Newsletter Term 3 Week 4 (16.8.24)

Message from the Principal - Lynne Pull

Dear Parents

Congratulations to all those students who excelled in their academic studies in Semester 1 and who were presented with their Certificates for their Outstanding Achievement at this morning’s assembly. It was great to see them acknowledged this way. It is so important that those students who excel in their subjects are encouraged to keep focused on their learning. Our country needs clever people and who knows where some of these students will end up in later years. We encourage them to keep focused on their learning and to continue to strive to excel.

The Science Fair which was held yesterday was an outstanding success. We were delighted that the Head of Science at St Joseph’s College, accompanied by four senior science students, judged the event. They were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm displayed by our students and the high quality of their exhibits. Ms Burnett said many of the exhibits would outdo some of high school students work. High praise indeed! Winners will be announced at Monday morning’s assembly. Some exhibits have qualified to represent our school at the Gold Coast science fair. Congratulations to Mrs Hawkins and those staff members who supported and assisted her in organising and setting up the fair. Congratulations to all students who took the time to research and work on their projects and present them to the judges with their explanations. Well done!

On Wednesday Year 3 students and other students preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation, took part in a retreat day held in our hall. CSYMA students and a Youth Ministry Officer from St Joseph’s College assisted the teachers and Mrs Ballantine with the activities. It was nice to see some ex-students amongst them. A pizza lunch was enjoyed by all. All reports indicate that the retreat day was enjoyed by everyone. Students are encouraged to continue in their preparation for the sacrament through prayer and attending a weekend Mass each week.

Book Week is next week and there will be a book fair in the library all week. Parents may come in and peruse the books on offer. Books make great presents for Christmas and birthdays so maybe purchase some to put away for these celebrations. All students will get the opportunity to visit the fair and create a “Wish List” which they can then share with their parents. The school gets a percentage of the sales which we then use to purchase more books for our library. We thank you for your support.

Don’t forget the Hat Parade to be held next Friday morning. Students are encouraged to make and wear a hat which is representative of a book/character from a book. This weekend will be a good time to work on this! Let’s all make it a great event. After the parade we encourage parents to bring along a rug and read to groups of students. This will be a great way to be involved.

Due to the recent inclement weather and grounds being inaccessible, the Diocesan Athletics Carnival had to be postponed today. It will now be held in Coffs Harbour on Tuesday. Unfortunately this date now clashes with the AFL event to be held at Carrara on the Gold Coast which two of our teams have qualified to participate in after their performances in Byron Bay last term. Some students and their parents have now had to decide which event they will attend. I realise this is disappointing for some but there is nothing we can do about this. We have to learn to deal with disappointments – this is a fact of life. Thank you for your understanding.

A reminder about the Cyber safety workshop for parents to be held on Monday 26^th August commencing with refreshments at 5.15pm for a 5.30pm start. This is being hosted through Parent Assembly. It is expected to finish by 6.30pm. It is timely for parents to commit to participating. We constantly have some concerns regarding our students’ involvement with social media. This workshop will assist parents to understand some things which will help to keep their children safe online.

This week we have had three Year 12 students from St Joseph’s College participate in work experience at our school. Two of them, Preston and Damian, are ex-students, and the other said he wished he had gone to school here! The young men have been assisting in classrooms and have thoroughly enjoyed their time with us. We wish them well in their final months of school.

Parents please be aware that if your child is away sick for longer than 3 days then a doctor's certificate needs to be supplied. Thank you for your attention to this.

Yesterday the whole school attended Mass for the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. This is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics, hence why we go to Mass. (Christmas Day is another of these days.) We as Catholics believe that Mary was born without sin so that she could carry the child Jesus within her. We believe that she was taken up (assumed) into Heaven, body and soul at the end of her life. Mary is promoted as the Mother of all human beings and she continues to pray and intercede for us with her son, Jesus, in Heaven. She is a great person to pray to.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

God bless

Lynne

Important Dates & School Information

Term 3 2024

Monday, 19th August - Book Fair and Book Week begins

Tuesday, 20th August - AFL Gala Day Round 2 Carrara

Tuesday, 20th August - DIO Athletics Carnival 2024

Friday, 23rd August - Book Character Hat Parade

Monday, 26th August - Safe on Social Cyber Safety Workshop 5.15 to 6.30 pm

Thursday, 29th August - Father's Day Stall

Friday, 30th August - Father's Day Breakfast 7.30 am

Friday, 30th August - Assembly and Liturgy for Fathers Day

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

Important Notice on Student Dismissal Procedures

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We thank you for your continuous support in fostering a positive learning environment for our students. 

We would like to remind families that students are expected to be in school from 8.40am until 2.55pm EACH day. This is the law. We are consistently seeing many students arrive later and later of a morning, which means they are missing out on essential learning which begins at the start of the day. On the other hand many students seem to be leaving earlier of an afternoon which means that they may be missing out on completing their tasks or not getting essential messages at the end of the day. Students arriving late and leaving early cause disruption to the class and to teachers, as well as office staff. As part of our efforts to minimise disruptions and ensure the safety and smooth operation of our school, we are implementing new guidelines for student dismissal and home travel arrangements.

Key Changes to Note:

Change in Travel Arrangements:

Effective immediately, we kindly request that parents and guardians refrain from calling the school to change students' home travel arrangements after 2:30pm, except in the case of an absolute emergency. We have noticed a significant increase in calls between 2:30 pm and the bell at 2:55pm. This volume of calls disrupts classroom activities and places additional strain on our office staff. It is not always easy to get messages through on time.

