Learning & Teaching
2024 New English and Maths Curriculum K-6
This year teachers in K-2 implemented the new English and Maths curriculum and units of work, including InitiaLit. Over the past few weeks teachers in Yrs 3-6 in 2024 have been engaging in professional learning on the new curriculum and are excited to be implementing the new units of work in their classrooms next year. We have seen a number of benefits to the new consistent approach and are very excited for 2024.
Mathematics Assessment Interviews
All students met their 2024 teachers on Monday as part of our Step up morning and students brought home a 2024 information pack. With regards to the online Mathematical Assessment Interviews and Best Start (Kindergarten only), they are now open on Compass for you to book your child in for their interview with their 2024 teacher/s.
When booking the interview, your child's 2024 classroom teacher will appear. If two teachers appear, this means both teachers will be taking your child’s class as part of a job share. For example, one teacher might work Monday-Wednesday and the other Thursday-Friday. Regardless of the teacher, choose the booking date and time that works best for you.
The most effective way to conduct the Mathematics Assessment Interviews and Best Start (Kindergarten only) is during the first week of the new school year. The interview will be conducted by your child’s teacher/s for 2024 and is deliberately timed after the holidays as it measures their conceptual understanding and the learning your child has acquired.
The interview for Years One-Six (2024) will take place from Wednesday, 31st January - Friday, 2nd February. Therefore, the first day of Term One for Years One to Six will be Monday, 5th February. The interviews will take 30 minutes to complete for Years 1 – 6. The interviews for Kindergarten (2024) will take place from Wednesday, 31st January- Tuesday, 6th February. Therefore, the first day of Term One for Kindergarten will be Wednesday, 7th February. The interviews will take 60 minutes to complete for Kindergarten.
Parents are not required to remain with their child during the interview. Therefore, you can take your child to their new classroom and return after the interview is complete. We ask that all students bring along their "About Me" Survey to share with their teachers.
Please go online to Compass and book an interview time for your child.
Semester Two Reports
Semester Two reports are now available on Compass. On the dashboard they are accessible via 'View academic reports'. If using the app, they are viewable by clicking on your child's photo and then selecting the reports tab.
Thank you
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and partnership over the 2023 school year. I get so much joy from connecting with the students and parents and watching them learn, grow and flourish over the school year. I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe holidays.
Some of our budding Author / Illustrators from Yr 3 Wategos who visited me this week to share their amazing hybrid texts.
Yours in Partnership,
Lauren Magnus
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
Mission
It is that time of year where so many of us are connecting socially at the many different events that we tend to gather at, to mark the end of the year. The conversations that flow usually have the theme of how fast the year has gone, how we have not had a chance to catch up, how tired we all are and what everyone is doing for Christmas, such is life!
During the haste, please see below a beautiful reminder of the little things we can be mindful of and appreciated during this very special time of year.
One of these many events we gather for at this time of year is to celebrate our outgoing Year 6 students. On Tuesday, we celebrated a beautiful Mass to mark the conclusion of Primary school for Year 6. Father David spoke beautifully during his homily reminding our Year 6 students that as they complete this part of their journey, and move through their new adventures, to keep on being a light in the world.
We wish all our graduating students the very best for their future and wish all our Finnie's Families and Friends a safe and Holy Christmas.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
I would like to thank our families for so generously donating so many gifts for the many vulnerable children in our community.
Mr Bleakley handed over all the wonderful gifts along with twenty, $50 Woolworths gift cards totalling $1000 that have been so generously donated by our Finnies families to Mrs Anne McCabe who is a long standing member of the Finnie's family, a parishioner and a part of our local St Vincent de Paul conference.
These wonderful gifts and gift cards will now be distributed to our local families in need.
Thank you so much for all of your love and generosity.
Wishing everyone a safe and Holy Christmas,
Mrs Sonya Piccoli
AP Mission & Additional Needs
Parent Connect
Principal's Message
Thank you
I feel blessed to be the Principal of such a wonderful school. I thank you for the friendships, conversations, honest feedback and great support I receive every day in my role. We have achieved so much this year and we are all very excited for what 2024 has in store for St Finbarr’s. May you all have a safe, happy and holy Christmas break.
