Term 3 Week Three 2025
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
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!
Today is the Feast of St Mary MacKillop. Mary Mackillop is Australia's first saint. Mary MacKillop was a trail-blazer in her lifetime, leaving a culture of exemplary living for her followers to emulate. Mary paved the way for education of poor children and a variety of ministries which addressed the needs of 19th century Australia.
Mary MacKillop was the founder of the inspirational group of women who continue her work today in our country and in neighbouring countries. Mary MacKillop is an example of faith put into action and words, as she followed her dream to ensure country children in small rural communities in Australia were able to receive a good education in their Catholic faith and academic skills for their future. She always went out of her way to minister to the poor, the lonely, the sick and those who were outcasts.
Mary Mackillop's mantra;
“To never see a need without doing something about it".
Mary MacKillop Prayer
Ever generous God,
You inspired Saint Mary MacKillop
To live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and constant in bringing hope and encouragement to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence and through the
intercession of Saint Mary MacKillop
We ask that you grant our prayers.
We ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit so
that we too, like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust and
openness.
Ever generous God hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Feast of the Assumption
On Friday 15th August, the Church celebrates the Feast Day of the Assumption of Our Lady when, according to our faith, the Holy Mother, “having completed her course of her earthly life was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory".
The Assumption signals the end of Mary's earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus. While the bodies of both Jesus and Mary are now in heaven, there is a difference between the Assumption and the Resurrection. Where Jesus arose from the tomb and ascended into heaven by his own power, Mary's body was taken up to heaven by the power of her Son.
Today's Celebrations!
Thank you to the many families who were able to join us for all, or part of our celebrations this morning. We were again overwhelmed by your continued support of your child and our school.
The morning began with our whole school Mass celebrated by our School Chaplain, Fr Phillip. Today is the Feast Day of St Mary MacKillop - Australia's first saint and Fr spoke about how we can all be the best version of ourselves by 'never seeing a need without doing something about it'.
Each year, we have recognised one student from each class with the Catholic Schools Week Award. This was a way to recognise students who consistently live out our school values.
This year, we are proud to rename and re-launch this award as the St Carthage’s Award, in honour of our patron saint and the values that guides our school.
The St Carthage’s Award will be presented once a year to one student in each class who consistently lives out the values of St Carthage:
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Faith – showing a heart that is kind, prayerful, and close to God
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Learning – always trying their best, showing curiosity and growth
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Community – being a helper, a friend, and a positive presence to others
These students quietly and consistently let their light shine—every day.
At the conclusion of Mass we presented our very first St Carthage's awards to a worthy recipient from each class. We congratulate all of our award winners!
Following Mass our playground was a buzz with families sharing morning tea with their children. Families were then invited to visit classrooms to observe, first hand, what our children are learning.
Thank you to everyone who was able to come along and celebrate with us.
School Review and Improvement
Throughout this week we have undergone our school review and improvement process, a key part of our commitment to providing the best possible education for all students. This involved a comprehensive look at our school's performance, from learning and teaching, to student wellbeing. We received input from staff, students, and parents.
The report from this will guide our next Strategic Plan.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this important process. We look forward to working together to make St Carthage's an even greater place!
NAIDOC Week 2025 - from Mr Condie
Last week (week 2) we held our NAIDOC Celebrations at school and there were many ways that our students got involved.NAIDOC is an important part of the year where we
recognize the great history and culture of our first
nations peoples. The theme this year is ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy’ which highlights the strengths and achievements of our young people. Basically we look back to the past, to understand the present and to make a bright future. And we do this to make a better Australia and ultimately a better world for everyone.
We began our week on Monday with a special assembly in the afternoon. All our Aboriginal students were involved in bringing significant symbols onto the stage. We had prayers to heal the country and the people of this land. Furthermore we listened to the Aboriginal Lord’s Prayer and viewed a photo story of our students. The assembly was also the first time we watched an Acknowledgement of Country video that was recently made by our students (it has been posted onto our Facebook site).
On Tuesday Widjabal-Bundjalung man Rory Close ran dance workshops for all students. Rory got us physically active and his workshops incorporated movements that have been handed down to him by his family. He showed us how to ‘shake a leg’ which is an important part of dancing.
On Wednesday Gamilaroi man Shannon Monk-Smith came to our school to do drawing lessons for all our students. He showed us how to draw animals like the
rainbow serpent, owl, koala and echidna. His creativity and wealth of knowledge was something everyone took away from the lessons that day. In some sessions he showed artwork that he does on computer programs.
On Thursday we had a BBQ Lunch for our indigenous students and their families. It was great to see some of our parents and carers at the lunch.
Throughout the first few weeks of this term teachers/students have been working on their Deadly Doors. Every NAIDOC each class designs their class door in whatever way they want with an indigenous theme. In the next fortnight we will find three classes that are extra special and they will receive a small reward.
