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February 27th 2019, Term One, Week Five

Newsletter

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT MRS LOUISE DAVIES

St Philom ena's Pr im ary School

65 Lloyds Road, Bathurst - wwww.stphilsbathurst.catholic.edu.au Ph - (02) 63311198 email - stphilsbathurst@bth.catholic.edu.au

Thursday 28t h

FebruarySchool Phot os!

Fr iday 1st March

CANTEEN Diocesan Sw im m ing

Dubbo

Monday 4t h

March

CANTEEN Cat holic Schools

Week! MacKil lop & SSC

Or ient at ion

Tuesday 5t h

March

Shrove Tuesday - Pancakes!

Wednesday 6t h

March

11.30am Ash Wednesday Mass in

t he Gym & open classroom s

All Welcom e

Thursday 7t h

March

Parent Engagem ent Sessions 10am & 7pm

Fr iday 8t h

March

School Fet e!

CANTEEN

Monday 11t h

March

CANTEEN

Tuesday 12t h

March

DIARY DATES

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of our lands, Australia. We acknowledge the Wiradjuri Nation as the traditional custodians of these lands we now call Bathurst, and we pay our respects to their Elders

St Philom ena?s is A Child-Safe Child-Fr iendly School.

Child-safe means taking active measures to keep children and young people safe from physical, sexual or emotional abuse.

Child-friendly means creating a trusting environment that values, respect and welcome children and young people. This means children and young people feel confident to raise any problem or concern and know they will be listened to.

If you are aware of a family experiencing difficulty please approach the School Executive (Principal, Assistant Principal, REC, Parish Priest) or email this address:

bt hst past oralcare@bt h.cat holic.edu

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting the Diocesan Catholic Education Council Meeting here at St. Philomena?s. Mrs Jenny Allen, Director of Education for our Bathurst Diocese asked me on the first day of the school year if I would give a brief presentation outlining the changes and achievements of our school community over the last three or four years. I was honoured to do so, and for me, as leader of the school, it was a valuable opportunity of reflection and insight regarding the many opportunities that we have taken and used to implement changes across the school in a myriad of ways. Many of these changes will be outlined at our first Parent Engagement sessions being held on Thursday 7th March in our school foyer area beginning at 10.00am and again that evening at 7.00pm. Please indicate your preference as to the morning or afternoon session via the following l ink .

On Thursday of Week Two, a parent engagement survey was sent to ascertain where we as a school can support parents in a very busy and often socially and emotionally challenging world. From the 35 responses received, the resounding reply was Resiliency: promoting good health and well-being. Resiliency is seen as the capacity to be calm, clear and adaptive when the going gets tough. Building resilience is part of the growth of social and development skills. I encourage parents to take the opportunity to come along to a Parent Engagement session on Thursday 28th March at 7.00pm facilitated by our school counsellor Yin Hourigan from Centacare.

Children encounter moments throughout their school life where they are challenged socially and emotionally. Resilience is a skill that can be taught and working in partnership with our parents is key to success. Your approach as a parent when your child has difficulty at school can make a huge difference in their resilience and their future relationships with teachers and peers; this may include not only any advice you may give and the way you give it but also the way you approach the school if that becomes necessary. Some helpful information can be found here.

Next week is Catholic Schools Week. We begin the week on Sunday when everyone is invited to come and celebrate Mass at the Cathedral at 10am. Mrs Powell, our Primary Music teacher, has invited our children to join the combined school's choir for the Mass. It would be fantastic to see as many of

our school families coming together as a community to begin a week of acknowledging the great work of our school.

Our Year Six children begin the week with an Orientation day at MacKillop and Stannies. We celebrate Ash Wednesday on 6th March with Mass at 11.30am in the Girra Girra Gymnasium, Fr Paul will celebrate the beginning of the Lenten Season, all are welcome to participate. Following Mass, we have Open Classrooms where our community is welcome to view and experience some of the fabulous achievements being attained by our children across the school.

