Newsletter Term 2 Week 5 (Wednesday 25 May)

Year 6 -Sydney and Canberra Excursion

Year 6 on Tour

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Year 6 Still on Tour

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My favourite things were the ferry to Taronga Zoo, mini-golf was a great experience too but the flight was the best! -  Darcy  

The Sydney and Canberra excursion was enjoyable but very cold. My favourite part was when we went to the AIS and Questacon. At the AIS we got to play interactive games. At Questacon, there were lots of science-related activities. - Jarrod

The excursion was a lot of fun. On the first day we had to wake up really  early because we had to catch the flight to Sydney. It was very tiring because we did so many things in a day but it was fun that I got to explore with my friends. My highlight was going rock climbing. - Frankie

Sydney and Canberra were very exhausting but it was fun and enjoyable. Spending time with friends and endless adventures is what really made the best memories. My highlight was bonding with not only my friends but my other classmates too. - Ruby

Sydney and Canberra - First it was freezing cold but very fun. My favourite things were Questacon, AIS, The Mint and Glow in the Dark Golf. - Ryan

As I arrived at the huge Sydney airport I knew that this was going to be an amazing trip. My favourite activity was Glow in the Dark Putt Putt. - Cruz

Sydney and Canberra were exhausting and exciting. My favourite part was Questacon. We learnt lots about athletes at the AIS and played a few games. We rode the ferry to Taronga Zoo and we got soaked! - George

I am certain we can all agree that our Sydney and Canberra excursion was freezing yet fun. One time it was -2 degrees and frost covered the grass out the front of Canberra Park. My highlight was rock climbing because I love to rock climb and it was the first time I have been able to do it in ages. - Evie

My trip to Sydney and Canberra was great!!!! My favourite part was rock climbing especially when you got to come down. There were sooooo  many fun activities to do but that made us all very, very tired!- Lila

We had a great time at all of the activities we did. Personally, I liked rock climbing and mini-golf. Overall I had a great time. - Corey

My highlight of the trip was the plane ride. My second favourite was mini golf because it was glowing in the dark . We also did rock climbing at night and it was good. - Murray

From May 16th to the 20th, my classmates and I were on a once in a lifetime trip surrounded by each other. For the first and last day we were in Sydney, and for the other three days we were in Canberra, staying at Canberra Park and adventuring through the day, exploring through Parliament, Old Parliament House and Government House. In my opinion, our class represented our school to the best of our ability. We can all agree that the trip was an exciting experience for students and teachers. - Lilly

I enjoyed participating in all of the organised activities, although I especially liked the after-dinner games. The plane and airports were also interesting. Overall my favourite part of the excursion was socialising with my friends and other school students. - Maggie 

I enjoyed  going on the plane, participating in all of the activities, hanging out with my friends and meeting new people. Overall my favourite part of Sydney and Canberra was getting to take part in all of the organised activities at night time. - Sabine

I think it was very inspiring and fun. It was also very informative about Parliament and the Governor General's House. My favourite part was Sportex at the Australian Institute of Sport. All up I think it was all very good. - Noah

Questacon and Parliament House were the highlights for me. Learning about how the government worked was truly amazing. Questacon didn’t disappoint either, as science is one of my favourite things, but the best part of the whole trip was coming home on the aeroplane. We had free headphones, tv and free wifi. - Fred

We had a great time at all the activities. My highlights were mini golf and rock climbing. Overall, I had a great time. - Braythe

Sydney and Canberra were both fun but so, so cold. My highlight in Canberra was rock climbing. My highlight in Sydney was at the airport when we went to look around the shops. - Billy

Our Gospel Reflection

Our Gospel Reading this Sunday comes from Luke and tells of the Ascension of the Risen Lord into Heaven. Fortunately for us the story is still alive two thousand years on. From the teachings of the apostles, countless numbers of people have come to faith in Jesus Christ through the ongoing preaching of the Good News and the signs that confirm Christ’s message.

“It’s time to go!” We all know what that means when we have been at a family party or gathering. It means we’re now entering into a period of goodbyes that make us loiter in the doorway for another half hour. Sooner or later, we’re going to finish that final conversation, give that last hug, say the last "I love you", and wish the travellers a safe journey home. And then they’re gone. For a moment, there’s an almost visible space in the room shaped just like Aunty Trixie and the kids. That same shaped emptiness is curiously echoed in the heart. Even the silence sounds curiously like the folks who just left.
 
