Parish News

Family and School Partnerships

It was wonderful to have some of our families join us for our recent 'Come and Be Cyber Safe with Me', education sessions. These sessions have been developed by both the Australian Government's E-Safety Commissioner and Google's new online and safety and wellbeing program.

P&F

 P&F Meeting Minutes

Upcoming Events and App Alerts

Please remember to check your Compass app for any upcoming events requiring permission:

• Year 1 Liturgy
• Year 2 Liturgy
• Year 4 Excursion
• Year 5 2024 House Captain Speeches
• SRC Leadership Dinner
• Year 6 Graduation
• Year 6 Gathering and Mass
• Swimming Carnival Permission Notes

PBS

This week our PBS focus is 'I am respectful when talking to friends, classmates and grown ups'. The purpose of this lesson is to help students' be respectful when they talk to friends, classmates and grown-ups. Student’s will recognise and understand how the tone of their voice and what they say changes the meaning of a sentence. Student’s will also gain an understanding of how tone can make us feel different emotions. 

Learning intention:

We are learning to communicate respectfully with friends, classmates, and grown-ups.

Student Awards

Aadi P, Aaron V, Addison E, Addison H, Angus D, Anna G, Archie M, Aston G, Aurora P, Billie B, Bryce L, Charlotte E, Chase O, Cohen T, Darcy T, Dominic R, Eliza W, Ella R, Emily K, Enzo W, Flynn N, Harrison F, Jake G, Jaxson F, Jayden C, Jeffrey W, Josh A, Kaiden O, Lacey W, Lachlan F, Mahli N, Mahli-Lee W, Micah V, Nicholas B, Olivia C, Sienna H, Skylah N, Slayter G, Sophie W, Tate A and Tiger Lily R.

From the Leaders

This Sunday at Mass we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King,  the last Sunday of Ordinary Time and thus to the end of the liturgical year.

As the final days of Jesus’ life draw near in Matthew’s Gospel this Sunday, Jesus’ preaching takes on a growing sense of urgency and clarity. The story Jesus tells - sometimes referred to as the parable of the ‘sheep and the goats’ - cuts right to the heart of authentic Christian discipleship. On Judgement Day, only one thing will matter: how did you treat the person who came to you in need?

2024 Student Representative Council

We are thrilled to announce the Year 5 students who have been selected to be the Year 6 Student Representative Council for 2024! We look forward to their leadership and representation of the student body for the year ahead. As we celebrate this achievement, we now turn our focus to students aspiring for House leadership roles. This is an exciting opportunity for students to share how they contribute to our school community and how they intend to lead next year. Boronia, Flinders, Clarence and Kennedy Houses will be listening to candidates next Wednesday.

We would also like to congratulate our two School Captains for 2024:

Emily Lonergan and Joseph O'Brien

Our 2024 Student Representative Council:

Josh Abraham, Theo Ding, Grace Judge, Elloise Gleeson, Sienna Harrison, Arthur Hough, Braxton Stewart and Flynn Wehlow

Emergency Management Planning

The safety of our students, families and staff is our highest priority. In order to best ensure this, the St Agnes' leadership and staff, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, plan for a number of possible incidents, emergencies or natural disasters that could take place at school or during the school term. The events of recent years have reinforced how important this planning is and we all have a role to play when it comes to emergency management, including families.

Our students participate in various safety drills and staff participate through training and safety drills. We’d like to share with you the role of parents and families in emergency management.

School Lockdown

A number of the situations we plan for include a school lockdown as one of the immediate safety actions to ensure the safety of our students and staff. We understand that some may understand the word ‘lockdown’ to mean there is an immediate safety risk to all students. It is important to understand that when a school initiates a lockdown this may not be the case.

Depending on the situation, the purpose of a school lockdown will differ. A school lockdown may be a preparation step for an evacuation, or a school lockdown may allow emergency services access to an area of the school without having to navigate past students. Regardless of the purpose of a school lockdown, no one can be admitted to the school grounds other than emergency services.

Should we initiate a school lockdown, parents and families will be informed via text message and Compass notification. We will also inform parents and families as soon as the school lockdown has been lifted or if there are any actions required of parents and families. It is important that you do not attempt to attend the school during a school lockdown. We understand that you may be concerned however attending the school may also add risk to a possible emergency situation, block emergency services or impede an evacuation.

Natural Disaster

In the event of a natural disaster, such as flood or bushfire, the school leadership, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, will determine if it is safe for the school to open. If there is a probability the school may have to close part way through the day, the school will not open for that day as it is extremely difficult to evacuate a school site and ensure all students are able to go directly home safely.

In a bush fire or flood event it is important that parents and families have a plan to get your child/ren home from school, or into your care, at short notice. Please be aware that school buses may not be running and the school can not allow your child/ren to go home to an empty house or home with another parent without your permission.