Student Pick-Up Timing:

To alleviate congestion and parking issues, students will not be permitted to leave between 2:30pm and the final bell at 2:55pm. If you need to collect your child early, please ensure that it is by 2:30pm at the latest. Alternatively, we encourage parents to wait to use the pick up zone until 3:10pm to avoid the rush.

Pick-Up Line Procedure:

The pick-up line is designated as a “stop and drop” zone. Parents who need to exit their vehicles to assist their children with seatbelts or other needs should park in the allocated parking areas, either on the netball court or at the supermarket, and walk in to meet their children. Or wait until after 3.10pm when there is less congestion.

Please do not leave your car parked in the pick-up zone in the mornings or afternoons at pick-up and drop-off times. This causes inconvenience to others. Park on the netball court and walk in. This has always been the expectation. 

We understand that these changes may require adjustments to your usual routines, but we believe they will contribute significantly to a more orderly process at the end of the day in particular. Your cooperation in adhering to these new procedures is greatly appreciated and will ensure that classes can continue undisturbed until the end of the day and that office staff are not overwhelmed with last-minute changes.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Thank you for your understanding and support in this matter.

Something to think and pray about

Keeping the Faith

Religion has earned a deservedly bad press in recent years, but I worry that in our increasingly secular society we are rejecting far too easily some of the visions and best standards of the Christian faith, which has provided the bedrock of our civilisation for over 2,000 years.

I think it is timely to remind people that a deep religious faith can dramatically change lives for the better, and that it can also sustain individuals and families in times of great suffering and distress. It is equally important to remind ourselves that the misuse and debasement of religion can itself cause immense pain.

I hope that in retelling part of my own story, with fresh insights gained from a long experience of living and working through the upheavals here and elsewhere, I can help other people to understand more about the pressures and realities of a divided society, through the eyes of a young boy who became a journalist and reported on decades of one of the most frightening conflicts in recent Anglo-Irish history. 

Excerpted from Keeping the Faith  by Alf McCreary (pp12-13)

We Remember At This Time…

During August, we celebrate a number of Marian Feast Days, including the Solemnity of the Assumption on the 15th and Our Lady of Knock on the 17th. Our Lady of Knock is Ireland’s National Marian Shrine and, more recently, was designated an International Eucharistic and Marian Shrine. Perhaps we could remember the people of Ireland at this time, that they may come to know the love of Jesus once more, who is brought to birth in us through the incredible gift of the Eucharist, and through Mary, the first tabernacle of the Lord – His Blessed Mother and ours. Amen.

https://sacredspace.com/

School Fees 2025

Enrolment and Fees link 

National Science Week Celebrations

The school was buzzing with science excitement this week as we celebrated National Science Week. We started the week with a wonderful science show from Street Science, which saw us learning about the importance of looking after our environment and the value of individual species in our ecosystem. 

We followed this with our annual science fair on Thursday. Students produced an amazing variety of high quality science projects. Projects focused on various aspects of science including scientific investigations, classified collections and environmental action projects.

Each and every student produced a project of exceptional quality and demonstrated their scientific understanding and interests. They should all be so very proud of their efforts.

Senior students from St Joseph’s College generously volunteered their time to talk to each student and judge the winners from each age group. They were incredibly impressed with the high level of scientific understanding shown by St Anthony’s students. The future of science is certainly looking bright!                

Scholastic Book Fair - helpers needed

Our Annual Scholastic Book Fair occurs this term. Monday, 19th August to Friday 23rd August
We are asking for Parent/s to help run this event
CAN YOU HELP??

• Monday, 19th August to Friday, 23rd August  from 8.20 am to 9.15 am - HELPERS NEEDED 
• Monday, 19th August to Friday, 23rd August from 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm  - HELPERS NEEDED 

THE BOOK FAIR WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY AFTERNOON 

If you would like to do this could you please let the school office as soon as possible
The school number is 0266 741 368 or sapkings@lism.catholic.edu.au

Seasons for Growth

Resilience day

On Wednesday, 31st July our Year 5 and 6 students participated in a Resilience program that proved to be both engaging and educational. The program featured a range of interactive activities that allowed the students to delve into disaster preparedness and understand their individual strengths and resilience. Throughout the day, the children discovered, explored, and shared various strategies for self-care and emotional well-being. It was a truly valuable experience that equipped our students with essential skills for their personal development and resilience. 

Healthy Eating Active Living Team

Father's Day Stall - helpers wanted

P&F Information for Parents

Flying Start

Science week is here, and we have been busy learning all things science.  We have investigated magnetics, mathematical concepts through weight and mass as well as biology and colour exploration. Allowing the preschoolers to be hands on and explore different sciences allows them to learn about how the world around us works through play.  We are even lucky enough to share science week with the primary school and visit the hall to see what wonderful science creations they have made.

We have also been focussing on our two ages groups of a morning with set activities to ensure that all our preschoolers are moving into school next year with the tools and knowledge to be socially and emotionally ready. We always aim to equip the children with as much positive preparation as we possibly can and know that they will enjoy the transition that will be here before we know it.

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/

RCIA 2024

A JOURNEY OF FAITH
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)

Since Jesus invited His first followers to “Come, follow me”, the image of journey has been used to describe Christian discipleship.

Perhaps you or someone you know are interested in being baptised, or were baptised in another Christian faith but are interested in becoming Catholic. 

The RCIA provides a setting where the Catholic faith can be explored and the journey of faith can be celebrated within the local Church community. 

An RCIA Enquiry Night will be held on Tuesday, 20th August, 6.30pm, in the Parish Meeting Room at St Anthony’s Church (located behind the Presbytery, northern side of the church). You are most welcome to come along to learn about the process, there is no obligation to commit. If you would like further information contact Catherine Holliday in the Parish Office on 6674 1284 or email pa@stanthonysparishkingscliff.org 

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