Newsletter - 2025 Term 2 Week 1

Prayer

Remembering Pope Francis

As the Catholic Church—and indeed, the world—mourns the passing of Pope Francis, we pay tribute to our joyful shepherd in faith by remembering his life’s work of helping people find mercy, hope, and joy in God.
 
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, Jorge Mario Bergoglio entered the Society of Jesus on March 11, 1958, and was ordained a priest on December 13, 1969. As a Jesuit, he served as novice master, a theology professor and provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina (1973-1979). 
 
He was named auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and archbishop in 1998. Pope Saint John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 2001. On March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope, making him the first Jesuit pope and the first pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere. 

Prayer for Pope Francis
Loving God, 
today, we grieve for our beloved Pope Francis. 
We know you join us in our grief, that you too weep at the death of your dear friend 
and companion as Jesus did at the tomb of Lazarus.
 
Welcome our beloved Pope Francis into your waiting arms. 
Envelop him in your eternal love. 

And comfort us in our mourning as we strive to continue 
to follow his Gospel example to encounter Christ 
in all people and in all places.
 
We thank you for the gift of Pope Francis.
Through his life and teaching, you showed us how to love and serve one another, 
how to hear the cries of the poor and the cries of the earth 
and respond in compassionate love.
Pope Francis, pray for us. 
Mary, Mother of Sorrows, comfort us. 
Amen.

School Calendar

To access the School Calendar on Compass:

- Using a mobile phone: Click on the Calendar tab at the bottom of your Compass home page. You will have the option to view the calendar as daily or weekly. To see future dates, click on the small calendar at the top right hand side.

- Using a computer: Click on the Calendar icon at the top left hand side next to the Compass logo. You will have the option to view the calendar as a day, week, month or term.

Principal Message

Dear Parents and Carers
 
It is with great joy that I welcome all our families and students back to Term 2 after what I hope was a restful and blessed Easter holiday. It has been wonderful to see the children return with such enthusiasm and energy, ready for a new term of learning and growth. A special mention must go to our Kindergarten students, who have made a great start to Term 2. It is truly amazing to see just how far they have come since their first days at school. They have returned settled, calm and full of confidence — a testament to the hard work of the students, teachers and families.
 
We were deeply saddened over the holidays to hear of the passing of Pope Francis. His leadership, humility, and unwavering dedication to social justice, care for creation, and the dignity of every person has left an enduring mark on our Catholic faith tradition. We grieve his loss and pray that he is now reunited with God. Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' reminded us all of the vital interconnectedness between social, economic, and ecological concerns — a message that has greatly inspired our students here at St Agnes’ school. His teachings continue to call us to action in caring for our common home and for one another. We now look forward in anticipation and with great hope to the possibility of our next Pope who will follow in Pope Francis’ footsteps and serve all people in the gifts that he will bring to the Catholic Church and the world.
 
This week, our students participated in meaningful reflections and prayers to commemorate ANZAC Day. In our whole school prayer assembly hosted by 6 Hope, students engaged thoughtfully with the significance of the day, remembering the courage, sacrifice, and spirit of service of our ANZACs. We acknowledge the contribution of Mr Jason Gill, President of the RSL sub branch of Port Macquarie for giving up his time on Wednesday to give us a greater understanding of what it means to be an ANZAC, of those who have served our country, spoke about Australia’s history and promoted a sense of pride in ourselves as people who band together to acknowledge and show appreciation for all our heritage. We thank Nick Bush for volunteering to play the extremely difficult music piece of the Last Post. Congratulations Nick.

Building Works Completed

We're thrilled to announce the completion of our holiday building works, which included the installation of 100 solar panels, roofing repairs, tree demolition, and an office refurbishment. We look forward to planning our next phases of school enhancements and continuing to improve our facilities to provide the best possible environment for learning and growth for our children. 

Principal Appointment Process

On behalf of Mr Peter McLoughlin, Acting Regional Assistant Director - Hastings, please see the link below in regards to the Principal Appointment Process for our school.

Principal Appointment Process

Tell Them From Me Survey

This Term, our school is participating in the Tell Them From Me ® (TTFM ® ) student survey. This survey provides valuable feedback on students' perspectives from Years 4 to 6 about school life, their engagement, and the ways teachers interact with them.

The surveys are rigorously validated and developed by The Learning Bar, an organisation specialising in educational research and survey administration. These surveys gather crucial data that help enhance student learning experiences and overall school environment.

Key Points:

• The survey is confidential, and school staff will not be able to identify individual students from their responses.
• Participating students will receive a unique username and password to ensure confidentiality.
• The survey is online, takes 15 to 20 minutes, and will be conducted during school hours.
• Participation in the survey is voluntary. If your child feels uncomfortable with any question, they can skip it or stop the survey at any time.
• Teachers will remind students that they can talk to their teacher or guidance counsellor if they feel distressed or worried about the survey.
• The survey measures topics such as emotional and social well-being, physical health, and behaviours and attitudes that are predictors of student success.
• It also allows students to provide their thoughts and feedback through open-ended questions.

