Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to Term 4! It is almost impossible to believe this is our final term for 2022.

The holidays are always a wonderful time to reconnect with family and friends and I hope the last two weeks were also an opportunity to rest and recharge in preparation for the term ahead.

Term 4 will be filled with many life-giving community events. These include our Kindergarten 2023 playgroup and transition sessions, Grandparents and Great Peoples Day, our competitive Swimming Carnival, School Leadership elections, Christmas celebrations, Semester 2 reports, our Year 6 farewell and of course, our school and parish feast day.

Please keep informed regarding all the great things happening and do try and join us if you are able. We certainly have much to look forward to and be grateful for! 

As always, the safety and security of our students are our main concern, particularly at arrival and dismissal. We are extremely grateful to our parents who have approached the inconveniences of the changed arrangements resulting from the building works with grace and patience.

We welcome any parent suggestions that could contribute to reviewing the current arrangements. 

We are fortunate to now have monitored and enhanced crossings on both Emerald and Aquamarine Drive and all students should be using these to cross the road at arrival and dismissal times. Traffic at these times is particularly busy and parents play a key role in helping children to develop safe habits. 

KISS AND RIDE

Now that this zone has been extended parents are able to enter the zone, drop off their children and exit without the need to wait to be in the first 3 spaces. Adults still need to remain in the car and children need to be ready to exit the car quickly from the left-hand side directly onto the footpath. This will help the flow of traffic at this peak time. Drivers are responsible for exiting the Kiss and Ride Zone with caution. Staff will still be present to support younger students who may need assistance or who are in a car with a child lock on the door.

Last weekend, Luke’s gospel focused on the story of the time when Jesus gave an amazing gift to ten men. And while all ten of them may have been happy that they received the gift of healing, only one of them chose to show their thankfulness.

Jesus said to the man who was already healed of leprosy, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” This man’s faith in Jesus had been made “whole” from the inside out; a healing that was not just about his body but took place at a deeper, spiritual level.

We have all been the recipients of gifts from God. In our life of faith an attitude of gratitude or to be thankful to God for everything he sends, is an essential key to effectively praying.

Our gratitude and words of thanks are indeed simple ways of showing appreciation for what we possess and for all the blessings that we have received. But the expression of gratitude is like all other blessings and must come from the depth of our hearts. Expressing an attitude of gratitude is more than giving words of thanks for the blessings. It is a way of living our life and being aware of how and why we are receiving these blessings. Being thankful changes a person’s life and orientation. Our expression of gratitude for all that we have received transforms our life and we feel and think in terms of abundance. The gospel provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon our own disposition of gratitude whenever we receive the gift of grace.

How does it change our life, if at all!

If there has been a change, how deep has it gone?  

How has it affected our values, our concerns, our interactions, our life-style?

Are we perhaps like the nine – changed only superficially!

Can we try to imitate the Samaritan, who allowed himself to be truly changed as a result?

Can we too know some of the joy he felt on that unforgettable day?
 

We are pleased to confirm that our Kinder 2023 Playgroup and Transition Program is about to commence next week. We will have the chance to welcome our new students and their families in readiness for their commencement at ‘big school’ in 2023. These sessions will take place in the hall and will assist our newest students and their families to get to know their new school and become familiar with the routines and people within our school community.  

PARENT INPUT SURVEY

Each year we seek parent, staff and student input to prepare aspects of the Annual School Report. This year all parents have the opportunity, via an anonymous online survey, to provide input into areas affecting the education of their children and the general functioning of the school. All feedback is greatly valued and will assist in contributing not only to the preparation of the Annual School Report but also to future directions and school improvement initiatives.

We greatly value all feedback and suggestions from our community members as contributions will assist in the preparation of the Annual School Report and planning for 2023. The survey will be available for the next 3 weeks until Wednesday 2 November, 2022 and can be accessed via the following link -

 https://forms.gle/yfcBpPgeBaKmFumm7 

Thank you to the many parents who have provided input into the class formation process that will commence shortly.

Parents are invited annually to contribute to the process of class formation by informing us in writing of any special needs that may affect class placement. Please complete the linked form to provide input regarding the class placement of your child in 2023. This survey will close on Friday 28 October 2022.

https://forms.gle/WLeK7MQrsTwQPUyx7

It is important to note that whilst parental requests are considered, there is never a guarantee that these requests will be granted. All requests are considered when classes are constructed and must be provided prior to classes being finalised.

GEL BLASTERS

Please see the attached letter and flyer from the NSW Police Service regarding Gel Blasters or Gel Guns.

Tina Murray

Principal