Term 1, Week 4 - Monday 24 February, 2025

What's On This Week

Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers, 

We are truly blessed to have an awesome school. Every Diocesan Leader who comes to St Raphael’s remarks about the wonderful student cohort and staff we have. They also make glowing comments about the achievements we have at St Raphael’s as well as the care we have for every member of our school community. 

Last week at our swimming carnival, pool staff and parents all praised the wonderful cameraderie of students from primary and secondary who enjoyed time together, displayed respect and represented our school with exemplary pride. 

Our Director of the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst was proud to be at our inaugural celebration of 2024 HSC Distinguished Achievers. Hearing the comments students from Years 4 -12 made about the extent of high achievers receiving awards, was a monumental moment whereby students witnessed what achievement looks like. One student achieved distinguished learning gain across 4 subjects. This is an outstanding achievement demonstrating that you do not have to be first in class to demonstrate strong growth. In particular our ATAR Dux also demonstrated distinguished learning growth, reflecting hard work which absolutely supported her high ATAR grades. 

Our school was selected last week for the Indigenous Veterans Commemoration Service Regional Youth Program 2025 at Hyde Park in Sydney 30th May 2025. This is significant recognition of the wonderful work carried out at St Raphael's by our inclusive community, our AEO's, our ATSI leader, and our wonderful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. 

Sharon Cooke from CSNSW has tapped St Raph’s on the shoulder to attend this fantastic opportunity with 6 students and 3 teachers, because of the wonderful Indigenous initiatives in our school. We are the only school in NSW to be selected for this opportunity. This will be a very memorable event.

This week a group of Year 9 and 10 students commenced a Stage 6 VET Cert II course in Foundational Skills for Work. The students are super excited and feel very privileged to start a senior course in Stage 5. This program is a pilot by JobQuest for regional areas. We are so privileged to be the first school to conduct the course. 

Last week the St Raph’s Leadership Team had a meeting with CEDB Leadership about our 2024 HSC results. It was highlighted that St Raph’s has made the greatest achievement in learning in the Diocese. This is a phenomenal accolade, and a tribute to the hard work of staff and students. Also acknowledged was the exemplary experience of our teachers, and the strategic vision and direction we have for ensuring student learning growth from K-12. That in itself is an invaluable gift to our students. Their learning journey is connected from K-12, ensuring every learner has individualised and solid data to inform their next steps in learning. 

Have a fabulous week!

God Bless, 

Michelle Deschamps - Principal

From the Assistant Principal

Welcome one and all to another edition of the St Raphael's newsletter. It has been a busy start to our year but also a start that is focused on what is best for our students.

Above all we have as our core business the growth and wellbeing of our students. Every decision we make has a student centred focus and we constantly ask ourselves how does this benefit our students? This is important for everyone to understand; teaching is a vocation because we at St Raphael's go beyond what is required of us to ensure that our students are provided with an educational experience that will enhance their knowledge, their growth and their understanding.

This can be seen in the first weeks of this year - anyone who was at the swimming carnival in Week 3 would have witnessed staff and students enjoying themselves and competing in a variety of races and events. This does not simply happen. We have a team at St Raphael's that willingly give up their time over the weekends, early morning and afternoon to ensure that this was a safe event that students could enjoy and have an experience that will last long after the sunburn has faded. It was a fantastic day!

Then we had the Water Fun Day for our Infants students and watching them slide and run and laugh last Thursday cannot help but reinforce the wonderful school that is St Raphael’s. Year 12 had their retreat on Friday 21st where they headed off to Carcoar with staff and they had a day of reflection and built a sense of community arriving back in Cowra around 7pm. Once again staff are willing to give up their time to give our students opportunities that will hopefully build who they will become.

