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Dear Parents and Friends of St Kevin’s,
Winter is here and the weather is deliciously cool! Students are working hard in all lessons, and as I visit the rooms it is great to engage in conversations with the students about their learning. Year 2 are to be congratulated on their learning in geography and English, and in Kindergarten they are now able to share with me what they are learning in reading and writing and why they need to learn these skills. St Kevin’s is a fabulous learning community where everyone is trying their best to always learn something new …. including me!
Stay warm and enjoy the sunshine!
Mary-Anne Jennings
Principal
Winter Uniforms
We understand that the delay in winter uniform supplies has caused some anxiety and consternation, but we can only control what we can control, and supply chains are beyond our control. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. Children will not be in trouble if they are not in the correct winter uniform during these times.
Athletics Carnival
Fingers crossed …...it looks like we are actually going to have a carnival next week Friday June 10 as planned!! The sun is out, the wind has dried the field and no rain is forecast!!! Woohoo!!!!
So, for the first time in 2 years here we go!
- Date June 10. Leave school at 9:30 and return at 2:30.
- Cost –nil.
- Transport – bus.
- Venue- Macquarie Hills Little Athletics Field.
- Kindergarten to Year 6 attend. Not optional.
- Wear sports uniforms- shorts or skorts under trackpants as it can get warm playing games and running and doing long jump! That way we can take a layer of clothing off.
- Wear a school hat.
- Bring lunch, fruit break and a bottle of water.
- Parents needed to help with judging, starting, marshalling and measuring- please send your name in to vaughan@mn.catholic.edu.au
- Coffee van on site.
We are so excited and can’t wait! Please complete the permission form on COMPASS.
Lockdown and Evacuation Drills
This week we are having our Term 2 drills for lockdowns and evacuations. Wednesday’s evacuation drill went exceptionally well with children following all instructions in a calm and efficient manner. Friday will see us do a lockdown drill in our classrooms.
Catholic Schools Week
Yesterday our school leaders Mackenzie, Charlie, Giesela and Renee represented St Kevin’s at the Diocesan Catholic Schools Week Liturgy. It was a celebration of everything that makes Catholic Education so special and unique.
News from the Assistant Principal
My newsletter is quite pictorial today. This last fortnight has all been about getting back to normal. It is surprising how quickly we established a new “normal” in operating under COVID restrictions. This fortnight has been about getting back to some old playground ways of doing, and I have had some fun spending up big on the school credit card.
Last week we did a deep dive into the Sports’ Shed and dragged out equipment that we haven’t used in a long while. Handball and soccer are huge draw cards but sometimes the children just want to do something different. Tennis has had a resurgence of interest and each week we will be finding other equipment to introduce to give the children a little more choice of activity on the playground.
Next, we attacked the school “kitchen” and gave it a little overhaul. It was looking a little tired. Some of the Year 2 girls were very helpful in unpacking and setting up the kitchen. There has been lots of interest. And surprisingly it is immaculately tidy after each recess, I suspect there are some very active elves.
Lastly, after much planning and deliberation, a crew of Year 4 girls helped establish our new Art Club. It runs every Tuesday and Thursday (there is no way we are competing with Mrs Ballard’s arty/crafty lunch club – too much competition!). Children signed up for Art Club to either free draw, colour in or follow along and learn how to draw.... well, this week it was a wombat. Thank heavens for art4kidshub! We also had some takers in the hall for board and card games.... we are yet to build up our supplies here, and need to think of containers that will safely store all the bits and pieces!
God Bless
Kim Hogan
Assistant Principal
A Catholic Community nurturing mind, heart and spirit – following the light of Christ
A million thank you's to the beautiful parents who emailed their reflections on our Vision Statement, I hope you enjoyed your little thank you treat!
Over coming months, the staff of St. Kevin’s will be reflecting and creating our St. Kevin’s charisms or pillars, as they are also known, to authentically match our Vision Statement. St. Kevin’s is a Josephite school, meaning we are founded upon the life, beliefs and values of St. Joseph. We were originally opened and staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph, so we have a very rich and precious heritage that we are excited to honour.
