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- Prayer Focus
- The Principal's Report
- Celebrating Our Faith
- Learning Together
- Parish News
- Positive Behaviour School (PBS)
- 2021 Year 6 Shirts
- Student Banking
- Sharing Our Learning - Year 3
- Student Activity Statements
- Student Awards
- Kindergarten Teddy Bear Picnic
- Sport Spotlight
- Creative Corner
- Relocation Notice
- Sunshine Cafe
- What's On Next Week ...
- Advance Dates for Your Diary
- This Week's Notes
- Billboard
Prayers please
We would like to ask you to continue to pray for Mrs Saunders, who is ill in hospital. We know that she and her family value prayer and will be strengthened by our support. She will not be returning to school this term.
Transition to 2021 classrooms
On Friday 11th December all students will be visiting their classrooms for 2021 and meeting the teachers who will be working with them in their grades next year. We understand that parents are keen to know who their teachers will be as soon as possible, but there are still organisational aspects that we need to complete before this can be shared with families. Any students requiring extra transition support will receive this as we move through to the end of the year.
Sports House Captains
This week our Year 5 students who were nominated for Sports House Captains spoke to their colour houses and gave their reasons for wanting to be leaders for 2021. They did a great job and voting took place for them. We will be announcing the leaders on Monday, so will publish the names in the newsletter next week.
Book Pack Collection
A note was sent to families this week in relation to the Book Pack collection for 2021. Please check the note for the times and location of pick up area, as these are not being collected from the office. If you are unable to make any of the times on the note, please contact our lovely Office Aunties who will be able to assist you with alternative arrangements.
End of Year happenings
With so many things happening at the end of the year, it is understandable that it seems a little overwhelming at times for students and families. The newsletter and email notes are the best way to keep up with these, but please make contact with us if you feel you are unsure of details. Students, parents and staff are all tired with so much happening at school and at home during this time of year. Please remember to be understanding of how your children may be reacting to things, little things may seem big to them and just require some listening and lots of sleep!
Principal
As we speed towards the end of the year, we mindfully slow ourselves to reflect upon our year and our growth as God’s children. Our school will be participating in a Mass for Thanksgiving on Wednesday 9th December. We will celebrate the end of school for our lovely Year 6 students in a Mass for Graduation on Monday 14th December. Unfortunately, parents cannot attend these celebrations due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. However, both students and staff would like to acknowledge and offer thanks for the parent and school partnerships and support throughout what has been a tricky year. A big part of our celebration will give thanks to all the people who care for us and support us during our school journeys.
ADVENT
Our preparation for Christmas begins with the first Sunday of Advent this weekend on Sunday 29th November. The themes of Advent are Hope, Peace, Love and Joy.
The Big Announcement
Our Year 1 students were sent across the school to make an important announcement; Mary will have a Son and His name will be Jesus, the Messiah. This news has helped to prepare our school for next week, which is the beginning of Advent. Students are encouraged to prepare their hearts through acts of kindness to welcome Jesus into our lives this Christmas.
Igniting Writing Creativity in Year 3
Writing unlocks the capabilities of the critical thinker. Therefore, the power of writing is not to be dismissed. Over the past few weeks a small group of Year 3 students have been engaged in a series of writing workshops with Mrs Howard and Mrs Ucdereli to assist in enhancing their ability to discuss aspects of planning prior to writing and identify elements of their writing that need improvement. Students were then asked to review their writing using feedback from both the teachers and their peers.
The students have focused on writing an article for a newspaper based on their Guided Reading book ‘Rowan of Rin’. Here is a sneak peek at some of their writing.
Emmett - ...behind them lay a massive mountain with all rocks and dirt with a tiny bit of water coming from the waterfall…
Lucas L - ...They have finally got through the treacherous jungle…
Hudson ...I have still not seen the fierce dragon. I continue following the group as they become agitated…
Lilliana - ...They are walking slowly. Their feet dragging along, their packs pulling at their heels…
Aislinn - ...Late at night a group of individuals had decided to climb up the mountain to see what was causing the blockage.
Next week we will share our newspaper complete with amazing stories.
Jeannine Ucdereli
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
St Agnes' Uniform Store Summer Trading Hours
St Agnes' Uniform Store's last day of trading for 2020 is Saturday 19th December 2020 and will re-open on Monday 4th January 2021.
January Trading
Trading hours from 4th January to 30th January 2021
Monday to Friday - 10:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday - 9:00am - 12noon
Trading hours revert back to normal from Monday 1st February 2021.
Monday to Friday - 12noon - 5:00pm
Saturday - 9:00am - 12noon
New Mass Schedule and booking system
- Phone the Presbytery on 6583 1024
- Book online via the Parish Website (go to Mass Times then click on the 'Book into Mass here' button and follow the prompts)
If you can't make it to Mass in person, why not join Bishop Greg Homeming who celebrates Mass at the Carmelite Monastery in Goonellabah, at 8:00am each Sunday via live stream on the Lismore Diocese YouTube channel (click here to view the site).
