St Raphael’s Catholic School Term 1, Week 5/A Newsletter 24 February 2014 Gospel Challenge
Dear Parents Congratulations to the representative Swimming Squad that competed at Wellington last week. Such domination was well-deserved and an extraordinary number of St Raph’s swimmers have qualified to represent K-10 Schools at the Diocesan Swimming Competitions next week. Thank you to the students, parents and staff members who enabled this event to happen safely and successfully. The first of many major parish events celebrating 125 th years occurs this Friday evening (Feb 28 ) with “Dinner Under The Stars”. This three course alfresco dinner also features international entertainment and a grand presentation of parish history. Year 6 students are in final preparation mode for their three-day camp at Lake Burrendong next week. A vital part of the learning experience of Year 6, this is a time challenge – physically, spiritually and personally. Throughout February secondary staff members in particular have been investing plenty of thinking and discussion time on developing a vision and educational rationale for Stage 6 (Year 11/12). While there is serious challenge there is also extraordinary opportunity to design learning opportunities and spaces that will launch young people on a lifetime of learning. In March there will be another parent gathering to review progress and activate the next stages of the Implementation Plan. Preparations are well under way to celebrate the fiftieth year of the Festival of International Understanding in Cowra. Instead of a guest nation as it has been each year, this time the guest is the United Nations. Shopfront displays are being prepared as well as choral items. We will be well involved from March 8, which also corresponds to Catholic Schools Week. What a wonderful way to learn about and connect with people from around the world. Lenten activities will be commencing soon too. Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent and that’s on th March 5 .
Michael Gallagher Principal P.O. Box 7, Cowra 2794 Tel: 6342.2940
Monday 24 Tuesday 25 Happy birthday to Mitchell Sparkes and Christopher Williams. Wednesday 26 Happy birthday to Rodrick Roe and Madeline Webster. Thursday 27 Happy birthday to Carter Langfield and Joe Sullivan. Friday 28 Happy birthday to Daniel Gorham, Zoe Stedman and Isabella Thompson. Parish Dinner “Under the Stars” at 7pm on the Basketball courts. nd
Happy birthday to Eduan van Eeden for the 2 .
For your calendar Week 6 - Ash Wednesday: March 5th, Wednesday; Week 7 - Catholic Schools Week ‘More than a Great Education’: March 9-15; Week 7 - Heritage Day Mass: Friday March 14th. Full School Mass to Mark the 125th Anniversary of the Parish. Altar Servers’ Roster st Sat 1 March: Natalie Banks and Chloe Robertson. nd Sun 2 March: Katherine and Sophie Johnston. Emily Beath-Pearce and Flynn Bennett at Goologong.
Email: straphaels@bth.catholic.edu.au School Website: www.straphaelscowra.catholic.edu.au
School Eucharistic Ministers for Weekend Parish Masses: nd Sun 2 March: Miss L Pratt. School Computer Roster st Sat 1 March: Miss K Slaven. nd Sun 2 March: Mrs P Bischof.
Crunch and Sip! We are a registered Crunch & Sip school and as such we encourage the students to eat a piece of fruit or vegetable each morning just before the bell is rung for the start of school. It is not a time for packets of chips or biscuits. Water is the best drink available. Crunch&Sip® is a set time in primary schools for students to ‘refuel’ on fruit and salad vegetables and ‘rehydrate’ with water. Students who are not hungry and are well hydrated perform better in the classroom, show increase concentration, and are less likely to be irritable and disruptive. We all know that many students are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. Your assistance in supplying a small piece of fruit/veg would be appreciated. Choir Performances at the Festival of International Understanding A number of students from Years 2 -10, have been selected to sing during the Cowra Festival of th International Understanding’s 50 Anniversary. This year our special guest is the United Nations. The involvement of our school in the festival is very important as it is one of our crucial promotional presentations in the community. As the program of events ‘stretches’ from 6 – 16 March our students are requested to perform at the following events: 1. Festival Peace Ceremony & Official Opening TH SATURDAY, 8 MARCH, 5.45 pm @ Peace Bell, Darling St, (please note the new time). 2. River Park, straight after Street Parade, TH SATURDAY, 15 MARCH, around 12.45 pm th Summer school uniform is to be worn on Saturday, 8 March, at the Peace Bell. For River Park’s performance, school sport uniform or if possible, instead of school sport’s top a light blue colour t-shirt without any logos. Your support and commitment would be greatly appreciated. Grazyna Swansborough - Music Teacher Primary Assembly The next primary assembly will be held this week, th Friday 28 February. It will be led by Mr O’Reilly’s class, Year 50. If your son / daughter is to receive a class award a note will be sent home by Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. Parents are always most welcome to attend any primary assembly.
P.O. Box 7, Cowra 2794 Tel: 6342.2940
th
Festival Parade 15 March, 2014 A note is being sent home today asking parents to indicate if their child/children will be attending the Festival Parade on March 15. Every student this year is being asked to wear their sports uniform. The colours of the United Nations emblem are blue and white. For the parade the students will be given a blue material sash to tie over their left shoulder and pin to their waist on the right side. This allows us to reflect the colours of the United Nations during the parade. Note: The blue material plus safety pins will be sent home to students in the week prior to the parade. Therefore, the permission notes need to be returned early next week so that numbers can be known and the right amount of material sourced.
