Dear Parents and Carers,

The cold winter days have certainly been prevalent over the past couple of weeks. It is always timely to remind students about bringing jumpers and a jacket to school every day to be prepared for whatever weather the days bring. Sunny mornings can easily change to cold, wet days and it is best to be prepared. Beanies (school colours - green, black, navy can be worn) are also encouraged to be worn to keep heads warm. Please ensure names are clearly written on all school clothing!

UNWELL STUDENTS: We are noticing an increase in students attending schools with coughs and colds. We ask parents to please keep unwell children at home to assist with keeping flus colds and other illnesses to a minimum at school. Parents/carers will be contacted to come and collect students if they come to school unwell. We ask everyone’s assistance in maintaining a healthy school environment please.

SEMESTER ONE REPORTS: Teachers are busily assessing students across all subject areas in preparation for Semester One reports. Reports will be available via the COMPASS portal on Friday 28 June. We encourage ALL parents and carers to attend the Parent/Teacher meetings in Week 10. These conversations about your child’s learning are an important process in the ongoing educational journey of your child.

THIS WEEK: We have a busy school schedule this week with the following events taking place: Session 2 of the whole school Mentoring program, Interschool Public Speaking Competition, NRL Dragons visit, Year 2 Class Mass and the WR Athletics carnival all being held across the week.  Please see more specific details of these events in the newsletter below.

PRINCIPAL CONTRACT RENEWAL PROGRAM: I will be undergoing a Contract Renewal process on Monday 24 June. This occurs every five years for Principals. The Principal Performance Review Panel comprises of:

• Natalie Harper, People and Culture Leader CECG
• Tim Smith, Performance and Improvement Leader CECG
• Dr Bill Maiden, Former Chair of TQI Board and retired Principal

Interviews will be conducted with AP, REC, Teacher, PP and Chair of SCC

Stay well and stay warm!

Christine Baron

Principal

Family Mass

Thank you to all those involved in the Family Mass on Saturday night. So many of our children, Parents and Staff supported this event which was wonderful. The Parish is always so happy that we hold these ‘Family Masses’, as it makes the Church alive. As Father Joe always says, “Our children are the future of the Church.”

Thank you everyone for your continual support.

Altar Server Needed

HELP: We need an Altar Server for:

29^th June

14^th September

If you could assist on either of these dates, please let Mrs Howe or Mrs Fairall know asap.

Year Two Mass

This coming Friday, Year Two will take a leading role in our School Mass. The children are looking forward to taking charge and presenting their Class Mass. Thank you Mrs Flanagan, Mr Ferguson and Year Two for your efforts. 

Archbishop’s Visit

We have been advised that Archbishop Christopher Prowse will be visiting the Tumut Mission on 16^th - 18^th August.

On Friday 16^th August Archbishop Christopher will celebrate the 12 noon Mass at St Patrick’s and afterwards meet the children He will then have lunch with the Staff.

On Saturday Archbishop Christopher will celebrate the 5pm Mass here in Gundagai and will then attend a Parish Dinner to meet with Parishioners. Further details to be announced soon.

Prayer: Experience the Day Fully

As we reflect on the time we share together, we pray for all the families in our school community and around the world.

God of wonder,

On the day we were born you began your work in us.

We know that you continue to work not only in us but through us,

Help us be good servants, always doing your work with open and eager hearts.

Whatever comes our way today, keep us positive and peaceful, always mindful of your presence and sustaining love amongst us.

Give us strength and courage to experience fully each moment of this day.

Heal all that is painful in us and give us your peace.

Watch over us, protect and guide us throughout this and every day. Amen.

Kate Howe

REC

We welcome Mitch and Ash Waddell back this week to present Session 2 of our whole school Mental Health Well Being program. The program focuses on the following topics:

Building resilience and dealing with conflict

Limiting beliefs and fear of failure

Positive relationships and identifying positive role models

Healthy mind and body

Safeguarding our students

The safeguarding of our students is the top priority of our schools and the Catholic Education Office.

