4 March 2024

Upcoming Events

Week 6

• Monday 4th March 
• LENT (Week 3) Liturgy & Assembly (9:00am -Hall)
• Assembly hosted by 4BR
  

• Wednesday 6th March
  • P & F Meeting 5:30pm - Library 
    • Zoom Link
    • ID: 62675200979@zmau.us   
    • Password: 106688

• Thursday 7th March 
• First Rite of Reconciliation (9:00am - 10:00am -Cathedral Church) Year 6
• Sacramental Meeting @ 6:00pm (Assumption Church)

• Friday 8th March 
  • Bathurst Winter Sports Trials

Week 7

• Monday 11th March 
• LENT (Week 4), First Penance Acknowledgment & Assembly (9:00am -Hall)
• Assembly hosted by Year 2

• Thursday 14th March
  
  • First Rite of Reconciliation (9:00am - 11:00am -Cathedral) Year 4 & 5 -grade timings to be confirmed

• Friday 15th March 
  • Solemnity of St Patrick & House Patron Day -Green casual clothes for a gold coin donation
    to Project Compassion 
    
    • 10:00am  - Mass
    • 11:00am - Picnic Recess
    • 11:40am - Student's participate in rotational activities - Irish Games

2024 Important Dates

• Thursday 11th April 2024
• • Last day of Term 1
    
    
• Monday 29th April 2024
  • Pupil Free Day - Professional Development Day
    
    
• Tuesday 30th April 2024
  • First day of Term 2 - Winter Uniform

More important dates listed here Website Calendar Link

For those with a Google Account the calendar can be added to your Google calendars for easy access
on your phone or device Google School Calendar Link

From the Principal

Thank you to all of the families who attended the Parent Information session last Monday. We enjoyed sharing the school directions for 2024
and hearing from our Youth Engagement Officer, Senior Constable Jane Hefffernan about how we can keep our children safe.
Jane shared a number of tips with our families and also our Year 5 & 6 students the week before.

Her main tips included:

• Ensure that devices are used in common areas of the house (not in bedrooms or bathrooms).
• Establish shared expectations for online use with your family.
• Set time limits on devices (many cases of negative online interaction happen late at night).
• Encourage children not to share images online particularly with identifying information.       
• Follow age restrictions for social media platforms and online gaming (social media apps usually have 13+ age limits)
• Group chats should be avoided unless for a specific purpose (e.g.organising a sporting team).
• Families can seek support from Senior Constable Jane if faced with online safety concerns.

Faith in Action
It was delightful to spot one of our Year 2 students delivering his Project Compassion Box to the office last week.
It was so wonderful to hear of the many creative ways that he has raised money for this worthy cause.
Such faith in action. Congratulations!

Camille da Silva Tavares   | Principal

Cuppa After Assembly

You are invited to join us for a cuppa after assembly each Monday morning.
Bring your coffee from Cafe Viva or make yourself a cuppa in the hall kitchen.
All are very welcome.

Toys and Sports Equipment from Home

A reminder that students are asked to use the school sporting equipment that is provided instead of bringing sporting equipment from home. Mrs Bowman is currently re-stocking the sports equipment
for the year which is managed by our Year 6 Sport Committee.

We recommend that children do not bring toys from home unless specifically requested by the teacher
for show and tell or other classroom activities.  Toys can be disruptive to the learning environment and cause jealousy among the other children. If children do bring toys to school they do so at their own risk.
Staff will not be responsible for locating missing items or investigating instances of traded or stolen items. Staff may request that students keep items at home if they are causing disruption in any way.

Welcome!

What a joy to welcome a beautiful baby brother to Cathedral!

We love spotting the new babies around the school and invite
you to email the office with a photo should your family welcome
a special bundle too.

Afternoon Walkers

Parents are reminded that the afternoon walkers duty is intended for students walking home or to workplaces only. For those families picking up children, we ask that you walk into the school grounds
on George St for collection or for a quicker pick up approach the gate at William St.  We understand that this is a busy time of the day and there is congestion around the streets however it is important that our procedures are followed so that we can provide a safe exit for students.

If there is extreme weather at pick up time (heavy rain, lightning etc) then students who are walking will be supervised on George St until they can be collected from the school or can safely walk.

Student Representative Council (SRC)

Our SRC met again to review their ideas around promoting positive rewards in classrooms. The group decided that we would use our SPB4L budget to purchase new plastic containers that will be a visible reminder of the positive merit system in classrooms. 

