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- From the Principal:
- Religious Education
- Sports News
- Reading and Writing Information Sessions
- Schools Clean Up Day - Friday 1 March
- Swimming Carnival Presentation Photos
- Fun at the Swimming Carnival
- Lacey Library News - Save the Dates
- Thank you
- Community Welcome - Save the Date
- Uniform Shop
- Parish News - Sacraments 2019
- Music Art and Movement 2019
- Trinity Catholic College - Year 7 2020 Information
- St John Paul II College - 2020 Enrolment Period
- Statement from Archbishop Mark Coleridge
Dear Parents, Students and Teachers
For those who were unable to attend, here is a brief overview of some of this year’s priorities that I spoke about at the start of the evening:
Mt Carmel School Annual Improvement Plan (AIP)
There are three improvement areas that we will focus on this year in our AIP:
- To introduce a student-centred approach to teaching spelling to achieve 12 months growth for every student;
- To Raise student engagement and achievement in Science through the effective implementation of the new Science and Technology Syllabus; and
- To Embed conceptual inquiry in the teaching of Religious Education.
Homework Policy Review
This year Mt Carmel will formally review its homework policy, beginning with an attitudinal survey of parents, students and teachers in Term 1.
Merit System
Following community feedback last year we are trialling a new approach to Merits. Merit awards will continue to be distributed by class teachers to recognise good work and reinforce positive behaviours. They will, however, no longer be collected and traded in for Coordinator’s Awards. Instead, each week two students per class will be nominated to receive a Coordinator’s Award, based on a focus value that reinforces our school rules—Stay Safe; Be Fair; Show Respect. Recipients of these awards will be published each Wednesday in the Carmeletta and awards will be presented on Thursdays at our morning assembly. Again, these awards will no longer be traded in for Principal’s Awards; instead, teachers will nominate two students from their class to receive a Principal’s Award at each whole-school Class Assembly, and one from each class at selected Prayer Assemblies. Award recipients will be published in the Carmeletta preceding their presentation.
Reports and Parent-Teacher Interviews
Again, following community feedback, we will be trialling a new approach to Reports and Interviews this year. The Interim Report will be modified to demonstrate greater alignment with the Semester One Report and will be sent home in Week 10 of Term 1. Parent Teacher Interviews will be held in Week 11 of Term 1 so that parents will have the opportunity earlier in the semester to speak formally with their child’s teacher. As well as the Open Classroom evening held last week, there will be further Open Classrooms held at the end of Term 2, following the Semester One Reports, and again towards the end of Term 3. Open Classrooms are intended as an opportunity for parents and children to visit the classroom together, to look at the work that’s been happening and to promote discussions about learning; they are not an occasion for a formal parent-teacher interview. Parents are always welcome to make an appointment for this kind of conversation if they are ever concerned about their child’s learning or behaviour.
Communication
As part of our streamlined communication, including our new-look website and Carmeletta, we will be moving away from Skoolbag to the SZapp App. The following link will provide you with additional information about installing and activating Szapp: http://www.schoolzine.com/szapp-installation
Parent Reading Information
Tomorrow Trish O’Dell, our Classroom Support Teacher, will be hosting two information sessions for parents to find out how to best help your child with reading at home. The sessions will be held at 9:30am and 7pm in our Professional Learning Room, upstairs in the office building.
Pancake Breakfast
Next Wednesday marks the start of Lent, the period of preparation leading up to Easter, and we will be marking Shrove Tuesday with our traditional Pancake Breakfast. Pancakes will be served from 7:30am in the school kitchen; all are welcome and gluten-free and dairy-free pancakes will be available. A big thanks, in advance, to the teachers and SRC members who come in early to cook and serve. During Lent, our school canteen will not be serving meat on Fridays; fish cocktails and fish burgers will be available to order on Fridays instead.
Statement from Archbishop Mark Coleridge
Most in our community are no doubt aware by now, with the lifting of the suppression order and consequent media reporting, of Cardinal George Pell’s conviction last year in the Victorian County Court. A statement from Archbishop Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has been included as an attachment to this newsletter, for your information.
And on a final note, I will be on leave from this Friday for a week; Jan Harvey will be Acting Principal in my absence.
May God’s peace be in your families,
Principal
GOSPEL: Luke 6:27-38
'But I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To anyone who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek as well; to anyone who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from someone who takes it. Treat others as you would like people to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to get money back, what credit can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 'Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you.'
REFLECTION
The Gospel this week is a difficult one to hear. It is even more difficult to live out in our day to day lives. Jesus says to his followers, to us: “Love your enemies! Be kind, be good to those who hate or persecute you!” What is your instinctual response to Jesus’ words?
These words of Jesus are very familiar to us. We have heard these words numerous times. I assume that all of us at some point in our lives have struggled to “love our enemies.” At times we may have been able to do that but I assume that there have been times when it was impossible! The wound was too deep, too raw!
