Term 3 Week 2 2022

Principal's Message

Dear families and friends,

‘We do whatever it takes to lead the way in Love, Learning, Faith, School Spirit, Sport & Community’

I am really excited and looking forward to this term where we give our best for Love, Learning, Faith, School Spirit, Sport & Community. Yet again, we will put our kids first as we do our very best to holistically educate them.

Wakakirri

Well done to Kristie Irvine, Sarah Flochinni, Lisa Transton, and parent, Jess Freeburn.  Kristie has facilitated this Creative Arts Performance and led the way in getting our kids ready really well, very much bringing my script and Vision to life. Well done and thank you, Kristie and ladies!

Renovations after the Floods

The Kindergarten and Year One rooms should be ready by the end of the year.  I am not putting it back exactly how it was, to ensure we take this opportunity to create an even better space for our kids. Depending on when it all gets finished, we may or may not move our current Kinder and Year Ones back into these renovated rooms.  We may wait for a fresh start in 2023 as we want to provide the least disruption to our kids.  To give you a bit of an idea of what my plans are: Similar furniture to what I put together in the Year 2 rooms, vinyl hybrid flooring; black form ply benches with plywood cupboards; all sinks outside and moveable form ply bag racks creating more agile learning spaces inside; a huge plant wall, inside plants, etc.  This is much more of a natural and simplistic palate for our teachers to ensure the learning on the walls pops out and kids add their own colour through art. 

Next Year 2023 

We will be taking 4 Kindergarten classes in 2023.  When I put out to our current families that we only had a few spaces left, we had much more than a few current parents let us know that they have another one coming.  So instead of having 3 large Kinder classes, I have planned to have 4 smaller classes as the children go through Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2. 

Little Learners 

Will begin at school on Friday, 12 August 9.00am - 10.30am for all 2023 Kindergarten kids.  A parent is encouraged to be there with their child if a preschool is not bringing them over.  Weather permitting, we will gather at the kindergarten playground out the front of the school to sign in and play, and then make our way to the Year 2 rooms to get to know each other and to start learning together. We are so excited to see our newest recruits! Our Assistant Principal Vinnie will make some appearances, too.

John O’Brien

Principal

Assistant Principal's News K-9

Message from our Assistant Principal K-9

Thank you for welcoming me to SMP. I love this school! I love how friendly the kids, staff and families are. This is my new home now and I couldn’t be any happier!

I loved visiting St Vinnie's to deliver the 200 jumpers and $430 donation after our Mini Vinnies cake stall. This community is so generous!

Even though I was born in NSW, I am a QLD Maroon supporter ... how good was this year's State of Origin! QUEENSLANDER

I have a joke for you; Why didn’t the dog want to play football?      It was a Boxer.

Woof Woof,

Vinnie - Assistant Principal K-9

Assistant Principal's News - Mission

Important School Information Update

From Term 4  2022, we will gradually transfer to our new Student Information System (SIS) called Compass.  The Compass platform has a parent portal and offers many extra features and benefits, including a smartphone application (app). This will mean that the current Skoolbag school app will no longer be used from Term 4, 2022 (more info to come).

The Compass app and computer parent portal will be our school communication to you, similar to what our old Skoolbag app did for our community. The Compass app will allow you to;

• Enter in explanations for absences
• Update your family contact details
• Download and view your child's semester reports
• View news feeds of school announcements, alerts and updates
• View the school calendar
• Provide consent for events, and pay for excursions and school fees

One of the first things we need to make sure of as a school is that we have all parents and family members' contact details up to date, particularly phone numbers and email addresses. If we do not have your correct email address, you will be unable to access the new parent portal on the app. There will be a note to go home shortly with the details we currently have for each family and there will be further instructions on the easiest way to update this information if it is incorrect.

Parent Survey Online - “Tell Them From Me”

In the coming weeks, we will be inviting students, teachers and parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.

We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at SMP.

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device from the first week of August and we will send a link home on the app and make it available on the school website.

