Term 4, Week 7 - Monday 15 November

Principal's Report

Dear Parents

There is a big week ahead for the St Raphael’s family - let’s make the most of it.

HSC students sit their Mathematics, PDHPE, VET Automotive, Legal Studies and Community & Family Studies exams this week. Please support these students through this challenging time.

In a school, good learning depends on having a good learning atmosphere. Establishing and maintaining a good learning environment is, therefore, a matter of the highest priority in a school setting. When students feel secure, listened to and academically challenged at an appropriate level they thrive. The unpredictable situations we have lived through during 2020 and 2021 have robbed us all of that sense of security at least to some degree. It has challenged our structures and responses. A major project launched at the start of the year has been to look closely at:

• What we believe about student & staff rights and responsibilities, 
• What behaviours we encourage, discourage, will not tolerate & how do we do that?
• How do we promote effective student voice?

At first, this appears to be a simple task, it is not, and much research and discussion has been invested. Consultation among staff will continue as will consultation of parents and students in coming weeks. The process is designed to lead us to a situation that has a shared vision of what we are trying to establish as well as an agreed practice about how we get there.

Waterproofing our children is also a matter of utmost importance and we do this through Swimsafe K-6. We are setting the children up for their long term future. This week we commence Swimsafe and, initially the excitement and novelty will dominate the emotions of the children, please be aware of the onset of the exhaustion factor a little later and maybe routines will need to be adjusted / relaxed for a bit. The start of Swimsafe has been delayed due to the poor weather and will begin tomorrow (Tuesday).

Year 6 students from St Raphael’s and from our feeder schools have a Transition day together on Tuesday to assist in their preparations for Year 7. We strongly support the HSC cohort of 2027.

Stage 5 Retreats are being held this week - a great investment of time and effort in stepping aside for a while to consider our priorities and purpose.

Four of our senior students stepped forward to compete in the Youth Peace Awards hosted by Cowra Rotary. Nine young Cowra people presented themselves for the award. Congratulations to Anna Russell, Emily Beath-Pearce, Cameron Melton, and Ethan Tindall. Congratulations to the 2021 winner, Stassi Austin.

The Australian Training Awards are being announced in Sydney on Thursday evening and that is really important to us because we are one of three national finalists in the category “School Pathways to VET”. We will have representatives at the event and we will also have remote access, so set aside the 6:30pm timeslot for the awards - the link to the event will be provided closer to the date.

The second group of children receiving the sacrament of the Eucharist will receive their first communion on Saturday evening. Please keep these children and their families in your prayers.

A significant number of new enrolment applications have been received across many year groups, primary and secondary. To enable us to be ahead of the game with our planning and staffing, please notify us if your circumstances are changing and could impact our enrolments.

Reports on learning progress in Semester 2 are currently being developed for students K-10. Feedback about good work and growth is important for parents as well as students. 

Michael Gallagher 

Principal

Faith & Life

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

Lord make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is despair, hope;

and where there is sadness, joy.

Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. 

For it is in giving they we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Altar Servers at St Raphael's Parish

Saturday 20 November - Charli Raynolds & Sara Rush

Sunday 21 November - Tahne Egan & Maddy White

What's On This Week

Focus on Families

St Raphael’s Catholic School presents…….

A Kaleidoscope of Kindness

Although our Kaleidoscope of Kindness Project officially ended on Saturday we would love for any completed leaves to be sent back to school for display.

Take a Few For You

Take A Few For You will recommence this week. Look out for the Compass notification on Friday.

SPaR on Zoom

Want to take some time just for you? Yes! Well come along to SPaR this week. 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

Canteen

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

Curriculum News

Primary Homework during Swimsafe (Weeks 7 & 8)

Over the next two weeks, there will be no set homework for the Primary students. If the children's stamina is fairing well, then reading is encouraged. However, we ask that log books and readers remain home as wet swim gear and books do not mix well. For our Infants (and indeed many of our Primary children), listening to a story will suffice. Otherwise, rest is a perfect solution for tired children. The Sora and Storybox sites could be used at this time.

Positive Learning Behaviour - Primary

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

Level 5

Ella Paul - 5 Green

Level 6

Bailey South - 6 Gold

Level 7

Halle Flanagan - 3 Gold

Brayden Chooi  - 3 Gold

White Miller - 4 Gold

Bobbi Curtale - 4 Green

Georgia Kennedy - 4 Green

Ruby Lewis  - 4 Green

Sam Kollas - 5 Green

Oliver Tydd - 5 Green

Billy Brown - 6 Gold

Lucas Shepherd - 6 Gold

Owen Holmes - 6 Green

Chelsea Kennedy - 6 Green

Isabella Lette - 6 Green

Tyler Morgan - 6 Green

Zac Porter - 6 Green

Level 8

Claudia Orford - 3 Gold

Anna Pearce - 3 Green

Evie Smith - 3 Green

Erin Rutledge - 4 Gold

Shelby Ball - 4 Green

Harry Frazer - 4 Green

Lucas Davies - 5 Green

Your Teachers are very Proud of You!

This Week's Birthdays

Community Connections