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Newsletter Week 10
NAIDOC Week falls during the next week of the school holidays. This year’s theme is
“Heal Country, Heal Our Nation”
Father our Creator You created all things, seen and unseen,
Listen to my silent prayer as I stand here before you.
As my weary eyes look back over distant horizons,
Back to those days where my people walked. The footprints of my grandfathers are imprinted on the earth and their images become real to me.
I see my Grandfathers standing tall and strong, warriors of long ago. I hear them singing, I see them dancing, and my spirit moves within me.
They told me of the emus fighting; picking the scent of our hunters.
The images fade away as I feel the hurt of my people.
I can hear the cries of my Grandmothers as they cry for their children.
Grandfather, You can see me as I stand here and feel this hurt.
Father Creator, is this the purpose of my being here? Or is it your plan to reshape my people to be once again the proud race it once was?
Let me walk with you and my Grandfathers towards the dawning of a proud and new nation.
I thank you for my Sacred Being. Amen
Parent / Teacher Interviews this week
Parents are not required to wear face masks during interviews this week however may choose to do so. Guidelines issued this morning state that schools are not included as indoor venues due to the space available to maintain social distancing during.
End of Term Awards Assembly - No parents
Due to changes to Covid restrictions, parents / carers will not be able to attend our end of term assembly this week. This is regrettable however it is in the best interests of safety and wellbeing for all in our community.
Staff Change
Sadly for our school, Mrs Holly Degotardi has decided to take a break from teaching to pursue another dream that she has long held. Holly has performed a number of roles at St Therese over the past few years inspiring students in Year 5, assisting students with language background other than English and developing Numeracy skills from Kinder to Year 6. We will all miss Holly but wish her well in her next venture.
On a happier note, we will welcome back Mrs Patricia Staff. Trish has been on Parental Leave since the birth of her beautiful third baby girl, Sophie. Trish will take over Holly’s role of developing basic Numeracy skills across Kinder to Year 6, working on Wednesdays and Fridays commencing Week 2 next term.
Staff Spirituality Day - Pupil Free Day
Date to remember: Friday, 27 August
Grandparents Day and Mass
On the 30th of July at 10 am - Grandparents are warmly invited to join our school community for Mass followed by morning tea in the hall (COVID restrictions allowing). You are invited to send one photo with each set of grandparents to info@stww.catholic.edu.au by 28th July to add to our display.
School Chess Competition
Congratulations! to all of chess competitors for 2021.
Chess champion for 2021 was Jack Thompson.
Special mention must go to Fabian Gaudiosi who was the runner up and our POOL B winner Jude Kiley and runner up Jasper Leighton-Powderly.
Well done boys.
Mrs Charlene Cameron
Chess Coordinator
FREE WEBINAR
Vaping is becoming an increasing concern for parents and schools. Join us for a free, online webinar on Wednesday 30th June at 2pm AEST. This webinar will provide up-to date and relevant information on the research around vaping and trends in use among young people. Information will be provided on:
- Current research findings on vaping among youth.
- Information about what e-cigarettes and vaping are and the effects of their use.
- Strategies for schools and parents to prevent vaping among youth.
This webinar will also include time for a Q&A where you can ask any questions you may have on this topic.
Link to register for this free webinar: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IA_5mB0rTPel19S5g5bL6A
Wishing all of our families a very safe and relaxing school holiday period.
Whether you are able to get away or not,
hopefully just a less structured couple of weeks will prove
to be both relaxing and energising.
For all information and updates from the diocese, please go to: www.dow.catholic.edu.au/covid19
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life.
The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
NAIDOC Week 2021 will be held nationally from Sunday 4 July and continue through to Sunday 11 July.
This year's NAIDOC 2021 theme is Heal Country, Heal Our Nation, a theme that calls for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage.
During NAIDOC, we remember in our thoughts and prayers the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of our country and celebrate their rich cultures and inspiring contributions to Australia.
If you are interested in participating in NAIDOC Week events and celebrating the local Aboriginal community, Shellharbour City Council is hosting activities at the Civic Centre on Monday, July 5, 2021 from 11:00 to 14:00. Entry is free
For more information please contact
Shane.Venables@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au
Ms Elizabeth Pellizzari
School Holiday Fun
The Winter Lab hosted by Science Space Wollongong
by Wollongong Central Shopping Centre
About this event
Join us for chilled Winter Workshops hosted by the experts from Science Space Wollongong. Each day of the week we will have a different cool workshop to keep your little one entertained throughout the school holidays. See below for what is on offer! Our Workshops will be hosted in The Winter Lab - located on Level 1, Gateway Building (outside of David Jones).
Monday 28 June & 5 July:
Mini Snow Globes
Create your own mini Winter scene! Experiment with fluids and density as you design your own sparkly snow globe to take home
Tuesday 29 June & 6 July:
Igloo Challenge
Earthquakes are experienced all around the world, even in Antarctica! Create your own igloo from recycled materials and test on our wobbly shake tables. Can your igloo survive the earthquake?
Wednesday 30 June & 7 July:
DIY Snowball Catapults
Ready, set, launch! Design your own working catapult from a variety of materials then enter in our snowball launching challenge.
Thursday 1 July & 8 July:
Snowy Creatures
You have discovered a new species unknown to science hiding in the snow but have forgotten to pack your camera. Create a model of your sneaky creature before it runs away and give it a scientific name like a real Biologist.
Friday 2 July & 9 July:
Winter Chemistry
Do you want to build a snowman? Learn about polymers as you experiment with instant snow then create your own slimy snow dough to take home!
