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Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus, we renew our pledge of love and loyalty to you. Keep us always close to your loving heart and to the most pure Heart of your Mother. May we love one another more and more each day, forgiving each other’s faults as you forgive our sins. Teach us how to see you in those we meet outside our home. Amen
Dear Parents
Semester 1 Reports
Semester 1 reports will be sent home via email to parents with children in Years 1-6 on Friday 30 June. If you have any questions regarding your child’s report, please make contact with the school at the beginning of Term 3.
Reward System
This week we introduced a new reward system for the playground. Students will now receive tokens for their house while on the playground when they display one of our new school values - hope, compassion, inclusivity or environmental stewardship. They can also receive a token for following our PB4L focus for the week. At the end of each term the winning house will be invited to wear mufti for a day in celebration. I want to thank the P&F for generously donating our token containers!
Kindergarten 2024
Offers of enrolment will be sent out next week for KIndergarten 2024. We look forward to joining with them in their schooling journey.
End of Term Assembly
The following students will receive a Principal, Shamrock or St Patrick’s Award at our End of Term Assembly on Friday 30 June at 11.30am. If you think your child is eligible for one of these awards and their name is not listed below, please contact the school by Friday 23 June. Following the End of Term Assembly, you are welcome to sign your child out if you wish.
Principal Awards: Cruz Kicks, Milah Michalowski-Stutsel, Lara D’Angola, James Dos Santos, Lucia Sharpe, Isla Timpano, Ruby White, Mia Lock, Jet Kinnas, Sienna Fargnoli, Maya Dimtrovski, Toby Fogarty
Shamrock: George Carolan
St Patrick’s Award: Mila Lokys, Fiona Meta, Clara Dray
Pupil Free Day
Please be mindful that the first day of Term 3 for students is Tuesday 18 July.
Monday 17 July is a Pupil Free Day.
School Disco
On Thursday 29 June we will hold a school disco from 12pm. Students will be able to wear mufti to this event. More information will be sent out next week.
Ms Gabi Tobin - Principal
Our PB4L focus for next week (Week 9) is Being a Good Sport
In the explicit teaching lessons, the expected behaviours taught will be:
i. Waiting my turn
ii. Using good manners
iii. Playing by the rules (playing fairly)
iv. Encouraging others
v. Keeping my hands, feet, and all my body parts to myself
vi. Taking it when I’m out.
vii. Being a gracious winner
Examples of behaviours that negatively impact on Respectful, Responsible and Safe
behaviour when Being a Good Sport to be taught include:
i. Pushing in
ii. Talking rudely to others (yelling or screaming)
iii. Ignoring the rules
iv. Making hurtful comments (putting people down)
v. Being physically aggressive
vi. Not taking it out
vii. Being a sore loser
Our PB4L focus for Week 10 will be Good Manners
In the explicit teaching lessons, the expected behaviours taught will be:
i. Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you and, ‘Excuse me’
ii. Saying ‘Good Morning”
iii. Asking ‘May I’
iv. Waiting my turn to talk
v. Looking at the person speaking
vi. Using the other person’s name
Examples of behaviours that negatively impact on Respectful, Responsible and Safe
behaviour when using Good Manners to be taught include:
i.Not saying please and thank you or excuse me
ii.Interrupting
iii.Walking away when someone is talking to you
iv.Ignoring others
We would very much appreciate your discussing these weekly focuses with your children and reviewing the expected and non-acceptable behaviours in our endeavour to see that St Patrick’s is a more respectful, responsible, and safe learning community for all.
PB4L Data
It is with pride that I inform you that over the last two weeks 53 students were given
Citizenship, Merit, Library or Uniform Awards or Playground Affirmation Awards whilst there were 6 incidents of Inappropriate behaviour recorded.
You may be aware from recent correspondence that throughout this term the students from Kindergarten to Year 6 are learning about the Zones of Regulation. Next week will concludethe lesson sequence and will provide an opportunity for the students to celebrate their achievements in using tools to regulate their ‘zones’.
Onesie and Pyjama Day & Vinnies Van Visit
Onesie & Pyjama Day was a huge success and a wonderful day for the girls and boys. We raised $248.20 which will go towards the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, and we also received a massive amount of food donations for the appeal.
Furthermore, the children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 had a special visit to the ‘Vinnies Van’ on Tuesday. A member of St Vincent de Paul drove the van to our school, and the children had a tour of the van and learned how Vinnies support people in our community. It was an excellent experience forthe children, and we thank Kelly from St Vincent de Paul for giving up her time to visit our school.
A gentle reminder that we are accepting donations of canned soup, packet soup and breakfast cereal until the end of this term.
Confirmation – Year 6 Students
Congratulations to the girls and boys in Year 6 who received the sacrament of Confirmation Sunday week ago in our Parish, and also last Thursday evening at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Unanderra. All the children were lucky to be Confirmed by Bishop Brian, and both ceremonies were truly special and sacred for the girls and boys. May these children continue to live in the footsteps of Jesus as Confirmed Catholics, being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Feast of the Sacred Heart
Today we celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart, a particularly special day for our Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart who continue to be such a special part of our community.
Please find a spiritual reflection about the Feast of the Sacred Heart below:
Jesus' Heart, Our Heart
Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated this Friday 16 June 2023. At the Chapel within the Marist Hermitage in Mittagong, there is a stained-glass window depicting the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When given the opportunity to really sit with this icon, it becomes apparent that there are many layers of thought and meaning which have great significance today.
Many of us are initially struck by Jesus’ heart in this icon as it is not within the body. It is a heart that is exposed and can be seen by others. And it is a heart that is wounded and pierced. This exposed and wounded heart speaks of the importance of authenticity and of the power of vulnerability.
In Jesus’ exposed heart we see an authentic Jesus who revealed who he was through the way he lived and loved. He let others around him know where his heart was at and he was able to reveal through his words and actions what was most important to him. Where is your heart? And how do you show others what’s important to you or what you love the most?
In Jesus’ wounded heart we see a vulnerable Jesus who revealed that these painful wounds can also be sources of new life. Experiencing pain is a natural part of the human condition and yet we are not always comfortable sitting with our own woundedness or the woundedness of those around us.
“Vulnerability is not weakness, it’s our greatest measure of courage.” Brene Brown
One of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves or to another human being is to offer a space for these pains or struggles to be named. At times we either avoid discussing these more painful issues out of fear of upsetting someone further or we move into a practical response and try to do things for someone in pain. Whilst these are most generous acts, sometimes what is needed even more, is the willingness of someone to sit with them in their struggle.
Dr Susan David, a Clinical Psychologist, recently shared a short reflection on social media about the power of just sitting with someone in their pain. She expressed that one of the most powerful phrases we can share with someone is, “Tell me more”. She went on to say, “It is such a gorgeous invitation to a shared sense of exploration and a shared moment of compassion.”
As we look a little further at this icon we also see Jesus pointing to his own heart with one hand and to heaven with the other hand. This gesture highlights the way in which, through our human loving acts, we can experience and share divine love. As we share our authentic and vulnerable selves with others and allow others to do the same, we reveal the person of Jesus Christ.
A Moment to Reflect:
How do you respond to your own woundedness or to the woundedness of others?
Do you run away or do you see these as opportunities for life to come forth?
All the best,
Mr Sam Mattas
Religious Education Coordinator
Congratulations to Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 for completing the Premier's Reading Challenge for 2023. The students completed this as a class with their teachers, so a huge thank you to their teachers for assisting them in this.