All these opportunities are what makes St Raphael's a school of choice for our region. We look forward to continuing to develop our school and we look forward to welcoming new students to our school for 2026. Enrolments are now open for next year with important dates for Year 7 2026 and Kindergarten coming up very soon. I would urge all parents and the community to be aware of these dates that are advertised in this newsletter and to come in for enrolment packages as there are limited spaces and late enrolments may be placed on a waiting list.

As always please feel free to contact the school if you would like further information or would like to talk with me.

David Wickham - Assistant Principal

Faith, Mission & Learning

Pope Francis has proclaimed that 2025 will be a Holy Year of Jubilee, a special year of grace and conversion, involving prayer, pilgrimage and sacramental repentance, ordinarily held every 25 years.

The goal of a Jubilee year is to inspire and encourage holiness of life among the faithful and therefore to strengthen the Church's witness to God's loving mercy in and for the world. The spiritual theme for the 2025 Holy Year of Jubilee is 'Pilgrims of Hope'.

Pope Francis believes that, in today’s world, hope suffers; that too many people have been robbed by cynicism and despair. During Jubilee 2025, he wants everyone to have ‘an intense experience of the love of God that awakens in hearts the sure hope of salvation in Christ’. Only this hope - born from knowing that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Rom 8:35-39) - can breathe life back into weary souls. 

This hope is not optimism. It is not a forced positivity in the face of hardship and evil. It is a grace from God, a trust in the Lord’s promises: that he is good, that he is merciful, and that we are journeying towards the one who says, ‘Look, I am making everything new’ (Rev 21:5).  

Isaiah 40:31: as pilgrims of hope, the prophet Isaiah lets us reflect on what it means to put our hope in the Lord so that we can ‘run and not grow weary, walk but never tire’ on life’s pilgrimage. 

Gabrielle Bruin - Leader of Faith, Mission & Learning

Wellbeing

Positive Learning Behaviours at St Raphael’s

Our proactive approach to learning behaviours at St Raphael’s has seen a positive start to the new school year for our Kindergarten to Year Six students.  During Weeks Two and Three, our primary focus has been, 'Being Ready for Learning'. 

Teachers and students addressed the following points:

• Arrive to class on time
• Bring equipment from your bag in the morning
• Have a positive mindset
• Sitting and looking at teacher
• Wait quietly for instructions
• Use the positive self talk  - Eyes watching, ears listening, voices quiet and body calm (still)

During Weeks Four and Five, students and teachers will be focusing on:

• Being ready at lines
• Wearing our uniform with pride

To be Ready at Lines students will be encouraged to be ready for listening when the assembly bell is rung.  Students will be asked to put down their bags, tuck their shirts in and face the front of the assembly to listen to the teacher addressing the assembly.

To be Wearing their Uniform with Pride, teachers will be encouraging and explaining the importance of wearing school hats whilst outside and wearing their uniform to the best of their ability.

St Raphael’s Catholic School Uniform Requirements

Learning Logistics and Pathways

Morning Arrival of Students

Safe morning delivery of children needs the consideration and co-operation of motorists. Please move to the front of the Liverpool Street drop-off zone to enable others to park and deliver their children as well. Please deliver your children and move away from the delivery zone carefully and promptly. Between 8:00am and 9:30am the zone is “No Parking” so you cannot leave your car.  If you want to come into the school then park outside the zone and walk.  Please remember that no parking is allowed in Poignand Avenue due to it restricting residential access. 

A reminder to all our parents that school zones remain in place for the safety of our children and families. School zones operate on all gazetted school days, which are all the days the school is open, even pupil-free days. School zones for our school commence Day 1 of each school Term and conclude on the last day of a school Term.

Families are reminded that there is to be no general student access to school grounds before 8:20am. Supervision of the playground commences at 8:20am.  No student should be dropped off before this time. 

Attendance/Absences/ Lateness & Sign-Outs

The NSW Education Act (1990) and the Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst Limited require Parents/Carers to ensure that children of compulsory school age attend school on each day that the school is open for instruction. If children are absent from school Parents/Carers are required to provide the school with an acceptable explanation, within 7 days of the absence. 

