Newsletter Term 4 Week 9 (Wednesday 7th December 2022)

Our Front Page with Year 6

Graduating Class of 2022

Year 6 marked the end of their Primary School years with a liturgy and dinner last week. It was a wonderful occasion. Let Your Light Shine!

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Our Gospel Reflection

This weekend we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Advent which is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word meaning “rejoice". Some people mark this Sunday on their Advent wreath with a pink candle instead of a purple candle. This Sunday is a joyful reminder that our salvation is near.

This week's Gospel Reading continues our Advent reflection on the person and message of John the Baptist. Last week we heard John speak about his relationship to the coming Messiah, Jesus. This week, we hear Jesus' message to John the Baptist, now in prison, about the signs of the kingdom found in Jesus' ministry and Jesus' assessment of John's role in the Kingdom of God.

Read together Sunday's Gospel. Think about John's question to Jesus: Are you the One? Jesus does not answer directly, but points to the signs of the kingdom present in his midst.

Together as a family, look through the newspaper for signs of hope that God is at work in our world. Pray that the world will know God's salvation by praying together the Lord's Prayer.

From Our Principal

We are very much looking forward to hosting our Christmas Pageant this evening with the gates opening at 5pm. The team from Kyogle Rotary will have their food van in operation and there will be a mobile pizza van also available for families. The Pageant will commence at 6:30pm and I confirm this new time from that previously advertised. Please come along, bring your fold-up chairs, blankets, rugs, etc, and enjoy a beautiful evening as the students of St Brigid's present the story of Christmas.

Semester 2 Reports

The Semester 2 academic reports will be released via Compass next Monday 12 December. This will be the first time that we will be issuing the reports on Compass, so please do not go looking in your child's school bag for their report. Full instructions and information on how to read and download reports will be sent home via a Compass alert.

Communication to Leaving Parents

Parents of students who are leaving our school at the end of the year and are not continuing their education within the Diocese of Lismore will lose access to their Compass portal on the 31st December 2022. We encourage you to download your child’s reports in Compass prior to the 31st December. Parents of students who are continuing their education at a Catholic school within the Diocese of Lismore will still be able to access their child’s reports through their Compass portal.

Mathematics Assessment and Best Start Interviews

MAI bookings for Year 1 - 6 students are now open in Compass Bookings and will remain open until school begins in 2023. These interviews will be scheduled for 30 minutes each. To ensure you are able to book the days and times suitable for you, please book in sooner rather than later. 

Kindergarten students in 2023 are able to book their meetings via the same method on Compass. The Kinder meetings however will be 1 hour in duration, as both Mathematics and Literacy will be addressed. For any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Campbell in our School Office.

MAI/Best Start Interview Bookings

To book MAI / Best Start Interviews, you should notice the booking link appear at the top of your news feed. If not, you can also find it this way:

In mobile devices- click on the More tab > Conference.

Desktop or Browser - click on Community > Conference

If you cannot locate particular functions on Compass, open in browser. Some mobile devices are offering limited functionality in the mobile app.

Vinnies Hampers

Friday 9th December (Week 9) is set for our DRESS IN CHRISTMAS COLOURS day whereby you also bring something for the festive hampers. We have always supported this appeal generously. Our local St Vincent de Paul Society and our parishioners work with us to keep the Spirit of giving alive at Christmas for those who need it most in our community - those who are doing it tough, are isolated or experiencing hardship. On December 13th the volunteers will come to our End of Year Mass to be presented with all of our ‘goodies’ and then they will work hard to sort everything and repack items into individual hampers. Suggestions for hamper items include:
 Christmas food such as biscuits, shortbread, puddings, and anything NON-PERISHABLE
 Boxed chips like Cheezels, Pringles etc (bagged chips will crush)
 Crackers
 Lollies
 ‘Treat’ food
 Jelly, tinned fruit
 ‘Fancy’ tea (like Twinings), coffee, instant cappuccino/chai/latte etc
 Soft drinks like canned six-packs, bottles of fizzy drinks, poppers
 Non-alcoholic beverages
 Christmas items like bonbons, decorations
Please donate according to your own financial ability and, if possible, include your child in the process. You might like to donate now and save something else for the dress-up day. If you are in Ready4Learning you are welcome to donate to the Kindergarten basket. We have 142 students in our school. Imagine if we could all donate an average of 3 items per student and then we could end up with nearly 500 items. That makes for many generous hampers and plenty of smiles for
the recipients. Thank you once again for your support.

