Term 1 Week 2 2016 - St Finbar`s Primary, Glenbrook
Transcription
Term 1 Week 2 2016 - St Finbar`s Primary, Glenbrook
St Finbar’s Primary School Levy Street, Glenbrook, 2773 P.O. Box 187, Glenbrook, 2773 Phone: 4739 1796 Fax: 4739 8153 www.stfinbarsglenbrook.catholic.edu.au School Principal: Ms Donna McFadzean Parish Administrator: Fr Jolly Chacko MS School Community Newsletter Edition 1 3rd February, 2016 The Year of Mercy Dear St Finbar’s Community Welcome back to the new school year. I hope your children are as excited to be back as the staff are. We have enjoyed two very productive days and much work has gone into MAI assessments (Mathematical Understanding Assessments). Detailed analysis of the MAI will take place over the next couple of weeks so that we can personalise the learning path for each student at St Finbar’s. The students will also be involved in Literacy assessments to determine comprehension levels and the learning path required in Literacy for each student. In the following week we will send home a “Learning Styles Indicator” questionnaire which you will have an opportunity to discuss with your child’s teacher at our “Family Learning Conferences” interviews. You will be able to set learning goals collaboratively with your child and their teacher. One of the most important outcomes from the questionnaires is that it enables us to use another avenue of communication with parents. A strong working relationship built on excellent communication between home and school is a key feature of an outstanding school. My door is always open so if you would like to discuss a concern or celebrate an achievement you are welcome to pop in for a chat. You can make an appointment through the school office at any time. Jubilee Year of Mercy The Jubilee of Mercy began when Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica on 8 December 2015 (the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council) and concludes when he closes that same door on 20 November 2016. Pope Francis says, "We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. Our salvation depends on it. Mercy: the word reveals the very mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Mercy: the ultimate and supreme act by which God comes to meet us. Mercy: the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life. Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness. At times we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives. For this reason I have proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy as a special time for the Church, a time when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective. The motto for the year, Merciful like the Father, serves as an invitation 1 to follow the merciful example of God who asks us not to judge or condemn but to offer love and forgiveness instead. Welcome We welcome all our new members of our community. We welcome Mrs Natalie Platt (Year 2 Classroom Teacher and Numeracy Coordinator), Mr Ben Ticehurst (Year 4 Classroom Teacher, LTST and Special Projects Coordinator, Mrs Lisa Samojlowicz (Assistant Principal/Reading Recovery Teacher, Literacy Support Teacher) and Ms Kiyoka Kubo (Japanese Teacher). As well as our new Kinder children and their families, we also welcome the Bragg, Cameron, Wade, Richards, Waring and Nicklaus families to St Finbar’s in 2016. School Uniform All the pupils look very smart in their school uniform and shiny black shoes. We are very proud that pupils take such a pride in their appearance and love to be good ambassadors for our school. Can I remind you that we ask for all uniforms to be clearly named so that they can be easily identified and to avoid them getting lost. Losing newly purchased uniforms can be very frustrating and costly for both pupils and parents. Calendar We are sending home the calendar of school events to help you to be organised for the forthcoming term. We will of course try to avoid changing these dates unless it is completely unavoidable. Event dates will also be on the calendar on the school website. This will be updated regularly so please keep an eye out for any changes. Our other major system of communication is the Skoolbag App. We ask that each family has this app downloaded so that you are able to have the most up to date information. With my best wishes for an enjoyable and productive Term and through working in partnership with you all for the good of all of our children and the community, we can take St Finbar’s Primary School from strength to strength. Yours In Christ Donna McFadzean *********************************** PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT – Tuesday February 9th – Children welcome 6.30 - 7.15 S1 and S3 7.15 - 7.45 Whole Community 7.45 - 8.30 ES1 and S2 Stage Days for Sports Uniforms ES1 Wednesday, Friday S1 Thursday and Friday S2 Friday S3 Monday & Friday 2 From the Assistant Principal Welcome back to the 2016 school year. We have seen many excited faces as the children arrived to start the new academic year. To all our families we offer the warmest of welcomes and a special welcome to our new families. We all know that children receive the best education when parents and teachers work as a team. Parents’ enthusiasm, support and involvement are integral to the success of our school as are the skills, dedication and professionalism of teachers. Together, staff and parents can provide educational excellence for every student, so that they can achieve their personal best. Positive reinforcement will help children to adopt an enthusiastic attitude towards their learning. As parents and partners in your child’s education I encourage you to work alongside the talented, dedicated and professional staff here at St Finbar’s as they provide and facilitate opportunities for your child to grow to their full potential. Your support is appreciated and is an integral part of the success of St Finbar’s. A few general reminders: School attendance It is a Board of Studies requirement that all absences must be explained by parents. Class rolls are legal documents and are maintained by class teachers and checked regularly by auditors. Unexplained absences will be followed up. Children arriving to school late or being picked up early must be signed in or out by a parent/guardian at the office. Attendance at school can be a predictor of