Term 3, Week 7 - Monday 2nd September, 2024

What's On This Week

Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Last Friday, staff were engaged in our Staff Spirituality Day, focused on Service Learning which is an integral component of our St Raphael's Strategic Improvement Plan. The day was a wonderful way for all staff to engage in the structure, and opportunities of Service Learning. 

Service Learning also aligns with the work we are undertaking within the Parish Council and wider Parish to empower our Catholic school students and our Parish to be actively empowered to walk in the steps of Jesus. In fact when we partake of the Eucharist, we are doing so as the disciples of Jesus, to go forth with action. 

Pope Francis said we must realise “we are not living in an era of change, but a change of era”. Therefore in our Church and our Catholic Schools we are charged with the important work of reimagining our Faith journey and in particular, that of our students. Catholic schools are “called upon to offer an educational service appropriate to the present times”. At St Raph’s our alignment with Service Learning is aimed at engaging our youth in service, the Gospel, explicit understanding of the purpose of service and focusing our work in all that we do within the educational experience we offer. It is about engaging in experience through our Episodic Memory, and through reflection we are then developing our Semantic memory. 

“Mission is at once a passion for Jesus and a passion for his people.” (Pope Francis, Evangelli Gaudium, n. 268.) Therefore our mission is to provide many opportunities for our students to engage in Service Learning and by doing so, being an advocate for other people and the world around them. We look forward to Heritage Day in Week 8, whereby the students will have a greater understanding of the service they are undertaking, and the impact they will make. 

We are so proud of the many events which showcase our wonderful students and their diverse talents. In particular the Book Week Parade last week was certainly the best display of artistic dress ups we have had to date. There was enormous school spirit shown from K-12, and so much fun was had by one and all. 

Our Father’s enjoyed their breakfast on Friday with many proud students. We hope our Father’s had the best day on Sunday, being spoiled by their children. 

Lastly, I had a great conversation with Year 12 last week, highlighting the enormous impact they can make as a class in their final weeks of school. The ranks are now set so it is up to the whole class to support each other to all get the best marks possible in the HSC. The game isn’t over now the exams are completed, the hardest work should be now!

Best of wishes Year 12, not long to go so work hard!

Have a wonderful week!

God Bless, 

Michelle Deschamps - Principal

From the Assistant Principal

At St Raphael’s Catholic School we are constantly striving to improve our sense of community and build stronger ties with our parents. This was witnessed last Friday when we celebrated Father’s Day and Book Week with our Book Parade. We invited fathers and significant male relations to come in and celebrate the extraordinary influence father’s can play in building the lives of our students. Having a positive male role model in a child’s life is fundamental to building positive relationships and developing empathy and respect in our young people. To recognise this we had a breakfast gathering with coffee and bacon and egg rolls and simply a time for people to get together and talk. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those fathers, grandfathers, uncles and significant male mentors who came in and shared this occasion with us.

We then had our book parade and once again, not having experienced a St Raphael’s Book Parade before what an eye opener this was! Witnessing the amount of effort our students (with mum and dad’s help) put into costumes and dress was fantastic. It was more than simply dressing up as I watched the students from Year 12 through to Kindergarten come together in a spirit of fun and camaraderie to celebrate who we are. It is a unique experience to see students from the age of 5 giving 18 year old Year 12 students high fives and smiling and laughing together. 

Well done all and what a fantastic endorsement of the St Raphael's community!

David Wickham - Assistant Principal

Semester 2 Parent/Teacher/Student Discussions

K-6 Parent/Teacher Discussions will be held on Tuesday 10th September, and Secondary Parent/Teacher/Student discussions will be held on Wednesday 11th September.  Bookings are now open via your Compass Parent Portal.  Discussions will be held here at school in the Mother Scholastica Learning Centre (Secondary building).  (Access to the MSLC is on foot, via the driveway).

Please go to your Compass Parent Portal to book a time to meet with your child's/children's teachers.  When using Compass on your mobile phone, the conference cycle schedule may be accessed via the home screen by following the link to Conferences.

Bookings are now open, and will remain open until this Friday 6th September.

Faith, Mission & Learning

We all have different gifts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us. The person who has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in agreement with the faith. Anyone who has the gift of serving should serve. Anyone who has the gift of teaching should teach. Whoever has the gift of encouraging others should encourage. Whoever has the gift of giving to others should give freely. Anyone who has the gift of being a leader should try hard when he leads. Whoever has the gift of showing mercy to others should do so with joy.' - Romans 12:6-8 

As Catholic's, we need to understand our unique value to serve others.
Each of us has a piece of God that is unique. We are gifted with this, and we need to share this gift with others. Firstly, we need to ask ourselves, what is our ground? How can I impact the ground around me? 

