St Raphael’s Catholic School Term 4, Week 2/B Newsletter 16 October 2017
Dear Parents, The exams of the HSC are serious hurdles for the students and represent one of the larger challenges of their lives. We continue to hold them in our prayers and wish them a clear head and a steady hand as they work their way through the next three weeks. The beautiful Mass held last Friday morning for the whole school family was for us to celebrate and pray for our senior Student Leaders. It is significant that this Mass is at the time of year when we celebrate the feast of St Raphael and Mass to celebrate of junior Student Leaders is at the time year we celebrate the feast of St Brigid.
Last Friday our school captains and senior prefects were inducted into leadership roles. We look forward to them fulfilling their roles. It's important to remember that we are all leaders in different ways.
Thank you for your ongoing support of such good work. The children who returned for the Japan tour on Monday were not only jet-lagged but so very excited and wide eyed and brimming full of stories and descriptions of their experience of that extraordinary culture. Thank you to Mrs Bennett for her wonderful lead in creating such a valuable learning experience.
Leadership is hard to define. Lord, let us be the ones to define it with justice. Leadership is like a handful of water. Lord, let us be the people to share it with those who thirst. Leadership is not about watching and correcting. Lord, let us remember it is about listening and connecting. Leadership is not about telling people what to do. Lord, let us find out what people want. Leadership is less about the love of power and more about the power of love. Lord, as we continue to undertake the role of leader let us be affirmed by the servant leadership we witness in your son Jesus. Let us walk in the path He has set and let those who will, follow Let our greatest passion be compassion. Our greatest strength love. Our greatest victory the reward of peace. In leading let us never fail to follow. In loving let us never fail. Amen
The list of activities for this week across the school is quite extraordinary and is a tribute to the breadth of our curriculum and the energy of our teachers (and students). Retreats for Year 7 and Year 10, overnight camping at the Weddin Mountains for Year 8, Outward Bound Expedition for Year 9, Year 1 and 2 are at Canberra on Thursday, Kindy are at the MRF and farm excursion, we host the Worldskills in Brick and Block laying as well as the annual Book Fair!
Monday 16 Happy birthday to Matthew Mood HSC Commences Year 7 Reflection Day Outward Bound Yr 9
The school exhibit at the Show over the weekend was spectacular and the level of interest and enquiry was unprecedented. We are immensely proud of the work of our students and we love the chance to show the world.
Thank you to those many parents who participated in the Secondary Parent / Student / Teacher learning discussions last week. A clear direction, strong commitment and collaborative plan for each child is the ideal way begin the new term.
Michael Gallagher Principal
P.O. Box 7, Cowra 2794 Tel: 6342.2940
Tuesday 17 Outward Bound Yr 9 Book Fair Wednesday 18 Happy birthday to Sara Rush Outward Bound Book Fair Yr 10 Retreat Email: straphaels@bth.catholic.edu.au School Website: www.straphaelscowra.catholic.edu.au
Thursday 19 Happy birthday to Shelby Ball, Georgia Dunford and Chelsee White Outward Bound Yr 9 Book Fair Yr 10 Retreat Yr 8 Weddin Mt Kindy Start Yr 1 and 2 Canberra Excursion Friday 20 Happy birthday to Sienna Launders, Cameron Melton and Lucas Meredith Outward Bound Yr 9 Book Fair Yr 8 Weddin Mt Worldskills Bricklaying Competition Happy birthday to Alexie Buchtmann and st nd Noah Keen for the 21 and William Cain for the 22 .
Altar Servers’ Roster st Sat 21 Oct: Isabelle Doorey and Kate Proctor nd Sun 22 Oct: Ky Garratt School Readers for Weekend Parish Masses: st Sat 21 Oct: Karla Slaven nd Sun 22 Oct: Sue Whiteley School Eucharistic Ministers for Weekend Parish Masses: nd Sun 22 Oct: Peta Bischof School Computer Roster st Sat 21 Oct: Casey Family A reminder First Reconciliation enrolment will take place this coming weekend (Saturday October 21st at 6pm and Sunday October 22nd at 8am) at both Parish Masses. The parent Meeting will then be held on Tuesday October 24th at 3.30pm or 7 pm in St Brigid’s Hall.
K-6 Bushwazee On Friday November 3 Bushwahzee will be coming to St Raphael's Catholic School to workshop with all K-6 students during school hours. Students are asked to dress up for the day in country/bush attire. An evening performance/school show will be presented for parents commencing at 6pm-7.30pm. The performance area will be in the secondary playground. Please feel free to bring your own picnic blankets and/or camp chairs,etc. Students will be asked to remain with their parents until their item is announced.
