Newsletter Term 1 Week 1 (7.2.25)
A Blessing for a New School Year
With gratitude for the gift of an exciting new year, we ask for God’s blessing on our parish school community here at St Anthony’s.
May our school be a place of friendship, laughter and growth.
May every classroom be a place of love, respect and discovery.
May every student grow in faith, love and confidence and flourish in our school.
May every staff member be reminded of their call to serve as they witness to our faith and ignite a sense of wonder and awe in our children.
May everyone in our school community experience a sense of welcome and belonging.
May every name in our school be blessed, because each person is a precious gift from God.
And only together can we learn and grow.
We ask this through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
Welcome Back
Welcome back to the beginning of a new and exciting school year. I trust that you all enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable break with your children and found some downtime to escape the hectic pace of the school week, lunches and washing of uniforms.
We have had an extremely positive start to the school term with students returning with a clear intent on meeting expectations for their learning and behaviour and I am extremely impressed with how settled and positive the feel is in the school.
I have loved visiting classrooms and listening to teachers spending time developing positive relationships with their students, setting high expectations for learning and behaviour and most importantly, ensuring that our children know how important they are.
Seeing the joy on their faces when they share and talk about their learning is one of the great privileges of being a Principal. It is also a strong reminder that our school exists for our children and we must ensure that we are prepared to do whatever it takes for them to experience success and to know that they are loved, cared for and belong.
I have been made to feel incredibly welcome and I am grateful to the whole community for your warm welcome and support during my first week. It is amazing to see so many smiles of a morning, receive so many high fives from our children as they arrive and even parents. There is a very strong sense of community here at St Anthony’s and I have loved being accepted so quickly into the school family.
Thank you for an amazing first week of school. Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing you all again next week.
Michael Piccoli
PRINCIPAL
Parent Community Group
We will be holding our first parent community group meeting on Monday 24th February at 5:30pm in the school hall and I can’t wait to meet and talk with you.
Our first gathering will be a wonderful opportunity to welcome parents and guardians, enjoy some drinks and nibbles and for me to be able to listen and learn from our parents. Our conversation will help me understand all the things you love about the school, but also hear from you about the areas where we can improve for our children.
There are many different ways to be involved in your child’s educational journey and the parent community group is one way of supporting school initiatives, having your voice heard, being part of school decisions and future directions and developing a stronger sense of community and partnership.
I thank you in advance for everything you do to support your child’s education and our school. I look forward to seeing you on the 24th February at 5:30pm.
Year 6 Leaders 2025
As a school community it is important to recognise that we are all leaders. We can be leaders in everything that we do in our daily lives - in our work, at school, when we are teaching others or when we are learning from others. Often in life we are faced with difficult decisions and challenges and it is our attitude that often determines the path we take and the choices that we make.
During the week, our current Year 6 students have been reflecting on their desire to be a Year 6 Leader in 2025, preparing their speeches and writing their applications. I can’t wait to read their applications and listen to their speeches. No matter the outcome, having the courage to present yourself in front of your peers and the school, is an incredible achievement in itself.
Facing challenges and learning from our mistakes takes courage and support from family, friends and our school community. As our Year 6 leaders continue on their journey of learning and leadership throughout the year, we wish them every success and pray that they will have the strength to face challenges, learn from their mistakes and strive to be the best that they can be for themselves and for our school community.
Our leadership speeches will be held at 8:40am on Friday 14th February in the school hall.
It is our choices…that show who and what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
Important Dates & School Information
Term 1 2025
Week 2
Monday 10th February- First Day of School for KINDERGARTEN
Thursday 13th February- Years 3-6 Mass, 9am
Friday 14th February- 11:45am Year 6 Leadership Speeches in the school hall.
Sunday 16th February- Staff Commissioning Mass, 9am
Week 3
Thursday 20th February- Whole School Mass, 9am
Week 4
Monday 24th February- Family Community Group Meeting 5:30pm in the school hall
Monday, 24th February - Scholastic Book Club - Student orders due
Thursday 27th February- Years K-2 Mass, 9am
Week 5
Tuesday 4th March-Shrove Tuesday
Tuesday 4th March-Reconciliation Family Workshop 5-6pm
Wednesday 5th March-Ash Wednesday, Whole School Mass, 9am
Week 6
Learning Partnership Conferences
Wednesday 12th March-NAPLAN Years 3 and 5
Thursday 13th March-NAPLAN Years 3 and 5
Thursday 13th March- Years 3-6 Mass 9am
Friday 14th March-NAPLAN Years 3 and 5
Week 7
Learning Partnership Conferences
Monday 17th March-St Patrick’s Day
Thursday 20th March-K-2 Mass, 9am
Thursday 20th March- Family Faith and Fun Night 5:30-7pm
Friday 21st March-Harmony Day
Week 8
Thursday 27th March-Years 3-6 Mass, 9am
Week 9
Thursday 3rd April - K-2 Mass, 9am
Week 10
Wednesday 9th April-First Reconciliation 6-7pm
Thursday 10th April- Years 3-6 Mass, 9am
Friday 11th April- Last Day of Term 1
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
The source of Love
February has many themes, starting with St Brigid and ending with the possibility of a leap year. In the middle of it all is the feast of St Valentine. There were many Valentines in the early church. The first Valentine, who may be the original St Valentine, died around AD 270 for reputedly celebrating the marriage of the early Christians, a practice forbidden by law.
When love is celebrated we sometimes wonder what is being celebrated. Is it a passing, fleeting moment of emotional ecstasy? Or is it the pain of loss? Or are we marking something that is eternal, joyful and beyond words?
A starting point might be to name the source of love –we may think that we are the source of our love. Or we can ask does love come from somewhere else? If love comes from somewhere other than the self, then it doesn’t depend on us. The love from elsewhere can be my strength and sustenance in the act of loving and being loved. It can also tell us how to repair that love. Our Christian faith gives us the story of Jesus of Nazareth as he teaches us how to weave forgiveness, sacrifice, support, care, memory and healing into our story of love.
‘Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God’ (1 John 4:7). Believing this, we know that loving doesn’t depend on us, but on the source of it all.
Excerpted from The Sacred Heart Messenger, Alan Hilliard, February 2021
We remember at this time...
Cancer is experienced by people all over the world yet behind everyone’s experience is a unique, human story of grief, pain, anxiety, healing, resilience and more. Lord, we pray for Your healing touch, for comfort in the pain, and peace in our hearts. Surround all who are suffering, with your love, and remind us that we are never alone in this journey. You are there beside us even in the darkest hours.
We ask for Your strength to fill those who love and care for those who are ill. For family and friends who may feel helpless, unsure of how to help, and fearful of the unknown, may they be given grace, peace and strength, knowing that even the smallest act of care, is a reflection of Your love.
We pray for those who are working in cancer research that they may find breakthroughs toward finding cures.
We also pray for those who have lost loved ones to cancer, that they may feel your loving presence. Amen!
MISC
Pram left at the Kingscliff Pool from the Primary Swimming Carnival.
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 6:00pm
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: KINGSCLIFF4:00-5:30pm
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
