Newsletter Term 1 Week 2 (Wednesday 7February 2024)

Welcome to St Brigid's

First Day Photos

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 20

Next

Our Gospel Reflection

This Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 1:40-45) invites us to think about the choices we make as individuals and as a family. Jesus was faced with a choice in Sunday’s Gospel. By choosing to heal the man with leprosy, Jesus showed God’s compassion for the sick and the outcast. The man knew that Jesus had a choice and that Jesus could reject his request. He may have expected that Jesus would not help him. The social taboos regarding leprosy certainly gave him little on which to base his hope. In the person of the man with leprosy, we see an image of all those in need. The sick and the outcast of our world are watching us, to see if we as Christians will choose to extend ourselves to others in need of healing and compassion.

Gather with your family and talk about some of the choices you have made as a family. (where to go on holiday, what activities to do together, how to spend our evenings, and so on) How does your family go about making these decisions? What do your choices communicate to others about your family’s values? In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus was faced with a choice. In choosing to heal the man with leprosy, Jesus chose to show God’s compassion and mercy. All our choices reflect our faith, and others are watching. Conclude in prayer together, asking God to help your family show compassion to others in your family decisions. Pray together The Lord’s Prayer.

From Our Principal

Dear Families of St Brigid’s,

Welcome to the 2024 school year!  Firstly, I must say how good it is to be back at “work” following an extended leave of absence last year. I would like to thank Mrs Walters, Mrs Shedden, Mrs Morabito and Mrs McManus for the way in which they led the school through the latter part of 2023, especially when it was dumped upon them so quickly.

We are grateful that our holiday break was peaceful and safe for our families and community and we pray that 2024 is joyful, safe, and healthy for us all.

Our students have returned to school happily over the week to complete their Mathematical Assessment Interviews and it's been tremendous to see them reconnect with their friends and teachers. They have settled back into school routine very quickly.

Yesterday, Tuesday 6th of February was such a momentous day in the lives of 24 of our families as they had their little one start their school journey in Kindergarten. It was wonderful to see them looking so smart and splendid in their new uniforms, wearing big smiles and looking so happy. We welcome all of our new students and their families from Kindergarten and look forward to a wonderful year of learning together.

We especially welcome Paityn (Year 1), Bowie (Year 1), Francisca (Year 2), Nyima (Year 3), Shewan (Year 3), Ivy (Year 4), Hazel (Year 4), Ryder (Year 4) and Willow (Year 6) who have joined the St Brigid's this year.

We welcome Mrs Jo Kelly into the Front Office on a full time capacity this year and we also welcome back Ms Kayla Robertson who returns to St Brigid's following her maternity leave last year. Mrs M'Leigh Edwards takes over in the canteen and it is wonderful that M'Leigh has taken on this role for our school.

2024 School Goals

We have set new goals for our 2024 school improvement journey, which are:

Students, staff and families will deepen their understanding of discipleship so that there is a greater uptake in faith formation opportunities.
Using the revised grammar and punctuation data wall, student progress is tracked which will inform the teaching and learning to ensure growth for all students.
We will aim for an average weekly attendance rate of 90% for all students during the 2024 school year.

We look forward to partnering with families to bring these goals to life in 2024. 

Assistant Principal News - Teaching & Learning

RECENT MAI INTERVIEWS

Thank you for your assistance last Wednesday and Thursday with making your children available for the Mathematical Assessments Interviews (MAI).  This is a whole school approach which emphasises quality classroom teaching and learning of Mathematics. The Mathematics Assessment Interview (MAI) is actually undertaken by every student in our diocesan primary schools at the beginning of each year. The MAI data provides valuable information for classroom teachers that allows their planned learning experiences to be targeted to the needs of their learners.

We recognise that for some students this may not be sufficient to enable them to thrive mathematically and may require more targeted support with their Mathematics learning at different points in their schooling. EMU Specialist Teachers are qualified specialists with a deep understanding of the learning process of Number and provide intervention for the most mathematically vulnerable students. Our EMU Specialist teachers at St Brigid’s are Loretta Morabito, Kelli Sheddon and Vanessa Walters. 

Letters will be sent out to parents in the coming weeks with the results of these MAI Assessments and more importantly will have suggestions on how you can support your child at home with Mathematics. If you have any questions about the MAI’s or the information in the letter, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher or one of our EMU specialist teachers.

