Term Two Week Six 2024
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,
Recently we celebrated the great feast of Pentecost. The Church celebrates Pentecost (so called because it is fifty days after Easter), as the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, gathered in an upper room with Mary, mother of Jesus, "as a mighty, rushing wind", fulfilling Jesus' promise when he "breathed on them", as recorded in John's Gospel (Chapter 20). This event, which marks the beginning of the Church, is recorded in the book of Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2. The liturgical colour for Pentecost is red, a reminder of the flames that "rested on them". Another symbol for the Holy Spirit is the Dove, usually emitting golden rays of light. The Holy Spirit gave the apostles gifts of grace through which they would undertake the evangelical mission of the Church. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles were given the miraculous "gift of tongues", so that everyone from every country understood the Christians’ inspired message of salvation as if they were hearing it in their own languages. Thousands were converted by the preaching of Peter and the other apostles.
The Solemnity of Pentecost ends the Easter Season. For centuries, the Sundays of the Catholic Church year between Pentecost and Advent were numbered as "after Pentecost". Since the Second Vatican Council, this period is called "Ordinary Time" (the first period of Ordinary Time is that between the Epiphany and Lent). Three Solemnities are celebrated in the weeks immediately following Pentecost: Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi (The Body and Blood of Christ) and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As parents, you have given life to your children and are their principal educators. It is in the family group that Christian values are first instilled and Christian attitudes formed. As you took your children to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, it is your role to walk with them as they continue their initiation into the Church through the reception of the Sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation and Eucharist. On Wednesday 27th June our Year 3 students and students from other grades will receive the sacrament of Confirmation. In this Sacrament, the Holy Spirit calls, helps and co-operates with us in our efforts to become witnesses to Christ in our family, school, workplace and community. It is an effective sign of God’s presence and activity. It is a Sacrament of process, of change and growth. It is kept alive by the way a person, with the help of the Holy Spirit, tries to overcome negative forces in their lives. Please keep our students in your prayers as they prepare for Confirmation.
‘Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful
Kindle within us the fire of your love
Send forth your Spirit
And we shall be created (and even re-created)’
School Community Group Meeting
Our Next School Community Group Meeting will be on Tuesday evening 5.30-6.30pm. Everyone is welcome. Please register via the QR code sent out on Compass.
School Reports and Interviews
School Reports will be emailed home on Friday of Week 9 and interviews with teachers will be held in Week 10. We will again be using the online booking format for Parent/Teacher interviews and more information will be sent home and a reminder on how to book these interviews electronically.
Tell Them From Me
The Tell Them from Survey has now closed. Thank you to the 130 parents and carers who filled out this survey. This will provide us with valuable information to inform our next Strategic Plan. We will provide feedback to parents when we have analysed the data.
Athletics Carnival
There is great excitement building in our school at the moment as students prepare for the Athletics Carnival next Friday, 14th June at Woodlawn. Everyone is welcome to join us as we watch our students compete in their events, have fun and celebrate house spirit.
Mother's Day Breakfast
Thank you to the hundreds of families who joined us for our Mother's Day breakfast a couple of weeks ago. We were blessed with a fine morning and it was a great opportunity for our families to come together and celebrate this special occasion.
Term Two School Fees
Term 2 School Fees are now due. It would be appreciated if these fees could be finalised before the end of the term. We thank our families for your continued support.
Late Arrival/Early Departure
Students arriving after the school bell has rung must be brought to the Office by their parent/carer upon arrival so that their attendance can be recorded accurately. You must also come to the School Office if you are collecting students early. Staff will call students to the Office for collection.
Understanding the K-6 Student Report
Please see the pdf below for an outline of the changes that have been made to the Student Report for this year. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the school.
Family Reading Afternoons
May was 'Get Caught Reading Month' and we were lucky to have parents and carers visit our Kindergarten, Year One and Year Two students for a family reading afternoon. Thank you to all of our reading helpers. Students had a great afternoon sitting in the sunshine, enjoying stories being read to them.
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)
Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).
Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:
- year of schooling
- category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
- level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.
This information assists schools to:
- formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
- consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
- develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.
The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.
The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).
Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).
St Carthage's Reading Challenge
As a school, our running total is 36,535 minutes. Our goal is to read 750,000 minutes by the end of the year. Congratulations to all of those students who have been reading and logging this via the QR code (found on the flyer). Remember - only log your minutes AFTER reading a total of 5 night.
Congratulations to our recent winners from our Reading Challenge. These students were selected from a random generator after registering their reading via the QR code (found on flyer).
Week 4 |
Week 6 |
| Archie Palmer | Emily McLean |
| Elliot Jensen | Marlee Allen |
| Marcus Hunter | Hamish Hughes |
| Ollie Carney | Tom Rose |
Congratulations to the following classes who recorded the highest number of minutes for their stage.
| K Gold |
| 2 Red |
| 4 Red |
| 5 Red |
AFL Gala Day
A huge shout out to our incredible Year 5 and 6 AFL teams for an unforgettable Gala Day in Byron Bay on Friday, 31st May! Your outstanding sportsmanship and dedication on the field truly captured our St C’s spirit, making us all very proud.