When your child is absent without an explanation, an automated SMS message will be sent asking you to contact the school for an explanation. This may be carried out through the Compass Parent Portal, or by emailing or calling the school. 

• Late arrival sign-in: Late student arrivals (after 9:00am) must be signed in by a Parent/Carer at the School Office.
• Early departure sign-out (before 3:10pm): Parents are required to Sign their child out from the School Office.
• Extended Leave: For leave greater than 10 days, a written Application for Extended Leave - Travel (Form A1) must be completed and submitted to the Principal for approval. Contact the School Office for further details and to obtain a copy of this form. 

Please note that the government policy requires us to inform parents of any concerns around attendance, or if attendance flags below the government requirement. This will include a phone call from the school and a written letter, or a request for a meeting with Wellbeing or Principal. 

Careers

All Secondary students have access to Career Tools (a fantastic resource to help you with all things careers). Parents / carers may also access the site to help them. 

https://straphaelscowra.careertools.com.au/

I would encourage parents and carers to explore this site’s valuable resources and discuss options and ideas with your child.

Students and parents / carers are welcome to contact Mr Lette for advice and assistance relating to careers / tertiary study at any time.

Students: Please email me or see me at recess or lunch to arrange a time to discuss your future. Please note, all senior students will have numerous one to one career planning meetings with me over Year 12. I will arrange these on a rotational basis, during lunchtimes and study periods.

Parents: Please contact the school office to arrange an appointment: (02) 63 42 2940

Mr David Lette - Leader of Learning Logistics & Pathways

Administration

Road & Bus Safety Rules

Staff and students have been focusing on road and bus rules to ensure the safety of all.

Parents are asked to support the efforts of the staff to also follow our safety procedures whilst collecting children at home time.

For parents who are collecting children from the front of the school, we ask that you do so from the eastern gateway near the Kindergarten rooms as this is our collection point. The remainder of the area leading all the way to the front office path, should be congestion free as careful supervision of students boarding the buses is our priority.

Walking children across the road between buses is extremely dangerous. Please refrain from doing this.

The children have been taught that standing on the gutter waiting for a bus is not safe.  Parents, please support us in our safe teachings and keep yourselves and your children away from the gutters in the bus zones.

Whilst the after school pick up time is a great opportunity to socialise with other parents, gathering in the bus zone is not ideal. Perhaps it would be best to make arrangements to collect your child from the back gate where there is a far safer area for you to mingle.

Regarding drop offs, we encourage parents to see their child off at the Liverpool Street driveway school gates. Your child can then safely make their way to their designated play area.  

Kindy and new students may need a little encouragement, therefore they may need to be accompanied down the driveway by their parents for the first 2 weeks of school.  Year 6 Guardian Angels and staff will be available to assist the students once they are on the playground. 

Thank you for supporting us in the safe keeping of our precious children.  For more information on Bus Safety for School students, please check out this transport for NSW brochure.

School Bus Travel

For all enquiries regarding school student bus travel, please see Transport NSW 

Transport NSW does provide all students a 'grace period', allowing time for all applications to be completed and submitted for the consideration for subsidised travel. This period will be in place until the 4th of March 2025. After this time, those who do not hold a current approved registration will be required to pay the $2 fare per trip.

Therefore, we do encourage you all to jump online and start this process as soon as possible. Remembering an application will be needed for ALL new students (commencing Kindy, changing service providers), as well as those students changing schools (moving from year 6 to year 7 simply moving schools) or those have had a change in circumstances (including a change in address, progressing from year 2 to year 3, had a change in custody arrangements etc).

Child Protection

Bathurst Diocesan Sport

Bathurst Diocesan Sport provides a pathway for students to reach their potential in school sport. Teachers and support staff organise events at many levels to ensure the students of the Diocese of Bathurst have access to the school sports pathway.