If you do not want your child/children to participate in the survey, please complete the attached opt out form and return to school by Wednesday 7 May. 

Future of Catholic Education

This Saturday’s federal election could have lasting implications for the future of Catholic education. Please take a moment to read the attached media release and scorecards to understand where each party stands on the values, funding, and freedoms that support our school. 

St Agnes' Primary School Uniform Expectations

As we start a new Term, we look forward to working in partnership with families to ensure all students wear the correct uniform.

Please find attached a visual outlining uniform expectations, this has been shared previousy in newsletters and is found in the handbook online. Thank you for your support in ensuring students wear their uniform correctly. 

Wishing all our families and students a wonderful Term 2 ahead, filled with learning, growth and joy.

Peace be with You
Brendan Kiely
Principal (Acting)

Assistant Principal - Mission

Stations Of The Cross

Congratulations to the Aggie’s students who showed great Parish Support on Good Friday in acting out scenes in the Stations of the Cross. So many parish and community members expressed their gratitude for our children who gave up their time during the school holidays to help present each of the stations depicting Jesus’ arrest and death.

ANZAC Day March

We were incredibly proud of the numerous students who represented the St Agnes’ Primary School community at the ANZAC Day March during the school holidays. 

Mother’s Day Stall – Thursday 8 May

Here’s what you need to know:

 All gifts $5 – please bring the correct money if possible
 Cash only
 1 gift per student

Pay it Forward – donations welcome! Drop cash to the office by 9:00am Thursday to help cover a gift for another child

We need parent helpers to run the stall between 8:00am and 2:00pm -  Can you help? Please let Renee know if you’re free for even part of that time! Renee Lisle-Watson: 0416 075 624.

Let’s make this a special day for our kids and the incredible women in their lives!

Mothers Day

We look forward to honouring Mothers and Special Others on Friday morning next week.

These special people are invited to join us from 8:25am for a breakfast muffin and a tour of school displays with your own child/children. At 9:00am we will gather in the hall for a short celebration acknowledging the contribution Mothers and Special Others make to each of our lives and in our community.

First Holy Communion

Year 4 students are currently involved in learning about the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. This learning is to support students who are preparing to make this sacrament next month. Families of candidates will attend a Narrated Mass next week on either Tuesday 6 May, Thursday 8 May from 5:30pm - 6:30pm or Saturday 10 May 3:00pm - 4:00pm. All of these are in St Agnes' Church.

They will also receive a gift of a Mass book and be presented to the parish on Saturday 17 May or Sunday 18 May at normal mass times.

We look forward to celebrating with them when they make their Sacrament on either Tuesday 20 May at 6:00pm, Saturday 24 May at 6:00pm or Sunday 1 June at 10:30am

Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Staff Professional Learning Day

We would like to thank all of the families for their support of our staff professional learning day. It was a wonderful day of learning for all of our staff as we explored the Australian Educational Research Organisation’s evidence based information about “How Students Learn Best.” It is essential that as professionals we are always updating our knowledge and ensuring that the work that we are doing is best placed to meet the needs of our students. 

Come Read with Me Kindergarten

We are so proud of our Kindergarten students and how far they have already come in their learning. Please know that the Kindergarten team are currently preparing parent education sessions for “Kindergarten Come Read with Me” to support home reading. We look forward to sharing in this learning experience and thank the Kindergarten teaching team for their work.

Whole School Maths Professional Learning Cycle

A key part of the work that we are doing this term is a whole school professional learning cycle with a focus on Mathematics. This is directly linked to our school improvement goal related to ensuring that all English and Mathematics learning is evidence based and highly effective. Whilst we continue to embed our updated practices in English, this chance to explore the Mathematics curriculum and pedagogy in professional learning teams will help us to continue to improve our students’ growth.

Number Fluency Trial

As shared last term, we are engaging as a trial school of the Number Fluency Program. The children will work through a 10 minute session daily of targeted number fluency practice. You may hear your child saying that their work is “so easy.” Please know that the work is supposed to be easy, it is designed to be at a level that the children are able to answer fluently during, short timed sessions. This does not replace any of our Mathematics learning, it is an extra opportunity to practise their skills. We have included a parent flyer for your learning.

Parent Partnership- Learning Conversations

As we begin the term, we are preparing for our learning conversations in Week 6 this term. These are a wonderful opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with their teachers and we deeply value the partnership with you as parents in supporting your child’s learning. We encourage all families to attend. The information to book these will be sent via Compass at a later date.

Sports News

Polding Winter Sports Trials - Bathurst

This week, nine Aggies students travelled to Bathurst to compete in the Polding Winter Sports Trials. To reach this level, they advanced through the School, Zone and Diocesan Trials, and are now competing against students from Catholic schools across Northern NSW for a place on the Polding Team and a chance to attend the NSW PSSA State Championships.

The students arrived yesterday and took part in a training session that afternoon, with the official selections held today. Congratulations to the following students for their dedication and effort in reaching this level of competition. We look forward to hearing their stories and the results from the trials.

