St Canice's Primary School Newsletter

16th June Term 2 Week 8

Address: 158 Katoomba Street Katoomba

Phone:     4780 6800

Email:    stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au

Website: stcaniceskatoomba.catholic.edu.au

Facebook: St Canice’s School Katoomba

 

Mass Times

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish

Parish Priest Fr Carlos Walker         Assistant Priest Fr Omar Mazzega

 Presbytery Contact  Ph: 02 4782 2804

                                         Fax: 02 4782 6090

Website: marymackillopupperbluemountains.org.au

If you wish to come to come to a weekend Mass please use form below to book a Mass time. To avoid disappointment please book for the coming weekend before Friday 3pm.

https://forms.gle/LDSNjTP69UjtEJYs5

If you have trouble accessing the form or know others who would like to book but don't have computer access, please contact the parish office to book your preferred Mass time either by email bluemountains@parracatholic.org or phone 4782 2804.

Thank you for your understanding.

Weekday Mass times are no longer booked but are on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Looking forward to seeing more of your friendly faces at Mass!

https://www.facebook.com/pg/BlueMountainsCatholic

Mass

Monday 8.30am Friday 12.00pm Saturday 9.30am Sunday 10.00am

Reconciliation

Monday 9.00am Friday 12.30pm Saturday 10.00am

Rosary

Before Daily Mass each day Saturday Cenacle Rosary and Consecration following 10am Mass

Stations of the Cross

1st Friday of month, 12.30pm

Exposition of Blessed Sacrament

Fridays (Except 1st Friday) 12.30pm

Benediction

1st Saturday of month – (following Mass)

Weekly Divine Mercy Hour

Sundays 12.00pm to 1.00pm

Vespers

4th Monday of month – 6pm

 

A Message from Ms Meaney

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Members of the St Canice’s School Community,

Thank you all for your efforts in ensuring that your child is at school every day on time for a great day of learning and interacting. Whilst the temperature is down, our spirits are high and there is no shortage of energy and joy from the children.

Refugee Week:

This week is Refugee Week, a week to remember all of those who have been welcomed into Australia as refugees over time and to celebrate the contribution they have made to our great country. What better example have we in the Parramatta diocese than Bishop Vincent himself, who fled from South Vietnam in 1979 and arrived here in 1981. The children are learning about refugees this week. At Friday’s assemblies this week,  we look forward to thanking God for refugees and encouraging all to help in providing safe and welcoming communities for them.

The children will wear Mufti on Friday if possible, bring a gold coin as a donation. 

Zoom Opportunity: Coffee and Chat

I would like to invite all parents to a “Coffee and Chat” zoom on Friday this week, 19th June at 10am. I am very interested in catching up with you and also in considering how we might start the process of involving parents in the school again. I also have a small task for us all around upgrading our website and would love your input. If you are free, please join me at the link below:

   https://parracatholic.zoom.us/j/98095363921?pwd=UVN5cU9LVnpGcnl1ekQySFp5S3FHdz09

   Password: 751287 (password generally not required)

School Upgrades:

We are delighted that our school is being upgraded in many areas to make it a more beautiful and safer environment for your children. Turf is being laid currently in our grassed areas for safe play and to also create pleasant relaxation zones for the children. Our fences are also being replaced in places. We also look forward to some changes to our school interior. Carpets are being replaced throughout, our balustrades are being upgraded and our main areas will be painted in due course. You may have also noticed that our sign is switched back on -  the old sign has been replaced with a new one. Most of these upgrades have been made possible through the hard work and support of our central office and we are very grateful. 

Reading:

We are encouraging all children to read, read and read more! Now that Winter is here, there is no better time to get cosy with a good book. Parents, your role in reading to your children is significant in helping them to become good readers. Encourage your child to borrow books from our beautiful library and now that Katoomba Library is up and running again, consider regular visits to that beautiful, resource-rich space. Thank you to Mrs Friend for her many reminders about the Premier’s Reading Challenge, which is a great motivator for the children. 

