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Dear Parents/Carers,
On Sunday, our Parish celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation at which 72 candidates reaffirmed their faith and demonstrated a willingness to take a greater, more mature role in living a Christian faith daily. Many of the candidates were Year 6 students from our school, and it was a unique experience to witness an adult being confirmed as well. Our church's tradition believes that the Holy Spirit is conferred on the candidates, a practice that appears in the Acts of the Apostles: "Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:14-17)
It is always a special occasion when Bishop Brian attends our parish. He has a particular skill in relating well to young people, having been a school teacher before his Ordination to the priesthood. He certainly made the two Masses meaningful celebrations. I would like to also acknowledge others who played significant roles in supporting the candidates with their preparation for the sacrament: Fr Peter, Miss Winarczyk, Mr Leibrandt, Miss Pogson and the parish Catechists.
One of the aims of a Primary school education is to equip students with skills across all curriculum areas so that they can become independent with their learning and apply it to a variety of experiences. Over the last few weeks a number of our students in Years 5 & 6 have been participating in one of several opportunities that allow them to utilise their skills individually, as well as to cooperate with others to solve a problem. I have seen students working hard for a 'Threatened Species Art and Writing Competition' and others demonstrating their artistic skills for the diocesan 'Christmas Art Competition.' I was also fortunate to see two groups of students participate in the annual Tournament of Minds competition, solving problems in the disciplines of the arts and STEM. The students have been enthusiastic and well engaged in their tasks and it has been a great source of pride for me to know that the growth and development of our students at Holy Family is evident in so many different ways.
I was also privileged to spend some time last week with our Year 5 students at their camp at Teen Ranch. What a joy it was to see them enjoying activities that they may not normally get to do, many of them pushing themselves out of their comfort zone and working together to ensure everyone was safe and enjoying themselves. They were very well behaved and were a credit to their parents and our school.
You are reminded of our Grandparent's Day celebration that is happening on Friday 27 September. Information was sent home last week about this. We are still needing some parents who can commit some time on the day to help with setting up the morning tea.
Wishing you a safe and happy fortnight,
Paul Moroney
Many of you would be aware that our school has had a Pastoral Support Worker (PSW) for seven years. Over the last five years, Mr Grant Dodds has been in this role. Mr Dodds has been able to deliver a range of excellent support programs for students including Mini-Vinnies, Youth Group, Seasons for Growth and Mindfulness, as well as opportunities for parents to connect with one another. This role definitely enhances the holistic approach to supporting our students and families.
The funding for a PSW comes from the National Chaplaincy Program and the next round of funding for 2020-2022 has just been announced. For this next round, Catholic Schools NSW is indicating that preference will be given to schools who have not received any funding before, so it is vital that we present a good case for our school continuing receiving this funding.
You are asked to respond to this 30-second survey to show your support. The more responses we receive, the stronger our application will be.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE WORKSHOP WILL NOW BE HELD ON TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER
There will be two sessions for the Social Media Policy/Cybersafety Workshop: 1.45pm – 2.45pm and in the evening from 6.30pm – 7.30pm, in the hall.
There will be representatives from Catholic Education in the Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) and Police Liaison Officers. The workshops will provide you with practical information about how to help your child stay safe online.
The next P and F meeting will take place in the hall on Friday 13 September at 9am. Come along and hear what is going on in our school community.
Grandparents and Friends Day is a wonderful community celebration at Holy Family. This year we will celebrate Grandparents and Friends Day on Friday 27 September. The following is an outline of the day with approximate times:
9.10am: Mass (celebrated in the Church) Please note earlier start
10.45am: Grandparents and Friends join together for morning tea in the Hall
10.45-12.15: Book Fair in Library *Children can be taken to the Library by an adult from 11.15am
11.15am: Classroom visits: Grandparents and Friends are invited to view children’s classrooms
12.15pm: Assembly in Hall - each grade will present an assembly item for our visiting Grandparents and Friends
To assist with catering on the day we ask that the children supply a plate of food for morning tea for our visitors:
Kindergarten – Year 2: Savoury (cold) morning tea items,
Years 3 – 6: Cakes, slices, sweets
NO FOOD NEEDING TO BE HEATED
Food is to be taken to the Hall prior to the start of the day. Please be mindful that our school is a “Nut and Egg free zone” – therefore no nut products. Where possible please use disposable plates for serving food.
Our G Day would not be possible without the support from our volunteers. If you are available to assist with setting up on the day and serving food/drinks from our canteen it would be greatly appreciated. There are many parts of the day we will need people so you won’t miss out on the fun. Helpers are required from 8.45am onwards (or anytime you can)
We are looking forward to another great day of celebration.
On Saturday 31 August, the Tournament of Minds Arts team went to Western Sydney University. We competed against many schools and academies. We needed to create an Australian twist on the Wizard Of Oz story and we came up with ‘The Lizard Of Aus.’ We needed at least three backdrops completely handmade, two original songs and dances and handmade costumes. After weeks of preparation, we finally finished and travelled to the university to present what we had created. We had a lot of fun and the Year 5 students look forward to competing again next year.
The Tournament of Minds STEM team also competed at Western Sydney University. For the spontaneous challenge we were given three questions in which we had five minutes to answer. For our main challenge we had to build a carousel which rotated three times while holding animals. This device was used to sort and classify endangered animals. In doing this we could then compare the DNA to other animals and see if both animals share similar traits. Our group had some difficulties along the way with the design of the carousel, although we brought it together at the end and we felt very proud of our final presentation.