We culminate the week with our school fete which begins on Friday 8th March at 4.00pm. Don?t forget to volunteer on a stall or one of the fantastic rides and activities for the children. I thank Sheree Richards, our fete coordinator, and all parents involved, for the outstanding work done so far in preparing for the event, it?s a perfect opportunity for everyone to come together, meet new families and share insights, creative talents and community spirit.

Our Work, Health and Safety continues to be a top priority. Last Thursday we put in place our first fire drill of the year, with this Thursday our first emergency lock-down drill occuring. These drills occur each term to ensure a well coordinated and organised evacuation from the school, should a situation arise.

You will shortly see our grounds staff in fluro St. Phil's 'MAINTENANCE' uniforms. These are so we can easily identify them in the playground and around the grounds, and for the purpose of Child Protection and visibility for families to know who is who in and around the school. We continue to manage the front reception area with the lock out system, ensuring at all t imes, the safety of your children. We continue to request your cooperation with parking, pick-up and drop-off zones, ensuring also the correct use of our crossing.

Have a wonderful week. Mrs Louise Davies

Welcome to iParent ? Office Of The E- Safety Commissioner

Where you can learn about t he digit al environm ent and how t o help your child have safe and enjoyable online exper iences.

Plenty of tips and practical steps along the way so you can help your child explore safely and manage online issues should they arise. This is especially important at this age as they strive for independence and peer

acceptance.

Follow the link below:

Click here

God, please bless my school. Thank You for all of the teachers that work so hard to help us learn. Thank You for recess and lunchtime,

when we get to play with our friends. Thank You for providing a place where we can learn more about the world You created for us to l ive in, and how it works. Please keep my school safe. Protect all of the grown ups and kids that come to school everyday. Protect us

from harm, and help us to be kind to each other. I n Jesus? Name, Amen.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COORDINATOR - MRS REBECCA RIZZO

Cathol ic Schools Week Mass Catholic Schools week is being celebrated next week and to begin our celebrations we wil l be combining with all our Bathurst Catholic Schools at a Par ish M ass this Sunday 3rd M arch at 10am. This is a wonderful opportunity for al l our students to come together and celebrate the wonderful Catholic Schools that we have in Bathurst. Please come along and help us celebrate this very special week with the theme of ?Discover the Heart of our Catholic Schools?.

Pancake Tuesday Next Tuesday 5th March, is Pancake

Tuesday. The Mini Vinnies will be selling pancakes on this day and all

money raised will be going to Project Compassion. Please help support

this very worthy charity and purchase a pancake on the day.

As h Wed nes d a y Ma s s

Next Wednesday 6th March we will be celebrating the beginning of Lent with our Ash Wednesday Mass. The infants

will be leading us in this very special Mass where everyone will be receiving the

ashes on their forehead as a symbol of the beginning of our Lenten journey that

will finish on Easter Sunday. At Mass classes will receive their project

compassion boxes for their classrooms and boxes will also be sent home with

students.

Mer c y Week Week 6 is Mercy Week at our

school and therefore there will be no homework sent home next

week. We hope that families enjoy some extra time together in the

afternoons.

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL'S REPORT MRS RENAE DUNLEAVY

Week Key Dates & Events

5 27/2 - Paul Kelly Cup, 28/2 School Photos, 1/3 Diocesan Primary Swimming (Dubbo), Clean Up Australia Day at School

6 Cat holic Schools Week , 4/3 MacKillop and Stannies Orientation, 6/3 Ash Wednesday Mass 9.30am Gym nasium followed by Open Classroom s - All Welcom e, 8/3 School Fet e

7 13/3 - Paul Kelly Cup (Regional Day), 15/3 Awards Assem bly - St age 3 Gym nasium f rom 9am , All Welcom e

8 18/3 School Speech Day, 20/3 - AFL Coaching Sporting Schools

9 25/3 - NAPLAN Practice Testing Fortnight Begins, 27/3 AFL Coaching - Sporting Schools 28/3 School Photos - Full Summer School Uniform

10 1/4 , 2/4, 3/4 Parent Teacher Interviews, 4/4 - Confirmation Parent Evening 7.30pm, 5/4 Awards Assem bly - Infant s Gym nasium f rom 9am , All Welcom e

11 10/4, 11/4 - School Review, 12/4 Final day of Term One

Clean Up Aust r al ia Day We have registered for Clean Up Australia Day and will be having a clean up of our school on Friday 1st March. Students are welcome to bring a pair of garden gloves on this day if they wish.

