Term 2 Week 2 2025
From the Principal
Dear Families and Friends,
What an energetic and inspiring week it has been! Our students gave it their all at the Cross Country, showing determination, perseverance, and school spirit every step of the way. It was heartening to see so many families lining the course to cheer them on.
Congratulations to our overall Cross Country winners, and to all the students who demonstrated the values of the PATH by pushing through and applying what they’ve learned to complete the challenging course. A heartfelt thank you to Anna Lynch for her incredible effort in organising this event and helping to ensure its success.
This week also saw our dedicated group of parents come together for the FACE meeting to prepare for our upcoming Mother’s Day Stall. This special event gives students the chance to choose a meaningful gift for their mothers or significant role models. Many hands make light work, and we would be grateful for any volunteers available to assist on Thursday.
Looking ahead, 1A will be leading our school assembly next Friday at 9:00am with a celebration of the mother figures in our lives. All families are warmly invited to attend.
God bless and enjoy your long weekend,
Lisa
Religious Life of the School
Dear families,
As we approach another short week, we’re reminded of the precious gift of time—time to pause, reconnect, and be present with those we love. May this extended weekend be a blessing for your family, filled with moments of joy, rest, and reflection.
Pope Francis
We are saddened by the news of the passing of Pope Francis. As the leader of our global Catholic Church, he was a special and kind man who dedicated his life to serving others and spreading God’s love and compassion. Often called the People’s Pope, he was deeply loved for his humility, simplicity, and care for all – especially the poor and vulnerable. His gentle nature and deep faith touched the hearts of many around the world. We give thanks for his leadership and legacy, and we keep him and the Church in our prayers during this time. We also hold in prayer the cardinals who will gather to elect a new pope, asking the Holy Spirit to guide them with wisdom and unity.
Class Masses
We are looking forward to beginning our Class Masses this term. Each Thursday morning at 9:00am, a class will attend Mass at Sacred Heart Church. This is a special opportunity for our students to experience the beauty of the Mass in a parish setting, and to grow in their faith alongside their classmates.
Celebrating Mass together not only deepens our connection with God, but also helps build a strong sense of community within our school and parish. Parents and families are always welcome to join us for these joyful celebrations.
Term 2 Class Mass Dates
Thursday 5th June - 9am - Years 1 & 2
Thursday 12th June - 9am - Prep & Year 6
Thursday 19th June - 9am - Years 3, 4 & 5
All families are most welcome to join us!
2025 Sacramental Program
The 2025 Sacramental Program will be starting soon! I recently visited our Year 4 classes to speak with the students who will be participating this year. Those students received an information note last week.
If your child is in Year 4 or above and would like to be part of this year’s Sacramental Program, please feel free to come and see me to collect a note. We look forward to supporting our students on this special faith journey.
Save The Date
Friday 9th May - 9am - Mother's Day Liturgy
Sunday 18th May - 5:30pm - Youth Mass
Friday 24th May - 8:45am - Christian Meditation - Feast of Our Lady, Mary Help of Christians
A Prayer for Pope Francis
Loving God,
We thank You for the life and leadership of Pope Francis.
He showed us how to live with kindness, humility, and love.
Welcome him into Your heavenly home,
And comfort all those who feel his loss.
Help us to follow his example of faith and service.
Amen.
God Bless,
Maria
Learning Corner
LEARNING and TEACHING
Every minute counts!
Do you talk with or to your child?
A recent professional development workshop I attended opened with a reference to the importance of conversations for adults and the impact conversations involving children have on their ‘whole’ development’ which actually starts in the womb.
As we are already aware of the importance of oral language as the foundation of Literacy Skills, my curiosity was raised and placed me on a search for more information. This is a relatively recent area of research but I felt it was important to share what I discovered.
Recent research affirms the vital role of conversation in a child's development. Conversation is being shown as influencing a child’s growth in language to communicate, thinking skills, emotional well-being and social skills.
