Week 2 Term 3 2020
Dear Families,
I would like to welcome everyone back to Term 3 and I trust that the holidays, (they seem so long ago!), were a happy and restful time to recharge the batteries. We were certainly blessed with beautiful weather and also some very frosty winter mornings!
Covid 19 restrictions remain in place as per Term Two. I thank our parents who have so willingly adhered to these for the safety of our school community.
I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting some of our new families enrolling their child into Kindergarten next year. What a delight it is to see the smiles on the faces of the children as we talk about their transition to 'big school.' When I ask our new parents why they have chosen St Carthage's for their child they have unanimously said that they have heard great things about the school. All the advertising in the world can't make up for personal recommendations from someone who speaks positively about their experiences at our school!
Athletics Fun Day
On Friday we will be having our Athletics Fun Day. This is an opportunity for our students to compete in athletics events as well as some fun novelty events. Unfortunately we are unable to have any spectators at this event this year. We ask that if you need to pick your child/children up early on Friday to come to the school office and we will bring them back to the office to meet you.
There will be NO CANTEEN operating. Students will need to bring their own morning tea and lunch.
We will be following all of the Covid-19 health and safety guidelines for our students and staff.
School Reports
Teachers are in the process of finalising student's reports which will be sent home this Friday. As you know our reports will look quite different this semester as they will not have grades attached to Key Learning Areas. They will consist of an English, Mathematics and General Comment only.
Parent/Teacher Interviews
We are very aware that, with the current restrictions on parents entering school grounds, there has been less contact with parents and carers concerning student's progress. We view this as a vital means of sharing success and informing parents about areas that require further work and consolidation. Guidelines from the Catholic Schools Office advise; Parents and visitors are to avoid attending school premises unless under extraordinary circumstances as deemed appropriate by the school principal. Events involving groups of parents or visitors should be reconsidered.
Adhering to these guidelines we are in the process of organising phone or Zoom meetings with parents and carers. These will look quite different to our normal interviews in that each grade will be allocated a day from 12.00pm onward to conduct these interviews. We will still use the online booking platform where parents/carers will choose an appropriate time that will work for them, write their name in that time slot and then indicate by answering a question about your preference for either a Zoom or phone meeting. You will receive an email confirming your day and time.
We realise that this will not be as efficient for families with more than one child as each child's interview will be on a different day. We understand that this may cause some inconvenience but believe that it is important at this stage to connect with our families and this is our best option in the current circumstances.
We have allocated the following days for each grade;
Year Three - Monday, 10th August
Year Four - Tuesday, 11th August
Year Five - Wednesday, 12th August
Year Six - Thursday, 13th August
Kindergarten - Monday, 17th August
Year One - Tuesday, 18th August
Year Two - Wednesday, 19th August
Mrs Mumford's EMU and STAR groups and Mrs Taylor's LLI groups - Thursday, 20th August
A further note will follow as these interviews are finalised.
I share the following reflection, Beatitudes for Teachers, as they prepare these reports for their students:
Blessed are you who are called to teach, for you walk in the footsteps of the Master.
Blessed are you who sow peace and harmony in your school, for yours will be the joy of the Lord.
Blessed are you when you share your faith with others, for your name will be written in their hearts.
Blessed are you who plant seeds of hope in youthful hearts, for your legacy will be the harvest.
Blessed are you who are sensitive to the cries of youth, for you will become their voice.
Blessed are you who anguish now when your students are difficult, for your effort will be their light.
Blessed are you when you leaven your teaching with patience and empathy, for this is to teach as
Jesus did.
Blessed are you when you reach out for your students, for you will find God and rejoice.
Blessed are you who lead your students in the ways of all virtue and love, for yours is the Kingdom of God.
School Improvement Survey
The Catholic Schools Office, in partnership with Diocesan schools, has a continued focus on the improvement of school effectiveness and student outcomes. As part of that process school staff, our Primary students and a random selection of parents will be invited to be a part of a School Improvement Survey process from today until Friday 7th August. The data collected by the staff, student and parent surveys will assist school staffs and the Catholic Schools Office to benchmark key school culture factors and track changes over time. The survey results will provide key information for schools and the system to use in bringing about improvements. The survey data will be analysed by external specialist consultants from Insight SRC, who will prepare reports outlining key areas for development and improvement for each school and for the system as a whole. Insight SRC is a professional, experienced HR consultancy group. They will ensure that the data is collated and analysed accurately and independently and kept confidential at all times. Insight SRC has broad experience in the Catholic sector across Australia.
The survey will be live from today. The students and staff will complete the survey online. A number of our parents will receive the DOLSIS survey today to complete on our behalf. The survey period concludes on 7th August. If you are able to assist us please either complete the paper copy and return to school before 7th August OR complete the online survey at the link supplied in your envelope. We have randomly assigned families to receive this survey. Thank you for your assistance with this. If you prefer not to complete the survey please return the envelope to school so that we can offer another family the opportunity.
