Term 4, Week 4 - Monday 30th October, 2023

What's On This Week

Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, 

We continue to provide a breadth of experiences across the curriculum at St Raphael’s. Camps have enabled students to explore a variety of opportunities to get out of their comfort zone, build resilience and confidence. Retreats provide the opportunity for students to connect with each other and explore their Faith. Sports continues to offer students a diverse range of team and individual skills and knowledge across many disciplines. 

In 2024 with our new AP and Leader of Teaching and Learning, we will be refining much of the work we have already commenced in our Annual Improvement Plan. In 2024, St Raphael’s Catholic school will focus on broadening staff Catholic professional knowledge to improve practice while centering around community networks. This will ensure students have opportunities for faith formation and to develop their Catholic proficiency.

In 2024, we will strive to develop and embed sustainable and meaningful wellbeing processes and procedures to ensure learning is the fundamental focus of all stakeholders. In conjunction with this, all new and existing curriculum will constructively, collaboratively and carefully be reflected upon; further developing our inquiry learning skills and knowledge.

In 2024, we hope to start the year with a strategic capital works plan which will be shared with all stakeholders, before commencing the capital works trajectory. We are hoping that the new year sees our planning confirmed and future directions established. Our first priority will be our grounds and toilets, enabling time to get our new hall approved. We look forward to developing a sacred space on the playground, and a Japanese Garden (sacred space) based on student designs, planning and development.

In regards to our Bus Cola, please be patient with our next steps in improving the remainder of the ground at the front, and planting some hedges, providing seating and further works. We are still waiting for the builder to be able to do the concreting. 

Next year we have two new primary teachers joining us: Phoebe McGrath and Deidre Holmes. Phoebe comes from St Philomena’s in Moree, and this year was awarded the Diocean Teacher of the Year Award. Deidre has been a valued casual staff member for sometime. We welcome our new staff to our team. 

We are blessed to have all of our staffing filled for 2024 in both Primary and Secondary. We still have interviews coming up for our Literacy Coach for Secondary. Next year our secondary faculty leaders will consist of: KLA Leader English/CAPA/Languages, KLA Leader HSIE/RE, KLA Leader Maths/Science/PDHPE, KLA Leader TAS/VET. In conjunction with our new leaders, we are set to have a fantastic year. We also have a new testing/data Analysis and Intervention Leader for Secondary, Kylie McNamara.  This important work will align with Kylie’s role in Learning Support. 

A few weeks ago I attended the Police and Principal’s Forum for Chifley. This was an insightful day focused on supporting our youth. In particular, it is important to change our narrative with our students. Whilst in a school setting we have a Wellbeing Policy and Procedures, and we need to be reminded that specific behaviours warrant police intervention. In particular, students being physically hands-on in any way is unacceptable in the eyes of the law. It is important that our students understand that even if a hand on to another student was meant as a joke, it is not acceptable in our law. Bullying and social media inappropriate interactions are very much seen as unlawful. Therefore, over the coming weeks I will be discussing the outcomes of the forum with our students. Also the Police Youth Officers will be talking to Year 6 before the end of the year, to set them up for success in secondary. 

God Bless

Michelle Deschamps

Faith, Mission & Learning

Month of October and Indigenous Rosary Beads

The month of October is always dedicated to Mary and the Rosary. This year all students in our Primary Department had the opportunity to make an Indigenous Rosary Decade. Many thanks to Mrs Hubber (AEW) and our Miimi Birrang students for helping us out.

Nicole Twohill-Scott - Assistant Leader of Faith, Mission and Learning

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St Raphael's Church Altar Servers Roster 

Saturday 4 November - Noah and Georgia Campbell

Sunday 5 November - Sienna Launders and Halle Flanagan

Saturday 11 November - School Leaders

Sunday 12 November - Laura and Rosemary Bennett

Saturday 18 November - Ned and Max Osborne

Sunday 19 November - Sam and Josh Launders

Saturday 25 November - Charlize Skelton and Lucy James

Sunday 26 November - Beatrix Perry and Tilly Gundersen

Administration

Primary Learning & Engagement

Swim Safe K-6

With swimming starting next week, students will no doubt be tired and the issuing of homework will be easing off but the teachers would really appreciate if students could continue with their home reading on as many nights a week as possible and ensure that their home reading logs are returned each Friday.

