Term 4, Week 5 - Monday 1 November 2021

Principal's Report

Dear Parents

All Saints / All Souls day (Nov 1 & 2) are times to support one another as we each remember the loss we have experienced of loved ones. Grief is very real and may get parked for a while but never goes away. In fact, it seems to accumulate and therefore, giving ourselves time to sit with it and process it is important. A tradition in our parish throughout November is to record  the names of those we wish to remember and have the whole parish offer their masses for them.

I am proud to announce and congratulate the senior Student Leadership Team for 2022:

• Captains - Grace Richmond and Michael McNamara
• Senior Prefects - Emily Beath-Pearce, Mekisha Anderson, Will Norton and Flynn Bennett

With last Friday marking the last day for the current Year 12 cohort, our new leaders take up their responsibilities immediately.

Several of our teachers have been selected for HSC marking responsibilities and this selection is a powerful acknowledgement of their professional expertise. Equally, the learning by those teachers about what is being targeted and how to maximise marks directly benefits students in other cohorts when it comes to exam techniques.

In 2022 Miss Tina Van Rheede will spend her second year as our Youth Minister. Tina’s connections with secondary students in particular, her competence and her commitment have been utterly outstanding this year and her impact on the culture of our school has been very significant. We congratulate Tina and warmly welcome her continuation on the staff of St Raphs.

It appears that for a number of students, there is a degree of difficulty in resuming the regular school routine after an extended period of irregularity throughout August and September. For a number of children it appears that they may have forgotten how to school well and that some (re)coaching is necessary. I am sure that we, the adults in their life, will be collaborative and effective in helping them to resume that positive pre-lockdown mode. 

Kindy Start occurs again on Wednesday with our newest students gathering with their 2022 teachers and getting to 'know the ropes' of big school. Two nicely sized classes make up the cohort 2022 - 2034.

Stage 5 exams are being conducted this week and we wish those students involved every success. We also ask other students to be particularly considerate of those sitting exams by playing in areas away from exam rooms.

Michael Gallagher 

Principal

Faith & Life

All Saints Day - 1st November

The idea that we can all be saints may seem quite extraordinary. Can we put ourselves and saints in the same sentence or are they way out of our league? If we reflect upon it, maybe we can.

After all, saints were people who lived out the gospel, exemplifying Christian values. They were God’s people as much as we are, here to do some good and make a difference in the world.

Pope John Paul the Second became a Saint leading the Church, while Mother Teresa did it in the slums of Calcutta. Mary MacKillop lived a brave and generous life never seeing a need without doing something about it.

Imagine the effect if we intentionally tried to be ourselves, while living the principles of St Francis of Assisi.

In our ever changing world we are being given new opportunities to live exemplary lives. Through advances in technology and the growth of social media, we have the ability to influence and touch people's lives like never before.

So while we may struggle to put ourselves and saints in the same sentence, maybe we have something extraordinary to aspire to and with the grace of God we can go forth into the world and be saintly.

Altar Servers at St Raphael's Parish

Saturday 6 November- Bella Starr & Georgie Pearce

Sunday 7 November - Leuwin McGill & Oscar McGill

Sacrament of Reconciliation 
Families of Year 2 students are reminded to please check Compass for the 'Virtual Parent Meeting' for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  A few important changes have been made: The preparation time for Reconciliation will begin on the weekend of 13/14 November (Week 6). Participants will receive their first worksheet on this weekend. The Sacrament of Reconciliation service will now be held on Monday 13th December at 6:30pm.  

What's On This Week

Focus on Families

St Raphael’s Catholic School presents … A Kaleidoscope of Kindness

Last week saw the launch of this very important project in our school. We kick started with each family receiving a kit to use in their home over the next three weeks. It includes a reflection of the Kindness Intention for that week. It also includes leaves for our students to fill in and return to school. Each Homeroom in the Primary has a Kindness Tree for the leaves to be hung on. The leaves will be hung on the Kindness Tree in the Breakout space for our Secondary students. This week’s intention is 'I saw kindness….'

Special thanks to Skye Muddle of Skye & Co for her generous donation of stickers to the first students who return their leaves.