Primary Physical Education Lessons Wednesdays th Physical education classes for this week, 26 February are: Year 1, 2 and 6. These classes need to wear their sports uniform. Note: Year 1 did have PE and Health this week as well as last week due to staffing changes th for the week. Next week (5 March) Year 3, 4 and 5 wear sports uniforms.
P & F Fundraising Levy From 2014, The P & F has decided to go ahead with the P & F voluntary contribution. It will be included with your school fees and the funds will then be directed to the P & F. Surveys were sent to all St Raphael’s families in 2013 so everyone was given a chance to provide their opinion. 284 letters were sent out with a total of 65 responses. 86% (56) replied YES and 14% (9) replied NO. There was a lot of discussion at the P & F meeting following the survey results and it was decided that the P & F will go ahead with charging a P & F contribution as part of school fees in 2014. The contribution will be $10 per family to be charged three times a year with each school fees. This will be on a trial basis and will be reviewed at the end of 2014. Money raised by the P & F in this manner as with all P & F funds, allows parents to direct funds towards areas of need as seen by the parent body. Any parent is welcome to come along to our monthly meeting to be a part of deciding where the P & F spends this money. At the moment the P & F are looking to spend funds on a new shade structure, soft fall gymnastics mats and soft fall turf in the primary playground. Last year, we funded smart boards, art supplies, Outward Bound, student readers and music equipment. All worthy purchases that would not have otherwise been available to our students this year. If you do not wish to make a voluntary contribution to the P & F, please contact the school. Mufti Day: Wednesday 26 February This Wednesday we will be holding a mufti day K to 10 for a gold coin donation. The funds raised are to support our school's nominations for Youth Ambassadors, Maddison Johnson and Kelly Price.
Email: straphaels@bth.catholic.edu.au School Website: www.straphaelscowra.catholic.edu.au
The girls are raising funds as part of the Festival activities for Ambassador nominees. They have selected to support a local charity, Cowra Community Chest. A gold coin donation will be collected during morning homeroom. Additionally, the girls (with a little help from their peers in Year Ten), will be conducting a 5 on 5 basketball competition at lunch during week six (3/3 to 7/3). Entry is open to all students in years seven to ten, for a $2 entry fee. Prizes will be available. Kelly and Maddison will provide secondary students with more details of the 5 on 5 competition at Tuesday's secondary assembly. Thank you for supporting these remarkable young ladies as they seek to assist a very worth while local charity.
does not have to be expensive but good quality please something that someone would like to win! Also if you own a business in town and would like to make a donation, we would be very grateful. If you would like us to acknowledge that you made a donation, please include a card with the donation otherwise it will remain anonymous. All donations can be left at the front office at school. Remember all funds raised on the night go towards our school. We will print details about bookings over the coming weeks but tickets will be $10 per head with tables of 8. BYO Drinks and nibblies. Anyone aged 15 and older is welcome. Start organising your tables now.
Student Representative Council
School Magazine – The Crocus For those who may have forgotten to order their copy of the school magazine for 2013 we still have a few copies left. The cost is only $25. Please complete the form at the end of the newsletter and send it in with your money as soon as possible to secure a copy. School Fees If you are currently paying your fees by direct debit, please check your repayments will cover the new fees for 2014. Should you need to make adjustments, please contact the front office to collect the necessary forms. Thank you. School Clothing Pool The clothing pool will be open on Heritage Day, Friday 14th March. Keep an eye out for more information in newsletter soon. If you have any clothes for the clothing pool, especially smaller sizes and winter clothes, please drop off at the front office. Thank you.
Canteen Update This week’s roster is as follows: Tues 25 Karen Budge
Wed 26 CLOSED
Vickey Dorahy
Thurs 27 Tracey Gunnyon Lisa Mallon
Fri 28 Lyn Terry Raelene Nelligan
Mon 3 Natalie Goard Angela Kollas
Margaret Stewart
SAVE THE DATE!!!! – ST RAPH’S P & F QUIZ NIGHT SAT 5th APRIL 2014 Our major fundraiser for this term is the Quiz night. Haydn Thomas, fresh from his international Speaking commitments, is to be our quiz master so you are sure to be entertained and enthralled! One of the main attractions of the evening is the vast array of prizes to be won throughout the evening in the continuous draw. We are hoping that the families of St Raph’s will be able to contribute by way of a donation. It could be a bottle of wine, a gift voucher from a Cowra Business, gourmet items, a box of chocolates or even a cash donation that could go towards purchasing items. It
P.O. Box 7, Cowra 2794 Tel: 6342.2940
WELL DONE Congratulations to the following students who have achieved the next level on the Behaviour Management Programme. Level 5 Tiarna Azzopardi Philippa Elwin Daniel Gorham Emma Hines Stanley Rush Alizah Walker Chelsee White Imogen Chambers Natalie Mallon Philippa Austin Ben Varela Aiden Bugeja Kate Price Ky Thompson
3M 3M 3M 3M 3M 3M 3M 3S 3S 4D 4D 4J 6C 6S
Bridie Braddon 3M Eppie Emseis 3M Elizabeth Heilman 3M Evan Liversidge 3M Kate Statham 3M Jack Webb 3M Georgia Buchtmann 3S Alannah Gocin 3S Melissa Mood 3S Will Thompson 4D Emma Wilkinson 4D Bridie O’Connor 4J Anthony Tristan 6S
Your Teachers are very Proud of You!