Growth through Love:

We continue to recognise acts of kindness at St Canice’s through the Growth Through Love tokens. At this stage, Kindergarten and Year 1 and Stage 3 have earned a certificate for their many acts of kindness. This would be a great dinner table conversation, Parents. 

Remember to Zoom in if you can on Friday at 10am! God Bless,

Miriam Meaney


Miriam Meaney

Covid19 Test & Results

The Government advice is as follows: 

Testing recommendations

    Anyone with symptoms should come forward for COVID-19 testing.

    Symptoms of COVID-19 include

    • fever
    • cough
    • sore/scratchy throat and
    • shortness of breath.

    Get tested if you have coronavirus symptoms and help us identify as many cases in the community as quickly as possible.

    If you choose to advise the school that your student has been tested for covid19,  please provide a copy of the clearance advice to the office on the return to school.

    Nepean / Blue Mountains Region COVID-19 clinics

    Blue Mountains Hospital

    Corner Great Western Highway and Woodlands Road, Katoomba, NSW 2780    Access via main entrance Open: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

    Hawkesbury Showground Drive-through Clinic

    Hawkesbury Showground, Enter via Gate 3, Racecourse Road, Clarendon, NSW 2756Open: 10am to 12:30am and 1pm to 3pm, Monday to Friday

    Hazelbrook Respiratory Clinic

    7-9 Rosedale Avenue, Hazelbrook, NSW, 2779 Open: 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday Limited parking for disabled and frail only

    Lithgow Hospital

    Corner Col Drewe Drive and Great Western Highway, Lithgow, NSW 2790 Access via main entrance Open: 9am to 12pm, 7 days 

    Nepean Hospital

    Level 1, West Block, Derby Street, Kingswood, NSW 2747 Open: 9am to 4:30pm, 7 days

    Penrith Respiratory Clinic

    2227 Wolseley Street, Jamisontown, NSW 2750Located behind OurMEdical Home Penrith Centre Follow signs and do not enter the regular medical centre Open: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday  Book online

    National Coronavirus Helpline

    Ring  1800 020 080 to speak to the National Coronavirus Helpline for information on coronavirus or help with the COVIDSafe app.

    Mufti Day and Gold Coin Donation

    On Friday 19th June, St Canice’s will be having a mufti day with a Gold Coin donation and sending the donations to the Jesuit Refugee Services at Arrupe House in Westmead, to support the many refugees in our Western Sydney Area.

    Refugee Week is an opportunity for students to become aware of the refugee plight in Australia and to celebrate the achievements of many refugees now living in Australia. The Jesuit Refugee Service is an international Catholic organisation, founded in 1980 as a work of the Society of Jesus (“the Jesuits”)

    The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) established the Shelter Project in 2007, in response to a shortage of affordable housing and accessible services for people seeking asylum living in the community called, ‘The Arrupe Project” located in Westmead.

    Now, more than ever, refugees in Australia need our help. The clients at Arrupe House are currently ineligible for JobKeeper or JobSeeker, so bridging this gap will be their next challenge.

    Head Lice

    We have had a number of reports of those little beasties “Head Lice” throughout the school

    We ask that you check your children for signs of infestation and if nits or lice are found that you treat them before the children return to school.

    Growth Through Love

    This term, the leaders and Mrs Meaney have started a new initiative. We are promoting kindness through “Growth through Love” tokens.

    We are looking for random acts of kindness and good behaviour.

    We want everybody to know that it is very important to live up to our motto ”Growth through Love and Learning” and that we keep up our kindness.

    Airlie, Meenatchi, Owen and Lucas

    Please be Mindful

    We ask that only students and staff are in the school grounds.

    If you need to speak with your child's Teacher, please call the office on 4780 6800 or email the school at stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au to arrange an appointment.

    We ask that students are dropped off and collected outside the gate.

    Please be mindful to maintain social distancing when coming to the Administration Office.