Perhaps the first step might be to ask for the desire and will to eventually forgive the other person. Forgiveness most often is a process. It may be a long process and taking this first step to even consider forgiveness may be all we can do. Jesus is asking us to take one step. We can determine what that step will be! Let us ask Jesus to give us the will and desire to forgive---eventually! (Sr Kristine Anne Harpenau)
SHROVE TUESDAY
In Australia, the day preceding Ash Wednesday is popularly known as Shrove Tuesday. It is also frequently called Pancake Tuesday. But it is the name “Shrove” that shows its religious origins. Shrove is the past tense of the English verb “Shrive” which means to obtain absolution for one’s sins by way of confession and by doing penance. With Shrove Tuesday taking place before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday, it was the day when Christians were encouraged to go to confession in preparation for the penitential season that would end 40 days and 40 nights later with Easter Sunday. Dating back to 1000 AD, over the years Shrove Tuesday not only became a day for Confession but a time for Catholics to feast on eggs, sugar and dairy which are traditionally restricted during the Lenten fast. Not only was Shrove Tuesday a last chance to gorge on such foods but it was also a way to use them up before the fast began. (The Catholic Weekly)
To celebrate Shrove Tuesday we will be holding our annual pancake breakfast next Tuesday morning from 8am. Please feel free to drop by the Food Tech Room and join us for breakfast. This will be followed at 9am with our annual pancake race on the lower grass area. Which house will be our champion pancake tosser this year?
ASH WEDNESDAY PRAYER SERVICE
Next Wednesday we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday with a prayer service in the PAC at 9am. 5/6WZ will lead the school in prayer as we begin our Lenten journey.
Ashes will be distributed by class teachers following the prayer service. Kindergarten will receive their Ashes on Thursday. We welcome all members of our school community to join us for this special time of prayer.
God Bless,
Warren Ziebowski
Religious Education Coordinator
Northern Region Swimming Carnival
Good luck to all the students swimming in the Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival on Monday 4 March in Narooma.
Mal Meninga Cup and Laurie Daley Shield
Well done to all the students who participated in the Mal Meninga and Laurie Daley Gala Day yesterday. Thank you to Kellie Field for supervising our students on the day. Apologies to all the touch players and their families for the last minute cancellation. NRL Touch is looking at running some touch clinics at our school next term as an alternative.
Archdiocesan Trials
The Archdiocesan Winter trials will be Tuesday 12 March 2019 at various locations. The Archdiocesan sports teams will be selected during these trials to participate in the MacKillop Trials. Please note the date for the Canberra Goulburn Primary and Secondary Touch trials is Friday 8 March. Nominations for these trials close today. I will be entering one team for the netball.
Matt Giteau Cup
A note will be going out shortly regarding the Matt Giteau Cup which will be held on Friday 22 March. The Matt Giteau Cup is Brumbies Rugby premier primary school tackle competition. Catering for teams in Years 3/4 and 5/6, the 10 a-side competition (with squads comprising of no more than 14 players) will be held at Campese Oval Queanbeyan NSW. Teams can be a mixture of both Girls and Boys. First games to kick off at 9:30am with the competition concluding by approximately 2:00pm
Esther Glover
Sports Coordinator
Reading and Writing Information Sessions
TOMORROW - Thursday 28 February
Kindergarten to Year 6
- Do you want to know how children learn to read and write?
- Is your child struggling with reading and writing and you want to learn more about how to support them?
- Has your child just started Kindergarten and you want to know how to help him/her with Home Reading?
- Do you want to help with reading in the classroom?
If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then please come along to one of the following Reading and Writing Information Sessions to be held tomorrow, Thursday 28 February at 9.30am and 7.00pm in the Staff Professional Learning Room. Trish O’Dell our Classroom Support Teacher will facilitate the sessions. You only need to attend one of these sessions on Thursday as the content is the same for both sessions.
Parents who wish to volunteer to assist with reading in the classroom are required to attend one of the reading sessions.
Where is the Staff Professional Learning Room?
Please enter the school via the small gate on Dutton Street and come into the front office where you will be directed to the Staff Professional Learning Room.
Please contact Trish O’Dell if you have any queries and RSVP either by email at patricia.odell.cg.catholic.edu.au or by ringing the front office on 62263357.
Schools Clean Up Day - Friday 1 March
This Friday is School Clean Up Day. We encourage students to bring some gloves to school and after lunch, the students will participate in a school clean up.
Lacey Library News - Save the Dates
Wednesday 22nd May
Friday 31st May
Scholastic Book Fair and Grandparents Morning Tea
Saturday 17th August –Friday 23rd August
Book Week Theme: “Reading Is My Secret Power”
Book Week Parade: Friday 23rd August
The Mt Carmel School Uniform Shop is open each Tuesday afternoon, between 2.30pm– 4.00pm during school terms.
Ordering Options - Uniform orders can be placed online via Qkr! or by order from which can be collected and paid for from the front office.
All Qkr! orders placed before 2pm each Tuesday, will be bundled up and sent home with your child on Wednesday afternoon.
Please note that if the incorrect size/item is ordered or the size selected does not fit correctly, please return the item along with a note regarding changes required and the correct size/item can be sent home.
Confirmation
Registration- Wednesday 31 July and Thursday 1 August 5-6pm Presbytery
Commitment Mass -Saturday 3 August 6pm St. Augustine's and Sunday 4 August 10.30am Uniting Church Hall Murrumbateman
Church Liturgy 1 -Thursday 15 August 7pm St Augustine's
Church Liturgy 2 -Thursday 29 August 7pm St Augustine's
Reflection Day - Friday 6 September 9am-3.10pm Hartigan Centre and St Augustine's
Sacrament of Confirmation - Sunday 8 September 10am St Augustine's