Newsletter Term 3 Week 6 (30.8.24)

A message from the Assistant Principal - Julianne Barlogio

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a recent incident involving social media misuse, specifically on platforms such as Snapchat and group chat services. It raises important concerns regarding online safety for primary-aged children. The details are unsettling, as pornography was shared within a group chat that many students were added to and although our students did not post the offending material many viewed it. What is particularly troubling is that no student knew who these people were or how they were added to the chat.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the hidden dangers that children face on social media. Many young students are simply not developmentally ready to navigate these platforms safely. Their ability to recognise and respond to online risks is still evolving, and it is concerning that over 20 students involved did not report the incident to their parents. The fear of losing access to their devices and apps often leads children to keep quiet, even when they know something is wrong. Rest assured that if your child was involved and we had knowledge of it we will contact you. If your child tells you about any incidents we request you contact us.

As educators, we strongly urge parents to reconsider allowing primary-aged children unsupervised access to social media. It is clear that their brains are not fully equipped to handle the complexities of online interactions, and the risks involved are significant. Whether it's exposure to inappropriate content, potential predators, or other harmful influences, the online world presents dangers that are simply beyond their comprehension.

We are looking forward to our upcoming cybersafety talk on Monday November 25, which will provide valuable insights and practical advice on how to keep our children safe in this digital age. We strongly encourage all parents to attend, as this is a critical opportunity to further educate ourselves about the real and present dangers our children face online.

Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our students safe. Together, we can guide them towards responsible and secure digital behaviour.

On a lighter note we have had a wonderful turn up this morning for our annual Father’s Day breakfast. Many enjoyed a bacon and egg roll and I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all the fathers, grandfathers, and father figures in our community, a wonderful Father’s Day! Your love, support, and guidance mean the world to the children in your lives. On Sunday, we celebrate the invaluable role you play in shaping strong, kind, and confident individuals. We hope you enjoy this special day and take time to reflect on the countless moments of joy and connection that define your journey as a father. Thank you for all that you do—may your day be filled with love, laughter, and appreciation!

Julianne

Important Dates & School Information

Term 3 2024

Wednesday, 4th September - Confirmation Ceremony @ 6 pm

Sunday, 8th September - Tournament of Minds

Tuesday, 10th September - Parent Forum Meeting @ 5 pm

Thursday, 12th September - Year 1 Excursion - Tweed Museum

Tuesday, 17th September - ZING - Dance Showcase

Monday, 23rd September - Colour Fun Run

Wednesday, 25th & Thursday 26th September - Year 4 Camp

Friday, 27th September - Last day of Term 3 

Term 4 2024

Monday, 14th October - Pupil Free Day - no school

Tuesday, 15th October - Term 4 - students return to 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

Something to think and pray about

What You Really Want or Desire

We have lots of wants; we always want things that we think will make us happy, but these are often not our deepest desires. My deepest desires are not about wants. Wants often come from ‘the surface’ and can be superficial. They usually involve ‘things’. The more important question is about our deepest desires, our dreams, what will bring us true happiness. They come from a place way below the surface or the superficial things. They come from a place we sometimes don’t even really understand.

Ignatius said that we can find God in our deepest desires. That’s a remarkable statement if we carry it through to practice. Spending time dreaming about our deepest desires might just bring us into a sacred space.

Excerpted from Emerging from the Mess  by Brendan McManus SJ and Jim Deeds (p.44)

https://sacredspace.com/

School Fun Run

Thank you all for creating a School Fun Run profile!

Currently we have raised $11,857 of our $30,000 goal amount, so there is a way to go and I hope you’ll keep supporting us! Remember, the money raised will be going towards a new PA and sound system.

Please remember to keep sharing your online fundraising link. Text message is always the best way to share your link, followed by social media and lastly, email. Try to share every two days to keep donations coming in.

For those of you who are yet to get a donation, just remember that you can WIN a $20,000 Ultimate Family Package by raising $1 online.

Thank you again for your effort and I hope you will continue to help us fundraise throughout the event.

This morning at assembly 3 teachers were slimed which the students love. Thank you to our teachers for being such great sports. We hope to reach the total of $30,000 so we can give Mrs Pull a farewell slime.

Community Consultation

Link below:

Community Consultation - Principal, St Anthony's Primary, Kingscliff 

School Fees 2025

Enrolment and Fees link below

Enrolment and Fees link 

Flying Start

What a busy week we have had!! 

Watching all our preschoolers enjoy our new playground fixed equipment has been lots of fun. Climbing and navigating the ropes, as well as using the monkey bars to swing, hang and lift their body weight, is certainly helping with gross motor skills. We know that giving preschool age children the opportunity to climb is great for balance as well as engaging core and large muscle groups. What better way to do this than through play at Preschool.

We have our annual Father’s Day breakfast too this week and can’t wait to celebrate all things Dad. We also encourage other important people in our preschoolers lives to share the morning with us. Coffee, bacon and egg rolls and lots of fun will be enjoyed by all. We are also lucky enough to be participating in the Fathers Day stall and have lots of great gifts to purchase.

Healthy Eating Active Living Team

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/

CONFIRMATION GIFTS

Confirmation gifts
The Piety Stall has a large range of rosary beads, plaques, confirmation cards and religious gifts, perfect for the sacrament of Confirmation. Browsers welcome!

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