Term 4 Week 2 2024

Principal's Message

‘We do whatever it takes to lead the way in Love, Learning, Faith, School Spirit, Sport & Community’

Dear families and friends,

Father Arthur had one main message - ‘The Love of Jesus’

                                                                         We will miss him. May he rest in peace.

Our Focus
Our mantra is Strong Growth For All. We are achieving this in learning by using an Explicit Direct Instructional approach. This has gone so well for us this year thus far, and we will continue to work very hard to be at our best and do our best for our SMP kids in Term 4.  I am so pleased with how my team is nailing this for our SMP kids. 

Staff set up for 2025 
I am working on staffing for next year. Once I have a solid plan, I will share this with our community, most likely in the Week 6 newsletter.

I am so happy with my crew. It just keeps getting better each year I have been here. Our staff is the most important thing for our success and the success of your child. I invest so much into us, to ensure we are hard-working and dedicated. Our school vision leads this.

I said earlier this year, we will not be changing classes drastically like we have done in the past. We will be using student learning data again, like we did to put the classes together this year. Our classes in 2024 have never been so engaging and settled, enhancing your child’s learning.

Students will find out their teacher and class for 2025 on Monday 9 December and will spend time with them and their class on Friday 13 December. We spend considerable time putting this together.  I will consider special circumstances if presented to me regarding the placement of students, but I’m reluctant to grant requests for teachers or friendship groups and am pleased with how these students thrive after checking in with them the following year.

World Educators Day
I celebrated with my team today the blessing they are to our SMP community. They work so very hard to lead in Love, Learning, Faith, School Spirit, Sport & Community and deserve to be celebrated.

Congratulations
A huge congratulations to Hannah de Silva on the news that she is pregnant with her second child. We are all very excited by this and wish Hannah, Barry and little Charlie all the best as they await another little blessing.  A big congratulations also to Karrie Furchtman on her engagement to Nick whilst she was overseas.

Take care
John O’Brien

Assistant Principal's News - Mission

Emmanuel City Mission Visit
In Week 3, a number of our staff will head off to Brisbane on a staff pilgrimage. During the visit, the attending staff will volunteer their time at the Emmanuel City Mission which is a daytime sanctuary for the homeless and vulnerable. They will help to prepare a meal and help out wherever is needed. During the trip, we will also complete a street retreat which reflects on the plight of the homeless in Brisbane. Why are we doing this? We have a deep commitment to supporting the poor and marginalised at SMP - just as Christ has asked us to do. By volunteering for these activities, our staff are deepening their own faith and reflecting on how we can continue to follow in Christ’s footsteps.

3:16 Youth Group
Keep your eyes peeled for the 3:16 Youth Group Compass Event which will go out shortly. For those new to the school or unfamiliar with the youth group, it is for our Years 2-6 students and it focuses on bringing kids together for fun, food and understanding about God in their lives. The youth group is coordinated by our school staff. The idea of the session is for students to have lots of fun and participate in enjoyable activities. We will send out more info on Compass.

Term 4 dates = 8 November and 6 December (3:10pm - 5:00pm)

Socktober
On Friday 15 November we will hold our annual Socktober celebrations where we raise money for Caritas who are an organisation who supports poor and marginalised communities around the world. This year our Year 6 Leaders of Faith surveyed students in our school to ask what they would like to do to celebrate this special event this year. The overwhelming response was for a combined Crazy Sock PLUS Wear Your Pyjamas to School Day.

Dates for the Diary

• 25/10 - Years 1 & 2 Prayer Service in the Church @ 1:00pm
• 8/11 - Year 4 Student Retreat Day
• 11/11 - Remembrance Day
• 15/11 - Socktober (Crazy Sock + PJ Day), 3:16 Youth Group & Student of the Month Assembly
• 16/11 - Family Mass @ 6:00pm
• 22/11 - Kinder & Year 4 Prayer Service in the Church @ 1:00pm
• 22/11 - Year 5 Student Retreat Day @ Windara
  
• 28/11 - Christmas Concert
  
• 6/12 - Years 3, 5 & 6 Prayer Service in the Church @ 1:00pm and 3:16 Youth Group
• 12/12 - Year 6 Graduation

All Hallows - Halloween Disco
Dear Students and Families,

Get ready to dance the night away at our All Hallows Disco on November 1st! Join us for a thrilling evening filled with fun, games, and a chance to show off your spooky side!

