Newsletter - 2024 Term 4 Week 5

Calendar

From the Leaders

In this Sunday’s Gospel Mark tells us that Jesus wants to remind us that every day of our life counts. Every time we speak or act, we have the opportunity either to do good and move closer to God or do wrong and move further away from him. Even when we think everything is lost, we can always look to Jesus who is our Light, even in the darkest times. Jesus offers us hope in this Gospel.

Year 3 Youth Ministry Retreat

On Monday afternoon, Year 3 students gathered for a half day retreat for fun activities to celebrate their faith and to help them appreciate each other's individual gifts and promote friendship. 

On our retreat day we were in groups to learn a song, gave compliments using a friendship string, designed friendship posters, worked as a team to keep a balloon in the air, acted out the Good Samaritan parable and had storytelling for the Prodigal Son. We thank our class teachers, Jacob, Jaz and Evronia.
Mia M

We had six stations to move around with games and activities, There was one station where you had to throw a ball of yarn at someone in the circle and say a nice comment about them. I had a great day.
Rose

A retreat is where they pick a topic for us to learn and reflect on. A topic that has a connection to love, Jesus, faith, God and hope. Jacob, Jaz and Evronia ran the retreat. Some of the games were about using teamwork to succeed. Jacob, Jaz and Evronia are going to come for lunch time groups on Mondays. What they are trying to teach us is to go out into the world and act like Jesus. 
Jaxson

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Annual Parish Christmas Hamper Appeal

Thanks to those families who have already sent in their allocated grocery items to form our Parish Christmas Hampers this year. Each class has a basket in their classroom to place these items in. We are grateful to volunteers who are willing to help the SRC pack the hampers on Thursday 5 December.

Each class has been allocated items to donate for this appeal. Please see the note below for further details.

Remembrance Day

We can not be more proud of each of our students for the reverence and respect they showed throughout our Remembrance Day Service on Monday. At 11:00am staff and students were gathered in silence after learning about the significance of this day in honoring men and women who served our country and praying in thanks for their efforts and asking for peace. At the same time Emily and Joe attended the Remembrance Day Ceremony at Town Green with Mrs Yarnold to lay a wreath for our school.

Year 6 2025 SRC Leadership Speeches

It was such a special event today in the Hall when our Year 5 nominated students presented their leadership speeches to all children in Years 3 to 6 and the many families that attended. A big thank you to the Year 5 teachers and Mrs Claire Thurlow for supporting the leadership process. We look forward to hearing the results when they are all finalised. 

Kindergarten 2025

It has been so exciting to welcome our Kindergarten 2025 children to St Agnes' this week. We had our first four Storytime sessions and the children had an opportunity to spend some time in the Library playing, listening to a story and doing some craft. They then went to the Hall for some fun dance routines! We look forward to welcoming them for the next Storytime sessions on Thursday and Friday next week.

Mr Clean - Rubbish Warriors

Congratulations to 5 Hope who consistently have a very clean classroom and won the Mr Clean Award.

We also acknowledge our five winners of the Rubbish Warriors reward for being caught doing something good for our environment. This week they were: Eva, Annabelle, Savannah, Sophia and Charlotte.

World Children’s Day Activities and Out of Uniform

The SRC are working with their fellow peers to provide fun activities to celebrate World Children’s Day. This will be held on Thursday 28 November. Stay tuned for the fun activities each grade will be involved in for a time during that day.

Being at School Regularly Helps Children Develop Positive Friendships

School attendance is not only about academic growth but also social and emotional development. Here are several ways in which consistent attendance contributes to the formation of meaningful and supportive peer relationships:

• Shared Experiences. Regular attendance allows children to share common experiences with their peers. Being present in class provides opportunities for shared learning, activities, and interactions, fostering a sense of camaraderie.
• Consistent Social Interaction. Attending school every day provides consistent opportunities for social interaction with classmates. Regular face-to-face interactions contribute to the development of communication skills, empathy, and a sense of belonging.
• Building Trust and Reliability. Being present on a regular basis helps children build trust and reliability within their peer group. Dependable attendance creates a sense of predictability, and peers can rely on each other for mutual support and collaboration.

