Term 1 Week 9 2025

Principal's Message

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

Dear families and friends,

School Vision
Our students will learn, understand and most importantly enact our school vision to ensure we are the best version of ourselves and as a collective that we can be. I share this information and actions with you via Newsletter, App, Digital Sign and Facebook so you can support your child in their growth and development. This Vision, created 9 years ago, is a huge reason for our school's individual and collective success.

ANZAC Day March (Last Friday of the Holidays)

 I expect all SMP students who are in the Casino area will march in full school uniform, Rain, Hail or Shine

It is such a privilege to march each year and honour the courageous men and women who defended and fought for our country, who still defend us today. Meet at 10.00am on Friday 25 April at Graham place (near the council chambers).

I was going to put on a little celebration at Tabulum after the ANZAC March this year, but the feedback I received was that it may be seen as treading on other schools' toes. I intended to bring a small celebration to the families that travel the furthest. We still will have a staff representation with our kids and families out West of the Range, to show our support to those that travel so far each day and turn out in good numbers, with the honour of doing this where Australian Hero Sir Harry Chauvell is from.

Keeping School Funding Fair – What You Need to Know
Did you know that 6 in 10 Australians don’t fully understand how school funding works? Catholic Schools NSW has launched the Keep School Funding Fair campaign to ensure families have access to clear and accurate information. Our schools play a vital role in providing high-quality education while keeping costs affordable for families. A fair, means-tested funding model ensures all students are supported, no matter their background. Read the Catholic Schools NSW media release to learn more, and visitkeepfundingfair.org.au to watch the explainer video and take action. 

Community Group Meeting 
Our first meeting will take place at 5:30pm on Wednesday 7 May at the Primary School Office (Meeting room). Our first meeting will have our two schools share our School Improvement Plans for the year, discuss some planning ahead and seek feedback. All families are welcome. The meeting will go for around 1 hour. I wish to ensure these meetings are productive and representative of the main parent body. At previous schools, these meetings have sometimes been laced with a minority of parents who do not represent the majority of our community. I wish to ensure that, like our previous St Mary’s P & F, we have parents committed to good advocacy for all.

Feedback from our Parent Engagement Survey
We had 11 responses. This low response is understandable as many are busy, a little over surveys, and content with current practice. Thank you to those who took the time to complete this. I will take this feedback on board and will talk about this feedback (below), providing clarity and understanding at our first parent meeting on 7 May. This is the raw feedback:

What do you like about our parent engagement?  E.g. Facebook, teacher - parent communication, Open Nights, Father's / Grandparents Day Celebrations, Leaders 'open door' policy,  Student-Led Conferences, Sporting Carnivals,  Masses, Assembly, Compass Videos, Class Learning Visits, etc.

• I like how inclusive the school is with all of the above & its community and the wider Casino community.
• Lots of notice that they're happening and reminders sent out.
• All of the above.
• Student led conference nights for parents, I never get the information in after. I feel like this time should just be for parent and teachers only.
• All of the above. The communication between parents and what is happening in the school is very clear, and it’s great that we can celebrate community, sport and learning, as well as the invitation to be apart of faith celebrations.
• Great communication with all staff and family involved.  Love the sporting carnivals. Love it all.
• Yes
• All of the above.
• I would love early planning made easy - communication among teachers and parents.

What might you like to see to strengthen parent engagement? 

• I'm happy with current parent engagement.
• Emails, letters, let us know what's happening, kids don't tell us!
• More engagement with the teachers. The student led conferences do not provide a platform for parents to engage with the teacher without the child present.
• Nothing yet.
• The use of class dojo to share updates in the classroom via photos of student learning etc.
• Parent teacher interviews, while student led conferences are positive for a child’s voice. There’s no time for a parent to have an engaging conversation with their teachers to address any concerns.
• An ability as a parent to respond to notices from the school or direct from the teacher.  Also, a platform ie. whatsapp for each year group for parents to stay connected between each other, to put up questions etc that other parents may be able to answer instead of ringing the school.
  

Suggested Topics for our gatherings

• Behaviour strategies used at school that we can use at home.
• Yes
• Social media/tech - informing parents of how best to support positive engagement, risks, protecting children and setting boundaries with dangerous platforms e.g. Roblox.
• Not yet.
• Lunchtime.  Play before eating doesn’t work for all students.
  

Easter Mass Times:

• Holy Thursday 17 April -  7.00pm
• Good Friday 18 April - 10.00am Stations of Cross & Reconciliation / Passion - 3.00pm
• Easter Saturday Vigil 19 April - 6.00pm / Easter Sunday 20 April - 8.00am

Take care
John O’Brien

Assistant Principal's News - Mission

Attendance
As a school we are mandated to follow some processes regarding student attendance.

Students at…

• Under 90% attendance - we must to send a parent letter home.
• 89 - 70% attendance - additional letters sent home.
• Under 70% attendance - we must hold an Attendance Improvement Meeting with parents and student.

Did you know?

