St Cecilia's Newsletter Term 1, Week 3 2024

A word from the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we navigate through the sacred journey of Lent, I find myself immersed in the reflective atmosphere that this season brings. Entering the second week of Lent we are offered an opportunity for introspection, growth, and deepening our connections with faith, family, and community.

During this week, we are reminded of the significance of faith as a guiding force in our lives. Lent encourages us to pause, reflect, and strengthen our spiritual bonds. It is a time to assess our actions, seek forgiveness, and extend compassion to those around us. As parents, we play a pivotal role in shaping the moral compass of our children, and the second week of Lent provides a poignant moment to reinforce the values that underpin our family life.

The theme of repentance and forgiveness is central during this week. It prompts us to ask ourselves: How can we mend relationships, foster understanding, and build bridges with those we may have distanced ourselves from? This week serves as a gentle reminder that forgiveness is not just a gift we give to others but also a healing balm for our own souls.

In our fast-paced lives, the season of Lent encourages a deliberate slowing down, creating space for quiet reflection. As parents and carers, let us strive to carve out moments for family prayer, discussions about faith, and the sharing of personal reflections. These moments can be the seeds that blossom into lasting memories and traditions for our children, providing them with a strong foundation for their own spiritual journey.

Additionally, the second week of Lent invites us to consider the ways in which we can contribute to the wellbeing of our wider community. Acts of kindness, generosity, and service can be powerful manifestations of our faith in action. This was evident last week in the $500 gold coin donation that all the children participated in. These simple acts of charity reinforce the importance of empathy and compassion. Thank you to all the families who supported Caritas during this time of Lent. 

Let us embrace this second week of Lent with open hearts and minds, fostering an environment of love, understanding, and growth within our families and school community. May the lessons learned during this season resonate in our daily lives, guiding us towards a deeper connection with our faith, each other, and the world around us.

Wishing you and your families a blessed and reflective Lenten season.

With warm regards,

Marta Chylewska 

Staying Connected

Kindergarten 2025 Sibling Enrolments Expression of Interest

If you have a child due to start Kindergarten in 2025, can you please complete the attached expression of interest form so we can send home an enrolment pack. We are already receiving enrolment forms for 2025 and would like to begin our Enrolment interviews for siblings this term. 

Please note that the 'Sibling Enrolment EOI' is not an enrolment application just an EOI to give us an indication of siblings numbers who are priority 2, unless of course baptised and Catholic, which are priority 1 for enrolment. We kindly request you complete the information by Friday the 15th March to help us secure some bookings for those families who have handed in their child's enrolment form. You can complete the Enrolment form online  or you can indicate in the EOI if you would like a paper copy sent home with your child's sibling.

Sibling Enrolment EOI

Message from the Postman

On Monday we had a visit in our office from the local postman. He shared with the administrative staff that twice in the last day he has nearly been run over by parents picking up their children from our school.

Please be mindful of your driving and ensure you are looking at other road users at all times, be mindful of your parking and u-turns when on Panonia Road and in particular in Marathon St. where the incidents have occurred. 

Book your Conferences NOW! 

We have 177 parents who have booked their Goal Setting meeting with the class teacher. If you have not yet done this, please do so ASAP so you don't miss the chance to connect with your child's teacher regarding their goals for the first half of 2024. The second round of Goal setting meetings will be hosted in week 2 of term three. Any child with an Individual Education Plan meeting scheduled in, DOES NOT need to book in a Goal Setting meeting. Please just book in your IEP meeting instead, under Conferences in Compass. 

Second Hand Uniform Shop

Our wonderful parent volunteer, Simone O'Connor runs our Facebook page Parent Corner and the second hand uniform shop. The second hand uniform shop is open every Monday and Friday morning. Simone is usually there from 8:30am. The second hand uniform shop is in the Creative Arts room (multipurpose room), under the old Kindy classrooms. Alternatively you can email simbub21@gmail.com with your request for any uniforms. Should they be in stock, Simone will reach out to you to notify you that your child's items of clothing are ready to collect from the office. 

