Aboriginal Acknowledgement

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 Families, 

Well, we made it! We have come to the end of a very busy and productive term. Whilst we know there are still many families facing challenges as a result of the floods we hope that having children return to school throughout this term has helped to bring back a little bit of normal into your lives.

I trust that you were all pleased with your child/childrens’ reports which were sent home last week. These reports are based on the NESA syllabus outcomes. We are mindful of maintaining the dignity of the child, whilst providing parents with honest information about their child’s development and achievements in these reports. These reports are the culmination of only one semester’s work and therefore should be read in light of that. Thank you to the many parents who have taken the opportunity to come along this week to an interview with teachers – this is a great way to discuss progress and set goals for the remainder of the year.

There are still two terms to complete the required outcomes for each year level and everyone has the opportunity to reflect on this semester’s report and make the necessary adjustments to ensure that progress continues to improve, in preparation for the final report at the end of Term Four.

Unfortunately, we have not been able to get all students back into their classrooms this term, however, this should be happening early next term. I thank our students, teachers and parents and carers for your patience and support during this period. On the positive side, we have all our playground spaces back in use.

I would like to thank everyone who has supported our school throughout Term 2. We have been able to participate in our school Athletics Carnival which was a great opportunity for our school community to again gather and enjoy the company of others and watch our students participate so positively throughout the day. We thank Parent Assembly for organising our 2 Family Nights that were very well supported by our families. 

Special thanks to the children who are the life and spirit of our school - their interest, enthusiasm, co-operation and happy manner, make this school a welcoming place in which to be each day. Special thanks to staff for their co-operation and support, which ensures everything runs smoothly, and who give their best at all times. Finally, to our parents and carers who daily trust your children to our care and who continually support in so many ways – we say thank you.

Unfortunately, we have not been able to get all students back into their classrooms, however, this should be happening early next term. I thank our students, teachers and parents and carers for your patience and support during this period. On the positive side, we have all our playground spaces back in use.

I wish our students and families a very relaxing and safe holiday and we look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday, 19th July.

Professional Learning Day Reminder

Thank you for your support of our Professional Learning Day today. Our staff were involved in learning more about the new K-2 Mathematics syllabus and we reviewed our current practices in Mathematics. 

Monday 18th July will also be a Professional Learning Day which will be focussed on the Google suite. This will be led by a trained Google educator.

There will be NO school for students on this day. Active Kids will be available for care. Bookings are essential.

Long Service Leave

We have two of our long standing staff members on leave for the remainder of the year. Mrs Dorelle Gall who has been a Teacher's Assistant at St Carthage's for nearly 20 years and Mrs Laraine Barratt who has been our Canteen Supervisor for 37 years are taking some well earned leave to spend time with family and pursue other activities. Dorelle has already begun her leave and Laraine will begin hers next term.

We hope that both Dorelle and Laraine enjoy this time and we look forward to hearing about their adventures. I know that you join with me in wishing them a safe and happy break.

Family Night

Thank you to Jo Kelly from Parent Assembly for organising our second Family Night last week. It was another great night filled with fun, good food and social and information sharing.

Please see below some photos from our second night. More to follow next term.

Mosaic Tiles

In response to the floods, people from around Australia were invited to make a mosaic tile that will be given away throughout July. Please see the attached flyer at the back of the Newsletter to go into the draw to receive a tile.

We received this special tile made from an ex-student of St Carthage's. She sent the tile with the following message;

Made with love from Christine.   

I hope this little token shows how much the people of Lismore are in our thoughts. Although I now live in Western Australia, I went to school at St Carthage's and St Mary's, lived in Lismore til my early 20's and still have family and friends there. It was devastating to see the destruction of these floods. Please enjoy and take care.

What is our mission?

I attended an inservice last week where we focussed on identifying the MISSION of St Carthage's school.

My thoughts are that our MISSION same mission Jesus had - to make the Kingdom (love) of God a reality for all people. Jesus' mission therefore becomes our mission.

How do we do that? There was a lot of discussion about how important it was to do 'OUTREACH' to those on the fringes of society, those in need, the poor and disadvantaged.

While we do this through our efforts in supporting Caritas and Project Compassion, we also need to focus on 'IN-REACH' in our day to day interactions.

'IN-REACH' occurs every day as teachers accompany students on their journey as they learn, play and socialise with others. 

