St Cecilia's Newsletter Term 2, Week 4 2024

A word from the Principal

Dear Families,

I am delighted to share that the past two days have been a resounding success as Jo Helm (Parent Engagement Coordinator),  Mrs Jones (Learner Diversity) and myself have conducted back-to-back Kindy 2025 parent and child enrolment interviews. Our classrooms are filling up quickly, and it has been heartwarming to hear why so many families have chosen St Cecilia's for their children's education.

We are thrilled to see our classes filling up quickly, a testament to the strong reputation our school holds in the community. During the interviews, many families shared their reasons for choosing St Cecilia's for their child's educational journey.  A recurring theme was the priority we place on student wellbeing, ensuring every child feels supported and valued. Parents also spoke highly of our Year Six students, who guided tours during our Open Day and Evening. Their knowledge, eloquence, and genuine care for the younger children made a lasting impression.

Additionally, the warmth and family feel of our school community stood out to many, as did our inclusivity and the strong sense of belonging we foster. The importance of faith in the lives of our students is another cornerstone that resonated with families. All these qualities contribute to the positive reputation we are proud to maintain in our local community.

Thank you for your continued support and for being part of what makes St Cecilia's such a special place.

God bless

Marta Chylewska 

New School Phone Number

We have recently made the transition to Microsoft Teams which means we now have a new school phone number. Please save this number in your phone!

The old number will divert to the new line for a few weeks before it is disconnected.

Staying Connected

FLIP MEETING

Next week we have our Families Leading in Partnership Meeting, which all parents are welcome to. The meeting will take place in the luibrary at 6:15pm. 

The following agenda items will be discussed:
- Second Step Program (Social and Emotional Learning Program) 
- Building Works update
- Uniform Change (story board sharing of some proposed changes)
- Colour Run and Mother's Day feedback/reflection update and planning for future events
- Sacraments structure change update

RSVP here - https://forms.office.com/r/ivsfqitrH8

ST PETER'S 2025 YEAR 7 ENROLMENTS

A reminder to our Year 6 families that if you are hoping for your child is attending St Peter's Catholic Secondary College next year for high school then you need to submit your enrolment aplications as soon as possible. The enrolment does not roll over,  you do need to apply. Offers for Year 7 placement will go out very soon so we encourage you to apply soon.

ONLINE GUARDIANS

I am excited to announce that we have been fortunate enough to secure guest speaker Nathan Verinder from Online Guardians – "Live in the real world" to provide a student education session to our 3-6 students. 

Nathan gathers data on usage, trends and cultures with students and feeds this back to parents with tangible strategies that can help. His interactive parent sessions are very popular and enable all data and analysis to be available for discussion during these events. If there is an interest in our parent community to hear Nathan speak,  he can present a one hour talk to parents raising awareness and sharing practical strategies for the many complexities of the online world. 

Please express your interest (EOI) in attending this talk on Tuesday 25th June at 6:30pm in the hall through the attached link.  https://forms.office.com/r/jX4JQkjjd4

Following the number of responses in the Expressions of Interest form (EOI) the school will confirm if the parent event is running in two week's time in the next newsletter. Nevertheless, pencil it in your diary! 

We look forward to this collaborative approach for positive change, incorporating both student and parent seminars. Nathan will be presenting at St Cecilia's on Tuesday 25th June. See the attached flyer for further information.

Teaching and Learning Matters

Today at 12 o’clock we celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime. This is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops, and many other places around the country. This year’s book was Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker who is an award-winning illustrator, writer and designer. 

You make a difference to your children’s reading journey. Your role as an advocate for your children’s reading success cannot be overestimated. It has a direct impact on the ease and confidence with which they pursue their reading and writing.

It is the joy and love of sharing a good book on a nightly basis that sets the foundation for their reading success, and ensures that reading is given the priority it deserves. Reading regularly with someone who cares is the inspiration that all readers deserve.

This link takes you to resources that can assist you, helping you child reading at home.

https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/resources/teaching-resources?stage=early_stage_1%2Cstage_1%2Cstage_2%2Cstage_3&syllabus=english_k_10_2022&q=parent

This week in library our Mrs Cumming and our students have been building a Bowerbirds Nest. During International Storytime today students were selected to add things to the nest. The Kindergarten students who were in library class at the time of the streaming were so engaged in the story and the nest!

Thank you to Mrs Cumming for always encouraging and stimulating the imaginations of our children.

Religious Education Update

 FAITH AND LEARNING WALKS  

We will continue hosting our faith and learning walks this term. Last term, stage three led some beautiful liturgies, followed by the children sharing their favourite pieces of learning. Thank you to the many parents who were able to participate in these celebrations. 