Assistant Principal News- Mission

Year Six- Incitare: 

Today I spoke to Year Six about a faith formation opportunity within our Diocese - Incitāre. Incitāre is a student discipleship retreat where three students from St Brigid's will join with other Year Six students from across the Diocese for a day of fun, friendship and faith. Incitāre means to stir up, incite, urge, spur - when the Holy Spirit comes into our lives we are invited to spread the good news to all we encounter.
This is a peer-to-peer retreat which means that highschool students will assist in facilitating small group activities and give their faith testimonies. 
Students will experience faith nurturing activities and develop the skills to facilitate this retreat with all of Year Six when they return back to school. All students had the opportunity to take home a nomination form. I encourage you to ask them about this and have a chat about this wonderful opportunity. Please make contact with me if you have any further questions or queries. 

kelli.bugden@lism.catholic.edu.au 

Kelli-Ann Shedden 

Assistant Principal, Mission. 

Condolences

On behalf of the School community we would like to extend condolences to Eedie Batson (Yr 4)  and
her family on recently loss of her grandmother Robyn Townsend. 

Meet n Greet Parent Information Night

We look forward to having all of our families join us for our Meet n Greet Parent Information Night on Thursday, 8th February. This is a great opportunity to visit your child's classroom and hear the outline for 2024. Great way to meet the other parents in your child's class. All families in attendance have the opportunity of going into the draw to win $200 off their 2024 School Fee Account!!

There will be supervision, a sausage sizzle and ice block for all students in attendance.

A short overview of the evening:

5:15pm: Kindergarten Information Session

5:15pm: Years 1 to 6 Information Sessions in their respective classrooms. These sessons for Years 1 to 6 are then repeated at 5:50pm for those who could not make the earlier time

We hope you can join our community for this great first event of the year and we look forward to meeting you, especially all of our new families.

Canteen Helpers Required

A great way to support your child's school is through assisting in the canteen. Our canteen only runs one day per week (Monday) and the students love receiving their lunch and recess orders.

M'Leigh Edwards is our new Canteen Co-ordinator and she would love to have some help to ensure everything runs smoothly each Monday. Please refer to the link below if you are able to give 1 or 2 Mondays a term, or a year. The more help the easier it is.

https://bit.ly/SBPcanteen

Safe On Social Presentation

With the ever increasing exposure to Social Media, this is a presentation that no parent or carer can afford to miss. We are delighted to have Madeleine West of Safe on Social come back to our school on Thursday 15^th February to deliver a presentation that will be engaging, entertaining and quite confronting. Madeleine will deliver information that primary school parents need to know about - YouTube, Instagram, Musical.ly, Snapchat, Roblox, Minecraft, Clash of Clans / Clash Royale, Online Gaming, Fortnite and other games and apps your children may be using now or in the future. Other areas that Madeleine will cover are:-

Using social media with awareness             Keeping personal information private
Online grooming                                                Posting and sharing photos
What is a digital footprint                              Cyber-bullying, harassment and how to report it
Strategies to build resilience                         Online gaming safety

Madeleine will be presenting to the students in Years 3 to 6 during school time and then will give her presentation to parents in the Stage 3 Rooms commencing with dinner from 6pm and the presentation to commence at 6:30pm. There will be child minding available to allow all parents to attend. Please refer to the attached flyer for further information and registration details

Don’t let someone tell you how good this evening was, witness it for yourself!!

Important Information for 2024

COMMUNICATION:

With ever changing information about regulations around us, it is crucial we ensure clear communication with all of our staff and families. With a weekly Newsletter on offer, we hope we can ensure all families know what is happening and can therefore be involved in all aspects of school. We are always distressed for students who arrive unprepared for events because families didn’t access the information. This is heartbreaking when it involves young students not being ready for excursions, knowing about fun days at school or not wearing casual clothes on special days. We all know how busy life can be but we believe if we offer the clearly explained information in the Newsletter, it is crucial it is read as it supports our students. Likewise, Compass information needs to be read to stay informed of changes. Our plea for 2024 is for you to please take the time each week to read the information provided and make notes on calendars or whiteboards at home for the benefit of your child.

SCHOOL TIMES:

School starts at 8:50am. There will be a teacher on duty from 8:30am. Before this time children are required to sit on the steps in the Assembly area. If your child needs to be at school before this time please contact the school. There is NO school supervision until 8:30am.