Building Plans
Thank you to Emma Bowes and Tonya Unsworth who joined me yesterday to meet with the Director of Catholic Schools, Mr Adam Spencer. We were provided with background information regarding the proposed school building plans, related funding issues and a draft timeline for new school buildings including the school library and two new classrooms. Emma and Tonya will be providing feedback for the school community.
Feedback from the Digital Technology Parent survey
Thank you to those 136 responses to our Digital Technology Survey in the past week. It is greatly appreciated that families have gone to the effort of sharing their thoughts. On top of our recent, 'After School Care Survey', it shows that the community is active and engaged in your child’s education. Please be aware that your responses are valued and respected and that we listen and also make decisions based on latest research, professional judgement, classroom experience and an ongoing commitment to improving learning outcomes for students.
The Digital Technology Survey, whilst far from perfect, reinforced what many had previously predicted, that there is a wide range of opinions around the best use of technology and its value in a primary school setting. As proof of this, I have included several responses from the comments section of the survey. Some parents responded that they found some of the questions vague or confusing, however, the general comment at the end was a vehicle for further explanation of their thinking. The questions came from suggestions from our parent group as well as questions from another primary school.
(https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/spsparenttechnologysurvey)
As a result of the survey and our inquiry into best practice of digital technology as well as having three years experience of increased ipad usage at St Finbarr’s we have now amended our Digital Technology plans for 2024.
- Reducing Ipad usage across the school
- Amending current Ipad leasing arrangements
- Limiting device usage in K-2 to minimal device time.
- Providing more access to Parent Professional Development in 2024
- Replacing Ipad use with Chromebooks in Year 3-6 allowing for more effective keyboard usage.
- Ensuring devices are not used as rewards or ‘free time’ in class.
- Reinforcing with staff and students the importance of safety regarding wi-fi.
I would like to thank the parent group of Emma Bowes, Santosha Schuler, Stephanie and Jyothi Jaffray for their passion, commitment and willingness to work in partnership with the school. The team gave their time freely to attend meetings, organise surveys and gather feedback from parents and other schools.
Staffing 2024
We are excited to announce our staff for 2024. Our goal is to have your children with teachers who are relational, innovative, inspiring, creative, passionate and committed to improving learning outcomes for each student. There will be an opportunity early in Term One next year to meet your child’s teacher and build a positive relationship with clear communication lines. Below are the teachers for 2024:
- We welcome Sam Powell who will be working two days per week as School Wellbeing Officer.
- We welcome Nick Lock who will be teaching Year Three in 2024 after a number of years at St Ambrose Pottsville.
- Kathryn Nulley will continue with us for two days per week in a Coaching & Mentoring role.
- Sherryl Hurley and Sherida Hill have indicated that they will be taking leave from their respective roles for 2024.
House Captains 2024
Congratulations to our Sports House Captains for 2024.
Library News
We welcome Eva Matheson to the new role as Librarian for 2024. We are excited to be moving forward with a designated space for the Library with exciting plans ahead.
Why the Library in Australian schools in 2024?
- Opportunities to read for pleasure are associated with a wealth of literacy benefits.
- Reading for pleasure = academic success!
- Providing children with opportunities to read for pleasure can be associated with a wealth of literacy benefits. These include improved syntactic knowledge, word recognition, vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and oral language skills.
- The school library is part of St Finbarr’s long-term strategy for literacy, education, information provision and economic, social and cultural development.
- Our library will be a place for both research and leisure that will aim to equip our students with the skills for research and enquiry; help them develop and sustain love and enjoyment of reading and learning; and teach them to evaluate and use information in all forms, formats, and mediums.
- The purpose of the library will be to contribute to the development of our student’s information literacy skills, needed to locate relevant and reliable information to support effective problem solvers and high functioning creators.
- Our goal is to work towards making the library a tool that contributes to student learning and teacher success, as well as providing a space that members of the school community can use for enjoyment.
- Students will have the opportunity to encounter diverse ideas and cultures all in one place.