Having everyday conversations with your child—even simple ones—helps them learn new words, understand language, and think more clearly. It’s not just about talking to your child, but with them—taking turns and really listening. This kind of back-and-forth talk actually helps their brain grow in healthy ways.
Even babies benefit! When you smile, make eye contact, and talk back to their babbling, it strengthens the parts of their brain that help with attention and language.
Children who hear different ways of speaking at home—like accents or multiple languages—are more open-minded and less likely to form quick judgements about others. Conversation helps children understand people and the world around them better.
Phones, tablets/iPads are part of life now, but too much screen time can get in the way of real conversation. Children (and adults!) need time away from screens to connect, talk, and build relationships.
Research is showing that fewer parents are telling bedtime stories. This is a special moment for talking, bonding, and learning. These moments are still important, no matter how busy life gets.
Research further tells us that only 1 in 3 families are eating together every day, but shared meals are a great time to catch up and talk. Many children say they actually want more time to talk with their families at meals—without screens.
How can you increase the impact of conversations?
Talk often – Ask your child about their day, their thoughts, or even what they think will happen in a story.
Limit screen time – Set aside a time each day to unplug and talk without multitasking.
Read together – Bedtime stories or shared books spark great conversations and build imagination.
Be present – Show your child you’re listening. Even short moments of connection really count.
Every chat, big or small, helps your child grow into a confident, caring, and curious person. Your voice and attention are some of the most powerful tools you have to help your child.
CALLING ALL 8-12 year old WRITERS
Well done to students who have registered for the National Young Authors Fair.
We are still looking for 25 students willing to have a go at being a published author.
The student registration deadline has been extended to May 9 and the publication date to May 18. Writing is completed online with built in assistance from AI.
Please find the registration link below. https://www.yaf.bribooks.com/events/student/signup/australia-NYAF-2025?sid=189430
Will you be your child’s biggest supporter as they dive into this awesome writing experience?
Rita
Class in the Spotlight - 3A
What a fantastic week in 3A! This week was bursting with hands-on learning, laughter, and exciting moments!
We launched into Design Technologies with a high-speed challenge—building our own ramps to test how different materials impact friction. The classroom turned into a mini race track as we measured how far our toy cars could zoom. Future engineers in the making!
In Science, we dived into the fascinating world of matter, exploring solids, liquids, and gases. Our creative illustrations of the three states of water are proudly on display!
English was a treat this week—literally! To ignite our senses for narrative writing, we explored marshmallows using sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste. One paragraph later, and we were all expert sensory storytellers… and maybe just a little bit sticky!
We also had the cutest surprise visit from Charlie, a brand-new puppy belonging to one of our classmates. He definitely stole a few hearts (and maybe just a few cuddles too!)
To wrap it all up, we celebrated some special birthdays and put our endurance to the test at the school cross country. So much fun, energy, and team spirit—go 3A!
Book Fair
After a few attempts, the Book Fair cases were delivered on Wednesday. We are open for sales on Tuesday and Wednesday 8am - 3:30pm. Please call in to the school office to browse.
Mother's Day Stall
The Mother's Day stall will be held on Thursday 8 April 2025. Gifts range from 50c to $12. Parents are reminded to send money along with their child on Thursday if they would like to make a purchase. Tickets to a fantastic raffle will also be available for purchase. Raffle prizes are currently in the school office if you would like to pop in and have a look.
Parent volunteers are required for the stall to run smoothly. Please contact the school office advising your availability and preferred timeslot. Please note: you will need to have completed your volunteer induction online training.
The class timetable is as follows:
8:50am – PA 9:20am – PB 9:50am - 3/4B 10:20am - 1A
11:40am - 1/2B 12:00pm - 2A 12:30pm - 3A 1:00pm - 6A
2:00pm - 4/5A 2:30pm - 5B
Eisteddfod
Please be on the look out for Eisteddfod information and consent via Compass early next week.
Community