Mini Vinnies and Year Six Leadership Teams

The Blessing of the badges will take place at this friday's morning assembly. The Year 6 TEAM Leaders will also be announced at the assembly and all parents are welcome to this presentation.

St Peter's Catholic Secondary College Open Day!

OPEN DAY SESSIONS ARE FILLING FAST, BOOK NOW! - Tuesday 5th March 2024Discover your child’s future at St Peter’s Catholic College!Come along and see first-hand the wonderful facilities and magnificent grounds of St Peter's Catholic College.Take a tour, chat to our friendly staff and see all that we have on offer for your child's high school journey!

To book your tour register your details via our Trybooking event - https://www.trybooking.com/COWAJ

Please note when booking please only book ONCE per family. Tours run every 20 minutes from 4.00pm until 6.20pm, please select your preferred session time.

From the Canteen

A massive thank you

I am so impressed with how you have all adapted so quickly to sumbitting your child's morning tea and/or lunch order by 7:45am each day. We are still receiving over 200 lunch orders most days and your early ordering has allowed me the opportunity to come in earlier to prepare the administrative tasks of printing out labels with children's orders on them. Then I can just focus on food preparation for the remainder of the day. 

Your support and understanding has been greatly appreciated. 

I received four additional parents volunteering to help, however if anyone else is still available to assist in any capacity in the canteen, please complete the form below. https://forms.office.com/r/9tB8wYBnfw

Teaching and Learning Matters

With the implementation of the new English Curriculum, the school has recently invested in upskilling our K-2 staff in Sounds-Write, an evidence-based, highly structured, synthetic, linguistic phonics program utilising an exciting and highly successful approach to the teaching of reading and spelling.

Last year Mrs Adcock, Mrs Jones and Mrs Chylewska completed the four-day intensive course, and during these summer holidays, our dedicated kindy team (Mrs Garth and Miss Cilia) with Mrs Milne (Year 1) gave up four full days of their holidays to participate in the amazing professional learning opportunity.

Sounds Write offers an instructional method that is multi-sensory, structured, code orientated, sequential and explicit. These aspects are strongly recommended for teaching children to read and spell. It aims to explicitly teach the initial and extended code so that students can efficiently segment and blend words for reading and spelling. It assists in 'cracking the code' to help reduce the cognitive load so the students can then focus on other aspects such as reading fluency, reading comprehension, and creating texts to promote proficient readers and writers. Sounds Write is currently being implemented in all our K-2 classrooms and provides very fast and effective teaching for children at all levels.  

We hope to have all our K-2 staff trained up by the mid-year and can't wait to witness the positive impact this will have on the students learning and understanding of our complex English language.

Religious Education Update

MONDAY MORNING PARISH MASSES 

Our weekly parish masses have started where assigned grades celebrate mass with the parish community at our St Cecilia’s Church, Wyong. All parents are welcome at the 9:15 mass! 

Please view our St Cecilia’s school calendar onine which highlights the grades that will be celebrating these parish masses. Term one dates are: 

• Year 5 Mass – 26 February 
• Year 4 Mass – 4 March 
• Year 3 Mass – 11 March 
• Year 2 Mass – 18 March 
• Year 1 with Year 6 buddies–25 March (make up Mass for Year 6 due to wet weather this week)
• Kindergarten – 8 April 

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION REMINDER

Any children receiving their sacrament of Reconciliation this term (year four students), please note the following:

• Enrolment forms need to be completed as soon as possible (enrolment form links have been shared via a Compass feed)
• Reconciliation parent information night at 7:00 pm, St Cecilia’s Parish House, Wyong.

BUDDIES (Kindy & Year 5) with Year 6 WEEKEND MASS & YEAR 4 RECONCILIATION WEEKEND MASS 

Please see invitation below to join us at the Parish Mass for Kindy, Year 5 and Year 6.  Year 4 Reconciliation Mass will also take place at this Mass hosted on 2nd March at 5pm. 