School finishes at 3:15pm. A bell will ring at 3:10pm to allow classes to pack up and be ready for the second bell at 3:15pm.

Fruit Break is held any time from 9:30am onwards. This break is a short break during the morning session when students have a piece of fruit or vegetable. Parents are encouraged to cut up fruit for younger children if they are not able to manage a whole fruit on their own. Fruit break MUST be FRESH fruit or vegetables or dried fruit. Fruit straps etc. will not be allowed during this time. If your child is having a lunch order you MUST still send in fruit break.

Lunch: (12:50pm – 1:35pm) Children all come out together and play first. A bell then sounds at 1:20pm when students are required to sit and eat their lunch. Please pack your child a healthy lunch as they will need this energy to help them get through the remainder of the day.

Recess: (10:45am – 11:05am) Recess is a time for the students to have a snack and a short play. Please ensure your child has a snack for this time. If you are putting in yoghurt or other items which need to stay cold, it is a good idea to freeze items or put in ice bricks. Don’t forget to include a spoon if needed. Children are given time at the end of each break to go to the toilet, have a drink and wash their hands before going into class. Please remind your child of this and remind them that if they need to go to the toilet during class time they need to see their class teacher.

SIGNING IN AND OUT:

It is a legal requirement that visitors to the school sign in and out at the Front Office. If you are coming in to help in a classroom, attending a meeting, coming to assembly or working in the Canteen, please remember to sign in. This allows us to know who is in the school and make sure everyone is accounted for in the case of a fire or evacuation. Please do not just pop into school to give your child a forgotten lunch or book. Enter through the office at all times. The only access to school after 9am is through the office gate.

STUDENT INFORMATION:

There is an ongoing request to update ANY information which may be different to what we already have on record (i.e. phone numbers, alternative contacts, medication, family situations, change of address, etc.). This also includes letting us know of any change in home arrangements please. Please remember to do this as information changes.

CHANGES TO HOME TIME ARRANGEMENTS:

Please phone the Office PRIOR to 2:45pm to advise of any changes. This will provide our office staff with the best chance of ensuring that your child gets the message. Last minute phone calls at this busy time of the school day are not ideal and we cannot guarantee that late messages will be received.

WHAT IS A MUFTI DAY?:

Occasionally throughout the year the school will have a mufti day (these are no uniform days). Usually, mufti days are a social justice or fun event and students are allowed to wear plain, casual clothes for the day in exchange for a gold coin donation. Sometimes these days will have a theme e.g. Crazy Hair and Sock Day. Information will be in the school newsletter when these days are coming up. When dressing children for these days, they need to have covered shoulders, covered shoes and a hat, no midriff tops etc. please.

HEADLICE:

Something you will come in contact with at school is Head Lice. If your child gets Head Lice they will not be alone but they must be treated. Children with Head Lice are not allowed into the school until they have been treated and all eggs have been removed. If your child is found to have lice at school they will be sent home to have it treated. There are several treatments out there to treat Head Lice but the main issue is to remove all the eggs and re-check your child’s hair every couple of days for the next week to make sure no new eggs have hatched. You will need a fine tooth comb and some conditioner to check your child’s hair. It is a good idea to wash hats and pillow cases and check the whole family. To help prevent Head Lice (nits) encourage your child not to play with other people’s hair; do not share hats, keep hair tied back and neat, use gel or hairspray as this can help stop lice gripping to hair, spray hair with a combination of water, conditioner and tea tree oil; check your child’s hair regularly.

CANTEEN:

The Canteen is run by M'Leigh Edwards and is open on Mondays for recess and lunch and Tuesdays for breakfast. The Canteen is at the back of the School Hall. Lunch orders can be lodged through Compass or students may still bring in the traditional order in a lunch bag. The Canteen Menu is attached and will be in use for a number of weeks. We do welcome volunteers to assist in Canteen please.

STUDENT WELFARE:

Each year we receive funding from the Catholic Schools Office in Lismore to support student wellbeing. This year we have Bronwyn McNulty as our Counsellor and Sereena Zanuso and Jessie Moulynox as the other members of our school Wellbeing Team. Should a staff member identify a student who might need extra support they will bring this to the attention of the Principal. The process of organising support will then be put in place. Next, contact will be made with the child’s parents and a letter of consent signed by the parents. If a parent chooses not to consent then the school may ask the parent to seek outside support. If the school believes the problem being experienced is too big for us to manage effectively, we may also ask parents to seek support. Methods for doing this can be explained as needed. If you think your child may benefit from this type of support you can also talk to your child’s Pastoral teacher to begin the process.

