Newsletter - 2024 Term 3 Week 1

Calendar

From the Leaders

In this Sunday’s gospel we hear about Jesus and his disciples sharing the loaves and fishes with his 5000 followers. The people were so keen to be near him they forgot to pack food.

Jesus divided the five loaves and two fish shared by a young boy with these followers. This story is told in each of the four gospels. Whatever happened that day must have made a huge impression! This gospel story is about abundance. There would be more than enough food available to feed the world. What is needed is for the world to follow the example of the young boy in the story who gave what he had!

Welcome Back

Welcome back to Term 3! We hope you all enjoyed your holiday break! Our students have all settled back into routine nicely and are ready for the successes and challenges that Term 3 offers us all! We especially welcome our new students, families and staff.

This term we welcome Rebekah to Kinder, Angelina to Year 1, Annabelle and Netaniah to Year 4 and Henry to Year 6.

We would like to introduce two new staff members to St Agnes’ Primary. Darren Bagley joins our staff as Teacher Librarian. Darren is known to our school community as a regular casual teacher across many grades.

We also welcome Dave Hotham in the Grounds and Maintenance role. Dave has a strong skill set in a variety of trades and will be a welcome addition to our staff.

School Beautification

We hope everyone has noticed the holiday maintenance work as they entered our school this week. We are grateful to Jason Hilton who worked tirelessly on the gurney to make our cement glow.

We aim to continue this great work of ‘Caring for our common home’ as one of the Catholic Social Teachings we are focusing on in our 2024 Mission goal of increasing our understanding of social justice.

Stay tuned for information about other upcoming school beautification projects. 

Year 5 students were nominated to be Recycling Champions, leading the school in recycling all plastic drink bottles sold at the canteen. These students addressed the school after Prayer on Wednesday morning stressing the positives and negatives of plastic.

Students are encouraged to place these items into the blue bins, which will then be taken to the Return and Earn Centre. Money raised will be reinvested into other environmental projects at St Agnes’.

NAIDOC Week

At St Agnes’ Primary we will be celebrating NAIDOC Week on Wednesday 7 August with a whole school morning prayer at 9:00am followed by classroom activities.  Thank you Aunty Sharon and Aunty April for leading this in our school.

Visiting First Nations family members are invited to remain after our whole school prayer for a morning tea.

Term 3 Class Representatives

Congratulations to the following students who have been voted by their peers to be their class representative this Term. These students will receive their badges on Monday morning following school prayer.

Year 6 Mass

Year 6 families are invited to attend Mass at Christ the King Chapel on  Thursday 1 August at 10:15am.

We are grateful to Alex and Nicholas Bushe and their family. The boys won a Nintendo Switch, but already had one. As a family they decided to donate it to the school, along with a Port Macquarie Monopoly game and asked if the proceeds could be used to support our 2024 charity.

We will start selling raffle tickets in Week 3 and the prizes will be drawn at the end of term.

NAPLAN Results

We are excited to send home the NAPLAN 2024 report envelopes to parents today. All children that participated in NAPLAN at our school should have received this envelope today. Please see the attached information sheet for additional information. 

School Photos

Schools Photos are booked in for Wednesday 31 July and Thursday 1 August. Photo packs can be purchased directly through Compass. 

Uniform - Second Hand

As we are now a few years into the introduction of the new school uniform, we would appreciate it if any families have uniforms that are too small, can possibly send them into the school. We have times when children may require emergency uniforms after a toileting accident or getting wet, but we currently do not have any available supplies of sizes 4-12. We would greatly appreciate any support from families.

Feedback Form - 2025 Excursions and Incursions

At our School Community Forum (SCF) meeting on Wednesday 21 August, we will be holding a parent consultation process around excursions and incursions. Currently, all grades hold an excursion/incursion each year, with some of the costs already covered in the Class Packs. We are seeking parent voice on the types of excursions or incursions you would like available to your child. Please note that some camps for senior grades are already locked in for 2025. We understand that not all families are able to attend the meeting times, but we would still love for your voice to be heard in these discussions. Please complete the form below and this information will be tabled at the meeting. We ask that this please be completed by 2:00pm Thursday 1 August, so that we can include it with the agenda sent home next week. If you have already completed the feedback form, there is no need to complete it again.

