Aboriginal Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We commit ourselves to actively working alongside Aboriginal people for reconciliation and justice.

Dear Families,

I would like to welcome everyone back to Term 3 and I trust that the holidays, (they seem so long ago!), were a happy and restful time to recharge the batteries. We were certainly blessed with beautiful weather and also some very frosty winter mornings!

On Tuesday 8th August we celebrate the Feast of St Mary MacKillop. Mary Mackillop is Australia's first saint. Mary MacKillop was a trail-blazer in her lifetime, leaving a culture of exemplary living for her followers to emulate. Mary paved the way for education of poor children and a variety of ministries which addressed the needs of 19th century Australia.

Mary MacKillop was the founder of the inspirational group of women who continue her work today in our country and in neighbouring countries. Mary MacKillop is an example of faith put into action and words, as she followed her dream to ensure country children in small rural communities in Australia were able to receive a good education in their Catholic faith and academic skills for their future. She always went out of her way to minister to the poor, the lonely, the sick and those who were outcasts. 

Mary Mackillop's mantra was  “To never see a need without doing something about it".

Mary MacKillop Prayer
Ever generous God,
You inspired Saint Mary MacKillop
To live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and constant in
bringing hope and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence and through the
intercession of Saint Mary MacKillop
We ask that you grant our prayers.
We ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit so
that we too, like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust and
openness.
Ever generous God hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ. Amen.

NAIDOC Week 

Next week we are celebrating NAIDOC Week at school. Mr Condie has been very busy organising activities for this week. Each class will be doing class activities throughout the week. We will begin our celebrations on Monday afternoon with an assembly with Aunty Thelma. On Tuesday and Wednesday Aunty Thelma will be leading students in cultural activities. On Thursday Uncle Gilbert will be working in all grades with a focus on the Bundjalung language and on Friday our indigenous students, their families and Trinity students will share a barbeque lunch.

On Friday all students are invited to wear casual clothes to school in the indigenous colours of red, black and yellow. If they don't have clothes in these colours any casual clothes may be worn. School hat and covered shoes are to be worn. Students are asked to bring a gold coin donation that will be sent to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. This donation helps provide culturally relevant books and learning resources to children and families living in remote Communities across Australia. 

We thank Mr Condie for his continued passion, hard work and commitment to ensuring our indigenous students are acknowledged and valued, and for sharing his knowledge and wisdom with all students - great job!

There will be photos in our next Newsletter.

Zone Athletics Carnival

Yesterday about 50 students from St Carthage's attended the Zone Athletics Carnival at Woodlawn. Our students were very competitive, beautifully behaved and displayed a great sense of sportsmanship. Well done on a great event!  

We thank Mrs Sudiro for organising and accompanying our students and Mrs Blunn, Mr Matthews and Mr Bullpit for supporting our students throughout the day.

2024 Enrolments

I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting some of our new families enrolling their child into Kindergarten next year. What a delight it is to see the smiles on the faces of the children as we talk about their transition to 'big school.' When I ask our new parents why they have chosen St Carthage's for their child they have unanimously said that they have heard great things about the school. All the advertising in the world can't make up for personal recommendations from someone who speaks positively about their experiences at our school!

If you are aware of anyone who may be considering enrolling at St Carthage's  please encourage them to make contact with the school or go to our school website and complete the online enrolment form. Enrolments for Years 1-6 for 2024 are also open.

St Carthage's Kindergarten 100 Days of School Celebration

On Monday evening 31st July our Kindergarten families have been invited to come along to our 100 Days of School celebration. This is an opportunity for our kindergarten families to share a meal and participate in some fun activities and get to meet other families.

We look forward to sharing this evening with our kindergarten families.

Save the Dates:

Grandparents Prayer and Shared Morning Tea - Friday 18th August

Grandparents are invited to come along to our Grandparents Prayer on Friday morning 18th August at 10.30am in the school hall. They are then welcome to bring along morning tea to share with their grandchildren.

School Community Group Meeting - Tuesday 22nd August

We will be having our 2nd School Community Group Meeting in the School Hall on Tuesday evening 22nd August at 6.00pm. During the meeting you will hear school reports, our School Counsellor will be talking and there will be opportunities for our parents and carers to collaborate on future meeting topics important to your child/children.

A flyer has been sent home for your information. 

Book Week Parade - Friday 25th August

It is time to start thinking about costumes for Book Week! This year's Book week theme is  “Read, Grow, Inspire”. We will again be having our Book Week dress up and parade at school. This will occur on Friday 25th August.

We invite our pre-school siblings to come along dressed up as well and join our parade. More details to follow! 

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Wednesday 30th August (new date)

Catholic students from Year 4 and other grades will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday evening, 30th August at 5.30pm in the Cathedral.

Father’s Day Stall - Thursday 31st August

Our Fathers’ Day Stall will be held on Thursday, 31st August. Gifts will be $5.00 per gift.