Family Preparedness

How can you help us prepare for emergency situations? Please ensure that:

• You have downloaded Compass and have allowed notifications.
• Any changes to your contact details or custodial arrangements have been updated with the school.
• You have a bush fire/flood plan in place that all members of your family understand.
• In the event of a school lockdown or evacuation, directions in the parent notifications are followed

It is always our hope that these measures will never be needed but it is also our responsibility to ensure our school community is prepared and informed should the need arise. We thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.

Ginaya Yarnold and Nigel McIntyre
Principal     and      Work Health and Safety Manager, Catholic Schools Office

World Children's Day

Our Year 6 students shone as they hosted a vibrant fair for the entire school in celebration of World Children's Day! This dynamic event showcased the creativity and leadership of our sixth graders, who organised engaging activities, games, and treats for fellow students. The fair not only brought joy and laughter but also fostered a sense of community and camaraderie among students of all ages. Kudos to our Year 6 stars for making World Children's Day unforgettable for everyone at our school!

2023 Christmas Hamper Appeal

Thank you to all families who have already brought in their Christmas Hamper items. Tuesday 28 November will be an out of uniform day and the day to bring in your hamper item if you haven't already. The SRC will work with volunteers to pack these on Thursday 30 November, ready for delivery this weekend. 

2024 High School Orientation

Last week our Year 6 students embarked on an exciting journey to the High Schools as part of their transition experience. This invaluable visit allowed them to explore their future academic environment, meet high school staff, and gain insights into the opportunities that await. The transition day was filled with enthusiasm and anticipation, paving the way for a smooth and positive progression into the next phase of their educational journey.

Year 6 Transition Gathering and Mass

Today our Year 6 students had a fantastic opportunity to mix with other Year 6 students attending MacKillop or St Joseph's Regional Colleges in 2024. They will also be learning more about their faith, gain a greater understanding of the Mass and participate in a workshop run by the Wildfire Band.

Congratulations Joe

Joe O'Brien in Year 5 has won our school a prize in the Kind Kids Design a Mascot Competition, organised by the Kindness Factory. This competition encourages children aged 4 to 13 to design mascots representing 12 attributes of kindness. Joe's winning mascot is called "Putting a Smile on Your Dile" (pictured below). The Kindness Factory is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting kindness and offers educational programs for schools to create a kinder community. The organisation was founded by Kath Koschel, a former elite cricketer who experienced personal challenges and believes in the power of kindness. Well done Joe!

2024 Library Monitors

Introducing our Library Monitors for the beginning of 2024. Marlie B, Makayla D, Raquel R and Emme C, will be assisting Mrs McEntyre with returning books and promoting their borrowing. Mrs Mac is so excited for their help.

End Of Year Mass

Don’t forget to lock into your calendars our Mass on Friday 8 December at 12:15pm to celebrate the end of the 2023 school year. We look forward to having our families join us.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

IDPWD is a United Nations observed day held on 3 December each year that aims to increase public awareness, understanding and inclusion of people with disability. One in six Australians – or 4.4 million people are living with a disability. At St Agnes’ Primary we will be raising awareness for some of these in class during Week 9

Each grade will learn about a different disability and on 5 December will wear the colour representing that foundation. During Social Circles each child will teach their group something they have learnt about their foundation. 

Kindergarten - Hearing loss (Dark Blue)
Year 1 - Visual loss (Green)
Year 2 - Autism (Blue)
Year 3 - Dyslexia (Red)
Year 4- Tourettes (Dark Green)
Year 5 - Mental Health Conditions (Green) 
Year 6 - Down Syndrome (Blue and Yellow)

Year 2 Chapel Visit

Year 2 and many of their parents joined Father Roland at Christ the King Chapel yesterday. The theme was Advent, in preparation for the season beginning next week. 

The students then returned to school and did amazing writing.

Learning Conversations

Have you ever wondered what to ask your child at the end of a school day? Instead of asking ‘How was your day?’ perhaps try the following:

• What did you learn today?
  
• How did you do?
  
• What did you do if you didn’t understand?
  
• How can you improve on your learning?
  
• What are you most proud of?

We hope that this sparks some conversations about your child’s learning in Writing in particular! At St Agnes’ this has been a continued focus to ensure our students feel their learning is meaningful and they know how to improve.

Aggies Christmas Carols

We look forward to having families join us to participate in the St Agnes’ Carols by Candlelight on Tuesday 5 December.

