Newsletter Term 2 Week 10 (Wednesday 3rd July 2024)
- Front Page with Rewards Day
- Our Gospel Reflection
- From Our Acting Principal
- Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning
- Wellbeing Team
- Sports News
- Attendance Matters
- Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L)
- Celebrations
- Wakakirri Community Performance
- Important Dates
- Parish News
- Community News
- Parent Resources
Front Page with Rewards Day
Rewards Day Term 2
The kids had a great time at the movies! We would like to give a BIG thank you to Todd and Annette Smith from Kyogle Bus Co for transporting the students to and from the movies today so our rewards day could still go ahead.
Congratulations to every child on their efforts this term, enjoy the holidays!
Our Gospel Reflection
This Sunday’s gospel is from Mark, No prophet gains honour in his native place. The lack of acceptance that Jesus encountered in ‘his hometown,’ Pope Francis suggests, was the product of habit and prejudice. As the Pope points out, ‘it is difficult to open ourselves to what is new and allow ourselves to be amazed.’
Jesus has something of an image problem, in the sense that his fellow country folk had a certain image of him they could not shake off. They saw a tradesman, whose family they knew, yet Jesus confounded their preconceptions.
Today’s Gospel remains especially relevant for those who cling to certain images of Jesus. There is a risk, the Pope says, that we ‘think we know Jesus, that we already know so much about Him and that it is enough to repeat the same things as always.’ We can easily slip into comforting habits of religion and a prejudicial type of belief.
The Pope encourages us to embrace ‘openness to what is new’ and ‘openness to God’s surprises.’ He wants us to be amazed again! As the Pope puts it, we should be amazed because ‘God incarnated Himself: God is humble, God is tender, God is hidden, he draws near to us, living the normality of our daily life.’ And what is more amazing than the idea of God being among us?
From Our Acting Principal
Kindergarten 2025
Tomorrow is the due date of Kindergarten applications for 2025. This time will now allow us to process the information, begin interviews and start sending letters of acceptance. The application process is online this year and the forms can be accessed from our school website. Please reach out to Jo in the office if you need any support with this enrolment process.
Semester One Reports
Our Semester 1 Academic Reports were released to families on Monday 1st of July. I would like to acknowledge the significant work of our teachers to assess and compile these reports. With the move to the new 3-6 English and Mathematics curricula, there have been some necessary changes to the structure of these reports. To provide clarity for our parents on the nature of the reports, a document outlining how to understand report grades was added as a link within the Compass notification on Monday. This document further outlines the changes and explains the language within the report.
3 Way Conferences
Our 3 Way Conferences involving parents/carers, student and teacher will be held in Week 2 of Term 3. Your child's attendance at these meetings is essential. It is an opportunity to share successes and engage in discussions about their improvement in learning. This active involvement is a key part of making these conversations productive and meaningful. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss your child's learning with you.
Bookings will be open from Friday 5th July from 3.30pm.
Term 3 Calendar
A hard copy calendar outlining all of the important dates for Term 3 will be sent home tomorrow with all children. Please place it in a prominent place in your home and refer to and to it as we move through the third term.
School Uniform
With holidays quickly approaching, some families will be looking to freshen up haircuts, uniforms or perhaps even school shoes. Please remember that any new school shoes purchased should be an all black soft polishable leather or leather like.
Returning to school, we do ask students to remove any holiday nail polish or fake nails and jewellery other than a watch and sleepers or stud earrings.
Uniforms promote student safety but also a sense of community and equality as they create an ‘equal playing field’ for our students. We appreciate your support in helping your child understand this and continuing to wear their uniform with pride.
ICAS Assessments
We are delighted to inform you that St Brigid’s will be participating in the world-renowned ICAS competitions again this year for students in Year 2-6.
What is ICAS?
ICAS is an online academic competition that is designed to assess students’ higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee and Digital Technologies. Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.
If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please click on this link and it will provide you with all the information needed to pay for the assessments. After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records. We will notify you of the date(s) that we run ICAS at St Brigid’s and when your child’s ICAS results are ready. You can access the results once released via the Reports Portal using the TAP ID and pin found on the back of the ICAS certificate. Please reach out to me if you need help in any way.
