aged 18 or over can be responsible for a dog, as stated in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (POCTAA).

Procedural Fairness: Schools are obligated to consult with parents and consider all relevant information before making decisions regarding assistance dogs.

Health and Safety: Our priority is to maintain a safe environment for everyone on school grounds.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in adhering to these guidelines. By keeping our school grounds dog-free, except for authorised circumstances, we can ensure a safer and more inclusive environment for all students.

This notice aligns with our commitment to safety and compliance with state legislation. Your cooperation is crucial in maintaining a welcoming and secure environment for our school community.

If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the school administration.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

Canteen News

Canteen now has the following Gluten Free Meals available

• Beef Lasagne
• Macaroni Cheese
• Butter Chicken

These can be ordered through your Flexischool App

Flying Start

Our week that was at Flying Start Preschool

We are lucky enough to be part of the cross country on Friday to run with the kindergarten class. We have been practicing running around the soccer field as well as over the adventure playground and through the cola.  We are certainly all looking forward to running on Friday.

We all went on an excursion to the Return and Earn on Monday and cashed in our cans.  We then spent the money in Woolworths on morning tea for us all which we ate whilst spotting whales at Kingscliff beach. How lucky we are that we can walk to all these places and engage within the community. We were even lucky enough to spot some whales. 

One more week left of term and that means one more week of fun !

 Kind Regards,

 Jessie Grey

Admin

Email: info@flyingstart.nsw.edu.au
Phone: 02 6674 2028 

Web: www.info@flyingstart.nsw.edu.au 

Address: 23 Boomerang Street, Kingscliff NSW 2487

Misc News - Proposed STEAM workshop on the North Coast - 8 & 9 July 2024

Dear Parents

Tournament of Minds NSW are extending their support of students past and present in the form of a STEAM workshop to run in the upcoming holidays from the 8/9 July if we get sufficient numbers either on the North Coast or Mid North Coast. The potential venue will be SCU and the workshop will run from 8.30 am – 4 pm over the 2 days.  These workshops have been running in Newcastle and Sydney and we are keen to ensure students across NSW have the opportunity to participate in these exciting workshops. Depending on interest, the workshop will either be a STEM based workshop which is designed for budding engineers and creative souls. The cost for this workshop would be $300 for the 2 days. Activities would include drama, art, engineering, mathematical design along with writing a script. The alternate workshop we currently run is a Writer’s Workshop which has been highly successful for budding authors. The cost for this workshop is $400 which includes the extra expense of publishing their completed work.

If this is something that you would like your child to attend, please respond to this email indicating which workshop is of interest to you. These workshops aren’t solely for TOM students but are open to all primary aged students so feel free to pass on my email to other parents.

Warm regards

Narelle

Narelle Jackson

NSW Co-Director|Treasurer

Tournament of Minds (Inc) NSW

0429508832

nsw-treasurer@tom.edu.au

www.tom.edu.au/branch/NSW

Parish Information and News

Parish Priest: Fr Paul McDonald

Finance Manager: Paul Crouch

Parish Secretary: Marty Darragh

Pastoral Assistant: Catherine Holliday

Phone: 0266741368

Email: parkings@bigpond.com

Website: http://stanthonysparishkingslciff.org

WEEKEND MASS TIMES
VIGIL: KINGSCLIFF 5:00pm
SUNDAY:POTTSVILLE 7:30am
KINGSCLIFF 9:00am

WEEKDAY MASS TIMES
TUESDAY: POTTSVILLE 9:15am
WEDNESDAY: KINGSCLIFF 8:00am
THURSDAY: KINGSCLIFF 9:00am
FRIDAY: KINGSCLIFF 8:00am

RECONCILIATION TIMES

SATURDAY: KINGSCLIFF4:00-4:30pm
SUNDAY: POTTSVILLE 7:00—7:25am

Current Office Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 9am-3pm

PARISH NEWSLETTER LINK: http://stanthonysparishkingscliff.org/news-events/

St Anthony's Parish - Care Group

Many parents may have noticed from the Parish Bulletin, that the Parish has a Care Group which, among other things seeks to provide meals to any parishoners in need.

This could include times of family sickness, new mums struggling to provide for the family in the early days of returning home, and many other circumstances of genuine need.

Please be aware that the Care Group is very willing to help out if any families find themselves in need of this service.

Contact: Parish Office: 0266 741 284 or Maree Moore 0439 174 116