Positive Behaviour School (PBS)
Our focus for this week is Resilience. Despite things going wrong, students are encouraged to handle situations positively, maintaining a positive attitude and responding positively.
Students participated in Reward Play this week for ongoing positive behaviour. We appreciate our students who are lovely in their behaviour both inside and outside the classroom.
Each year our Year 5 students are responsible for creating their own Year 6 sports shirts, according to a specific design brief. After a lengthy process, the Year 5 students voted for their favourite design from five finalists. The clever designers were Penny Little, Phoenix Charnock, Ysaac Nieva, Matthew Kelly and Ella-Yindi Jenkin.
We are very excited to congratulate the winning designer, Penny Little. Well done Penny and we look forward to seeing the prototype in the coming weeks. Orders for these shirts are anticipated to be made prior to the end of the year.
Elise Howard
Leader of Learning Stage 2 and 3
Year 6 Teacher
The last day for Student Banking for the year will be Tuesday 1st December. We will let you know early in 2021 when it will resume.
This term the children of Year 3 have been involved in lots of exciting learning opportunities.
Maths
The children are currently learning about fractions and decimals. They are building skills to identify fractions, order fractions on a numberline and find equivalent fractions.
Religion
We recently explored the meaning of trust and the emotions involved. This helped the children to relate to the story of the Annunciation when Mary had to place her trust in God. The children used the “See, Think, Wonder” technique to go deeper into the bible story.
English
The children have been learning to write information reports. They have developed the skill of researching relevant facts and structuring their text into paragraphs with related subtopics. We are very proud of every child’s reading progress throughout the term. They have each made wonderful growth and it's great to see the love of reading develop among the children.
Spoonville
We are very excited to be a part of the St Joeys Spoonville Village project and look forward to sharing our creations with you soon.
Visual Arts
The children have been very excited to use digital technology as a tool in their Visual Arts this term. The children have used Pixel Art to create their own designs. They are now participating in a whole school competition using Pixel Art and Co-Spaces to recreate the Nativity scene.
Student Activity Statements have been emailed to you today. These statements are separate to the school tuition fees collected by St Agnes' Parish Administration.
Thank you to those families that have already finalised these accounts. If you have not already done so, please make payment of any outstanding amounts as soon as possible.
Please note that Student 2021 Book Pack costs have been billed to your school based activity account. This expense is not due until the end of Term 1, 2021.
If you are experiencing financial difficulties and would like to discuss a payment plan, please contact myself or Mrs Tess Koning at the school office on 6583 3848.
Antoinette Smith
Finance Officer
KM | Hudson Bruen | Buddy McGeoch | Zoe Bentley |
KS | Emerence Young | Kathleen Yewdall | Liam McGovern |
2T | Hayley Ylias | Layla Porter | Ruby Gilbert |
4B | Isabella Hawkins | Lara Hardy | Zali Roberts |
4F | Elaina Stewart | Imogen Mulligan | Baxter Matthews |
5G | Archie Johnson | Macey Stewart | Matthew Kelly |
5H | Savanna Cunneen | Mia Cameron | Tyalah Hyde |
6H | Savannah Beard | Tahlia Van den Boom | Ansh Singh |
Kindergarten Teddy Bear Picnic
They brought their favourite soft toys to school to join in the beary fun activities. During the day our Kinders took part in teddy bear games and dancing, read books about bears, made themed artwork and teddy crowns along with the all-important bear hunt. All of Kindergarten enjoyed celebrating a day of learning in a fun filled way.
sports stars of the week
Congratulations to Hudson Bell, Cooper Preston, Riley Robinson, Jack Cremins and Jhett Moore in Year 5!
These boys won the Grand Final of the Eastcoast Futsal Gala Day and won it though working as a team and always displaying great sportsmanship!
Summer Sports Trials
Ysaac Nieva, Oliver Mat, Hudson Bell, Laiken Richardson, Keely Newton, Peyton Berry and Ella Herbert trialled for Diocesan Basketball in Lismore today. We look forward to hearing the results.
Multisports Event
Our Sports Captains would like to announce they are holding a Multisport Event for each grade in Week 9. Students will be told which day they can wear their sports uniform and their house colours. There will be many house points to collect.
Intensive Swimming Lessons - Kindergarten to Year 2
Our Infants Intensive swimming program began this week at the Port Macquarie Olympic Pool. Thank you for adhering to the current policy of no parents or spectators to attend.
