Holy Family Newsletter (Week 2 Term 2, 2024)
Messages from the Principal
Acknowledgement of Country
As we gather on this sacred land, let us acknowledge that we are standing on Bundgalung country, for which the members and elders of the local Indigenous community and their forbearers have been custodians for thousands of years, on which they have performed age old ceremonies, celebrations, initiations and renewals. We acknowledge their living culture and unique role in the life of this beautiful country.
Deepest Sympathy
It is with deep sadness that we express our sincere sympathy to Father Anselm and his family in the passing of his father Fabian Okeke in Nigeria. Our prayers, thoughts and love are with Fr Anselm and his family.
High Expectations
At Holy Family, we have high expectations in all areas. That is, how students speak to one another and staff; the way our students behave during their learning time; the fairness that students display on the playground, especially when playing a game; the importance of acting like a WEST person (Welcoming, Encouraging, Say Sorry, Thank you), just to name a few. It is important, as partners, that all parents support and reinforce these high expectations to their children.
ANZAC DAY
Despite the windy weather, having so many Holy Family students, staff and parents participate in the 2024 ANZAC March was heartening. The students were a credit to their school, their families and themselves. They marched with great enthusiasm and pride. In particular, the Marching Drummers, under the direction of Adam Sullivan, consisting of Finn Sproule, Harvey Calnan, Bella White and Mikey Smith were all fantastic! School Captains Miliani Tighe and Harvey Calnan proudly presented the wreath in memory of the fallen soldiers. Thank you to all the parents, relatives and friends who supported the students as they marched down River Street to the cenotaph.
Congratulations Ava: Holy Family RSL Youth Ambassador
It is with great joy that I share some great news! Year 5 Holy Family student, Ava was selected as an RSL Youth Ambassador. Ava was one of only three students across Ballina Shire to be chosen. She marched with the veterans at the head of the ANZAC Day March, laying a wreath on behalf of the Youth of Ballina Shire and attended the official RSL luncheon.
The RSL Club and RSL Sub-branch were so impressed with Ava's entry, that they also asked her to present her speech at the 11.00 am Commemoration Service on ANZAC Day, which she delivered with great passion and confidence. Ava will also represent Ballina Shire's youth on Vietnam Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day later in the year. This is a fantastic honour for Ava and we congratulate her on this outstanding achievement.
New Carpet
New carpet was laid in all the classrooms during the recent holidays and it looks fantastic. A HUGE Thanks to Abe Crawford and Annette Crawford for coordinating this project and a HUGE thank you to Jake Hoey for assisting staff in transforming their classrooms back to ‘normal’.
Understanding Bullying
At the heart of Catholic Education lies a commitment to the wellbeing and safety of every student. It is important that our school actively engages with parents and promotes positive relationships. Over the coming months, ten items on Bullying and Friendships will be shared in the newsletters.
Item 1: What is Bullying?
Understanding bullying helps students and parents distinguish between regular conflicts and actual bullying. This helps avoid confusion and ensures that the right help is given when needed. It can also empower you as parents to engage in prevention efforts proactively. By teaching your children about respectful behaviour, empathy, dignity,courage, and inclusion, parents can help prevent bullying from occurring in the first place.
Bullying refers to the unwanted, repeated and intentional use of words or actions against a student or a group of students to cause distress and risk to their wellbeing. Watch What is bullying?
Bullying means behaviour that has three (3) key features:
- It involves the intentional misuse of power in a relationship;
- It is ongoing and repeated; and
- It involves behaviours that can cause harm.
A student can acquire power through advantage, such as social status, popularity, an advantage in size and strength, number of allies, age, skill, or membership in a socially defined dominant group, which could be based, for example, on wealth or gender.
Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include:
- Mutual arguments and disagreements;
- Not liking someone or a single act of social rejection;
- A single episode of hurtful words or actions
- Isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation and/or violence
Indirect bullying (also known as covert bullying) is not always immediately observable and acknowledged as bullying. Indirect bullying can be discreet and anonymous, and the person experiencing the bullying behaviour may not realise it until after it has occurred.