WHAT IF MY CHILD IS SICK?:

As inconvenient as it may be, if your child is sick please do not send them to school. Sick children spread germs which in turn make more people sick. If you are unsure if your child is too sick to come to school use these tips:

• Do they have a temperature?
• Are they coughing uncontrollably?
• Do they have green or yellow mucus coming from their nose?
• Are they tired, lethargic and grumpy?
• Have they been vomiting or had diarrhoea in the past 24 hours?
• Has anyone else in your family been sick in the past few days?
• Do they have an unidentified rash?
• Are they on antibiotics and are still unwell?
• Have I tested them with a RAT for Covid?

Please make sure you let the school know if your child is sick by responding to our SMS or emailing/ ringing the office. If your child has an illness which is contagious or they will be away for a prolonged period of time due to illness, please notify the school immediately. If your child is exhibiting even mild Covid symptoms, please arrange a Covid test and advise the school that you have done so. Parents and staff don’t like children to miss school. But please consider others when making the decision to send an unwell child to school.

WHAT IF MY CHILD IS ON MEDICATION?:

Sometimes children need to take medication at school. This may be something as simple as cough lozenges (strepsils) or it may be ongoing regular medication (e.g. asthma puffer). Whatever the case, all medication must be sent to the office with a note and in most cases a Medication Authority form outlining the dosage and time it needs to be taken etc. If you need more details about this please contact the School Office. Parents are responsible for ensuring medications supplied to school are in date. If your child takes medication, but only at home, please ensure staff are aware of this medication too.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY CHILD IS UPSET WHEN I PICK THEM UP AFTER SCHOOL?

Sometimes children can be upset after school. This is not unusual at the end of a long day, especially as we settle back into school. It is much like a parent some days after a long day at work. Try not to interrogate your child immediately. Have afternoon tea, do your normal after school activities and then after dinner sit down and talk through the situation or problem. As the Principal, I receive many 3:35pm phone calls from worried parents. Often it turns out to be the child has had a few things go wrong during the day and they just need time to process this. Sometimes it is just a case of a tired student. But if it is a problem that the school needs to assist with, a phone call, note or email will get our help. Please do not phone other parents. This places them in a difficult situation, alerts other students to a potential problem and you may not have the whole story. If it is a school related problem please allow us to sort it for you.

WHAT ARE SPORTS HOUSES?

When your child enters the school they are given a Sports House and each House is represented by a colour. St Brigid’s has three houses represented by the colours Red (Sutton), Blue (Doyle) and Gold (Colahan). Your child will be able to wear a coloured shirt representing their House on sports carnival days. If you are unsure what Colour House your child is in please ask their class teacher.

WHAT ARE SPORTS CARNIVAL DAYS?

St Brigid’s has three main school carnivals – Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics.

• The Swimming Carnival is held in December each year and all students are involved. Students under 8 years, compete in water games and activities in an infants carnival, this is a fun event and non competitive. Students over 8 years can elect to swim in a number of different events. This section of the carnival is competitive and students who do well can then go onto higher levels representing the school and diocese.
• Cross Country is a long distance running carnival which is usually held later in Term 1. The infants complete a fun run on the school playground. Older students compete in a more structured long distance run and may go on to represent the school or diocese.
• The Athletics Carnival is usually held in Term 2 and all students compete in a range of athletic events including running, Shot Put, Long Jump and High Jump. Students 8 years and over may be selected to represent the school or diocese. Mrs Lee Love is our Sport’s Co-ordinator in 2024.

HOW CAN I HELP IN THE SCHOOL?

What are the benefits of being involved? Research tells us that students do best when their parents are directly involved in school.

• Students enjoy having you involved with the class and in their learning. They can show you their skill.
• Teachers appreciate having you involved with the class and assisting them. Many hands make the load easier at times.
• You get to know other children and their parents, forming friendships and building school community.
• You enjoy the satisfaction of being part of the team and school improvement.
• You only need do what you can realistically fit in to your life.

