Newsletter Term 4 Week 8 (02.12.22)
From the Principal
Dear Parents
Well what a start to summer! More rain! But we have managed to work around the inclement weather these past two days. Yesterday all students attended a special Wellbeing Show in the hall. It was a fun and entertaining interactive show which highlighted positive relationships, determination and grit, being healthy, happy and confident and having an optimistic outlook. There was comedy, singing, didgeridoo and other musical instruments which kept all students completely engaged the whole time.
This morning we managed to hold the assembly in the hall. It was the turn of the singing students and Mr Spurlock’s instrumental students to perform for the whole school. The last two tears of the pandemic meant we couldn’t sing indoors or blow instruments so it was a real delight today hear some group singing and to have quite a number of the students perform as a cohesive band. First public performances are nerve wracking so we congratulate all those who performed today and we cannot wait to see their progression into the furutre. Well done everyone!
We also congratulated all the Altar Servers who assist at school Masses during the week and in the parish on weekends. Fr Paul thanked them and presented each with a gift. It was great to see such a large group of them being applauded at this morning’s assembly.
Thursday 15th December is the final day of the school year. It will be a day of celebration. It will begin with Mass in the church at 9.00am for the whole school. All are welcome to attend however we would particularly encourage all parents of our Year 6 students to be present as after Mass students will receive their certificates while still in the church. Year 6 students and families will be invited to morning tea in the hall. Parents of other students are welcome to join their children’s classrooms for the remainder of the morning. Class certificates will be presented in classrooms to students during this time. All are welcome to join in a picnic lunch from 11.00am so bring along rugs and picnic chairs to join in with the children and their friends. At 12 o’clock we will gather in the COLA for the Nativity. All students will take part in this. Recess will occur after its completion. Then hopefully just after 1.00pm we will have our final assembly in the COLA. There will be a number of presentations and speeches during this time. Parents will be notified if their child is to receive a special award so they can be present. At the end of the assembly the traditional end of Year 6 tunnel will take place. Parents are welcome to attend as much or as little as they like throughout this day. Yes, we are doing things a bit differently this year. We have checked the long range weather forecast so hopefully it will be a perfect day!
We have had some new chairs arrive today which are to replace those we lost during the floods so we will be able to accommodate the crowds for special occasions in the future.
Classes are sorted for 2023. Next Tuesday morning, 6th December, students will move to their new classrooms and spend the morning with their next year’s teachers. Teaching teams for next year are:
Yr 6 - Mrs Kate Wallis and Ms Courtney Midson;
Yr 5 – Mrs Sharon Holmes and Mrs Genevieve Hincksman;
Yr 4 – Ms Maddie Sleba, Mr Sam Judd and Ms Holly Lees;
Yr 3 – Mrs Karen Brown, Mrs Pip Brown, Mr Pat Tierney and Ms Olivia Thompson;
Yr 2 – Mrs Misty Campbell, Mr Nick Rochester and Mr Paul Monahan;
Yr 1 - Ms Rachel Lewis and Mrs Kirstie Hawkins;
Kindergarten – Mr Ryan Ambrose, Ms Emily Payne and Mrs Julie O’Grady.
We have some new teachers joining us at St Anthony’s next year and we look forward to welcoming them. Ms Lees and Mr Judd will be with us next week. Ms Thompson will visit during the final week of term. We are also looking forward to meeting our new AP – Mission, Mrs Gemma Ballantine, who also plans a visit during the final week of term. All have expressed a great excitement to be joining the team at St Anthony’s.
Mr Kennedy and Mrs Pip Brown are both still unwell and both have had recent stints in hospital. We continue to assure them of our prayers and send them our best wishes. I have spoken to them both this past week and both express the desire to return to St Anthony’s as soon as they are well enough to do so. We look forward to that day for each of them.
I am currently reading reports. We expect they will be ready by the beginning of the last week of term to go to parents.
