Welcome to Week 8 of Term 4. The weeks continue to fly past and we are now only 4 weeks away from Christmas Day celebrations!

Our students continue to excel in the community arena. Last Friday we received the very exciting news that Riley Smith in Year 3 was named the Judges Choice winner of the recent Snowy Hydro ‘Science of the Snowy’ Competition. Congratulations Riley on such a wonderful achievement. Congratulations are also extended to Abigail Bock in Year 4 who also had her entry shortlisted.

Level 3 restrictions are still in place for all NSW schools with these restrictions now most likely to remain in place until the end of this year. Several of our Archdiocesan schools in Canberra have had recent active COVID cases and have had to take measures to isolate affected cohorts. You would also be aware of the number of Wagga schools that have also had to close recently for deep cleaning. While vaccination options are unavailable for Primary aged students, all measures will continue to be taken to protect this age group.

There have been many queries about the end of Year functions. At this stage we are planning a Year 6 Graduation Mass, our annual Award Day and our Year 6 Graduation dinner. However, restrictions will guide what we can and cannot do nearer to the date. Please see below, our plans for end of year events and the restrictions that are currently in place for these events to proceed. Vaccination certificates will need to be sighted at all events. Thank you to Community Council members who have offered to assist with this process.

Please understand that staff are constantly trying to work around restrictions when planning every school event. We have prioritised keeping school events as normal as possible for our students and ensuring we can go ahead with as many events as possible while keeping within the restriction parameters. It has been challenging to say the least. Our students learning and well being are always our top priorities in all that we do.

The handover of our new administration area did not go to plan as mentioned in our last newsletter. The recent rain has held up several of the outdoor projects and some minor works still need to be completed inside. We are hoping for a new handover date shortly.

All teaching staff will be attending Professional Learning on the Science of Learning and the Science of Reading this Wednesday evening. This will support our CATALYST initiatives in 2022.

Take care and have a great week.

Christine Baron

Advent

What is the Catholic Advent season? 

In the Catholic Church, Advent is a period of preparation extending over the four Sundays before Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin advenio, "to come to," and refers to the coming of Christ.

This year we begin advent on November 28th and end this season of prayerful anticipation on December 24th. Advent is a chance to focus our thoughts on the gift God has given us in his son Jesus.

The use of the wreath and candles during Advent are a longstanding Catholic tradition.

The wreath and candles are full of symbolism tied to the Christmas season. The wreath itself, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God and the everlasting life we find in Christ.

The candles also have their own special significance. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent, and one candle is lit each Sunday.

The first candle, which is purple, symbolises hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

The second candle, also purple, represents faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The third candle is pink and symbolises joy. It is called the “Shepard’s Candle,” and is pink because rose is a liturgical colour for joy. The third Sunday of Advent reminds us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus.

On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Saviour. This final candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” symbolises peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

The white candle is placed in the middle of the wreath and lit on Christmas Eve. This candle is called the “Christ Candle” and represents the life of Christ. The colour white is for purity—because Christ is our sinless, pure Saviour.

Celebrating Advent is an excellent way to prepare your mind and heart for Christmas.

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

Please keep in mind our annual Christmas appeal to support the St Vincent de Paul Society. At the end of year Mass, we are asked to donate food and household items that can be put together as hampers to assist those in our community who need some help during the festive season.

Your generosity will be greatly appreciated.

To ensure we are able to provide a broad range of hamper items we have designated each class a specific item.

Kindergarten: Drinks (non-alcoholic)

Year One: Dinner Savoury Pantry (pasta, sauces, 2-minute noodles)

Year Two: Party Pantry (biscuits, nuts, chips, popcorn)

Year Three: Tins and Cans (fruit, soup, vegetables)

Year Four: Cleaning and Toiletries (spray & wipe, toothbrushes, laundry powder)

Year Five: Breakfast Savoury Pantry (cereals, spreads, food bars)

Year Six: Sweets and Desserts (mince pies, custard powder, chocolates, puddings)

Kate Howe

REC

The Community Council (CC) held a meeting last Tuesday evening.

Congratulations to Sam Johnson for successfully organising the cake stall fundraiser at ‘Fun in the Park’. Thank you to the staff and parents who cooked and helped at the stall on the day. We donated 70 cupcake kits to the community and also made $317.20 which is a great result for a few hours on a Sunday.

