Week 8, Term 2 2025

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

Winter Reminder
Over the past couple of weeks, the temperature has certainly taken a dive! It’s been great to see students rugging up to keep warm on their way to school. A quick reminder: if students are wearing extra layers such as beanies, gloves, or jackets, these need to be navy in colour to align with our school uniform policy.

Building Grant Application – Progress Update
Last week, Jen Hiscocks (our Community Council representative for the Master Plan) and I met with the Building Grant Authority committee to present our application for funding toward the construction of an Early Learning Centre.

The committee was positive and receptive to our submission, though they did mention that a high volume of applications had been received this year. We now await their decision, expected by October.

A sincere thank you to Jen for her ongoing support, time, and expertise in our planning process—it is greatly appreciated.

Parent-Teacher Interviews: Strengthening the Partnership
Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held from Monday 23rd to Wednesday 25th June. These 15-minute meetings are an important opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school by discussing your child’s progress, wellbeing, and learning goals for the remainder of the year.

We strongly encourage all families to participate. These conversations provide insights far deeper than report comments alone and play a key role in supporting student growth and confidence.

Reasons to attend?

* Insight into Progress – Understand your child’s academic development, behaviour, and social interactions.

* Personalised Communication – Engage in a two-way conversation with your child’s teacher, including examples of work and classroom observations.

* Collaborative Support – Discuss any challenges and work together to identify strategies and resources.

* Relationship Building – Strengthen the connection between school and home, which positively impacts student motivation.

* Stay Informed – Your involvement helps you remain engaged in your child’s school life.

Bookings are now open via the Compass portal.
Please refer to the attached flyer for step-by-step booking instructions.

Semester 1 reports will be available on Compass from Friday 27 June (approximately 4:00 pm).

We look forward to seeing you at the interviews and thank you for your continued support in your child’s educational journey.

First Holy Communion
This weekend, several of our Year 3 and 4 students will celebrate a very special milestone — their First Holy Communion.

This sacred occasion marks the first time they will receive the Eucharist, sharing in the body and blood of Jesus during Mass. It is a joyful and meaningful step in their faith journey, deepening their connection with God and the Church community.

We are incredibly proud of each of the children for the reverence, effort, and preparation they have shown in the lead-up to this beautiful sacrament.

Please keep them and their families in your prayers during this special time.

Yours in partnership,

Alana Quirk

Principal's Reminders

ICAS Testing Opportunity

ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies. Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.

ICAS tests are available for students in Years 2-6 who are interested and register. There is a fee for each test. The tests are conducted at school during August. Online registration is now open. Please see the attached information about ICAS.

Registration for all subject areas closes on Monday 28 July at 11:59pm. To register, please see instructions in the parent letter below. 

Pupil Free Days 

Just a reminder that the final day of Term 2 for students is Thursday 3rd July. Staff will be engaged in professional learning on the Friday.

Students commence Term 3 on Tuesday 22nd July.

From the Assistant Principal

e-Safety

Following on from last week's information regarding online gaming, this week we look further at creating a safe gaming environment for your child and addressing some issues around online gaming.

In short:

• Online gaming has a range of benefits for children and young people and can help them to develop important skills.  
• You can support your child and help them manage time online by empowering them and being involved when they play.
  • Gaming can expose young players to risks like cyberbullying and sexual grooming. 
    Some games simulate or encourage gambling through the spending of real money or incentives such as tokens and points.

    
    

    How to create a safe gaming environment for your child

    It’s important to encourage your child to have positive experiences, while helping to protect them from risks like cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content. You can use these tips to help you:

    Prepare

    • Set up the computer or games console in an open area of your home. For example, if your child is playing on their handheld device you can ask them to play in the family room.
    • Install up-to-date security software on all devices to protect against viruses, malware and other online threats. 
    • Activate parental controls and safety features on the device or in the app or browser. These controls can help restrict access to certain content and limit spending on in-game and in-app purchases. See our advice on parental controls.

    Build good habits

    • Help your child to protect their privacy online and suggest they use a screen name that’s different to their real name. 
    • Set clear standards and expectations to avoid conflicts, disagreements and/or aggressive behaviour. 
    • Encourage upstander behaviour and help-seeking to create a safe and positive gaming environment.
    • Teach your child not to click on links provided by strangers, like ‘cheat’ programs to help with gameplay, that might expose their device to viruses or malware.
    • Agree on strategies to help them to switch off, like a timer that signals game time is nearly over, with consequences for not switching off.

    Stay involved

    • Talk with your child about their gaming and who they play with online. Support their positive connections while helping them understand the risks.
    • Play alongside your child or watch their gaming to get a better sense of how they are handling their personal information and who they are communicating with.
    • Take an interest by asking about the storyline or characters in the game if you don’t feel comfortable playing the game yourself, or your child doesn’t want to play with you. Use eSafety’s guide to Better conversations about gaming for familiesExternal link to help you. 
    • Encourage your child to tell you if they experience anything that worries them or makes them uncomfortable. 
    • Monitor the time your child spends online and watch for any changes in their activity, school or social behaviours, in case something might be wrong.

