Filter Content
Dear Parents and Friends of St Kevin’s,
Yaama! This week we observe Reconciliation Week where we acknowledge the wrong doings in the history of Australia, and we say sorry for the pain and suffering events in our history have caused our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family. Here at St Kevin’s we are a making Jesus real school where we operate as WEST people – welcoming, encouraging, say sorry and thank you. We all need to be able to not only say sorry, but to then act on those words and make a difference in the future. Owning our mistakes and learning from them is what we need to ensure our children are able to do. So let us during Reconciliation Week, talk about our Australian history, talk about our school and work life, talk about the society we live in, talk about our Church, and identify the times we need to say sorry and then plan to be proactive in building positive and respectful relationships to build a better world for our future.
Take care and enjoy this beautiful weather and the amazing country we live in.
Mary-Anne Jennings
COVID Update
We are still under COVID guidelines as the virus has not gone away. Please adhere to the following guidelines and rules to keep everyone safe. Just ask Victoria.
- All visitors to the school site must come to the office to sign in with the QR code in and with our electronic visitor register which outlines and asks you to verify you are not suffering from COVID symptoms.
- Parents / grandparents dropping off lunches or jumpers or guitars must also report to the office first. No parent or grandparent is permitted to go the classrooms during school time to drop off various items.
- Children kept at home with COVID symptoms of sore throat, runny nose, cough or fever cannot return to school unless they provide a negative COVID test, or they have a clearance from their GP.
- Children sent home sick from school with flu like symptoms, will require a negative COVID test result or clearance from their GP before returning to school.
- Hand sanitising is a priority. At school hand washing and sanitising are done throughout the day to ensure the risk of infection is reduced.
- Birthday cakes are to be individual cup-cakes or similar, to reduce the risk of cross contamination.
- Social distancing when waiting for children after school is recommended and encouraged.
Kindergarten 2022
Interviews for placement in our Kindergarten class for 2022 are currently being held. If you know of anyone who may not yet expressed an interest in attending St Kevin’s in 2022, please advise them to contact the school office for an enrolment pack.
Feast of St Kevin
Friday June 4 we will celebrate the Feast of St Kevin with a concert by our very own Parish musician Richard Cootes. Richard will also share with us his work with Catholic Mission and what that means to us here at St Kevin’s.
Semester 1 reports
Teachers are currently compiling Semester 1 reports. These reports will be live on COMPASS on Friday June 18. Parent/teacher interviews will be held on June 23 from 3:30-6:30pm. A booking form will be live for these interviews next week on COMPASS.
Pupil Free Day
A reminder that there will be no school for the students on Friday June 11. This backs onto the June long weekend, so the family can enjoy some quality time together for an extra long weekend.
Volunteers
Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who have responded to our call to complete the online Volunteer handbook 1.6, completing all the new forms required. This is a new procedure from our Diocesan Office to always ensure the safety of all children. I thank the existing volunteers who also must complete this paperwork again. If you have any questions, please contact Kirrily Corbett our secretary on a Thursday/Friday as Kirrily has all the relevant information you may need.
Messages from the Assistant Principal
Our Adopt-A-Knight, Conor Watson, is very busy this week with team commitments and preparing for the Indigenous Round. Connor’s role is pivotal in this round with his Boots for a Brighter Future an initiative of his foundation. The Porter Family and Kiriniari Hostel have again contributed their artistic talents in painting the boots of several NRL stars including Conor Watson, Tyson Frizel, Jacob and Daniel Saifiti, Phoenix Crossland, Blake Green, Dylan Napa (Dogs), Nick Cotric, Dnamius Liu (Raiders) and Dale Funuicane (Storm). This is a great enterprise to raise awareness and funds to combat Indigenous Youth Suicide.
So, this week we were lucky to have Bradman Best and Dominic Young visit us. Bradman played handball with the children, something that he will have to teach Dominic (apparently this is not a thing Dominic did growing up in Leeds). The young stars talked to the children about the importance of resilience, hard work and facing setbacks when things don’t go as planned or how we would like them.
It is a very sad statistic that 24.6% of Primary aged children in Australia suffer significant Mental Health concerns. The Resilience Project has three pillars(GEM) that research has shown improve wellbeing.
Maybe this week you could focus in on Gratitude – not worrying about what we don’t have or what we would like to have – but instead keenly focusing in on all the things we do have and being aware of how truly luck we are. A few years ago I listened to a radio interview with Hugh Van Cuylenburg and he spoke about the importance, everyday, of checking in with your child before they go to bed and sharing what you are grateful for – encouraging children to focus on the positive and build a mindset to support this. One thing you might want to try this week is asking your children what made them smile today… and sharing with them what made you smile as well.
I am very grateful to be working in a small school where everyday I am lucky enough to be surrounded by colleagues who uplift and support me and students who make me smile. Students who make me smile because they openly welcome me, share their stories and their gifts.
Yaama,
At our Prayer Service at school this week to observe National Sorry Day and the start of National Reconciliation Week we reflected on past historical events and prayed for all people to work together and take action as we continue our Reconciliation journey. We prayed: “God of all nations, lead our nation into more just ways of living together, so that all may enjoy their proper share in the good things you give us in this land.” This is a call to action as the 2021 theme states.
So how do we move from awareness to action?
Reconciliation Australia makes clear the goal….
‘The goal of the reconciliation movement is for a just, equitable and reconciled country. This will only be achieved when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Peoples of this land, are able to equally contribute to daily life of the nation. Until this happens, Australia will not reach its full potential.
We need more people speaking up, asking the hard questions and taking action during and beyond National Reconciliation Week….’
This means being an advocate.
One way we can be an advocate is to highlight the good things that we know are happening in our school and in schools across the country.