The timetable for each day will be:
Lunch 1 |
Get ready to leave for swimming |
Bus departs |
Swimming lesson |
Bus returns |
Lunch 2 |
|
Year 2 |
10:00 am - 10:30 am |
10:30 am |
10:40 am |
11:00 am - 11:40 am |
11:45 am |
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm |
Year 1 |
10:45 am - 11:15 am |
11:15 am |
11:25 am |
11:40 am - 12:20 pm |
12:25 pm |
12:40 pm - 1:10 pm |
Kinder |
11:00 am - 11:40 am |
11:55 am |
12:05 pm |
12:20 pm - 1:00 pm |
1:05 pm |
1:40 pm - 2:10 pm |
Please send a larger fruit serving for Crunch'n'Sip with a normal Lunch 1 and Lunch 2. Due to the change in lunch breaks to enable the swimming program there can be no lunch orders for Kinder to Year 2 for the duration of this program whether they are participating in swimming or not.
Children will need to bring to school with them each day their swimmers, goggles, a rash shirt, towel, thongs and underwear. They also need to come to school with their sunblock applied. Please ensure every item they bring in and their uniform is labelled with their name.
Students who are not attending will remain supervised at school whilst their Year group is at the pool.
Yours in Sport
Leah Toole
Christmas Celebrations
As we didn’t have a Glasshouse showcase this year, classes are busy preparing and working towards sharing our Advent and Christmas celebrations and performances with you at the end of the term.
Yours in Creative and Performing Arts
Leah Toole
Are You Moving During The Holidays?
If you are leaving Port Macquarie and your child/children will not be returning to St Joseph’s in 2021 please ensure that you have notified us as we have families looking for enrolments for next year. If you are just moving house or changing your work place within Port Macquarie please ensure that you give us up-to-date contact details before the start of the school year. You can email us at sjpport@lism.catholic.edu.au
Thank you for your assistance in this regard.
INFANT CANTEEN ORDERS
A reminder that there can be no canteen orders for students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 next week (Week 8) due to the intensive swimming program.
VOLUNTEER NOTICE
We are unable to have volunteers in our canteen for the remainder of Term 4 however I am starting to plan for next year and am really excited about having volunteers back for Term 1, 2021.
If you have never helped out before, are new to our school, or have been helping for years and want to come and help again, please fill out the online form via the link below and I will be in touch with you soon to work out the roster for next year.
Volunteer form link - https://forms.gle/q4e2ZbthyFvKQQzi7
Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you in 2021!
LUNCH ORDERS
The canteen is operating as usual and lunch orders can be placed via Flexischools or by dropping them in the basket on the counter each morning.
Don't forget you can order online by 8:30am- it's so easy!!
- Download the Flexischools app from the App Store or from Google Play.
Note: for iPhone and iPad please select ‘Allow’ notification - Click “Register Now” to create account
- Top-up your balance
- Start ordering immediately
- Alternatively Go to www.flexischools.com.au
Kim Goldie
Canteen Coordinator
Week 8 - Term 4 2020 |
|
Sunday 29th November |
|
Monday 30th November |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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Thursday 3rd December |
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Friday 4th December |
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Sunday 6th December |
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Week 9 - Term 4 2020
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Monday 7th December |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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Thursday 10th December |
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Friday 11th December |
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Sunday 13th December |
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Week 10 - Term 4 2020 |
|
Monday 14th December |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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Sunday 20th December |
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Week 1 - Term 1 2021 |
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Wednesday 27th January |
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Thursday 28th January |
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Friday 29th January |
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Week 2 - Term 1 2021 |
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Monday 1st February |
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Tuesday 2nd February |
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Wednesday 3rd February |
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Thursday 4th February |
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Please note these dates can change from time to time due to unforeseen circumstances and we will endeavour to advise you of any changes at the earliest possible opportunity. Our school Google calendar can be accessed via this link for additional advanced dates -
For your convenience 2021 school term dates are listed below. They are also located on our website. Click on the words “TERM DATES” on the home page.
TERM 1 2021
School Administration Day (Pupil Free) - Wednesday 27th January 2021
Year 1 to 6 Maths Assessment Interviews - Thursday 28th January and Friday 29th January 2021
Kindergarten Best Start Interviews - Thursday 28th January to Wednesday 3rd February 2021
Year 1 to 6 commence classes - Monday 1st February 2021
Kindergarten commence classes - Thursday 4th February 2021
Term finishes – Thursday 1st April 2021
TERM 2
Term commences - Monday 19th April 2021
Proclaim Lismore 2021
Staff Development Day (Pupil Free) - Wednesday 5th May 2021
Term finishes – Friday 25th June 2021
TERM 3
Term commences – Monday 12th July 2021
Term finishes - Friday 17th September 2021
TERM 4
Term commences – Tuesday 5th October 2021
Term finishes - Friday 17th December 2021
Other Holidays in 2021
Australia Day – Tuesday 26th January 2021 (Public Holiday)
Good Friday – Friday 2nd April 2021
Easter Monday – Monday 5th April 2021 (Public Holiday)
ANZAC Day – Sunday 25th April 2021
Queen’s Birthday – Monday 14th June 2021 (Public Holiday)
Labour Day – Monday 4th October 2021 (Public Holiday)
Christmas Day - Saturday 25th December 2021
Boxing Day - Sunday 26th December 2021