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Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to term three. We have a very busy term coming up with lots of wonderful opportunities for our students. UNE Discovery incursion program comes this week, with opportunities for our children participating in a range of science-based activities. Book Week is always a favourite with many activities including the book fair, dress up day, dance-a-thon, story circles and Grandparent’s Day. We round the term off with JAFA and our performance evening at the MEC. Our students have already started to work on their plays in class, and I am very excited to see the result in week 10.
Last term we welcomed some students from St Clare’s to lead our Year 5 and 6 students in some activities based on the Trinity. The Trinity is much like a three-leaf clover, three leaves, but they all belong to the one plant. In the same way the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the leaves that all belong to the one plant, God. Our students enjoyed the formation provided by the students and the fun activities that went along with the lessons.
Mobile Technology Procedure and Agreement.
Last term parents were provided with a copy of the new Mobile Technology Procedure and Agreement. Class teachers will be going through these new procedures with students from Years 3 – 6 over the next week and the student agreement will be sent home for parents and students to sign and return. Please keep an eye out for this document.
Welcome Miss Hammond
Welcome to Miss Sarah Hammond who will join us for the remainder of the year. Miss Hammond will replace Mrs Fraser while she is working on Year 4. On Monday and Tuesday Miss Hammond will work as our Aboriginal Education Teacher, on Wednesday she will be on Year 1 while Mrs Bridgeman is undertaking our role as Pedagogical Mentor and on Thursday and Friday she will be our onsite roaming teacher until the return of Mrs Whitlam from her maternity leave.
NAIDOC Day Celebrations
Last week we celebrated NAIDOC Day as a school community. Aunty Kylie led our school with the help of Kinder and Year 6 in our liturgy and our cultural dancers performed a cleansing dance. During the week Aunty Kylie was very busy cooking, which allowed our students the opportunity to taste some bush tucker, including kangaroo, lemon myrtle cheesecake and wattle seed pancakes. Our students took part in some fun activities including damper making with some of our visiting elders, boomerang decorating, bag design and making instruments. Our Deadly Door competition was judged by our Aunties and congratulations to Year 4 and Kinder for being awarded as the winners. Thank you to Aunty Kylie for all the behind the scenes work she put in to make sure our day was an enormous success.
School Crossing Reminder
Please remember to use the school crossing when crossing the road. Malcolm our supervisor is there to help our students cross the road safely and supports us in keeping our students safe.
As we move into Term 3, please join me in a prayer for our term..
Lord,
As we begin Term 3, we ask for your guidance and blessings. Help us to lean, grow and make the most of this time. Fill us with your peace and joy.
Amen
God Bless
RE Focus: The Spirit of Mary MacKillop Award
At St Joseph’s Wingham, each term we award one student our Spirit of Mary MacKillop award. This student is chosen by the staff and the award is presented at our last assembly of each term. Students are considered for the award are those who, at school, display the qualities of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop such as:
- courage and determination
- compassion and care
- integrity and honesty
- social justice and inclusivity
- kindness and forgiveness
- lived faith and a Catholic character
- initiative and leadership
- positive attitude and exemplary behaviour
Each student chosen as our Spirit of Mary MacKillop award recipient for the term receives an award at assembly as well as their name on our Spirit of Mary MacKillop award plaque and recognition at our end of year awards liturgy.
After careful consideration from our staff last term, the Spirit of Mary MacKillop Award recipient for each term will also receive a special Spirit of Mary MacKillop gotcha – equal to the value of 10 gotchas, as well as 10 other gotchas to hand out throughout the term where they see others following in the spirit of Mary MacKillop and living out her words of “never see a need, without doing something about it.”
This is just another way in which we recognise the great work and kind deeds of our students each term.
Prime Minister Award
‘Being a steward of creation’, ‘Trying your best’, ‘Speaking with kindness’ and ‘Being a responsible learner’ are some of the qualities that teachers consider when awarding ‘Prime Minister’ at our weekly assembly. It is an acknowledgement of the student’s efforts and they have the privilege of wearing the badge with honour, of suggesting a focus the school can work on, award Gotchas to other students at lunch time as well as earning Gotchas for themselves. Congratulations goes to Sesi Pulupaki (Week 1).
MJR Awards
As part of our MJR system, we acknowledge that the following student, Mason Lapi-an, has reached 100 Gotchas. Well Done!
- Treat others how you would like to be treated — with kindness and respect (G.T.S- Greet, Treat and Speak with kindness)
- Include others in games and chats
- Only share something about others if they say it’s okay.
Taree Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG)
Last week we hosted the Taree Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) meeting in our school hall. We were very proud of Peter for doing the Acknowledgement of Country in Gathang and our Year 6 leaders for welcoming our visitors. Special thanks to Aunty Kylie and Mrs Hammond for coordinating and setting up for the meeting.