Change of details
Please be mindful of informing the school of any diagnosis or change in medical conditions for your child so that school health plans and records are current and accurate. This is especially important for those students with Asthma, Anaphylaxis, Diabetes and other medical issues.
Enrolments for 2021
We would like to remind families of prospective students, that it is now time for any new enrolments for next year to be lodged. If you have family or friends who are intending to enrol students at St Carthage’s, please let them know that enrolment packages are available from the Office. All enrolment applications should be completed as soon as possible.
Safe on Social
On Monday we had Kirra Pendergast talk with the Year 4 to 6 students about being safe online. She had some very important information to share with the children on how they can remain safe online, what they should and should not be doing and how they should be treating each other in the digital world.
During this term I will be sharing some of the information that Kirra has shared with the school that we feel is really important for parents to be aware of. I ask that you have a conversation with your child/ren if they had the opportunity to hear Kirra on Monday to see what they have taken away from her talk.
I thought I would start with some parent resilience strategies that Kirra suggests you use with your children and her Social Media tips for parents.
School Uniform
We have noticed some students are not following the school requirements in regards to their uniforms. I just wanted to remind everyone about our uniform requirements as written in our Parent Handbook 2020.
Uniform
The wearing of correct school uniform is compulsory. A note to the school is required if your child is not in correct uniform. Permission must be sought for a child to be excused for longer periods (e.g. medical reasons).
Please label each item of clothing clearly.
|
Boys: Short sleeved blue shirt with school badge (tucked in) Grey school shorts Grey socks - blue and gold stripes Black lace-up leather shoes Royal blue school jumper School Wind Jacket Royal blue school hat Long grey trousers (optional for winter) Scarves for winter (Blue) (only available from School Canteen) |
Girls: Blue/gold check skirt or culottes Blue with check trim blouse Royal blue socks Black leather shoes Royal blue school jumper School Wind Jacket Royal blue school hat (only available from the School Canteen) Royal blue tights. Navy are acceptable if Royal blue unavailable (optional for winter) School headbands (blue) Scarves for winter (blue) (only available from School Canteen) |
Sports Uniform
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Boys: Gold sports shirt Colour House shirt Royal blue shorts Black Joggers- not sand shoes/volleys St Carthage’s School Sport Socks (Optional) |
Girls: Gold sports shirt Colour House shirt Royal blue sports shorts Royal Blue gym pants worn underneath skirt Black Joggers – not sand shoes/volleys St Carthage’s School Sport Socks (Optional) |
Jewellery:
Girls may wear one set of either plain sleepers or plain studs in their ears.
Boys/Girls can wear a Cross or Medal.
Leather jewellery is not permitted.
Please note: Tracksuit jackets, sand shoes or joggers do not take the place of regulation school uniform.
Colour House shirt:
Children are to wear their Colour House shirt to represent their colour house at School Sports Carnivals (swimming, athletics, cross country etc.) and on selected week days specific to each year level as advised at the beginning of each year.
Hair:
Girls should have all long hair tied back. Boys are to have a conventional hairstyle. Boys need to tie back all longer hair styles. There is to be no coloured hair for both boys and girls.
Parent Handbook 2020
Our Parent Handbook is available on our school website in the Parent section. I have attached a copy here for your convenience.
Encouraging students to move from their Heads to their Hearts to their Hands...
I love dogs too!
...however, please be aware a number of children feel quite anxious in the presence of a dog - no matter how small or even if they are being carried. We therefore request and would be very grateful if pets were not brought into school grounds. Thank you!
Renewing the way we teach Religious Education - the RE-NEW Project
Upcoming Feast Days
A Focus on - Mary Helen MacKillop RSJ (15 January 1842 – 8 August 1909) was an Australian nun who has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church, as St Mary of the Cross. Of Scottish descent, she was born in Melbourne but is best known for her activities in South Australia. Together with the Reverend Julian Tenison-Woods, she founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites), a Congregation of religious sisters that established many Catholic schools and welfare institutions throughout Australia and New Zealand, with an emphasis on education for the rural poor.
The process to have Mary MacKillop declared a saint began in the 1920s, and she was beatified in January 1995 by Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI prayed at her tomb during his visit to Sydney for World Youth Day 2008 and in December 2009 approved the Catholic Church's recognition of a second miracle attributed to her intercession. She was canonised on 17 October 2010, during a public ceremony in St Peter's Square at the Vatican. She is the first Australian to be recognised by the Catholic Church as a saint.
Prayer at St Carthage's - Christian Meditation and Prayer Journalling
Some classes also are involved in prayer journalling - quiet meditation upon a prayer or thought while doodling freely in their journal! Here are some of our children from Yr 4DA and their prayer journals from this week!
An Evening with Michelle Mitchell
Michelle is an award-winning speaker, and best-selling parenting author. Her work helps parents to raise awesome kids in a chaotic changing world. In an interview style webinar, hosted by the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Parent Assembly, Michelle will be answering questions about:
- How we as parents can support our children's resilience and mental health
- Navigating friendship dramas
- Handling academic pressures
- Supporting our children to overcome anxiety.
