We have come to the end of another extremely busy term. When I look back over the term it is hard to believe that we have achieved so much as a school community.

As this will be our last Newsletter for this term, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at St Carthage's. The students at St Carthage's are fortunate to have such dedicated teachers, who make a positive difference to all of our students everyday. Thank you to the many parents who continually support the school with your involvement in so many different ways and in so many different areas. We appreciate your generosity in assisting us, for without your help we could not achieve the positive outcomes and partnerships which are so important if a school is to run smoothly and efficiently.

I hope all our staff, students and families have a very enjoyable and restful break and I look forward to seeing all our students on Tuesday, 10th October.

Regional Poetry and Public Speaking Competition

Congratulations to our students who competed at the Richmond Region Poetry and Public Speaking Competition held at St Carthage's last week. All students performed well and should be proud of their achievements. Please see Mrs Matthews section of the Newsletter for further details.

Safety Around Our School - Before and After School

As we all get busy this time of year, a gentle reminder to please take care with drop off and pick up around school. These times of the day are particularly busy due to the volume of traffic and the number of students moving to and from the Bus Interchange. Please choose safe places to drop off and pick up children and model safe practices when crossing roads. 

School Hours and Supervision

We are concerned at the time in which some students are arriving at school in the mornings and the safety issues that this can cause. Supervision begins at 8:30am but we have had some students here as early as 7:45am. Under no circumstances should students be in classrooms or other areas of the school unsupervised. They are aware of our school procedures and rules that state when they arrive at school they are to sit in the undercover area outside the Canteen with their bags until 8:30am when teachers begin duty. 

There are options for parents who require care for their children before and after school, with our school being a venue for Active Kids Care. To find out more about Active Kids visit https://www.activekidsasc.com/ak-at-st-carthages

Donation

We thank Fuji Xerox Business Centre Northern Rivers for their $5000 donation to our school. We greatly appreciate their donation and thank them for their support of our school.

Professional Learning Day

Just a reminder that our next Professional Learning Day (PUPIL FREE DAY) is Monday, 9th October and will be our final Professional Learning Day for the year. 

Active Kids will be operating this day if you wish to take advantage of this service. Go to https://www.activekidsasc.com/ak-at-st-carthages for information on how to enrol and make a booking. We thank you for supporting us in our Professional Learning opportunities.

ICAS Results

Some reminders for Parents and Carers of students making their First Holy Communion

Organisation

• Mass date - 22 October - Cathedral - commencing at 5:30pm
  
• Please be at the Cathedral at least 15 minutes before Mass commences
• Dress Code - We suggest girls wear a white dress and boys wear dress pants and a long sleeve shirt. A general guide is how they would dress to attend a special occasion. White is the preferred colour for a dress as this colour is intended to recall the connection between the Holy Eucharist and Baptism where believers are bathed in the water of new birth. However, families are not expected to buy special outfits for the Sacrament. 

Procedure 

• Seating - Families will be allocated one reserved pew (with family name)
• There are sufficient seats inside the Cathedral to cater for all families. All families are allocated one reserved pew with seating for approximately 6/8 people. Other seating will also be available close by if needed.
• For planning purposes, could you please go to https://forms.gle/rDouwCxQP4KB6Bb57

        and complete the form to indicate the number of family members attending by  October 10.

• The Priest who is celebrating Mass will invite either the children individually or both the children and their families to come forward to receive the Blessed Eucharist.
• Photos - please approach quietly from the sides maintaining a respectful distance.
• After Mass consider celebrating as a family the importance of this occasion

Process

• Either the children individually or both the children and their families walk up the aisle in a reverent manner with hands together
• When they reach the final pew they stop and bow. A teacher will be close at hand if needed.
• Proceed forward to the priest with their preferred hand placed under the other hand ready to receive the Eucharist. We ask the children to ensure that their palm is slightly cupped and held high so the priest can place the Eucharist into their palm.
• The priest says “The Body of Christ”. The students respond “Amen”.
• Students then return to their seats using the OUTSIDE of the aisles to avoid congestion.

Preparation

• The children will be provided with an opportunity before the actual day of their First Communion to practice receiving Communion
• Bringing your child to Mass is a wonderful way to ensure they are familiar with the Sacrament - point out those receiving Communion
• The children will become familiar with many of the prayers said during the Mass but regular attendance at Mass is important. 

Accendre Year 4 Retreat - what a success!

Thank you to the Year 4 teachers, Megan Elliott (our Mission Assistant from Woodlawn College) and wonderful Woodlawn students who came together to run an engaging and meaningful Accendre Yr 4 Retreat!