Examples of indirect bullying include:
- Spreading rumours: Sharing false or harmful information about someone to tarnish
- their reputation.
- Gossiping: Engaging in negative discussions about a person without their
- knowledge.
- Social manipulation: Encouraging others to exclude or reject a person from social
- groups.
- Cyberbullying: Using digital platforms to harass, intimidate, or spread harmful
- content about a person.
- Stealing: Discreetly and repeatedly stealing personal belongings
When parents understand what bullying entails, they can effectively communicate with their child about their experiences at school, in the community and online. By using the correct terminology and understanding the dynamics of bullying, parents can encourage open dialogue and provide the necessary support.
Watch Bullying and Conflict with your child.
Attendance
Being at school regularly helps children develop positive friendships.
School attendance is not only about academic growth but also social and emotional development. Here are several ways in which consistent attendance contributes to the formation of meaningful and supportive peer relationships:
- Shared Experiences. Regular attendance allows children to share common experiences with their peers. Being present in class provides opportunities for shared learning, activities, and interactions, fostering a sense of camaraderie.
- Consistent Social Interaction. Attending school every day provides consistent opportunities for social interaction with classmates. Regular face-to-face interactions contribute to the development of communication skills, empathy, and a sense of belonging.
- Building Trust and Reliability. Being present on a regular basis helps children build trust and reliability within their peer group. Dependable attendance creates a sense of predictability, and peers can rely on each other for mutual support and collaboration.
MOTHER’S DAY
On Sunday 12th May 2024, we will be focusing our attention on a person who is very special in our lives. Sunday is Mother’s Day and the person that we will be spoiling on this day is our mother.
Our mothers are wonderful people who show their love for us in many different ways and Mother’s Day is a day on which we can show them how much we appreciate the terrific way in which they care for us.
There is no job harder than being a mum. For this reason, we must keep our mothers in our prayers daily, especially on Mother’s Day.
“I’d like to be an ideal mother, but I’m too busy raising my children.” Author unknown.
Even though this might be the situation for you, make sure that on Mother’s Day you are not too busy to take time to rejoice in yourself, because:
“Happy Mothers’ Day means more than have a happy day. Within these words lie lots of things we never get to say. It means, I love you, first of all, then thanks for all you do. It means you mean a lot to me and that I honour you.” Nicholas Jordan.
For many years now, psychologists have been saying that the bonding of a baby with its mother in the first few minutes of life is vital for the stability of the newborn child. The mother-infant bond is an intense relationship of unparalleled human affection. It is the foundation of the child’s emotional and physical survival. No wonder the saying: “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short time but their hearts forever”, author unknown and no wonder the Chinese proverb: “There is only one pretty child in the world and every mother owns it.”
There are many ways to answer the question, “What is Motherhood?” and one of those ways might be that Motherhood means sharing in the creative power of God. Conceiving, carrying and giving birth to a human being, is as close as any person can get to the act of creation. This is the beginning of Motherhood but it is far from the end. Motherhood is also about nurturing, sacrificing, loving and, ultimately, letting go.
Jesus’ mother, Mary, experienced all the above and had the added drama of losing her son for three days. Eventually, she and Joseph found Jesus in the Temple having a discussion with a group of Rabbis. When Mary rebuked Jesus for “treating us this way”, Jesus informed her that the Temple was the first place she should have looked: “Did you not know that I must be about the things of my Father?”
Poor Mary! Besides being embarrassed for Joseph, she probably found it hard to accept that Jesus was growing up with a mind of his own and his own sense of how his Father was leading him. Mary was caught up in the tension of fulfilling the daily responsibilities of her role of mother and parenting the Son of God. All mothers are caught up in the world of tension as they try to be all things to their children.
