Holy Family Newsletter (Week 6 Term 1, 2024)

Messages from the Principal

As we gather on this sacred land, let us respectfully acknowledge the past and present Nyangbul people of the Bundjalung nation for which the members and elders of the local Indigenous community and their forebears have been custodians for thousands of years of this land, on which they have performed age old ceremonies, celebrations, initiations and renewals. We acknowledge their living culture and unique role in the life of this beautiful country.

LENT

As we continue our journey through the season of LENT, we reflect on the ways Christians celebrated it in the past and how we as Christians today, use it as a time to make changes in our lives.  The traditions of observing LENT in some way recaptures the period in Jesus’ life when he spent 40 days alone in the desert contemplating the task that lay ahead of Him.  Christians today are invited to use the 40 days of LENT to evaluate their lives and adjust them to become more generous, compassionate and prayerful people.  We are given the opportunity to look carefully at our lives and identify attitudes and situations that perhaps do not reflect the Gospel values that we believe.  In schools, much of how LENT is celebrated is focused on helping children to understand what this season of the Church’s year is all about, and how they can use it to help them become better people and grow closer to God.

ATTENDANCE

Make getting students to school on time every day a top priority.

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves. Ensuring that students arrive at school on time every day is crucial for their academic success and wellbeing. Parents play a crucial role in instilling the importance of punctuality in their children. Here are some strategies for parents to make getting students to school on time every day a top priority:

- Establish a Consistent Routine. Set a daily routine that includes specific times for waking up, getting ready, having breakfast, and leaving for school. Consistency helps children develop good habits.

- Model Punctuality. Children often learn by example. Demonstrate the importance of punctuality by being on time for family events, appointments, and other commitments.

- Limit or Have No Screen Time in the Morning. Minimise distractions such as excessive screen time in the morning. This helps your child stay focused on getting ready for school without unnecessary delays.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY GROUP

The school values your input, please take a few minutes to complete the Holy Family Parent Involvement Form. Thank you.

Please consider attending the next meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, 26th March at 6.00 pm in the staffroom.

RESILIENCE

Resilience is something we hear a lot about nowadays and this is a major focus for us in educating children to be effective in the 21st Century. What we may not realise is that our actions in trying to do the best for our children can often deny them the opportunity to become resilient people. Michael Grosse, a well-known Child Psychologist, offers the following ‘Resilience Robbers’ accompanied by ‘Resilience notions’ which outline how we can help our children become more resilient.

Robber # 1: Fight all their battles for them.

Nothing wrong with going into bat when kids struggle or meet with difficulty inside or outside school but make sure this is the last resort, not the first option.

Resilience notion # 1: Give kids the opportunity to develop their own resourcefulness.

Robber # 2: Make their problem, your problem

Sometimes parents can take too much responsibility for issues that are really up to children to work out or decide. Here’s a clue if you are wondering what I am talking about: a jumper is something a mother puts on her son when she is cold!

Resilience notion # 2: Make their problem, their problem.

Robber # 3: Give kids too much voice

In this era of giving children a voice it is easy to go overboard and allow them too much of a say in what happens to them. Kids often take the easy option to avoid hard or unpleasant situations.

Resilience notion # 3: Make decisions for kids and expect them to adjust and cope.

Robber # 4: Put unrealistic or relentless pressure on kids to perform

Expectations about success and achievement are important. Too low and kids will meet them. Too high and kids can give up. Too much and kids can experience anxiety.

Resilience notion # 4: Keep expectations in line with children’s abilities and don’t put excessive pressure on them.

Robber # 5: Let kids give in too easily

Resilient learners link success with effort. They don’t give up because they don’t like a teacher or when confronted with multi-step or more complex activities. Similarly, they don’t bail out of a sporting team half way through the season because the team is not winning or they are not enjoying it.

Resilience notion # 5: Encourage kids to complete what they have started even if the results aren’t perfect.

Robber # 6: Neglect to develop independence

Don’t wait until they are teenagers to develop the skills of independent living. Start early and promote a broad skill set so that they can look after themselves if you are not around.

Resilience notion # 6: Don’t routinely do for kids what they can do for themselves.

Robber # 7: Rescue kids from challenging or stretch situations

There are many times kids are put in situations that are outside their comfort zones for a time. For instance, giving a talk, singing at the school concert or going on school camp may be challenges for some kids. They are all situations that kids usually cope with so show your confidence in them and skill them up rather than opt for avoidance.

Resilience notion # 7: Overcoming challenges enables kids to grow and improve.

Sometimes the manageable hardships that children experience such as a friend moving away, not being invited to a party or completing a difficult school project are fabulous learning opportunities. They help kids to stretch and grow. Dealing with them effectively also teaches kids that they are capable of coping when they meet some of life’s curve balls. And that is a huge lesson to learn at any age.

KINDNESS

“Be kind. Be fair. Be honest. Be true. And all of these things will come back to you. Remember what goes around, comes around.” Kindness is never wasted.

God Bless

Murray

Principal

Catholic Life

The Lenten Season

We are about to move into the fourth week of Lent.  Lent is the period of 40 days before Easter.  It is a time of prayer, giving and going without.  Many of the teachers and students have been thinking about and committing to ways that they can be more like Jesus during this Lenten Season.  As a school community we commit to supporting Project Compassion during Lent by donating money to assist people who are marginalised in our world.   One of the people who will benefit from our donations is Memory from Malawi. 

Family Matters

Learning and Teaching

NAPLAN- Years 3 & 5

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. All NSW schools will sit NAPLAN online in 2024.

