Newsletter Term 1 Week 4 (23.2.24)

Message from the Principal - Lynne Pull

Dear Parents

We have had a wonderful week at school this week. The zone swimming carnival was held at Murwillumbah on Monday and our school was once again successful in achieving Champion School on the day. We are delighted to know this. Congratulations to everyone on the team who gave their all to collectively achieve this. Further congratulations to Finn Carroll-Cinque 11 years age champion and to Claudia Popov who was the 11 years age runner-up; and to Flynn Flaherty who was champion in the senior multi-class division and to Floyd Morley who was the runner-up in this division. We wish all those who have been selected in the Tweed zone team to participate in the Diocesan carnival to be held at Macksville on 1^st March, all the best. We know you will represent our school and the zone with great sportsmanship.

On Tuesday we revealed all those who have been successful in achieving an important leadership role for our school this year. It is indeed a real honour to be selected for these roles. At Thursday’s Mass Fr Paul blessed our Year 6 students who then pledged to be great role models for the school this year in living the school motto of Love and Service. We expect great things from this cohort who are already well settled into their class and working hard. Fr Paul then blessed the leaders’ badges before presenting them individually. The group then made their pledge to serve our school with pride, loyalty and example and promising to always show kindness and respect and to go about their duties with cheerfulness. Congratulations to all those chosen for special roles. A list is included elsewhere in the newsletter.

Parents, when you are driving in the school grounds, we ask you to please be mindful that there are children around who, despite our best efforts, will dart out to get a ball, or just be totally oblivious to the cars. That is one of the reasons that we do not let children to go down to the netball court on their own at pick-up time at the end of the day as it is hectic with cars coming and going. If you walk in to collect your child, please keep them close to you and don’t let them run ahead.

Again, on safety matters, if you need to pull over to adjust seatbelts etc after having picked up your child/ren, please move further down the driveway and indicate you need to pull over. I am particularly concerned that we will have an accident with someone being rear ended as some people are just stopping as soon as they turn out of the pick-up area which doesn’t allow enough time for others leaving. Thank you for your assistance with this.

Students have been reminded once again about not sharing food, or buying things at the canteen for their friends or indeed giving money to others to spend at the canteen. Please reinforce these messages with your children.

Our next school hosted Sunday Mass will be Sunday 10^th March. This will also be a commitment Mass for students receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation later in the month. We would like Year 4 and their families to make a special effort to come along on this Sunday and bring something to share for morning tea. We encourage all families to try to come to these Masses in particular. Our school is part of the wider parish community and is important that we have a visible presence as often as we can. You do not need to be Catholic to attend. All are welcome.

A prayer during Lent: " O Lord, during these 40 days, let me put away all my pride. Let me change my heart and give up all that is not good within me. Let me love God with all that I am and all that I have."

"God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy." (Pope Francis)

Lynne

Important Dates & School Information

Term 1 2024

Friday, 1st March - Dio Swimming Carnival

Wednesday, 6th March - DIO WST Hockey

Friday, 8th March - Dio WST Netball, Soccer, Rugby League

Friday, 8th March - Tweed Choir Day

Sunday, 10th March - Commitment MASS Reconciliation - especially for Year 4 & families

Tuesday, 12 March - Parent Forum Meeting 5-6 pm

Wednesday, 20  March - Sacrament of Reconciliation 6pm

Friday, 29th March - Good Friday - No school

Monday, 1 April - Easter Monday - no school

Tuesday 2nd April 2024 - Pupil Free Day/ Staff Professional Learning Day

Friday, 5th April - Cross Country

Monday 8th April to Friday, 12th April - Catholic Schools Week

Tuesday, 9th April - Family Forum Kingscliff Beach Hotel

Wednesday, 10th  April - Whole School Mass Catholic Schools Week

Wednesday, 10th April to Friday, 12th April - Year 5 camp

Thursday, 11th April to Friday, 12th April - PSSA Swimming

Monday, 15th April - Friday, 26th April - Term 1 School holidays

Monday, 29th April - Pupil Free Day

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/policies

Something to think and pray about

Giving Thanks

If it were the last evening of my life, and I were facing a terrible death, would I think of giving thanks? It’s more likely that I’d be a nervous wreck! If I were faced with thousands of hungry people, and all I had were five loaves and two fish, would I even take the time to be grateful? I’d probably just panic! Jesus gave thanks. That blows my mind. It’s a sign of his boundless trust in the Father. If you give thanks to the Father in a terribly difficult situation, you obviously trust him enormously. All Jesus had in his hands was something radically insufficient, but the loving gratitude of Jesus opens the gateway to abundance, because his gratitude enables the Father’s generosity to show itself. If you give thanks when everything around you is falling apart, that act of giving thanks helps you to hold things together, and it helps you to hold yourself together as well.