Feedback Form

Lunch Time Activities

We are excited to share the huge array of activities our students can choose to take part in at lunch times. Thanks so much to our talented staff who are willing to share their skills with students.

ICAS

Each year, students in Years 2 to 6 are offered the opportunity to sit ICAS Assessments. These are purely optional and occur on various dates during Term 3 as written below. Children from Year 2 are offered the opportunity of entering all assessments but ICAS Writing. If your child is interested in entering these competitions, please use the link https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps and our school code NBM579 to purchase assessments. Please note that all entries are to be placed online by Monday 29 July 2024 and no late entries will be accepted. We are not in a position to give refunds to children who are absent on the day of any competition. All ICAS Assessments will be done online this year. May we please ask that you read the Privacy Collection Statement below. For more information, please contact the school office.
 
ICAS Digital Technologies $19.95          Years 2 to 6  - 5 August 2024
ICAS Writing $23.95                                    Years 3 to 6  - 8 August 2024
ICAS English $19.95                                     Years 2 to 6 - 13 August 2024
ICAS Science $19.95                                     Years 2 to 6 - 19 August 2024
ICAS Spelling $19.95                                   Years 2 to 6  - 22 August 2024
ICAS Mathematics $19.25                         Years 2 to 6  - 27 August 2024

Privacy Collection Statement
To analyse your child’s progress effectively, our school conducts an ongoing assessment program. The assessment we are using is a product of Janison Solutions Pty Ltd (Janison). In order to deliver the assessment St Agnes' Primary and Janison (through our school) collect your child’s personal information, such as their name, date of birth, year level and school results when you register your child to sit an assessment in the program. You must ensure that this information is accurate and current.
Janison does not:

• Collect any personal information or data of children other than as required for the purposes of completion of the exam;
• Transfer any personal information or data obtained during the delivery of the ICAS exam out of Australia;
• Share any personal information or data relating to children or students with any third parties;
• Retain any personal information or data acquired during the delivery of the ICAS exam and all such information or data is deleted from all Janison systems immediately upon completion of Janison’s contractual reporting to the school.

As the parent or guardian of a student who intends to sit an assessment, by registering your child into the assessment, you consent to our school and Janison collecting and using your child’s personal information for the purposes outlined above. If you do not provide your child’s personal information to us or Janison, we may not be able to deliver the assessment to your child. If you wish to access or correct your child’s personal information or to make a complaint about how we have handled your child’s personal information, please contact Janison’s Privacy Officer at privacy@janison.com or by writing to Legal and Compliance Team, Janison Solutions Pty Ltd, 80 Bay Street, Ultimo, Sydney NSW 2007.

We are proud to offer the ICAS Assessments, and look forward to some fantastic results later in the year. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.

God Moment

We thank God for Jade Johnson and Faraday Wood who showed great kindness to a child in Year 1 who needed help.

E-Safety Parent Webinars Term 3

The following Webinars are available for Parents and Carers during Term 3. These are provided by the Australian E-Safety Commission and are great resources for supporting children as they learn to navigate the digital world.

Understanding how to support your child with online gaming
Suitable for parents and carers of children and young people in primary and early secondary school.
Tuesday 30 July at 12:30pm
Tuesday 3 September at 12:30pm
Register here

Consent and online boundaries: How to support your primary-aged child
Suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school.
Tuesday 13 August at 12:30pm
Wednesday 11 September 12:30pm
Register here

An introduction to online safety and emerging technologies
Suitable for parents and carers of children and parents in primary and secondary school.
Thursday 5 September at 12:30pm
Register here

Sports News

Zone Athletics Carnival

On Wednesday, 55 Aggies students travelled to St Joseph’s Regional College to compete in the Zone Athletics Carnival. The weather was perfect, with clear skies, light winds, and a fast track. The carnival was successful, with many of our students qualifying for the Diocesan Athletics Carnival in Coffs Harbour on Friday 16 August. 

Once again, the sportsmanship from all schools was excellent, with competitors congratulating each other and showing respect to the officials. It was wonderful to see so many parents and families come out to support their children. Thank you to Mrs Brazel and Chris Farrell for supporting our students on the day and making the carnival such a success.