ICAS Results

The final packs have arrived by mail, and we plan to present the last of the ICAS certificates at the upcoming Year 3 Showcase on Friday, 9th December (new date). 

Congratulations to the many students who took up the challenge and sat these national and international assessments. We are all very proud of your efforts and achievements.

Well done Fred Fowler, Evie Howes, Eamon McCormack, Talei Gill-Navatu, Van Smith, Brooklyn Stubbings, Yari Howes, Indigo Dowd, Ayce Harley, Christian Hoffman, Eloise King, Landan Faulks, Kymani Gill-Navatu, Carter Hudson, and Morgan Studd.

Covid Update

You may be aware of an increased number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the broader community. Please be reminded that students and staff CANNOT attend school if they are showing any symptoms of Covid 19. 

Students who are unwell

If a student is unwell, displaying any COVID-19 or cold and flu-like symptoms at any time, they CANNOT attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test. 

If the rapid antigen test is positive and the student is unwell and/or experiencing any symptoms, they CANNOT attend school.

If the rapid antigen test is positive and the student is not feeling unwell and not displaying or experiencing any symptoms, they CAN attend school under the following conditions:

• the School Office is informed of the positive test result, AND
• the student (over 12 years old) wears a mask for a period of 7 days in all indoor settings.

Should you require any RAT kits please contact Lani in the School Office and these will be sent out to you.

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

Every year as a school community we like to support the Kyogle branch of the St Vincent De Paul Society with items for their Christmas hampers. These hampers go to people in the local area who are experiencing hardships during the Christmas period. Please refer to the list below and many thanks for your support again this year.

Library News

Borrowing has now ended for this year so we are asking students to return all library books asap. Please look around the house, under beds, and in cupboards for any home readers that might be hiding away.

Invoices will be sent out for any lost books.

Bus Travel Information

Transport for NSW information and application portal at transportnsw.info is designed to help families find all their travel information in the one place.
SCHOOL TRAVEL APPLICATIONS FOR 2023 ARE NOW OPEN: Parents are asked to plan ahead and make sure their child has a valid School Travel Pass from the start of the 2023 school year.
 A new application will need to be submitted if students are applying for a school travel pass for the first time or if they are requesting an additional travel entitlement as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation (eg joint custody). Students who need a school travel pass for 2023 can  apply now.
 Students who change address or school, should update or renew their details before the end of Term 4, (eg progressing to Year 7). This will ensure that schools can endorse applications and current entitlements are updated and remain valid. All students in Kindergarten to Year 2 are eligible for free bus travel. If a student’s distance eligibility has changed based on their Year, (eg progressing to Year 3), the system will automatically update their entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, they will receive an expiry notification via email.
 Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.
 Students living in rural and regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.
 For some families, last minute changes to school enrolments mean they may not have a Travel Pass for the start of the new term. In this instance, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs. Bus operators are flexible and understanding, particularly at the start of the school year, and will ensure students can travel safely to and from school. To best support bus operators, we encourage all students to have a valid travel pass, as early as possible, from the start of the new school year.

It's a girl...

Congratulations to Keeley and Nathan Goebel on the recent birth of their daughter Billie. Billie will be the much adored younger sister of Harrison & Cooper. 

BPay - Preferred Payment Option

Account Payments - For families wishing to make one off or regular payments to your Fee Account, our preferred payment option is BPAY. 

The school's BPAY Biller Code is:   395004

Individual reference numbers will appear on your statement, which is automatically emailed at the end of the month. 