Excerpted from The Mindful Our Father  by Thomas J Casey SJ (pp.101-102)

We Remember At This Time…

As we start this Lenten season, we embrace our various traditions, like perhaps focusing on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in whatever way we can. We take time to remember and pray for those who cannot practice their faith publicly. Those who are persecuted for following the Gospel and who long for the religious freedoms that perhaps we begrudgingly take for granted. Lord, we thank you for all the gifts you have given us. Amen.

https://sacredspace.com/

Message from Assistant Principal - Gemma Ballatine - Mission

Baptism

We will soon start preparing a number of our St Anthony’s students to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, which will initiate and welcome them to the Catholic faith. If you would like your child to receive the Sacrament of Baptism and your child has a Catholic, Baptised Parent, please contact Gemma Ballantine gemma.ballantine@lism.catholic.edu.au

Sacrament of Reconciliation

A reminder that we will be having our Family Workshop for First Reconciliation THIS Tuesday, February 27, at 6pm in the St Anthony's School Hall. You also have the option of attending the night at St Ambrose Pottsville on Monday the 26th at 6pm in the Year 4 Classrooms.

Please note that attendance is COMPULSORY. If you are unable to attend either night, you will need to contact the school.

If your child is new to the school, in Year 4 or above and you wish for your child to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, please get in contact with the Office.

Please note that the date for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation has CHANGED to Wednesday, March 20 at 6pm at St Anthony's Church.

There is a Commitment Mass for the Sacrament of Reconciliation on the weekend of March 9/ 10. You can attend any of the Masses in the Parish of St Anthony's over the weekend.

If you require further information, please contact Gemma Ballantine via the Office.

Lenten Prayer Group

Today we had even more students attend our Lenten Prayer Group. It would be so wonderful to get more parents and parishioners to come, so please know that you are very welcome!

This week’s theme is ‘Beloved’. In Mark’s Gospel this Sunday (Mk 9:2-10) we hear about Jesus’ Transfiguration in front of his disciples, Peter, James and John, “...His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus… A cloud came…and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to Him.”

We were asked to ponder the following in the week ahead:

1. What words would you use to describe God the Father?
2. What difference would it make if you really knew yourself to be God’s beloved son or daughter?
3. What are you finding hard about Lent- prayer? Fasting? Almsgiving? What small shifts or daily habits can you put in place to help you?

Lenten Prayer Group, is held every Friday in the School Library from 8:20- 8:40am.

All are welcome, All belong!

Companions

This year we are rebranding our 2023 LAP (Learning Assistance Program) to ‘Companions’, as we feel it better communicates our vision. We are seeking parishioners who might have some time to come into school once a week and work with a student (or groups of students) who would benefit from a companion to build positive relationships, self-esteem and resilience. It might be teaching a child how to play cards or how to knit and having a yarn about life’s ups and downs at the same time.

Volunteers need a Working With Children Check, which can be organised through the school.

If you would like to volunteer for the program or want to talk further about Companions, please contact Gemma Ballantine (Assistant Principal, Mission) through the School Office on 6674 1368.

Project Compassion 2024

Parent Communication - Enrolment changes

Dear Parents,

Our school is moving from paper-based enrolment applications to online enrolments using Compass.  As an existing user of Compass, you will find a new tile in the Compass app called Family and Enrolments, found under the “More” icon in the Compass app or under the Cog icon in your preferred browser.  When the family and enrolments module goes live 4th March 2024, as a parent, you can update your contact details at any time. We strongly encourage you to log in to confirm your details. If you update your details, they will update across all schools where you have a child enroled.

Applications for 2025 can be completed from 4th March 2024. If you have already applied via our old system, rest assured we have your application; there is no need to reapply.  

Sport News

Tweed Zone Swimming Carnival

On Monday 19th February we had 36 students represent St Anthony’s at the Tweed Zone Catholic Primary Schools Swimming Carnival. 

It was an extremely successful day for our school and our swimmers put in their best effort, coming away with several placings throughout the day and many chosen to progress onto the next level at the Diocesan Carnival. 

The following students were awarded age champion:

11 Years Boy  - Finn Carroll-Cinque

11 Years Girl Runner Up - Claudia Popov

Senior Boys Multi-Class Age Champion - Flynn Flaherty

Senior Boys Multi-Class Runner Up - Floyd Morley

Finally, what a team effort, all our swimmers achieved such great results that St Anthony’s were awarded the Champion Swimming School for 2024 taking out the whole carnival. Congratulations to all the team!!

Good luck to all the students who were chosen to represent the Tweed Zone at the Diocesan Carnival in Macksville on Friday 1st March. 

Diocesan AFL Trials
Good luck to the following students who will travel to Grafton on Friday 23rd March to participate in the Diocesan AFL trials: 
Harper Gallagher, Dash Campbell, Ky O’Grady, Orlando Caine, Trey Maynard and Ziggy Morgan.
We are looking forward to hearing the results of this trial. 