Jagga Smith was the Senior Girls Age Champion Runner-up and Harley Cadden was the Senior Boys Age Champion Runner-up. Well done to both Jagga and Harley.

Congratulations to the following students for their Hastings Zone Team selection:

Henry Fryer - 12yrs 800m
Chelsea Orme - 8yrs 100m
Pippa Taylor - 9 yrs 100m
Stella Donohue - 11yrs 100m, 200m and snr relay
Jagga Smith - 12 yrs 100m, 200m, long jump and snr relay
Elloise Gleeson - 12 yrs 100m and senior relay
Harley Cadden -  12yrs 100m and 200m
Asha Walker - Jnr Discus
Sophia Fox - 11yrs Discus
Charlie Haddon - 11yrs High jump
Oliver Wainwright - 11yrs Long jump
Emelia Adams - 11yrs Long jump
Layla Walsh - Snr Long jump
Georgia Watson - 11yrs Shot put
Zoe O’Brien - Snr relay Relay

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Paul Kelly Cup - AFL

On Thursday, 14 boys from Years 5 and 6 attended the Paul Kelly Cup for AFL. This was the first time in many years that Aggies entered a team, and our players did not disappoint. The boys played several games throughout the day in hot conditions. Many of them had never played AFL before but quickly picked up the game with help from the AFL officials and experienced players on their team.

The Aggies team finished with two wins, a draw and a loss. The loss was decided by a single point, and our players were unlucky not to make the final. Despite the outcomes, our players displayed great sportsmanship, shaking hands and enjoying the fast-paced football. Henry Fryer from Year 6 was voted Best on Field by his teammates. Well done Henry and congratulations to the team for their efforts.

KM Club

This Monday marks the return of the KM Club to Aggies. The KM Club is a non-competitive and fun activity for students to participate in before learning begins. Open to all students, the KM Club helps students build individual goals, collaborate on a whole school goal, and engage in physical activity at their own level. KM Club is run between 8:25am and 8:55am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.

In Term 3, St Agnes' Primary School students will continue their journey to popular destinations in South Eastern Australia. In Term 1, we reached the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, although bad weather slowed us down, and we couldn't get as far as planned. Next, we aim to visit Australia's Capital Territory, where we have a meeting scheduled with Prime Minister Mr Albanese, along with visits to Questacon and the Australian War Memorial. Finally, we plan to head to Melbourne to attend an AFL game at the MCG and see the Wurrdha Marra exhibit at the NGV International Art Gallery. It's going to be a huge effort, but we hope our students can achieve these goals.

Kanga Cup Champions

Over the holidays, Nick, Ardan and Len from 4 Faith won the U10s Kanga Cup in Canberra. 

They play with Port United Moray Eels U10s and it’s the first time a Port Macquarie team has brought a championship home!!

It was cold, but it was a fabulous time and these boys represented their club, themselves, and their community beautifully.

New School Representative Jerseys - Expression of Interest

St Agnes' is excited to announce a new initiative to purchase updated sports jerseys for our representative teams. Our families, P&F, and staff have all expressed a strong desire for new playing gear that not only highlights the dedication and skills of our athletes but also proudly represents St Agnes' Primary School at sporting events.

We are reaching out to businesses within our school community to seek support for this initiative. By partnering with us, your business can help us achieve our goal of providing top-quality sportswear for our students. This partnership would include funding the purchase of the jerseys, featuring your business logo on the jerseys, and collaborating on their design.

The sports kits in need of updating include jerseys for rugby union/rugby league, soccer shirts for both boys and girls and singlets for netball, basketball, touch football, and cross country/athletics.

If your business is interested in sponsoring a set of jerseys or if you would like more information, please contact Renee Shaw at the school office on 02 6583 7433. Your support will make a significant difference in enhancing our athletes' experience and showcasing our school spirit.