Nat ional Day of Act ion Against Bul l ying and Viol ence St Phil?s is a registered NDA school and will again be participating in the National Day of Action on 15th March. We are always focused on creating and nurturing a safe and supportive environment for our students in which bullying and violence are neither accepted nor tolerated. We encourage parents to always be proactive in contacting the school if any issues arise at school so that they can be addressed quickly. For more information about the National Day of Actions please visit https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/NationalDay

Parent Teacher Interviews Parent Teacher Interviews will be held in Week 10 of this term on April 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Teachers are finalising their available times and will be sending their notes home this week.

C WA Pu b lic Spea king C o mpet it io n : Our Primary students will be participating in the CWA Public Speaking Competition again this year. We have just received the topics and teachers are beginning preparations. Some teachers may set this as a task for Homework so please be aware. Our school speech day will be held on Monday 18th March. Results from this will determine who moves on to the finals in Orange on 21st May.

Mot hers and Fat hers Day Craf t Af t ernoons ? save t he dat es! We will be holding craft afternoons on the following dates ? please add them to your calendar: Mot hers Day Craf t Af t ernoon ? Wednesday 8t h May at 2:15pm Fat hers Day Craf t Af t ernoon ? Wednesday 28t h August at 2:15pm

SCHOOL F EESA reminder that school fee accounts were emailed out earlier this term. Term 1 fees are due for payment this Friday 1st March. Thank you to all who have paid their fees or who have a regular

payment plan in place

FOR YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! REMINDER! School Phot o's TOMORROW! Look sharp : )

Parent Por t al ? Comp ass

Parent login letter and details were sent home last week. This unique login will enable you to login into the Compass Parent Portal. This system will replace Skoolbag eventually and we ask that you

begin to access this asap so we can begin the transition. In the interim we will continue to use both. Should you have any queries, please don?t hesitate to contact the school office. For detailed instructions and the Parent?s Guide, please go to

the school website for links for you to download or view documents.

WHS - CHILD PROTECTION. PICK-UP LINEAs previously com m unicated, our pick-up line is a safe, conven ient and effective w ay to collect ch ildren in the afternoons. Staff have recently

advised that there are how ever a num ber of ch ildren w ho are still relian t on som eone to buckle safety belts, particularly in booster seats,

w here a harness belt is in place. In relation to our child protection policy, our staff are in a com prom ising position w ith these seat belts

and it is advised that if your child needs assistance w ith these, it is best to arrange pick-up from the front off ice until com petent in securing the belt them selves. Staff w ill continue to assist by open ing and closing the car door and helping children in to the car w ith their bag, ensuring they

see children buckle safety belts before departing. Your assistance and cooperation is appreciated!

Regards Mrs Davies

Parent Engagem ent Sessions - Thursday 7t h March 10am & 7pm All Welcom e. Please

RSVP by click ing here > l ink .

FROM MRS DAVIES... MORNING ROUTINESAs we are approaching week six (can you believe it!?), our children, particularly

Kindy and new children to the school, seem to have settled in extremely well. To assist with teacher preparation time (between 8.30am and 8.55am), we ask that

when you drop children to school, that they go straight to the playground, leaving bags in the lunch area, not straight to classrooms. This time in the morning is

critical for our teachers to set up for the busy day ahead. Your cooperation and

understanding is appreciated.