    Disabled Parking - Studleigh Place Carpark

    We ask that no one parks in the designated disabled spaces in Studleigh Place without a permit.

    We understand that parking can be difficult, however we ask that you only park in allocated parking spots.

    Strings Program Update

    Students that participate in Private Lessons as part of our Strings Program have had a change of times for their lessons.

    Please ensure your child brings their instrument to school on the following days.

    Violin Lessons - Wednesday with Bonita

    Cello Lessons - Thursday with Paul 

    Ensemble - Thursday 3 - 4pm

    Cello & Ensemble start this Thursday 4th June.

    Violin will begin Wednesday 10th June.

    Our Office is Now Cashless

    The Office is now unable to process cash payments.

    Payment of School Fees can be made via BPay or direct debit, details can be found on your Statement.  If you have not received a statement and have a query about your school fees please call the office on 4780 6800.  

    News from Stage Three

    Stage Three's learning has been “out of this world”. We built models to show how Earth is part of a system of planets and other celestial bodies, orbiting around a star. We researched how scientists are able to develop ideas about the solar system through the gathering of evidence through space exploration.

    Working independently and collaboratively, we planned and applied elements of scientific investigations to answer questions and solve problems.  Our groups' learning was recorded as a flip grid movie.

    Out of this World with Stage 3

    Kinder Enrolments 2021

    When I talk to parents about what makes them choose St Canice’s as the school for their child/ren, I hear that for most of you it is because of what a friend, neighbour or colleague has said about the school. For many of you it is your choice because of your family connections with this school. Sometimes it is because of the advertising, special functions, open days, but predominantly, parents choose St Canice’s because of YOU. May I just say, Thanks. Currently, we are enrolling for Kindergarten 2021, if you know of people looking for a school for their child (even if it is for the other grades), please let them know about St Canice’s. The power of your words of recommendation has an enormous effect on our enrolments. Let’s keep working together to make St Canice’s that great school that has been in operation for the past 119 years - the oldest school in the Katoomba area.

    Premier's Reading Challenge 2020

    Dear Parents and Caregivers,

    The NSW Premiers’ Reading Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students and enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge for each to read, to read more and to read more widely.

    This year’s challenge started on 2nd March and finishes on 28th August. This challenge can be completed as part of the children’s home reading each week. It is expected that all students in our school will participate in the challenge. Many of the PRC books can be found in our school library, on line or your local library. A comprehensive list of books included in the challenge can be found on the PRC website.

    Visit the PRC website now to download your Personal Reading Log and view the booklists. Visit http://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html or Google Premiers’ Reading Challenge.

    The PRC Booklists can be accessed by clicking the “Booklists” link found on the left side of the website. You can also access them via the PDF or Excel booklists download options in the top right hand corner of that page. It is constantly being updated and evaluated to ensure an excellent source of existing and new additions of books, as well as approved series for students taking part in the Challenge. 

    Your child is expected to read a certain number of books to complete the Challenge:

    Your child’s login and password will be sent home with your child. I would strongly recommend you display it in a safe and accessible place, such as fridge or bedroom mirror for safe keeping.

    The Challenge is well equipped to support student participation from home. The following adjustments will be applied to the challenge in 2020:

    • Students on all Challenge levels are able to read 10 choice books – an increase from 5.

    • Students on all Challenge levels will be able to include books on their reading records that they read collaboratively as a class, in person or online with their teacher or at home with their parents/carers.

    • Students who complete the Challenge in 2020 will be able to count this towards cumulative awards.

    • Students who do not participate in the Challenge in 2020 will not be disadvantaged in the receipt of cumulative awards.

    If you have any questions with reading lists or issues with passwords, please feel free to see me. 

    Wishing you and your child shared reading fun throughout the Challenge!

    Kind regards,

    Rosana Friend

    Librarian


    The Astronaut's Cat - By Tohby Riddle

    Tohby recently shared his latest book - The Astronaut's Cat with a very special dedication to all the students at St Canice's.

    Thank you Tohby, from this generation of readers and the many to follow.