Whatever you can do will contribute to making our school a better place. And we all want to keep improving! We always welcome volunteers and parents in whatever capacity they are able to assist. There are many opportunities in which you can help the school, some of these are: Parish School Forum, Class Parent Representative, Parent Assembly, Canteen. In the Classroom - Guided Reading, changing Home Readers, listening to kids read, working with small groups, Art volunteers, helping at sports carnivals, assisting on excursions, become a member of group or committee, LAP tutor – these are people who come and work one-on-one with students for around one hour a week. These are just a few ways you can help. Your assistance helps your child and other children all at once! Please don’t ever feel that we don’t value you volunteering - we are in constant need of all sorts of help! We need you on the journey.

WHAT IS PARISH SCHOOL COMMUNITY FORUM OR PSF?

The Parish School Forum is a group of parents and staff who come together approximately twice a term to discuss issues within the school and help the Leadership Team make decisions about the direction the school is heading. It is open to all parents who wish to attend and it is a great way to find out more about how the school is run. There are several smaller groups and committees within the school who have representatives who come along and present to the forum when they have events coming up so that the forum can assist them if needed. In the past, the PSF has taken part in the school review process and had input into the development of the three year school plan; discussed various ways we can encourage more parent involvement in the school; helped organise events, discussed learning ideas; organised Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day stalls; and developed education programs for parents with help of the Parent Assembly. This is an excellent way to be part of the school and work together with staff to create a great learning environment for your child. To find out more come along to a PSF meeting. Our first meeting is Tuesday 20th February at 3:30pm in the School Library.

WHAT ARE CLASS PARENT REPS?

Each Stage has at least one Parent Representative. This parent volunteers to support the class, teacher and parents in developing a positive working relationship. It is designed to help welcome parents into the class and school and develop friendships and a social network for families. Some of the ways in which Parent Reps assist teachers is to welcome and assist new families in to the class or to help farewell a student who is leaving. Parent Reps. normally organise social gatherings for class parents and families like cake, coffee and play dates at the park, or nights out for the Mum’s or Dad’s, they may also organise a card or gift for a specific family event – new baby or passing of a family member.

WHAT IS A TEACHER AIDE?

We have several Teacher’s Aides in our school who assist a variety of students in the classroom setting. Our TAs are vital members of our school community and work hard alongside the classroom teacher to bring out the best in all our students. Their knowledge and skills are invaluable and they provide a wealth of opportunities to the classrooms they work in. Mrs Morabito is our Additional Needs Co-ordinator in 2023. She will contact you if we are planning meetings for students with additional needs, require paperwork for students or to sort out appointments with specialist support.

WHAT IS PARENT ASSEMBLY?

Parent Assembly was set up by the Diocese of Lismore to give parents of all our schools a voice in the education of their children. It is an excellent way for parents and schools to work together to provide the best educational opportunities for all. Our school is entitled to have Parent Assembly Representatives. These parents are PSF members and attend meetings in Lismore once a Term to give feedback on how things are going at St Brigid’s, ways in which Parent Assembly may be able to support the school and ideas on how to involve families and parents in their child’s education. We would love to have additional representatives. If you would like to join them please let us know. Parent Assembly also has a Parent Library which is located in the teacher resource section of the School Library. All parents are welcome to come and borrow items from here and can come and see Mrs Love or Mrs Barsby if they need assistance. This section contains books, DVD’s and other resources on a range of topics. Parent Assembly also organises a range of events throughout the year to assist parents and families in educating themselves about relevant issues. In the diocese, we have a variety of guest speakers and programs which run free of charge to the parents of all diocesan schools as well as an annual conference which includes guest speakers usually experts in the field of children, family and parent education. Look out for posters in the newsletter for upcoming events. Finally, the Parent Assembly also has a Family Faith Gathering every year. It is a weekend away for families of children attending diocesan schools and is provided free of charge for families who wish to attend. It is a great opportunity for families to come together, meet new people and build on their faith.

 COVERING SCHOOL BOOKS:

The staff have agreed that it is not compulsory to ask families to cover books this year. The manner in which we use exercise books in conjunction with whiteboards, write and swipes, computers, ipads and other methods of recording, means we don't feel it is cost effective (or fair) to continue to ask parents to cover books. We are also trying to teach students not to use unnecessary resources. Staff will make labels to assist students to know their books and the different uses of books. We are leaving it with parents if they would like to cover their children’s books..