P.O. Box 7, Cowra 2794 Tel: 6342.2940
Please note that if the weather is inclement there will be a K-2 performance from 6.00-6.45pm and a 3-6 performance from 6.45-7.30pm. These will be in the St Raphael's Catholic Church Hall. More information and updates will be via the school newsletter and Facebook. Come along and have a fantastic night of fun! 2018 Inaugural Indigenous Immersion Experience to Central Australia. In 2018 St Raphael's Catholic School are please to announce that we will be offering students in Year 7-11 (2018) the opportunity to take part in an Indigenous Immersion Experience to Central Australia. Secondary students will be asked to express their interest during the course of this week (Week 2). Parents will receive a letter in Week 3 detailing more information and an invitation to a parent information session to be held in Term 4. St Raphael's would like to thank the Rotary Club of Cowra for the establishment of a local partnership that will assist students who take on this opportunity. Andrew Casey VET Construction Worldskills Bricklaying Competition Our three Yr 11 Construction students, Ben Price, Aiden Roberts and Joe Waters will be competing in a th World Skills bricklaying competition on Friday the 20 October. The world skills competitions are designed to challenge and engage VET students in various trade related tasks. They provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate trade skills they have acquired. As we are hosting the event this year it would be a good opportunity to drop by and have a look at the competition underway. It will be conducted at school, under cover, at the top COLA from 9am-2pm
NOTICE OF LIBRARY EVENT BOOK FAIR 2017:
Our annual book fair will commence this Tuesday 17th October to Friday 20th October For new parents : What is a Book Fair? A bookshop will be available at our school from Tuesday to Friday . Our Scholastic Book Fair is a fun event that enables children, parents and teachers to purchase quality books and classroom materials at reasonable prices, while earning books for our school.
Email: straphaels@bth.catholic.edu.au School Website: www.straphaelscowra.catholic.edu.au
Students will be able to view books during library lessons and make a “Wish List” of books they would like to possibly purchase. On the back of the wish list you can enter book details and a credit receipt if you have paid for books online. Parents are welcome to view books with their students. The library will be open from 8:30 am to 4 pm. Timetable is attached at the end of the newsletter. ** Note that if books/ items are popular they may have to be reordered. Kerri Skinner Librarian PASTORAL CARE AND STUDENT WELLBEING This term brings exciting news for the school and especially for students who will be in Year 9, 2018. A new addition will be part of the learning program for students, called The Rite Journey. The school has researched a number of programs suited to developing adolescents as they engage with the world. The Rite Journey has come recommended by many educational institutions and our discussions with the presenters give us great confidence that this program fits well with the mission of St Raphael’s. The following from the program outline answers the important question WHY? WHY WE DO IT We aim to make a positive difference in a society where: boys are under-fathered & the media displays role models making poor choices girls are prematurely sexualised & popular media presents unobtainable role models “bubble-wrapping” prevents the growth that comes through risk and challenge young people average 30 hours a week in front of a screen at the expense of human connection sociologists now suggest that adolescence spans from age 10 to 30 Four Secondary staff will be trained in the program which will be delivered in separate gender groups. For more information you can look at The Rite Journey website on the following link. http://theritejourney.com/ S. Whiteley - Pastoral Care and Student Wellbeing GRATITUDE: Year 12 students started their first HSC Exam today. The school thanks those staff members who provided study opportunities for the students in the recent school holidays. Mrs MacCabe, Ms Isedale, Ms Allan, Ms Zideluns, Mrs Bennett, Ms Atkinson and Miss Gibbs, Mrs Bischof, your generosity is greatly appreciated. S. Whiteley - Pastoral Care and Student Wellbeing
Mr Embroidery Encouragement Award Mr Embroidery has once again kindly donated Cowra Cash Vouchers to our school which was drawn at the P.O. Box 7, Cowra 2794 Tel: 6342.2940
end of Term 3 assembly. To be eligible for the draw, students need to have demonstrated good behaviour, sound work ethics and appropriate interaction with peers and teachers. Congratulations to Harry Frazer from the infants and Maddison O’Reilly from the Primary. Medical Records Please notify the school about any allergy suffered by your child(ren) so we can minimise risk and respond promptly and accurately to any allergic reaction. Information about changes of circumstance like address, phone number, family doctor, emergency contact all need to be kept current on the school files – please let us know. Canteen Update This week’s roster is as follows: Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Mon
Karen Campbell
Ammie Broad
Lyn Terry
CLOSED
Tracey Gunnyon
Charlene Williams
Robyn McAlister Mary Campbell
Please note there are changes to the Canteen Summer Menu. Canteen rosters have also been sent home with children so if you volunteer for the canteen and have not yet received your roster please contact Donna.
WELL DONE Congratulations to the following students who have achieved the next level on the Behaviour Management Programme. Level 6 Kosta Kujundzic Jackson White Zoe Stedman
3 Gold Matilda Porter 3 Gold 4 Green Jack Chamberlain 6 Gold 9 Green Brianna Roberts 10 Green
Level 7 Inka Wilson
6 Green Elizabeth Heilman 6 Green
Your Teachers are very Proud of You!
Wanted Books For Children! “The Book Box Project” will involve creating “Book Boxes” for families to borrow, or take books from, various community organisations such as Yalbilinga Day Care Centre, play groups and the Erambie Outreach Centre to encourage the value of reading and literacy amongst children of all ages. If you have any books that you are no longer using please consider sending them in to support “The Book Box Project”
Email: straphaels@bth.catholic.edu.au School Website: www.straphaelscowra.catholic.edu.au
P.O. Box 7, Cowra 2794 Tel: 6342.2940
Email: straphaels@bth.catholic.edu.au School Website: www.straphaelscowra.catholic.edu.au