Don’t forget the Giving Tree in the front foyer. Encourage your child to collect a star so that a gift can be purchased for them and placed under the tree. These will be given to St Vincent de Paul at the final school Mass on 15th December. We thank you for the many donations received already. We are also collecting non-perishable Christmassy foods to give to Vinnies also for those in need and to make Christmas a bit brighter for them. We appreciate all that you give. In this time of Advent, waiting and preparing for the commemoration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas, it is good to turn our minds to those less fortunate than ourselves, and there is always someone.
With only two weeks of term to go, please check for any library books hiding at home!
I know that children love to share Christmas cards with their friends and that is fine, however please refrain from adding candy canes to them as children tend to be sucking on them before school! I think they have enough sweet stuff without adding any more! Thank you for your co-operation with this!
Let’s hope the K-2 swimming carnival can go ahead as planned next Friday!
God loves each of us as if there was only one of us.
Enjoy the weekend!
Lynne
Parents
We ask that children do not come to school if they have colds or flu symptoms. This includes runny noses, sore throats, headaches, tummy aches and pains and diarrhoea.
Thank you for assisting us with this
Important Dates & School Information
Term 4 2022
Monday 5/12 Thursday 8/12 - Infant Swimming
Thursday, 8th December - MASS: Year 1 & 2
Friday, 9th December - Infant Swimming Carnival - 9am to 11am
Friday, 9th December - Kindergarten Fun Afternoon 1.35 - 2.45 pm
Thursday, 15th December - Whole School MASS, Family Picnic, Nativity & Awards
Thursday, 15th December - Whole School MASS- Yr 6 Graduation MASS
Thursday, 15th December - Last day of school
Term 1 2023
Monday, 30th January - First Day of Term 1 2023 - Years 1-6
Friday, 3rd February - Primary Swimmin Carnival (Yrs 3- 6)
Monday, 6th February - First Day of Term1 2023 - Kindergarten
Child Protection Policy can be found on our School Website under Information/School Policies: St Anthony's Primary School Website or in the following link: https://www.kngplism.catholic.edu.au/school-policies/
Parish News
St Anthony's Parish
Parish Priest: Fr Paul McDonald
Finance Manager: Paul Crouch
Parish Secretary: Marty Darragh
Pastoral Assistant: Catherine Holliday
Phone: 0266741368
Email: parkings@bigpond.com
Website: http://stanthonysparishkingslciff.org
WEEKEND MASS TIMES
VIGIL: KINGSCLIFF 6:00pm
SUNDAY:POTTSVILLE 7:30am
KINGSCLIFF 9:00am
WEEKDAY MASS TIMES
TUESDAY: POTTSVILLE 9:15am
WEDNESDAY: KINGSCLIFF 8:00am
THURSDAY: KINGSCLIFF 9:00am
FRIDAY: KINGSCLIFF 8:00am
RECONCILIATION TIMES
SATURDAY: KINGSCLIFF 4:00-4:30pm
SUNDAY: POTTSVILLE 7:00—7:25am
Current Office Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 9am-3pm
PARISH NEWSLETTER LINK: http://stanthonysparishkingscliff.org/news-events/
RE NEWS
2nd Sunday of Advent - In this Gospel reading, Luke 3:1-6 speaks of John the Baptist preparing the people for the coming of the Lord. He went out preaching to the people telling them to change their lives and be baptized. Lord of All, come and fill this world with your peace. In this Advent season fill my heart with peace and prepare my heart for the coming of Jesus. Amen
T H E A D V E N T W R E A T H
The Advent Wreath is made from evergreen leaves with four candles (three purple and one rose-coloured), and purple draping around it. The circular wreath shape represents the thousands of years in which God’s people waited for the coming of the Saviour. The green leaves remind us of the promise of new life – a life of hope which Jesus brought to the world, a life that would never end. The purple draping and purple candles remind us of the need to change and grow from selfishness to love during this season of Advent. The rose coloured candle, lit on the third Sunday, is a sign of joy to remind us that Christmas is near. As we reflect on the meaning of this wreath, let us remember that we are beginning a new season and a new liturgical year – a season when we take time to prepare for that great feast of Christ’s birth. By the fourth week of Advent all the candles will be burning. Each week of Advent a candle is lit.