The end of year raffle has begun. Thank you to the Barton family for the generous donations. Please sell all of your tickets and return to the office the week of the street stall (next Wednesday 1st December).

The street stall is next week! Thursday December 2nd, Friday December 3^rd, and Saturday December 4^th. We need everyone to make a big effort so our final fundraiser for the year is a success! We would like everyone to contribute cooking or fresh produce to the stall. As our stall is popular each year we really need as much cooking as we can get. Christmas cakes or puddings can be made ahead of time and would be a great addition to the stall.

Tuckshop has been busy! Thank you to all of our volunteers for 2021, it hasn’t been easy this year with changes in location, processes, and the menu. Alicia Hargreaves has done an amazing job making it happen under difficult circumstances, and she needs our continued support for 2022. We farewelled Renee Lindley from the tuckshop this term. Renee has served on the tuckshop for many, many years and has been such an asset to our school. Thank you to Anne Tickner for creating a fun apron as a thank you gift for Renee.

The cultural space is progressing. The local indigenous artists have provided us sketches of the mural they will paint on the wall of the learning hub. We are also working to get the water tank set up and connected to water the oval.

Thank you to Michelle McDonnell who has offered to create the school yearbook, with the help of Lisa Ryan. We are looking forward to seeing the memories in gloss!

Thank you also to Bec Gaskin for continuing to run the uniform shop for 2021 and for adapting to the online ordering system which has made the ordering process smoother for everyone.

Happy Holidays!!

Kate Graham

Secretary, Community Council

communitycouncil.stpats@gmail.com

Our annual Street Stall will be on next Thursday, Friday and Saturday Morning - 2nd, 3rd and 4th of December from 9am - 5pm  Thurday and Friday and from 9-12pm on Saturday located outside of FoodWorks.  This is our final fundraiser for the year and we are calling on our parents/grandparents to please help by cooking some delicious cakes, biscuits, slices, pies etc to help with our fundraising.  We are also asking for fresh produce like fresh farm eggs, fruit, vegetables or even plants anything sellable would be extremely welcomed to help with our fundraising. 

There are some great raffle prizes and we are very grateful for all the donations. 

Could all families please return their raffle tickets by Wednesday 1st of December so that all raffle tickets can be sent down to the stall.  We would appreciate your support with this fundraiser by returning your raffle tickets and money to the office ($20.00 raffle book per family) 

If you could spare an hour on Thursday, Friday or Saturday morning could you please email the office - there are quite a few places that need filling.  We still need volunteers for: 

Thursday between: 

11am - 12pm  (2 volunteers) 

12 - 1pm ( 2 volunteers) 

1pm - 2pm (2 volunteers) 

2pm - 3.30pm (2 volunteers) 

Friday Times: 

Every time slot needs filling starting from 9am - 5pm.  We have one parent helping from 12-1 on Friday

Saturday Times: 

10am - 11am

11am - 12pm

If you are able to help sit on the stall for an hour on either of these days if you could please contact the office or email.

SRC "OUT OF UNIFORM DAY"

Items like, pencils, textas, crayons, pens, sharpeners, rulers, scissors, lunch box, drink bottle, colouring books, note pads, reading books just to name a few items. 

All donated items will be added to our St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal Hampers.

Please keep in mind our annual Christmas appeal to support the St Vincent de Paul Society. At the end of year Mass, we are asked to donate food and household items that can be put together as hampers to assist those in our community who need some help during the festive season. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated.

To ensure we are able to provide a broad range of hamper items we have designated each class a specific item.

Kindergarten: Drinks (non-alcoholic)

Year One: Dinner Savoury Pantry (pasta, sauces, 2-minute noodles)

Year Two: Party Pantry (biscuits, nuts, chips, popcorn)

Year Three: Tins and Cans (fruit, soup, vegetables)

Year Four: Cleaning and Toiletries (spray & wipe, toothbrushes, laundry powder)

Year Five: Breakfast Savoury Pantry (cereals, spreads, food bars)

Year Six: Sweets and Desserts (mince pies, custard powder, chocolates, puddings)

Congratulations are extended to Riley Smith in Year 3 and Abigail Bock in Year 4 who were both shortlisted for their entries in the recent Snowy Hydro Competition. From there, Riley went on to be selected the winner of the Judges Choice Award for his entry. Thank you to Mr Ferguson for initiating this STEM project in class and encouraging students to enter the competition by uploading their video presentation onto the Snowy Hydro website. Riley will receive a family pass to Taronga or Western Plains Zoo and has also won his class a virtual Q & A with Snowy 2.0 astrophysicist, Kirsten Banks on a date to be organised. A very excited Riley was made aware of his achievement when it was announced at last week’s award assembly.