2024 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge
The NSW Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is an initiative of the NSW State government. It aims to encourage in students a love of reading for leisure and pleasure and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student - to read, to read more and to read more widely.
Reading over the Holidays
A reminder that SORA is available for students over the holidays.
What is Sora?
Sora is an award-winning digital reading app for students.
Using Sora, students can discover a huge range of eBooks and eAudiobooks and more, for free.
How does it work?
Students can borrow from the Sora collection using the app on their phone or tablet, or through a web browser on their laptop or PC.
How to access SORA at home:
- Go to soraapp.com/library/cenetau
- In the ‘Search for your school’ option enter: ACEN ( Not St Finbarr’s)
- Enter your child’s username and password
Canteen News!
Introducing Kylie White, our new Canteen Coordinator. Kylie is a local mother of three (Opal 3, Asher 5 and Louis 8) who has lived in Byron Bay with her husband Nathaniel for the past six years. Originally from the Central Coast, Kylie has also lived in Sydney, London, Ireland and Canada. Kylie’s professional background has been in administrative roles in corporate finance and more recently she has been working in inventory and wholesale for local Byron Bay fashion labels. She has been volunteering frequently at the Byron Bay Public School canteen where she has reignited her love for service and community and also garnered lots of helpful experience working in a canteen environment.
Kylie loves to travel locally and abroad with her family and spend time with friends and when she has the time, she loves to sew! With a passion for community and service, Kylie is excited to combine her love for good quality food and canteen operation to create a fresh, affordable, and delicious menu for our St Finbarr’s community from 2024.
We are so happy to have Kylie on board, and we can't wait to see the positive impact she will make in our canteen. Canteen days will be Monday and Fridays in 2024. Please contact us now if you are available to help in the canteen on particular Mondays and Fridays in Term One and we will begin to create a roster.
A Message from the Parent Committee
Thank you to everyone for your fundraising efforts in Term 4. We had the Colour Fun run, Canteen Days, Bake Sales, Lucky Birds and the Halloween Disco. Across all of these events we raised $43,577. A huge effort and a massive thanks goes to all of the parents who gave up their time to help out.
We are raising money for updated play equipment, and this fundraising is a parent-led initiative. In previous years, these Fun Run fundraising drives successfully sent a robotics team to America in 2019, and installed Tiny Towns in 2020. We look forward to finalising plans for updated play equipment in 2024.
The Parent Committee will be seeking tenders over the summer holidays and we will discuss these quotes at our first Committee meeting in Term 1, scheduled for Wednesday 7th February. All are welcome to attend the meeting.
The cost of outdoor play equipment is expensive – potentially in excess of $90,000, so we will wait for the quotes to come back before we make a final decision as a committee how to best spend the funds raised. Once a decision has been made, the realistic timeline to install new play equipment would be in the June/July holidays.
Thank you again for the incredible support of our wider school community to raise such a huge sum of money. We will keep you updated with how this is progressing once school resumes in 2024.
Have a wonderful and safe holiday.
Emma Bowes
Chairperson
St Finbarr’s Parents in Partnership
Resilient Kids Program - Free Counselling Service
Families at St. Finbarr's Primary can access free services for their children through the Resilient Kids Program. The Resilient Kids Program will implement mental health and trauma-informed support for primary and secondary school-aged children impacted by the March 2022 Northern Rivers flood events. It is funded through a $10 million grant from the National Emergency Management Agency and is being delivered by Healthy North Coast.
Social Futures are delivering counselling services for children, young people and their families that can be accessed through a wellbeing hub situated at Social Futures
32 Swift Street Ballina (Monday-Friday) or Byron Youth Service 34 Gordon Street Mullumbimby
(Monday and Thursday)
Complete the Resilient Kids Enquiry Form and a team member will be in contact with you regarding a referral for your child.
https://socialfutures.org.au/service/resilient-kids/
Congratulations to our EMU students
After a year of working hard on their EMU learning program, our EMU students got to enjoy a morning tea with Mr Bleakley. Well done everyone.
Year 6 Artwork
Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing holiday and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2024.