Years 5 and 6 Winter Sports Trials 2024
Well done to all the students who have participated in the Winter Sports Trials over the last week. 
Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent the Tweed Zone and progress to the Diocesan trials in March and Union in May:

11’s Rugby League - Ky O’Grady, Jesse Green, Nixon Moase and Ollie Bond
Open Rugby League - Mack White, Beau Wakefield and Derayne Kelly. 
Netball - Ellie Neaves and Layla Edwards
Boys Soccer- Kalani Favaro Andreo and Edwin Keast
Hockey - Dash Campbell
Rugby Union - Joe Handisides, Joey Loughland, Flynn Horton and Beau Wakefield

We still have the Girls Soccer trials to be held on Tuesday, good luck to all the girls attending. 
Compass consent and information will be sent out next week for all of the successful students selected to attend the next progression of trials.

Canteen helpers needed

We need helpers in the Canteen - for Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Friday especially is a very busy day if any one can help in the Canteen please call the office or let Bec in the Canteen know

Thank you

Important Community Notice: Proposed Bottle Shop Application Across from School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are reaching out to inform you about a matter that directly impacts our school community and the wellbeing of our children. It has come to our attention that an application has been submitted for the establishment of a bottle shop directly across from our school on Pearl Street. Our bus bay regularly has vehicles illegally parked, making Pearl Street very hazardous for buses in the afternoons.

As you are aware, the proximity of alcohol outlets to educational institutions can raise concerns regarding the safety and welfare of our students. While we respect the rights of business owners to operate within legal parameters, we also have a responsibility to voice our concerns and advocate for the best interests of our school community.

In response to this proposed development, we are asking parents and guardians to register their objections. A QR code has been installed in the shopfront, which allows you to easily scan and submit your objection to the proposal. Your participation in this process is vital in demonstrating the strength of community sentiment, ensuring that our concerns are heard by the relevant authorities. Alternatively, use the link https://www.bsv.com.au/our-firm/cis-survey/ 

We encourage you to take a moment to scan the QR code and register your objection, if you share our concerns about the potential impact of the proposed bottle shop on the safety and wellbeing of our children. Your involvement can make a significant difference in shaping the outcome of this application and safeguarding the interests of our school community.

Please rest assured that we will continue to monitor this situation closely and keep you informed of any developments. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your ongoing support in maintaining a safe and conducive environment for our students to thrive.

Invitation to “Safe on Social” Parent presentation

Invitation to “Safe on Social” Parent presentation- Monday 4 March 6:15pm at St Joseph's College Banora Point

Dear Parents/carers,

I hope this finds you well.

Monday 4 March, Safe on Social will be coming to present a parent presentation at Joseph's College Banora Point. This evening has been opened up to parents of our school as well. The evening starts at 6:15 pm NSW Times at St Josephs's College in their COLA, the evening will consist of a parent presentation and a Q&A session. 

Some information about the evening:

If you are concerned about your children’s safety on social media and looking for the answers but not sure where to turn, this session delivers real-life case studies and strategies to help parents support their children.

Topics in the evening session for parents are not limited too, but cover the following:

• Online safety and using social media with awareness.
• What you signed up for – we explain terms and conditions of use and what they mean.
• Keeping your personal information private.
• Sexting and image-based abuse and the law. (Age-appropriate).
• Online stranger danger and what grooming might look like and what to do.
• Cyber-bullying, online harassment, and how to report it.
• Known scams, hoaxes, deepfake, fake news, and misinformation.
• Group Chats and strategies to manage them better.
• Identity theft.
• Legal responsibilities.
• Privacy settings.
• Online gaming safety.
• Strategies to build resilience
• Posting and sharing photos and the law.
• Respectful online relationships and consent.
• How to create a positive digital footprint.

The presenter will also cover the most popular social media apps and trends what they are, how they work, security, and privacy tips for safe use as we know “don’t” doesn’t work.

If you would like to attend the evening, we ask you to complete the simple RSVP via this link. 

Please note due to content this is an 18+ only session for parents and as a result children under this age are unable to attend. 

Any questions regarding the parent presentations please feel free to contact Mathew Lynch at St Joseph's College Banora Point. 

Kind regards

Child Safeguarding Commitment

Cancer Council - Healthy LunchBox

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Misc items

Parish Information and News

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 5:00-5:30pm
SUNDAY: POTTSVILLE 7:00—7:25am

Current Office Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 9am-3pm

PARISH NEWSLETTER LINK: http://stanthonysparishkingscliff.org/news-events/

St Anthony's Parish - Care Group

Many parents may have noticed from the Parish Bulletin, that the Parish has a Care Group which, among other things seeks to provide meals to any parishoners in need.

This could include times of family sickness, new mums struggling to provide for the family in the early days of returning home, and many other circumstances of genuine need.

Please be aware that the Care Group is very willing to help out if any families find themselves in need of this service.

Contact: Parish Office: 0266 741 284 or Maree Moore 0439 174 116