The life of St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop will largely form the themes the St. Kevin’s staff choose to become the pillars upon which we take St. Kevin’s Primary School into the future. Over the next many newsletters, I will share with you some of Mary MacKillop's life and writings that I ask you to reflect upon.
We wish to include our parents and students in the process of developing our St. Kevin’s Josephite pillars and we would deeply appreciate you sharing your reflections and the themes you feel are present in these writings.
Please click this link to watch a clip about Mary MacKillop. Please follow this link to two short questions and share your reflections on this video.
I have more little treats to send home with your children to say thank you for your time and thoughts!
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
We had a wonderful turn out to our Catholic Schools Week Mass a couple of Sundays ago, thank you to the families who were able to join us. Mary-Anne will be in touch as soon as possible with a new date for Open classrooms. It is exciting to open our doors and welcome you back into our school!
RECONCILIATION WEEK LITURGY
Thank you to Mr Taylor and our Indigenous children for leading us in a lovely liturgy for Reconciliation Week last Monday. The theme for 2022 is Be Brave, Make Change. During the liturgy and as a beautiful, visual reminder for Reconciliation Week, the children created a collaborative artwork symbolising that we are all committed to being brave and making a change for a better future. The artwork ‘Tree of Life’ was crafted by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artist and Christian Leader Safina Stewart.
PENTECOST
Pentecost will be celebrated at St. Kevin’s tomorrow with an intimate in-class prayer service replicating the feeling of the disciples in the room thousands of years ago. Pentecost is a very special celebration of the events which occurred 50 days after Jesus Resurrection. This was the first time that Christians received the gift of the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus told them they would. The disciples were given the gift of being able to speak in many different languages, enabling them to spread the Word of God to everyone. What an incredible blessing!
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM
Fr. Joseph has now confirmed dates for our Sacramental Program for 2022.
Children from Years 4, 5 and 6 who have completed their Reconciliation are invited to take the next step along their faith journey by participating in the sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist. Please pop the following dates in your diary.
CONFIRMATION
Confirmation will be celebrated on September 13th.
Donna Morgan (mum of Harper, Year 6) has volunteered to run two sessions to prepare the children for the sacrament of Confirmation. These will be held at St. Kevin's on Tuesday 9th August and Tuesday 16th August from 5 – 6pm.
FIRST EUCHARIST
Donna will then run two sessions to prepare the children for the sacrament of First Eucharist. These sessions will be held at St. Kevin's on Tuesday 30th August and Tuesday 6th September from 5 - 6pm.
Following these sessions, families are welcome to attend any mass service over the next couple of weekends for the children to receive Holy Communion for the first time. There is no specific First Eucharist Mass.
RECONCILIATION
Details have not been finalised. I will be in touch with Year 3 parents later down the track.
We would love some parents to help Donna. No experience necessary and everyone is warmly welcomed! If you have any questions regarding the Sacramental Program, please contact Donna at donna.morgan@mn.catholic.edu.au
May God’s Spirit be with you all each day.
Mrs Jasmina Boudan
Religious Education Coordinator
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 – Zoe
Year 1 – Cadence, Ella, Aria and Joseph Z
Year 2 - Blake
Year 4 – Elliana, Indiana, Zara
Keep up the fantastic reading.
Please encourage your child to borrow PRC books each Friday and enter them online. The children have 3 months to complete PRC, keep up the great readings
New Books
Please look out for these new books in our Library. Aussie kids can also be borrowed on Sora. They are also a Yr 3 - 4 PRC book.
Dianne Binkin
Teacher Librarian
Yaama Ngindaay
National Reconciliation Week: 27 May to 3 June
Letters to the Prime Minister
Year 5/6 students are writing to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the importance of National Sorry Day in the nation’s journey of reconciliation. The students were very motivated and engaged in their writing about this topic in class. Mrs Stretton was really impressed with all of the children’s active participation especially in how they used language to present a formal persuasive piece of writing.
Here are some snippets of their writing.