Jan Chrouchin, a Baptist Minister, has these thoughts to good share in her “Mothers’ Day Creed”:
“I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who was born of the promise to a virgin named Mary.
I believe in the love Mary gave her Son that caused her to follow him in his ministry and stand by his cross as he died.
I believe in the love of all mothers and its importance in the lives of the children they bear.
It is stronger than steel, softer than down, and more resilient than a green sapling on a hillside.
It closes wounds, melts disappointments, and enables the weakest child to stand tall in the fields of adversity.
Thank God for mothers and thank mothers for helping us to understand an all-loving God.”
HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY!
In Term Three there will be a special activity on Saturday, 7th September for all our Holy Family mothers. There will be more details later this term.
Staff Development Days
Friday, 24th May. Staff will focus on Formative Assessment and the new English and mathematics curriculum.
Wednesday, 29th May. Proclaim. The Catholic Schools Office mandates this staff day and the focal points are faith, learning and community.
Students do not attend school on these two days. Active Kids will be available on both days.
School Community Group
An invitation is extended to all our Holy Family parents to attend the next meeting on Tuesday, 14th May at 6.00 pm in the staff room. The educational focus will be on the Changes to School Reports. All are very welcome.
Kindness
There is never a reason not to be kind.
God Bless
Murray
Principal
Faith and Mission
Preparation for First Holy Communion
Our First Holy Communion Sacrament preparation began on Tuesday, for our children from Years 4 to 6. Please see the key preparation dates and times below:
Key Dates:
First Holy Communion Family Session 1 (Wk2) Tues 7th May 5:30pm
First Holy Communion Family Session 2 (Wk4) Tues 21st May 5:30pm
First Holy Communion Reflection Day @ HF (Wk5) Thursday 30th May
Sacrament of First Holy Communion Saturday 1st June (End of Week 5)
(Please note the change of date and time for our the Sacrament of First Holy Communion)We look forward to supporting your children in preparing for this special celebration.
School Mass for Kindergarten to Year 4
All students from Kindergarten to Year 4 will celebrate a special school Mass at St Francis Xavier Church in Ballina on Thursday 23rd of May at 9:30am. Children will bus to and from church and return to Holy Family at approximately 10:50am for lunch. Parents are warmly invited to join us for this celebration.
We are planning to have a separate Mass for Year 4 to Year 6 towards the end of the term.
Invitation to our Parish ‘Multicultural’ Celebration
All Holy Family families are warmly invited to our Parish’s ‘Multicultural’ Pentecost Mass on Sunday 19th of May at 9am at our St Francis Xavier Church in Ballina. This special opportunity to acknowledge our unity through diversity. Families may like to come to this Mass dressed in clothing from their cultural background. A cultural morning tea will be shared after Mass with a mix of multicultural foods to enjoy.
“Green Squad” - Student Driven Discipleship through Social Service
As a positive flow on from our Whole School Discipleship Retreat Day in Term 1, has been the enthusiasm from a large number of students who have asked about how they can continue their acts of social service and discipleship within our school. Holy Family has now formed a ‘Green Squad’ for students wishing to actively contribute to environmentally supporting and beautifying our school environment.
We now have over 80 students from Kindergarten to Year 6 who have volunteered to be rostered on to take part in a variety of activities before school, at lunch and during recess. Well done ‘Green Squad’.
Learning and Teaching
Understanding the K-6 Student Report
Why are there changes to the K-6 Student Report?
The NSW Government is reforming the curriculum to streamline and strengthen what is taught in every classroom in NSW, so every student is prepared and ready for their future. The curriculum reform has been informed by consultation with teachers, parents and education experts, and is underpinned by extensive research. Curriculum reform involves changing teaching, learning, assessment and reporting to parents.
The release of the new syllabuses provides the opportunity to revise aspects of the Student Report to align with current research. The document below provides further details on the changes to K-6 Student Reports.
