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,

We are now entering into the third week of Lent. Our Gospel this Sunday comes from John and we hear when Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Son of Man will be raised up so that those who believe in him will have eternal life.

Parents whose children are afraid of the dark are struck by John’s observation that darkness is preferred to light. Perhaps this is as it should be. God made us to live in the light of his love. But this original friendship with God was corrupted by sin. Our sin causes us to shy away from Christ, the light that has come into the world. During the season of Lent, we try to fight this tendency by remembering God’s great mercy and the salvation that we have received through Jesus. We do not fear confessing our sins, knowing that God forgives us, and so, during Lent, we seek out opportunities to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

 " O Lord, during these 40 days, let me put away all my pride. Let me change my heart and give up all that is not good within me. Let me love God with all that I am and all that I have."

"God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy." (Pope Francis)

International Women's Day

We hope all of our mums, carers, grandmothers and all of the women in our school community felt acknowledged today- a day of recognition and acknowledgement for the inspiration role they play in the lives of their families and friends.

School Vision

For our new families I would like to share with you our school vision. 

At St Carthage’s Primary school we commit ourselves to
the teachings of Jesus Christ, enabling students to achieve the fullness of life. (Jn:10:10)

We foster an inclusive and supportive environment by
embracing positive and collaborative partnerships.

We provide quality and innovative learning and value the highest standards of behaviour.

We strive for excellence in all we do.

Let your light shine!

Parent Consent and Student Digital Technologies User Agreement

At St Carthage's, we use a variety of digital technologies to promote engagement and creativity across the learning areas. The attached Parental Consent and Student Digital Technology User Agreement provides our families and students with the processes in place to build responsible digital citizens and also helps create an understanding of the expectations when using digital technology throughout the school year. This is a new process initiated by the Catholic Schools Office. The Parent Consent and User Agreement will need to be signed each year by families.

This form will be sent out to all families. Please take the time to read through the Digital Technologies User Agreement with your child when you receive it.

School Attendance

Good attendance in primary school will be a skill that will help students succeed in high school.

It is a legal requirement and vitally important that students attend school every day and on time.

Good attendance in primary school is a fundamental building block for academic success and overall wellbeing, and it sets the stage for success in high school and beyond. Primary school is the foundational stage of a child's education. Regular attendance ensures that children build a solid understanding of fundamental concepts and skills that serve as the basis for more advanced learning in high school.

By recognising the long-term benefits and reinforcing the importance of regular school attendance in primary years, students are better equipped to succeed in high school and beyond. Attending school regularly instils a sense of responsibility and work ethic in students and participating actively in class are essential components of success.

Easter Raffle

We are having an Easter Egg guessing competition at school. Students can have one guess for 50cents or 3 guesses for $1.00. Students can have a guess during the morning tea and lunch breaks. The winner will be drawn on Wednesday 27th March.

School Community Group Meeting - Tuesday 12th March

We will be having our  School Community Group Meeting on Tuesday evening 12th March at 5.45pm. During the meeting you will hear school reports, information about the Seesaw app, Parent Assembly events 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. 

National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

Students in Years 3 and 5 will undergo the National Assessment Program beginning on Wednesday 13th March. All students in all states and territories in Australia will participate in these tests over this period. All assessments, with the exception of Year Three writing will be done online.

If you do not wish your child/children to participate please notify the school and we will provide you with the necessary form.

St Patrick's Day - 17th March (celebrated at school on Friday 15th March)

Our school will celebrate St Patrick's Day on Friday 15th March. St Patrick was an Irish Bishop and as the legend goes he chased all the snakes out of Ireland. Our students are invited to wear green on Friday 15th and donate a gold coin to The Caritas Lenten Appeal for the privilege.

School Photos Reminder - 18th - 19th March

Our School photos will be taken on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th March. School Photo envelopes will be sent home with the students soon. Please return these envelopes, with the correct payment enclosed, on the Monday of the photos, as
these will be handed straight to the photographers. We do not handle photo money. Sibling envelopes will be available from the School Office. Please ensure that students are in their correct school uniform on these days.

We thank our students for letting their lights shine in advance of their support in helping those in need.

Parent/Teacher Interviews - 18th - 21st March

Parent and Teacher interviews will be held in Week 8, 18th - 21st March. These interviews are booked online and will be available for booking early next week. Working together in partnership helps to clarify goals for your children, inform about areas of strength and areas to work on as well as clarify any issues or concerns which we may not be aware of. We thank you for taking the time to attend these important sessions.

Compass Enrolment Form - New

Our school is moving to different online enrolments using Compass (previously Dashboard Funnel).  As an existing user of Compass, you will find a new tile in the Compass app called Family and Enrolments, found under the “More” icon in the Compass app or under the Cog icon in your preferred browser. This feature is now live and, as a parent or carer, you can update your contact details at any time. We strongly encourage you to log in to confirm your details. If you update your details, they will update across all schools where you have a child enrolled.

Applications for 2025 are now open. If you have already applied via our old system, rest assured we have your application; there is no need to reapply. 