St Ambrose Feast Day: Wednesday 7th December.
Saint Ambrose’s Story is one of openness to follow God’s call.
He was a popular politician in the fourth-century Milan. In the midst of heated debates, the people of Milan recognised the gifts of Ambrose and elected him bishop. He was neither baptized nor ordained at the time. Humbled and shocked, he accepted the office and made the commitment to take his calling seriously. He became a great administrator and theologian, a model of both prayerfulness and practicality. Tradition honours him as one of the original Doctors of the Church.
As the 2022 School year is drawing to a close I would like to take this opportunity to let families know that I will be finishing up at St Anthony’s at the end of this year in my role as Leader of Evangelisation and Catechesis. Over my 12 years here at St Anthony’s I have had the privilege of teaching many children and working with many families in preparing their children for sacraments. From 2023 I will be at St Ambrose Primary School in a new role as Assistant Principal - Mission.
I thank you all for your support and kindness over the last 12 years and I wish you a wonderful Christmas filled with great joy.
Sue Falcke
2022 St Vinnies Christmas Appeal
St Anthony's will hold a collection for St Vincent De Paul for our Christmas Appeal commencing this week.
We are appealing for gifts to suit ages 0-16. Please encourage your child to take a star home from our front office Christmas tree. The star will inform you about your gift’s male/female/age category. Once the gift is purchased, return it to the office and place it under our donation tree with the star attached. Please do not wrap your gift.
Possible gift ideas might include gift vouchers, games, puzzles, school supplies etc.
Your generosity would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for bringing a smile to a child's face this Christmas.
Year 6 Leaders
Sport News
Tweed Zone Summer Sports Trials
Well done to the following students who made the Tweed Zone Teams for their respective sports: Dash Barnes (Tennis), Max Caspersz (Cricket), Indy Myer, Kyrie Pantino, Kobi Maynard, Harper Gallagher and Zali Myer (Basketball).
These students travelled to Lismore last week to take part in the Diocesan trials. From all reports there were some very close games, excellent skills and teamwork shown by all involved.
Congratulations to Max Caspersz who has been selected in the Lismore Diocesan Cricket team. He will attend the next progression of trials for the Polding team in Term 1 next year. Good luck Max, we can't wait to hear how you go.
2023 Primary Swimming Carnival Reminders
The St Anthony’s 2023 Primary Swimming Carnival (Years 3-6) will be held next year on Friday 3rd February.
*The following is important information for competitive swimmers in Years 2-5 who will be turning 8 or older in 2023.
If your child/children are interested in submitting a time for consideration in the 200m Individual Medley event for 2023, for the Tweed Zone Swimming Carnival they will need to provide a certified time to Mrs Croker by Week 1, Term 1, 2023.
The top 8 times for each age group from the Tweed Zone will be invited to compete in this event at the Tweed Zone Swimming Carnival on the 14th February in Murwillumbah.
Please email your certified time, name and DOB to sapkings@lism.catholic.edu.au
*Nomination sign up sheets for the following Primary Swimming Events are now located outside the staffroom on the Sports Notice Board. Competent swimmers are invited to put their name down for the following (please note these events are not compulsory):
- 100m Open Freestyle (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 Years students compete in 1 race)
- 50m Butterfly (race is run in traditional age groups)
- 100m IM (race is run as junior 8, 9, 10 Years and senior 11, 12, 13 Years, includes 1 lap of each stroke)
Please have your name down by the end of term.
Fiona Croker
Sports Coordinator
Kingscliff Pool
January Learn to Swim Intensives
Cost: $75 per week
Monday 9th to Friday 13th and Monday 16th to Friday 20th
Please see pool reception