Newsletter Term 3 Week 5, 22.08.25

Principal's News

We are continually trying to impress upon our students the importance of being respectful.  We do this because we believe that one of the most important things we can teach our students is to be respectful of others and learn how to managing their feelings and emotions.

The best way for us to teach respect to our students is to model it and show our children what respect looks like. When a student experiences respect, they know what it feels like and begin to understand how important it is.

Respect is a valued attitude. Being respectful helps a student succeed in life. If students don't have respect for peers, authority, or themselves, it's almost impossible for them to succeed.

As parents, we have the most influence on how respectful our children will become and until our children show respect at home, it's very unlikely they will show it anywhere else.

So, as parents and teachers, how can we all help our children be the best that they can be and what can we model?

• Be honest - If we do something wrong, admit it and apologise.
• Be positive - Don't embarrass, insult or make fun of our children. Compliment them.
• Be trusting - Let our children have a voice, make choices and take responsibility.
• Be fair - Listen to our children's side of the story before reaching a conclusion.
• Be polite - Use "please" and "thank you".
• Be reliable - Keep our promises. Show our children that you mean what you say.
• Be a good listener - Give our children our full attention when they need us.

The Assumption of Mary

Last Friday, our school community came together to celebrate a very special day in our Catholic faith: the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.

The Assumption is our belief that when Mary, the mother of Jesus, finished her life on Earth, God took her up to heaven, body and soul. It's a joyful celebration because it shows us God's incredible love for Mary, and it reminds us that she is in heaven praying for us all.

Our whole school attended our Parish church for a special Mass. It was wonderful to see so many of our parishioners there celebrating with us! A very big thank you to Mrs Ballantine for her organisation and to Father Paul for leading us in such a prayerful and meaningful Mass.

Thank you to all our students, staff, families and parishioners who helped us honour Mary and her special place in heaven. It was a day filled with reverence and joy.

Be Kind

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, we can forget the impact our words and actions can have on others. It is important that we reflect on what it means to speak and act with kindness and what that may look like and sound like at home, school, sport or at work.

Bishop Greg often reminds us to have the courage to do what is right and show love to each other. Kindness is a constant focus at St Anthony's, and we are all in a privileged position as parents and teachers to model this life giving behaviour. 

Kindness:

* is the way we speak to all people;

* is the way we act towards all people;

* helps us to show care, consideration and generosity to others;

* shows others how we like to be treated;

* is being friendly, smiling and using a kind voice;

* is noticing when others are sad, hurt or in trouble;

* is reacting positively to a situation even when we may not be happy ourselves;

Book and Adventure

On Monday we kicked off Book Week with flair as our students brought stories to life in our Book Week Parade! The school was buzzing with creativity, imagination, fun, laughter, and a whole lot of love for literature.
From classic characters to modern favourites, our students and staff showcased their passion for reading in the most colourful way.

A huge thank you to our families for supporting this wonderful start to Book Week at St Anthony’s!

From the School Calendar

Week 6, Term 3, 2025

• Monday 26th August - 5:30pm Parent Community Group Meeting
• Tuesday 26th August - Diocesan Athletics Carnival

Week 7, Term 3, 2025

• Monday 1st September - 2:15pm School Assembly
• Friday 12th September - Polding Athletics Carnival

Week 8, Term 3, 2025

• Monday 1st September - Chris Hudson Parent Workshop
• Tuesday 2nd September - Netball Gala Day
• Friday 5th September - Father's Day afternoon 3-4:30pm
• Friday 5th September - Confirmation

Week 9, Term 3, 2025

• Monday 15th September- 2:15pm School Assembly
• Friday 19th September - Year 5 and 6 Gala Day

Week 10, Term 3, 2025

• Monday 22nd September - Rewards Day- Colour Fun Run
• Friday 26th September - Last Day of Term 3

Expect your child to be at school every day.

Every school day builds upon the previous one, making it essential for students to attend regularly.

Regular attendance is crucial as it fosters resilience and enables students to form vital social connections.  Please be mindful that if your child is late to school or leaves early, this will be marked as a partial absence and this partial absence accumulates towards their overall percentage. 

During the week, we will send letters home to families where students have fallen below 90% in their attendance. We acknowledge that there may be many reasons for absences and you may have already provided information to the school about why your child has been away. However, this communication is to ensure all parents are aware that their child’s attendance is currently at or under 90%. 

Please come and see me to discuss any questions or concerns that you may have regarding attendance. Working together and supporting each other is crucial in helping our children grow and flourish at St Anthony's.

MISSION NEWS

Good Ship Hope

Our Catholic Church is in the middle of our Jubilee Year of Hope. A Jubilee Year is celebrated by the Church every 25 years and in 2024 Pope Francis wrote a letter to every faith filled person, calling us to live lives of hope.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines hope as follows, “The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every person; it takes up the hopes that inspire our activities and purifies us so as to order us to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps people from discouragement; it sustains us during times of abandonment…(CCC, 1818).

In his letter Pope Francis stated “...The Apostle Paul encourages us to “rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer” (Rom 12:12). Surely we need to “abound in hope” (cf. Rom 15:13), so that we may bear credible and attractive witness to the faith and love that dwell in our hearts; that our faith may be joyful and our charity enthusiastic; and that each of us may be able to offer a smile, a small gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed, in the knowledge that, in the Spirit of Jesus, these can become, for those who receive them, rich seeds of hope.”

