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Wednesday 18 August |
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Dear Parents, Students, Staff and all associated with St Catherine's Community
Recently we have witnessed some wonderful sporting events – Tour de France, Wimbledon and State of Origin, to mention a few. This month we are seeing the Olympic Games in Tokyo and marvel at the skills and abilities of the top athletes from all the countries of the world. It is easy to see why so many people look forward to and eagerly follow the events of the Olympics….. patriotism, the colour and excitement, learning more about the host nation, barracking for Australia and witnessing gracious sportsmanship. The qualities of persistence and resilience, core social and emotional elements, are constantly witnessed by us throughout the games.
And just like our Olympic heroes, all of us need to display good sportsmanship. Whichever our chosen sporting endeavour, there will be winners and losers, some who achieve very well because of their ability, their training and the efforts of their coaches or parents and some who will plod along with no physical ability, but with the sheer determination to complete the task at hand. These children are good sports.
Children who are good sports will become known as those who are fun to play with. Here are ten ways that you can show others what good sportsmanship is all about:-
- Be polite to everyone you’re competing against.
- Don’t show off. Just do your best. If you’re good, people will notice.
- Praise your opponents- whether you’ve won or lost.
- Learn the rules of the competition. Show up for practices and try hard.
- Listen to your teachers / coaches and follow their directions
- Don’t argue with an official. Accept the judges’ decision.
- Don’t make up excuses or blame a school mate when you lose. Try to learn from what happened. 8. Be willing to sit out if others are chosen before you to compete.
- Play fair and don’t cheat.
- Cheer for your teammates even if your side is losing. There could be a big comeback
Wayne Bennett, coach of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, in 2002 wrote a very inspirational book called “Don’t Die with the Music in You”. As you begin to read the book, you are faced with the contradiction that Wayne Bennett is, the sometimes gruff exterior that the public often sees, compared to the admirable private man and role model who made something extraordinary with his life despite odds being stacked against him in his childhood.
Wayne, as coach, encouraged his players to follow their beliefs and not to give into themselves. People with a good attitude live by planning and preparation, sacrifice and self-denial, effort and hard work, and persistence and perseverance. “We only fail when we give up trying. Accept disappointment as a part of life, and when it comes, stand up straight, look it in the eyes and say you cannot defeat me –I am bigger than you.”
General Reminders
- P&F Meeting - The General Meeting of the P&F for this month will be held next Wednesday morning, 12 August at 9:30am via Google Meet. All parents and friends are very warmly invited to come along and share in the partnership of education which we provide here at St Catherine's School. We value your contribution in this and love to see as many parents along as possible.
- School Fees - Just a reminder that fees for the term (and any outstanding arrears) are required to be settled by Friday, 13 August, unless alternative arrangements have been made with the school. This does not apply to those with ongoing payment arrangements already in place. Should there ever be genuine difficulties in paying fees, please contact the school.
Families who hold an eligible Health Care Concession Card, may be eligible for CSEF (Camp, Sports and Excursion Funding). If eligible, this would also entitle families to make an application for a fee remission, which effectively would see a significant reduction of fees to be paid. Submission of CSEF applications has also been extended until Friday, 13 August. For more information, please do not hesitate to speak with Margaret Lonergan.
General Information
- 2022 Enrolments - As the school undertakes the enormous process of preparation for the upcoming school year, it is important that we are aware of possible movements both in and out of the school community. The final weeks of any school year can be an enormously busy time for many families insofar as transfers due to work or other personal circumstances. With position vacancies basically unavailable across most areas of the school and with waiting lists already resulting, it is essential that we are made aware as soon as is practicable of either families who may be transferring or of families who may be wishing to secure an enrolment position.
- 2022 Classes - Although only halfway through Term 3, the process of developing class lists will soon commence. If your child has a particular need or there is some information that we should be aware of when considering class placement, parents are required to put this in writing and submit it to the School Office. Please do not assume that information from previous years will be on file. It is important this is submitted each year. Obviously, we cannot (and will not) accommodate requests for particular teachers; we can only look at the needs of the child. All is to be submitted in writing by Friday, 17 September 2021. It is important to note that once classes are established for the year, no alterations to allocations will be made.
