24 May 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principals Report

On Saturday 19th May the Most Reverend Archbishop Julian Porteous celebrated the Diamond Anniversary Mass and Blessing of the new Altar for St Bernard’s Catholic Parish. From humble beginnings in 1958 and through restructuring in the early 2000’s and the now presence once again of a Parish Priest the Parish has always had a wonderful relationship with our school community.

The Catholic School is a community within the parish, with a specific evangelizing and educative mission. It is a most important place for human and Christian formation. However, it clearly does not and cannot carry the entire responsibility for the complete and ongoing catechesis of children and young people. Without strong family-school parish collaboration, students will be deprived of the range of fundamental experiences needed for their faith development.

Father Suresh spoke of the rise in numbers since 2015 and importance of the school community to the Parish. It was a joyful occasion and I thank Molly, Emily, Mark, Jack and Tyson who represented the school community at the Mass along with staff, our Chair Board, Paul Crennan and other students who were able to participate in the Mass and luncheon afterwards. As a school community we are extremely fortunate and thankful to have the relationship we do with our Parish and Parish Priest.

60 Years and still going strong

This week students in Grade 3 to 6 will have a presentation from ThinkUKnow. The sessions provide information on the technologies young people use, the challenges they may face, and importantly, how they can be overcome. The aim to provide tools to create a safer online environment for young people. Presentations cover what young people SAY, SEE and DO online. These sessions provide information that is tailored to the following age groups:

Years 3 – 4: Students will learn about how the internet is used, why unidentifiable usernames and passwords are essential to maintaining privacy and security and why adult supervision and permission is important before signing up to apps and websites. There will be conversations around online gaming, cyberbullying, respectful language and talking to people online. Along with this, the session will also cover safe searching and what help is available.

Years 5 – 6: Students in this age group will have a session building on concepts of technology and online safety. Discussions will be held around usernames, passwords and privacy settings when using websites and apps. Further to this, students will learn about true and false information, safe searching and staying safe while using instant messaging. The presenter will also speak about sharing images or videos and what information can be gathered from these. Online gaming, staying safe when playing online games, cyberbullying and what help is available to students to support them staying safe online will also be discussed.

We urge all parents to initiate a conversation with their children after these sessions and work together to create a safe online community.

Kind Regards
Bernadette Brooks
Principal

Prayer and Reflection

Being a Parent: Presence and Absence

Over the past fortnight, the church has celebrated two major feasts: the Ascension and Pentecost. In the first, we celebrate when the risen Jesus left the disciples, and in Pentecost, we celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Come again?!? We celebrate Jesus leaving us! Why on earth would we do that? Wouldn’t you think that as Christians we would much prefer him to stay around on earth to lead and guide us, telling us what to do? No, because then we would remain dependent and immature. Strange to say he has become absent physically in this world so that he might be present in our lives, within our own selves. God became human in Jesus that we might become like God. We are meant to ‘grow up’ to salvation and have the maturity to show forth the presence of Jesus within our own lives.

Strange to say we can see how this dynamic works in parenting. While children are young we need to be constantly with them teaching them values to live by so that when older, they can live those values in their own way. Passing on good values is not easy. It is often so much easier to do the chores ourselves, than to teach them how do them; so much easier to give them free use of the internet and mobile phones, than to teach them boundaries and self-respect. It is a challenge to teach them how to be responsible on social media, to understand that not everything ‘about me’ has to be shared with the world. As a parent or guardian, these challenges will stretch you…and that is when we can call on the gift of the Holy Spirit to impart to our children values they can internalise and guide them later in life.

Come Holy Spirit,
give me the wisdom to be present to my child/ren now
so that they may live by the best values when they grow up.
I ask this in Jesus’ name confident that you will hear me.
Sr Kym Harris osb

Building Update

Over the past 12 months we have been working closely with the Facilities Department from the Catholic Education Office and an architects firm to develop a plan for a significant building project for our school. The project will involve:

• The demolition of the toilet amenities block and the new toilets built in two different locations
• The removal of the two terrapin buildings and two new learning spaces to be built.
• The demolition of the Canteen and a new canteen to be built with a flexible learning space linked to the Canteen.