Positive Behaviour 4 Learning

Focus for Week 9:  We follow teacher expectations and speak to everyone with respect at all times because that’s what we do at St Brigid’s. 

Sports News

Swimming Carnival

The school swimming carnival will take place tomorrow, Thursday 8 December with the backup date set aside for Wednesday 14th of December. 

External support for the holidays

School holidays resource kit

Sometimes parents (and kids) need a bit of extra support during long summer holidays. Whether you just need someone to talk to or you are a parent who would like to expand your skills with a short course or webinar, check out the following links:

https://kidshelpline.com.au/

Kids’ Helpline is a 24/7 service for children and young people aged 5-25 who need someone to talk to. Kids’ Helpline is available any time, for any reason. Contact them by phone or SMS. They also offer loads of information on really important topics such as why bullying is not okay to how to cope when a new baby joins your family or a loved one dies. And although this service is mostly for kids, there’s a helpful section for parents, too.

https://www.parentline.org.au/

Parentline is like a Brains Trust for parents of kids aged 0-18. Got a question or a difficult situation? Call or email Parentline to talk it out or get a fresh perspective or some helpful ideas. Parentline is open from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and from 4pm to 9pm on Saturdays and Sundays. It’s closed on public holidays.

https://www.interrelate.org.au/programs-services

Interrelate is a service that specialises in helping people of all ages navigate the sometimes tricky terrain of relationships. Not just partner-relationships, but all kinds – parent-child relationships, sibling relationships, even relationships in the workplace. Visit the website to find out what courses, programs or information may be helpful for you and your family.

Headspace

Headspace is inviting parents and carers to attend a free one-hour webinar all about practical strategies to help you support young people and their mental health in the school holidays. Visit

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/supporting-young-people-in-school-holidays-practical-tips-for-parentcarer-tickets-468952659027?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

to find out more or to register. All attendees will receive a digital pack of information and resources. These webinars will have a focus on supporting young people 12+ years. Please see the attached flyer.

The first 5 session dates are live on Eventbrite:

• Monday 12 December, 12-1pm
• Tuesday 13 December, 6-7pm
• Wednesday 14 December, 12-1pm
• Monday 19 December, 6-7pm
• Tuesday 20 December, 6-7pm

More sessions will be scheduled in the new year, so keep checking back through the QR code on the attached flyer.

Jan's Bucket Club

Our beautiful and creative Jan Seymour runs art and craft workshops for K-6 students over the school holidays. A great way to use your creative kids vouchers!

Registration details are below.  

Online Safety Guide for Parents

The below link is a parent guide for setting up your home for online safety.  Linewize have developed a simple ABC model, that is a practical and effective way to create a safe online
environment for your family.

Happy Birthday to You

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

10th December - Kinsley Whiting

11th December - Judah Marychurch

12th December - Alyanna Clark , Talei Gill-Navatu, Shekinah Howes

13th December - Ryder Newman

14th December - Haven Capps 

Student Awards

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

Kindergarten:- Raph Hudson, Kaya Hardwick, Emma Nugent

Year 1:- Ella Walters, Ryder Newman, Harrison Goebel

Year 2:- Judah Marychurch, Byron Cameron-Keed, Caius Dowd, Morgan Studd, Elliarna Devenish

Year 3:- Adam Bryant, Peyhton Bateman, Mia Glover

Year 4:- Eloise Stephenson, Parker Kennedy

Year 5:- Brett Argall, Georgia Pratt, Dominic Bennett

Year 6:- Lilly Hudson, Fred Fowler, Noah Marychurch

Principal Awards: - Noah Rixon, Ella Walters, Emma Nugent

Upcoming Dates

DECEMBER 

Wednesday 7th - Christmas Pageant, 5pm onwards

Thursday 8th - School Swimming Carnival

Friday 9th - Year 3 Showcase at 2pm & 'Christmas Colours' Day

Tuesday 13th - End of Year Mass & Awards, 9:30am

Thursday 15th - Year 6 Showcase

Friday 16th - Rewards Day / Last day of the year for students