Thank you to everyone for getting involved at StCarthage’s and to our special guests, Rory and Shannon, for celebrating with us.
Bugalbeh (Thankyou)
Mr Condie
Aboriginal Education Worker
*Our special word this year was ninganah which means
stop/quiet/shhh
We thank Mr Condie for his continued passion, hard work and commitment to ensuring our aboriginal students are acknowledged and valued, and for sharing his knowledge and wisdom with all students - great job!
St Carthage's Kindergarten 100 Days of School Celebration
What a wonderful celebration we had last Friday week with our Kindergarten students who celebrated 100 days in Kindergarten! Our students participated in activities throughout the day and ran our whole school assembly.
The students looked amazing and certainly got into the spirit of the day!
Principal's Appreciation Day
I would like to thank our students, staff and families for the wonderful celebration and messages on Friday. I was totally humbled at our assembly to be acknowledged by students and staff for doing a job that I love. I am blessed to be a part of such an amazing community!
Book Week Parade - Friday 22nd August
It is time to start thinking about costumes for Book Week! This year's Book week theme is “Book an Adventure". We will again be having our Book Week dress up and parade at school. This will occur on Friday 22nd August.
We invite our pre-school siblings to come along dressed up as well and join our parade. More details to follow!
Book Fair
We will be having a Book Fair in our Library starting on Wednesday 20th August through to lunchtime on Friday 22nd August. Book Warehouse are supplying the books that will be sold.
Children will have a walk through to see the range of books on the Monday or Tuesday before the fair begins. Parents are welcome to come along and buy a with your child/children or alternatively send along some money for them to buy a book of their choice.
Father’s Day Stall - Thursday 4th September
Our Fathers’ Day Stall will be held on Thursday, 4th September. Gifts will be $5.00 per gift.
Father's Day Sausage Sizzle - Thursday 4th September
This will be held on Thursday afternoon, 4th September 4.15-5.45pm on the bottom playground. This will be a great opportunity to catch up with other families and to celebrate our dads.
School Community Group Meeting - Tuesday 2nd September
We will be having our School Community Group Meeting on Tuesday evening 2nd September at 5.30pm. More details to follow.
ICAS
Students taking part in the ICAS assessments have finished the Digital Technologies and Writing tests this week. Please note that each assessment has a testing window, which gives us the flexibility to complete the tests during the week.
The testing dates are as follows:
NAPLAN Individual Student Reports
All students who sat the NAPLAN assessments in Term 1 should have brought home their Individual Student Report earlier in the term. Below is some information for parents and carers on these reports.
Bentley Art Show
Reconciliation and Eucharist Retreat
Last Friday, our students participated in a beautiful Reconciliation and Eucharist Retreat that offered them the opportunity to deepen their understanding of God’s love and forgiveness.
Throughout the day, students engaged in a variety of small group activities, games, prayer, and reflection, all designed to help them explore the meaning of these important sacraments. The retreat created a calm and supportive space for students to reflect on their relationship with God and how they can share His love with others.
It was a meaningful day filled with learning, laughter, and faith, and we are so proud of the reverence and enthusiasm our students showed throughout the experience.
We thank our staff for their guidance and care in leading the retreat, and we look forward to continuing this journey of faith together as the students prepare to receive the Sacraments.
School drop off/pick up
We have recently been contacted by local residents who have been unable to enter or exit their driveways in Leycester Street due to parked vehicles. We understand that Leycester Street is a public road and many of the vehicles may not be associated with our school. If you are parking or dropping off near the school, please ensure that driveways remain clear and accessible at all times.
We greatly appreciate your cooperation and understanding.
Thank you for your support.
Year 1 Faith, Fun & Family Night
Our Year 1 Faith, Fun & Family Night is coming up soon, and we are looking forward to sharing this special evening with our students and their families.
An invitation with all the details has been sent to families via Compass. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to come together, enjoy some fun activities, and share in our faith as a community.
We encourage all Year 1 families to join us for an evening of connection, laughter, and celebration.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Parent Courses
NSW CCSP Parent Conference
The NSW Council of Catholic School Parents are hosting a special 30-year anniversary Parent Conference in Sydney. Keynote speakers include Justin Coulson, Michelle Mitchell and Daniel Principe. Conference tickets cost $30, and parents/carers need to arrange their own travel and accommodation in Sydney. For more information and to book, go to https://www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au/2025-conference.
OnLineTraining
ADHD: This short course was developed with the help of Parents for ADHD Advocacy Australia (PAAA). This course is aimed at supporting the parents and carers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Other people may also find it helpful, such as other relatives, teacher assistants, and teachers.
Autism: This short course is directed at parents and carers of children with autism. Other people may also find it helpful, such as other relatives, teacher assistants, and teachers.
Parents of children who’ve been identified on the autism spectrum have been interviewed to identify the issues that concern them the most. This is reflected in the videos throughout this short course.
Please find more information about the courses on the OLT platform linked here.