Safeguarding is a term used to describe the protection of and human rights of vulnerable people. This may be due to their age, culture or trauma background, or they may be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation.

Catholic Education Canberra and Goulburn is committed to complying with Child Safe Standards. We have been working with our schools to meet these requirements.

Did you know that Catholic Education and our school has a Child Safe Policy which outlines our approach to child safety. This can be accessed on the Catholic Education Safeguarding Page.

We encourage you to visit this page and review our policy. As part of our approach to child safety Mrs Kate Howe is also our schools Child Safe Advocate who works closely with our school regarding our approach and response to child safety matters. This approach involves pro active strategies to safeguard our students as well as responding to areas of concerns. The area of child safety includes many parts of a school's operation such as day to day activities, school events and school camps. We encourage you to contact us should you like to discuss this further. 

Congratulations to the following students who were successfully selected as class representatives for the Interschool Public Speaking competition to be held tomorrow, Wednesday 19 June in St Patrick’s School Hall commencing at 9.30am.

Year 3: Kaydee Smith and Lane Johnson- If Kids Ruled the World

Year 4: Jimmy Robinson and Reuben Smart- Australian Stories

Year 5: Indi Cole and Eliza Graham- Learning from the Past

Year 6: Christyne Calub and Taite Johnson- Our Voices

The students will speak off against class representatives from McAuley Catholic College. Parents and friends are welcome to attend the competition. Please be seated by 9:25am.

Our grateful thanks to Mr Peter Gain who has coached the students in preparing for the Interschool competition.

This Wednesday 19th of June we will have some special visitors visit our school to deliver a program "The Best You Can Be". This program will be presented by St George Illawarra Dragons community and NRL Development staff. The St George Dragons community squad anticipate visiting Riverina schools over 3 days. 

The visits focus on how students can be at their best in the classroom with players emphasising the importance of respecting one another and providing support to each other to ensure their team can be at their best. 

They will be at our school presenting to our students from 12.00pm - 1.00pm. 

Mr Makeham is very happy to have his beloved Dragons come to visit our school. 

St Patrick's School are having a lamb/sheep drive on 19th June to raise funds for amentities for the students.  Stock can either be dropped off at Jack Hawthorne's yards in Gundagai (address can be provided) or a few of the dads will be driving around doing pickups from properties.  All deliveries must be picked up or dropped off to Jack's by 4.30pm Wednesday the 19th June along with an NVD (all animals must have an eartag). 

We are looking for good quality animals that will be transported to Wagga by Phil and Fiona Worldon FREE of charge (Thank you Phil and Fiona for your kind donation to transport the livestock).  Delta Livestock are also selling the stock free of charge. Could any families that are interested in donating stock to text or call either Aaron Nicholls, Craig Ferguson or Craig Hargreaves if you think you will be able to help with this fundraising by providing stock to sell.

We are asking if any interested families could let us know by 5pm Sunday 16th of June.  Please contact

Aaron Nicholls - 0417 660 568

Craig Ferguson - 0412 913 974

Craig Hargreaves - 0428 471 525

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

To all the students and families who have been hard at work to raise much needed funds for The Heart Foundation’s Jump Rope for Heart Program. As a school we have raised a little over $4000 and still counting! Imagine how much help we can give to all those people suffering heart diseases.

With 2 weeks remaining on our program and our Jump Off Day (Thursday 27/6/24) fast approaching, there is still time to register and collect donations. Follow this link to register your child.  

jumprope.org.au/parents

For any parents and families who wish to join us on Thursday 27th June for the "Jump Off Day" we will start skipping at 2.00pm with infants up first.  Prizes will be awarded throughout the jump off.  No need to RSVP just turn up and cheer on our students.

Our Little Learners program will continue this Friday 21 June with the theme of ‘Animals’ and then the following Friday 28 June with the ‘Hear It’ Theme. This will conclude the Little Learners program for Term 2.

Little Learners will continue again in Term 3.

As we move into the cold Winter months any uniforms can be purchased online or physically in the school shop. 