We can, for example, tell people about the good things that are happening at school, such as our observances of NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week, children learning about history and First Nations people and cultures in the classroom, Acknowledging Country at gatherings. This tells others that we support what schools are doing to build trust and respect among Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
So, thank you for your support of all our efforts in this important area at St Kevin’s. Together we are working towards the Reconciliation goal of a ‘just, equitable and reconciled country’.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK 2021 ARTWORK
Action by Jessica Johnson, is the story of the land and community sharing the united call for action on Reconciliation.
Jessica Johnson is a descendent of the Warumungu/Wombaya people north of Tennant Creek. Born on Larrakia Country, Jessica spent her formative years among the diverse community of Canberra on Ngambri/ Ngunnawal Country.
Elements of the artwork include…
- Spirit souls = thinking/awareness
- The undulating landscape is shown through the contours at the base of the artwork.
- Moons/planet = Represent cycle and time.
- Stars = Navigation and knowing the way.
- Boomerang = Coming full circle. 20 boomerangs represent the 20 years of Reconciliation Australia.
- Reflection = Reflecting on our actions.
- Central river = The crying river represents the degradation and needed renewal. The land is suffering from inaction.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples have been listening to the heartbeat of the land and sea for generations. With their rainbow shaped souls the spirits ask for us to join and make reconciliation more than a word, take action. We need to love one another and every aspect of the existing environment and community – we all have a role to play.
The artwork reflects our connection and mutual obligation to one another, community and Country. Through commonality and difference, we have the ability to come together and achieve real change.
We are the change.
Take care, and God bless.
Phil Taylor
Aboriginal Education Teacher
Mini Vinnies
Last week our fabulous Mini Vinnies showed amazing commitment & enthusiasm running our treats stall every day at recess. I was met with G’day’s, Howdy partner’s and hat tips as I welcomed the children into school on Friday morning looking gorgeous in their farmer gear!
Last week, Mrs Melissa Hunt, the Principal of St. Josephs Wingham shared this photo showing how close the flood waters came to their school. St. Joseph’s sits on the bank of the Manning River which at the peak of the floods rose 14.9 metres ABOVE its normal level. The school suffered rain damage and many of the families lost homes and livestock due to the flood waters.
We are proud to announce that between the stall and the gold coin donations, we raised $698.35 for St. Joseph’s, Wingham. What an amazing effort for our little school! Thank you to each and every child, parent and teacher who helped to make Jesus truly visible in our school community through our fundraising efforts. We will be sending the donation to St. Joseph’s next week and we look forward to hearing how we have helped their community.
Pentecost
Did you know that Pentecost is also known as the birthday of the church? It is often called that because Pentecost is when the apostles became the very first priests after being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Last Sunday the church throughout the world celebrated Pentecost Sunday commemorating the day when the Holy Spirit first descended upon the disciples of Jesus. Pentecost (Greek for 50th day) is celebrated by Christians 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came in the form of wind and flame and filled the disciples with gifts of wisdom, understanding, right judgement, courage, knowledge, reverence and wonder. The disciples were immediately able to speak many languages and spread the Good News of Jesus. These gifts also empower and enable us to spread the Good News of Jesus.
We may not be able to speak a different language in a literal way but we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us find ways to speak to someone’s heart. Those of you who have older children will understand what I mean. That precious moment when you find a way to speak directly to your pre-teen or teenagers' heart and actually make a breakthrough...the Holy Spirit might just be working through you to make that understanding happen!
What are we learning in Religion?
Each newsletter, we will showcase a class and give you a little insight as to what they are learning about during Religion lessons. This week we hear from…
Year 3!
RELIGION NEWS FROM YEAR 3
In Year 3 this term we have been studying the Old testament (Hebrew texts). We have looked at the various books belonging to the Old Testament. Did you know that the first five books of the Old Testament are called the Pentateuch books (Genesis,Exodus,Leviticus,Numbers and Deuteronomy)?
Did you also know?
1. The longest book in the Bible? The book of Psalms.
2. The shortest book in the Bible? John
3. The longest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 119
4. The shortest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 117
5. The longest verse in the Bible? Esther 8:9
6. The shortest verse in the Bible? John 11:35
We have also reviewed the Pentecost story – read Indiana’s recount of the day of Pentecost.
When the day of Pentecost came, all the disciples of Jesus were gathered together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw something which looked like tongues of fire which touched each disciple in the room. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and became confident and began to talk in other languages, so everyone could understand them.
We remind you that fee payments should have commenced by now and if paying by instalment we ask that accounts are finalised by 30 November 2021. If paying in full please finalise prior to 30 June 2021. Payments can be made via BPay, direct debit or credit card.
For families experiencing financial hardship or wishing to discuss other payment arrangements please contact the Office.
Premier’s Reading Challenge
Wow, 33 students from St. Kevin’s have completed PRC
Congratulations to the following students for completing PRC in the last fortnight.
Kinder – Ella, Henry, Charlotte
Year 1 – Poppy, Archie
Year 2 – Lukas, Tulya
Year 5 – Harper, Giesela, Patrick
Keep up the fantastic reading.
Please encourage your child to borrow PRC books each Friday and enter them online. Year 2 won the Library borrowing trophy this week, congratulations Year 2.
National Simultaneous Storytime 2021 – Week 5
National Simultaneous Storytime book for 2021 was, " Give Me Some Space"
We read it in the Library in week 5 however the children would really enjoy listening to the book Live from Space, read by a Nasa astronaut.
We didn't join it live due to it being lunchtime.
Please enjoy watching the live event with your children. Below is the link.
During Library lessons the children designed a space picture using Paint3D. Here are some designs.
Typing
Please remind your children to practice typing. I am encouraging Year5/6 to practice at home so they improve their speed and accuracy for high school. Children from 2-6 have typing.com passwords.