2025-08 Newsletter - Term 2 Week 5
Principal's Message
What a wonderful and successful Catholic Schools Week we celebrated! It was a week full of engaging events and a true reflection of the spirit of our school community.
It was especially heartwarming to see so many families and friends join us for our Grandparents Mass and Open Classrooms – thank you for your presence and support. Our students thoroughly enjoyed the variety of activities throughout the week, including the School Performance Tour shows, Contemporary Learning Tabloid, Boys to the Bush, Walk Safely to School Day, and the always popular Pyjama Movie Afternoon.
To finish the week, students were treated to popcorn and ice cream as part of our wellbeing program – a simple but much-enjoyed way to celebrate together and acknowledge the efforts of all.
It was a truly joyful celebration of what makes our Catholic school such a special place to learn and grow. Thank you to all staff, students and families for making the week so memorable.Please enjoy the photgraphic collections within this Newsletter. Thank you to the staff members who always ensure we have photos to share with our school community.
Thank you also to all parents and carers who took the time to complete our 2025 School Improvement Survey. Parent and student voice plays an essential role in shaping the future direction of our school and ensuring the best possible learning experiences for our students.
We warmly welcome back Fr Reynold following his break to visit family in the Philippines. We look forward to once again celebrating Wednesday Mass, which will resume in Week 7.
As part of our ongoing commitment to reconciliation and understanding, we will be acknowledging National Sorry Day and NAIDOC Week at a whole school Mass on Wednesday 11th June 2025.
A reminder to families of students preparing for First Holy Communion – the Enrolment Mass will be held this Sunday at 8:00am. We look forward to supporting our candidates on this important step in their faith journey.
Finally thank you to everyone that joined us for today's 2025 Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to all students on their efforts today. A full report will be in the Week 8 Newsletter.
In Faith & Truth,
Simone Taylor
Reflection
Feast of the Ascension – Reflection and Prayer
This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, when Jesus was taken up to Heaven in the sight of His disciples. It marks the end of His earthly ministry and the beginning of the Church’s mission.
The Ascension reminds us that although Jesus is no longer physically with us, His Spirit remains alive in our hearts and in our actions. We are called to continue His mission — to spread love, kindness, forgiveness, and hope in our world.
Just as the disciples stood looking toward Heaven, we too are called to lift our eyes and hearts, to live with purpose, and to carry Christ’s light wherever we go — in our classrooms, homes, and communities.
Scripture: Luke 24:46-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘You see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.
‘And now I am sending down to you what the Father has promised. Stay in the city then, until you are clothed with the power from on high.’
Then he took them out as far as the outskirts of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven. They worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy; and they were continually in the Temple praising God.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer for the Ascension
Loving God,
We remember how Jesus returned to You in Heaven.
Though we cannot see Him, we know He is with us always.
Help us to be people of hope, joy, and courage,
Sharing Your love in all we say and do.
May we follow Jesus’ example and continue His work here on Earth.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Catholic Schools Week
The celebration of Catholic School's Week has been a wonderful opportunity for, in the words of our Bishop, Michael McKenna, "renewal and deeper understanding of our faith in Christ and his Church; and its practical implications for our lives and work".
The activities of the week allowed the community to come together in this common goal. Time was also taken to ensure all members of the school community recognised the great things our school does everyday. Throughout Catholic Schools Week our students were involved in daily activities. As a wider school community, we celebrated the week by participating in our annual Grandparents Mass and morning tea followed by open classrooms and a whole school assembly lead by our school leadership team. The theme of Catholic School Week 2025 has been: Guided by Faith, Inspired by Hope, Committed to Learning. All of the events of the week have ensured that all members of community have felt the strength of this spirit and know the vital place they each hold in our community.
Thankyou to everyone who helped us make our 2025 Catholic Schools Week so much fun!
Catholic Schools Week Contemporary Tabloid
Pyjama Day
Boys to the Bush 2025
Wellbeing Burger Lunch
Grandparents Mass & Open Classrooms
National Walk Safely to School Day
National Walk Safely to School Day
Thank you to all the students and families who supported National Walk Safely to School Day once again in 2025. It’s always wonderful to see our community promoting healthy habits and road safety. Events like these help reinforce the importance of safety rules and practices — an essential part of our daily lives.