Dress Code: Can wear Free Dress, and if they wish, dress in their Halloween costume (No killing, violent, bloody etc - only appropriate costumes), or as a Saint, or to respectfully honour someone they know who has passed away (family, friend or someone famous like Steve Irwin).  Year 3-6 students swimming are not permitted face paint or hair colouring.  They may wish to resume their book week or beef week costume.

What to Expect:

• 🎶 Dance to the beats of DJ Red 'Rain' Dog
• 🎉 Participate in exciting games and win fantastic prizes
• 🍬 Enjoy treats and snacks with your friends

Don’t miss out on this chance to celebrate All Hallows - All Saints’ Day with an afternoon of fun and festivities!

Date: 1 November
Time: 2:00pm - 2:30pm for (Kinder - Year 3) 2:30pm - 3:00pm for (Year 4- Year 6)
Location: Relihan Centre 

We can’t wait to see all your spooky outfits and dance moves!

Let’s Dance it Up! 
DJ Red ‘Rain’ Dog

Sam Irvine
AP Mission

Assistant Principal's News Teaching & Learning

PAT Testing
Over the next few weeks your children may be taking part in our bi-annual PAT testing. Twice a year, every year our students in Yrs 2-6 sit these tests in the areas of Reading, Maths and Spelling.

PAT tests are a series of standardized assessments developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). They are used in schools across Australia to measure students' growth and compare student achievement against other children at the same grade level. 

PAT tests are progressive, meaning they are designed to measure your child’s development over time rather than at a single point. Unlike other types of tests that focus on pass or fail outcomes, PAT tests assess a student’s skills on a continuum, allowing teachers to see what your child already knows and what they are ready to learn next. This makes them an invaluable tool for identifying strengths, areas for improvement, and overall academic growth.

The Reading and Maths PAT tests are also adaptive. This means that the questions change for every child based on their answers. This allows for the tailoring of the test to your child’s specific level. This makes sure the test is not too easy, or too difficult, for any child and ensures their teachers get a clear picture of what they can achieve at this point in their learning journey. 

Your child’s teacher will use the data they get from these tests to identify where your child is achieving, if any gaps in their learning need to be filled and to, alongside other assessment pieces, give a grade for these Key Learning Areas.

I have attached an information flyer for you, but if you have any further questions about these tests, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

Felicity Wilde
AP Teaching & Learning

Sport News

Drew Ludlow competed in the International Championships at the Sunshine Coast during Week One. He earned two silver medals—one for sparring and the other for hand drills in the 11 year old age division.  Drew faced competitors from Australia, Great Britain, and Scotland.

Congratulations, Drew, on this incredible achievement!

Eddie Shields has travelled to Penrith to participate in the SNSW U'11 Boys Regional Camp. He successfully made the Under-14 NSW squad, placing him among the top 50 under-14 Years softball players in the state—an achievement he should be incredibly proud of.

This week, five of our students travelled to Sydney to compete in the NSW PSSA Championships.  Rocco Jenkins, Billy Stavenow, Thomas McCormack, and Toby Makejev represented SMP in the Senior Boys Relay team, while Marcos Barber competed in the 100m event. These boys should be incredibly proud of this amazing achievement, running against the very best from across the state!

Marcos finished fourth in his heat with an impressive time of 13.99, just missing out on the finals. Congratulations to Marcos for achieving a personal best and delivering a fantastic run!

Our Senior Boys relay team also gave a strong performance, finishing sixth in their heat.  SMP is incredibly proud of these athletes for representing the school at such a high level of competition. Great work, boys!

Swimming Carnival Years 3-6

Our annual Swimming Carnival will be held on Monday, 25 November for all students in Years 3 to 6. Competitive swimmers from Years 1 and 2 are also welcome, provided they have Swimming Club experience or can swim 50m competitively. The carnival will run from approximately 9:15am to 2:30pm with students travelling to and from the pool by bus. 