    Tohby Riddle is an internationally award-winning author, illustrator and cartoonist based in Katoomba, NSW. He has written and illustrated many well-loved picture books and illustrated books (including Unforgotten, Nobody Owns the Moon and The Greatest Gatsby: a visual book of grammar).

    The book is based around a treasured family member of the Riddle family called Pom Pom, a great book of imagination and wonder.


    Life Education Visit

    Healthy Harold and the Life Education team will visit St Canice's  Week 1 of Term 3

    Tuesday 21/7/20 and Wednesday 22/7/20

    Harold Products 

    Life Education NSW is a not for profit organisation that relies on the support of the community to assist them in reaching their fundraising goals. Every Harold product purchased helps them visit more children in NSW. 

    The sale of Harold merchandise to the children whilst the program is visiting each school supports our overall fundraising activities and helps cover the gap between the cost of delivery and what parents and schools pay for our program. These products help to remind children about the messages delivered to them during their Life Education session and have either a picture of Harold or the Life Education logo on them. 

    The educator will provide the opportunity for children to purchase these products during the school visit. PLEASE NOTE: Payments are to be made in CASH ONLY. Please provide the correct money in an envelope with the item written on the face of the envelope along with your child's name and class. This allows the educator to process orders efficiently and accurately. Orders will be returned by the conclusion of the visit. You can also check out our NEW product range online by visiting www.lifeeducation.org.au/shop 

    Name: Class: 

    Product Description Price Incl. GST QTY Product Description Price Incl. GST QTY 

    Tattoo $0.50 Large Harold Soft Toy $15.00 

    Harold Post-it-note $1.50 

    Harold Hand Ball $3.00 

    Small Harold Soft Toy $8.00 

    Total Owing $ Total Owing $ 

    NB Harold Products are subject to availability Life Education NSW thanks you for your support. 

    Help support Life Education I would like to donate $ to Life Education NSW. Donations of $2.00 or over are tax 

    deductible. 

    □ I would like to hear more from Life Education NSW 

    Parent/Carer Name: 

    Email: 

    Postcode: 

    Visit Life Education at www.lifeeducation.org.au 

    Snow Policy


    In the event of snowfall during school hours the following procedures will be followed.

    When heavy snow falls  throughout the Mountains, the emergency personnel (Police and SES) provide advice to the school in respect of road conditions and closures and evacuation notice.

    Should a decision be made for the school to evacuate, the school will take the following measures according to Police and SES advice:-

    If it is safe to evacuate the students to their residence:

    • Students who normally catch buses will be assembled ready for the buses.

    • Students who live close to the school and normally walk will be given permission to do so unless otherwise advised by parents. 

    • The school will attempt to contact parents where children are unsure if anyone is home and if they live a long distance from a bus stop.

    • Students who do not catch buses or walk will remain at school until parents collect them.

    or

    If it is unsafe to evacuate the students to their residence:

    •  The school staff will care for the students in a safe location according to the advice from the Police or SES.

    It is impossible to telephone every family as the time frame for this operation is short. However, every avenue to contact parents will be sought. Communication will also be placed on Facebook and an alert sent via Skoolbag. 

    The school will remain open and therefore parents of bus travellers and walkers who require their child to stay at school can make that choice. 

    At all times the children’s best interests will be paramount.

    Parents are asked to discuss arrangements they require with their children so that students know what is expected of them.

    Miriam Meaney

    Principal

    Kidzartz

    Parent Calendar

    The Parent Calendar can be found at the St Canice's website - please subscribe

    https://www.stcaniceskatoomba.catholic.edu.au/In-the-Loop/Calendar-and-Term-Dates

    E-Safety

    Check out the informative online safety guide for parents that is available from the E-Safety Commissioner. This guide covers some of the key online safety issues for young people and includes a range of practical tips and advice on what to do if things go wrong. You can also find a list of important services that can offer extra support. This helpful resource also comes in 5 community languages. https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/online-safety-guide

    Student Banking

    The health, safety and wellbeing of our communities and our people remains our highest priority. Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, the School Banking program will remain on hold. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed with any updates including how we will be managing Dollarmite tokens for students. 

