Term 2 Week 4 (19/05/2023)

What's On?

Tuesday 23rd May -Diocesan Cross Country -  Grafton (Week 5)

Thursday 25th May - The Biggest Morning Tea Fundraiser 10:30am (see flyer below)

Tuesday 30th May - Community Conversation

June

Friday 2nd June - Indigenous Performance- Ryka (Reconciliation Week) Details Below

Thursday 8th June - Close the Gap

Friday 9th June - Staff Professional Learning - Pupil Free Day

Tuesday 13th  June - Polding Cross Country-Sydney

Friday 16th June - School Athletics Carnival

Thursday 29th June -Zone Athletics  -  Coffs Harbour

Thursday 29th June - Last day Term 2

Friday 30th June - Staff Foundation Day - Pupil Free Day

Dear Parents and Carers

I feel like I need to re-introduce myself. I have been away with CSO work for the four days and next week is no different. 

Along with Lisa Dougherty and April Ferguson I have been working in the Learning Collaborative of 16 schools who met in Coffs Harbour. Working with Lynn Sharratt who leads school reform across many systems and locations we looked at the 14 paremeters which are evidence-based and lead to school improvement. 

While we have always been involved in this work, it is always nice to deepen the understandings and freshen the ideas around approaches and structures which allow us to best engage the learners and ensure the learners' agency. It is also timely to look at what we had planned, what we need to review and where our focus needs to be.

Many of the processes we have had in place, but this week gives us the chance to revisit the "what works" and why it matters. Not more work but clear work. This assists us to gain greater clarity in the use of learning approaches and agendas undertaken in learning and teaching. This is a project we will remain working on for at least the next 2 years. We will offer a session on the process if parents are interested as we build the whole school approaches in the learning. This is the direction of education in our system and this is our work. 

As you know this Learning Collaborative is one of the 2 areas we are focusing on in our annual Learning goals as a school.  The other agenda is the introduction of the new syllabus which has begun in lower school and continues to spread throughout the school. 

When including the focus on Service in Mission; the redevelopment of our Parent Engagement model in Family and Community as well as looking at best practice in a whole school approach to student support in Pastoral Care we continue to be involved in many agendas which are all central to what schools do. 

It was lovely to see everyone last night at the disco at the Bowling Club. A great venue with lots of space for the "grooving and moving" to all the latest hits. (Good grief. How old do I sound!!) Can I acknowledge the efforts of all staff to keep the show on the road and the kids on the dance floor. Of course the great number of parents who attended also made the evening even better. 

Next week I am visiting Kingscliff to take part in their School Review. This is a process which takes place every 5 years in all schools and we are working towards ours in the middle of Term 3. 

Good luck to our diocesan Cross Country competitors on Tuesday. I know that the course at Grafton will be challenging but all of the children have run this already. I am not sure there is a home course advantage but it is nice to run on known ground.  Mr Dougherty won't be with the runners this week, he is at home with his new daughter. Congratulations Meg and Marty. 

The student leaders have an event this week which we would love to have any families attend. The biggest morning tea is on Thursday morning and while this is a nation wide event, Saint James will be supporting this as a school.

Have a lovely weekend

Ann

Biggest Morning Tea

RE News

Prayer for the Feast of the Ascension

Thursday 18th May 2023

Let us Pray 

Dear Lord Jesus Christ,  

Right before your Ascension into heaven you told your apostles to be witnesses to the ends of the earth upon receiving the Holy Spirit. May we be similarly inspired to spread your Gospel message in word and deed, according to your will for us.

Amen

RECONCILIATION WEEK

RECONCILIATION WEEK

As part of Reconciliation Week we will be hosting Indigenous performer, Ryka Ali at our school to teach the students about his culture and hold an Aboriginal smoking ceremony. Ryka is travelling north from Sydney and has been highly recommended by many other schools for his engaging performance. The performance will be held in our school hall on Friday 2nd June at 1:45pm. Parents and families are welcome to attend.

There will be a cost for this performance of $5 per student, payable via COMPASS app. Keep an eye out for this event on COMPASS!

DISCO

See Instagram for more photos from the Disco Thursday night.

Stage 3 News

Emu Excursion  

Last Friday, Stage 3 participated in a Coastal Emu and Native Title excursion. We visited an emu farm and our host Ian spoke to us about the endangered species and how our community is working to increase the Coastal Emu population in our local area. Additionally, we met with Aunty Eileen and Aunty Glenda, local Yaegl women about what it means to sustainably live ‘On Country’ and how Indigenous people cared for the land, ensuring resources for future generations. 

We bring so much knowledge back to our classroom, and we are ready to start problem-solving some of the issues in our local context! Watch this space!

Recycling

 Stage 3 want your bottles, cans and poppers!

As part of our fundraising for the Canberra Excursion, Stage 3 have set up a recycling station in kiss and drop. We are asking families to bring in their cans, bottles or poppers and place them in the bins provided. Stage 3 will recycle them at the recycling station in Yamba and all monies raised will go towards our excursion. Thank you to all those families who have already dropped items off at our recycle station. 

Biggest Morning Tea

Next Thursday, our Mission Reps have organised a ‘Biggest Morning Tea’ at St James. We are hoping that families will make some delicious treats to sell and share. So make sure you bring in some money to buy a treat, and we hope to raise much needed funds for cancer research. Families are also invited to join us for the biggest morning tea at 10:30am under the big top!

Radio 93.5FM

Tune in Fridays from 11am to hear the Stage 3 students on the Radio. 

Sport Dates 2023

Diocesan Cross Country - Tuesday 23rd May - Grafton (Week 5)

Sacrament Dates 2023

Confirmation- Tuesday 15th August -  St Mary’s Church, Maclean.