The event will take place on Thursday 6th August, 7pm-8pm.
To register for this event, click HERE or go to https://bit.ly/2C7cWRk
Making Learning Visible
At St Carthage's Primary School we want to have the biggest influence on learning. We put our efforts into strategies that have been proven to have the best impact on learning. Making the learning 'visible' for students allows students to have a clear understanding of what they are learning and why. It allows students to have an active role in their own learning.
Learning Intentions (What am I learning?)
Learning Intentions are a clear statement that explains to the students what concept, skill, strategy or approach they will be learning. Learning Intentions may be short term (developed in a lesson) or longer (developed over a series of lessons).
Learning Intentions allow the students to know what to focus on. By concentrating on a specific goal they understand that this enables them to become successful learners.
Success Criteria (How will I learn it?)
The second effective strategy is for the students to know what they have to achieve to be successful with the learning intention.
The success criteria explains the pathway in simple terms for the student to gain the new concepts, skills or attitudes.
Students can be actively involved in determining the success criteria for a learning experience. Understanding what it takes to become successful in a learning task enables students to develop their confidence as learners and set themselves higher expectations. This encourages confident, motivated learners. The process of giving and receiving feedback about how they are going is critical in this process.
Colour House Meetings
Thank you to our Colour House Captains for providing an informative and enjoyable meeting for students from Year 2-6. They ensured that their colour houses were will informed about the carnival and began to build house spirit. It was great to see the school was buzzing with chants and excitement again.
St Carthage’s Athletics Day
NO CANTEEN AVAILABLE
COVID restrictions and weather have resulted in our athletics day being postponed numerous times. Weather permitting, we will proceed this Friday. Important information:
- Students are to wear colour house clothing (no hair die).
- Bring their school hat and water.
- There is no canteen available on Friday. Students must bring their recess and lunch.
To ensure our athletics day may proceed we have implemented strict COVID Safety Protocols. These protocols must align with government, department and CSO guidelines. Unfortunately, no spectators are allowed on Friday. Photos and videos will be published at a later date. This will allow you to share in the enjoyment of our day. Thank you for your support.
The students will rotate through a range of activities on the day. This includes:
| Kindergarten - Year 1 | Year 2-6 |
|
50m 100m Novelty Events: Relays and Ball Games |
100m 200m 800m Novelty Events: Relays and Ball Games |
Sporting Schools
St Carthage’s has successfully acquired a sporting schools grant for Term 3. The grant will be used to facilitate a 5-week sporting program for K-2. These programs will be delivered by external providers. Funding will also be used to purchase sport equipment that can be used by the whole school. Listed below are the programs for each year.
Kindergarten – Rugby League
Year 1 – Cricket
Year 2 – Tennis
Recently the upper grades attended a Safe on Social Media talk given by Kirra Pendergast. During these talks we discovered that social media can be a dangerous environment if not used correctly. Kirra taught us that certain apps such as Tik Tok, Instagram, Youtube and Snapchat are for children aged 13 and over and that it is very important that our parents are aware that we are using these apps.
We learnt to never give away our personal information online because you never know who could find out information about you that should be private and personal. Kirrra mentioned a digital footprint. This is the mark you leave for yourself via social media. This becomes a real deal breaker when it comes to job interviews and careers later on in life. Your digital footprint can be a bad thing or a good thing, depending on how you manage it.
Kirra advised us that playing games for an older age group than ours should definitely not be encouraged. The sort of violence, coarse language and/or mature themes displayed on some of these games is not appropriate for our age groups and maturity levels.
The captains would just like to let everyone know that cyberbullying is never OK and if you are feeling uncomfortable online to tell a trusted adult who can help you.
Another extremely good website is the Kids Helpline [1800 55 1800] or [Kidshelpline.com.au]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Happy Birthday to all the Staff and Students that have a birthday at this time.
Jack McCarthy, Billy McCarthy, Mikayla Evely, Khiarla Sheridan-Gordon, Evie Collings, Seth Landeers, Makinley Darragh, Logan Kyle, Ryan Pearce, Maya Volpato, Sam Ianna, Theah Kelly, Xian Muller, Owen Sauer, Jimi Bradfield, Ingrid Byrne, Luca Lombardo, Sophie Frost, Kaley Bennett, Luke Dwyer, Connor Nguyen, Elly-Mae Hauser, John Gordon, Kathleen Driver, Dorelle Gall, Christine Biersteker.
Book Club
Canteen Opening Days
Just a reminder that the canteen operates on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday only.
THE CANTEEN WILL NOT BE OPEN ON FRIDAY 31ST JULY.
Due to the Athletics Carnival the Canteen will NOT BE OPEN. Please ensure your child/ren have plenty of food for Mornig Tea, Lunch and water for the day. We will NOT be able to organise any lunches.
Morning Fitness
Unfortunately there will be no morning fitness for Term 3.
Creative Writing Masterclass - Lismore Library
Parent Webinars
LOWES 20% SALE
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.