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 10

Next

SAVE THE DATE:

Please save the date for the following faith and learning walks: 

Term 2 

• Year 4 – 29 May @ 2:30 
• Year 3 – 26 June @ 2:30 

Term 3 

• Year 2 – 7 August @ 2:30 

• Year 1 – 21 August @ 2:30 
• Kindergarten – 18 September @ 2:30 

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION REMINDER  

Any children receiving their sacrament of Confirmation on the 20th of July (year three students), please note the following: 

• Enrolment forms need to be completed as soon as possible (enrolment form links have been shared via Compass) 
• Confirmation parent information night on 27 May, at 7:00 pm, St Cecilia’s Parish House, Wyong. 

YEARS ONE AND THREE WEEKEND MASS  

(Confirmation Presentation Mass for year three students) 

Please join us in prayer at our next weekend mass on  

Saturday, 1 June at 5:00 pm, St Cecilia’s Church Wyong. 

ST VINCENT DE PAUL WINTER APPEAL

Shining Stars

Every Monday morning we celebrate our special Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum award winners. Parents will always receive an email the week prior to their child receiving their award. Congratulations to last fortnight's recipients. 

Wellbeing For Learning

PBL Focus Week 4 

We are SAFE when we care for ourselves and the environment.

PBL Focus Week 5 

We are RESPECTFUL when we use a growth mindset. 

Second Step 

Below is an outline of the Second Step lessons each grade will be learning and the objective. 

TERM 2, WEEK 4 

TERM 2, WEEK 5 

Your child will bring home their Second Step homework this week with an explanation about what they have learnt in their Second Step Lesson in class, points discussion to have with your child and a simple follow-up activity to practice the skill they are learning. Please complete the homework sheet and return it to your child’s class teacher. It has been wonderful to hear so much positive feedback about Second Step Program from parents, students, and teachers. It is great that we are using consistent language and explicitly teaching these vital Social and Emotional Skills. 

Kind regards, 

Lianna Jones 

Sports News

COMBINED BROKEN BAY CROSS COUNTRY

Congratulations to our Cross-Country team who ran a brutal race on Tuesday May 21st at Gosford to try to make it to the Polding Team.

Below are the results from our runners. Further congratulations to Zachary and Daisy who have made it to the Polding Team having finished in the top 8. They will run in Sydney on June 5th 

Thank you to your wonderful sportsmanship that you showed on the day and fighting spirit. Thank you also to all the parents for ensuring your child was able to participate by getting them there for the day. 

PAUL KELLY CUP - WINNERS!!!!

On the 21st of May, 29 students from year 4, 5 and 6 attended the Paul Kelly Cup with Miss Clancy. This day was run by the Australian Football League (AFL) NSW and ACT association. St Cecilia’s put forward one girls' team which was run under the coaching leadership of Brett Partelle, Lani Pritchard and one of St Cecilia’s ex-students, Clay Partelle. We thank you for all of your support on the day. The 10 girl representatives began the day with 2 players down. Thankfully another student from a different school joined our girl's team to support the numbers throughout the day and every student in that team played the entire time, without rest for a total of four games. Although the girl’s team did not progress through to the next stage of the cup, they should be commended on their admirable qualities of persistence and their ability to play the game with a growth mindset.  

Our boy’s team included a total of 19 students and was run under the coaching leadership of Nick Greentree. The boy’s began the day running drills and strategising their game plan. The boys won 2 out of their 3 games in the heat and progressed through to the semi-finals. Their ability to communicate during the game and show exquisite sportsmanship not only to their own players but to their opponents, saw them succeed in winning the semi-finals and progress on to the grand final. St Cecilia’s boys team won the grand final and in turn won the Paul Kelly Cup for the northern cluster and will progress forward to the next stage.  

All 29 representatives demonstrated kindness both on and off the field and made St Cecilia’s proud.  
We thank each player for their contribution.  

Classroom Connections

Year 1 Reptile Park Incursion

This week, our Year 1 students had an unforgettable experience with a special incursion from The Australian Reptile Park. Our young explorers had the chance to get up close and personal with some slimy and scaly friends, including snakes, lizards, and even a crocodile!

The knowledgeable staff from the park shared fascinating facts about these incredible creatures, such as how snakes use their tongues to smell and why lizards shed their skin. The hands-on learning experience not only sparked curiosity but also instilled a greater appreciation for these unique animals and the importance of conservation. It was a morning filled with excitement, wonder, and invaluable education.

Check out the size of KISS the Snake!

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

Term 2 Key Dates