Week 6 Term 3 2020
Aboriginal Acknowledgement
As we come to gather we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We commit ourselves to actively working alongside Aboriginal people for reconciliation and justice.
Dear Parents,
I would like to start this week's Newsletter by again saying a big THANK YOU to our parents and carers. Your support and acceptance of our new procedures has been overwhelmingly positive and it is great to see everyone adhering to these to keep everyone safe.
I acknowledge that this year has been difficult and made even more difficult by not being able to welcome our families into our school. This goes against everything that we believe in as a welcoming Catholic school as, at St Carthage's, we value and recognise the huge contribution that our families make to our school in so many different ways. We hope that, in the not too distant future, we will be able to reconnect on a more personal level with our school families. However, in the short term, our main focus must continue to be the health and wellbeing of our school community.
Our students continue to take the current situation in their stride; continuing to work at achieving their learning goals, remaining focussed and upholding the high expectations that are set for them each day.
Welcome Back Oscar!
This week we welcomed Oscar Gordon back to our school community and KCB. Oscar has been stranded in Thailand since the Covid-19 travel restrictions began. Our thoughts and prayers have been with Oscar and his family and we are very pleased to have him back. KCB students were very excited to see Oscar return on Monday.
Father's Day
I hope you enjoy the following reflection:
A FATHER’S REFLECTION
I can tell you about lofty goals, but I cannot achieve them for you.
I can teach you about kindness, but I cannot force you to be gracious.
I can warn you about sins, but I cannot make you moral.
I can teach you the facts of life, but I cannot build your reputation.
I can tell you about drink, but I cannot say no for you.
I can warn you about drugs, but I cannot prevent you from using them.
I can love you as a child, but I cannot place you in God’s family.
I can pray for you, but I cannot make you walk with God.
I can teach you about Jesus, but I cannot make Jesus your Lord.
I can tell you how to live, but I cannot give you eternal life.
I can love you unconditionally all of my life...and I will!
Happy Fathers’ Day to all dads, step dads, granddads and father figures for Sunday. Have a wonderful family day!
Father’s Day Stall
Our Fathers’ Day Stall will be held on Thursday, 3rd September. Our gifts will again be supplied by the Carmelite Sisters. Gifts will be $3.00 per gift.
Parent/Teacher Interviews
Thank you to the many families who booked Zoom or phone interviews with your child/children's teachers. I have received quite a lot of feedback from both parents and staff, and on the whole the experience for all was very positive. I know that teachers were very appreciative of the opportunity to reconnect with parents to discuss student learning and parents were equally as enthusiastic to have these conversations concerning their children. We know that these interviews cannot take the place of a face to face meeting but we felt that they were important and were a positive comprise under the current conditions.
Poetry and Public Speaking
We are going ahead with our Poetry and Public Speaking competition this year, with some minor changes. Each grade will run their own competition, rather than Stage based as we have done previously, with the rest of the grade as their audience. Teachers will decide on the grade winners and a prize awarded to each winner. Due to the current situation the Inter-School Poetry Public Speaking Competition will not be taking place this year.
This revised format will still allow our students to participate and gain experience in this important skill of oral presentations.
Unfortunately, we will not be able to have parents at this event this year.
Book Week Parade
Grandparent's Day
We have postponed our Grandparent's Day for this term. We will wait and see whether it will be a possibility for next term.
Lismore Race Day Gazetted Holiday - Thursday 24th September
School will operate as normal on Lismore Race Day. However, be aware that there will be NO CANTEEN due to this holiday. Please ensure that your child has sufficient food for the day. Buses will operate as normal on the Race Day Thursday. Thank you for your support in this matter.
Professional Development Day
Just a reminder that we have a Professional Development Day (PUPIL FREE DAY) on Friday, 25th September and the first day back at school next term, 12th October. Active Kids will be operating on these days if you wish to take advantage of this service. Go to the Active Kids tab on our School Website for information on how to enrol and make a booking. We thank you for supporting us in our Professional Development opportunities.
Covid-19 Updates
We will continue to implement our health and safety procedures, physical distancing and personal hygiene protocols to protect the health and safety of students and staff.
New guideline protocols;
- Schools are now required to develop a school Covid-19 Safety Plan
- NSW Health have requested that anyone who is unwell or has even mild flu-like symptoms, to arrange to be tested through their local medical practitioner or one of the COVID-19 clinics. Students and staff with flu like symptoms will need to provide a copy of a negative COVID19 test result before being permitted to return to school.
- No cross stage/grade learning activities can occur.
- No assemblies, choir, or Masses.
- Staff and students must stay at home if they are unwell. You should get tested as soon as possible and remain at home until a negative result is received.
- Non-essential external visitors are not able to be in schools. This includes music tutors. Therefore Mr Earl will not be able to teach his music groups at the moment.
- Therapists who work with students to access the curriculum are allowed in schools.
- Please continue to use email, Class Dojo or a phone call to the office to contact your child’s class teacher.
The school office remains open for parents for late drop offs and early pick ups. I encourage all parents to phone the office on 6621 5529 for non-urgent/essential issues.
In accordance with advice from NSW Health, parents and carers are reminded NOT to send children to school if they are unwell, even if they have the mildest flu-like symptoms. Schools will make arrangements for students who present as unwell or have flu like symptoms to be sent home.