• Students arriving after 8:50am are classified as a ‘partial attendance’ which means their attendance % drops every time this happens.
• It is the same for students being picked up early.
• High student attendance has a big impact on student academic and wellbeing outcomes.
• Regular attendance is classified as 95% (80% for the term = 1 day off a week = 2 full school weeks off or 50 hours of learning lost for the term!).

Mobile Laundry Project 
As a school we are working towards an exciting project of building a mobile laundry trailer to provide free access to washing machines and dryers for those who don’t have access to this themselves e.g. homeless, rough sleepers or those experiencing financial hardship. 

This project will cost us around $35,000 to get up and running and we are fundraising money this year to get this off the ground. 

Thank you to the following business who have donated money towards this project so far:

• The Casino Food Co Op - $2,000
• Casino Travel Shoppe - $1,500 Gift Voucher to be used for a raffle (trip for 2 to Sydney)
• Rotary Casino - $2,000

Our Mini Vinnies will be holding a cake stall for our project as well!

Our House
A big thank you to Archer Chelman, Sophie Robinson and Athea Bate for volunteering their time to cook at the Our House facility in Lismore in Week 7.  These students helped to prepare and serve a meal for a number of people undergoing treatment at Lismore Base as well as their families. Also, a big thank you to Mrs Brooks, Mr Smith, Mrs Parker and Mr Simpson for being there for this as well.

Stations of the Cross Artwork 
A massive congratulations to the following students who had their artwork chosen to be printed as part of our annual Stations of the Cross Indigenous Artwork display. These artworks will be at the front of our school during Week 10 and then be moved to the front of the church to remain there during Holy Week. Well done to:

• Flynn Zaiko
• Annabelle Sawle-Smith
• Harry Metcalfe
• Granger Kook
• Charlie Metcalfe
• Koa Pilling
• Jaxon Wills
• Gracie Bahadori
• Chayton Dow
• Bobbi Grissell
• Marcos Barber
• Josephine Williams
• Athea Bate
• Lexi Vidler
  

Sam Irvine
AP - Mission

Assistant Principal's News Teaching & Learning

Student-Led Conferences
Next week we will be having our Student Led Conferences. The goal of these conferences is for your child to share their learning with you. This is a wonderful opportunity to open up a conversation with your child about their learning and to give them the chance to share their successes with you, whilst identifying the next steps in their journey. It is very common for parents to want a meeting time with the teacher to discuss topics other than learning, often without the child present. The student-led conferences are not designed to address this need, but we encourage all parents to arrange another meeting time with their child's teacher if this is something they would like to do. 

ICAS 2025
We are once again taking part in the ICAS testing and encourage parents to register their children for these.

ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) is a series of globally recognized academic assessments designed to challenge students and measure their skills in key subjects, including English, Mathematics, Science, and Digital Technologies.  Unlike standard classroom tests, ICAS focuses on higher-order thinking and problem-solving, helping students develop critical skills for future learning. These assessments provide valuable insights into a child's strengths and areas for growth, with results benchmarked against national and international standards.

Participation in ICAS is optional, but it’s a great opportunity for students to challenge themselves and gain recognition for their achievements. If you’d like your child to take part, please click on this link below and use the provided code to purchase these assessments. 

These assessments will be held at the school in August.  Please see the attached flyer for more information. 

We are offering Writing for students in Yrs 3-6 and Maths, Spelling and English for students in Yrs 2-6.

https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/ZMX113

Code- ZMX113

Felicity Wilde
AP Teaching & Learning

Stage 2 & 3 Instructional Leader

Rocket Math

This year in Years 3-6, we continue to practice our multiplication facts using a program called Rocket Math. The Rocket Math Worksheet Program is a ten-minutes-a-day, paper and pencil, worksheet-based, supplemental, math facts practice curriculum that offers over 25 different learning tracks. It is a uniquely structured curriculum for the sequential practice and mastery of math facts.

• Students learn 4 facts on each worksheet in a carefully controlled sequence which enables mastery at an individualised pace.
• Students practice orally with a partner every day.
• One minute timings assess when students are ready to move to the next set of facts.

Automaticity of multiplication facts is an important skill needed for many other content strands taught in mathematics.  Ask your child/ren what level they are on and have a go at testing each other!

Kristie Irvine
Stage 2 & 3 Instructional Leader

Leader of Faith

Sacrament of Reconciliation
On Wednesday 26th March, 27 of our students received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The week prior, they attended a ‘Night of Reflection’ presented by students in Years 5 and 6. We thank those students, Fr Peter and Fr Wilbur for their support during this preparation. The students celebrated this faith milestone with their classmates the following day with a cake and a little ‘extra playtime.’

Other Sacramental Dates 2025
Please note the dates of our other sacraments during this year. Notes will come to those involved via Compass closer to the date.