Welcome Barbeque and Disco

It was great to see so many of our families join us for our barbeque and disco. It was wonderful to see our school community coming together to enjoy a meal, enjoy each others company and have fun!

Sharing of Food

Students have been reminded about not sharing food, or buying things at the canteen for their friends or indeed giving money to others to spend at the canteen. We have a number of students with food allergies and the sharing of food can present significant health risks. Please reinforce these messages with your children.

Active Kids - Staff Carpark Reminder

The Staff Carpark is for school staff only. If you are dropping off or picking up children from Active Kids please park in the Visitor's Carpark or by the kerb. We have had a couple of near misses with children running through the Staff Carpark.

This is not a safe drop off or collection area.

Thank you for supporting this request to ensure our children remain safe.

The service station is also not a safe area to park for drop off and pick up off as cars are continually entering and exiting and are not looking out for children.

2024 Professional Learning Days (student free days)

• Friday 12th April (Term One Week 11)
• Monday29th April (Term Two Week 1)
• Wednesday 29th May (Term Two Week 5)
• Monday 22nd July (Term Three Week 1)
• Friday 27th September (Term Three Week 10)
• Monday 14th October (Term Four Week 1)

We thank you in anticipation of your support. Active Kids will be available on these days. Bookings are essential.

Anzac Day - Advance Notice

We have received notification from the RSL Lismore Sub-branch that the Anzac Day March will again go ahead on Thursday 25th April. This date is in the school holidays. We invite all students to join us for the March. We value our students making the effort to join us on this day and appreciate the effort from our families in allowing this to occur. 

Further information will follow as the date gets closer.

Parenting Tips

RealTalk - A Free Resource for Parent - helping tackle tricky parenting topics 

Supporting parents in tackling topics such as online behaviour, friendships, concent and many more, this resource is provided free through  the Catholic Schools Parent Assembly. 

NAPLAN

Just a reminder that the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will take place from Wednesday 13th March to Monday 25th March. NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills. Each year students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

NAPLAN tests are just one part of our school's learning assessment program and questions are primarily based on knowledge, understanding and skills gained from the prior year of schooling.

Absences

Students are considered absent for test purposes if: 

Withdrawals
NAPLAN tests are a routine part of the school calendar. However, students may be withdrawn from the testing program by their parent/carer for various reasons for example religious beliefs or philosophical objections to the testing. This is a matter for consideration by individual parents/carers in consultation with the school. If you would like your child withdrawn from NAPLAN testing please contact your child's teacher prior to testing so that the required paperwork can be sent home, signed and returned to school.

NAPLAN Schedule

See the table below for our school's NAPLAN schedule:

God Moments!

We are always on the look-out for God-moments when we are with the children!

A God-moment is that instant in time when someone has a choice to make and they make a choice based upon the right values.

There really are too many to recount but every now and then we choose a couple to mention at our Assembly and we name the student and what they did.

This is one example: "I would like to nominate (student) for a God-moment award at this Friday’s assembly. He packed up all the toys first thing in the morning without being asked.  He packed up responsibly, he was respectful and reverent and shows a mature attitude towards school expectations."

Another..."I just wanted to let you know of a beautiful moment that happened yesterday at bus lines. (Teacher) brought one of her students up to the lines and let me know that her buddy wasn't on the bus that day. (student) overheard this and offered to look after her and make sure she was on the right bus.It is nice to see a younger student stepping up and helping the younger ones".

From a parent at the school..."My son has been a little hesitant to go to school lately. However, I would like to acknowledge an older student in an older grade who one morning asked my son how he was and said he would take him to put his bag away and then take him to where his class would be playing and find a friend there. I was so happy (and relieved) at the kindness shown by this older student."

Re-opening of the St Vincent de Paul Offices in Lismore

We were so proud of our students Savannah McPherson and Abigail Challinor who were invited to read the Acknowledgement to Country at the recent re-opening of the St Vincent de Paul Offices in Lismore. 

St Patrick - Casual Clothes Day to fundraise for Project Compassion

Dear families, St Patrick is the patron Saint of the Diocese of Lismore and the feast day of St Patrick is on the 17th of March. As the 17th of March is a Sunday, we invite students to wear casual clothes on Friday the 15th March (that’s next Friday!) If you wear casual clothes please bring a gold coin for Project Compassion.

Casual clothes have to be sun-smart and if you can please include some green colour in memory of St Patrick.

The Story of St Patrick

Saint Patrick was born in England, but when he was a teenager, he was captured by Irish pirates who took him to Ireland as a slave. After six years, Saint Patrick escaped and returned to England and his family.

When Saint Patrick became a priest, he traveled back to Ireland as a missionary so that he could teach the people about God. He used examples to explain the mysteries of the faith in simple ways. One day, Saint Patrick compared the Trinity to a shamrock. He said that the shamrock has three leaves, but it is only one plant. In the same way, God is three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—but one God.

God used Saint Patrick’s kidnapping to convert the Irish people. 

Classroom Learning - Holy Week

As part of the children's Lenten Units in the Religious Education curriculum I was invited to see of the finished work from 4 Blue.