Accendere means to: ‘switch on’, kindle to catch fire, light to strike, to produce/spark the flame. This is one of the Retreat experiences your child will experience as they progress through St Carthage's which provide an opportunity for a deeper relationship with our God. 

Migrant and Refugee Sunday

This Sunday is Migrant and refugee Sunday. The theme of Pope Francis’ Message for this year’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees is “Freedom to choose whether to migrate or stay”. Resources and more information can be found at https://bit.ly/ACMROKit2023

Caritas Australia’s Emergency Appeals - Morocco / Libya

Caritas Australia needs your support to respond to the devastating earthquake in Morocco and floods in Libya. Thousands of people have died and others have been injured. Communities need shelter, food, water and medical assistance. Please support Caritas Australia’s emergency appeals.

Donate at www.caritas.org.au

Important dates

• 22 October - Sacrament of Holy Communion - First Eucharist
• Friday, 13 October - National Rosary Day
• Sunday, 15 October - Saint Teresa of Avila Feast
• Tuesday, 17 October - Exuro Retreat
• Wednesday, 1 November - ALL SAINTS DAY
• Thursday, 2 November - All Souls' Day
• Saturday, 11 November - Remembrance Day
• Tuesday, 21 November - Presentation Sisters Foundation Day
• Sunday, 3 December - International Day of People With Disability

Year 3 News

Mrs Robb, Mrs Winkler, Mrs Kane & Mr Taylor

English in Term 3

In Writing, we are exploring the different types of sentences. We have been aiming to use a mix of sentence types that are structured and punctuated correctly.

Science in Term 3

Term Three's unit is called 'States of Matter'. We have been investigating how solids, gases, and liquids change state when heat is added or removed to materials. Some of the materials we tested included egg, butter, chocolate, and coconut oil. We had to place them in different places around the school for a period of time and observe what changes occurred. 

Poetry and Public Speaking

In Week 8 we held our school Poetry and Public Speaking Competition. Up to four students per grade were chosen to compete in a stage contest. Congratulations to the following students who were finalists in our school competition: 

Kindergarten: (Poetry) Martha Hogan, Otis Mills, Elki Fraser, Thomas O'Brien, James Challinor, Jack Hughes.

Stage 1: (Poetry) Allie Bradfield, Indie Dodds, Lucy Pereira, Alecia Marsh, Aria Pascoe, Evangeline Martin, Harvey Kelly

Stage 2: (Poetry) Henry Hogan, Abigail Challinor, Nashua Loadsman, Georgia Dodds, Mila Handy, Holly Ellem, Stella Jones

(Public Speaking) Caitlin Gapes, Hugh Quade, Isabella Mullington

Stage 3: (Poetry) Ella Collings, Eamon Bailey, Finn Martin, Myrtle Hills, Oliver Carney, Maia Garcia, Luca Lombardo, Matilda McDonell-Locke

(Public Speaking) Quinn Begley, Ella Collings, Sarah Robinson, Caitlyn Marsters, Penelope Gorman, Lexi Behan, Cole Ruane Taylor, Thomas Rose

Congratulations to our winners from Stages 1, 2 and 3 who represented St Carthage's in Week 9 at the Richmond Zone Competition. This year, we were lucky to host this event. Students from across seven local Catholic primary schools competed against each other in seven contests. Our students participated with great sportsmanship and enthusiasm. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase their talents. It was also a great opportunity for the remainder of our students to be part of the audience. 

 Zone Finalists:  Lucy Pereira, Alecia Marsh, Nashua Loadsman, Henry Hogan, Holly Ellem, Isabella Mullington, Caitlin Gapes, Finn Martin, Oliver Carney, Sarah Robinson, Caitlyn Marsters.

Zone Winners!!

Congratulations to the following students who were placed in the top three placings for the Richmond Zone Competition. This is an enormous effort as there was a high caliber of finalists.

Stage 1:

Poetry - Lucy Pereira (1st place), Alecia Marsh (3rd place)

Stage 2:

Poetry - Nashua Loadsman (1st place), Henry Hogan (3rd place) 

Public Speaking - Isabella Mullington (1st place), Caitlin Gapes (3rd place)

Stage 3:

Poetry - Finn Martin (2nd place)

Public Speaking - Sarah Robinson (3rd place)

NSW Schools Cup - Phase 2 Competition

The girls played well as a team all displaying moments of brilliance and enthusiasm. They won all of their 4 pool games convincingly and were ranked second for the finals. The girls won their semi-final against St. Mary's Grafton 14-2. The girls played some awesome netball throughout the day. Unfortunately, they were beaten in the grand final by Centura Public School who will now progress to the state final in Sydney.  A huge congratulations to the girls for reaching this level of competition and thank you to Mrs McRae for her hard work in preparing the girls.Thank you also to the parents and grandparents for their support on the day.