Bookings are required and each workshop costs $5
Ph 02 4228 5999
This is the link for the one day Robocamp during the holidays
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/2021-winter-holiday-robotics-competition-camp-tickets-159069179197
Mini Vinnies
This term the Mini Vinnies Team, will be collecting food donations and raising awareness for the Illawarra Vinnies Van.
Items like
- 2 minute noodles
- Cup of Soup
can be bought in and donated to our Winter food appeal.
Students please leave your donations in your prayer space and the team will collect them next Friday (Week 9 and 10).
Any and all donations are welcome.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
School Birthdays
23 June 2021 - 13 July 2021
Happy Birthday:
Sienna Rodrigues, Finn Kelly, Tessa Dileep, Edoardo Insalata, Olvia Gacesa, Laura Pereira Faria, Liana Voidanoski, Jacinta Shields, Albury Johnson, Aya Al Hasan, Anie Spralja, Krstian Jameel, Harriet Johnson, Gabriella Ezeanowai, Polly Brown.
Mikayla Semaan - 4B
Justine Nicholls - 5B
Alivia Voidanoski - 5B
Levi Ebens-Pontone - 5B
Silver Medallion
Alexandra Shields - 4B
Mikayla Shalala - 6B
St Therese School Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/westwollongong.sttherese
School Vision Statement
“St Therese Primary School – a dynamic, Catholic community
educating and empowering learners for life’s journey.”
PARISH
KEEPING THE LORD’S DAY HOLY
Join Fr Duane for Sunday Mass live streamed 5pm EVERY SUNDAY from St Therese Church at the St Therese Facebook page at:
Those without Facebook can still view it through this link which will take you to the stream
To view through YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG6HKCV4D_a1JMWx0gS7rTw
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge News 2021
Congratulations to the following students who have completed their PRC:
Tessa Dileep 2B
Josias Laurent 3B
Amari Ferns 4G
Continue reading over the school holidays
Happy reading,
The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge Team
Mrs Hamilton & Ms Rose
Token Count
Teachers give out house colour tokens to students who are displaying positive behaviours and supporting our PB4L expectations: Be Safe; Be Responsible; Be Respectful. Tokens are counted throughout the term adn updates given to the students. During this week the tokens will be counted and the final tally will be announced. The winning colour will be given a reward to celebrate!!
Week 10 Focus: Playing Safely and Respectfully
Each week we focus on an area. Please read the expectations to keep us all safe, responsible and respectful on the playground.
Purpose:
For students to play safely and respectfully without unnecessary physical contact.
Success Criteria: Expectation of Students
We will know we are successful when:
- We play games that involve friendly, respectful physical contact
- We always respect each other’s personal space
- We always find a teacher if we need help resolving an issue
- We play safely and respectfully with each other
Expectation of Parents
It is always helpful if parents could talk with your child/children about games and respectful physical contact.
DEWEY AWARDS
The Dewey Awards are back in 2021!
St Therese will be running the Dewey Awards again this year. The Dewey Awards is an in-school writing competition particular to St Therese School, so you won’t find it on Google. This is a great opportunity for our talented students to show their writing skills and produce their own ‘book’. There are two categories - Silver Dewey is for Infants and the Gold Dewey is for Primary Grades 3-6. The winners from each category wins a small trophy and gets their name inscribed on our large perpetual Silver & Gold Dewey Trophies which remain at school. Each student receives a participation certificate. Entries are judged by a panel of anonymous judges. The judges choose 6 shortlisted entries per category and the winning entry is one of these shortlisted books. The winner is announced during Book Week.
Participation in this competition is optional. As such, there will not be time given at school to complete the entry. This must be done in their own time and entries will be due by the end of Week 3, Term 3, Friday 30th July.
Some points to consider;
- Students can produce only one entry, either on their own or as part of a pair. This means that if the student chooses to enter as a pair, they cannot additionally enter individually.
- Maximum of two collaborators per entry including the illustrator.
- The book can be handwritten or typed. It can be as simple as a booklet of A4 pages stapled together, or can be more elaborate.
- If you have collaborated with your sibling across a stage the main author (or the first author’s name) will determine what category it is judged in - Infants or Primary.
- Entries must be original ideas but parents can help with spelling and writing.
While the competition end date is still seven weeks away, weekends and school holidays are a great time to start planning, writing or illustrating. Good luck and we look forward to reading the brilliant, original writing of the fabulous students at St Therese! If you have any questions please ask Ms Rose or Mrs Hamilton.
Happy writing,
The Dewey Awards Team
Calendar Dates 2021
June 2021
25 - Last Day of Term 2
July 2021
4 - NAIDOC Week
12 - Term 3 Commences
August 2021
6 - CENSUS day
10 - Year 6 Mass with the Bishop
7pm Confirmation Ceremony
11 - 7pm Confirmation Ceremony
15 - Feast of the Assumption
27 - Staff Spirituality Day (Pupil Free Day)
September 2021
7 - Catholic Mission Launch
10 - Christmas Art Entries Due
17 - Last Day Term 3
October 2021
5 - Term 4 Commences
29 - World Teachers Day
November 2021
5 - Year 6 Excursion to Canberra
11 - Remembrance Day
December 2021
3 - Whole School Mass - End of Year Thanksgiving
15 - Last Day Term 4 Students
17 - Last day Term 4 Teachers and Staff
January 2022
26 - Australia Day
27 - Student Vacation (Pupil Free Day)
28 - Term 1 Begins - Student Vacation (Pupil Free Day) - Staff Return
31 - Student Vacation (Pupil Free Day)
February 2022
1 - Students Return
Best Start Assessments commence
7 - Best Start Asessments conclude
8 - Kindergarten 2022 commences