I strongly believe that Sorry Day is very important and should be recognised every year… Sorry Day is a day to reflect on how important family is and to be grateful. The Stolen Generations will never be forgotten. (Renee)
Sorry Day is important because we should acknowledge what happened to the stolen generations. (Rebecca)
Sorry Day should be commemorated because we need to respect and acknowledge the culture of the Aboriginal people. (Angus)
Dear Prime Minister…. I am writing to inform you why I think Sorry Day is a very important day. Having Sorry Day is a great way to reflect, remember and learn about how far Australia has come…. Commemorating Sorry Day means we can all feel open to reflect and work towards reconciliation. (Mackenzie)
I think that Sorry Day should be commemorated every year…. I know that after Kevin Rudd officially apologised in parliament it became more clear to the Australian community about what happened and how this was wrong on so many levels. (Eva)
The nation can’t just wipe away and change the past, however we can change the future, so it’s important that we reflect. We need to look back on the tragic things that happened and improve our nation ….. and forge for a better future. (Reid)
The Mabo Decision: 30 years on
2022 marks the 30 year anniversary of the Mabo case, one of the most significant turning points for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the fight for native title.
Mabo Day is commemmorated on 3 June, marking the end of Reconciliation Week each year.
Most, if not all of us have viewed Behind the News, either as children, parents or teachers. The program has been on the national broadcaster for many years and explains current news items for school students in a way that is concise and easy to understand.
The Mabo Decision of the High Court 30 years ago is a significant event in our history. The following BTN episode gives a good overview of the Mabo case and its implications. Well worth the 3½ minutes of viewing time.
Our school Reconciliation Liturgy on Monday was very prayerful and reflective, and the children were thoughtfully engaged. Even a simple school liturgy is an important step on the Reconciliation journey. Paul Kelly reminds us of this in his song, From Little Things Big Things Grow.
As we conclude our observance of Reconciliation Week 2022, we are reminded of the importance of what we all do, in our own way, for genuine Reconciliation.
Reading Volunteers
WE NEED YOU!
At St Kevin’s we run reading groups every day. We want every student to have the opportunity to read with and adult as often as possible.
If you have some spare time (about 30 minutes) between 9-10 any day, we would love to train you to be one of our reading/ writing helpers in the K to 2 classrooms.
As a helper, you will work with small groups of children reading, writing and playing word games to build literacy. Everything is provided and we train you beforehand.
If you would like to assist or find out more, please contact Cate, our Learning and Support Teacher on cate.larke@mn.catholic.edu.au or call the school on 49540036. You will need to register as a volunteer via our website- ‘Parents as partners-volunteering.’
*Please note, if you are a parent, you will not necessarily be in your child’s classroom. In addition, as part of our commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of all our students and staff, we ask that you do not bring pre-schoolers/ toddlers along, as it can be distracting.
VOLUNTEERING
The Catholic Schools Office (CSO) has created an online application for the volunteering process. On the volunteer site, you can find the Volunteer Handbook, and some videos that go through the Volunteers Induction. Applying through the volunteer site results in your application going straight to the CSO, then the school gets updates once these are cleared. If you would like to volunteer, and have not yet completed an application, please follow the link to do this online
When you apply online, you will be notified whether you require a WWCC and/or police check. Please note, it can take up to 6 weeks for your application to be approved. You now only need to apply once. Further applications are only required if your circumstances change e.g. change in name etc WWCC expires.
A reminder for our first P&F meeting for Term 2. The meeting will be held in the school library on the 8th June at 6pm. Everyone is welcome to join. If you are planning on attending please email stkevinspandf@outlook.com to confirm your attendance and to receive a copy of the meeting agenda.
From the Office of Safeguarding - Cybercrime
Cybercrime
It is important to secure your portable devices and protect your sensitive information.
These days we barely go anywhere without our portable devices – be it a laptop for work or study, tablet for your child’s school, or our phone, we have come to rely upon our devices to do many daily activities.
These devices, in combination with the internet, have made activities like banking and shopping much easier, but have also become a target for cybercriminals to steal our personal and sensitive information. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) is the Australian Government's lead agency for cyber security. The ACSC’s resource Easy steps to secure your devices and accounts , is easy to read guide to help those around you protect themselves from the most common cyber security incidents.
- Update your devices
- Activate multifactor authentication
- Back up your devices
- Set secure passphrases