- 2020 Annual Report to the School Community - Parents are advised that a copy of the school's Annual Report to the School Community for 2020 is now available. The document fulfills part of the required annual reporting procedures that feeds back to parents and carers as well as wider community stakeholders, a summary of the school's progress across a number of key elements of school life.
A hard copy is also available at the School Office.
Yours in Catholic Education
Kevin Browning
Principal
Hello Everyone
The term is going so fast and before you know, it will be Spring!
This Sunday, on the 8 August we celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop who is Australia’s first and only saint.
Mary was born in Melbourne, on January 15, 1842, and was the eldest of eight children. Growing up, Mary and her family struggled financially and the family had to survive on the small wages that the children were able to bring home.
When she was 14, Mary started working as a clerk in Melbourne. To provide for her needy family, she took a job as governess at her aunt and uncle, Alexander and Margaret Cameron's property at Penola, South Australia in 1860.
While there, Mary MacKillop was tasked with looking after their children and teaching them. Mary, determined to help the poor, included the other farm children on the Cameron estate in her care. Her work as a governess and with the children brought her into contact with Father Woods, the parish priest in the south east.
Father Woods, concerned about the lack of Catholic education in South Australia, invited Mary and her sisters to open a Catholic school in Penola. Together, they successfully opened the school in a stable. Father Woods was appointed director of education and he and Mary were named founders of the school. Following renovations completed by their brother, the MacKillops started teaching more than 50 children. At this time, Mary MacKillop formally declared her dedication to God and began wearing black.
In November 1866, Mary MacKillop and her sisters were joined by several other women. Mary MacKillop, who now took on the religious name "Sister Mary of the Cross," began wearing simple religious habits. The group of women began calling themselves the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart.
The Sisters of St. Joseph have established a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australia and New Zealand, with an emphasis on education for the poor.
Let us keep St. Mary of the Cross Mackillop in our hearts and prayers this week.
CONFIRMATION
The Sacrament of Confirmation is approaching and the Year 6 students have been involved in an extensive learning program and will be continuing their Confirmation journey over the coming weeks.
Just a reminder that the ceremonies for the Sacrament of Confirmation are as follows:
- Thursday 26 August at 7.30pm
- Friday 27 August at 7.30pm
- Saturday 28 August at 12.00 noon
- Saturday 28 August at 3.00pm.
If you have any questions regarding this information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours in Faith
Nerida Byrden
Leader of Catholic Identity & Religious Education
Positive Behaviour Support
This week’s SHINE focus at St Catherine’s is INTERACT APPROPRIATELY during transition and movement around our school.
Students, teachers and Education Support Officers will be focused on the way in which we transition and move between learning spaces, out on the yard and to and from our destinations.
Student Voice and Child Safety
CHILD SAFETY WEEK - Poster Competition
As part of the upcoming Child Safety Week in September, students had the opportunity to participate in a poster design competition at St Catherine’s.
The theme for this year, and for the competition is ‘Every child, in every community, needs a fair go’.
The aim of this competition was to put a spotlight on Child Safety within our school through student voice and participation. Students were able to create their own designs related to the theme, while also engaging in class discussions to deepen their awareness and understanding of child safety.
We thank all students and staff for their enthusiasm in this competition! Here are some of our top designs.
STUDENT ACTION TEAMS - Child Safety Policy
This week a group of senior student representatives participated in our first Student Action Team to work towards developing a child-friendly version of our Child Safety Policy.
Our school leaders have been working with Miss Ornsby to unpack the Child Safety Policy, and think about how we can translate it into a child-friendly document using key ideas and language that speaks to our students.
With the support of Miss Ornsby, our school leaders worked with student representatives from Years 3-6 in order to seek the voices and ideas of our students by writing this document together. A big thank you to those students who have shown enthusiasm and commitment to participating in these workshops. Your ideas and input are invaluable.
We look forward to sharing the finished product with the school community over the coming weeks!
Parent Fortnightly Overviews
Welcome back to Term 3. This term we will be celebrating Book Week. At St
Catherine’s students will be engaged in a range of activities to celebrate this important event.
Each year since 1945 the CBCA has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. During this time schools and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators.