A friendly reminder that the students will finish Term 2 on Thursday 4th July (tomorrow) as staff are participating in the Bishop's Reflection Module’s on Friday.
I wish you all the very best for a restful holiday with your children and I look forward to having students return to school on Monday 23rd July.
Vanessa Walters,
Acting Principal
Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning
As we continue to navigate the world of education and learning together in partnership, we look to empowered learning. This is important as we celebrate Semester 1 learning through our school reports. While we celebrate every child’s learning thus far, we look to the future learning with goals and prompts to ensure that every child grows.
Below are dinner table prompts that can help spark meaningful discussions and encourage a positive attitude towards learning at home.
"Can you teach me something you learned recently? I'd love to learn from you!"
"What are some ways you like to learn best? Let's explore different learning styles together."
"Let's set some learning goals together for the week. What do you want to achieve?"
"What are you curious about right now? Let's dive into that topic together."
Engaging in these conversations with your child can create a supportive and empowering environment for their learning journey.
Feel free to adapt these conversation starters to suit your child's interests and needs. Remember that an empowered learner is one who loves learning. An empowered learner impacts the world through innovation, built from a foundation of strong knowledge and skills.
Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to your child's education. Please celebrate your child’s report with them. Together, we can empower our students to reach their full potential.
Annika Dicker,
Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning
Wellbeing Team
Holidays are here again!
It’s that time of term again when we all breathe a sigh of relief at the prospect of a break from routine and the opportunity to sleep in, rest and recharge.
Or do we?
Many parents may find themselves feeling stressed about the two-week break ahead, and plagued by thoughts such as: “How am I going to keep the kids entertained?”, “What will we do without the predictability of routine?”, and “How am I meant to juggle work and childcare for the next fortnight?”.
Here are some tips that might help:
Boredom is good for kids. Don’t feel as though you need to entertain your kids every second of every minute of every day these school holidays. Boredom actually gives kids a welcome break from being “on” all the time, and provides the space in which they are more likely to think creatively and engage in problem-solving.
Get physical. Busy schedules and easy access to screens are notorious for getting in the way of kids getting enough physical activity. Try to ensure there are opportunities every day for your kids to get active these holidays – it’s not only good for their bodies but great for their mental wellbeing too.
Promote lie-ins. During busy term time our kids often miss out on sleep. School holidays are the perfect time to let kids sleep in. Sleep needs vary but primary school-aged children need between 9 and 11 hours every night. You might be surprised what a difference a few good nights of sleep will make to your child’s mood and behaviour. Remember to gradually return to term-time sleep routines a few days before school resumes to ease the back-to-school transition.
Get cooking. Cooking is a wonderful activity to share with your children. It teaches them a valuable life skill, offers a way to connect, and can be a creative, sensory experience. Whether you bake cookies or attempt a restaurant-worthy meal together, aim to make it an enjoyable (and hopefully tasty!) experience.
What’s on? Libraries and community centres usually have a timetable of school holiday activities. Kyogle Family Support Services has a number of activities on offer these holidays, check the Community News section below for a full list of activities!
Wellbeing Team
Sports News
Last Friday we held our Athletics Carnival at the High School Oval, the sun was shining all day! Thanks to all the parents that donated their time to help the carnival run smoothly, we really appreciate your help. Four new records were broken on the day, CONGRATULATIONS to these four students!