Father's Day Sausage Sizzle - Thursday August 31st

This will be held on Thursday afternoon, 31st August 4.15-5.45pm on the bottom playground. This will be a great opportunity to catch up with other families and to celebrate our dads.

Change of details

Please be mindful of informing the school of any diagnosis or change in medical conditions for your child so that school health plans and records are current and accurate. This is especially important for those students with Asthma, Anaphylaxis, Diabetes and other medical issues.

Welcome Back!!

Welcome back to Term Three!!! It is looking like this term is going to be filled with great learning opportunities for all students at St Carthage's. The Poetry and Public Speaking Competition has returned (see Mrs Matthew's section in the Newsletter for further information), Kindergarten are celebrating their first 100 days of school and we will be holding our annual Book Week Parade just to name a few. Keep your eyes out for all the ways you can join in.

ICAS Assessment Sitting Dates

Below are the ICAS Assessment sitting dates for each assessment. I will endeavour to run these assessments on the first sitting date of the week unless there are two tests sitting that week. If your child is absent on the sitting day we have the remainder of the week to catch up on these assessments.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.

NAPLAN Results

All NAPLAN results for students in Year 3 and Year 5 were sent home with your child/ren last Friday. Below is some information with regards to these reports.

What's the use of a Catholic School?

Having a common purpose, beliefs and values can increase a sense of 'togetherness' in society and within people. Where these are missing you will find the opposite effect - a lack of positive relationships and wellbeing. A faith tradition allows us to see something larger than ourselves - to build in children a sense of 'togetherness' and their self-worth. St Carthage's is founded upon the belief that Jesus is the model for all people and he was all about good relationships and wellbeing.

Our school endeavours to build in children a sense of 'togetherness' and their self-worth in many ways but the three below are important.

First, encouraging students to look at events in their lives through a hope-filled lens. We ask, "What were the consequences for your actions?" "Upon reflection, what is a better course of action?" "What did Jesus teach about this situation?"

We encourage students to see failure as an opportunity to reflect, grow closer to God and improve their lives and the lives of others. We use our "Sit and Think Forms" to do this when the need arises. A "Sit and Think Form" is not a punishment. The student needs to:

1) Write or draw what happened

2) Write or draw how their action made others (and themselves) feel.

3) How can I make things right?

4) What will I do next time I'm in the same situation?

Second, we foster a sense of connectedness through many opportunities families have to connect. Our 100 days of Kinder celebration next Monday afternoon brings together over 200 members of our community to celebrate together! Building community is important - we pray that the times we had to turn parents away from coming into the school during Covid never return.

Third, we foster a sense of connection through our rituals, especially those which reflect our religious and spiritual tradition. These rituals call and point students' (and all of us) towards something higher than themselves and our world. We hope this connection with God and with others brings a sense of resilience.

One of our 'rituals' involves the awarding of a "God-Moment Award" to someone who has acted like Jesus.

Our children are growing up in a world which doesn't always promote good relationships and wellbeing. While a Catholic School is not perfect we hope to counter these. 

Parent/Carer Information session on the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist

Thank you to those families who were able to attend the Parent/Carer Information session on the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist in the school hall recently. We understand families are busy and sometimes are unable to attend these sessions before Sacraments.

We are fortunate to have Fr Bing who speaks with the adults and provides them with some deeper understanding about the actual sacraments.

While Fr Bing talks teachers work with the students on a simple activity in their classrooms which they then take to their families and share their learning.

This is a simple actvity but provides an opportunity for parents to have a faith-based discussion - something which doesnt necessarily fit into the busy-ness of family life.

We then have a simple prayer, a Q and A session to answer any questions parents may have relating to clothing, times, dates etc. 

I strongly encourage one parent from each family to attend these sessions - your presence tells your child that you think this is an important event in their life. 

Change of Date for First Reconciliation

Unfortunately, due to a number of circumstances Fr Bing will be unable to celebrate First Reconciliation on the 22 August as previously advised.

We have changed the date to Wednesday the 30th of August in the Cathedral.

We will begin with Fr Bing addressing families and with prayer at 5:30pm.

Please ensure you are seated by 5:20pm at the latest.

We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. The date for First Holy Communion remains the same - Mass on Sunday 22 October.

JOLT stands for Jesus Over Lunch Time!

JOLT is on again! Lunch time Fridays for Years 4 - 6 and don't the children love it! A few games, a few songs and a chat about what is importantr to them as Leaders! 

The gift of a Cross

A few weeks ago these lovely students brought to me a Cross they had made from some sticks they had found. I added a rubber band and voila! I now have a Cross in my office and which we will use in a future whole school prayer. Thank you Summer and Sienna!

Seasons for Growth - Children and young people’s program

The Seasons for Growth Program will soon start at St Carthage's and aims to strengthen the emotional and mental wellbeing of children who are adapting to experiences of change, loss and grief in their lives, such as following death, separation and divorce.