Kaley Bennett, Evie Collings and Laura Brickhill were able to explain the story of Holy Week, the significance of each event and what these mean for them as young followers of Jesus.

I was delighted to listen to the girls as they explained what they lad learnt.

Incitare Retreat at Tullera

This week some Year 6 students attended the Incitare Retreat at Tullera. They said that they enjoyed meeting other students from other schools, games, music, the environment (after the morning rain!), and the opportunity to learn more about their faith. Thank you to the students who participated in such a positive manner!

"The Way of the Cross" and 'Music of Light'

We have a couple of wonderful musical events happening in the Cathedral.

“The Way of The Cross” on 24 March with Warren and the Choir (Free event) and then on 7 April the Lismore Symphony Orchestra will hold “Music of Light”.

Indulge your senses at ‘Music of Light’ as the LSO, joined by the Murwillumbah Philharmonic Choir and organist Warren Whitney, present a captivating concert of music sure to illuminate the spirit and delight the soul. This event will be held in the Cathedral on Sunday 7 April. Doors open at 1.30pm, Concert at 2.00pm.Tickets are available at www.lismoresymphony.org.
Adults $35, Concessions and 12-18yo $30, under 12 free.

Tickets for “Music of Light” must be purchased by visiting the LSO website.

Palm Sunday

Sunday March 24 is Palm Sunday. Please join in with this lovely ritual at your local Parish. Those attending the Cathedral 9am Mass are invited to assemble on the grounds in front of the Cathedral for the Blessing of the Palms followed by Procession into the Cathedral.

Those attending the Vigil Mass gather within the Cathedral for the Blessing of the Palms. Parishioners are invited to bring their own palm or evergreen for the blessing.

St Carthage's School and Parish Sacramental Program

Students who are baptised are invited into the 2024 Parish Sacramental Program through St Carthage’s Primary School. 

• Sacrament of Confirmation (Students in Year 3) - 27 June, 2024

• Sacrament of Reconciliation (Students in Year 4) - (Date to be confirmed)

• Sacrament of the Eucharist (Students in Year 4) - (Date to be confirmed)

Note: Children who have missed the opportunity to participate in any of these Sacraments may still enrol in a Sacrament e.g a Yr 6 student may be enrolled in any of these three Sacraments.

Very Important: Copies of Baptismal Certificates need to be provided to the school unless your child was Baptised in the Cathedral Parish or you provided this Certificate to St Carthage’s school during enrolment. If this is not the case, please provide a copy as soon as possible. You may need to contact the Parish where your child was baptised to obtain a copy.

If you have not yet enrolled your child /ren into the Sacramental Program please do so as soon as possible. Enrolment Forms have been sent home and are available from the school office.

Chrism Mass

The Chrism Mass will be held at St Carthage’s Cathedral, Monday 25 March at 7.00pm. During this Mass the Priests and Deacons gather around the Bishop who blesses the Holy Oils for use in the coming year. It is also a time where the clergy renew their vows.

Parishioners are encouraged to attend this Mass that celebrates the priesthood, the sacraments and our unity as a Diocese.

St Carthage's school will be represented by our Leadership Team and a number of our student leaders. 

Resilient Kids Program

Next week St Carthage’s has engaged The Family Centre to deliver the Resilient Kids Program – Disaster, Resilience, Social and Emotional Wellbeing ½ day workshop to stage at St Carthage’s Primary School.

The program utilises interactive and engaging activities, which will be completed as a group and individually. Students will be provided with opportunities to explore disaster preparedness, and their individual strengths & resilience. The aim is to discover, explore and share ways they can look after themselves and their emotional well-being.

The Resilient Kids Program is being led by Social Futures,  together with the Family Centre and Human Nature Adventure Therapy. The Resilient Kids Program has been developed with children and young people, their families and carers, schools and service providers.

The Program offers three streams however only stream 1 will be delivered to students at St Carthage’s.

• Stream 1: Education and skill building through school-based supports (delivered at St Carthage’s)

Trained and experienced facilitators from The Family Centre will deliver Stream 1. Teachers will be in attendance.

The Family Centre is a non-profit community-based organisation established in 1988 providing a range of services for children, young people and families that build and enhance relationships and parenting skills. The Family Centre has been developing and delivering programs in public schools in the Tweed Shire since 2001. More information about The Family Centre is available at our website: www.thefamilycentre.org.au

Topics covered will include:

‘Disaster Preparedness’ - Identifying where they stand on climate change, reflecting on natural disasters and action they can take to prepare before, during and after a natural disaster.

‘Resilience Building’ – Exploring what resilience is, their own strengths and identifying factors in their lives that they can draw on to build their resilience.

‘Emotional & Social Wellbeing’ Explore, share and identify ways to manage and increase their well-being and also identify people they can trust and go to for support.

Please contact Danny Hatchman - Assistant Principal (Mission) via the School Office if you have any questions. 

Woodlawn Open Night

Melanoma March

Baseball

Hockey

Martial Arts

Do It for Dolly