Community News

Canteen News

Sports News

Diocesan Summer Sports Trials

Four Aggies students attended the Diocesan Summer Sports Trials in Lismore this week. On Wednesday, Flynn Wehlow attended the Basketball trials. Flynn played with the Hastings squad in four games and was drafted into the final game for selection. His strength on the ball and attack impressed selectors, and now Flynn will travel with the Lismore Diocese Team that will compete in the Polding trials in Term 1, 2024.

On Thursday, Stella Donahue, Bailey Ackroyd and Harley Cadden trailled for touch football. All three participated in four games and played well. Unfortunately, none of our touch players will progress to Polding. What an outstanding achievement to make it this far into selections.

Well done Flynn, Bailey, Harley and Stella.

2024 House Captain Speeches and House Meetings

On Wednesday 29 November at 11:40am, our nominated Year 5 students will present their speeches to their individual sporting house. Years 3 - 6 will attend the speeches, and voting will occur at the house meetings. Parents of nominated students are invited to attend on the day. Following the speeches, the current Year 6 house captains will hold a house meeting with information about the carnival and house chants. The speeches will be held in the following rooms:

• Flinders - 6 Hope (Mr Jones)
• Kennedy - 5 Faith (Mr Behan)
• Boronia - 3 Love (Mrs Tydd)
• Clarence - 4 Faith (Mr Brazel)

St Agnes' Swimming Carnival

Time is quickly running out for families to register for competitive events at next Friday’s school swimming carnival. In order to organise heats, the registrations (schoolinterviews.com.au event code drnt5) will close on Tuesday 28 November. 

Students should come to school normally, and we start transporting students to the pool at 9:00am. Kindergarten will use the toddler pool, and Years 1 and 2 will use the 25m pool. Competitive races will begin around 9:40am with the 8yrs 50m freestyle. If any parent wishes to help on the day, please get in touch with the school.

Attached are the program of events for the kindergarten, infants and primary carnivals. Please note we will do our best to run to schedule, but times are a guide only. Also attached is a social story you can share with your children about what the day includes. This will be shared in classrooms, but it might also help to have a conversation as families.

Coached Sport - Tennis

Thank you to Greg Alchin, who has been at our school for the last two weeks, delivering tennis coaching to all students. It was great to see students involved in the lessons and learning skills needed to play and enjoy tennis. This coaching was provided through the Sporting School Grants from the Australian Sports Commission, and we are grateful for this opportunity for our children.

KM Club 2024

It’s official! The KM Club will return in Term 1, Week 2, 2024.

Calendar

P&F

Final P&F Meeting for 2023 - Monday 20 November 5:45pm

On Monday evening, we will hold the final P&F meeting for 2023. As always, all parents and carers from our school community are invited to attend. Please see below for the November meeting agenda.

Upcoming Events and App Alerts

Please remember to check your Compass app for any upcoming events requiring permission:

• Year 1 Liturgy
• Year 2 Liturgy
• Year 4 Excursion
• SRC Leadership Dinner
• Year 6 Graduation
• Year 6 Gathering and Mass
• Swimming Carnival Permission Notes

PBS

Our PBS focus for last week and next week is 'I am respectful and responsible when I clean-up my environment'. This focus links into our learning we had as a school community with the SRC around ‘Clean up our school day’.

Student Awards

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 500 Dojos:

Ivy G and Makayla D

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 400 Dojos:

Eva D, Lucas K, Rory C, Amelia C, Hunter F, Harrison F, Cody N and Max S

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 300 Dojos:

Saxon K, Flynn N, Hazel L, Jasper M, Phebe C, Jude H, Thomas B, Harrison P, Alexander B, Beau L, Benjamin K, Macey S, Rayan W and Blaze B

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 200 Dojos:

Liam B, Zuri T, Aria S, Callum J, Shayla D, Xavier H, Marlie B, Lara B, Nathan C, Zoe O, Jai C, Harper C, Emersyn F, Kirrily J, Marcella J, Bonnie M, Ava S, Nina T, Duke W and Tilda R

From the Leaders

This Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew tells of another parable Jesus told, the parable of the talents. In Jesus' time a ‘talent’ was a unit of money. The master gave five talents to one servant, two to another, and one to the third. When the master came back the man he had given five to had five more. The master said he would now trust this servant with more because he had been a good and faithful servant. What qualities has God bestowed on each of us: patience, humility, generosity? If you have the gift of patience, then you are able to listen well to others- even if that person is angry - without yelling back. When we show patience and understanding, we might be able to become closer friends. In the same way the servant doubled the talents his master gave him, we are expected to use the gifts and talents God gives us and ‘double’ them.

Remembrance Day

A big thank you to our School Captains, Oliver Walters and Armani Daley for representing St Agnes' Primary School at the Remembrance Day Ceremony on Saturday 11 November at the Town Green.