This Friday we will also be showing our kindness when we donate money to Catholic Missions for Crazy Sock Day.

Take a Few For You

For the next three weeks we will pause Take A Few For You as families complete their Kindness Take Home Kits.

SPaR on Zoom

Do you know what Ubuntu is? No? Well come along to SPaR this week and find out all about it. Wednesday night at 7:30pm . Log onto Zoom at https://zoom.us/

Click on join at Meeting. Then put in the following Meeting ID and Password. Meeting ID: 683 3228 0743 Password: 427664

If you would like anything else to help out during this time, please contact me via email (n.twohill-scott@bth.catholic.edu.au

Random Acts Of Kindness Ideas To Do For Family Members:

1. Watch your sister’s (brother’s, in-law’s) kids for an evening so they can enjoy a night out          with their partner or friends.
2. Make and deliver a meal to someone in your family.
3. Offer to help clean their house when they are going through a hard time (sick, working late        hours, new baby, etc.)
4. Send a care package to those who are away at school.
5. Have “dates” with your kids or nieces/nephews.
6. Send a “thinking of you” card the old snail mail way.
7. Offer to sit and talk, SPEND TIME with each other.
8. Surprise them with their favourite drink/snack.
9. Create a coupon book with things they can redeem at any time (free back massage, free get    out of a chore coupon, free stay up an extra 30 minutes past bedtime). This is good for both kids and spouses.
10. Make their favourite meal (even when you may not like it)!

Wellbeing

Crazy Sock Day - Friday November 5

Please support Catholic Mission by wearing your crazy socks and bringing a gold coin donation this Friday 5 November and as a school show our kindness and ‘sock it to poverty’.

Earrings for Hope

Year 9 Green are raising money for Share the Dignity by selling 3D printed earrings.  Most of the earrings are approximately 3cm tall and 3mm thick. They all have a 2mm hole that fits most sleepers. The sleepers are not included. Some designs come in assorted colors. Supplies are limited and may run out.

Cost: $5 for a pair or Buy 2 pairs get one free

Date: 1:30-1:50pm Wednesday 3 November (Secondary), Thursday 4 November (Primary) and Friday 5 November (Infants).

Mercy Foundation Youth Awards 

Congratulations to Lucy Tydd who achieved a highly commended for her entry in the Mercy Foundation Youth Mental Health Artwork Competition! Lucy's entry depicts an anatomical brain on the left side and on the right side, how a brain can look when you take steps to look after your mental health. Lucy received a $50 gift card for her entry! Well done!
Miss Tahni Isedale - Wellbeing Coordinator

Cultural Learning and Acknowledgment

Congratulations to our secondary boys cultural group who have been meeting weekly during Learning Plus to contribute their ideas and skills to a collaborative canvas.

Canteen

Please find attached for your convenience a copy of our Summer Canteen Menu for 2021. This menu will be effective for Term 4.

Positive Learning Behaviour - Primary

Congratulations to our primary students who have achieved the next level on our  Behaviour Management Program. 

Level 5

Timothy Skelton - 4 Gold

Alex Moriarty - 4 Gold

Level 6

Kaiden Bischof - 4 Green

Callum Dromgold - 4 Green 

Level 7

Melanie Davies - 3 Gold

Liam Doolan - 3 Gold 

Willow Harris - 3 Gold

Olivia Loveday - 3 Gold

Claire McLennan - 3 Gold

Ben Pearce - 3 Gold 

Louis Thomas - 3 Gold

Peyton Bates - 3 Green 

Harper Chalker - 3 Green  

Cameron McAlister - 3 Green 

Max Osborne - 4 Gold

Jack Graham - 4 Green

Sarah Myers - 4 Green

Ned Osborne - 4 Green

Charlie Smith - 4 Green

William Allan - 5 Green

Patrick Twigg - 5 Green

Samuel Tydd - 5 Green

Lexi White - 5 Green

Maddi Causton - 6 Gold

Tahlia Beresford - 6 Gold

Level 8

Ayanna Goyal - 4 Gold

Sienna Launders - 4 Gold 

Ruby Wilson - 4 Gold 

Lyla Louttit - 5 Green

Your Teachers are very Proud of You!

This Week's Birthdays