| Event | New Record | Previous Record |
| 800 metre Junior Boys | Hamish Laarhoven with a time of 2.46.01 | Jayden Parker with a time of 3.03.81 in 2005 |
| 800 metre 11 years Boys | Wyatt Brown with a time of 2.57.37 | Jayden Parker with a time of 3.00.31 in 2006 |
| 800 metre Senior Girls | Hannah Kennelly with a time of 2.30.07 | Mary Dibley with a time of 2.59.93 in 2007 |
| 800 metre Senior Boys | Parker Kennedy with a time of 2.55.94 | Kirk Barber with a time of 2.56.00 in 2005 |
Our Champion and Runner up Results - Girls
| Event | Champion | Runner Up |
| 5 Years | Rickelle Heywood & Freya De Rooy | |
| 6 Years | Harper Grieve | Paityn Baker |
| 7 Years | Niarah Walker | Elvii Ernst, Kaya Hardwick |
| 8 Years | Emily Kennelly | Jiana James, Louise Calvey |
| 9 Years | Ruby Farrah | Frankie Lindsay |
| 10 Years | Peyhton Bateman | Lola Lindsay |
| 11 Years | Alaska Argall | Brooklyn Stubbings |
| 12 Years | Hannah Kennelly | Belle Clarke & Tahnesha Walker |
Our Champion and Runner up Results - Boys
| Event | Champion | Runner Up |
| 5 Years | Naythan Lewin | |
| 6 Years | Harvey Mathews | Banjo Goldthorpe |
| 7 Years | Sebastian Hayes | Eli Wimble & Cooper Goebel |
| 8 Years | Ralph Hudson | Zion Dowd |
| 9 Years | Djalai Charles | Hamish Laarhoven |
| 10 Years | Danny Kennedy | Landan Faulks |
| 11 Years | Braithen Hayes | Wyatt Brown |
| 12 Years | Yari Howes | Noah Schneider |
The Richmond Zone Carnival will be held at St John’s Woodlawn College in Lismore on Thursday 1st August. A compass event with all the information will be sent out before the end of term.
Yours in sport,
Lee Love.
Attendance Matters
Every day matters for your child’s learning. Parents play an important role in ensuring students get to school and stay in school every day. The more time your child attends school the greater their opportunity to learn, create social connections and improve their wellbeing.
Your role in supporting attendance
Every day counts, as regular attendance helps students to:
- Develop a sense of belonging
- Develop and maintain friendships
- Be more engaged at school
- Progress with their learning
- Be more aware of career and life options.
Supporting positive school attendance is a shared responsibility - everyone has a role.
One of our school goals this year is to have an average weekly attendance of 90% and above. The class with the best average each week receives the “Stars of the Week” trophy and certificate to display in their classroom.
Term 2 Week 9 Class with the highest average attendance |
| Year 6 with 93.19% |
Term 2 Week 9 Whole School Average |
| Whole School Average 87.73% |
Term 2 Attendance Results
| Week 1 | 86.06% | Year 4 91.14% | Year 5 89.76% | Kinder 87.55% |
| Week 2 | 86.06% | Year 6 94.62% | Year 4 (92.17% | Year 3 92.05% |
| Week 3 | 87.88% | Year 4 91.6% | Year 2 91.18% | Year 3 90% |
| Week 4 | 88.46% | Year 3 94.5% | Year 6 93.31% | Year 4 92.14% |
| Week 5 | 89.61% | Kinder 93.13% | Year 6 92.75% | Year 1 91.36% |
| Week 6 | 89.95% | Kinder 98.17% | Year 6 92.06% | Year 1 89.88% |
| Week 7 | 84.95% | Kinder 94.91% | Year 5 94.13% | Year 3 89.44% |
| Week 8 | 88.3% | Year 3 96.11% | Year 2 92.06% | Kinder 91.34% |
| Week 9 | 87.73% | Year 6 93.19% | Year 4 91.04% | Kinder 90.52% |
Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L)
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) is a whole school program that actively promotes positive behaviour. It enables students to develop a clear understanding of required expectations, become responsible for their own behaviour and work together to create a positive, productive and harmonious learning community.
Term 2 Week 10 PB4L Focus |
We reward positive behaviour at St Brigid’s. |
Celebrations
You shine with the Light of the Lord —the kind of Light that grows brighter and warmer and more radiant with time. God bless you with a very happy birthday!
| 27th June - Parker |
| 12th July - Ruby-Grace |
| 14th July - Emma |
| 20th July - Milla |
| 21st July - Eliza |
Congratulations to the following students who have shown tremendous effort and were presented with their awards at our assembly Week 9.
| Kindergarten | Naythan & Silas |
Year 1 | George, Elvi & Layla |
Year 2 | Liam & Kaya |
Year 3 | Jack & Nyima |
Year 4 | Chance, Caius & Harry |
Year 5 | All of Year 5 |
Year 6 | Lexi, Wentworth & Kobi |
Principal Awards | Ben |
Wakakirri Community Performance
We invite you to join us for our performance on Monday, August 5th at 12pm in the Kyogle Memorial Hall.