Sport
PSSA Swimming Championships
On Thursday 11th and Friday 12th April, Nash Stewart, Niamh Spinks, Amy Roberts, Miliani Tighe & Cahlu Bond-Sheehan competed at the NSW PSSA Swimming Championships at the Sydney Aquatic Centre.
Their results were:
Nash Stewart
- Boys 8 yrs 50m Freestyle 4th - (DQ- False Start)
- Boys All Age Freestyle Relay 4th
Niamh Spinks
- Girls 11 yrs 50m Butterfly 14th
- Girls Snr 50m Freestyle Relay 7th
Amy Roberts
- Girls Snr 50m Freestyle Relay 7th
Miliani Tighe
- Girls Snr 50m Freestyle Relay 7th
Cahlu Bond Sheehan
- Girls Snr 50m Freestyle Relay 7th
Congratulations on these awesome achievements!
Polding Winter Sports Trials
Three students travelled to Tamworth on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd May to represent the Lismore Diocese at the Polding Winter Sports Trials. Tia Drikibau & Cahlu Bond-Sheehan trialled for netball & Paddy Churven trialled for U/11s rugby league. All three played well throughout the day and Cahlu made it through to the possibles/probables match. Well done!
Holy Family Cross Country
We finally held our school cross country on the last Wednesday of Term 1. It was great to see all students getting in and having a go and testing themselves in tough conditions. Congratulations to the following students who won their races.
8 Years 9 Years 10 Years 11 Years 12 Years
Camille Smith Harriette Rich Frankie Smith Millie Farr Amy Roberts
Thomas Boyd Roman Bordin Asher Lawler Hugo Rich Isaiah Richards
Congratulations to Blue House for winning the House Points Score Trophy. The final results were;
1st: Blue House 64 pts, 2nd: Green House 62 pts, 3rd: Red House 60 pts, 4th: White House 40 pts
Richmond Zone Cross Country
On Tuesday 7 May fifty-two students travelled to Hepburn Park, Goonellabah to participate in the Richmond Zone Cross Country on a wet and miserable day. Our team did very well and won the school point score trophy for the 15th year in a row. We had seven winners out of the ten races. Twenty-three students will now progress through to the Lismore Diocesan Cross Country in Grafton on Tuesday 21st May. Great effort!
Wellbeing
Welcome back!
Please celebrate the student led newsletter initiative! Encourage your child to join us on Tuesday at lunchtime or they can share their ideas in the ideas box in the front office.
The students have been amazing with their collaborations and creativity!
It’s on google classroom too!
Grow your mind clip
School Events
Chess
Chess resumes on Thursday at lunchtime. Looking forward to seeing our regulars along with some new faces. If your child expresses an interest in participating, please remind them that they do not need to know how to play, nor do they need to commit to attending weekly. Chess Club is a casual, fun activity. Students come and go as they please. Some play for half of lunchtime then go outside for the second half. For some students, it’s a great opportunity for a quiet break from the playground. Brendan Coyle
Canteen Corner
Canteen Roster - Term 3, 2023
Week | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
3 | Bree Zakaras | Alicia Horne | Jess Maginnity |
4 | Esther Jenkins | HELP NEEDED | CLOSED - Pupil Free Day |
Welcome back to Term 2. Our canteen is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. All orders must be placed through Compass canteen. Cut-off times for ordering through Compass canteen are as follows. For our lunch menu, 8:15 am on the day. For our Sushi menu (Thursdays only) order by 8 pm Wednesday evening prior and our Birthday Ice block packs, 2 days before the date required. You can cancel your orders up until 9 am on the day for a full refund to your Compass wallet.
Our school canteen Menu follows the NSW Healthy School canteen strategy,
So… what do you need to know about the criteria?
- There are ‘Everyday‘ foods and drinks and ‘Occasional’ foods and drinks. Everyday items are those that come from the 5 food groups and should be eaten each day for a healthy, balanced diet. Occasional foods are the ‘discretionary’ foods that are often high in saturated fat, sugar, and/or salt. At least ¾ of the canteen menu must be made up of Everyday items, to make sure that there are plenty of healthy options available.