First day back for Year 1 -6 is Monday 5 Feb
First day back for Kindergarten is Wednesday 7 Feb
Yours In Partnership,
Tim Bleakley - Principal
Student Awards
Learning & Teaching
Curriculum Reform
As you are aware this year teachers in K-2 have been implementing the ‘new NSW Curriculum’ in English and Mathematics. These years are essential to establish foundations for future learning success, particularly the development of oral language, reading and writing skills, and mathematical knowledge and skills. ‘Back to basics’ is a term that has been used when referring to building strong foundations and the focus on the new curriculum. Teachers and students across K-2 have been working extremely hard with this new curriculum and as a leader it makes me extremely proud to see a consistent approach being implemented across the school and the level of understanding our students are demonstrating based on the new approaches to learning and teaching.
In 2024, students and teachers in Yrs 3-10 will also be working from the new English and Mathematics curriculum. The positive change coming from this reform will be to provide every student with challenging learning material appropriate to their current level of knowledge and skills. This means that students who need more time to master curriculum content will have it; students who are ready to move on more quickly can do so. The new curriculum will set clear standards for achievement in mandated subjects by the completion of schooling. It will provide a better way of monitoring students’ long-term progress, which will make it easier for parents/carers to know if their child is on track.
If you have any questions around Curriculum Reform visit the NSW Curriculum Website: https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/about-the-curriculum/introduction
Semester Two Reports
Semester Two Reports will be available on Compass after 4pm on Friday Week 9. To better align our school reports with state, system and school priorities there have been some changes to components of the Semester Reports.
One of the key changes you will notice is that Effort has been replaced with Engagement in Learning this has been a diocesan based decision to ensure a consistent language and meaning across the diocese. Engagement in Learning indicates the degree of dedication, attentiveness, interaction, responsiveness and curiosity that students show when they are learning.The three consistent standards used across the Diocese on the Student Report for ‘Engagement in Learning’ are;
- Commendable, Consistent and Needs Support
Each of these standards is unpacked further within the information for parents/caregivers page of the Student Report.
Another change you will notice is to the comments. This change has been made to better support reporting of your child's understanding with the Key Learning Areas. English and Mathematics will have comments attached with dot points articulating your child's areas of achievement and growth within these KLA's along with their learning goals. There will be an additional section where teachers will make comments on your childs strengths across other Key Learning Areas and their areas for development. The general comment will reflect how your child demonstrates the St Finbarr's vision statement (Loving like Jesus, Growing as Friends and Learning for Life ) in their day to day words, deeds and actions.
Digital Devices and your child's sleep
Many parents struggle with navigating tech use for their children - often there are so many confusing messages and the nagging power from children just wears exhausted parents down. Sleep is VITAL for learning and well being. Tired children can't learn effectively and they struggle to be resilient and manage their emotions. Below are simple but effective tips for helping children have a good night's sleep which we know will dramatically improve cognitive function when they're at school.
Yours in Partnership,
Lauren Magnus
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
Parent Connect
Sports News
Stage 2 & Surfsafe
Stage 2 & 3 students completed their final Surfsafe session last week. The program’s aim is to ensure our children have a sound knowledge of how to be safe when in or around our beaches as well as improving skills in surf swimming and board riding, personal safety and basic rescue techniques.
Surf Safe Fun
Diocesan Tennis Trials
Congratulations to Rocky U for being the only St Finbarr’s student selected for Diocesan Summer Sports Trials this year. Well done!
Lisa Clark
Sports Coordinator
Principal's Message
Staffing News
Courtney Hunnibell informed me last week that she has accepted a position in the Preschool Class at Byron Community School and will commence this role at the beginning of Term One 2024. Courtney has been at St Finbarr’s since 2017. She will be a wonderful asset to her new school and will be greatly missed from our St Finbarr’s community. Abbey Tancred,who has worked with us this term, has accepted a teaching position with us next year and we look forward to Abbey being part of our team.
Christmas Picnic Singalong
I can’t think of a better way to finish up the year than an informal outdoor singalong on the school oval. Classes will be presenting on the outdoor stage as well as some Dancers and live music from our resident muso, Kristan Burnnard from Burning Hands. Please join us next Wednesday at 6pm and settle in with a rug and a picnic hamper.