    Choose suitable games

    Video games can include a wide variety of content and are classified according to their suitability for certain age groups. Games vary in their level of violent or sexual content, and may contain themes, language and images that are unsuitable for your child. 

    • Check the age guidelines and classification for an individual game on its website or product packaging or visit the Australian Classification BoardExternal link’s public database.
    • Find more information about game ratings on the Pan European Game InformationExternal link (PEGI) and the US Entertainment Software Rating BoardExternal link (ESRB) websites.
    • Visit review sites to find out about child-friendly content, including Children and Media AustraliaExternal link, Kiwi FamiliesExternal link (NZ), Common Sense MediaExternal link (US), and Ask About GamesExternal link (UK).
    • Ask your child how the game makes them feel, and why they like playing it, to help you understand what themes and content might be suitable for them.

    eSafety can direct an online service or platform to remove illegal content or ensure that restricted content can only be accessed by people who are 18 or older. Illegal and restricted online content can include material that shows or encourages child sexual abuse, terrorism or other extreme violence.

    Learn more about how eSafety helps to regulate illegal and restricted online content.

Spotlight on Religious Education

First Holy Communion and The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

On Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. On this day we reflect on the gift of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. It is a solemn reminder that at every Mass, Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary is made present again, offering us spiritual nourishment and drawing us into deeper communion with God and one another

We are also thrilled to share that Summer, Harrison, Scarlett, Hugo and Noah will be receiving their First Holy Communion this weekend. They have been prayerfully preparing at home and school for the past month, culminating in a retreat day on Friday to reflect on this sacred moment. This day is designed to be a reflective and prayerful experience, bringing together all they have learned and experienced in anticipation of receiving the Eucharist. This sacrament completes their journey of Christian initiation, welcoming them fully into the Eucharistic life of the Church.

Please keep Summer, Harrison, Scarlett, Hugo, and Noah in your prayers this Sunday and we extend our heartfelt congratulations for this joyous occasion. 

Mini Vinnies Winter Woolies Day ~ Helping Others Stay Warm This Winter!

Thank you to all those families who have already started brining in their Wint Woolies donations. This winter, Mini Vinnies is proud to support the St Vincent de Paul Society through our special Winter Woolies Day on Wednesday 2 July, Week 10. On this day, students are invited to come to school wearing their favourite winter woolies. Think beanies, scarves, gloves, jackets, or colourful socks! Instead of a gold coin donation, we’re asking families to bring in an item to help support people doing it tough this winter.

All donations will go directly to the Winter Appeal and Vinnies Night Patrol Van, which travels around our local area offering hot drinks, warm clothes, blankets, and friendly conversation to people who are sleeping rough or experiencing homelessness. The Night Patrol volunteers are a kind and compassionate presence during the coldest months of the year, offering warmth, dignity, and hope to those who need it most.

What can students bring in?

Please donate new or lightly used winter items such as:

• Brand new socks (all sizes)
• Gloves, beanies or scarves (clean and in great condition)
• Blankets or sleeping bags (good condition)
• Warm jumpers or jackets (lightly used)
• Travel-sized toiletries (toothpaste, soap, deodorant)

See below images for more ideas. Let’s come together as a school to help keep someone warm this winter.

What: Winter Woolies Day - wear your warmest beanies, colourful scarves, cool jackets and crazy warm socks!

When: Wednesday 2nd July, Week 10

Why: To collect donations of warm clothing and hygiene products for those most in need this cold winter. 

Learning in Year 3/4 

Our Year 3/4 students have been learning about the Christian teaching of the Trinity: that God is one being made up of three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who are distinct yet united in love and purpose 

Understanding the Trinity helps us see how God can be Father (Creator), Son (Jesus, our Savior), and Holy Spirit (our guide and comforter) all at once. 

In class, students have been immersed in exploring a range of symbols such as triangles, interlocking circles, fire, a dove, water, and light and thoughtfully integrating colours like gold, blue, and white to express their personal understanding of the Trinity. Below is a glimpse of some truly inspiring artwork they have created, each piece using symbolism and colour to reflect an individual insight into the mystery of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

We’re so proud of their thoughtful artwork and reflections!

Dates to Remember

Benny's News

Out and About at Benny's

Numeracy Enrichment

Last Wednesday, our Year 5/6 Numeracy Enrichment students participated in their second 'Maths Games Junior' contest, facilitated by the Australasian Problem-Solving Mathematical Olympiads (APSMO) organisation.   This second paper focused on the problem-solving strategies 'working backwards' and 'making an organised list' to solve problems grounded in real-world applications.

Students continue to practice and apply their problem solving strategies during their fortnightly numeracy enrichment sessions and are to be congratulated for their wonderful efforts last Wednesday in completing their second contest challenge.

'Maths Games Junior Contest 3' will be held in early Term 3, on Wednesday 30 July.

Mrs Anne White

Numeracy Enrichment / Classroom Teacher

Happy Birthday

Merit Awards

Celebrating 70 Years

Community News