Little Muzos

All families are welcome to join us for a Little Muzos concert on Wednesday afternoon at 2:15pm in the school hall. We are excited for this concert showcasing the skills of our band members this year.

Parish Community Celebration

We welcome all families to join us at St Joseph’s Regional College for a Parish Community Celebration on Christ the King Sunday. We will celebrate Mass as a community and provide fun activities and wonderful food. Please register via the QR code or by ringing the Presbytery on 6583 6079 for catering purposes.

Encounter Youth – Who dun it?

‘Who did it? It was Jesus, with a miracle, in Jerusalem! It’s time to unmask the workings of God in our lives.’ Join us at Encounter Youth for a mystery night with food, fun, and more.

• Friday 22 November
• 5:30pm-7:30pm @ the Youth Hub
• $5 for Dinner

Sports News

Diocesan Cricket Summer Sports Trials

Congratulations to Archie M and Liam O in Year 4, who travelled to Lismore on Monday to compete in the Diocesan Summer Sports Trials for cricket. After advancing through the Zone trials in hot weather, they faced cold and wet conditions on the day of the event. With the field too soaked to play on, the trials were held in the batting nets, where Archie and Liam showcased their bowling and batting skills for the Polding selectors. Both boys enjoyed the opportunity to play alongside talented players from across the Lismore Diocese and are already excited to try again next year.

Well done, Archie and Liam, on reaching this stage of the selections!

Aggies Swimming Carnival

Thank you to all families who have already logged in to schoolinterviews.com.au and registered for our Swimming Carnival on 6 December. Students aged eight and above are eligible to enter competitive events, including 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke for each age group. There are also 100m races for Junior students (ages 8–10) and Senior students (ages 11–13), as well as an all-ages butterfly event. To register your child for these events, please visit schoolinterviews.com.au and use the code ca2ty. Event bookings will close on Monday 2 December.

Before signing up, please ensure your child is able to swim the selected distance without stopping, as this helps us maintain a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. The carnival is designed to be fun and inclusive, encouraging all students to participate. For those who prefer not to compete in the main races, there will be a variety of other swimming activities, including 25m races, novelty events and free swim sessions.

Please refer to the attached documents for schedules and event details for both the infant and primary carnivals. We appreciate that many families take time off to attend and we will make every effort to keep events running on schedule. Additional information for families will be provided in the Compass permission notes.

We extend our gratitude to community members who have already volunteered to help. If you're interested in supporting our students during this event, please contact Drew Wilson at andrew.wilson@lism.catholic.edu.au or Renee Shaw at renee.shaw@lism.catholic.edu.au.

Future Dates

• Tuesday 26 November: Diocesan Summer Sports Trials (Years 4 and 5 Basketball and Tennis)
  
• Thursday 28 November: Diocesan Summer Sports Trials - Touch Football - Lismore
  
• Friday 6 December: St Agnes' Swimming Carnival - Port Macquarie Town Pool

2025

• Thursday 6 February: School Swimming Trials - Wauchope Pool
  Friday 7 February: Polding Summer Sports Trials - Tamworth
  Tuesday 18 February: Zone Swimming Carnival - Macksville

Student Awards

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 500 Dojos:

Cody N, Isabelle P, Layla M, Noah E and Tara A

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 400 Dojos:

Angel S, Beau L, Cody N, Elise G, Emilia A, Indi F, Jack D, Jiya R, Joseph O, Kasper S, Layla M, Lucy C, Maliya L, Seamus M and Utah E

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 300 Dojos:

Alexander B, Ava S, Benjamin M, Bracen S, Charlie E, Charlotte E, Charlotte H, Cody N, Dominic R, Elijah N, Elise G, Eva D, Hayley M, Imogen H, Ivy C, James H, Jannah S, Jenson T, Kaiden D, Kasper S, Keira M, Kobi W, Layla M, Lucy D, Mahli N, Marley L, Mia C, Migha A, Oakley A, Patrick M, Ruben D, Sam B, Slayter G, Stella D, Thomas E, Tully D, Utah E, Wyatt B and Xy C

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 200 Dojos:

Aiva A, Alaura M, Amelie W, Ashton M, Aubree S, Avinav S, Bilyana B, Braxton S, Connor C, Dreigh T, Ella M, Evie C, Fletcher S, Flynn A, Flynn W, Georgia B, Georgia S, Harrison J, Hazel L, Jake G, Jenine J, Joseph O, Jovan C, Len D, Liam O, Lilyana P, Macy C, Mahli F, Mia C, Myles R, Neosha K, Nirvik K, Noah B, Phebe C, Ryan C, Sahara P, Sally-Ann V, Savannah M, Scarlett F, Sophia H, Sunday A, Thomas B, Thomas B, Wyatt B and Xavier H

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 100 Dojos:

Billylee P, Jenine J and Ryan C

Aiden V, Alba W, Angus S, Bailey A, Carolina H, Charlotte F, Clare M, Daniel I, Eli M, Ella M, Emily H, Emily T, Gabrielle R, Hailey J, Hayley G, Imogen W, Indiana F, Isabella K, Jannah S, Jaxson F, Josh A, Jovan C, Justine R, Kanata N, Kirrily J, Lachlan H, Layla M, Lucy C, Lucy D, Marcus G, Michael L, Michelle A, Myles R, Nathania N, Noah U, Norah M, Ot V, Rory C, Slayter G, Tabitha B, Utah E and Zali T

Positive Behaviour Support

Welcome to Week 5 and a new PBS Focus. This week our focus is on being Responsible: I am a responsible leader. In our previous lesson students created goals to ‘finish term 4 strong’. Our next two week goal is to help our students achieve this by teaching them about the importance of leadership, growth mindset and responsibility.

Catholic Social teaching: We should commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the good of all, to stand in solidarity with our one human family.

Family Resources: 

The Power of Leadership in Kids - A Parents Guide

Teach Growth Mindset - Kids Activities

Books to Share:

St Agnes' Primary School Community Forum

SCF Planning Meeting - Our last meeting for the year will be held next Wednesday 20 November at 5:45pm in the staff room, followed by end of year drinks at Bar Florian. This meeting will focus on SCF planning for 2025. The 2025-2027 School Strategic Plan will also be presented to parents. As always, all parents and carers are warmly invited to attend.

If you would like to contribute to this planning but are unable to attend the meeting, please get in touch prior by emailing pandfstagnes@gmail.com. Please follow the link below for the meeting agenda.

Canteen News

Parish News

Supporting healthy tech use as your child transitions into high school. This webinar explores the social pressures, peer influences, and technological challenges young people face as they transition into high school. It also offers practical strategies for navigating online friendships and connections to help minimise negative experiences. It is suitable for parents and carers of children in upper primary school (ages 11 to 12) and Year 7. This Webinar will be on 28 November at 12:30 pm Registration link - https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/5292449078565496666

eSafety 101: how eSafety can help you. An overview of The eSafety Commissioner and supporting programs and resources for parents and carers, children, and young people. It is suitable for parents and carers of children and young people in primary and secondary school and will be on Wednesday 4 December at 12:30pm Registration link - https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/4429149931214716000

Community News

Getting to School by Bus in 2025

Will your child be catching the bus to school next year? Applications are now open for a Bus Travel Pass.  As it’s a busy time of year, we highly recommend you make this application before the end of the year. It’s also good to check the bus timetable to make your child’s journey to school as easy as possible.  Here is how it works:

Bus passes

• All students catching the bus in 2025 will need a school travel pass.
• Under the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS), eligible students can apply for free or subsided travel between home and school.
• For more information about the School Student Transport Scheme and how to apply for a school travel pass, visit https://apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts/#/ from a desktop computer.

Bus timetables
Busways is the school bus operator that runs your schools’ bus services. To find your child’s school bus timetable visit the Busways website by using the following steps:

1. Go to busways.com.au/nsw 
2. Click on ‘school services’ in the navigation bar and then proceed to ‘school timetables’
3. Enter the school’s name in the field that says ‘enter a school name’
4. Select the school’s name and the timetable should open on your device. If you are unable to find or search for the school’s name, use the drop-down menus on the same web page to find the school.
5. Once the timetable is opened, you will be able to identify which school bus services are available in your area for your child to use.