- To make sure that only the healthiest options of discretionary items are available, all Occasional items need to have a Health Star Rating of 3.5 stars or more.
- All Occasional items and some Everyday items have portion limits, which ensures that the foods and drinks children are buying from the canteen are appropriate sizes.
- Only Everyday foods and drinks can be marketed and promoted in the canteen. This means that only healthy options are being displayed on the canteen counter, priced favourably, are sold in meal deals and specials, or are displayed in posters or signs around the school.
- Sugary drinks cannot be sold. Sugary drinks are drinks with any type of added sugar (except milk).
Check out our menu
Student Awards
Literacy and Numeracy Award - April -
Sponsored by Coastal Podiatry Group
Congratulations to Ava in 5 Blue the recipient of the Literacy and Numeracy award for the month of April.
Ava is the very worthy recipient of the Literacy and Numeracy Award for the month of April.
Ava is a quiet achiever, going about her work in a dedicated and conscientious manner. She approaches all of her learning with enthusiasm and always completes everything to the best of her ability.
Ava reads for enjoyment and always takes a keen interest in our class novel. She is able to comprehend complex storylines, learn from historical events, predict plot development, and enjoy the journey with the novel’s characters. Her writing is entertaining and sequential. Ava writes with her audience in mind, using descriptive language and interesting themes to keep the reader interested.
Ava works really well in group situations and is always willing to help other students with challenging tasks. She is systematic and logical when solving a complicated maths problem and is not deterred if she doesn’t get something correct the first time. Perseverance and learning from her mistakes, as well as others, is definitely one of Ava’s many strengths.
It is evident that your hard work has earned you great success. Keep up the fantastic passion and love for learning. Congratulations Ava, our Holy Family Literacy and Numeracy Award winner for April!
Princilpal's Award - April - Sponsored by Southern Cross Credit Union
The very worthy recipient of the Southern Cross Credit Union Principal’s Award for the month of April is Audrey in 4 Blue.
Audrey is the cheerful and kind friend that everyone wants to be around. Whether in the classroom or on the playground, you can always find Audrey ready to support a classmate and make them feel valued.
This year especially, Audrey has shown a wonderful independence of mind. She will not be swayed by the influence of a group but will instead make the right choices for herself and others. In class, Audrey is open to feedback for improvement and will consistently try her best.
Every member of the Holy Family community will notice Audrey’s positive mindset. She is always ready to make someone laugh and welcome them with a smile. Audrey’s positive mindset also extends to her learning. In class, she has shown a commitment to pushing herself in her learning goals, as well as asking curious and insightful questions.
Audrey truly Makes Jesus Real in her everyday lightness and kindness.
It is with great pleasure that we present the Southern Cross Credit Union Principal’s Award for the month of April to Audrey Paulsen.
Carol Lynch Reading Award Term One, 2024
The worthy recipient of the Carol Lynch Reading Award for Term One, 2024 is Coco from Year 6.
Coco is an exceptional reader and is to be commended for reading above her year level.
Coco always reads with enthusiasm and for enjoyment. When she is asked to read aloud and from the board, she does so with expression. In addition, she has the ability to entertain the class by taking on the characters in the books she reads.
Coco reads for enjoyment and she can use a variety of strategies to decode unknown words. She is to be affirmed for developing a very extensive vocabulary.
Coco’s dedication to her reading is to be applauded. Keep up the great work Coco and congratulations on receiving the prestigious Carol Lynch Reading Award for Term One, 2024.
Community Events and Notices
Secondhand Uniforms for sale at St Vincent de Paul, Lennox Head
During the holidays, unclaimed secondhand uniforms were taken home, washed and delivered to St Vincent de Paul, Lennox Head. There were quite a lot of jumpers and jackets in excellent condition. There were also 2 library bags and a lunch bag.
YEAR 5 - Mum's Social Evening