Thursday 9th December-Year 6 Big Day out.

Many thanks to Mrs Reardon who has investigated the possibility of taking our Year 6 to Borambola Sport and Recreation Centre, for their Year 6 Day out. While day excursions regulations have lifted we are still unable to mix with other schools or community members. Fortunately, Borambola were able to offer our Year 6 students a day at Borambola filled with fun outdoor activities.

Friday 10th December-2021 Award Day

Presentation 9am-11am.

This will be held outdoors on our school grounds, similar to last year. Only fully vaccinated parents will be able to attend the Award Day. We are hopeful that we will be able to extend the invitation to extended family members as well. This will depend on social distancing regulations at the time.

Friday 10th December-Year 6 Graduation Mass

12-1pm

This event will be held at St Patrick’s Church. The church will be closed to parishioners and community members and only fully vaccinated parents will be able to attend. Year 6 students and parents will be our first priority at this event. Once again restrictions and social distancing regulations will determine how many students and parents will be able to attend this event.

Monday 13th December- Year 6 Graduation dinner

This will be held at Lott’s Family Hotel for Year students and their parents. Once again only fully vaccinated parents may attend.

The Gundagai Neighbourhood Centre have arranged a "Meet the Candidates forum" at the Gundagai District Services Club on the 29th of November at 6pm. 

Due to covid restrictions people must show proof of vaccination status before entering the club.  The program for the evening is: 

Where: Gundagai Services Club

When:  Monday 29th November 6 - 8pm

Who: Candidates standing for election at the December 4th 2021 local government election.

MC: TBA

Order of events: Each Candidate will have 2-3 minutes to tell the community about themselves, what they stand for and why they would make a good councillor. After which there will be question time run by the MC.

People may submit questions before (no later than 6pm 28th November) the event to info@gncinc.org.au to be asked by the MC during question time.

Thank you to our families who have paid or continue to make regular weekly/fortnightly payments on your school fees.  This is just a reminder that Term 4 fees are due on Friday 3rd of December 2021.  There are several payments options available and if you are experiencing difficulty then please do not hesitate to contact the office.  All conversations are kept confidential. 

Gumnut Childcare Centre, Gundagai Is offering a full time 12mth Childcare Traineeship.

Trainee will enrol to complete the Certificate 111 in early education and care. We are looking for an enthusiastic person who shows initiative, has a genuine interest in children, is reliable, has good time management skills and is willing to study. Award wages paid. All applicants will need a working with Children check through the RMS – https://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-organisations/working-with-children-check
Matured aged applicants are encouraged to apply.
Contact: 69441889 or gumnut1@westnet.com.au with resume and letter of application. Applications will be reviewed and chosen applicants will be invited to complete a volunteer day at the second stage followed by the final stage of a formal interview.  Closing date: Monday 6th December 2021

Casual staff
We are looking for Casual Certificate 111 or Diploma Educators – must have a qualification or be working towards qualification. Applicants need a current Working with children check. Please send resume and application letter to Gumnut Childcare Centre. Applicants will need to be full Vaccinated for Covid 19.

Early Childhood teacher
Work with the Educational Leader to implement the successful planning, implementation and reflection of a program for the service that is reflective of an approved learning framework; the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) in our preschool room. We are open to a job share position working 3-5 days per week.
Essential: committed and dedicated educator with proven experience in the implementation of high quality programming and leadership. Reliable and good communication skills. Able to work and manage a wide array of staff. Current working with children check.

Applicants must have a degree qualification or be working towards completion of this qualification (enrolled in University and actively working towards). Diploma applicants are encouraged to apply.  Desirable: Current first aide qualification.

Written application to: gumnut1@westnet.com.au or for more information 69441889. Closing date Friday 9th December 2021

With Christmas Holidays approaching and devices no doubt in Santa’s sack for delivery we thought it might be useful to provide some info on an app that can help to ‘guide our children to good content’  and set time limits during the school holidays. 

Google Family Link is a free app that works with Android and iOS devices to allow parents to keep track of their children’s digital activity. 

