Newsletter Term 3 Week 7 (Wednesday 31st August 2022)

Our Front Page Celebrates Book Week

'Dreaming with eyes open'......The 2022 Book Week theme allowed our students and staff to immerse themselves in a world of fictional characters and books. We thank you for the effort that was put into costumes and props which ensured our students had a fun filled day, allowing us to celebrate the importance of reading.  

2022 Book Week Parade

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 24

Next

Our Gospel Reflection

Please provide your children with a list of things that they are responsible for interspersed with things that they like to do—for example, make their beds, take out the garbage, go to the park, do homework, watch television, have a snack, feed the animals, go for a bike ride and so on. The list should reflect their responsibilities and favourite recreational activities. Tell them to pretend that company is coming and ask which of the things listed should be done first. Explain that this is called setting priorities.

In our Gospel this Sunday from Luke (Chapter 14, verses 25-33), Jesus teaches about the demands of discipleship. Jesus explains that, when it comes to making a choice for the Kingdom of God, nothing can get in the way. Paraphrase the Gospel story for your children. Ask them what Jesus says is the most important thing for them to do. Jesus tells us that the number-one priority is to follow him. But just as it is not always easy to do the things we are supposed to do before doing the fun things, it is not always easy to be a follower of Jesus. Yet when we put Jesus first, we will be truly happy.

From Our Principal

It was a wonderful celebration of the Eucharist when we gathered last Sunday at Our Lady of Sorrows Church here in Kyogle. After a 2 year break due to Covid and other circumstances it was terrific to welcome back the Parish Family Mass. Our mass was beautifully led by our Stage 2 students and staff and the addition of percussion certainly added to the celebration. The students were also able to take part in their own Liturgy of the Word where the Gospel was read, discussed and an activity completed that emphasised the message from the Sunday reading. Following mass, we all enjoyed a cuppa and a chat and the opportunity to catch up. It was a great way to start a Sunday morning.

The Parish Family Mass will be conducted every 4th Sunday of the month during school time. Our next Parish Family Mass will be held on Sunday the 23rd of October. This is due to the September date falling in the school holidays. We look forward to seeing more families at our next celebration which will be led by our Kindergarten, Year 1, and Year 2 students.

Ipad Rollout

For the past 5 years each class at St Brigid's has had the access to 5 ipads for use to share amongst the class. At the introduction, this was very welcomed by all but you can imagine as we have progressed it has become very difficult ensuring equity across each class and also at the same time, wanting to give our children as much access to the use of digital technologies within the curriculum as possible. At the commencement of this year, each student in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 have been given access to their own ipad and it is terrific to see the many programs and applications that they are using to further engage their creativity in their learning.

So where did that leave our students in Years 3 to 6? These students also need these opportunities and so the decision was made to fast track the ipad rollout and this week we have taken delivery of 80 new devices for the students in Years 3 to 6. Sheryl Watts, our Technology Support Officer is working each day at our school this week to ensure that these new devices can be in the classrooms as soon as possible for the benefit of our children's learning. The students will have their own device here at school but will not be able to take this home unless the unthinkable happens again!!

We have certainly come a long way in the acquisition of digital technologies for our students' learning here at St Brigid's.  Technology has changed the way we do many things — including the way we learn. Devices like these iPads will enhance learning and prove beneficial in the classroom in numerous ways, making them essential to our modern teaching and learning experience. I remember sitting at a Parent Forum Meeting in early 2016 and we were asking each other how can we afford to even have 2 or 3 ipads in our school for student use - here we are 7 years later and now every child has access to one for their learning.

Take care and have a wonderful week,

Tony

Parish Family Mass

Congratulations

We extend our congratulations to Dana and Travis on the safe arrival of your little baby girl, Bridie Musicka. Bridie is the proud new sister of Brooklyn (Year 4) and Evie (Ready4Learning). We very much look forward to meeting Bridie in the very near future.  

Welcome to our School

We extend a big, warm welcome to Summer Beaumont and her family to St Brigid's Primary School. Summer is in Year 1 and we all hope that you are settling well into the routines of our school.

Wakakirri Community Performance

On Tuesday 13th September (Week 9) St Brigid's Wakakirri students will be travelling to Southern Cross University, Lismore, to perform their National recognised performance, 'The Heart of the Flood'. This event will be held in R Block (current Trinity Campus) in the Whitebrook Theatre at 12 noon. This will be the last time students will be performing this story/dance, so don't miss this opportunity to see a truly memorable event. Please refer to the attached map of Southern Cross University. 

Father's Day Stall

Each child will have the opportunity to visit the St Brigid's Father’s Day stall on Thursday 1st September. Prices range from $1 to $6.
Students must have money on the day to purchase. Each child who purchases a gift will go into the draw for some great prizes. 

Father's Day Breakfast

All dads, grand-dads, uncles and favourite friends are invited to come and have breakfast this Friday 2nd September to celebrate Father's Day. Start the day on a positive note with a bacon and egg roll or a sausage sandwich before heading off to work.  Hope to see you there.