We are asking families to please donate or hand back uniforms no longer needed to our second hand supply that we keep available to all families. 

Our second hand supply at times can be very limited in different sizes but we try to keep these well sorted and available all year round to accommodate differing needs. 

In the past when utilising the second hand items, donation have been greatly appreciated but as we move forward second hand uniforms will be available to purchase for a small fee.   Woollen jumpers and tunic dresses in good condition will be marked at $20.00, other items will be marked at $5.00. Marking our second hand items for purcahse will provide some assistance in fundraising efforts and allow us some breathing room to keep our uniform shop well stocked for each season.  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 

• Little Learners Program continues each Friday: 9.00-11.00am
• Mentoring Program Session 2-Monday 17 June
• School Community Council Open Meeting-6.30pm Tuesday 18 June
• Interschool Public Speaking Competition-Wednesday 19 June
• NRL Dragons Visit-Be the Best you can Be!-Wednesday 19 June
• Principal’s Morning Tea-Thursday 20 June
• WR Athletics Carnival at Temora-Friday 21 June
• Year 2 Class Mass at St Patrick’s Church-Friday 21 June
• SRC Jump Off Day-Jump Rope for Heart -Thursday 27 June
• Semester One Reports go out via COMPASS portal-Friday 28 June
• Parent/Teacher Meetings-Monday 1 July, Tuesday 2 July and Wednesday 3 July
• Week 10 Awards Assembly: 2.30pm Thursday 4 June
• Last Day Term 2 for students-Thursday 4 June
• Staff Development Day-Friday 5 July
• Staff Spirituality Day-Monday 22 July
• Term 3 begins for students-Tuesday 23 July

Congratulations to our Week 6 and Week 7 Class Awards

Week 6 - 7th June 2024

Kindergarten : Anna Nicholls for trying so hard with her writing 

Year 1 : Noah Zhu for independent work during lessons 

Year 2 : Toby Nicholls for a consistent and thorough homework and reading journal 

Year 3 : Parker Melksham for completion of class activities in a timely manner (absent from photo) 

Year 4 : Reuben Smart for quick recall of times tables facts

Year 5 : Eliza Graham for always looking for ways to improve

Year 6 : Harry Peterson for diligent and mature work ethic

Week 7 - 14th June 2024

Kindergarten : Lilly Barton for producing quality work

Year 1 : Gus Hufton for trying hard to produce work of a high standard

Year 2 : Adriel Masikesa for settling into Yr 2 classroom routines 

Year 3 : Archie Peterson for his excellence across all areas

Year 4 : Zoe Paton for showing kindness and compassion

Year 5 : Molly Lott for her application and effort 

Year 6 : Joey Gailey for his focus and participation during all learning experiences, especially during Math and Religion

Well done to our WildCat Awards for week 6 and week 7 - Keep up the positive work

RESPONSIBLE : Olivia Smart, Christyne Calub, Will Potter, Max Zhu, Isabella Boswell, Zoe Paton, Indi Cole, Kevin Lyu, Alfie Eccleston, Michael Winters

RESPECTFUL : Alfie Eccleston, Kingsley McDonnell, Fletcher Smith, Lane Johnson, Reuben Smart, Indi Cole, Parker Melksham, Gus Hufton, June Bock

SAFE : Harrison Barton, Fletcher Smith, Lachlan Barton, Chelsea Crowe, Gus Hufton, Max Zhu, Juno Bock, Archie Peterson, Lilly Ferguson

Our Winter Meat Raffles have returned during Terms 2 and 3.  Thank you to the families for continuing to support our fundraising and to the parents for selling the raffle tickets at Lotts Family Hotel on Friday evenings.  If you are rostered on to sell the meat raffle tickets they start selling from 6.15pm.  If you can't do your rostered day could you please arrange to have it swapped. 

Friday 7th June - Alex Tobin & Shaun Ryan 

Friday 14th June - Craig Ferguson & Joey Smart 

Friday 21st June - Aaron Johnson & Charlie Hufton 

Friday 28th June - Ray Paton & Don Cotterill