ICT survey
Thank you to those who responded to our Digital Technology Survey recently. It is greatly appreciated that families have gone to the effort of sharing their thoughts. On top of our recent After School Care Survey it shows that the community is active and engaged in our children’s education. Please be aware that your responses are valued and respected and that we listen and also make decisions based on latest research, professional judgement, classroom experience and an ongoing commitment to improving learning outcomes for students. The Digital Technology Survey, whilst far from perfect, reinforced what many had previously predicted, that there is a wide range of opinions around the best use of technology and its value in a primary school setting. Some parents responded that they found some of the questions vague or confusing, however the general comment at the end was a vehicle for further explanation of their thinking. The survey questions came from suggestions from our parent group as well as questions from another primary school survey. The leadership team will be meeting with our parent group next Monday to analyse and respond to the data.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING
The safety of our students, families and staff is our highest priority. In order to best ensure this, the school leadership and staff, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, plan for a number of possible incidents, emergencies or natural disasters that could take place at school or during the school term. The events of recent years have reinforced how important this planning is and we all have a role to play when it comes to emergency management, including families.
Our students participate in various safety drills and staff participate through training and safety drills. We’d like to share with you the role of parents and families in emergency management.
School Lockdown
A number of the situations we plan for include a school lockdown as one of the immediate safety actions to ensure the safety of our students and staff. We understand that some may understand the word ‘lockdown’ to mean there is an immediate safety risk to all students. It is important to understand that when a school initiates a lockdown this may not be the case.
Depending on the situation, the purpose of a school lockdown will differ. A school lockdown may be a preparation step for an evacuation, or a school lockdown may allow emergency services access to an area of the school without having to navigate past students. Regardless of the purpose of a school lockdown, no one can be admitted to the school grounds other than emergency services.
Should we initiate a school lockdown, parents and families will be informed via text message and Compass notification. We will also inform parents and families as soon as the school lockdown has been lifted or if there are any actions required of parents and families. It is important that you do not attempt to attend the school during a school lockdown. We understand that you may be concerned however attending the school may also add risk to a possible emergency situation, block emergency services or impede an evacuation.
Natural Disaster
In the event of a natural disaster, such as flood or bushfire, the school leadership, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, will determine if it is safe for the school to open. If there is a probability the school may have to close part way through the day, the school will not open for that day as it is extremely difficult to evacuate a school site and ensure all students are able to go directly home safely.
In a bush fire or flood event it is important that parents and families have a plan to get your child/ren home from school, or into your care, at short notice. Please be aware that school buses may not be running and the school can not allow your child/ren to go home to an empty house or home with another parent without your permission.
Family Preparedness
How can you help us prepare for emergency situations? Please ensure that:
- You have downloaded [Compass APP] and have allowed notifications.
- Any changes to your contact details or custodial arrangements have been updated with the school.
- [for schools in bush fire or flood prone regions] You have a bush fire/flood plan in place that all members of your family understand.
- In the event of a school lockdown or evacuation, directions in the parent notifications are followed.
It is always our hope that these measures will never be needed but it is also our responsibility to ensure our school community is prepared and informed should the need arise. We thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.
Tim Bleakley.
Principal
and
Nigel McIntyre,
Work Health and Safety Manager, Catholic Schools Office
2023 Fun Run wrap up
We are very proud to announce that our school community raised $43,477 for our Ninja playground, what an amazing effort! This end result was a combined effort of; raisley fundraising, generous sponsors, class canteen days, cake stalls, icepole sales, snow cones, raffles, lucky birds sales and a lot of parent support. We are so thankful to you all for your generous support.
Term 4 School Fees
Term 4 school fees are due for completion, please ensure all 2023 fees are settled by the end of the year. If you need assistance with your fees please contact Alison in the front office.
School Assembly
Please join us this Friday 2:10pm for our school assembly in the hall. All welcome.