For those competing in the 100m freestyle & 50m butterfly, please note that private transport will be required to arrive at the pool by 8:00am for an 8:30am start, to ensure all events fit within the schedule.  Based on feedback from last year, we have made some adjustments to improve the event. Competitive races will begin promptly at 8:30am, running back-to-back.  Once the competitive events conclude, we’ll move on to the 25m races, shallow water novelty events and relays.

This year, we expect all students in Years 3 to 6 who have been assessed and can competently swim 50m to participate in competitive events. We strongly encourage all students to get involved and be active in the water as much as possible. Students who prefer shorter distances will swim in the 25m races and take part in fun, shallow water novelty activities. Event nomination forms have been completed during class time this week, please contact me if your child has been away or missed this opportunity. nicole.hammond@lism.catholic.edu.au 

Participation in the carnival is compulsory for all students in Years 3 to 6 as it is an official school activity. If you plan to collect your child after the carnival, please follow school protocol and sign them out by scanning the QR code at the sign-out table.  Kindergarten and non-competitive Year 1 and 2 students will remain at school for a regular school day.

Both competitive and non-competitive swimmers will have the opportunity to earn Sports House points. Points will be awarded for competitive races as well as novelty events, such as 25m races, shallow water activities and other fun challenges. Students are encouraged to come dressed in their House colours, and parents and family members are welcome to join us! Family members dressed in House colours can also earn Cultural Points for their child’s House.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, 25 November
• Time: 9:15am – 2:30pm (some events start at 8:30am)
• Travel: Bus departs at 9:00am and returns at approximately 2:30pm
• Venue: Casino Memorial Pool
• Cost: $5 pool entry (consent & payment made vis compass)
• What to Bring: Rash shirt (not required for races), swimmers, sunscreen, towel, school hat, change of clothes, goggles (optional), lunch and recess (canteen will be available)

We will need some parent helpers on the day to assist with tasks like timing. If you are available to help, please email nicole.hammond@lism.catholic.edu.au. Your support is greatly appreciated!

We look forward to a fun and successful carnival!

Nikki Hammond
Sports Co-ordinator

Leader of Love and Community

Welcome to Term 4!

Our SMP Christmas Concert is set and will be here before we know it, so please SAVE THE DATE.

When: Thursday 28 November from 5.00pm until 7.00pm with the Nativity Play and singing starting at 6.00pm. We will also have our music students performing, including our Junk Drummers. 

Where: St Mary’s Catholic College grass area
Students can dress in Christmas colours/clothes to get into the spirit of Christmas. We will also have Casino Rotary on site with cold drinks, hot chips and a sausage sizzle. Payment by cash and card.

We invite families to bring a picnic blanket or deck chair to use during the performance. More information will follow in the coming weeks.

We look forward to celebrating Christmas with you all.

Hannah de Silva
Leader of Love and Community

Birthdays

Happy birthday t0  Isla Serone Oaklen Wenzel Lexi Hancock Clyde Rogers Jack Farrelly Adira Lindsay Rori Nixon Mylo Hilton Lilly Latta Ella Limberiou Zac Northfield Bobby Botfield Claire Claydon Harriett McLennan Granger Kook Milly Maroney Darcy Trevillien Adeline Jones Calla Ring Andre Monks Ariah Whitney-Thompson Hudson Pennell Connor Clark Zoe Northfield Takoda MacMahon Alice Appleby Athena Brown Charlie Campbell Skylar Durand Libby Johnston Maddox Ring Chelsea Rose Reagan Fraser Gabrielle Grayson Jacob Convine Finn Irvine Mason Newby Kallan Hancock Drew Ludlow Nash Stephens Payton Fuller Slater Gould Kobee Hammond Nevaeh Dennis Sophia Turner Lucas Appleby Angus Hearn Ted Richards and Milla Constable who recently celebrated their birthday, and to Harpah Baker and Blake Simeoni who celebrate tomorrow.