PEC Update

PARISH PICNIC 

We would like to invite you and your loved ones to join us for a delightful family picnic on Sunday, February 25th. The event will commence at 10:30 am and will take place on the lawn behind St. Cecilia's Church 23 Byron Street Wyong. 

It promises to be a wonderful day filled with delicious food, great company, and fun games for all ages. We kindly ask that you bring along a platter to share, your picnic rug, and chairs for your comfort. 

We're looking forward to catching up and creating beautiful memories together. Please RSVP by the link below by Friday 23rd February to ensure we have ample provisions for everyone. 

https://forms.office.com/r/haZyWjKNUi

LENTEN PRAYER MORNING

Dear Parents, Carers and Grandparents
 
We are excited to extend a warm invitation to you to join us at St Peter's College for our Lenten Prayer Mornings, which will take place every Thursday at 10 am from now until Easter.
 
During these prayer mornings, we will come together as a community to reflect, pray, and delve into the spiritual richness of the Lenten season. Our sessions will be guided by a beautiful Lenten booklet provided by the Broken Bay Diocese, offering a structured and meaningful journey through this sacred time.

Participating in a Lenten program provides numerous benefits for individuals and the community as a whole. Here are a few reasons why we encourage you to join us:

• Spiritual Reflection: Lent is a season of self-examination, reflection, and spiritual growth. Engaging in a Lenten program allows you to take intentional time for self-reflection, deepening your connection with faith and fostering personal growth.
• Community Bonding: Coming together in prayer fosters a sense of community and shared purpose. These prayer mornings provide a space for parents to connect, support one another, and strengthen the bonds within our St. Peter's School community.
• Guidance Through the Lenten Journey: The Lenten booklet from Broken Bay Diocese serves as a valuable guide, offering insights and reflections to enrich your Lenten experience. It provides a structured framework for prayer, meditation, and personal growth.
• Enhanced Understanding of Lent: Participating in a Lenten program helps deepen your understanding of the significance of Lent and its traditions. It allows you to fully immerse yourself in the season, making it a more meaningful and transformative experience.

 
We understand the demands of daily life, but we believe that dedicating this time to spiritual nourishment will bring immeasurable benefits to you and our school community.

We look forward to welcoming you on Thursday.  If you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to contact the school office or Jo Helm, Parent Engagement Coordinator on 7256 1971.
 
Please RSVP via the link below.  https://forms.office.com/r/Nr5mHucRvc
 
May this Lenten season be a time of reflection, growth, and grace for all.
 
Blessings,
 
Jo Helm
Parent Engagement Coordinator
St Cecilia's Primary School and St Peter's College
joanne.helm@dbb.catholic.edu.au

PBL & Wellbeing

Our PBL focus for this fortnight is:

We are RESPECTFUL when we Listen to others. 

Second Step lessons begin this week. We will all be focusing on Skills for Learning; focusing attention, listening, using self-talk, and being assertive for the next 4-6 weeks (grade dependent).

SECOND STEP LESSONS FOR THE NEXT FORTNIGHT 

Kindy Focus – Learning to Listen (week 3) & Focusing Attention (week 4)  

Year 1 Focus – Listening to Learn (week 3) & Focusing Attention (week 4)  

Year 2 Focus – Being Respectful (week 3) & Focusing Attention & Listening (week 4) 

Year 3 Focus – Being Respectful Learners (week 3) & Using Self-Talk (week 4)  

Year 4 & 5 Focus – Empathy & Respect (week 3) & Listening with attention (week 4) 

Year 6 Focus – Empathy & Communication (week 3 & 4) 

Your child’s class teacher will send home Second Step homework. This homework sheet aligns with the content your child is learning in class, using the same language. The homework usually includes discussion with your child and a very simple follow up activity. Please complete the Second Step homework and return it to your teacher.