BESS Energy
Our students thoroughly enjoyed their session with BESS – Energy Australia, gaining valuable insights into energy storage and sustainability. This exciting incursion allowed students and teachers to get up close to battery technology — a fantastic opportunity ahead of seeing the real thing in our own backyard when the Mt Piper BESS is built by 2028.
As part of the program, we hosted BESS at our school for two days. Energy Australia provided an expert speaker, a STEAM curriculum-aligned practical activity tailored for students in Years 4 to 8, and all materials to support the hands-on learning, including a ‘build your own’ model component.
We thank Energy Australia for delivering such an engaging and educational experience for our students.
3/4 BESS
K/1/2 Responsible Pet Ownership
This week, our K/1/2 classes had a very special visitor! Lindsay and her clever dog, Sherlock, came to our school as part of the Responsible Pet Ownership Program.
The students learned all about how to safely approach and care for dogs, the importance of being a responsible pet owner, and how to understand a dog’s body language. Sherlock was a big hit—calm, friendly, and very well-behaved!
Thank you to Lindsay and Sherlock for teaching us how to be safe and kind around animals. We loved your visit!
WOW Day - Wear Orange Wednesday
On Wednesday, May 21, our students proudly wore orange to celebrate WOW Day (Wear Orange Wednesday) and show their support for the amazing volunteers of the State Emergency Service (SES).
WOW Day is a national day of recognition for SES volunteers, who work tirelessly to help communities during emergencies like storms, floods, and natural disasters. By wearing orange, our school community joined thousands of others across Australia in saying a big thank you to these everyday heroes.
Well done to all our students for showing their appreciation in such a bright and thoughtful way!
WOW Day 2025
Spelling Bee
Congratulations to Grace, Edie, and Elijah, who recently represented our school at the Spelling Bee! They showed confidence, focus, and great sportsmanship throughout the event.
We’re so proud of how well they represented our school—and even more proud of their positive attitude. All three students said they were encouraged by the experience and are excited to keep challenging themselves!
Way to go, super spellers!
What's happening in .....K/1/2
Students in K/1/2 have demonstrated outstanding behaviour and a positive attitude over the past two weeks. They participated in all Catholic Schools Week activities with genuine enthusiasm and joy. Their efforts are commendable, and they should be very proud of their contributions.
In the classroom, we have been engaged in our regular learning programs while also completing assessment tasks in preparation for student reports. To support your child during this busy time, please ensure they are getting adequate rest each night so they can perform to the best of their ability.
In Religious Education, we have been exploring the themes of the Resurrection and the Holy Spirit. Students have been reflecting on how they can use their individual gifts to help others, following the example of Jesus.
In Creative Arts, students created paper dog artworks to complement our English studies and the story Magoo, We Do Love You. They also wrote compound sentences to accompany their artwork, reinforcing their understanding of sentence structure in a creative and meaningful way.
What's happening in .....3/4
Year 3/4 Students Power Up with Potatoes!
What an exciting and interactive morning our Year 3/4 students had with Energy Australia! We explored the science behind electricity by creating circuits using potatoes — yes, potatoes!
With a combination of teamwork, problem-solving, and plenty of curiosity, we managed to power five lights using 24 potatoes. Students experimented with different setups to discover how many potatoes were needed to generate enough energy, learning firsthand how chemical reactions can create power.
We also discovered that once a chemical reaction occurs, the potatoes are no longer edible — so our clever students gave them a second life as pet potatoes!
It was a fantastic hands-on learning experience that brought science to life in a fun and memorable way.
A Big Congratulations!
A massive congratulations to Elijah and Edie for attending the Spelling Bee this week in Wellington. These students have worked hard practising their words and should be proud of their efforts. Well done!
What's happening in ..... 5/6
Christmas Story Art Workshop
I am extremely pleased with all the students and the effort they put into painting ‘Joseph’s Dream’ this week.
Every year the Catholic Education Office holds the ‘Christmas Story’ Art Competition. The students choose and then study a piece of scripture and create an artwork to go with the passage. I also take the opportunity to do some structured lessons as well as the students creating individual pieces of art.
Below are some photos from our workshop this week. The paintings are not finished yet – some words from the passage will be written above Joseph and pearl paint will be used to show the light emitting from the angel as he speaks to Joseph in a dream.