Student Representative Council

Nominated Year 5 students recently took to the stage to deliver leadership speeches, vying for a spot on the Student Representative Council. Each candidate shared their vision, values, and commitment to representing their peers. The school witnessed a showcase of budding leadership skills as these young individuals articulated their ideas and aspirations, contributing to a vibrant democratic process within our school community. We now await the results.

Thank you to 5 Faith and Steve Behan for leading our Remembrance Day Service so beautifully on Monday morning. Our students were incredibly respectful during the prayer, showing great appreciation for armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.

Prayer Service

Yesterday, Year 3 attended the chapel as a grade for a prayer celebration. We were grateful to have parents and grandparents join us.

World Children's Day

Thank you Year 6 students for your planning and organisation for our “fun day’ to celebrate World Children’s Day on Monday. Each child will receive a ‘hand’ today to be used to participate in these activities. Don't forget to come out of uniform.

Return and Earn

We continue to collect recyclable bottles and cans with the aim of using the money raised to purchase meat and vegetable vouchers to be used in the Christmas Hampers we are compiling from our school.

2023 Christmas Hamper Appeal

Don’t forget to come out of uniform on Tuesday 28 November and bring your hamper item to support families in our parish. Thankyou Aunty Kirrily for your amazing organisation in allocating hamper items to grades.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students are exploring the world of data collection using everyday play-based equipment. Guided by their teachers, they select familiar toys, turning playtime into a valuable learning experience. Through hands-on exploration, students learn to collect and sort items, from counting colourful blocks to categorising stuffed animals. The classroom becomes a vibrant hub of curiosity as students joyfully turn their toys into tangible data sets. This initiative not only introduces foundational mathematical skills but also cultivates a positive attitude towards learning, seamlessly integrating education into everyday play.

Year 4

Year 4 students showcased their versatility by transforming persuasive writing into compelling speeches on topics of their choice. From debating the merits of different fishing techniques to advocating for modified rules in school rugby league, these young orators explore diverse subjects. This initiative not only hones their persuasive communication skills, but also empowers them to express opinions on matters they find meaningful.

Year 6

Year 6 students delved into the realm of renewable energy as part of their science curriculum. Beginning with an intensive research phase, students explored the science behind wind energy and the environmental benefits of wind turbines. Transitioning into the design phase, they collaborated in groups, guided by teachers to balance form and function. The hands-on aspect transformed classrooms into engineering labs, where students built and fine-tuned prototypes, learning resilience and problem-solving skills. The culmination involved testing the turbines in a simulated wind environment, showcasing the students' creations producing electricity.

Come Be Cyber-Safe With Me

Are you wanting your child to learn more about being safe online? We welcome you and your family (K-6) to join us at the Library for some online learning. These have been developed by both the Australian Government’s eSafety Commissioner and Google’s new online safety and wellbeing program.

Our next session will be on - Wednesday 22 November 11:00am to 11:30am.

Advent Resources

Please see the flyer below which provides access to Advent Resources suitable to families with both primary and secondary-aged children. The resources encourage families to prepare thoughtfully and meaningfully for Christmas throughout the season of Advent.

Aggies Christmas Carols

We look forward to having families join us to participate in the St Agnes’ Carols by Candlelight on Tuesday 5 December.

Community News

Canteen News

Sports News

Diocesan Summer Sports Trials

Next week, four Aggies students will travel to Lismore to attend the Diocesan Summer Sports Trials. Stella Donohue, Bailey Ackroyd and Harley Cadden will participate in Touch Football selections on Thursday, while Flynn Wehlow is trialling for Basketball on Tuesday. These students have already progressed through school and zone selections, and we wish Stella, Bailey, Harley and Flynn the best of luck at the trials.

Tennis Development Coaching

This week, many students attended the first sessions of our tennis coaching clinics at school. Over two weeks, all students will have the opportunity to work with a professional tennis coach and experience the skills needed to play tennis. This includes correct racquet grip, body position and striking the ball. Thank you to Greg Alchin for providing this coaching for our students.

St Agnes' Swimming Carnival

We are in the final stages of preparation for the Aggies Swimming Carnival. The carnival will be a mix of championship and non-championship events. Children must be registered for championship events  via schoolinterviews.com.au using event code drnt5 by 28 November. After this date, the events will be closed so we can organise heats. Programs of events have been shared with families, and we welcome our school community to come along and enjoy the day with us. If any parents can help on the day, please contact the school. 

Infants will attend the swimming carnival between 9:30am and 10:30am for swimming and novelty races. Kindergarten will use the toddler pool, and Years 1 and 2 will use the 25m pool. Please use the links below to access a PDF of the Kindergarten, Infants and Primary schedules of events. Please note that we will do our best to stay on schedule throughout the carnival, however, times are an estimate only.

Calendar