Congratulations Mrs McEvilly-Butler and Mr Keane
This year two of our wonderful teachers were involved in a STEM (Science Technology and Mathematics) Teacher Enrichment Academy Primary Program
The program provided teachers with knowledge, skills, resources and support to make real change in their classroom teaching. It inspired teachers to pursue their interests in mathematics, science and technology, and to pass on that inspiration to their students. In particular, the Academy project at St Finbarr’s has:
- introduced and supported exciting and effective approaches to learning as well as enhanced teachers’ knowledge of content and approaches to teaching integrated mathematics, science and technology in Years 3-6 of the Australian Curriculum for NSW;
- developed a community of practice for participating teachers, with ongoing support and engagement through mentoring, online forums, newsletters, seminars and events; and
- developed teachers’ awareness of relevant STEM-related applications to society and career pathways.
12 primary schools from the Lismore region were selected to participate in the
NESA-accredited program and we are very proud of the work Mary and Joe have completed this year.
Yours in Partnership,
Tim Bleakley
Principal
Advent 2023
STEM-Teacher Enrichment Academy
Mrs McEvilly Butler and Mr Keane have been part of the STEM Teacher Enrichment Academy this year. It is a year-long professional development program from the University of Sydney.
Five schools from the Diocese of Lismore have taken part, along with many other schools from the Northern Rivers. The purpose of the program is to ignite a passion for teaching and learning about STEM and develop skills to engage in STEM education effectively.
We have compiled a book documenting our journey with STEM this year at St Finbarr's. The students have been fantastic in their engagement in learning within Science and Technology and in their efforts to complete STEM challenges.
The artwork was created by Luna K-B, Emi S and Ayla M from Year 4 Wategos, and Bonnie M in Year 6. The front cover illustration was created by Luna also. Fabulous work!
The book is available as a free ebook on the Apple Book Store https://books.apple.com/
It will be also accessible via the school website and as a flipbook pdf https://heyzine.com/flip-
The book is designed for teachers at other schools to give them ideas and guidelines on how to build a culture of STEM, but also as a showcase of the wonderful work our students have created.
Mrs Mary McEvilly-Butler
Science & Technology Teacher
Year 5 Camp
Last week, a number of teachers had the opportunity to take our Year 5 students overnight to Camp Goodenough. This was a wonderful experience for all involved. Our students participated in many activities that tested their skills. They all had to work both individually and in teams while supporting one another to complete various challenges which included the crate stack, team pursuit, high ropes and building a go cart and racing it.
Students were required to particpate in a kitchen roster where they were in charge of a duty which included announcing and serving the food, being a part of the clean up, along with taking care of their own plates, cups and cutlery.
It is always such a privilledge to take our students away on a camp, to see them develop in their independence, navigate a context that is not familiar to them and to challenge themselves in activities that push them outside of their comfort zones.
While the weather was a little wet and cold, this did not dampen their spirits as they continued having lots of fun with plenty of laughs along the way. Our Year 5 students were a credit to St Finbarr's with all teachers being proud of how well they particpated in the activites, were respectful to the instructors, their teachers and one another.
Your is partnership,
Mrs Sonya Piccoli
Assistant Principal Mission & Additional Needs
Parish Bulletin
Vinnies 2023 Christmas Appeal
This year, to support the Vinnies Christmas Appeal, we are asking each year group to support this very worthwhile appeal by contributing a small gift that would be appropriate for a child of a particular age.
We ask that based on the age group assigned to your child’s class, each gift is wrapped and includes a label of who the gift would suit, such as, age and gender. Please see the flyer attached to help with ideas. Gifts can be brought in by your children and handed to their classroom teacher/s over the next two weeks.
These gifts will then be distributed to our local St Vincent's conference who will distribute these in our local area.
As a school community, we will also be contributing $1000 in gift cards ( 20, $50 gift cards) with each card being delivered with a jar of homemade cookies that will be baked by some of our students at school.
If you would like to be involved in assisting with the baking of cookies with our students, please email sonya.piccoli@lism.catholic.edu.au to assist with this.