Our school will be participating in NAPLAN on the following dates:

Writing- Wednesday,  March 13 at 9:00 am

Reading & Conventions of Language- Thursday, March 14 at 9:00 am and 11:40 am

Numeracy- Friday, March 15 at 9:00 am

In preparation for NAPLAN, our school will be participating in practice tests closer to the NAPLAN period. The practice tests allow students to become familiar with the test format, functions and tools of the online tests in a test environment. The practice tests are not an assessment of student ability and will not be marked. It is important that students have headphones for all NAPLAN tests.

Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not recommended. Students do not need to be able to touch type to complete NAPLAN as the tests are not about keyboard skills (just as the paper test is not about handwriting skills). Students can use the public demonstration site to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and tools available in NAPLAN. All NAPLAN tests will be online, except for Year 3 Writing, which will be administered using a pen and paper format.

Please use the links below for further information. If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact Emma McFadden (emma.mcfadden@lism.catholic.edu.au). 

Additional resources:

Public demonstration site

NESA NAPLAN website

NAP parent/carer support page

Watch a video that explains tailored testing

Sport

Junior House Captains

Congratulations to the following Year Two students who were elected by their peers to be Junior House Captains for 2024. These students will assist the Year Six House Captains at our sporting events during the year. Well done to all those chosen. 

Red House                                                                  Blue House

Alby Ibell                                                                     Leo Liddle

Island Bordin                                                            Harriet Scott

Green House                                                              White House

Archie Gell                                                                  Jack Oud

Camille Smith                                                            Daisy Sproule 

Diocesan Swimming Carnival

Twenty-four students attended the Diocesan Swimming Carnival at Macksville on Friday 1st March. Congratulations to the following students who finished in the top three in their events and have now qualified for the Polding Swimming Championships at Homebush on Wednesday 3rd April. A big congratulations to Niamh Spinks who was awarded the 11 yrs Girls Age Champion Trophy after a terrific day in the pool. 

• Nash Stewart - Boys 8 yrs 50m Freestyle - 1st
• Harriette Rich - Girls 9 yrs 50m Freestyle - 3rd
• Amy Roberts - Girls Snr 50m Freestyle Relay- 2nd
• Charlie Clift - Girls Jnr Backstroke - 2nd

Girls 10 yrs 50m Freestyle - 3rd

• Cahlu Bond-Sheehan -  Girls Snr 50m Backstroke - 1st

Girls Snr 50m Freestyle Relay- 2nd

• Miliani Tighe - Girls Snr 50m Freestyle - 2nd

Girls Snr 50m Freestyle Relay- 2nd

Girls Snr 50m Breaststroke - 3rd

• Niamh Spinks - Girls 11 yrs 50m Butterfly - 1st

Girls 11 yrs 50m Breaststroke 1st 

Girls 11 yrs 50m Freestyle - 1st

Girls 11 yrs 50m Backstroke 1st

Girls Snr 200m Individual Medley 2nd

Girls Snr 50m Freestyle Relay- 2nd

Richmond Zone Winter Sports Trials

Students from Years 5 & 6 participated at the Richmond Zone Winter Sports Trials in Lismore during Week 4. Congratulations to the following students who were selected in the Richmond Zone teams and will compete at the Lismore Diocesan Winter Sports Trials in Grafton on Friday 8th March and Friday 17th May. 

Rugby League 11s - Paddy Churven, Kai Jukes

Rugby League 12s - Liam Tancred, Billy Griffiths, Mason Wills

Netball - Tia Drikibau, Cahlu Bond-Sheehan, Coco Smith, Ava Cribb

Rugby Union - Paddy Churven, Mason Wills, Liam Tancred

Soccer Girls - Harper Yopp, Evie Tester, Philo Zollo

School Events

Congratulations to our 2024 Semester 1 Student Representative Council members 

During our Week Four assembly, we had the Induction of our Semester One 2024 Student Leaders. We congratulate our Class Student Monitors and we are confident that all our Class Student Monitors will do a brilliant job as leaders.

Billie , Oscar, Ruby, Dallas, Bonnie, Kieran, May, Cailin, Ayla, Jock, Oliver and Charlie.

Chess

Chess Club is in full swing at lunchtime on Thursdays in the hall. All students are welcome, regardless of experience level. It has been nice to see new players along with our ‘regulars.’

The first inter-school tournament for the year will be hosted by Emmanuel Anglican College on Thursday, April 4. A Compass alert will be available soon. Participants must have a sound knowledge and understanding of chess as the level of play is beyond beginners. 

Brendan Coyle

Canteen Corner

Canteen Roster - Term 3, 2023

Our next meal deal is on the 22nd March. Place your orders through compass canteen. Please note no other lunches are available on this day. Snacks and drinks are available over the counter. Please see the attached flyer for more information and menu options.

Student Awards

Principal's Award - February 2024

The worthy recipient of the Southern Cross Credit Union Principal’s Award for the month of February is Olivia from 6 Green.

Olivia embodies excellence in both academics and character. With a warm and friendly demeanour, she effortlessly creates a positive and inclusive atmosphere within the classroom. Olivia's pride in her work is evident, showcasing a strong dedication and commitment to excellence within the classroom.

As a role model, she sets a high standard for her peers, demonstrating the importance of hard work, respect for others, and a positive outlook. Olivia's delightful nature makes her a joy to have in the school community, creating a welcoming and uplifting atmosphere for both peers and teachers.

Her respect for others shines through in her interactions, creating a harmonious environment for learning. Olivia is consistently brightening the school environment with her positive attitude, leaving a lasting mark on the school as an exceptional individual and a cherished member of the community

Congratulations Olivia, on being a very deserving recipient of the Southern Cross Credit Principal’s Award for the month of February.

Reminders

Holy Family is on Facebook and now Instagram too!

Follow us to see what’s happening at our wonderful school

Our Instagram username/handle is holyfamily_1997

Community Events and Notices