SCHOOL WEBPAGE AND FACEBOOK

The school webpage can be found at http://www.kyogplism.catholic.edu.au  Important information, notes, newsletters are all placed here. Search for and “like” the school Facebook page - St Brigid’s Kyogle. We place photos and other relevant information here. A link to Facebook can be found on our webpage and our Newsletter. (Please share this too!) Our Newsletter is delivered online. Some hardcopies are available from the school office and at the back of the church.

COMPASS:

In 2022 Compass was introduced as our communication method. All parents need to have signed in so that all events can be accessed. This allows you to give permissions for attendance at events and make payments without the need for notes being sent home. It is vital that ALL families have a device connected to Compass. You will be contacted if you have not as we will require this so your child can take part in ANY event here at school. Compass is used for Roll marking each day here at school. If your child is absent when the roll is marked you will receive an SMS. Please respond before 3pm that day to confirm this and give a reason. Don’t email teachers to tell them. You can ring the office if you need to give more information or email kyogp@lism.catholic.edu.au You will receive more information about booking interviews and receiving School Reports during the year.

RELEASE FROM FACE TO FACE:

This is a requirement for all teachers. If they hold a fulltime workload they must be given at least two hours release per week. In 2024, we will again be releasing class teachers on a weekly basis from 12:20pm on particular days. Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) Release takes place every Tuesday. Stage 3 (Years 5 and 6) Release takes place each Wednesday and Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 (Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2) takes place each Thursday. To allow the learning to occur at all levels, the teachers work on planning the next week’s learning sequence during this time.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY STUDENT ACCEPTABLE USE AGREEMENT

As new year begins all students from Year 2 to 6 will be asked, along with their parents to read and sign this agreement in accordance with the use of technology here at St Brigid’s. Students need to be aware of what this agreement means. They are constantly reminded in class. It may be useful for parents to also revisit this agreement. This agreement stays in place until the end of 2024. Encouraging good digital citizenship and making the online landscape a less dangerous place for young people are fundamental aspects of learning. Visit here if you would like to know more https://www.esafety.gov.au/

SOCIAL MEDIA:

It is quite common for parents to establish social media groups or pages to share information or connect with other parents in your child’s class and school community. Please be reminded that it is not permitted to establish a social media presence using the school's name or logo without written permission from the Principal. Any permitted social media pages/groups/ accounts must adhere to the schools and the Catholic Schools Office Diocesan Social Media Policies.

We do have a school Facebook page. Please follow that for regular updates and information. Please be aware that sharing photos of other children on your social media is a breach of the policy and can result in serious issues. If you are wanting to post photos of your child, crop others out of the photo prior to posting.

WHAT IS A LITURGY?

A liturgy is a religious service which is held in the church, the hall or the classroom. It is less formal than a Mass, will usually not include the priest and will not offer communion. The school has several big liturgies throughout the year including: Ash Wednesday, NAIDOC week (Aboriginal and Indigenous Australians) and Family Day. All classes will usually have a liturgy at some point throughout the year. Families are always welcome and encouraged to attend these events. Remember it is all part of the journey. Please remember if you are attending an event in the school sign in at the School Office first.

WHAT IS MASS?

Mass is the formal religious service, usually held in the church. Sometimes Mass will be moved to the hall to accommodate for larger numbers. All children attend Mass both as a whole school and in class or Stage groups. Mass is different to liturgy in that it is more structured, it is longer and communion is celebrated. Families are encouraged to come and join in the school and class Mass and there is usually a morning tea organised after class Masses. The School and Parish also encourage and welcome families along to Mass every weekend. Saturday night Mass is at 6pm. Sunday Mass is at 9am. Look in the Newsletter for special Masses. We encourage your participation at these events. We are a Catholic School within the Parish of Our Lady of Sorrows and are very proud to continue the traditions of our Catholic Faith.

HOMEWORK:  

Our school policy on Homework is very simple… We believe that students do enough learning during the day. What they do after school can be diverse, dependant on family interests and circumstances. After school activities we know about for our students include sports training or competition, dance, gym, karate, singing classes, music tuition, out of school hours care, horse riding, drama class, speech therapy. If I left anything off, my apologies. Our decision on what is essential from our point of view is based on the concept that if parents try to ‘teach’ their children after school it should be in things they want. The only extra we expect from EVERY child is nightly reading. Reading is compulsory.

