Dear Families,

We have been incredibly fortunate with the recent weather conditions, and we would like to take a moment to reflect on just how lucky we were during this time. The cyclone passed without causing significant damage to our school and community, and for that, we are truly grateful.

We want to extend our deepest appreciation to all staff members for their unwavering support and assistance in packing, preparing, and ensuring everything was safely secured during the adverse conditions and then the time and effort that was again put into unpacking and restoring things to normal. Their teamwork and dedication made a world of difference in keeping things organised and manageable.

A very big thank you also to O’Briens for providing a team of men and women to come in and assist us with the move and, in particular, the heavy lifting. They returned to help with unpacking and will be back on Friday to move furniture into our bottom infant’s classrooms. Their assistance at this time was invaluable.

A huge thank you also goes to our wonderful parents for your understanding and support throughout the school closures and disruptions. Your patience, flexibility and continued concern have been invaluable, and we appreciate the trust you’ve placed in us as we navigated these challenging times together.

Our thoughts have been with the wellbeing of all our students, staff and families and we sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are safe and well. If anyone is still in need of any support, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We are here for you.

It’s wonderful to be back to normal school operations, especially with our students back in the classroom and excited to continue their learning journey. The energy and enthusiasm of our learners is truly heart-warming, and it's been fantastic to see our school bustling with activity once again. We recognise the impact of recent events on everyone and appreciate your resilience throughout this challenging period.

We are looking forward to continuing our work together and supporting one another as a community.

Wishing you all continued safety and wellbeing, and as always, please let us know if you need any assistance.

Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent

Last week, we celebrated Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Our students participated in prayer services in their classrooms and received ashes on their foreheads. Ash Wednesday is the start of the season of Lent. Lent signifies the beginning of our faith journey toward Easter and new life.

The word Lent comes from the Old English word ‘lencten’, meaning spring - the time of new life in the northern hemisphere. To move toward ‘new life,' fasting and prayer are practised in Lent as remembrance and reflection of our Lord’s fasting in the wilderness.

During this time, we often talk about what we are going to refrain from. We also discern what we are going to give. Pope Francis has previously told us almsgiving - donating money, goods or time to the poor - ‘sets us free from greed and helps us to regard our neighbour as a brother or sister. What I possess is never mine alone.'

Pope Francis not only underlines giving in Lent, but he warns against our culture that takes, uses or discards: ‘How many of God’s children are mesmerised by momentary pleasures, mistaking them for true happiness! How many men and women are entranced by the dream of wealth, which only makes them slaves to profit and petty interests! How many go through life believing that they are sufficient unto themselves, and end up entrapped by loneliness! How many young people are taken in by the panacea of drugs, of disposable relationships, of easy but dishonest gains! How many more are ensnared in a thoroughly digital existence, in which relationships appear quick and straightforward, only to prove meaningless!’

So this Lent, in fasting and giving, let us also think about what it is to take; what it is to discard others; what it is to deny the ‘least of our brothers and sisters.'

New Date - Welcome BBQ and Disco

Unfortunately we were unable to hold our Welcome Barbeque and Disco last week due to the weather. The new date is Thursday evening, 3rd April from 5.00pm - 6.30pm. This is an opportunity for us to come together as a school community to celebrate our first term. 

We will now need to collect numbers again for catering purposes. Please see Compass for more details in the next few days.

School Photos

Our School photos will be taken on Tuesday 18th and Friday 21st March. School Photo envelopes have been sent home with the students. Please return these envelopes, with the correct payment enclosed, on the day of the photos, as
these will be handed straight to the photographers. We do not handle photo money. Sibling envelopes will be available from the School Office. Please ensure that students are in their correct school uniform on these days.

Parent/Teacher Interviews

We look forward to welcoming our parents and carers next week (17th - 20th March) to meet with teachers. Working together in partnership helps to clarify goals for your children, inform about areas of strength and areas to work on as well as clarify any issues or concerns which we may not be aware of. 

Please check Compass to book an interview.

School Community Group Meeting - Tuesday 25th March

We will be having our  School Community Group Meeting on Tuesday evening, 25th March, at 5.30pm. 

A flyer has been sent home via Compass for your information. 

Anzac Day - Advance Notice

We have received notification from the RSL Lismore Sub-branch that the Anzac Day March will again go ahead on Friday 25th April. This date is in the school holidays. We invite all students to join us for the March. We value our students making the effort to join us on this day and appreciate the effort from our families in allowing this to occur. 

Further information will follow as the date gets closer.

Sharing of Food

Students have been reminded about not sharing food, or buying things at the canteen for their friends or indeed giving money to others to spend at the canteen. We have a number of students with food allergies and the sharing of food can present significant health risks. Please reinforce these messages with your children.

Late Arrival and Early Departure

• Students arriving after the school bell has rung must be brought to the Office by their parent/carer upon arrival.
• Parents/carers collecting students early must come to the School Office. Staff will call students to the Office for collection. 

Please Note: We are unable to allow children to go with another parent/adult unless we have permission (preferably written). If unknown to Office Staff, parents/adults calling to collect children will be asked for photographic I.D. This is not meant to offend and is only in the interest of your child/ren’s safety.

Notification of Student Absences

Parents of students marked as Absent (unexplained) will receive an SMS notification asking you to advise the reason for your child’s absence by return SMS. As SMS messages are now considered legitimate forms of communication, a follow-up phone call or note is not required. However, if you are unable to respond to the SMS then the school does require some form of communication via a phone call or email to explain absences.You can also enter your child's absence prior to getting the SMS notification using the Compass App. 

It is both a legal requirement and a safety issue that all visitors report to the Office and sign in and out of the school. This is necessary in the unlikely event of a fire, evacuation, lockdown etc. but more importantly for the safety of the students in our care. If you are staying at the school, you will also be issued with a visitor’s badge.

Infant's Play Equipment After School

Our Infants’ play equipment is designed for use by our younger students under teacher supervision during the school day at the following times: before school from 8:30am to 8:55am, morning tea and lunch. It is not to be used by students from Years 3 to 6 at any time. Students catching buses, walking to Cathedral pick-up or waiting for parents are NOT to be on the equipment as they are not being supervised. Students must be supervised by their parents on the play equipment after school. We don’t wish to spoil fun, but safety is paramount, and teachers are spending a lot of time moving students away from this area to where they should be in the afternoon.

Child Protection and Complaints Handling Policies

The Child Protection and Complaints Handling Policies are available on our school website. Please use the link below to view these policies.

https://www.stcarthlism.catholic.edu.au/policies

School Attendance

Good attendance in primary school will be a skill that will help students succeed in high school.

It is a legal requirement and vitally important that students attend school every day and on time.

Good attendance in primary school is a fundamental building block for academic success and overall wellbeing, and it sets the stage for success in high school and beyond. Primary school is the foundational stage of a child's education. Regular attendance ensures that children build a solid understanding of fundamental concepts and skills that serve as the basis for more advanced learning in high school.

By recognising the long-term benefits and reinforcing the importance of regular school attendance in primary years, students are better equipped to succeed in high school and beyond. Attending school regularly instils a sense of responsibility and work ethic in students, and participating actively in class is essential to success.

Parish Mass Times

The times for weekday Masses in the Cathedral are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 8:00am, and Friday at 12:05pm.

Weekend Mass times are; Saturday Vigil – 5:30pm

                                     Sunday Morning – 9:00am

                                     Sunday Morning – 11.00am