 Our House Captains also met and are excited to bring the final voting for our school mascot to students this week. Last year our SRC put together a survey for students to find out their ideas for animals that would represent Cathedral. These animals needed to be native not only to Australia but also found in our local landscape. The final four animals
will be voted on this week by our students.

What an exciting time at Cathedral!

Enrolments

Enrolments for 2025 are now open.
We thank all those families who have already submitted Kindergarten enrolment forms and we ask
those wishing to enrol their child for 2025 to do so as soon as possible.

Year 6 Farewell Committee Meeting

We invite all parents of Year 6 students to a brief meeting on Wednesday 20th March @ 3:30pm in the Library. At this meeting we will begin planning fundraising events for the Year 6 Farewell Dinner along with the event.

Teaching and Learning

Read, Read, Read - Building Strong Foundation at Home
Last week at our Parent Information Evening, I shared some information about the importance of
regular reading practice to develop children’s reading skills. Reading is a bit like a superpower, helping our children grow their vocabulary, enhance their understanding of the world, and develop empathy
by living countless lives through characters. It's a foundational skill that supports learning across all subjects. Integrating reading into daily routines at home isn't just beneficial; it's crucial to success.
Just like learning to play an instrument or mastering a sport, becoming a proficient reader requires regular practice. You can see the power of regular reading in the diagram below.

Reading development is a continuous journey that evolves as your child grows. In the early years,
the focus is on building a strong foundation with engaging picture books that stimulate imagination
and curiosity. As children progress to the middle years, the emphasis shifts towards enhancing reading stamina, expanding vocabulary, and fostering the ability to draw connections from the material read, building comprehension skills. This preparation is crucial as children approach high school, where the demands of reading become more challenging and diverse. A solid reading foundation ensures that students are well-equipped to meet these challenges with confidence. 

During the next four weeks we will be gathering data to determine how students are performing on important reading skills using DIBELS benchmark assessment. Dibels refers to Dynamic Indicators of
Basic Early Literacy Skills and measures the critical skills necessary for successful beginning reading include: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The DIBELS measures assess students on four of these five critical skills, which are often referred to as the “Big Ideas” of reading. Students across Kindergarten to Year 6 are assessed on their reading skills using this program three times across the year. This allows teachers to measure success and adjust and differentiate teaching practices aligned to whole class and individual results.

By fostering a nurturing reading environment at home, you are helping to set the stage for success and instilling in your children a love for learning that will last a lifetime. Below are a few suggestions to help with fostering an environment that promotes good reading habits at home.

Creating a Dedicated Reading Space:
Establishing a special area at home for reading can significantly enhance your child's reading experience. A comfortable, quiet corner, equipped with ample lighting and a selection of books that cater to their interests, can become a cherished retreat for your child to explore the wonders of reading.

Establishing a Consistent Reading Routine:
Regularity in reading practice is instrumental in developing proficiency. Allocating a specific time each day for reading can help embed this activity into your child's daily routine, fostering a habit that combines both learning and pleasure. Whether it be a tranquil moment after school or a shared bedtime story, consistency is key to nurturing a lifelong reading habit.

Modeling Reading Behavior:
Children are greatly influenced by the actions of adults around them. Demonstrating your own passion for reading can inspire them to adopt similar habits. Engage in discussions about the books you are reading, share interesting stories, and express the joy that reading brings to you. Your enthusiasm for reading can significantly motivate your child to pursue their own reading adventures.

Catherine O’Neill   | Assistant Principal

Religious Education & Catholic Life

Clean-Up Australia Day:  As Stewards of God’s Creation and Pope Francis’ call for us all to take care of
our ‘Common Home’, we came together last Friday to focus on caring for our local school environment. Thank you to our Year 6 Environment Committee and Public Relations Committee for leading our school’s participation in Clean-Up Australia Day. This was part of our schoolwide approach to learning about the importance of taking care of the environment and understanding that each of us has the power to create a cleaner and healthier environment for all.

Project Compassion: Please continue your wonderful efforts towards our focus on almsgiving during Lent. Students are encouraged to continue bringing in their donations to their class teacher/s.

Sacramental Program: Please join us in the Assumption Church this week (Thursday 7th March at 6:00pm) for information on First Penance, First Holy Communion and Confirmation and how the parish based but school supported Sacramental Program will function this year. This is for families not just in the grades where Sacramental Units are taught (Years 2, 3 and 5). The information evening is also if your child has previously been in one of these grades but hasn’t had the opportunity to make one or more of these sacraments as yet. 

