Bearers of Christ’s Love

As mentioned previously, the key aspects of the Bishop Brian’s Charter will be included in the newsletter. Today we continue with the next 3 points relating to Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wollongong:

4. Recognise the integral connection between schools and parishes and so develop relationships of active collaboration between schools, parish clergy and the wider Catholic community. They actively seek to develop students’ and families’ involvement in the life of the parish, especially that of Sunday Eucharist.
5. Give priority of enrolment to Catholics to develop and maintain a ‘critical mass’ of those active in the Catholic faith within our student community. We also welcome practising Christians, and those of other faiths, who wish to receive a Catholic education with the understanding that they will respect and support the Catholic ethos of our schools.
6. Give priority of employment and promotion to practising Catholics, practising Christians, and those practising other faiths. In order to develop and maintain a ‘critical mass’ of active faith, to ensure authentic Catholic identity within staff communities.

Easter Break Dates

• Thursday, 28 March Normal school day
• Friday, 29 March Good Friday (Public Holiday)
• Monday, 1 April Easter Monday (Public Holiday)
• Tuesday, 2 April Staff Development Day (Pupil Free Day)
• Wednesday, 3 April Normal school day

Easter Liturgies

Holy Thursday 7pm

Good Friday 10am Stations of the Cross

3pm The Passion of Our Lord

Holy Saturday 7pm Easter Vigil Mass

Easter Sunday 8am Easter Mass

10am Easter Mass

 

Easter Wishes

To the staff and students, today certainly has the feel of an end of term, however, we do still have two weeks to go which will come quick enough. With the Staff Development Day next Tuesday, our wish is that our students and parents have a very happy & holy Easter and enjoy a relaxing 5 day break. For those families going away, near and far, please travel safely.

 

Resurrection Liturgy

This whole school liturgy will be led by Year 6 in the school hall next Wednesday at 9.30am. The church is unavailable due to repair work that will be happening.

SPARKING LIFE VISITS ST THERESE WEST WOLLONGONG

Sparking Life is a non-profit organisation involved in organ and tissue donation awareness and has affiliated with Lifeblood. The mission of Sparking Life is to create awareness of the real need many people face daily to maintain their health.

Recently, Sparking Life presented to the staff at St Therese. The aim of this presentation was to encourage staff members to register and to donate either blood or plasma to assist the many people in need of donated blood and blood products each and every day.

Thank you to the staff members who have already acted on this and both registered and donated at the Donor Centre in Kembla Street Wollongong. St Therese is already on the way to saving lives of people in our community. This number will continue to grow as more staff members come on board. I’d like to sincerely thank the staff for their support of Sparking Life. It has been wonderful to witness such acts of kindness assisting those in need.

Sparking Life will be extending an invitation to parents and friends to participate in this presentation during the next P & F meeting at 7:00pm on Tuesday 30 April 2024. You are most welcome to come along to hear how parents and friends can also become involved in this endeavour. 

Update:2024 Student Semester Reports

The 2024 student semester reports have been updated to reflect the outcomes of the new K-10 English and Mathematics Syllabuses.

All Kindergarten students will receive a written report twice a year, in Semester 1 and Semester 2, with a three-point grade scale to report student achievement using the following performance descriptors:

• Thorough

• Sound 

• Basic

Students in Year 1 - Year 6 will continue to receive semester reports, twice a year, using  the five-point grade scale to report student achievement with the following performance descriptors: 

• Extensive

• Thorough

• Sound

• Basic

• Elementary 

K-6 Semester 1 reports will not contain a general comment.

Reports will be available to schools via Compass towards the end of Term 1.

3 - 6 English and Mathematics Reformed Syllabus

Teacher Professional Learning

In 2018, the NSW Government announced a comprehensive review of the NSW school curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12 to ensure that the NSW Education system is properly preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

The goal of the curriculum is to support students to:

• Build strong foundations in every stage of schooling

• Learn with understanding

• Develop skills in applying knowledge

• Make excellent ongoing progress

The 2024 school year is a year of implementation and learning for the 3-6 English and Mathematics Syllabus'. Teachers will engage in professional learning throughout the year to continue to build their professional knowledge around the Reformed English and Mathematics Syllabus. They will engage in collaborative learning tasks and reflect on new and current practices to develop relevant and engaging learning experiences for all students. 

Supporting Diverse Learning in Catholic Schools 2nd Edition: A Guide by Parents for Parents

The Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) recognises that families of children with differing abilities require targeted advocacy and support.

The CCSP Diverse Learning Working Party has developed a valuable resource to assist parents of children with diverse learning needs. This second edition includes updates and advice following a period of consultation and gathering of feedback from parents and schools. It also provides additional information for parents of secondary students, government support and post-school success.

A copy of the guide can be downloaded here.

Life Ed is looking forward to visiting the students of St Therese's Primary School West Wollongong.

Our booking details:

• Term: Term 2 2024 29/04/2024 to 3/05/2024

Teaching Dates:

• 29 April 2024 - Educator : Emily Leonarder
• 30 April 2024 - Educator : Emily Leonarder
• 1 May 2024 - Educator : Emily Leonarder
• 2 May 2024 - Educator : Zoe Sansom
• 3 May 2024 - Educator : Zoe Sansom

Life Education Parent Session

Please join Life Education Educator, Zoe, in the van for an informal parent session on Friday 3 May at 1.30-2.30pm. Zoe will take parents through an overview of the module content students will take part in during the Life Education visit, highlight the unique learning features of the van, and answer any questions you may have. Non-school aged siblings welcome.

Dimitra Vezinias

Assistant Principal

ZONES OF REGULATION