Future Dates

Term 3

• Wednesday 14 August: Girls Rugby 7’s - Sydney
• Friday 16 August: Diocesan Athletics - Coff Harbour
• Tuesday 23 - Friday 26 August: NSW PSSA Soccer - Tamworth
• Thursday 5 Spetmeber: NSW Touch Football Gala Day (Years 3-6) - Tuffins Lane
• Wednesday 11 September: Netball NSW Schools Cup (Years 3 & 4) - Port Macquarie
• Thursday 12 September: Paul Wilson Cup & Lismore Diocese Netball Challenge - Laurieton (All Year 6)
• Friday 13 September: Polding Athletics - Newcastle
• Wednesday 25 September: Paul Wilson Cup & Lismore Diocese Netball Challenge Finals - Grafton

Student Awards

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 300 Dojos:

Alex A, Ethan W, Indi F, Noah E and Thomas B

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 200 Dojos:

Aanshi P, Abhyukth S, Alyse V, Amelia W, Angel S, Annalisa L, Ariah A, Ariana F, Arie F, Asha G, Audrey F, Aurora P, Ava R, Avery C, Beau L, Benjamin C, Benjamin M, Bracen S, Brayden W, Bridger D, Brodie D, Bryce L, Cade S, Charlie E, Charlie R, Charlie T, Charlotte B, Charlotte M, Charlotte M, Ella M, Elsie K, Emilia T, Emmanuel  S, Gaurika B, Georgia W, Hadley M, Hailey J, Hana D, Harrison B, Harrison S, Hayley M, Imogen W, Indiana F, Ira S, Isobel W, Isolde O, Ivy C, James H, Jax E, Kanata N, Khuong V, Korbin C, Lacey W, Lachlan C, Lucky S, Layla M, Layla R, Levi W, Lucas G, Lucas M, Lucas S, Mahli N, Mahli-Lee W, Maja M, Mia T, Migha A, Nina T, Pip A, Roman S, Rory C, Rose M, Ruben D, Ruby H, Sadie O, Scarlett G, Sharleigh F, Tabitha B, Tully D, Waverly C and Zuri T

Congratulations to the following students who have reached 100 Dojos:

Alfred S, Amelia S, Ava C, Callum J, Jasper M, Jayden J, John D, Lachlan F, Lucas R, Mia M, Michael L, Mila M, Narz M, Peyton T and Willow H

Aaron V, Alira S, Annabelle B, Ariah A, Audrey F, Banjo T, Beau L, Bracen S, Braxton H, Callum J, Casey C, Charlee T, Charlotte D, Eli B, Elkana J, Ethan B, Everett B, Flynn N, Georgia S, Hendrix H, Imogen H, Isabella K, Jai C, Joseph O, Karvella I, Liam B, Lily S, Lilyana P, Louis R, Luke R, Malakai C, Neosha K, Netaniah S, Noah B, Noah E, Pip A, Pippa T, Roman S, Ryuta F, Sadie S, Sally-Ann V, Savannah M, Sienna H, Sienna R, Sophie W, Tate A, Tyson E, Waverly C and Zoe O

Positive Behaviour Support

Welcome to Term 3 and a fresh new start. This week our PBS focus is on being Respectful. I am respectful in my relationships and make the right choices for myself and others. The purpose of this lesson is to teach students that respect is the foundation of our relationships. This lesson is designed to develop self awareness and empower students to make personal decisions in their relationships that are respectful to themselves and others. It is also helpful to know that respect looks and feels differently based on each of your students’ cultures and your students may show respect differently from the school, classroom, or teacher’s dominant culture. For example, in some cultures maintaining eye contact is a sign of disrespect or aggression. It doesn't mean the student is not paying attention.

Family Sites: https://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/parenting/teaching-kids-respect

https://families.org.au/broadcast/teaching-good-manners-your-kids-i/

Books:

St Agnes' Primary School Community Forum

To get in touch, please contact pandfstagnes@gmail.com

Canteen News

Parish News

Community News

SHINE

Is your child ready to shine?  Join us for drama classes every Thursday afternoon at St Agnes' Primary School!

 Where: Creative Arts rooms, St Agnes' Primary School
 Time: 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM
 Who: Open to budding thespians in Years 1 to 6

Our classes are designed to help students express themselves and build confidence in a supportive, inclusive environment. It's all about fun and creativity!

Don't miss out on this opportunity for your child to explore the world of drama. Enrol today and watch them unleash their inner star!

For more information and to register, contact the front office for an enrolment form.