Monday Liturgy & Assembly:  Please join us each week between 9:00 and 9:30 am as we pray together and acknowledge the achievements of those in our school community. Classes, Grades and Committees each take responsibility for this important event weekly.

Coming up:

This Year at a Glance:  

Ashley Boylan   | Religious Education Coordinator

Awards

Library

Library reminders:

1.  Bring your Library bag and books on your Library day
2.  Check out World Book online (password/username - cathedralcps)

Merryn Sadler   | Teacher Librarian

A Message from Year 6

Supporting Project Compassion this Week
This week we will share the story of Leaia from Somoa and the difficulty
she had in accessing clean water. When the water for their family ran out, Leaia had to walk with her young children to collect water in buckets and containers. The children had to take several breaks because the buckets were so hard to fill and so heavy to carry.

This week we have set a challenge for every student to feel what it is like
to go without water by carrying a bucket of water from one end of the playground to the other. We are hoping to inspire everyone to continue raising money for Project Compassion. We will also begin to build a display of our ongoing fundraising efforts by creating a TAPITAS wall. Each time a class raises $5.00, they will add a droplet to our display.

Easter Egg Raffle 
Our preparations for our annual Easter Egg Collection and Raffle to raise money for project Compassion is well underway.

Thank you to all those families who have donated so far.
We would appreciate donations of eggs to support this fundraiser.
Being involved is a great way to win some Easter treats and help to make a difference to struggling communities in underdeveloped countries.

We ask students to take care when bringing items to school to avoid breakages.
Donations of baskets or bags which could be used to create ‘prize packs’ would also be greatly appreciated.

Raffle tickets will begin being sold this week at a cost of 50 cents each or 3 for $1.00.

Happy Easter Egg collecting!

Zoe, Ruby M, Peppa, Josephine, Charley and Ruby Y   | Social Welfare Committee

SPB4L

At Cathedral School we strive to provide an inclusive, supportive and safe learning environment by encouraging all students to care for themselves, others, their learning and their school.

Our Cathedral universal behaviours are to:

• be Safe
• be Respectful
• be Responsible
• be Kind

Across the next week we will be focusing on RESPONSIBILITY with the overarching message that at Cathedral School we:

show that we are responsible by …

• Following teacher instructions in the classroom and on the playground
• Following all school rules
• Taking care of our belongings and keeping them organised
• Being accountable for our actions and apologising when we make mistakes
• Cleaning up after ourselves and keeping our school clean
• Helping others in need without having to be asked
• Making good decisions
• Responding immediately to the bell

WHY?
Teaching children responsibility is vital for their development, equipping them with independence, accountability, and critical thinking skills essential for success. Responsibility fosters problem-solving abilities, emotional maturity, and resilience, while also instilling trust, respect, and a sense of purpose. Ultimately, it provides essential life skills necessary for success in various aspects of life, setting children on a path to becoming responsible, capable, and confident members of our society.

 Based on our school’s data and our Student Representative Council’s suggestions, particular attention will be given to the below focus areas:

Abbie Bowman   | SPB4L Committee

Wellbeing

Throughout 2024, we will be working closely with The Resilience Project to support the wellbeing of
our school community.

The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs and provides evidence-based, practical strategies to build resilience.

Our Partnership Program consists of online presentations and weekly lessons for students, professional development for staff, and Parent & Carer Hub (inc. digital presentations) for our parent and carer community.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing the Parent & Carer Hub with you. The videos are 5-10 minutes long and will walk through the key pillars of resilience: Gratitude, Empathy & Mindfulness. You’ll hear stories and be introduced to activities to show how these strategies can support our kids' learning and development, and also support you as parents and carers.

This program is an important part of our school’s effort to look after the mental health of our community.

View the first presentation of the series here:
Part 1: Click the link below to meet Hugh and learn about The Resilience Project - https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2023-parent-carer-hub-inspire-hugh/

In this presentation, Hugh shares a personal experience about his sister's battles with Mental Illness.
Note: This video contains a story about an Eating Disorder that may be triggering. Please consider this before watching. For mental health resources and support information, visit The Resilience Project’s Support Page.

We will be in touch through the newsletter to share the remainder of the program, including research
and wellbeing activities to integrate into day-to-day life.