To ensure we are serving others with love and compassion, we need to ensure we are not purely focused on our own abilities being used for our own benefit. Additionally, comparison is the thief of joy. God made each of us with grace, so we should celebrate our uniqueness with pridefulness. 

Gabrielle Bruin - Leader of Faith, Mission & Learning

Year 11 Retreat

St Raphael’s Catholic School retreats aim to put students in ‘communion and intimacy with Jesus Christ’(GDC 80).¹ Through the retreat experience students come to know Christian love and are exposed to a Gospel centered way of life.  Students hear the Gospel and are empowered to connect the Gospel message to their lives and to find ways of continuing the Church’s mission. They participate in the life of the Christian community through liturgy and through activities which emphasise growth in Christian faith.

The Year 11 retreat focused on students looking closely at themselves. For as Paul tells us in Galatians,“Whatever a man is sowing, so shall he reap” Galatians 6:7.

Learning Engagement & Wellbeing

Attendance Matters

Regular school attendance establishes a strong foundation for academic growth and paves the way for future achievements and enhancing life opportunities.

Regular school attendance is not just about meeting a requirement; it is a fundamental building block that sets the stage for academic growth, personal development, and the pursuit of life's opportunities. It lays the groundwork for a successful and fulfilling educational journey.

Consistent school attendance is a key factor in preparing students for success in college and future careers. Employers and higher education institutions value the dedication and commitment demonstrated through regular attendance.

Expect that your child attends and actively participates in their school community.

Primary Learning & Enrichment

Bronze and Level 7 Award Recipients

Congratulations to the following Primary students who have reached Bronze and Level 7 on the Behaviour Management Plan.

Bronze

Stewart Overman

LEVEL 7

Alexander Dunlop * Evie Woodhouse * Alex Kelly-Shepherd * Sebastian Rowlands * Madison Smith-Scott * Billy Simms * Wyatt Burns * William Buik * Lexie Kennedy * Beau Tremble * Lacey Rayner * Rowdy Causton * Tyler Harris * Edan Carman * Olive Hodder

Library News

More Book Week Fun!

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Learning Logistics & Pathways

Careers Corner

Students, parents & carers are encouraged to check out the latest updates on our school's career pathways website: https://straphaelscowra.careertools.com.au/

Any questions, please contact Mr Lette, thank you.

David Lette - Leader of Learning Logistics and Pathways

Primary Sport

Diocesan Athletics Carnival

On Friday, 23rd August, whilst most students were tucked up in bed enjoying their 'Pupil Free Day' sleep in, 9 of our Primary students were in Dubbo competing at the Bathurst Diocesan Athletics Carnival. These students had progressed from the Southern Region Carnival held in Cowra in Week 2. From all reports, the day was a very busy one, with our children doing well across both Track and Field events.

We have two students progressing through to the next level at Newcastle on the 13th September. Lexie Kennedy for the 100m sprint; and Will O'Reilly for the 100 and 200m sprints, High Jump and Long Jump. Will was also named joint Boys Age Champion for his achievements. Congratulations to Vallie, Melanie, Liam, Grace, Sarah, Lacey and Ebony for making it to this level. We wish Lexie and Will all the best at the Polding Carnival on the Friday of Week 8.

Schools Cup Netball

This Wednesday, our Stage 3 team that qualified from late last term, ventures onto Orange for the Regional Finals. We wish them lots of luck.

Todd Woodbridge Cup - Stage 3

On Tuesday, 20th August, St Raphael's had students compete in the Todd Woodbridge Cup tournament in Parkes. A tough day of competition saw us come out on top against the other schools, gaining entry into the Finals, to be held in God's Country, 'Parramatta' on November 18th. Well done and congratulations on this fine achievement.

Thank you also to Josh for being our "ball boy" on the day. His injury should be healed and ready to go come November where he can rejoin the team.

Grahame Statham - Primary Sports Coordinator

Secondary Sport

Diocesan Athletics Carnival (Dubbo)

Twenty-one students represented St Raphael’s Catholic School at the Secondary Diocesean Athletics Carnival in Dubbo. Amazing results were achieved on the day including:

• Karly Woods broke the High Jump record that has stood since 2011 with a jump of 1.58m
• The U15 Girls (Sophie Phelan, Laura Bennett & Sophie Richmond) and the U17 Girls (Laura Price) won the point score championship for their respective age groups
• Ten students progressed to the NSWCCC Athletics Championships to be held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre (SOPAC) in September. Those students were Laura Bennett, Laura Price, Sophie Phelan, Thomas Phelan, Toby Morrison, Joshua Morrison, Samuel Tydd, Oliver Tydd, Karly Woods, Brodie Bright.

