Last Sunday’s Gospel...

Last Sunday was Passion or Palm Sunday. We hear the story of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem as a hero and only a few days later, His condemnation for insurrection and ultimately, His death by crucifixion. We walk that journey with Jesus, His Blessed Mother and his disciples this week.

Did you know...

The Stations of the Cross were invented so that all would know the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection even if, as was the case in olden times, people couldn’t read. You will see them in every Catholic church.

From the Principal...

Our Cyclic Review is complete. I am grateful to the parents who gave their time and came last Monday to speak with the panel. One of the commendations we received was with regard to our efforts to gather parent and student voices in this process and base our future directions on those comments, as well as those of the staff. The panel will now discern all the information they gathered and make recommendations which will be presented to the Director of Schools and then our community. I will pass them on to you once I have received them.

We have had two wonderful days in the last week, along with some significant religious events on the liturgical calendar. The feasts of St Patrick, St Joseph and the Annunciation have been highlighted through class lessons and special prayers provided by Mrs David. They were important occasions for the students to learn about these significant people and events surrounding them. We also had a wonderful Harmony Day where we all learned about the cultural backgrounds of our students. I thank you for the effort you put into that with your children for us all. The Cross Country Carnival was another special event, more than usual, because we could have you with us. Thank you for taking the time to come and share that with all of us. We have taken a lot of photos and will put all of it together and share it with you. We haven’t forgotten Catholic Schools Week either. We’ve just been a bit busy but it is all coming.

Lowes has let us know that some of their stock has been damaged in warehouses affected by the floods. With the change of uniform early next term, you may find some items are out of stock. Please don’t be too worried if you can’t get all you need. When I have more details of stock, I will let you know. Our uniform shop has some supplies as well. You can access it via the gate at the left hand side of the hall – near the Pardelote Street gate.

I have some more staffing news. Mrs Williamson will be returning but only in a part time capacity and may need to take leave again this year. With that in mind, she has temporarily relinquished her classroom position in order to best serve the needs of her class. Mr Stephen Zamroz is able to continue with the class and we are grateful he is able to do so. He will stay for the rest of this year. Mrs Wolf needs to extend her leave for a few weeks. Mrs Mel Nagy, who has been teaching Kindergarten, is able to stay until Mrs Wolf returns so we have been very blessed with her ability to continue with us too.

Finally, I remind you that today is the last day of this term for the students. The staff will be on retreat at The Hermitage in Mittagong tomorrow. Our focus is around prayer. The first day back next term will be the Tuesday. On Monday the staff will have their curriculum development day. I hope you all enjoy the extra long break and find time to enjoy your children. Many of our Kindergarten students excitedly informed me that they were going camping so if that’s the case with you, I hope the weather is filled with sunshine! Please take care if you are travelling and I look forward to seeing you all again next term.

God Bless

Michelle Rolfe

Principal

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REPORT with Mrs David

It is lovely to be coming to the end of a term full of celebrations and getting closer to what our religious and faith life was like before COVID 19 landed on Australian soil. 

Stations of the Cross

Today (Wednesday) the whole school was able to participate in the Stations of the Cross in the Church. Fr Sean led us through the Stations and we also had time to reflect on each station and pray. Every child received a booklet to use during the Mass. They have been invited to colour in these booklets and take them home to use as part of prayer with their family. 

Gospel Reading Response/ Reflection (from Liturgyhelp)

As it is Holy Week, we remember the life, Passion and Death of Jesus, These are some questions you may wish to ask your children:

Can you think of people who suffer?                                      

When you see a cross what does it mean to you?        

Do you think about Jesus’ suffering and death as well as his victory over death?

Why did Jesus suffer and die?

Jesus died and rose to save us and give us the promise of life with him forever.

We pray that the cross may be a sign of hope for all, especially those who are suffering and in need.

Project Compassion     

Thank you for your kind donations to Caritas. We are currently counting the final donations and will let you know early next term the total amount 

Sacrament Update

We had a very good turn - out to our Sacrament of Confirmation Parent Information night last week. More information will come soon to the Year 6 students involved in the Sacrament. 

Confirmation: Good news - the Sacrament of Confirmation will take place on Sunday 25th July. This will affect our Year 6 students and their families. 

HELP WANTED

This year we aim to replenish/update our prayer space material. If you would be able to help with hemming material, please leave your name at the office. Thank you!

WOLLONGONG ENVIRONMENT NETWORK DAY FRIDAY 26TH OF MARCH

On Friday, myself and four students from the Ecology Team (Jamie, Makayla, Joshua and Rayan) represented our school at the Wollongong Environment Network Day. We met with other schools, shared ideas about how to be stewards of creation and walked away from the day inspired.

 Part of the day involved listening to Jack Berne, a Year 7 student who has raised over a million dollars for farmers - teaching us a lesson that we can all make a difference. 