Playtime Activities

Student choice is important, so for the remainder of the term, we are offering students a choice of structured activities that they can get involved in during playtime. Such opportunities allow them to learn new games, mix in different social circles, and have greater variety and fun in their choice of activity outside the classroom.

The Handball Courts have also been rostered to enable a particular Stage to use the courts each day. When students are not rostered onto handball, they are encouraged to take part in structured play activities or games of their own choosing. Our Teacher Assistants are also giving their support and helping with these activities on the playground each day.

Playtime Activities

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 10

Next

Stage 3 to St Mary's College

St Mary’s College, Casino, has generously invited our Stage 3 students to view their showcase of student work in Creative and Industrial Arts on Tuesday, the 6th of September. The Year 5 and 6 students will be transported to and from Casino by bus. Students will leave and return to St Brigid’s within the normal school hours and will be able to keep their normal drop off and pick up schedule. If you do not give permission for your child to attend could you please contact Mrs Campbell in the front office on 6632 1988 or send your child’s teacher an email, kelli.bugden@lism.catholic.edu.au or kayla.robertson@lism.catholic.edu.au

We are appreciative of the offer from St Mary’s and are looking forward to viewing their showcase of work.

Term 4 End of Year Dates

So that families can start to plan for the end of year and all that it brings, please find below the dates needed for our end of year presentations and activities:

• Wednesday 30th November - Year 6 Graduation Liturgy and Dinner 
• Tuesday 6th December - 2023 Leadership Speeches
• Wednesday 7th December - Christmas Pageant
• Tuesday 13th December - End of Year Mass and Awards
• Friday 16th December - Rewards Day and last day for students

Student Medical Information

If your child suffers a serious medical condition such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, anaphylaxis, allergy, etc could you please call the Office on 6632 1988 or email kyogp@lism.catholic.edu.au to ensure the most up-to-date information is on record. A copy of the most recent Action Plan in relation to the condition is required and can be emailed to us at the address above.  

CWA Education Grants for 2023

The Far North Coast Group of the CWA awards Education Grants each year to children entering Secondary studies, during Secondary studies, entering Tertiary level, or Developmental Disabilities Study. These Grants are now open for application by all students in the qualifying levels irrespective of academic achievement and are tenable for one year, however, recipients may re-apply each year if still within the category.

Application forms are available from our School Office and need to be returned to the office by the 19th of October.

The application form requests the applicant to obtain a citation from a community representative and a sepearate citation regarding their individual representation in school, community or sporting events.

All applications are treated in the strictest confidence and successful applicants will have the Education Grant paid by EFT to the account nominated on the application form in January 2023.

ICAS

The ICAS Assessments are nearly completed now for this year.

Please note the following sitting date:

 Mathematics - Thursday 1 September.

Well done to all students who have participated and challenged themselves in these National and International Assessments.

COMPASS Update

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Ltd is implementing a new financial management system to all catholic schools in the Diocese. The changes are part of a diocesan-wide shift to new systems that provide stronger accounting and reporting capacity for schools. These changes bring the Diocese of Lismore in line with the same or similar systems used by most dioceses in Australia.

A number of schools will be converted each term and the process is scheduled to be completed by mid 2023. Our school will transition at the beginning of Term 4 2022, and as such, there will be some changes to school fee billing and payment methods.

What is changing?

There will be two preferred payment methods from October 2022 onwards:
 Bpay - The school Bpay biller code and your individual Bpay reference number will be advised early in Term 4.
 CompassPay – Compass is our new student management system with a mobile interface. More information about Compass and CompassPay will be sent to you in the coming weeks

Payments via direct deposit will be phased out and should cease by the end of 2022. Parents can still pay ‘over the counter’, if they choose.

What’s next?

From 2023, school fees will be billed at the beginning of each term along with the school building levy. All other levies will be billed in full in Term 1.

Please do not hesitate to contact Lani in our school office if you have any concerns or questions regarding the above.

Trivia Night - Postponed

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Trivia Night set down for Saturday September 17 has unfortunately needed to be postponed to a date to be advised in Term 4. Sorry for any inconvenience

Second Hand Uniform Give Aways

Thanks so much to everyone who has donated uniform items to our Second Hand Uniform Clothing Pool. Due to your generosity, there has been a huge stockpile of uniforms gathered and so, for the remainder of the term, all second hand uniforms will be "free". There is everything available except for the school jacket and all items are in very good order and condition. 

If you would like something, please just contact the school office with the required item and size and this will be arranged to be sent home. The Uniform Shop is open each Monday from 2pm if you would prefer to browse yourself.

Canteen Update - Sushi and Vietnamese Rolls

Our canteen will now be offering sushi and Vietnamese rolls as a healthy lunch choice each Monday. Due to ordering requirements and freshness, all orders for these must be placed by Thursday of the week prior so that they can be delivered fresh to our school each Monday ready for consumption.

There are a multitude of flavours to choose from as can be seen from the attached flyer. A single sushi roll pack will be $4.50, a twin sushi roll pack will be $7 and a full-size Vietnamese roll will be $4. Sachets of soy sauce will be available free of charge.