Confirmation (Year 3 Baptised Catholic students)

Reflection Night:  Wednesday 6th August

Sacrament of Confirmation: Tuesday 12th August

First Communion( Year 4 Catholic Students who have been Confirmed)

Reflection Night: Wednesday 17th September 6pm

First Communion:  Sunday 21st September 9am Mass

Year 6 Mini Vinnies
Over 40 Year 6 students have joined Mini Vinnies for 2025. They are very enthusiastic, with many great ideas of ways to raise money to help those in need. 

We recently held our election for Semester One. The results were:

President:   Skylah Wells

Secretary:  Sophie Robinson

Treasurer:  Bronte McIntyre

Easter Cake /Activity Stalls - Lunchtime NEXT TUESDAY 8 APRIL
Mini Vinnies will be selling an array of cupcakes, slices, icy cups, Zooper Doopers and running games such as guessing competitions, balloon games etc for our students to raise money for our Laundry Trailer Fundraiser. Foods and games will cost between 20c- $1 so please support our fundraiser by sending some loose change with your child next Tuesday.

Karen McDonald
Leader of Faith

Sport News

Run Club 
Well done to all students who have participated in Run Club this term. Congratulations to our Top 3 Runners: Gretyl Bird (27.20km), Elodie Llewellyn (15.60km) and Luca Cadman (13.20km). See you in Term 2!

Winter Sports Trials 
Congratulations to the following students who have been successfully selected for the upcoming Diocesan Winter Sports Trials, which will take place later in Term 1 and early Term 2: 
Soccer: Indy Davis, Isla Davis, Myf Gray, Layla Maroney, Sophie Robinson 
Rugby League: Marcus Barber, Archer Chelman, Campbell Hardwick, Finn Irvine, Rocco Jenkins, Benjamin Johnston, Ashton Leadley, Finnan Martin, Archie Moss, Chase Roberts, Blake Simeoni, Billy Stavenow, Jaxon Williams 
Rugby Union: Chase Roberts, Jaxon Williams, Slater Gould 
Netball: Zoe Formaggin - Congratulations to Zoe for being selected to represent at Polding Level. 

Zone Cross Country
The Zone Cross Country will now take place on Tuesday 29 April (Week 1, Term 2). All students who have successfully reached Zone level should have received their running singlets. Please contact me if you have not yet received one. 

Cohen Parrish
Sports Co-ordinator

Leader of Love and Community

Acts of Hope
In Week 7, our Year 6 students ventured into the community to carry out their first Acts of Hope.

Students visited St Michael’s Nursing Home, Baptist Preschool and St Mary’s Preschool, spreading kindness and hope through their interactions. They also painted Rocks of Hope to place in community playgrounds and wrote heartfelt thank-you cards to our local SES in appreciation of their tremendous efforts in keeping our community safe and informed during the recent weather event.

One of the highlights was playing bingo with the residents of St Michael’s. Our students cherished the opportunity to listen to and share stories with these special members of our community.

Well done, Year 6, for spreading kindness and hope while making a meaningful impact in our community!

Easter Hats
At SMP, one of the special privileges of being a Year 6 leader is being paired with a Kindergarten buddy. This role allows our senior students to mentor, support and build meaningful connections with their younger peers throughout the year.

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ANZAC MARCH
ANZAC Day is a time to honor and remember the sacrifices of those who came before us, giving us the freedoms we cherish today. We encourage all SMP students, especially our Year 6 leaders and SRC members, to participate in our local ANZAC Day march.

We will gather at Graham Place at 10:00am for a 10:15am start. Year 6 leaders and SRC members are also encouraged to attend the dawn service if they are able.

Students are to wear full school uniform as a sign of respect and pride. This is a meaningful opportunity to showcase leadership, school spirit, and community involvement at SMP.

Please see the attached flyer for details on local services.

Nicole Hammond
Leader of Love and Community

School Dates

Thursday 10 April - Last day of Term 1 

Friday 11 April - Student free day

Friday 25 April - ANZAC Day

Monday 28 April - First day of Term 2

Friday 9 May - Mother's Day Stall

Sunday 11 May - Mother's Day

Monday 12 May - School Photos

Tuesday 13 May - Sibling School Photos for primary students only

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Georgia Goldthorpe Katelyn Rowlands Adrian Campbell Grace Turner Archie Moss Chase Roberts Skylah Wells Alexis Beadman Jaxon Wills Darcy Hardwick Harley Robinson Nate Anderson Ewan Connolly Lorenzo Llewellyn Layla Gillett Casey Magee Chloe Clark Hayden Murray Mason Smith-Proctor Jimmy Armfield Elke Barton Jordan Mitchell Jude Winkler Connor Adams Dustin Talbot Henry Leece Eli Jude Williams Alyvia Bennett Finnegan McDonald Dallas Clarke Albert Armstrong Evelyn Lambeth Tate Hewetson Charlotte Bray Hugo Hilton Eleanor McSweeney Leo Hill Charlie Delaney and  Sofia Thomson who have recently celebrated their birthday, and to Jack Morton and Tane Stavenow who celebrate on Saturday.