Every day it is our MISSION to 'IN-REACH' with our students to make the Kingdom (love) of God a reality for all people!

To help 'IN-REACH' at St Carthage's we are starting to name the process of 

Looking at everyday issues ...

SEE - Understanding what is happening and why it is happening...then

JUDGE - Discerning the actions needed (using the teachings of Jesus) and ACTING where possible to 'right a wrong'

Teachers are starting to discuss with students this process and what it actually 'looks like' in their everyday life.

You can support at home by talking about seeing the injustices they identify, thinking about the parables Jesus told us and identifying what they might be able to do to 'right a wrong'.

Teaching Religious Education - Start from what we know and what we need to know!

'Very successful' describes the Year 6 Religious Education Expo Stalls and Displays held this week. A HUGE effort by the students to put on a diverse teaching-display for Year 5 students covering a range of teachings from Catholic Social Justice (gender equality, racism, child labour, poverty etc). The students had a clear focus upon these important issues in terms of Service, Witness and Mission.

In Year 5 and 6 we begin our teaching with what the students know about a topic and, knowing what we need them to know, we send them on a journey of inquiry. The proof is in the pudding and it was plain to see that the students obviously researched their topics well. They were able to tell me that we look to the teachings of Jesus for wisdom and guidance when we are presented with issues of such importance.

This form of Inquiry learning can only happen when teachers have a collaborative focus so a very big thank you to the Year 6 teachers who initiated the Religious Education Unit and continued to guide the students in owning their learning. This was the second EXPO - now an annual event on our school calendar!

Prayer Boxes going home for families of students in Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2

Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 classes have been gifted a Prayer Box by our wonderful Parent Assembly!

The students will bring these home to families for family prayer. You can use any of the contents in the box to help your family pray. There is no particular formula you need to use. Your children might like to place some of the contents on the family dinner table and say a simple Grace before Dinner one night!

We do ask that you take a page or two of the book in the Box to draw and colour a simple message from your family to your child's class. Use your imagination! As the book is passed to families we will have a wonderful praying book to use in our classrooms!

Is your child preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation later this year?

Enrolment Forms will be issued early Term 3 to all students in Year 3 and will also be available in the School Office. An Enrolment Form will also be sent out digitally on Compass and Classdojo.

A copy of their Baptismal Certificate needs to be provided unless Baptised in the Cathedral Parish or one was provided during the school enrolment process. If you do not have this, please contact the Parish where your child was baptised to obtain one as soon as possible.

Each Candidate (student being Confirmed) needs a Sponsor (a practicing Catholic over 18 years of age) to accompany them on the evening of their Confirmation. If unable to attend a parent/carer can stand in for them during the Confirmation ceremony.

The Parish needs both parents to authorise the reception of Sacraments. If only one parent has signed the enrolment form and there are Court Orders in place a copy of any Court Orders concerning residential arrangements for the Candidate, time spent by the Candidate with either parent and any parenting issues must be supplied with the Enrolment Form.

Zooming about Water!

A few weeks ago I received a request from teachers of Year 2 students at St Margaret's in Meribyrnong, Melbourne studying a Unit on Water. They wondered if our Yr 2 students would be keen on zooming with their children so they could ask about our experience with water!

I passed this to the Year 2 teachers and our students were able to join in a zoom session with their students and both groups were able to ask a range of questions of each other. Our students were beautifully prepared and quite confident in their interactions and we have the Yr 2 teachers and especially Miss Overell (our 'Moderator') to thank for that!

Thank you to Miss Overell and the Yr 2 teachers who decided to provide our students with a unique learning experience! 

A very special day at SCU to celebrate NAIDOC week.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday and NAIDOC Week

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year, to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

NAIDOC week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest continuous living cultures on earth.

To find out what events are being held in our community follow the link below
https://www.naidoc.org.au/local-events/local-naidoc-week-events

Our school will be celebrating NAIDOC Week in early August and we have many things planned so stay tuned.

Mr Condie

Year Two - Book Reviews!

In Term 2, students have been learning about how personal experiences and interests can shape their opinions about texts and the world.

Throughout the term, students have been reading and viewing a variety of picture books. Students were then asked to choose a book they enjoyed and write a book review to encourage Kindergarten students to read. These reviews were displayed as part of a Book Review Fair.

Jan's Bucket Club