Kindy Matilda O'Donnell, Chantelle Rizzo, Abbey Lavelle, Hunter Grenfell, Oliver Moore, Peyton Dowling, Zachary Ruston-Walkom, Vivienne Wright

Year One Urijah Dowling, Kohen Keates, Nora Nixon, Ava-Lily Turnbull, Lillie-Anna Kilby, Oscar Blundell

Year Two Krystal Anderson, Ky Grenfell, Indiana Hartfield

Year Three Lachlan Gallagher, Nia O?Donnell, Heidi Principe, Ruby Lamb, Madilyn Casey

Year Four Kiyarah Cobcroft, Ashton Hickey, Ruby Masman, Felix Pike, Tyson Wilson

Year Five Jade Anderson, Ruby Challita, Maddison Keates, Gus Sargent, Will Daymond

Year Six Zac Johns, Lilly Oxley, Troy Wright, Lily McLaren, Sean MacFarlane

Aw ard Recip ient s

THE GREAT FETE!T h a n k y o u t o a ll f a m i lies f o r t h e d o n a t io n s r ec eiv ed t o d a t e. O n b eh a lf o f t h e P& F, i f

w e c a n p lea s e r eq u es t ' t h in g s in j a r s ' , p r e- lo v ed t o y s , c h o c o la t e a n d y o u r t im e, i t

w o u ld b e m o s t a p p r ec ia t ed ! O u r f et e is n ex t Fr id a y , t h e 8 t h M a r c h f r o m 4 p m . A r m b a n d s a r e s t i ll a v a i la b le f o r p u r c h a s e f r o m

t h e s c h o o l o f f ic e / o n lin e h t t p s :/ / w w w .f a c eb o o k .c o m / s t p h i ls f et e

STAGE TWO REPORTStage Two have made a great start to year. In Religion, Year 3 have been looking at the Creation Story and learning about God?s infinite love. We have explored our own giftedness and identified how we can use our gifts for the good of all. The Year 4 Religion unit Living the Law of Love has allowed the children to explore the purpose of rules and to examine the 10 Commandments. The students are deepening their understanding of how the Commandments help them in their relationship with God and others.

Stage Two?s first Mathematics topic has been Whole Number. Our other topics for this term will be Patterns & Algebra and Addition & Subtraction. Some key questions you could ask your child relating to our maths units:

-What is an odd num ber? What is an even num ber?

-Can you round t he shopping receipt t o t he nearest dollar? Nearest 5 cent s? Nearest 10 cent s?

-Can you recit e your t im es t ables? (Year 3- 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x) (Year 4- 0x-6x, 10x)

St ep, Dr o p a nd K I C K !! Stage Two have been participating in AFL

coaching workshops and learning lots of

skills and rules about the game. We look forward to 2 more sessions this term .

Year 4 w ere lucky to have Mr Thurston from Stann ies lead them in a coding lesson. This

w as the f irst of four lessons th is

year and w e look forw ard to

building on the skills w e?ve learn t so far.

Get t ing t o know......Mr ParslowT her e a r e lo t 's o f peo ple t ha t ma ke u p a s c ho o l! We will in t r o d u c e s o meo ne new ea c h f o r t n igh t in t he news let t er t o help f a milia r is e o u r f a milies wit h a ll t he s t a f f t ha t ma ke u p o u r St Ph il 's f a mily. Be s u r e t o s a y hello a nd d o n 't be s hy. T h is week we in t r o d u c e Mr Pa r s lo w f r o m o u r t ea c h ing s t a f f !

Role at t he school - Year 2 Teacher, ICT Coordinator, Sport Coordinator.

How long have you been here - 5 years.

Spor t s or hobbies - I like to play Rugby League, Touch Football and Basketball. I enjoy

spending time with my nieces and nephews. I love to travel!

Favour it e Spor t ing t eam s - Manly Sea Eagles, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia Eagles and

Manchester City.

Likes - Sport, food, travelling and socialising.

Dislikes - All NRL teams that aren't the Manly Sea Eagles.

Favour it e t h ing about work ing at St Phil?s - The amazing students and parents as well as

our beautiful outside areas.

Som et hing people m ight not know about you - I grew up in the town of Forbes about 2 hours west of Bathurst.