Theme: Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds
Dates: Term 3 August 21-27
Artwork: Shaun Tan
As part of the celebrations this term we will be having two author visits.
George Ivanoff 3rd September - Years 3-6
George Ivanoff is an author. He lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.
He has written over 100 books for children and teenagers, including fiction and non-fiction. He has written school readers, library reference books, chapter books, novelettes, novels and even a short story collection.
With his latest series of books, George has entered the world of commercial non-fiction for children. The Survival Guide take a humorous and creative approach to presenting factual information.
George’s most recent fictional series is OTHER WORLDS. With this series of four books George has ventured into the realms of science fiction and fantasy, two of his favourite genres, in order to tell stories about ordinary kids facing extraordinary circumstances.
George’s has written 13 books in his interactive You Choose series. You Choose: The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove won the 2015 YABBA in the “Fiction for Younger Readers” category; and You Choose: Alien Invasion From Beyond the Stars got an Honour Award in the KOALAs in 2016 and 2017.
His teen science fiction novel, Gamers’ Quest (2009), won a Chronos Award for speculative fiction. The sequel, Gamers’ Challenge (2011), was shortlisted for the same award. And the final book in the Gamers trilogy, Gamers’ Rebellion (2013), also won a Chronos Award. This trilogy has now been re-branded and re-released as Game On! Level Up! and Game Over!
George has also written a series of realistic adventure books for kids — RFDS Adventures. The four books in this series were published in 2016.
George also writes short stories and articles for adults as well as kids. Of all these, he is most proud to have had the opportunity to write a Doctor Who story for the Short Trips: Defining Patterns anthology (Big Finish, UK, 2008).
Occasionally, George has been known to moonlight as an actor. He has had small roles in numerous productions including the television series Neighbours and the feature films Frozen Butterflies and William Kelly's War. He recently guest starred in an episode of the audio series Night Terrace.
George eats too much chocolate, drinks too much coffee and watches too much Doctor Who.
He has one wife, two children, two cats and several chickens. And he is very content!
Valanga Khoza 10th September - Years Prep - 2
Valanga Khoza was born in South Africa and spent his youth in Alexandra, a black township in Johannesburg, and in rural Transvaal. Growing up in a community where many could neither read nor write, music and dance and storytelling were an integral part of the culture of his people. Since moving to Australia in 1976, Valanga has been telling stories and singing about his homeland, South Africa. Sharing stories from his homeland through performance and song keep his culture alive. His solo performance Out Of Africa has toured schools throughout Australia to the enthusiastic acclaim of students and teachers in primary and secondary schools.
Student Pick-up & Drop-off
Our actions as drivers & parents is one of the most important ways for children to be safe around our school.
We can all work together to:
- Keep the pick-up zones moving
- Follow the signs and directions
- Reduce car trips
- Be courteous and aware
- Use school crossings
Our school is very lucky to have an on-site Pick-up Drop-off option for families. When all families use this correctly, the traffic flows well and it is safer for everyone. Please remember:
- If you cannot enter the school grounds due to queued traffic, keep driving! Continue along Ridgemont Drive, around the Meadowlands Way roundabout, south along Ridgemont Drive to the Flowerfield Court roundabout and try again. Double parking is illegal.
- Do not turn right from Ridgemont Drive into the school grounds. You must drive South to the Flowerfield Court roundabout and come back to turn left into the school.
- Avoid peak times. Try to change your drop off or pick up times so you are not there at the busiest times. For example, arrive 5 minutes later or drop your child off earlier for school.
- Try parking instead. There are legal options in the Grices Road Reserve carpark; further along Ridgemont Drive; on Skyline Way; at Eden Rise Village or surrounding streets and walking the short distance to school instead. We will be distributing a Map in the coming weeks that identifies a range of park & walk and drop-off pick-up options. The on-site option at school is not your only choice.
Covid-19 Safe Waiting!
Rebound Wall Collections
As of 11:59 Tuesday 27 July some restrictions changed but requirments around face masks did not. Face masks are mandatory indoors and outdoors. Please make sure that you wear your face mask where required but particularly on our school grounds for everyone's safety. You do not need to wear a mask in your own home, or if a lawful exception applies. |
COVID-19 Symptoms
Students feeling sick or showing signs of being unwell need to stay home.