Alice Gallagher and Abbie Bowman   | Wellbeing Teacher/Primary Coordinator 

Counsellor

Jordana Kissell   | Counsellor 

Sports

Eastern Region Swimming Carnival
Cathedral students had great success at the Eastern Region Swimming Carnival in Bathurst last Monday. Our swimmers showed excellent team spirit, talent and sportsmanship. We would like to congratulate all students that participated and wish the below listed students all the best as they will compete at the Bathurst Diocesan Swimming Carnival in Dubbo on Wednesday 6th March.

Good luck to Joseph, Liam, Samuel, Oscar, Scarlett, Jamie, Lucy, Maximus, and Luca next Wednesday in Dubbo!

Paul Kelly Cup AFL
What a fantastic day of football at the AFL Central West Bathurst Paul Kelly Cup!

Our three teams represented our school with excellent sportsmanship, pride and determination.

Congratulations to our Stage 3 Girls' Team who progressed through to the pool games and semis final undefeated.  Despite being  short on players due to injuries, the girls were gallant in defeat in a closely contested Final.
Thank you to Mrs Brunton, Miss Toole and our families that supported us at the carnival.

Mr Boylan   | Coordinator

Community Sport Site
Our Diocesan sports coordinator Mr Steve Maguire has created a Community Sport Site (has reports from events) for parents, families & teachers which can be accessed to assist with Diocesan Sports pathways. You may like to bookmark this site for reference:
https://sites.google.com/bth.catholic.edu.au/cedbsportcommunity/home

Abbie Bowman   | Primary Coordinator

Parents and Friends

Next P&F Meeting: Wednesday 6th March 5:30pm - School Library

Everyone is invited to attend our monthly P&F meetings, which are held on the first Wednesday of each school month at 5:30pm in the Library.

There is NO PRESSURE to attend every meeting or volunteer bucketloads of time - the P&F is a great resource to keep track of what’s happening at school and connect with other parents, caregivers and school staff.  

For those who cannot attend in person, we have a zoom link, if you would like to join from home!

https://bthcatholic.zoom.us/j/62675200979?pwd=dUYyV3M2MVd0TVVjclRKZE5jdnlMdz09
ID: 62675200979@zmau.us   
Password: 106688

OPTIONAL SCHOOL JACKETS
The Cathedral School logo is embroidered on the chest, the jackets are lightweight, windproof and
water-resistant perfect for the cold weather. 

These Optional jackets are available to try on at the school office and ready to order via Flexischools

Please note: The Optional Jacket is not compulsory - All maroon/navy/black school jackets are also acceptable.

DATE FOR THE DIARY:

• April:
  • Wednesday 3rd April - P&F Meeting 5:30pm
  • Friday 5th April - School Disco
    
    
• May:
  • Wednesday 1st May - P&F Meeting 5:30pm
  • Thursday 9th May - Mother’s Day Breakfast & Liturgy
  • Friday 10th May - Mother’s Day Stall
    

If you have any enquiries about our projects or would like to get involved, please email us at cathedralpandf@gmail.com

Melissa Bray   | P & F Publicity

Music

Cathedral School Ensemble Times and Days:

• School Choir Tuesdays at Recess 
• Guitar Group Wednesdays at Recess
• Concert Band Thursdays at 7:50am
• Junior Band Thursdays 11:00am

If your child is interested in participating in any of these groups please feel free to contact me chris_dove_trumpet@hotmail.com

Chris Dove   | Band Director

School Calendar Handy Hints

For those who are not familiar with Google Calendar an easy way to keep up to date with the school calendar is to check the school website. Here is the link that will take you straight to the Calendar section of the site where the calendar can be displayed by month. If you click on the event more details (if confirmed) will be available for the event. 

Most end of year events and special celebrations have already been added to the calendar and all
other events appear as soon as we can confirm the details.  Website Calendar Link

For those with a Google Account the calendar can be added to your Google calendars for easy access
on your phone or device. Google School Calendar Link

Update your Details

Update your email, phone number, address, your child’s medical details or emergency contacts by emailing the information to cathedral@bth.catholic.edu.au

Canteen

The Canteen is open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

We are in need of helpers in the Canteen on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. 

For the canteen to run smoothly 3 volunteers are essential.

Please contact Alana Watson on 0417 044 116 if you would like to be included in the canteen roster,
any time offered is welcomed.

Thank you to all our friends and family for all your ongoing support of the Cathedral Canteen.

Community Notices