A massive thank you to Mr. Bullpitt, Miss Mac, Mrs. Sudiro, and Mr. Tickle for your unwavering support, training, and guidance. Your hard work and commitment played a pivotal role in our teams' success.
Congratulations to everyone involved for a fantastic day filled with enthusiasm and teamwork! Go St C’s!
Lismore Diocesan Cross Country
The Lismore Diocesan Cross Country took place on Tuesday 21st May in Grafton. The track at McAuley Catholic College was different to what our students are use to. The hills and wet conditions made it a difficult course. Congratulations to the following students who represented our school and the Richmond Zone:
- Ebony Andrews - 11yrs Girls - 21st
- Zander Annetts - 10yrs Boys - 20th
- Hamigh Hughes - 9yrs Boys - 26th
- Luca Lombardo - 12/13yrs Girls
- Veiko Lovell - 12/13yrs Boys - 8th
- Archie Sauer - 12/13yrs Boys - 4th
- Daisy Smith - 9yrs Girls - 14th
- Kyan Smith - 12/13yrs Boys - 19th
NSWCPS Cross Country
On Wednesday 5th June, Veiko Lovell and Arhcie Sauer travelled to Sydney to participate in the Polding Cross Country. They competed against students from all Catholic schools, north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The competition was extremely high. Both boys should be extremely proud of the determination and effort that they displayed throughout the 3km race. Archie finished 23rd in a time of 12mins 50secs. Veiko finished 35th in a time of 13mins 22secs.
Congratulations on your outstanding efforts in cross country this year!
Lismore Diocesan Rugby Union Trials
On Friday, 17th May, Oliver Collings, Lachlan Elphick, Reggie Field, and Archie Sauer participated in the Lismore Diocesan Rugby Union Trials, showcasing exceptional skill and determination. The Richmond Zone team proved to be extremely strong, winning all their games with remarkable teamwork and effort. All four boys played pivotal roles in the success of the Richmond Zone team on the day.
A special congratulations to Reggie Field and Lachlan Elphick for being selected to attend the Polding Rugby Union Trials in Forbes later this term. Your hard work and dedication have truly paid off, and we wish you the best of luck in the upcoming trials! Go St C’s!
NSW PSSA Hockey Carnival
Congratulations to Year 6 student Priya Vantaggiato for her outstanding performance at the week-long NSW PSSA Hockey Carnival in Newcastle from Monday, 27th May to Friday, 31st May. This prestigious representative carnival features the most talented hockey players from Catholic, Public, and Independent schools across the state.
Priya, representing Polding, played exceptionally well throughout the carnival. The Polding team was extremely strong and finished as joint premiers, a testament to their skill and teamwork. Priya was thrilled to participate in the carnival and was proud of her team and their achievements.
We are incredibly proud of Priya's achievements. Well done, Priya!
St Carthage's Athletics Carnival
The St Carthage's Athletics Carnival will be held next Friday at St John's College Woodlawn. Please refer to the important information/reminders below:
- A canteen will be run by the staff and students at St John's College Woodlawn. All money raised on the day goes to support our Marist solidarity project school ‘La Valla’ in Cambodia. This school supports the education of children who are poor and marginalised. Please refer to the attached menu.
- Attached is a timetable for the day. Times are provided as a guide only.
- If your child is leaving the carnival early, it is essential that they see their classroom teacher. If they are unable to access their teacher because they are running a specific job (marshalling, timekeeping etc.), please see another teacher on their grade.
- Parking is available on the ovals at St John's College Woodlawn. Please follow signage and only park on the oval. To ensure the safety of both Woodlawn and St Carthage's students, we would like to minimise the traffic around the school.
- Students are to wear their colour house uniform or appropriate colour house clothing. It is important that all students wear their St Carthage's hat. Children may wear spikes to compete in the 100m and 200m only. Spikes must be carried to the start line and removed at the conclusion of the event.
Please refer to the Compass event for further information.
Upcoming Dates
| Monday 10th June | King's Birthday Public Holiday |
| Wednesday 12th June | Rugby Union Gala Day (selected students) - Coffs Harbour |
| Friday 14th June | Athletics Carnival |
| Friday 21st June | Year Six Group Photo |
| Thursday 27th June | Sacrament of Confirmation - Cathedral |
| Friday 28th June | Semester One Student Reports |
| Monday 1st - Thursday 4th July | Parent/Teacher Interviews |
| Friday 5th July | Last day of Term Two |
| Monday 22nd July | Staff Professional Learning Day - No school for students |
| Tuesday 23rd July | First day of Term Three for students |