This website will provide information about sport in the Diocese of Bathurst as well as provide reports from events and an opportunity to celebrate student achievements.  For all things Primary and Secondary Dio Sport - check out the website https://sites.google.com/bth.catholic.edu.au/cedbsportcommunity/home

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is coming up in weeks 6, 7 & 8. For more information on NAPLAN, see this information from the Department of Education. https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers

School Bell Times for 2025

Please note the confirmation of school start and finish times (8:50am – 3:10pm) and a change to class/period durations to bring Secondary and Primary bell times in line. Secondary Homeroom begins at 8.50am. Please ensure that your child is at school before this time so that they can start the day prepared and ready for the day ahead.  Any student arriving after 9am is late and must be signed in at the school office.

Kindergarten Arrival Times - Weeks 4 to 6

Sport Uniform Days

Years 7-10 Week A and Week B  timetables for wearing of Sports Uniform are provided here.

2025 School Fees

School fees will be generated, and statements sent out on 28th February 2025, with first instalments due 14th March. Payment options will be listed on your statement, which will be sent to all account holders via email. 

For your convenience, we offer the option of paying via direct debit. This is a handy set and forget option to ensure your school fees are paid off in full by the conclusion of the school year. If you wish to set this up, forms are available at the school office.

Additionally, account holders who hold a Concession or Health Care Card may be eligible for a discount on their account. Please contact the school to discuss this option further.

Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at straphaels@bth.catholic.edu.au

Primary Sport

Infants K-2 Water Fun Day

Last Thursday, all Infants students participated in a "Water Fun Day" as their "Swimming Carnival." Lovely conditions for some water splashing and slip sliding! Well done everyone on the fun spirit in which you participated. Thank you to our Primary House Captains for setting up, packing up and helping the teachers to run the event.

Swimming Carnival - Years 3-12

On Monday of Week 3, Years 3 to 12 went to the Cowra Aquatic Centre for our annual Swimming Carnival. A great day was had by all who attended. Thank you to all the students who turned up and had a go, earning points for their House. Kilbreda were the overall winners on the day. Thank you also to the parents who helped out on the day with any of the jobs.

Age Champions were :

Junior Girls = Ella Moodie

Junior Boys = Alex Kelly-Shepherd

11 Year Girls = Ashley Kang

11 Year Boys = Jack Smith

Senior Girls = Grace Kelly-Shepherd

Senior Boys = Beau Tremble

We have 34 students from Years 3-6 who have now qualified for the next leg of the Swimming, the Southern Region, at Orange this Wednesday. We wish them the best of luck.

Penrith Panthers NRL Trophy Visit

Years 1-6 had the NRL Development team from Bathurst come and visit us in Week 2, bringing with them the trophy that Penrith won last year. They talked about the importance of respecting each other, whether it be on the field, in the classroom, at home, or wherever you may come in contact with others.

Their message was well received as it is a focus for our students here at school anyway. The 40kg trophy was able to be held by a chosen few. We look forward to hopefully seeing the trophy back next year with its new owners, the Parramatta Eels!

Canteen

Council of Catholic School Parents

Community Connections

Digital Youth Hub - NSW DPIRD Youth News

For information on Health and Wellbeing, Education and Training, Employment, Life Stuff and The Environment ... or to discover upcoming opportunities to have your say through surveys, consultations and more, check out the Digital Youth Hub managed by the Australian Government’s Office for Youth.

Cowra Blues

The Cowra Blues are looking for players for the Under 17 competition. If you're turning 15 to 17 this year, and keen for a game, the club wants to hear from you. Under 17s games are on Sundays through the season, so it's a great opportunity to try a different sport over the weekend. Want more information?.......check out the club's Facebook page at cowrabluesAFL or message 0428413246.

The club has organised a 'Come and Try' day for Monday 3 March at 6:00pm at the footy ground in Bourke Street. This is a great opportunity to have a chat to the coaches and find out more, so come down for a kick and register your interest.