Results

St. C's v Casino Public- 21-5 Win

St. C's v Banora Point- 17-8 Win

St. C's v South Grafton- 22-1 Win

St.C's v Southern Cross- 14-4 Win

St. C's V St. Mary's Grafton 14-2 Win

St. C's v Centura PS 22-8 Loss

Diocesan Football and Netball Finals in Grafton

The new date has been set for the Diocesan Football and Netball Finals in Grafton. This date is Wednesday 25th October 2023 (Week 3). More information will be sent out to the families of the students attending in Week 1 of Term 4.

Year 6  Care for Our Common Home 

Last Thursday, 14th September Year 6 had an opportunity to be of service in our Religious Education Unit- Care For Our Common Home. In this unit the students have been asked by Pope Frances in his Encyclical Letter- Laudato Si- to be Stewards of Creation and to tend and care for “Our Common Home”. We acted upon this call and participated in a long standing program- The Wilson River Restoration Schools Program- that St Carthage’s Primary School has been involved in for the last 10 years. Many prior students have been involved in this program and have revisited the areas that they had planted out

Part of our day was to listen and learn about how we can care for our common home by doing simple everyday things to stop the pressure on our earth.

Some students were asked to write a few sentences about the activities we were involved in on our day.

Tree Planting

The tree planting made me open up my eyes to how beautiful Lismore native trees are. It made me realise how much cow biscuit (hay) one little plant needs to help support, tend and care for it to be able to grow. I can’t wait til the future to see “my little plant all grown into a big tree. (Tyler)

Today we went across the road and planted trees and participated in other activities too with The Wilson River Restoration Schools Program. My favourite part was planting  native trees. My friend and I worked together and planted 38 trees and in total Year 6 planted 500 native trees and grasses. (Eamon)

Rous Water- Water Catchment Trailer

On Thursday 14 of September all Year Six students of St Carthage's Primary School Lismore had a great time in participating in the “Wilsons River Restoration Schools Program.”

Alex from Rous Water came and showed us the Rous Water catchment design plan, and spoke to us how we can help reduce water pollution.The Rous design plan is an example of the town of Lismore and a brief of what happens. She told us that most people will wash their cars on their driveways meaning the water runs down and into the water drains. Therefore, the chemicals in the detergent run into the rivers and out into the ocean. Did you know that the car wash products sold in Australia are all purposely made so that they don’t kill the grass? So next time you wash your car wash it on the grass and save the water and marine life.

In the Australian Catholics Schools Spring 2023 edition, titled “Climate Change” spoke about St Bernadette’s Primary students in Melbourne who went to the local creek in Darebin (Yarra River)  and the students and the Rangers removed rubbish from the waterway. The students were proud to have cleaned out the creek. This all ties in perfectly with the Catholic Social Teachings and what Alex from Rous Water taught us. So clean up our waters and save the world. (Austin)

Dorroughby Field Center

I really enjoyed Thursday because we went to the oval and did lots of fun activities. We did clay, all of year 6 planted 500 trees in total, we learnt about koalas, we made necklaces and learnt about insects.  

One of the activities was led by Dorroughby Environmental Education Centre. I really enjoyed learning about the insects because we learnt lots of new things and saw lots of insects in resin. We also got to draw our own insects.

An insect has six legs coming from its thorax, a head, 2 antennae coming from the head and an abdomen. Insects don’t have to have a stinger and wings. A spider is not an insect because it has 8 legs so a spider is an arachnid. (Arlo)

Clay Work

Today we made clay objects. We loved this activity because we are one of many who love to do hands-on activities, so we are sure others enjoyed it too. We got to choose what we wanted to make and we think that really lets kids' creative minds flow and to have some fun. We sat down and listened to gentle music that helped us settle down. Abigail, our leader, also encouraged us to use all different tools and make fun designs on the clay. The people there were all so kind and made the experience ten times better. We are all so grateful that we got to do this amazing experience. (Akina)

Friends of The Koala

At the Friends of the Koalas station we learnt so much about how to tell if a koala is in the area, how to tell the gender or even where to call if a koala is injured and so much more! They even showed us some bark with koala claw marks on it. Overall the whole activity was so interesting and informative. (Darcy)

Environmental Craft

What I liked about the bush craft was that there was a variety of decorations to put on your necklace or wrist band. The instructor was very helpful and taught us different and interesting ideas, like finding out how to know if it is a gum tree or a rare tree that you have never seen before. Overall the activity was very fun. (Sam)

Jan's Bucket Club