Lowes Pop-Up Store in Lismore

Lowes have communicated with us that they will have a pop-up store opening up in their old Lismore shop on Tuesday 26th July.  Lowes will also be holding their next sale event for 2022 over two days: August 4th and 5th.  These days present a great opportunity for parents who wish to take advantage of their 20% off days when purchasing their school uniforms.  Purchases can be made online or in store. Please note click and collect will not be available on these days.

Mobile Phones and Smart Watches

Please be aware that mobile phones and/or smart watches are not encouraged to be at school. If your child requires one of these devices before or after school, they must bring it into Mr Irvine’s office when they arrive at school and collect it after the home time bell.

Breakfast Club

A reminder that vegemite, jam and butter toast are available from the Breakfast Club every day fully paid for by the school. 

We are very lucky to have Dino Polese (volunteer) cook up pancakes for our kids every Tuesday and Thursday. We also have some Police Youth Liaison Officers come and cook on Thursdays which we are very appreciative of. 

Friday Church Visits

All students will have 2-3 visits to church to participate in either a prayer service (K- Y3) or a Mass (Y4-Y6) during Term 3 which will be celebrated by Fr Peter. We will send parent invitation letters home the week before your child has their visit as we would love as many parents and family members to come along to celebrate as well. Dates are below that you are more than welcome to attend:

• 5th August 1.00pm:  Yr 1 - Yr 4 Mass (church)
• 8th August 9.00am:  Assembly Mary MacKillop Feast Day (school)
• 12th August 1.00pm:  Kinder, Yr 5 & Yr 6 Mass (church)
• 15th August 10.00am:  Whole School Mass - Feast of the Assumption (church)
  
• 16th August 1.00pm: - Yr 1 - Yr 4 Mass (church)
• 9th September 1.00pm:  Kinder, Yr 5 & Yr 6 Mass (church)
  
• 23rd September 12.30pm:  Whole School Mass - the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy (church)

3:16 Church Youth Group

Once again this term, St Mary’s Catholic College have offered to run an after school youth group at the church for our Years 2-6 students that focuses on bringing kids together for fun, food and understanding about God in their lives. The program is called “ThreeSixTeen” and will be coordinated by College teacher Mahaila Day and supported by youth ministry officers and high school students. The idea of the session is for students to have lots of fun and participate in enjoyable activities. 

ThreeSixTeen will be held 3 times in Term 2 after school from 3.30pm - 5.00pm (see dates below). To support the running of this program, a teacher from our school will collect the students after school on the Friday, walk them to the church and stay until the end of the session.  Parents would be required to pick their child up from the church at 5.00pm.

Dates:

• Friday 5th August (3.30pm - 5.00pm)
• Friday 12th August (3.30pm - 5.00pm)
• Friday 9th August (3.30pm - 5.00pm)
  

If your child would like to participate in this program, please send Mr Irvine an email (sam.irvine@lism.catholic.edu.au)

Altar Servers

All current altar servers should have received their roster for Term 3 weekend Masses. Thank you to all those students who assist in this ministry. We welcome Elaina Underhill, Bella MacMahon, Valentina McDonald and Annabelle Winters to our team. These Year 4 students are now learning to be servers after making their First  Communion in Term 2.

Mini Vinnies

Our Year 6 Mini Vinnies group has been invited by the parish to run the Social Justice stall at the weekend Masses on Saturday night 5.00pm 6th August and Sunday morning 8.00am 7th August. Congratulations to these students who have accepted the opportunity and will be doing some home baking to sell at the stall and then attending Mass to help with the selling of their goodies. All money raised will help the St Vincent de Paul Society to support those in need. If you are at Mass that weekend, please support these students.

Sam Irvine

Assistant Principal - Mission

Assistant Principal's News Teaching & Learning

ICAS Testing

A final reminder for those parents that wish their children to take part in the ICAS Assessments. Please register and pay using the ICAS Parent Portal. These assessments are for students who wish to practice assessments that recognise academic excellence. We are offering assessments in English, Maths, Science, Writing and Spelling. 