A ‘Hope Boat’ is arriving in St Anthony’s Parish in the week of September 02- 07. This boat was made by students at Newman Senior Technical College in Port Macquarie and is visiting every Parish in the Diocese of Lismore this year. During our time with the boat, we are hoping to collect offerings of hope- prayers, gift cards and donations to St Vincent de Paul and other local charities. Please see the attached flyer for further details.

The Bishop of Lismore will be presiding at the Sunday 9am Mass on September 07 at St Anthony’s Kingscliff. We would love as many families as we can to come and share the celebrations. All are welcome, all belong.

Confirmation Retreat

Last Friday the Year 3 class had a day of faith, fun and friendship at the Confirmation Retreat. The students went deep with learning about the Holy Spirit, the events at Pentecost and the challenge and choice we face everyday to use the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Between pottery, painting, pizza feasts and flaming headbands, a great day was had by all!

A number of students will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the next fortnight on Friday September 05 at 6pm at St Anthony’s Church. Our prayers go with these students as they continue to prepare to receive this special sacrament.

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Parent Workshop

On Monday September 01 we will be running a parent workshop ‘Starting Early: Making Adolescence Easier’ facilitated by Chris Hudson and supported by the Diocesan Parent Assembly. 

The workshop starts after school at 3:30pm and we will provide afternoon tea and a creche if you need your children cared for so you can attend.

Please register via the QR code on the flyer or register via the School Office- 6674 1368.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

Celebrating Reading – Book Week and Book Fair

This week our school joyfully celebrated Book Week and the Book Fair, highlighting the joy and importance of reading in our students’ lives.

Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 enjoyed a special excursion to Kingscliff Library, where they took part in a guided tour and craft activity inspired by Anna McGregor’s book Spiro. The children loved making their own spider creations, joining in a scavenger hunt to explore different parts of the library, and many were thrilled to receive their very first library card. For many students, this was an exciting step into the world of borrowing books and becoming lifelong readers.

Back at school, the Book Fair was a great success, with families and students browsing shelves filled with exciting titles. The buzz around the fair reminded us how powerful it is when children discover books they are eager to read.

Research shows that reading for pleasure is one of the strongest predictors of academic success. It not only builds vocabulary and strengthens comprehension but also supports emotional growth, empathy, and wellbeing. Children who read regularly develop stronger concentration and thinking skills, and those who see reading as enjoyable are more likely to succeed across all areas of learning.

Parents can nurture this at home by reading with their child for just 10–15 minutes each day, talking about stories together, and modelling a love of reading themselves. The Ohio State University’s study ‘million word gap’ showed that students starting Kindergarten who are read to daily have heard 1.4 million more words than students who were never read to.

Our hope is that Book Week and the Book Fair have sparked even more excitement for reading, and that students will continue their journey with books—at school, at home, and now in the wider community through Kingscliff Library.

FLYING START

Week 4 and 5 have been a very busy couple of weeks.  We spent last week celebrating Science week and boy did we have some fun.  Our favourites were definitely the coke and mentos explosion as well as the fizzing colours using bi carb soda and coloured vinegar.  Watching the reaction of these two drew lots of oooos and arrrs.  Each and every day we took the opportunity to explore, experiment and learn all about science.  On Thursday we enjoyed visiting the science fair at the school where we were very impressed with the level of everything science.

This week is Book week and we began the week by joining in with the school for a parade.  We dressed up as the book “The Magic Hat” where we used recycled items to make hats as well as sticks that we found in the playground for our wands.  The rest of the week was enjoyed by reading a variety of books where so many of our pre-schoolers purchased new books from the book week stall.  You can never have enough books!!

We can’t wait to see what learning we have coming up over the next two weeks.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Community Bank Tugun Scholarship Program

We are pleased to advise that the 2026 Scholarship program is available to Year 6 students entering year 7 in 2026.  The scholarship program is designed to assist families who are especially faced with social challenges, with the costs of transitioning to high school.  The program will provide 2 students from across southeast Queensland and Northern NSW primary schools with a scholarship of $1,000 each. The scholarship's criteria includes demonstrating academic achievement, community involvement, leadership roles and the financial and/or social challenges being experienced. Applications are now open and will close on 6th October 2025. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by 31 October 2025.  The application link is below.
2026 Community Bank Tugun Secondary School Scholarship Program (CEF)(S) - Community Bank Tugun

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 

ST ANTHONY'S PARISH TRADES & SERVICES DIRECTORY.
The parish is putting together the St Anthony's Parish Trades & Services Directory—a free resource to help connect parish and school families with local professionals and businesses from within our own community. While the parish is not able to formally endorse the quality of the work of services listed, we trust that those who are part of our parish and school communities who are listed in the Directory will uphold shared Catholic Values and conduct their work with integrity and respect.

Whether you're a tradesperson, run a small business, or offer professional services, this is a great opportunity to let others in the parish and school communities know what you do. It also serves as a helpful resource for those looking to connect with local services they can trust.

Forms will be available at the back of both churches or use this QR code to access the Pastoral Council page on the parish website with a link to a google form. Simply fill in your name, business or service, contact information, and a short description of what you offer. We hope this directory becomes a valuable go-to for our community and helps strengthen the sense of connection and support we share.