STUDENT’S PERSONAL DEVICES:

Please remind your child, if they bring a phone or other device to school, to bring it to the office in the morning and collect it at the end of day. No device is to be left in a school bag or on a student. These will be confiscated if found. School cannot accept any responsibility if these devices are broken or stolen. If your child uses this device at school without permission there are consequences in place. There really is no need for a student to bring a device to school.

SCHOOL FEES:

Fee Statements will be issued automatically each month by Compass. Your Bpay details (preferred payment option) will appear on this Statement. - The system will bill fees across the four school terms. Tuition Fees for each Term will only appear on your Statement at the beginning of each Term. You will need to use the Compass app. to view your account details, balance and payment records.

All families must pay the Parish, Technology, Resources and Year Book levy entirely. Consideration can only be given to support the Tuition fee component. If you think you require school fee support please make an appointment with our Principal to discuss this early. Being in arrears in school fees can be avoided by letting us know of any issues.

Paying fees in instalments is the most convenient option for most families – weekly, fortnightly, monthly. Consistent regular payments are the best way of ensuring you don’t fall behind in your commitment. If you have had a pre-existing arrangement, this must be revisited for 2024.

Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L)

PBS Focus for Term 1 Week 2: I am familiar with routines and how the SERS look in my classroom.

MJR

MJR Weekly Focus: I welcome others just like Jesus

Winter Sports Trials - 2024 - Richmond Zone

Dear Parents and Students,

This is a representative pathway for football, hockey, netball, rugby league and rugby union. Your child should display a high level of skill in their respective sport(s). It is important that they have consistently played their sport for number of years in an organised/representative capacity. 

If your child wishes to attend the rugby union trials and an additional sport, please complete the nomination form for each individual sport. 

NOMINATIONS FOR FOOTBALL, HOCKEY, NETBALL AND RUGBY LEAGUE MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE 4:00PM ON THURSDAY 15TH FEBRUARY.
LATE NOMINATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

The date and location for each sport is as follows:

Football
Date: Thursday 22nd February Time: 4:00 - 5:30pm
Venue: Lismore Thistles Football ClubConvener: Mr Brendan Tickle (boys) Elke Jansen (girls)

Hockey (Trials will be held if required)
Date: Thursday 22nd February Time: 4:00 - 5:30pm
Venue: Lismore Hockey - 214 Oliver Avenue, GoonellabahConvener: Mrs June Blunn

Netball Date: Thursday 22nd February Time: 4:00 - 5:30pm
Venue: Marie MacKney Netball Courts, Ballina Rd, LismoreConvener: Nikki Hammond

Rugby League Date: Thursday 22nd February Time: 4:00 - 5:30pm
Venue: St Carthage's Primary School SMS Oval, Brunswick Street LismoreConvener: Mr Ben Crawford (U11's) Phil Crosby (Opens)

Rugby Union Date: Thursday 15th February Time: 4:00 - 5:30pm
Venue: Lismore Rugby Union Fields, Rugby Rd LismoreConvener: Mr John Gordan and Mr Daniel O'Brien
RUGBY UNION NOMINATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE TUESDAY 13TH FEBRUARY, at 4:00pm.
LATE NOMINATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Please be aware that Zone trials will take place out of school hours (4pm).
You will need to organise your child’s transport to and from the venue. Children participating at this level will need to wear appropriate clothing for their sport, including safety equipment such as shin pads or mouth guards. Appropriate sun protection is also recommended. It is also advisable for students to bring their own drink bottle.

Successful students will attend the Diocesan trials which will be held in GRAFTON on the following dates: Hockey - Wednesday 6th MarchFootball, Netball, Rugby League - Friday 8th MarchRugby Union - Friday 17th MayTravel and associated accommodation etc. is the responsibility of individual families.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Leader of Sport at your school. 

Regards, 
Richmond Zone Sport Committee

FILL OUT FORM HERE 

Happy Birthday to You

Wishing the following children all the very best for their special day this week or over the holidays:

January 

Upcoming Dates

February

8th -  Parent Information Sessions from 5.15pm

13th - Zone Swimming Lismore 

14th - Ash Wednesday 

15th - Zone Rugby Trials, Lismore 

15th - Safe on Social Presentation 6pm  

Free Resources For All Parents