The Family Centre
Attendance
We would like to thank our parents and carers for supporting your child to attend school each and every day. Your commitment plays a vital role in their learning, growth and connection to our school community.
We also sincerely appreciate your care in keeping your child home when they are unwell, helping to ensure the health and well being of all students and staff.
Currently, our whole-school attendance rate sits at 92.5%, and we are grateful for the continued partnership of our families in maintaining strong attendance across all year levels.
As part of our routine attendance monitoring, in Week 6 families of students whose attendance is currently below 90% may receive COMPASS communication. This message is intended to inform you of your child’s current attendance rate and forms part of our responsibility to keep families updated.
We understand that there are often valid and explained reasons for absences and you may have already provided this information to the school. There is no action required from parents, this is simply to ensure that you are aware of your child’s attendance level.
Thank you again for your ongoing support in ensuring your child is at school, ready to learn and thrive.
PBS
As part of our Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) program, we continue to promote positive behaviours that help create a safe and respectful learning environment for all.
In Weeks 3 and 4, our whole-school focus is on Being Safe – in all areas.
Students are learning and reminded that:
“I keep my hands, feet, and objects to myself.”
This important message helps ensure that everyone feels safe and respected at school.
In Weeks 5 and 6, our focus shifts to Being Responsible – in the playground.
We are encouraging students to:
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Listen carefully when the teacher is speaking
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Follow instructions the first time they are given
We appreciate your support in reinforcing these messages at home, helping our students grow into safe, respectful, and responsible members of our school community.
Help Us Save Lives – Join the St Carthage’s Blood Drive
The Red Cross is running a Schools Blood Drive from 1 August to 31 October, and we’re inviting all St Carthage’s parents, carers, and family members to get involved.
St Carthage’s has an ongoing team registered with the Red Cross, allowing us to track the number of lives saved through our collective donations. It's an inspiring way for our school community to come together and make a real difference.
Did you know? Every blood donation has the potential to save up to three lives. Whether you’re a regular donor or thinking about donating for the first time, your contribution can have a powerful impact.
If you’d like to be part of the St Carthage’s Blood Drive, simply register with the Red Cross and join our school team. The reception staff at the Donor Centre will help you register for our school team.
Let’s show the strength of our community by rolling up our sleeves and helping those in need!
Welcome Sr Ninfa
From 19th June, you may have seen a new face around the parish.
Sr Susan Ninfa Escala Timbal of the Holy Family has joined Sr Evelyn and Sr Di here at St Carthage’s Parish.
Sr Ninfa has 34 years in Consecrated Life and was born in Tagbilaran City, Bohol Province, Philippines. She has spent 14 years in Indonesian Missions assisting in the formation of younger sisters, the spiritual formation of younger people and assisting at the Campus ministry in two Catholic Universities.
The rest of her time has been spent in the Philippines assisting the Provincial Government as Secretary and campus ministry in a Catholic University and some Parochial Schools.
Sr Ninfa loves to sing, dance, listen to people and share her Carmelite/Palautian spirituality. Her personal vision for her ministry in Lismore:
“I envision a ministry where family members are being assisted in the deepening of their relationship with the Triune God in faith, hope and charity, empowering them to become witnesses of this relationship in the society”.
Please make Sr Ninfa feel welcome when you see her.
Thriving and Resilient Kids
As your school counsellor, I'm eager to share a brilliant resource that many of our teachers are already embracing in the classroom to support our students' social and emotional wellbeing: Grow Your Mind.
At school, we are continually working to equip our children with the skills they need to navigate their emotions, build resilience, and foster strong, healthy friendships. A key part of this involves understanding how our amazing brains work!
Some of our teachers are using Grow Your Mind's engaging podcasts and videos to help children learn about their "brain animals" – like the Guard Dog (our amygdala, which looks out for danger and can get big when we're worried or angry), the Wise Owl (our prefrontal cortex, which helps us think clearly and make good choices), and the Elephant (our hippocampus, which helps us remember). Understanding these parts of the brain helps children learn to manage their big feelings and respond thoughtfully, rather than react impulsively. It also helps us as the significant adults in their lives. All of us have a Guard Dog that can get big and bossy at times.
We've seen how these simple analogies empower children to understand themselves better, which in turn helps them listen more effectively, join in activities with confidence, and build thriving friendships.
I highly encourage you to explore these free resources at home with your children. It's a wonderful way to open up conversations about mental health, emotions, and relationships in a fun and accessible way.
You can watch the engaging Grow Your Mind Animals video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI1xY_Hj3U4
And dive into the award-winning Grow Your Mind Podcast, hosted by kids for kids, covering topics like courage, emotional regulation, and friendships: https://growyourmind.life/podcast/
By listening and learning together, you can reinforce the important messages your children are hearing at school and continue to build a shared language around wellbeing and mental fitness at home.
Warmly,
Beth Cronin