These assessments are at the parent's expense ($19.25 for each test),  however, SMP will offer a quiet, supervised session for students to complete these tests at school on the designated dates.  The assessments will be held on:

• Writing - Wednesday 10/8
• English - Wednesday 17/8
• Science - Tuesday 23/8
• Spelling Bee - Thursday 25/8
• Maths - Monday 29/8

To purchase and book these assessments for your child, go to the website, click on 'Buy ICAS Test with our school code OAA625:

https://www.icasassessments.com/shop-parents/

For more information on how ICAS tests are conducted please visit: https://www.icasassessments.com/

Premier's Reading Challenge

Congratulations to those students who have already completed the Premier's Reading Challenge! Your love of reading will support all future learning. The Premier's Reading Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge for each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely.

It is not too late to start the challenge. You have until the 19th August to complete it. For more information head to https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html

All students who complete the challenge will receive a certificate from the NSW Premier later in the year to celebrate their success. 

Book Week

Friday 26th August will be our Book Week Character Parade. The theme this year is 'Dreaming With Eyes Open' ... we can't wait to see all our little book characters on the day.

Felicity Wilde

AP Teaching & Learning

Leader of Love & Community

Kristie Irvine

Leader of Love

Sport News

1500m

Big congratulations to all the students who participated in the 1500m at Hepburn Park on Monday afternoon. All the boys and girls did a fabulous job on the day. Big congratulations to Tom McCormack and Lachlan Rippon who both came 3rd and will move on to the next stage at Diocesan.

Zone Athletics Carnival

Well done to all 48 students who participated in the Zone Athletics Carnival on Thursday at Woodlawn College. You all did an amazing job and led the way in school Spirit and Sport. I will be able to update you on the results in the next newsletter.

NSW Schools Cup

The Schools Cup in Netball will be going ahead in Casino on the 4th August. The boys and girls who are representing SMP will travel by bus on the day.  Ensure permission notes and money have been returned to the office.

Gala Days

On 19th August Year 6 will have the opportunity to travel to Lismore for a multi-sports gala day in which they participate in a range of different activities run by development officers. The day itself is free with only the bus costing money.  More information to come.  A soccer and netball gala will be held on the same day for only Stage 3 students. Teams will be selected in the coming weeks.

Alice Shields

Huge congratulations to Alice, who recently went to Sydney to trial for the Polding Softball team. Alice was successful at these trials and now will travel back to Sydney to compete at the State Championships.  Well done!

Brendan Mitchell

Sports Co-ordinator

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Imogen Wells Eli Cottam-Harris Gabriel Esteban Zahryah Pirlo James Bratti Toby Makejev Spencer Really Jordan Taylor Jaxon Williams Jade Pirlo Emerald Dean Ledger Gould Sebastian Hogg Louis Armstrong Heidi Handford Eliza Brenan Harper Dhu Zahli-Rose Marks and Elaina Underhill who celebrated their birthday in late June.   

Happy birthday to Teanu Macmahon Paityn Taylor Anna Bennett Hunter Pokarier Laisa Vakararawa Josephine Williamson Felix Makejev Riley Richards Daisy Hendley Cooper Jung Keegan King Lukas Wells Annabelle Winters Lewis Bunney Bethany Jones Teo Stavenow Ameah Stringer Ava Cook Darryl Pearson Elaina Delaney Leah Macintyre Cohen Sivewright George McKenzie Riley Horne Flynn Zaiko Riley Gillespie Hunter Martin Arlo Taylor Azahlia Troy Makenzie Pearce Connor Farrelly Jim George Joe Handford Frankie Berry Larissa Really Cadence Farrelly Perle McCarthy Isaac McInnes Sophie Connolly Abby Gray Colby Randall Brooklyn Duck Duke McKey Blake Formaggin Harper Myers Harrison Myers Amos Leven Emilia Trustum Elijah Aylward Tyler Edwards Callen Barnes Lewis Creighton Maddalena Noijens Ethan Zaiko Logan Hollis Tate Leadbeatter Dallas Murphy and Tyla Sivewright who celebrate their birthday in July.