Year 4 are to wear their sports uniform on Friday this week due to their walking excursion to the Japanese Gardens on Friday.

Primary Wellbeing Day - Monday 6th November

Our K-6 'Wellbeing Day’ will be held next Monday 6th November. 

The Wellbeing Day will involve planned activities from 10:30am-3:10pm that encourage students to reflect, play and spend quality time together with the whole Infants and Primary departments. 

A highlight of the event will be the finals of our talent show! 

You are welcome to attend and watch the talent show if your child has been chosen to present on the day. It will be held in St Brigid’s hall at 12:10pm. Please be aware that we have limited seating in the hall so you may need to watch standing outside the hall.

Year 2 Letter Writing

In Term 2, Year Two read the book The ANZAC Billy by Claire Saxby. This book told the story of families who gather items for their loved ones serving during the war, creating a parcel of these items in a billy and sending them overseas at Christmas time. 

We decided to write letters to current service members, telling them about ourselves, our school and our town. We had a wonderful surprise this term when we received letters in return. 

Primary Sport

Swim Safe

Swim Safe Swim Safe 2023 is coming up next week (Weeks 5 and 6 of Term 4). Please make sure that all pool entry payments and online consent forms are completed by Friday 3 November 2023 through the Compass Portal. Our Swim Safe sessions will be running from Tuesday 7 November to Thursday 16 November 2023. 

Session times are available here.

Swim Safe Essentials 
Labelled swimmers, labelled towel, labelled sunscreen, labelled rash top or t-shirt, labelled goggles and/or ear plugs (if required), labelled school hat, plastic bag for wet swimming attire, labelled dry shirt/jumper to wear back to school. Please have socks and underwear labelled as well. 

If you have any questions in regards to this please do not hesitate to contact the school or Mr Chris Colemane at c.colemane@bth.catholic.edu.au

Summer Sport Trials

Well done to all the students who participated in the Diocesan Summer Sport Trials recently in Dubbo. All students involved had a great day competing against a range of students from the diocese. Congratulations to Will who made the Bathurst Diocesan Team for Touch Football. 

Canteen

Helpers Needed!

Our wonderful canteen is in desperate need of volunteers, and the draft roster for Term 4 is full of holes just waiting for your availability! If you would like to speak with Donna about joining the Canteen Volunteer team in 2023, please call her on 0427 501 508 or register your interest here.

Whether it's one day a term, a month or a fortnight, your assistance would be most appreciated. Volunteering at the canteeen is a great way to connect with your school, meet your child's friends and get to know other families at the school. It is also a heap of fun, and lunch is provided.  In the same way that it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to continue to provide fresh and healthy meal options at school. Please consider putting your hand up to help.

Community Connections

Come join the Triathlon Club this Season!  Every second Friday arvo 530pm for 6pm start.

Next to Cowra Pool and Basketball Court

DISABILITY AWARENESS T-SHIRT DESIGN COMPETITION

Cowra Youth Council are running a t-shirt design competition – enter now and you could see your artwork in print!

Great prizes up for grabs so start designing now. Make sure your design is no bigger than 400mm(H) x 300mm(W) and contains the following colours to represent different disabilities:

GREEN -  Sensory

BLUE - Mental

RED - Physical

YELLOW - Neurodivergence

WHITE  - Undiagnosed

The winning design will be printed on black T-shirts in full colour to celebrate the International Day of People with a Disability on 3 December. 

Enter online at: Disability Awareness T-Shirt Design Competition | Cowra Council

Entries close 30 October 2023.

APPLY NOW FOR THE 2024 COWRA YOUTH COUNCIL!

The Cowra Youth Council (CYC) is now accepting applications for 2024.

Youth Councillors will be appointed to the CYC for a 14 month term by Cowra Council and required to attend monthly meetings and participate in events.

If you want to make a difference in your community, join us now!

Apply online at: Apply now for the 2024 Cowra Youth Council! | Cowra Council

Applications close on Monday 6 November 2023.