It connects your Android or iPhone to your kid’s Android phone or tablet, and allows you to set and tailor certain digital ground rules that work for your family, such as:

• Manage the apps your child(ren) can use
• Approve or block the apps the child wants to download from the Google Play Store, including setting a G or PG only rating on what apps they can view in the Store.
• Keep an eye on screen time, and set time limits
• See how much time your child(ren) spends on their favourite apps with weekly or monthly activity reports, and set daily screen time limits for their device
• Set device bedtime
• See your child(ren)’s location
• Remotely lock your child(ren)’s device when it’s time to play, study, or sleep.

To set up, a parent downloads Family Link onto their own device and creates a Google Account for their child through the Family Link app. In order for Google to link a parent’s account and identify and help them track what a child is doing on their device, they will need to have a child’s Google account.

It is essential to set up a child’s Google account to identify the child’s device and link it to the parent device to manage how they use their device. Unlike a normal Google account, you can set restrictions remotely on what apps children can access and when they can be used.  For example a child’s Google account restricts access to YouTube until they are 13 years, but will allow access to YouTube Kids.

You will need a device that runs on Android Nougat (7.0) or higher an iOS 9 or higher, so any new device will work.

You can find out more information about Google Family Link https://families.google.com/familylink/

Year 6 Radio Weekly News

Tune into "Sounds of the Mountains" radio station either FM96.3 or FM94.1 every Wednesday afternoon at 2.15pm to hear about up coming events, weekly awards or around the school news which is presented by our Yr 6 school leaders

Week 8 (24/11) - Juliet Pearce & Nick Little 

Week 9 (1/12) - Lilly Cotterill & Alec Bell-Magnone

Week 10 (8/12) - Jezanna Winchester & Jack Peterson

Congratulations to our Week 6 and Week 7 Class Awards 

Week 6 - 12th November 2021

Kindergarten - Drue Summers for great class participation 

Year 1/2 - Indi Cole for her enthusiastic and thoughful responses in class discussion

Year 3/4 - Harry Peterson for his fantastic participation and learning during our measurement lesson

Year 5/6 - Nicholas Little for his consistent effor and applicatiopn to his maths work.  Keep it up Nick !

Week 7 - 19th November 2021

Kindergarten -  Remi Taylor for trying her best with all her sounds and letter formations

Year 1/2 - Jasper Rui for showing enthusiasm and great listening skills during swimming 

Year 3/4 - Amy Cotterill for her wonderful effort in her Literacy group

Year 5/6 - Jessica McDonnell for her excellent Gold Rush narrative "Finding Home". Well Done Jess! 

On Friday morning's assembly we were finally able to present Christyne Calub with her Anzac Day Book Award and Special Certificate in recognition for her Anzac Day Writing Competition. Well Done Christyne you have made your family and school proud. 

Also on Friday's assembly two students were presented with new tennis racquets in recognition of their participation during our Term 4 Tennis lessons with Birdie.  Congratulations to Emmy Gaskin and Lotus Jielan. 

Congratulations to our Week 6 and Week 7 WildCat Awards.  

RESPONSIBLE - Dale Paton, Eliza Graham, Maeve Ryan

RESPECT - Jezanna Winchester, Charlotte McDonnell 

SAFE - Locky Eccleston 

Thank you to our families who are ordering through our new online School24 Canteen ordering system. For those who have not yet downloaded the School24 App for our online ordering for Friday's canteen its very easy and less time consuming for our volunteer mums.   

Go to: www.school24.net.au OR on your mobile device iPhone/Android install the app from the store
Press the BLUE registration button to create your account.
Enter your unique school ID number to help us match your account with your school,
St Patricks Primary School- NSW: 25406963

If orders could please be ordered by Thursday evening (no later than 9pm) 

Roster: 

Friday 26th November:   El Williams &  Sam Johnson 

COOKIES: Kate Graham & Sam Johnson 

Friday 3rd December: VOLUNTEER NEEDED & Bec Gaskin 

COOKIES: Lisa Ryan & Michelle McDonnell 

Friday 10th December :  NO CANTEEN 

We would like to send our birthday wishes to the following students who have recently celebrated their birthday:

12th November - Sarah Gailey 

17th November - Zoe Morgan, Abigail Bock & Emmy Gaskin 

19th November - Molly Lott