Kindergarten-Babies and Toddlers
Year 1 & 2-Young children 4-8 years
Year 3 & 4 -Older Children 9-12 years
Year 5 & 6-Teenagers and Adults
Mission
Last Friday, our K-2 students celebrated the Liturgy of the Word at school. This was a beautiful celebration that the teachers had prepared alongside the students with the theme of God's creation
All students participated throughout the celebration joinging in singing, reading, liturgical movement, setting up the sacred space and/or being a part of the Gospel procession. Our Students also created a beautiful sacred space filling it with gifts from God's creation.
Sports News
State Athletics
Congratulations to Milla P, Kaia L and Roley C on their achievements at the State Athletics Carnival in Sydney, you should all be very proud of your achievements. Thank you to the parents for travelling with your children and supporting them in their preparation for the event.
Lisa Clark
Sports Coordinator
Student Awards
Principal's Message
Fun Run Wash-up
What a brilliant day with parents, extended families, teachers and students having a ball! Days like these showcase the wonderful school spirit at St Finbarr’s and that a sense of fun is always high on the agenda. Thank you to our wonderful parent helpers who creatively constructed exciting challenges for the children to test their skills and courage. Thank you to our sponsors who's generosity helped make this event possible. To the teachers who joined in the spirit of the occasion and allowed themselves to be ‘slimed’ to the delights of the spectators at the end of the day. Finally, to the students who helped raise funds for new playground play equipment and supported the initiative with joy and enthusiasm.
We had:
- Over 60 parents helping on the day - set up/pack down, squirting, wetting, sliming and foaming our kids
- 7 canteen days with over 35 parents helping raising in excess of $6000
- The Halloween Disco with over 20 parents helping and raising over $1000
- The overall fundraising tally is still happening, however, we smashed it as a school community with our fundraising!
- We are very close to our fundraising goal and a final full report of the project will be published in our next newsletter.
Please enjoy this video of the fun run created by Mr Joe Keane, it really captures the spirit of the day.
Staff Development Day
Last Friday staff worked together to improve the learning, wellbeing and safety outcomes for all student by:
- A session led by Mrs Piccoli and Mr Bleakley highlighting effective teaching strategies.
- Unpacking the new 10 Child Safe Standards which are legislated by the Australian Government and
- Updating First Aid and CPR qualifications for all staff.
Parent Meeting- Next Wednesday @ 3.30 pm
All parents are invited to a meeting next Wednesday 22nd November at 3.30 pm in the staffroom. We will commence planning for 2024 and are seeking nominations for Class Parents and ideas and suggestions for social and fundraising activities. Please join us if you can or let us know if you are interested, however, you are unable to attend at this time.
After School Care
Thank you for the feedback from our recent survey regarding the need for After School Care at St Finbarr’s. We had 90 responses (excellent in regard to survey completion) with 72% answering Yes to seeking to use after School Care and 77% seeking Vacation Care. The written responses also provided valuable information as well as seeking more information. A flyer will be sent home with each family shortly which will provide more details. We have been told that the process for successfully completing all compliance requirements can be time consuming, however, we are keen to begin the process as soon as possible with a view to commence the service mid to late Term One 2024.
Music Parents
We are currently looking for enthusiastic musical parents who would like to join staff on stage singing or playing an instrument at the end of the year. The group will lead the students and community at the Christmas Carols Family Picnic on Wednesday December 6th.
Please contact the school if you would like to be involved and we will aim to find a suitable time to begin our practice. It should be loads of fun.
Thank you
A big thank you to Dvine Electrical for their support and great work with the new school bubblers.
Term 4 School Fees
Term 4 school fees were issued to families last week and are due for completion by the end of the month. Your invoices have been uploaded to your Compass APP. Please ensure any outstanding Term 3 school fees are finalised as soon as possible.
Statements are issued by email at the end of each month, please note that if the final balance on your statement is a negative number that means that you are in credit and there is nothing to pay on your account. Statements are automatically generated monthly and go to all account holders, even if nothing is owing.
If you require further clarification please contact Alison Mason in the front office.
Yours in Partnership,
Tim Bleakley
Principal
Wellbeing
Amy MacGregor
School Counsellor
St Vincent's Christmas Card Competition
Yours In Partnership,
Mrs Sonya Piccoli
Assistant Principal Mission & Additional Needs