St Brigid's School is proud to participate in the 2024 Wakakirri Nationwide Story-Dance Festival, a platform that helps students express their thoughts, ideas, and aspirations through the art of storytelling and dance. Our Wakakirri Group, comprising students from Year 1 to Year 6, has been diligently preparing for this performance for several months under the guidance of Mrs Hayley Kennedy and Ms Tilly Beetge. The performance will feature a diverse array of dance styles, showcasing the talent, dedication, and creativity of our students. This performance is not just an opportunity for our dancers to shine but also a celebration of the arts within our community and a full dress rehearsal before they perform before the judges at Logan Entertainment Centre on Wednesday 7th August. We would be thrilled to have you join us for this performance, no tickets required.
Important Dates
A reminder that we will be raising awareness for those people who find the winter months especially difficult on Thursday, 4th July. Students are to wear their school uniform but are encouraged to Rug up in winter accessories.
PUPIL FREE DAY FRIDAY 5TH JULY
| Week 10 | |
| Thursday 4th July | Rug Up Snug Up Day, Winter Appeal. |
| Friday 4th July | Staff Development Day (Pupil Free Day) |
| Term 3 Sneak Peak | |
| Wednesday 24th July | NAIDOC Celebrations from 11:20am |
| Friday 26th July | Grandparents Day Mass and Lunch from 12pm |
| Sunday 28th July | Whole School Parish Family Mass 9am |
| Friday 26th-31st July | Book Fair |
| Tuesday 30th July | 100 Days of Kindergarten |
| Monday 5th August | Wakakirri Community Performance Kyogle Memorial Hall |
| Tuesday 6th August | Parent Forum Meeting 3:30pm |
| Friday 23rd August | Book Week Parade 12pm |
Breakfast Club serves assorted cereal & toast options EVERY Wednesday | Thursday | Friday during term time for a 50c donation.
NAIDOC Celebrations will take place Wednesday 24th July.
Colouring Competion - All students have been given a 'Keep the fire burning' colouring in competition. Entries must be received by Thursday 4th July 2024. Winners will be announced and presented with a NAIDOC polo shirt during the NAIDOC Celebrations in Term 3. Prizes for Kindergarten | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3.
Parish News
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish established 1916. Our Parish Family includes the town of Kyogle and the villages of Urbenville and Woodenbong. Our Parish Priest is Fr Erick Quinteros, Mass Times our Saturday 5:00 pm | Sunday 9:00 am.
Morning Tea is served every Sunday after Mass hosted by the parishioners.
Upcoming Dates for July
| Tuesday 2nd July | Parish Pastoral Council, in the Shed 5:30 pm. |
| Thursday 4th July | Sacramental Healing Mass 11:00 am. |
| Friday 5th July | Exposition & Benediction from 9:30 am - 12 pm |
Community News
LOCAL EVENTS IN JULY
Get ready for the ultimate school holiday adventure!
Australia's Biggest Inflatable Obstacle Course is coming to Lismore and Grafton this July.
Book now before tickets sell out! ➡️Lismore https://www.trybooking.com/CSRQU or Grafton https://www.trybooking.com/CSRRO for more information head to www.airheads.net.au
Odyssey Tennis Academy Multi-Sport Holiday Camp.
Tennis, Soccer, Ball Games, Arts & Crafts.
Kyogle Tennis Club Courts.
Contact Luke on 0432400378 or odysseytennis@gmail.com
Kyogle Family Support Services has a number of activities on offer these holidays.
Please contact the service to book your child/young person in 02 6632 1044
Fire and Rescue Kyogle
We're looking for on-call Firefighters in Kyogle, for more information click on the flyer below.
Visit the Australian Government Mobile Service Centre
When: Monday 22nd July 9 am - 4 pm | Tuesday 23rd July 9 am - 4 pm
For more information click on the flyer below.
Parent Resources
Because we value the critical role parents and carers play as partners in educating and forming young people, we have compiled some helpful resources to support families at home.
Educational Games
Toy Theatre | Educational Games for Kids
Math Games
Hidden Pictures Games and Puzzles
Quick Links
St Brigid's Facebook Page
Parent Assembly Facebook Page
Supporting Learning - Primary
Faith and Family
Tips for Parents – Supporting your Childs attendance at School