Upcoming dates 

Netball NSW Region Final - Stage 4 & 5 (Orange) - Thursday 5th September

NSWCCC Athletics Championships (SOPAC) - Monday 16th September 

Year 9 Camp (Lake Burrendong Sport & Recreation Centre) - Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th October

Year 10 Camp (Borambola Sport & Recreation Centre) - Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th November 

Andrew Phelan - Secondary Sports Coordinator

Duke of Edinburgh

Dubbo Stampede Running Festival

As part of the Physical Activity component of the St Raphael’s Catholic School Duke of Edinburgh Award the Bronze, Silver & Gold participants have spent the past 13 weeks training for long distance running. This running program concluded with nineteen of the participants competing in the 5.3km Dingo Dash at the Dubbo Stampede Running Festival held at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Upcoming dates

Kiama Coast Walk (Bronze, Silver & Gold) - Friday 1st November - Sunday 3rd November.

Andrew Phelan - Duke of Edinburgh Award Coordinator

Administration

No students on school grounds before 8:20am

Families are reminded that there is to be no general student access to school grounds before 8:20am. 

There is no staff supervision until this time, and therefore students arriving on school grounds prior to 8:20am are out of bounds.  Please assist your school with the wellbeing and safety of all students by ensuring that your child is not on school grounds prior to 8:20am.

Maintaining Respectful Relationship with our Neighbours

Students and families are reminded of acceptable conduct when it comes to maintaining respectful relationships between our school and our residential neighbours.

• Poignand Avenue, off Liverpool Street, is not a suitable drop off and pick up point for your children. Parking here blocks access to residential driveways, damages nature strips and restricts through traffic. Please avoid Poignand Avenue when dropping off, and picking up your children.
• Cutting through neighbours garden beds is clearly disrespectful behaviour and children doing so should be reprimanded by parents, staff and residents.  Please send a clear message to your children that walking and running through other people's property is not accepted, and to stick to the footpaths when walking in to school grounds, or leaving at the end of the day.

Scholastic Book Club

Orders for the latest Book Club Issue close this Friday 6th September. Please complete your online order, or drop your completed form and cash to the school office by this date.

Canteen

Term 3 Canteen Menu:

Please note the attached canteen menu for Term 3. Online Ordering will be available from Monday 9th September via the Flexischools App.

Introducing the Flexischools App!

As of next Monday 9th September, St Raphael's Catholic School will be using Flexischools for parents to place their child's canteen orders! Australia's #1 school ordering solution, Flexischools, operates in more than 1700 schools across Australia, enabling parents and students to order and pay for school lunches online or via the  Flexischools app.

In order to be ready for launch next Monday 9th September, Parents are encouraged to download the Flexischools app from the Apple or Google store and follow the prompts to create an account. You can download the App and find registration and online ordering instructions here.

Parents can set daily spend limits and keep an eye on what they’re buying via the Flexischools app.  Additionally, you can also add access for your child to use the App, enabling them to place online orders themselves - great for growing independence.

Cash/envelope orders will remain available for those families who prefer this method of ordering, however we encourage all families to look into the Flexischools App for the convenient, cashless option it provides. 

Community Connections

Anita Heiss Reads Bidhi Galing

An online literacy event for all families to celebrate Indigenous Literacy Day!

Wednesday 4 September

7pm – 7.30pm

Indigenous Literacy Day is held on the first Wednesday of September and is an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Stories, Cultures and Languages (find out more here: (https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/ild). To celebrate this year, the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee has organised a wonderful online evening event open to all families in our schools.

We are delighted that Aboriginal Australian author Anita Heiss will read her book Bidhi Galing.  Dr Anita Heiss AM is a proud member of the Wiradyuri nation of central New South Wales and one of Australia's most prolific and well-known authors publishing across genres including non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction and children's fiction.

Her book Bidhi Galing (Big Rain) tells the story of the Great Flood of Gundagai in 1852 and the Wiradyuri heroes Yarri and Jacky Jacky who paddled bark canoes through raging floodwaters, risking their lives to save countless others. Primary school students aged 7–12 – and their families! – will love this story and the beautiful book illustrations. It’s a chance to sit down together and enjoy a nice, quiet time listening and reading, which is a wonderful way to support children’s literacy skills at home.

The Committee has a limited number of books to give away so families can read along with Anita, so register now to receive a copy of the book in the mail! We’ll include a Home Reading Tipsheet and fridge magnet too!

Go to the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT website to REGISTER.

 Or use the QR code below

  See you online on the 4th September at 7pm!