Dinner under the Stars th Please join us for dinner under the stars on February 28 from 7pm as our parish celebrates 125 years. Dinner will be on the basketball courts of St Raphael’s School. The evening will include nibbles, dinner and sweets plus international entertainment. BYO drinks and glasses. Tickets are $20 each and will be available after Mass or from the Presbytery or Style for Women in Kendal St. Please purchase your th tickets by Monday 24 February. Everyone is welcome, 15 years and up. FREE Triple P Easier Parenting For families with children aged 2 - 12 years Triple P courses highlight the importance of good communication between parents and children, and suggest simple routines and small changes that help make big differences. Parents learn to understand how their family works and how to use the things they already say, think and feel in new ways. This helps to:
create a stable, supportive and harmonious family encourage positive behaviour from Cowra Information & children Neighbourhood Centre build positive relationships with children establish ways to plan ahead to avoid or manage potentially difficult situations
Email: straphaels@bth.catholic.edu.au School Website: www.straphaelscowra.catholic.edu.au
find suitable solutions for parents to take care of themselves while balancing work and family responsibilities.
Sign up today to find practical answers to your everyday parenting concerns, and learn how to raise happy, healthy children. Triple P is available free to all families with children aged 3-8 years. th Date: 26 February ‘14 Time: 12pm – 3pm - Light lunch will be included Location: Cowra Family Support Service Healy Room 5 Vaux Street Cowra Cost: Free Child Care is Free Bookings: Cowra Family Support Service – 02 6342 3432
th
RSVP:24 February ‘14 BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL TO SECURE YOUR PLACE
School Magazine Order Form Name: _____________________________ Phone: ____________________________ Child: _____________________________ Class: _____________________________ Number ordered: _____________________ Money enclosed: _____________________
Catholic Schools Week March 9-15, 2014 Theme: ‘More than a great education’ In 2014, Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated from March 9-15. It will once again involve the communities of all Catholic primary and secondary schools in NSW and the ACT to showcase to the wider community the opportunities that Catholic schools provide. The main aim of the annual event is to build community awareness about the strengths and distinctiveness of Catholic schools. The theme for CSW 2014 will be 'More than a great education'. This theme provides an ideal opportunity to showcase the rich history of Catholic schools, and the many wonderful achievements that make Catholic schools unique. In Cowra, Catholic Schools Week coincides with the International Festival of Understanding. The ‘United Nations’ is the focus for this year. Therefore, over the next few weeks the students will be involved in activities that reflect both these special weeks of celebration. Also, Cowra is celebrating 125 years since the inception of St Raphael’s Parish along with 75 years since the building of our present church (the third on the site). The timetable of events listed below has three aspects: 1. Events specifically organised for Catholic Schools Week, with a local recognition of the school’s heritage.. 2. Events relevant to the Festival of International Understanding (Focus: United Nations) 3. Timetabled events that fall into this week. Note: There are many opportunities for parents to participate. Our guest speaker at our K-10 Gathering is Mrs Jenny Allen (Executive Director of Schools for the Diocese of Bathurst)
Day Sat, Mar 8 Sun, Mar 9 Mon, Mar 10
Tue, Mar 11 Wed, Mar 12 Thu, Mar 13 Fri, Mar 14 Sat, Mar 15
Timetable of Events Catholic Schools Week & Cowra Festival of International Understanding Time Event 6.00pm School Festival Choir Performs at the Peace Bell Beginning of Catholic Schools’ Week 10-11am K-6 Open Day (Parents visiting their children’s classrooms) 11-11.20am Parents invited to share recess with their children 11.30am-12.10pm K-10 School Gathering in St Raphael’s Church *Guest Speaker: Mrs Jenny Allen (Executive Director, Bathurst Diocese) - Parents are most welcome 12.08-12.58pm Secondary Assembly (Theme: Catholic Schools Week) All Day Primary teams competing in the Cowra Gala Day No events scheduled for this day 2.05 -3.00pm Primary Assembly (Theme: Festival: United Nations) All Day Science and Engineering Challenge (Forbes) Secondary students 10-11am St Raphael’s Heritage Day Mass (Kinder – Year 10) 1.00-2.30pm St Raphael’s Heritage Day Activities (Kinder-Year 10) 12.00pm Festival Parade (starting from Brougham Park)
P.O. Box 7, Cowra 2794 Tel: 6342.2940
Email: straphaels@bth.catholic.edu.au School Website: www.straphaelscowra.catholic.edu.au