Last Sunday’s Gospel...

Last Sunday we celebrated the event that Jesus foretold before His ascension. He said that He had to leave so that His Advocate, the Holy Spirit, could come and be with them forever. This Spirit brought everything the Apostles and Our Lady needed to go out and tell the world the Good News of Jesus. They could in turn pass on the Spirit given to them to other believers.

Did you know...

Every one of the apostles except one, was martyred – executed because of their staunch belief in God and the work they were doing. The Holy Spirit gave them the courage to remain faithful while they faced this greatest test of all.

From the Principal...

I had the privilege and pleasure of attending the Diocesan commemoration of 200 years of systemic Catholic Education in Australia with our captains, Melanie and Ethan on Monday. Every Diocese in Australia celebrated this on the same day – the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, patron saint of Australia. We are all part of that great story of Catholic Education and try to continue to be a contributing foundation to society in the way those who went before us have been.

I wrote to you a couple of newsletters ago about the swimming lessons. We have been able to secure buses at a reasonable price. In order to assist with the additional cost this year, I am proposing we run a shortened program instead of the full 10 weeks. We are applying for a sporting grant that has been offered just this week, so when I know whether or not we are successful with that, I will let you know how many lessons we’ll have this year and what the extra cost is. Next year, the full amount including bus fare will be added to your school fee account so you know and can plan for payments. 

You will by now have seen the message about Parent Induction. I hope as many of you as possible can come to one of the sessions so we can fulfill Child Protection obligations. This will be a program we run in the future on a needs basis because all parent helpers in any capacity must have completed it. It should only take 30 minutes in total, including the paperwork.

We are very excited to be able to hold the Athletics Carnival next week. We do have some Covid restrictions to maintain – marshals at the gates and parents and friends in the grandstands, but it should still be a very happy day. I know you will be understanding of directions given to you by staff regarding this. We are working hard to make sure you get to see as much of the carnival as possible. There are still some permission notes not returned. They must be in before the day or your child will not be able to attend. If you need another one, please tell your child to get one from the classroom teacher. We will not be making multiple phone calls on the morning of the carnival – I am sure you can understand how unmanageable that is!

I look forward to seeing you at the parent inductions, the Athletics Carnival and at assemblies on the basketball court.

God Bless,

Michelle Rolfe

Principal

                    RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REPORT with 

Mrs Deanna David

Greetings and many blessings to you all. The month of May and June are special months in the life of the Church. I invite you all to talk to your children about how they are celebrating the special days at school.

Mary Help of Christians Feast Day

On Monday we celebrated Mary Help of Christians Feast Day. She is the patron saint of Australia. During war times, Catholics are encouraged to pray to Mary for help. Many Catholics would pray to Mary during early settlement time when they were not allowed to celebrate a Catholic Mass. 

Sacrament Dates

Year 6 parents and carers - Sunday 25th July at 11am our children will be celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation with Bishop Brian. 

We have had to change the original parent prayer times. Mrs David will let you know when they will take place.

The Sacrament of First Holy Communion will take place in November. Date and time to be confirmed. 

Mass

Please see the calendar on the newsletter for Parish Mass times that each grade is invited to attend.

Pentecost Sunday

On Sunday we celebrated Pentecost Sunday. On this day we celebrated the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the early Church.

Sydney Catholic Schools has kindly shared a prayer resource for us to use at home as well:   

https://sites.google.com/syd.catholic.edu.au/k-6rehomelearning/prayer

Podcast: Ripples                                      

Ripples is a PODCAST developed for staff and parents on-going Spiritual formation.

It seeks to offer a space where people can draw on the wisdom of a series of guest speakers and can experience some treasured stillness through meditation.

See the link - you can either download the files as podcasts or listen to them directly from:    https://ripples.dow.catholic.edu.au   

The Most Holy Trinity

This is the first Sunday after Pentecost, and celebrates the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. On this day Christians worship God and give thanks for everything the Trinity has done to save our sins.