long term success. We will be monitoring all absences very closely to ensure all children are at school for the maximum time. Hats All children need to have a school hat to be worn before school, morning tea, lunch, after school and for any outside lessons. Parent Helpers Throughout the year we need your help for various school events: excursions, sporting events, sports carnivals, canteen and as helpers in the classroom. To be a helper at St Finbar’s all persons over the age of 16 must complete the following every two years: Complete online Child Protection Module – http://childprotection.parra.catholic.edu.au/childprotection-training Complete declaration I am looking forward to working with our wonderful school community at St Finbar’s. Please feel free to come and see me throughout the year. God Bless, Lisa Samojlowicz Assistant Principal 3 CHILDREN’S PARISH YOUTH CHOIR Does your child love to sing? The Parish Youth Choir are looking for new members. Rehearsals take place each Thursday straight after school in the Church. The children have some afternoon tea and a bit of a play and then they begin their rehearsal. Rehearsals conclude at 4.30pm. The choir is open to girls and boys in grades 3 to 6. The only criteria is that they love singing. The choir lead the singing once a month on the 4th Sunday at the 9.30am Mass. Mary Lopez (Choir Teacher) would love to have 20+ students for the choir. SCHOOL BANKING Our school banking day is every Tuesday. Lots of new prizes to be collected after 10 deposits are made. Enquire at your local Commonwealth Bank to open a new Student account. BUS TRAVEL A recommendation from the Bus Company as we start the new school year. The bus company can no longer look up a name and be able to call parents if a child is lost, gets on the wrong bus or misses a stop, it is suggested that an ICE (In Case of Emergency) number be written on the inside of their bag, to save any anxiety. ***************************************************** COMMUNITY NEWS Blue Mountains Junior Rugby Union are running a series of ‘Come and Try Rugby’ skills sessions for 6-12 y.o. The sessions will be run at Lapstone Oval. For more information www.bluemountainsjuniorrugby.net email: [email protected] OLMC Parramatta Open Day Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta warmly invites you to its 2016 Open Day on Sunday, February 28 from 10am – 2.00pm. Principal’s welcome at 10.00am and 12.00 noon. Discover why a Mercy Education is treasured for life. Reservations can be made by visiting www.olmc.nsw.edu.au or phone 9683 3300 to obtain further information. St Finbar's Netball Club We are currently taking registrations for the 2016 Winter Competition. Players from Under 8's to Seniors are welcome. Please register at mynetball.com.au or follow the link from our websitewww.stfinbarsnc.nsw.netball.com.au For all enquiries please contact our Registrar, Jodie Eisenhuth, on 0417 771 673 St Finbar Youth Mass is back! This Sunday 7th February 6pm. A massive thank you to Fr Bob Anderson who has agreed to hang around and say this Mass for us while Fr Jolly is away. Edge Youth Group 5pm for all primary school aged children - will be a Star Wars themed social hour and introduction to our theme for the year of Mercy. This youth group will only be held on the 1st Sunday of each month so don't miss out. Lounge Youth Group 7:30 for all high school students - will continue to run on the 1st AND 3rd Sundays of the month. There will be a big welcome for all those in year 7 this year. 4 The youth leaders (well most of them) have had a relax and some team building fun over the summer (see photo). They are awakened, pumped and ready for a big year! We hope to see everyone on Sunday - it would be a really nice way to show our appreciation to Fr Bob to see you all there. St Finbar Youth Team Art Classes for kids opening in 2016! Using a range of materials and inspired by art history, students will make 2D and 3D artworks. $140\$120 for 8 weeks during school term. Various locations around Emu Plains. Tue morning Tots (3-5 years old with a carer), Wed afternoon (5-10 years old) and Sat morning (5-10 years old). Contact: Na’ama Atzmon-Simon 0413-694-030 naama@reach4 stars.com.au www.reach4stars .com.au ONLINE NEWSLETTER / SKOOL BAG APP Would you like a copy of our Newsletter emailed to you so that you can ensure you remain up to date with what is happening at St Finbar’s? If you do then you can leave your email details on our School Website and you will be added to our mailing list. Here’s How: On the front page of our School Website (http://www.stfinbarsglenbrook.catholic.edu.au is a link titled “Subscribe to our Newsletter leave your name and email details. These will be added to our group mailing list and you will then be sent a copy of our Newsletter fortnightly. The other way that you can obtain an electronic copy of the Newsletter is via the Skoolbag App. 5 In order to clarify exactly what the uniform policy at St Finbar’s is, we are providing pictures and a brief explanation of our uniform code. Summer Uniform Girls Summer dress with navy blue socks Boys Grey shorts and short sleeved blue logoed shirt School jacket can be worn all year round by both boys and girls Winter Uniform Girls Winter culottes with the short sleeved, (girls) logoed blouse or Winter pinafore with the long sleeved, pale blue, blouse and maroon tab tie Navy blue tights, black shoes Long hair neatly tied back, shoulder length hair can be worn out Boys Long grey pants with the short sleeved blue logoed shirt or long sleeved blue logoed shirt Black shoes St Finbar’s Primary, Glenbrook 6 Term 1 at a Glance We live by our School Motto: Living our faith in daily life, Seeking truth in our relationships and building our knowledge Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Week 3 8th Assembly 2.10pm Parish Hall. 9th Parish Mass Yr 5 - 9.00 Parent Information Night – see newsletter for details 10th Ash Wednesday Mass 9.15am 11th 12th 13th 14th Week 4 15th 16th Welcoming Mass Time: TBC 17th P & F Meeting 7pm 18th 19th 20th 21st Week 5 22nd Nepean Zone Swimming Carnival 23rd Parish Mass 9.00am Yr 4 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th Week 6 29th Assembly 2.10pm – Parish Hall DATES in ADVANCE Staff Development Day: Term 2: 27/04/2016 Staff Development Day: Term 3: 19/07/2016 7