Many thanks,

Lianna Jones

The Zen Den

What is the Zen Den? 

The Zen Den is intended as a quiet activity space for students to access in the mornings. In the Zen Den children can draw, colour, use puzzles, or read quietly in a calm, supervised indoor setting.  

What is the purpose of the Zen Den? 

The Zen Den has been created to support our students who are seeking a quiet space for gentle activities as an alternative to the often busier COLA area in the mornings at school. The Zen Den aims to provide a calming and low sensory environment for students. It also provides an opportunity for students to make connections with like-minded peers and can provide a settled start to the school morning for students who enjoy gentle play.  

When and Where? 

The Zen Den is open every morning from 8.20am until 8.40am and is held in the room next to 6 Gold above the multipurpose room (in the old Kinder Gold classroom). If you need help locating the Zen Den, please ask the teacher on duty.  

Zen Den Expectations? 

• Quiet voices 
• Gentle movements 
• Kind words 
• Safe hands 
• Follow teacher instructions 

Note to parents:  

Please understand that the teachers supervising Zen Den cannot leave the room and need to be available to equitably support all students in using Zen Den. Please help us keep the Zen Den calm and peaceful by encouraging your child to enter the space calmly. We also ask that parents support their children to say goodbye at the Zen Den door to encourage independence and confidence.  

Mrs Garraway, Mrs Jones, Mrs WIlliams and Mr Sweeny all look forward to helping our students start the day peacefully in Zen Den. 

Kind regards, 

Lianna Jones, Michelle Garraway, and Karla Williams (Learner Diversity Teachers) 

SPORTS NEWS

CCC Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to our wonderful Swimming Team who competed on Monday at Mingara Swimming Centre. They swam and cheered their hearts out and showed wonderful sportsmanship. Thank you to our wonderful parents who assisted with and our athletes to perform the best they could on the day! 

Our lone Athlete going to the Broken Bay Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 12th of March in Homebush is Archer W. Archer finished 2nd in the Jnr Boys Butterfly – if it was only 9-year-olds he would have finished first, so a massive effort to compete with students a year older than him. We are so proud of you Archer and wish you all the best at Homebush. 

Cross Country

A reminder that our annual school Cross Country will be held at Baker Park on the 1st of March. Thank you already for those that have filled out the form and those that have put their hand up to assist. If you know you will be hanging around for part of the morning, we know the students appreciate an encouraging cheer squad especially for the finish of the gruelling race.  Those that have put their hands up can I please remind you to fill out the online volunteer form, if you have not yet done so. 

Volunteer Form 
 
Paddy Murton 

Staff Spotlight

Awards & Acknowledgements

Congratulations to the following children for their achievements! The listed award recipients will receive their award at Friday morning's assembly at 8:45am!

Academic Achievement Award

PBL Award

Personal Best Award

Classroom Connections

Shrove Tuesday at Bundilla!

The Year 6 Pastoral Team's visit to Bundilla Preschool on Shrove Tuesday to assist the children in making pancakes was a heartwarming and educational experience for all involved. Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, is traditionally celebrated by indulging in pancakes before the start of Lent. By participating in this event, the Pastoral Team not only engaged with the younger community members but also promoted a sense of camaraderie and shared joy.

The act of making pancakes together can teach children valuable skills such as following instructions, teamwork, and creativity. It also provides an opportunity for bonding and fostering positive relationships between the older and younger generations. Such interactions can have a lasting impact on both the children at the preschool and the Year 6 students, creating memories that will be cherished for years to come. This initiative exemplifies the spirit of community involvement and support, and the wonderful friendship we have built with Bundilla over the years.

A big thank you to the team at Bundilla for inviting us into their school.

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Key Dates

Our local AFL club at Tacoma are offering free registration for the first 5 girls aged under 11 that sign up. After having the AFL program run at our school many children enjoyed it and may be interested in this promotional offer