I thank you again for assisting us in implementing these new protocols.
School Uniform
Thank you to our parents for ensuring your children are dressed in accordance with our school uniform. At St Carthage's, we encourage our students to take pride when wearing our school uniform and part of this responsibility is ensuring that they are wearing the correct uniform. We have noticed that some students are not wearing correct school uniform, including shoes. Other students are starting to follow this trend. We ask parents to please ensure your children are wearing the correct uniform; including jumpers, hats, socks and shoes. If your child is out of school uniform, they should have a note from home explaining the change.
Online Gaming
During the sessions with Kirra Pendergast we learned that a number of our students are playing online games. Below is some information for parents regarding online gaming. There are some real safety issues with online games as you never know how old the person you are playing against actually is. Please take the time to read some of the information provided by Kirra Pendergast.
Encouraging students to move from their Heads to their Hearts to their Hands...
Giving students a Voice in Religious Education
It's important students have a say in their learning in Religious Education. We cannot rely upon simply handing on information to students - we aim to allow students time to to think and reflect about their learning, relate it to their own experiences so to hopefully gain meaning for their lives.
To assist with this some classes commence their learning with two valuable questions: "What do we already know? and "What do we want or need to know?" and then explore that topic on 3 Levels - understanding key facts, concepts and skills (Surface Level), how to relate those facts and skills within a life faithful to the teachings of Jesus (Deep Level) and then how we might apply these related ideas to other situations (Transfer Level).
Our students have been exploring topics such as Creation and our role as stewards of the environment as well as exploring how Mary, the Mother of Jesus lived her life, where we can see these qualities in others and how we can use these principles for living a good and meaningful life.
Thank you to the Year 5 and 6 teachers who have been engaged enthusiastically in professional learning in this area!
Social Justice Sunday
The celebration of Social Justice Sunday is a long tradition in the Catholic Church in Australia and will be celebrated on 30th August. For almost every year since 1940, our bishops have joined together to issue a major social justice statement at this time. The 2020-2021 Statement, To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia, encourages each one of us to make mental health a priority.
You can access the Social Justice Statement at
https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/2020/07/03/social-justice-statement-2020-21/
You may wish to say this prayer for those who need support
Jesus, you invite us all into the fullness of life. May we support one another to flourish in body, mind and spirit. Strengthen our commitment to ensure that nobody falls through gaps in our systems of care. Help us to
recognise you in those who suffer mental ill-health today.
You drew near to those who were suffering in body or mind. May we too feel your nearness when we struggle with mental health challenges. May we be one as members of Your Body. You invite us to share in your ministry of love and true compassion.
May we be empowered by your Spirit to reach out to all people in need to build communities of welcome and inclusion. Amen
Christian Meditation
We believe that Christian meditation as a prayer practice promotes many good qualities contributing to positive wellbeing. #lismmeditates 2020 is an initiative of St Mary's College Casino and encourages all schools to this practice on Thursday 10 September 2020. We join many schools in this initiative as each class meditates once per day. Thank you to St Mary's College Casino for sharing this VIDEO, which acts as an entry event for #lismmeditates
JOLT – Jesus Over Lunch Time was held again last week with the help of Bianca McInnes (St John's Woodlawn Youth Ministry Officer) who visits our school on a regular basis. An important part of the JOLT experience are the use of fun games to draw out lessons the game may have for their lives!
Year 5 Learning
Thank you to the Year 5 teachers who recently shared their knowledge of the history of the Catholic Church in Lismore with the Year 5 students. The children were interested in the history of the Cathedral and the work of the first Bishop – Bishop Jeremiah Doyle who commissioned the Cathedral. The Cathedral was designed in 1892 by Herbert Wardell and modelled in gothic revival style.
Sound Waves
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Happy Birthday to all the Staff and Students that have a birthday at this time.
Isla Huet, Hamish Bailey, Kieran Dwyer, Jacob Laing, Elsie Lynch, Ella Collings, Kye Arandale, James Cittolin, Heidi Cormack, Jimi Matthews, Sassy Zorzo, Myles Hancock, Erin Williams, Connor Blainey, Asher Campbell, Jacob Mackney, Lyniese De Maria, Kristine MacDonald and Michelle Sudiro.
Upcoming Parent Assembly Webinars
St Carthage’s Cathedral Mass Times
Weekdays
Tuesday 8am
Wednesday 8am
Thursday 8am
Friday 12noon
Weekends
Saturday 5:30pm *
Sunday 9am *
Sunday 11am *
NO SUNDAY EVENING MASS
* Bookings for weekend Masses at the Cathedral should be made through the parish office on 66260200. Contact details will need to be recorded and on arrival at the church you will need to be checked in, sanitise your hands and observe social distancing.
The Bishop, realising that not all parishioners can be accommodated with the 50 person limit, has continued the dispensation from the Sunday obligation.
Cathedral - Confession Times - No Face to Face
Saturday 4.45pm – 5.15pm
Sunday 10.15am – 10.45pm
Carmelite Mass Times
Weekday Masses 7:00am **
Saturday Mass 8:00am **
NO SUNDAY MASS AT THE MONASTERY AS LIVE STREAMING WILL CONTINUE.
** As the Carmelite monastery can only have 20 Parishioners you must book for all Masses by ringing the Monastery on 66241240.