Having nine students reach this stage is a remarkable achievement for both the athletes and our school community. Congratulations to:

Georgina F - Netball
Kruze D - 11yrs Rugby League
Zane B - 12yrs Rugby League
Beau L - 12yrs Rugby League
Emilia A - Soccer
Nicholas D - Soccer
Mia B - Hockey
Ivy G - Hockey
Eli M - Hockey

Zone Cross Country

Best of luck to our Aggies Cross Country team competing at the upcoming Zone Carnival. 

Next Wednesday, 50 students will travel to Kempsey to compete in the Zone Cross Country Carnival against students from other Catholic schools in the Hastings area. Students aged 8, 9, and 10 will run a 2 km course, while students aged 11 and 12 will compete over a 3 km track.

Students travelling by bus must arrive at school by 8:00am for an 8:15am departure. If your child is travelling to the venue by private transport, please notify the school by emailing andrew.wilson@lism.catholic.edu.au or by calling Renee in the office.

Paul Kelly Cup - AFL

This week, students in Years 5 and 6 were able to nominate for the Paul Kelly Cup. The Paul Kelly Cup is a pathways AFL competition for primary school students. Teams from both catholic and public schools will compete in a gala day format with a final for the top two teams. The winning school will progress to regional championships in Coffs Harbour.

Trials will be held next Monday and Tuesday at school, with a team being announced Thursday afternoon. The Port Macquarie gala day will be held at Wayne Richards Park on Thursday 15 May. Travel to the event will be by private transport. Best of luck to all students trialling for the team.

Aggies Athletics Carnival 2025 - Here we go!

Plans are well underway for the Aggies Athletics Carnival, scheduled for Friday 20 June. Although recent rain has delayed the marking of the field, our groundsman, Dave, is ready to go as soon as conditions allow.

The carnival is a fun and inclusive event that also encourages healthy competition. Students can choose to participate in either championship or non-championship events. In the lead-up to the carnival, classes will hold heats and qualifying rounds for shot put, long jump, discus, and the 100m and 200m sprints. This term in Physical Education, students are also developing key athletic skills of running, leaping, and jumping.

A complete program and further details will be shared with our school community in the next newsletter.

Future Dates

Term 2

• Wednesday 7 May - Hastings Zone Cross Country - Kempsey
• Thursday 15 May - Paul Kelly CUP (AFL) - Wayne Richard’s Park, Port Macquarie 
• Friday 16 May - Diocesan Union Trials - Grafton

• Tuesday 20 May - Diocesan Cross Country - Grafton

• Wednesday 4 - Friday 6 June - PSSA AFL Championships - Sydney

• Wednesday 18 June - Diocesan Rugby Union Gala Day - Coffs Harbour

• Tuesday 17 June - Stage 3 Netball Gala Day - Port Macquarie

• Tuesday 17 - Thursday 19 June - PSSA Basketball Championship - Sydney

• Friday 20 June - School Athletics Carnival (B/U Friday 27 June)

Term 3

• Wednesday 23 July - Zone Athletics - St Joseph’s Regional College (Port Macquarie)

Leader of Additional Needs

Dear Parents and Carers

Re: Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

• year of schooling
• category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
• level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

• formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
• consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
• develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.

The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).

Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).

If you have any questions about the NCCD, please contact the school.

Kind regards
Eloise Wilson
Leader of Additional Needs

Student Awards

Assembly Awards

Congratulations to the following students who received an award at today's assembly:

Alexander R, Amelia W, Angus S, Ari K, Bracen S, Brayden W, Charlotte B, Chelsea O, Deina D, Dreigh T, Emily H, Emme C, Frankie C, Gemma W, Hannah B, Henley C, Henry T, Isabelle P, Jackson L, Jaxson F, Jayde B, Jho'Arryn C, Jonas C, Julian K, Kahter S, Keira M, Kirrily J, Konnor B, Lacey W, Marcus G, Maxwell S, Mia C, Micah V, Nicholas B, Nicholas H, Oakley A, Phebe C, Phoenix N, Ranuga V, Rocco M, Sadie O, Stella D, Sunday A, Tyler C, Waverly C and Zali T

Dojos

Congratulations to the following students who received 100 Dojos this week:

Abhinanda S, Addison A, Amahli M, Amelia M, Angus F, Annabelle H, Arie F, Ariette Solenn G, Billie P, Charlie J, Charlotte B, Clayton U, Dash D, Ella McC, Evelyn J, Finn P, Flynn L, Gemma W, Indi S, Kaia S, Kalani J, Leighroy D, Maisyn F, Margaux R, Matilda H, Murray B, Olivia C, Phoenix N, Prisca K, Stella A, Willow W and Wynter W

School Community Forum

If you have any questions regarding SCF activities, please contact our parent executive via pandfstagnes@gmail.com

 Kind regards,

Allison Ritchie
Chairperson
St Agnes’ Primary School Community Forum

Canteen News

Parish News

Community News