The program is evidence-based and uses the imagery of the seasons to describe and understand the experience of change, loss and grief.

Trained ‘Companions’ (Danny Hatchman and Sereena Zanuso - Student Support Worker) will facilitate small groups where students learn that change and loss are a natural part of life and that they are not alone in dealing with the effects of these experiences. 

It is suggested that anyone affected by bereavement wait 6-12 months before participating in a Seasons for Growth program.

Tuesday 22nd August - School Community Group Meeting

NAIDOC Week - 31st July to 4th August

Friday 4th August is Casual Day! Students are invited to wear casual clothes to school in the indigenous colours of red, black and yellow. If they don't have clothes in these colours any casual clothes may be worn.

A Gold Coin donation will go to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to provide books and learning resources to children and families living in remote Communities across Australia.

The family Faith Retreat 

This is such a worthwhile experience! 

Enjoy a weekend of faith, love, and growth at our Family Faith Retreat. Experience the stunning natural beauty and outdoor adventure activities of Tyalgum Ridge Retreat.

Open to all families with children in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Lismore. Overnight accommodation and meals provided by Parent Assembly.

Spaces are limited, so reserve your spot for this unforgettable Family Faith Retreat!

Download the flyer to register!

Important dates:

6 August - The Transfiguration of The Lord

30 August - Sacrament of Reconciliation

22 October - Sacrament of Eucharist

Poetry & Public Speaking

Year 5 News 

Mrs Sudiro, Mrs McRae & Mrs Mumford

This term in English Year 5 is learning about different types of Poetry and presenting a poem of their choice to the grade. This week we experimented with Acrostic poems by linking them with our NAIDOC Week theme.

We have also been focusing on improving our reading fluency. We practice this during our reading groups using fluency tutor, podcasts, and PROBE activities.

In Mathematics, we have been focused on reading, writing, ordering and comparing fractions and decimals. 

5G used concrete materials to visualise and assist in the understanding of this Mathematical concept.

Technology with Mrs Loadsman

Sphero Technology

The Sphero is a robot that engages and empowers our students with hands-on learning. It is a tennis ball-sized robot connected via Bluetooth to an iPad. In our Sphero lessons, students use mathematical, scientific and creative thinking as they develop their problem-solving skills. They work together to experiment with angles, speed and duration to program the robot with coding instructions to solve a real-world problem in a fun and engaging way. 

Year 6 are currently acting as Marine Scientists to use the Sphero to explore and collect data from a coral reef. They work together to code the robot to move through the reef, adjusting angles, speed and duration to complete the task. 

In Term 2, Year 3 were introduced to Sphero coding as they worked together, using their knowledge of angles to code the Sphero to complete variations of different regular polygons.

Drone Technology

Teaching drone technology in our school enables project-based learning (learning that involves solving a real-world problem) using hands-on experiences to teach STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Drones hold students’ attention and engage them in an activity, so students can more effectively master and apply skills that they have learned in their classrooms during Maths and Science. 

In Term 2, Year 4 and Year 6 learned about the history of drone technology, the regulations and safety of flying drones and about the multitude of jobs and industries that use drones. We began by learning and practicing the skills for piloting the drones using the Tello application on the iPads.

Students were able to pilot the drones through varying obstacle courses that were linked to real-world scenarios.

 The students then learned to program the drones to complete tasks in a similar fashion. This involved writing, testing and adjusting their code while they applied their knowledge of angles, measurement, direction and algorithms to solve a real-world problem. 

Scratch Coding

Using Scratch for education brings many benefits to our classrooms. It is a programming language designed specifically for kids that makes it fun and easy for students to learn the basics of programming. Using Scratch in our school helps students develop computational thinking and problem-solving skills in a creative, fun and engaging way. Teachers in our school have used Scratch coding as a creative way for students to show their understanding of concepts in subjects such as P.D.H., Science, History, Geography and Maths. 

This Year Students in Year 6 have created character action games involving motion, sound, sensing, variables, and animations. 

Year 3 and 4 began with animation and sound coding for their names in Term 1 and they are now beginning to code their own character action game.

Richmond Zone Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to all the students who represented St Carthage’s at the Richmond Zone Athletics Carnival on Thursday 27th July. 

The students made us all proud with the way they competed to their best ability and supported each other throughout the day.

Congratulations to all of the students who were selected in the Richmond Zone Athletics Team to compete at the Diocesan carnival in Coffs Harbour on the 15th August. We wish you the best of luck.

School Sport Opportunities

This term we are very fortunate to provide opportunities for our K-2 students to participate in a variety of sports to learn some new skills.

Kindergarten started a five week Rugby League clinic run by the Northern Rivers NRL.

Year 1 will be participating in a five week Hockey skills session starting in Week 3. We look forward to seeing some photos in the coming weeks.

Year 2 students are learning lots of new skills with a five week Tennis program run by Tennis NSW. 

We are grateful for all of the fantastic opportunities our students at St Carthage’s have in learning new skills.