Please note that all orders and money must be in to the school office by Thursday of each week. In order for our school to have the sushi delivered we must have a minimum order of $50. If we do not have sufficient orders by Thursday of each week, all orders will be refunded and families notified.   

Free Mental Health Sessions

Kyogle & Villages, Parent/Carer Session
Date: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Time: 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm AEST
Location: Online webinar
Registration: https://bit.ly/3BT65rC
Parents, Carers, and Community Members in NSW are invited to attend free mental health education sessions giving practical strategies to support children and young people who have been impacted by natural disasters.

School Photos

School Photos are scheduled for Friday 16th September. 

If anyone requires a replacement photo form or sibling photo form, please collect from the office. 

Online Sibling Orders will close the day before the School Photo Day and will remain closed until the day after Photo Day(s).  This is to ensure that TSP staff can generate a Sibling Photography Report to ensure no one misses out on having their photo taken. Sibling Photo orders can be placed online after Photo Day only if children have presented to the photographers for a Sibling Photograph on Photo Day. Siblings may be presented to the photographer for a Sibling Portrait before payment is made. Unpaid photos will not be printed and may incur a late-order fee if not ordered within 14 days of photography.

Sports News

Matt King Cup

Our Stage 3 students are currently in preparation for their involvement in the Matt King Cup Rugby League Carnival to be held in Casino on Thursday 15th of September. Following the success at their initial carnival in Coffs Harbour back at the start of the term, the squad are very much looking forward to taking part in the day. Many thanks to Mr Gibson and Mrs Love who are spending time at lunch taking the team through their paces in readiness for the next assignment.

Positive Behaviour 4 Learning

Focus for Week 7:  We all follow the safety rules in our classrooms, the playground, around the toilet area and when we move around our school. 

Rewards Day Term 3 

As part of our Positive Behaviour Support Program we are having our end of term Rewards Day on Thursday 23rd September to celebrate those students who have demonstrated their positive behaviour this term through the display and promotion of our SERS (Safety, Effort, Respect, Self Responsibility).

This term the children will be participating in a Colour Run and will require a plain white or black t-shirt to wear. T-shirts will need to be at school by Tuesday 21st September with your child’s name clearly marked inside. 

St Brigid’s PBS Team

2023 Enrolments

Enrolments for any class for 2023 are currently being finalised. Please, if you know of anyone intending to join the St Brigid's community for 2023, ask them to get their enrolment applications in now! 

Our staffing allocation will be based on our enrolments at Census, taken at the start of August. Please do not hesitate to contact our Principal, Mr Hunter, if you have any questions or would like to inquire about enrolling here at St Brigid's for 2023 or even sooner.

Happy Birthday to You

Wishing the following children all the very best for their special day this week:-

29 August - Summer Beaumont

5 September- Caden Brown / Eloise King

7 September - Murray Doman / Millea Rixon

Happy birthday to the following students who are celebrating their special day this week:

Adam Bryant, Summer Beaumont, Igziah Anthony.

Student Awards

Congratulations to the following students who have shown tremendous effort and were presented with awards at last week's  assembly:

Kindergarten:-Tully Booth, Eliza Knight

Year 1:- Stanley Holloway, Blaire Lucas, Summer Beaumont

Year 2:- Shekinah Howes, Judah Marychurch, Chance Flanagan

Year 3:- Paityn Fear, Mia Glover

Year 4:- Yari Howes, Beau Dever

Year 5:- Carter Dowd, Ella Jones

Year 6:- Ryan McDonald, Murray Doman, Billy Kennedy

Principal Awards - Harry Nugent, Ben Price, Yari Howes

Making Jesus Real Awards - Piper Marychurch, Beau Dever, Cauis Dowd, Alaska Argall, Harlow Schneider, Fred Fowler

Family Connect Services

Is the rising cost of living stressing you out?

Money Smart can help you.  They help Australians take control of their money with free tools, tips and guidance.  Go online to moneysmart.gov.au to access:
* tips on managing your money
* accessing financial counselling
* planning for the future
* urgent help if you’re struggling or in a crisis
* understanding options if you’re having trouble paying your bills
* budget planners and calculators

Our Family Connect worker Aanaminda Makeig can also connect you with local services to assist. Min is at St Brigid’s each Wednesday. You can contact Min on 0427 620 667  or email aananinda.makeig@socialfutures.org.au

Min can also give families a helping hand regarding:
* Parenting challenges
* Accessing NDIS
* Linking to housing support
* Help with accessing welfare supports
* Accessing counselling services
* Linking to domestic violence supports
* Finding culturally appropriate support

Aanaminda (Min) Makeig - 0427 620 667  or aanaminda.makeig@socialfutures.org.au

Upcoming Dates

SEPTEMBER

Friday 2nd - Father's Day Breakfast

Friday 16th - School Photos

Saturday 17th - Parent Forum Trivia Night

Thursday 22nd - Last day of Term 3 for Students

Friday 23rd - Pupil Free Day

OCTOBER

Monday 10th - Term 4 commences

Sunday 23rd - Family Mass

DECEMBER 

Thursday 8th - School Swimming Carnival