Dear Parents and Caregivers,

During the last two weeks there have been a number of events which assist in strengthening the participation of parents in the school. We have now had two Friday morning assemblies to acknowledge student achievement, birthdays and overall school strengths. Parents and caregivers are always welcomed and valued at these assemblies which commence at 8.50am and conclude by 9.10am. They are conducted on the front playground near the flagpole area. Please continue to check the fortnightly newsletter to see whether infants or primary students will receive awards. Our Year 6 students run these assemblies and are becoming very skilled in using the microphone system. We have numerous budding public speakers in our midst. 

Another standout parent participation opportunity was the ‘Welcome Disco’ on the back playground last Friday between 5-7pm. Our school Parents and Friends (P&F) group put on a wonderful event, supported by many parents and students. The P&F were assisted with parent volunteers for the BBQ, drinks and overall support. Congratulations and thanks to our hardworking P&F and parent helpers, as well as the school staff who assisted on the day. Thank you to Stella Studioz for providing the disco! 

Last Tuesday evening the school leadership team, P&F and I welcomed a full library of prospective enrolments for 2025. This year the application to attend a Catholic school in the Diocese of Wollongong is submitted using an online portal. The leadership team and I loved meeting the prospective new parents and look forward to interviewing all of our new students on Saturday 4 May. If you have a child ready to commence Kindergarten in 2025, please commence the application as soon as possible as we have already been inundated with applications. Please advise friends and family to submit an application immediately as places will be limited for 2025 based on the current enrolment applications already received. 

Thank you again to Mr Allmark, staff and parents who assisted at the Cross Country for the Year 3-6 students at beautiful Willandra two weeks ago. It was a wonderful day. Please read the sport section in today’s newsletter. The Wollongong Diocesan Carnival, also at Willandra and coordinated by St Michael’s Nowra, will be on Tuesday 7 May. Today the students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 had their mini ‘Cross Country’ on the back oval. Thank you to all staff, parents and Year 6 students who assisted in organising this carnival. 

Over the last two weeks the Year 3 and 5 students have participated in the NAPLAN testing program. As previously explained, NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows teachers, parents/carers and students to gauge how each child is progressing against national proficiency standards. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school's assessment and reporting process, but is a very useful way of assessing both individual and whole group growth. This year, the school found the number of daily student absences due to sickness to be a major challenge in the efficient organisation of the program. Numerous small sessions were conducted with students when they returned to school from being absent. Fortunately there is a two week window for the testing program, but student absences this year made the program difficult to finalise. Thank you to our Year 3 and Year 5 teachers, as well as numerous other staff and leadership who ensured all students received every opportunity to participate in the program. 

During the last week students have gained valuable insights about St Patrick and St Joseph. 

• St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain in the late 4th century and was captured by Irish raiders as a teenager, later becoming a devout Christian. After escaping captivity, he returned to Ireland as a missionary, spreading Christianity and establishing churches, monasteries, and schools. His legacy is celebrated on 17 March, the day that he died. This is a special day of celebration for all Catholics and vast numbers of people around the world. 
• St Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus, and is a very significant person in the Catholic church. As the father of Jesus and the husband of Mary, Joseph was known for his humility, faithfulness, and role as a carpenter. He is revered as the patron saint of workers and the universal Catholic Church. Despite the scarcity of details about his life in the Bible, he is honoured on 19 March, his feast day, and is remembered for his steadfast love and support of Jesus and Mary.

This Sunday the Catholic Church and other Christian religions around the world commence Holy Week. This is a sacred period in Christianity commemorating the final days of Jesus Christ, leading up to his crucifixion on Good Friday and culminating in his resurrection on Easter Sunday. It begins with Palm Sunday, marking Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, followed by Holy Thursday, when he shared the Last Supper with his disciples, instituting the sacrament of Communion. Good Friday solemnly remembers Jesus' crucifixion and death on the cross, emphasising the sacrifice he made for humanity's salvation. Then, on Easter Sunday, Catholics and other Christians around the world celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, conquering sin and death, and offering hope of eternal life to all who believe in him. This event, central to our Catholic and Christian faith, symbolises redemption, renewal, and the promise of a new beginning.

Following recent issues after hours in the vicinity of the Church, some additional fencing is being erected to safeguard parishioners and families. This work commenced today and will ensure the safety of everyone, especially after hours.

Advance notice: On the first scheduled day for Term 2, all staff will participate in a Spirituality Day. As we are a Catholic school, it is very important to provide opportunities for staff to deepen their spirituality. All Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wollongong engage in one of these days each year. As the Spirituality Day will occur on 29 April 2024, the first day for students and parents in Term 2 will be Tuesday 30 April 2024.