Weekly Mass Online:

Many parishes are providing a live streaming of Sunday Mass so that we may all participate in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Bishop Brian and other clergy are live streaming Mass every Sunday. If you are interested, go to their Facebook page: 

Catholic Diocese of Wollongong - Home

This Week’s intended Mass Readings Reflection (Adapted from LiturgyHelp)

Sunday’s reading from Acts described the physical sounds, sights and feelings that were felt with the out pouring of the Holy Spirit.  Those present were filled with the Spirit, they began to speak in other languages, a feat that could only have some supernatural origin. The crowd that gathered was confused, astonished and amazed. It was clearly a manifestation of the universal presence and power of the Spirit. The outpouring of the Spirit and the preaching of the Gospel to all nations are considered the reuniting of the human race and the gathering of all into the reign of God.

The Bible was written in three languages- Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew! 

Can you answer this question?

Gently encourage your child to do things they are anxious about, but don’t push too hard.

Wait until your child gets anxious before you step in to help.

Praise your child for doing something they’re worried about, rather than criticise their fear.

Avoid labelling your child as ‘shy’ or ‘anxious’.

Techniques to try

There are many exercises, games and activities designed to give your child the ability to self-help when they start to feel anxious. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. 

Make a Mind Jar

A mind jar is a simple mix of water and glitter that teaches children to calm their bodies and minds. Engage your child by making a mind jar together and then going through the following process.

Shake up the glitter - explain that the swirling colours represent their frustration and anger

As they watch the glitter settle, do some deep breathing exercises with them....Explain that the settling glitter represents their minds and bodies relaxing.

Books

Reading about characters in a story can give kids a framework for understanding their own feelings. One great example is a book called Hey Warrior by Karen Young which explains anxiety through a relatable character.

Singing                                                                                

Having a singalong with your child is an excellent way to practise mindfulness and improve mood. One album to try is ‘Passing Clouds’ by mindfulness teacher, Kate Oliver, who has produced songs specifically to educate kids about mindfulness.

Need more help?

If you suspect that anxiety is beginning to interfere with your child’s daily life, it could be time to get extra help. Advice is available by picking up the phone to Parent Line on 1300 1300 52. Alternatively, take a look at Resourcing Parents NSW for a whole range of information or further parenting tips can be found on the Raising Children Network.

^{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}

Sources:

• Left Brain Buddha: Mind in a Jar
• Wunderling: High Five: Passing Clouds by Kate Oliver
• Hey Warrior
• Kids Matter: Understanding Anxiety
• Raising Children: Anxiety in Children

We will be holding Parent Helper Induction sessions over the coming week. These sessions are compulsory for anyone who would like to help at upoming carnivals and gala days. You will complete all necessary paperwork at the conculsion of the session.

If you attended the Kindergarten Orientation Meeting in November last year, you have already completed the sessions and necessary paperwork and do not need to attend again (If you are unsure, we have a register at the office, so please don't hesitate to ask!)

The sessions will be offered on the following dates and take place in the school hall. You only need to attend one session.

Monday, May 31st @ 6pm

Wednesday, June 2nd @ 2pm

If you are unable to attend either of the above sessions and are keen to help out at upcoming events, please contact Mrs Smith or Mrs Rolf

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.

The number of Lost Property items in the baskets near the school office increases each day ... Whilst we do our best to return clothing/items to students, it is very difficult if there is no name on the article.

It is important to label each and every  item that your child wears or brings to school.                                                                             

Due to Covid Restrictions being eased, we are now able to have parent/carers attend our School Assemblies ...

Each Monday morning the 'Raising of Flags' Assembly (parents must sign the QR code)

Every 2nd Friday afternoon - even weeks @ 2pm (parents must sign the QR code)

Entry via Koala Park gate.

*Please take notice of any Compass App notifications in the case of wet weather.*