The disciples standing around after the Ascension must have experienced something like that. A Jesus-shaped space where he stood, a Jesus-sounding silence where he’d spoken. There was a space in their hearts, too, that would always long for him to fill it. And yet the same must have been true for them as it is for us when we take leave of loved ones. Their presence remains brilliantly in their absence. They’re not there but are hardly gone for good. You can’t kill love off that easily. Love never leaves the room.
 
How do you keep Jesus close even when he may seem absent?

The Ascension of Jesus

From Our Principal

This week marks 2 very significant occasions in our Nation's history - The Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians on Tuesday 24th May and the commencement of National Reconciliation Week from the 27th May to 3rd June. 

The Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians has been celebrated in Australia since 1844. The infant church in Australia had a special reason for turning to Mary. No priests were sent to the colony in its early days and Mass was not allowed except for one brief year until 1820. It was largely the Rosary in those early days that kept the faith alive. Catholic Australia remained faithful to Mary and was the first nation to choose her under the title 'Help of Christians', as Principal patroness.

St Mary’s Cathedral was dedicated in her honour by the Irish pioneer priest, Fr John Therry, who arrived in Sydney in 1820 and assumed responsibility for the planning and initial construction of the Cathedral. When Australia became the first country to have Mary Help of Christians as Patroness, it became the first country to have a mother-cathedral under the same title. 

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The dates for NRW remain the same each year;  27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey:

• 27 May 1967  - On this day, Australia’s most successful referendum saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise them in the Census.
• 3 June 1992  - On this day, the Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision, the
  culmination of Eddie Koiki Mabo’s challenge to the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no one) and leading to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of lands. This decision paved the way for Native Title.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             The National Reconciliation Week 2022 theme, “Be Brave. Make Change.” is a challenge to all Australians - individuals, families, communities, organisations and government - to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can Make Change for the benefit of all Australians.

Have a wonderful week,
Tony Hunter

Sacrament of Confirmation

Any student in Year 3 or older who is eligible for Confirmation is required to be prepared to receive the Sacrament. Please contact Mrs Walters for further information. Bishop Greg Homeing will confer this sacrament which takes place next Thursday the 2nd of June at 6pm in Our Lady of Sorrows Church 27th.

Protected Industrial Action - Limited Supervision

We wish to advise you that on Friday, 27 May 2022 a majority of our staff will be taking part in protected industrial action (stop work action) to progress their claims for a new enterprise agreement.

I want to assure you that supervision will be provided at school on this day, however, no classes will be held. Given this, we strongly encourage families not to send their children to school on this day given the reduction in staff.

Ready4Learning for our pre-school children will still be going ahead as planned.

Our staff are within their rights to take protected industrial action. At the same time, we appreciate families’ concerns about further potential disruption to students and the school community, especially given the current situation with COVID-19 and recent flooding. The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools and other Catholic Dioceses across NSW and the ACT have regularly met with the union to progress negotiations for a new enterprise agreement and will continue to do so.

Thank you for your understanding and I will continue to keep you updated about this matter.

Australian Government Assistance for Canberra Excursion

Our Year 6 students have just returned from an educational tour of the National Capital. While on this tour they participated in a variety of educational programs focused on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit their National Capital as part of their civics and citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributes $90.00 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program toward the travel expenses incurred. This contribution is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion. We would like to thank the Australian Government for their support of this program. The students visited venues such as the War Memorial, Parliament House, Old Parliament House and the National Electoral Education Centre. This excursion was a rewarding experience for all students and they were wonderful ambassadors of our school. Many thanks to Miss Bugden for all of her pre-planning and organisation of the trip. Everyone at home was certainly kept updated by the daily photos on Facebook and this was a great way to keep all informed of our busy days. Thanks also to Miss Ella Cooke who assisted in so many ways to ensure the students had a most wonderful learning experience. We very much look forward to commencing the consultation and planning of our Canberra and Sydney experience in 2023.

Stormbirds - Flood Support

National Simultaneous Storytime

Today we joined a million other readers as we participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS), held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, etc around the country. The book selected by ALIA this year was Family Tree by Josh Pyke. Every class was involved, sharing the story using the new hard copy books or by viewing the digital presentation.