Ripples Reflections and Meditations Would you like  some time to unwind, learn or reflect? Why not give the CEO Wollongong’s Ripples a go! https://ripples.dow.catholic.edu.au/ 

Did you know that… the Easter Triduum includes:

Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. 

Deanna David
REC

'Cultural Day'

We would like to thank all our parents and carers for all their hard work with their children’s costumes for Cultural Day. Thank you to all students who presented a dance, photo presentation and song for the Cultural Assembly. It was a fantastic day. Please visit our school Facebook page for more photos to be shared with you all soon. 

Regards

Mrs Michelle Cooke and Miss Alana Stroligo      

           

Why the challenges of childhood are also a learning opportunity

Children can see mistakes or challenges as a failure. As a parent, you can use these times to connect with your child and turn the negative into a positive.

Often, when children come home from school and talk about their day, they’ll talk about the challenges or incidents that have upset them. As a parent, this is an excellent opportunity to connect with your child – to talk about how they are feeling, but also as an opportunity to learn.

We can use challenging events to learn about life experiences and develop emotional resilience. Let’s look at some examples of hardships experienced by children and how parents can turn them into positives.

School work

Receiving a low grade in a test or project at school can affect a child’s self-esteem. Together, try examining what happened to identify the problem.

For example, perhaps they were tired that day, or they didn't quite understand what was required. Once you both understand the problem, put a plan in place to tackle the issue, giving your child the confidence to face the next challenge without stress.

Sport

A standard part of childhood is losing at sport. Whether it's soccer, netball, tennis or athletics, it’s likely that your child will fail to win at some point. At these times, kids looking to you for praise are likely to be worried they have disappointed you.

Rather than showing frustration or anger, discuss the game with them and make suggestions for improvement. Try to focus on the skills being learnt rather than the outcome as a way to deal with sports upsets.

Friendships

Children and young people can be very dependent on their friendships. When something goes wrong, it’s common for them to feel upset. While comforting them, try taking the opportunity to listen to how your child is feeling and help them identify why they’re sad or angry. For example, is it because they feel left out of a friendship group?

Once you’ve both discussed the problem, try helping your child to think about how they could have approached the situation differently. Maybe suggest some language skills to help them express themselves more clearly, for example, ‘when you don’t play with me, I feel sad.’

Finally, is there another way they could address the situation? Perhaps encourage them to invite other children to play, or try out a new sports club to make friends.

Older teenagers

As children grow, the nature of their friendships change. Sometimes, teenagers can get caught up in the dynamics of one set of friends, which may have a negative impact. It might be helpful to encourage teens to engage in different groups of friends from school, sports, the local neighbourhood, and extended family. Having a wide circle of friends helps young people to explore their interests and become more confident in themselves.

An essential part of facing challenges is knowing they can ask for help, without fear of repercussions.

If kids feel unable to talk to their parents or family about their problems, one of these services may be useful:

• Calling Kids Helpline to speak to one of the counsellors at 1800551800 or visiting their website at kidshelpline.com.au
• Talking to the school counsellor
• Joining a yoga or mediation class to help with stress levels

 Sources:
- Beyond Blue
- Raising Children Network

^{The resources in Catholiccare Parenting HUB are put together by our family specialists who work with families across Sydney every day.  You can call our professional Parent Line NSW counsellors on 1300 1300 52 for individual advice.}

^{Disclaimer: This article does not give professional advice.  The contents constitute general information of a summary nature of interest and relevance at the time of publication. You should not rely on the contents as professional advice but should seek, formal advice in particular matters relevant to your particular situation}

 Catholiccare courses that could be of benefit:

 ^{Circle of Security Parenting}

About the Course
At some point in time, all parents experience the uncertainty of not knowing what their children need. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking from you? This internationally recognised parenting program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.

What will I learn?

• Understand your child’s emotional world by learning to read the emotional needs
• Support your child’s ability to successfully manage emotions
• Enhance the development of your child's self esteem
• Honour your innate wisdom and desire for your child to be secure

Who is it for?
Parents/carers wishing to better understand and connect with their children (recommended age 6months-12years)

Sessions:  5 x 2 hours weekly

Catholiccare Campbelltown - 28 Apr, 5, 12, 19, 26 May - every Wednesday at 10am-12noon

Cost: $75 (Nowra FREE)

Our second hand uniform shop will be open on the following afternoons over the next two weeks:
 
Thursday, February 3rd: 2.30pm - 3.15pm
Friday, February 4th: 2.30pm - 3.15pm

Monday, February 7th: 2.30 - 3.15pm
Tuesday, February 8th: 2.30 - 3.15pm
Thursday, February 10th: 2.30 - 3.15pm
Friday, February 11th: 2.30 - 3.15pm

After these first two weeks, we will advise you of our regular hours. You will also need to QR code upon entry of the uniform shop which is located on the Pardalote St end of the school hall. There will be signage for new families on the wall of the hall to guide you.