Parents willl be contacted if a student presents at sick bay with any of the following symptoms:
- fever
- chills or sweats
- cough
- sore throat
- shortness of breath
- runny nose
- loss or change in sense of smell or taste
Sometimes a headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may also be considered a symptom.
Please note: If a parent cannot be contacted immediately, the school will work through the emergency contacts listed. Please ensure the medical information for your child in PAM is up to date.
Parents and carers who have embraced our new platform PAM.
PAM (Parent Access Module) is where parents can:
- view their child's Semester Report
- advise of an absence (Parent Notified Absence)
- update or change medical information for their child
- give consent or pemission for excursions
- check their child's attendance record
Did you know that accessing PAM on your device is now easier?
SIMON EVERYWHERE is the app for smart phones and tablets/ iPads
- Go to Google Play or App Store
- Download 'Simon Everywhere'
- Once downloaded, search for and select St Catherine's Berwick
Our school Canteen operates on Tuesday and Thursday.
- Orders are online only.
- Orders are via CDFPay.
- Orders must be complete by 8:45am on the day.
- Orders can be placed in advance.
- Please ALWAYS check the date BEFORE you continue with your order to ensure that the date is correct, so that your child gets the order on the correct day!
Please see the link below. Create a CDFPay account and then simply place your order.
Cancelling Orders
If your child is sick or will not be attending school and you have placed your order you need to:
- Contact the School Office to advise that you wish to cancel the order.
- Your CDFPay account will be credited.
- No refunds are possible.
Uniform
The Uniform Shop
Owned and operated by Jan Kennewell
Location: Multi-Purpose Room
Monday | 8:30 - 10.45am |
Tuesday | 8:30 - 9:00am |
Wednesday | 8:30 – 9:00am |
Thursday | 8:30 – 9:00am |
Friday | 8:30 – 10:45am |
Access
- Enter the school grounds via the gate near the School Office , opposite The Chapel or along side the school oval.
- Sign in VIA the QR code at the MPR or in the uniform shop
- Purchase and pay. Note: Payment is by credit card only. NO CASH.
- Exit via the same gate
ONLINE Ordering
Order online using QKR!
- Download the app
- Create a login
- Locate St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School
- Add a profile
- Order
Orders will be sent home via your child
Uniform Requirements:
Students are required to wear their full winter uniform four days of the week and their sports uniform on their sports lesson day.
Girls Formal Winter Uniform
Option 1 | Lemon blouse, tunic, grey tights or socks, maroon jumper, black shoes, maroon hair ribbon/s or scrunchie |
Option 2 | Lemon blouse, grey trousers, grey socks, maroon jumper, black shoes, maroon hair ribbon/s or scrunchie |
Boys Formal Winter Uniform
Option 1 | Lemon shirt, grey trousers, grey socks, maroon jumper, black shoes |
Mason C | Onesha D | Sara W |
Archie D | Samuel F | Spencer S |
Mason C | Paige B | Isaac M |
Charli T | Samayra V | Olivia V |
Lucas G | Zarah A | Vicky A |
Noah B | Aadya B | Analise L |
Aiden M | Adrian S | Rashmitha R |
Chelsea T | Marlee C | Jacob B |
Aston M | Elias M |
Friday 20 August
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Monday 23 August
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Tuesday 24 August
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Wednesday 25 August
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Thursday 26 August |
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Friday 27 August
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Saturday 28 August
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Tuesday 31 August
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Friday 3 September
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Saturday 4 September
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Tuesday 7 September
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Thursday 9 September
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Friday 10 September
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Monday 13 September
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Wednesday 15 September
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Friday 17 September
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Tuesday 28 September
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Wednesday 29 September
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Thursday 30 September
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Friday 1 October
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Saturday 2 October
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Sunday 3 October
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Monday 4 October
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Tuesday 5 October
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Thursday 7 October
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Friday 8 October
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Monday 11 October
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Tuesday 12 October
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Thursday 14 October
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Friday 15 October
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Wednesday 27 October
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Monday 1 November
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Tuesday 2 November
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Thursday 11 November
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Monday 6 December
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Wednesday 15 December
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Thursday 16 December
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Friday 17 December
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