Dance Spectacular Postponed

As advised yesterday, our scheduled Dance Spectacular will be held now on Wednesday 22nd of June in the Parish Hall commencing at 6pm. We made the change due to a number of factors outlined on the Skoolbag App. Further information will be advised as we come closer to the date.

ICAS

Each year over a million students sit the ICAS assessments. The questions in the ICAS competitions help students to connect information from content strands of the curriculum to their existing knowledge and to real-life situations.  These assessments are optional. Payments are online only and you will need to enter the code below, which links to our School.  If you have any questions please contact Mrs Jan Condon.

Subjects Offered:                                      Year 2 to Year 6  (Digital Technologies, Spelling Bee, Science,                                                                                                                     English, Mathematics)       Cost = $19.25 each

                                                                           Year 3 to Year 6  (Writing)                                    Cost = $23.65 each

Parent Payment Code:                            EYG369

Payments Due:                                           31st July 

Assessments begin:                                  Early August (dates to be finalised and placed on our calendar) 

School Fee Support For Families Affected By Floods

We know that some flood-affected families and communities will continue to work through their response and recovery for some time. We are here to support you in whatever way we can. We understand that the financial impact of the flood event has been extensive for many families in the affected regions.

In recognition of this burden, the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Ltd (DLCSL) Board has approved support to schools and parishes to provide full (100%) or partial fee relief (50%). This fee relief will include levies and elective fees. Full-year fee relief will be provided to families that received any Australian Government financial assistance payment relating to the 2022 floods, including either the:

• Disaster Recovery Payment (property damage)
• Disaster Recovery Allowance (income).

Partial fee relief (up to 50%) may be provided to other flood-affected families at the discretion of our Principal. Although individual circumstances will vary widely, the following factors will be considered in approving partial fee relief:

• Extent of property damage
• Duration of loss of income
• Other factors as appropriate.

If you would like to request the fee relief outlined above, please contact St Brigid's School, Kyogle either via kyogp@lism.catholic.edu.au or phoning 6632 1988 and ask to speak with Mr Hunter. We ask that you present documentation indicating you are receiving the relevant Disaster Recovery
payments when making your application. Fees that have already been paid can be refunded or carried forward as a credit for 2023. Please indicate in your application which of these options you prefer.

I thank you again for your ongoing support of our school. Our families and communities remain in our prayers. Please don’t hesitate to contact the school on kyogp@lism.catholic.edu.au or by phone on 6632 1988 should you have any questions. All enquiries will be treated with the utmost respect for the privacy of each family.

Student Awards

Congratulations to the following students who have shown tremendous effort and were presented with awards at the Week 4 Assembly:

Kindergarten:- Tully Booth, Igziah Anthony

Year 1:- Louise Calvey, Blaire Lucas

Year 2:- Ruby Farrah, Kymani Gill-Navatu, Morgan Studd

Year 3:- Piper Marychurch, Tyler McPherson  Elsie Laarhoven

Year 4:- Indigo Dowd, Makayla McGlashan

Year 5:- Georgia Pratt, Eamon McCormack

Year 6:- Away on the Yr6 Excursion

Principal's Awards:- Harrison Goebel, Nicholas Stubbings

Sport News

Congratulations to Hannah Kennelly and Noah Laarhoven who represented our school at the Diocesan Cross Country Carnival in Grafton yesterday. Due to the ongoing wet weather, this carnival was held on the Grafton Racecourse. Hannah finished 10th in her age group and Noah was placed 23rd in his respective age group. A wonderful effort by both students and they should be very pleased with their efforts. Thanks very much to Mrs. Love and parents who assisted in transporting the children to the Carnival.

PBS Focus

Our PBS Focus this week is:

We come to school every day so that we can stay on track with our learning.

Happy Birthday to You ...

24th May - Stanley Holloway                

Upcoming Dates

MAY

Thursday 26th - Dance Night Spectacular  POSTPONED

Friday 27th - National Reconciliation Week

JUNE

Tuesday 7th - Parent Forum Meeting

Monday 13th - Queen's Birthday Long Weekend

Friday 10th - Year 4 Showcase (2:15pm)

Friday 17th - Year 2 Showcase (2:15pm)

Wednesday 22nd - Dance Night Spectacular

Thursday 30th - School Photos / Last day of Term 2 for students

JULY

Friday 1st - Pupil Free Day

Trinity Catholic College Open Day