     

    In the meantime, here are some handy online resources for parents who wish to maintain momentum with their child’s financial education: 

     

    • Start Smart: these resources have been created to improve children’s money management skills, and is aligned to the Australian Curriculum and the National Consumer Financial Literacy Framework. 
    • The Beanstalk: offers videos and fun activities for children to learn about money.

    St Columba's Catholic College Year 7 2021

    A reminder that enrolment applications for Year 7, 2021 at St Columba's Catholic College are now due. For further information contact the Enrolment Secretary, Sandra O'Brien, on 4754 8900 or 4754 8907.

    Skoolbag App

    All messages and notifications from the school are sent through the "Skoolbag" app.

    Please make sure you have this app on your devices for all current and up to date school alerts.

    Download skoolbag from the app store

    Select St Canice's Catholic Primary Katoomba

    If you have any difficulty accessing the app, please contact the school so that we can ensure everyone is receiving information sent out.

    My School Lunchbox


    My School Lunchbox delivers every Monday & Friday. My School Lunchbox is offsite with orders being placed via www.myschoollunchbox.com.au Payment is made by credit card or PayPal. Simply browse the menu and select the desired food and drinks. My School Lunch Box exists to ensure kids receive the healthiest, fresh lunches in a convenient way.

    Use Cooking to Practice Maths

    Download

    New Training Module for ALL Volunteers

    Building Child Safe Communities - Volunteer Undertaking

    Dear Parents/Carers 

    All Volunteers have until 30th September 2020 to submit a new Undertaking in the new system.

    In Catholic Education Diocese Parramatta (CEDP), we see parents and carers as partners in your child's learning journey. Parents and carers are encouraged to become involved in our schools in many important ways such as supporting classroom learning, being part of advisory groups, mentoring programs, coaching sporting teams and supporting other extra-curricular activities and other kinds of help.

     

    A range of checks and undertakings are required for people who work for or provide services to CEDP. These checks reduce potential risk and form part of our strategy to build child safe communities.

     

    CEDP has launched a new Building Child Safe Communities form and online training module that all volunteers are required to complete. 

    The purpose of this training is to inform you of the standards of behaviour and other requirements that must be adhered to when volunteering for CEDP.

    The undertaking should take no more than 5 minutes to complete and the training module approximately 10 minutes. Once the form and training modules are submitted, an automated email will be sent to you within two business days to confirm the status of your submission.

    The undertaking form will expire within two years or when your Working With Children Check expires (if applicable), whichever is sooner. At that time you will need to complete the undertaking form and training module again. You will receive an automatic reminder email when this occurs. 

    Further information on the new online form and training module can be found at www.parra.catholic.edu.au and clicking on about us/building child safe communities. Within the form you will also find help sheets and a video tutorial to assist you. 

    Thank you in advance for your support.

    Enrolling Now

    Subscribe to Calendar and Newsletter

    Subscribe to the Parent Calendar and Newsletter

    www.stcaniceskatoomba.catholic.edu.au

    Select “Current Community” click on Newsletter

     

    Bishop Office

    New Office for Safeguarding and Professional Standards Website:

    The Diocese of Parramatta’s Office for Safeguarding and Professional Standards (OSPS) has launched a new website, strengthening their ability to deliver advice and support to parishes, agencies and ministries to ensure the Diocese is safe for all people. Visit the website at www.safeguarding.org.au


    Women in Leadership: 4 - 7 July

    The Benedictine Abbey, Jamberoo invites women of any age and any experience in formal leadership positions, and for those who exercise leadership without a formal title in business, schools, homes, offices, parishes, anywhere to the Women in Leadership workshop. The aim is to support women to explore their unique gifts – as people, as women and as leaders. 4-7 July. 02 4236 0533 or cottageretreats@jamberooabbey.org.au for more information.