This is an extremely exciting development for our school. While there will undoubtedly be some challenges associated with the staging of the program we are extremely excited that these redevelopments will provide excellent and much needed facilities for our students.

At this stage we have not yet gone to tender due to the need to survey and relocate the existing switchboard and conduits that are running over the top of the covered asphalt area.

Copies of the building plans will be on display in the front office during the next week.

Walk Safely to School and Walkathon

On Friday 18th May we certainly had a day of walking. We commenced the morning with Walk Safely to School Day from the Claremont Village Green. Parents, students and staff joined together to walk to school. Regular exercise like walking with your child not only helps them beat chronic problems like obesity, heart disease, behavioral and mental health issues and diabetes. It also gives you a great opportunity to teach children safe ways to behave around roads and traffic. Classes then completed their walkathon with great enthusiasm

We had so much fun walking TO school and AT school

Board Members

Board Snippets - Holy Rosary Catholic School Board

At the April AGM, we welcomed the following new members to the School Board - Emily Berry, Carey Higgins and Karen Clarkson. It was great to see the enthusiasm and interest shown by all 3 new members as they joined the Board for the first time last week. In addition to our new members, the following parents are also Board members - Paul Crennan, Peter Montalvan, Kate Cunningham, Michelle Brown, Elyn Townsend and Allison Norman. At the recent AGM, Paul Crennan was elected Chairman, Peter Montalvan Vice Chairman, Kate Cunningham Treasurer and Michelle Brown Secretary.

Over the next 12 months, the Board hopes to continue to work on its strategic goals which have been aligned to the Archbishop’s Charter. Our goals focus on the continued development of the parent, school and wider community relationships which are essential for the continued success of what we do as the Holy Rosary Catholic School Community. Part of this involves our relationship with the Parish Community which over the next 12 months will include possible participation in regular children’s liturgies at the weekend masses and also assisting in delivering meals with the parish St Vincent de Paul group.

The Board meets twice a term and if there is any matters you think needs to be discussed at this level please email the school or Paul Crennan via email pmcrennan@bigpond.com

Tree Climbing

Our school supports children extending their development via those who wish to, being able to climb a limited number of school trees, when adult supervision is present. You need to know that ‘trees with yellow paint markings’, indicate that is an approved tree; and the markings show the maximum height for a child’s feet to go to. e.g. The rest of their body can be higher. The school has a process to check trees condition; reapply paint; and remind of expectations. We discuss regularly with our students the following:

• Students in trees are to ‘climb down’, not jump out;
• Staff on duty can limit tree climbing at any time
• Students are not to place extra objects underneath a tree (to be stood on). If students need help, they either have another person give them a ‘hand grasp’ boost, or use any school placed box to stand on.

Think You Know

HRCS Cross Country

School Photos

All Photo envelopes are due back to the school by Friday 25th May.

School photos will take place on Monday 28th May and Tuesday 29th May.

Milkshake Mondays

Students of the Week

Uniform Shop

White Socks Girls Single Pack - $2.00
Sizes 5-10, 2-8

Navy Stockings - $4.00
Sizes 3-5, Avg, XTall

Rugby Jumper (old stock) - $20.00
All sizes except Size 8

Polar Fleece - $10.00
Sizes 14, S, M, L

Tartan Trousers - $20.00
Sizes 12, 14, 16, 18

HRCS Soccer 2018 Facebook Page

HRCS Soccer now has a Facebook page. This will be the platform used to distribute information and create a network for the HRCS Soccer community. Over the next week information will be posted about the upcoming season. In the meantime, jump on, give it a like, follow and share!

Entertainment Books

Entertainment Books have arrived!!!!!

Buy a book or a digital membership and help support our school. Funds raised from the sale of the books/memberships go towards resources in the classroom so your contribution is greatly appreciated.

Books are also available for purchase from the office.

CBA School Banking

Fit Kids

Fit Kids classes include games and exercises tailored to the age of your child that focus on team work, building confidence and making exercise fun!

Term 2 2018 Assemblies and Liturgies

Parents and Friends are most welcome and kindly invited to join us for our School Assemblies which are held at 1:45pm and our Liturgies which are held at 12:00 noon on the following dates in the School Hall or St Bernard’s Church unless noted differently.

2018 Upcoming Events