25 November 2024

Term 4-Week 7

• Monday 25th November 2024
  
  • Cuppa before Assembly from 8:30am in the Hall
  •  Assembly led by KM @ 9:00am 
  • Mini Vinnies with Mrs Avinash @ Recess
    
• Tuesday 26th November 2024
  
  • Choir with Mrs Sadler @ 8.35am
  • PR Committee Meeting @ Recess
    
• Wednesday 27th November 2024
  
  • School Captain Candidate Speeches @ 9am (Parents /Friends welcome to join)
    
  • Guitar Group @ 11.00am
• Thursday 28th November 2024

  • Senior Band @7.50am

  • Junior Band @11.00am
  • Yr 3 Grade Reconciliation @ 9.10am
• Friday 29th November 2024
  
  • Class Representative Voting Yr 2, 3, & 4
  • Yr 5 Bible Activity Day Incursion
  • Year 5 Mass in the Cathedral @11.30am (Parents /Friends welcome)
    

Term 4-Week 8

• Monday 2nd December 2024
  
  • Assembly & Advent Liturgy @9am (cup of tea in the hall from 8:30am)
    
  • Mini Vinnies with Mrs Avinash @Recess
    
• Tuesday 3rd December 2024
  
  • Choir with Mrs Sadler @8.35am
  • SRC Meeting with Mrs Tavares @11.10am
• Wednesday 4th December 2024
  
  • Guitar Group @11:00-11:40am (Recess in Classrooms at 10:50)
    
  • P & F Meeting @5.30pm in the Library - All Parents welcome
    
• Thursday 5th December 2024
  • Senior Band @7:50- 8:50am      
  • Year 2 Reconciliation Service with Fr Karl @9.00am
  • Kindergarten School Chaplain visit with Fr Karl @10.00am
  • Junior Band @11:00-11:40am (Recess in Classrooms at 10:50)
    
• Friday 6th December 2024
  
  • Agriculture Club with Mrs Angelucci @Recess
    

2024 Important Dates

More important dates listed here 

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

From the Principal

Promoting Deeper Learning

Miss Inwood and I had the privilege of completing professional learning recently, led by educator Michael McDowell, as part of his Rigour Redefined program. The day focused on planning for the implementation of school wide strategies to build student habits that promote deeper learning and higher achievement.

Michael McDowell encourages teachers to implement small practical strategies for helping students sustain habits of reading, writing, and thinking at more complex levels. Our leadership team will be mentored by Michael as we work to embed his evidence based practices into our classrooms school wide from 2025. We are so excited to include this  in our Annual Improvement Plan for 2025 as we build our focus around individual student growth so that all students reach their full potential.

Immaculata Mission Team

We joyfully welcomed the Immaculata Mission Team to Cathedral last week. While in the Parish, they took the time to teach our Year 5 and Year 6 students about their mission, prayer and the example of the Saints along with demonstrating their fine soccer skills on the playground. We are so privileged to have access to such faith- filled role models for our students and we look forward to welcoming them back in the future.

Camille Tavares   | Principal

Student Leadership 2025

Student Leadership 2025

As we prepare for next year, our Year 5 students are embarking on an exciting journey into student leadership. 

This initiative aligns with our SPB4L (School-wide Positive Behaviour for Learning) framework and our school universals of Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind behaviour. 

At our recent assemblies it has been emphasised that all students from Kindergarten to Year 6 are leaders in our community. Leadership is not just about titles; it’s about how we conduct ourselves, support one another, and contribute positively to our environment. Every student has the potential to lead by example, fostering respect and collaboration. Please see the SPB4L section in the newsletter where we have outlined key characteristics of effective leaders that our students are encouraged to embody.

Shortlisted Candidates

Candidates for School Captain will present their visions to students in Years 2-6, staff and the wider community this Wednesday (Week 7) in the school hall from 9:00am. After a number of important activities and steps, the process to shortlist the Year 5 students presenting this Wednesday to our school community is listed below. We congratulate the following students and also acknowledge all Year 5 students who nominated to be part of this process:

Year 5 Student Leadership | Roadmap

• Current Student Leaders Presentation: 

Existing leaders have led discussions with Year 5 about roles and responsibilities.

• Leadership Camp at Lake Burrendong (Term 3): 

An immersive experience to build teamwork and leadership skills.

• Leadership Workshop Facilitated by MacKillop College: 

Developing essential leadership qualities and strategies.

• Class Presentations: 

Year 5 students presented why they would be successful leaders to their classmates.

• Nomination Process: 

Students nominated to present to the grade about why they would make a positive School Captain last week and Year 5 students voted  based on agreed criteria, ensuring a fair selection. Shortlisted candidates will be announced to the grade this week and published in next week’s newsletter.

• Shortlisted Candidates Present to the School Community: 

Candidates for School Captain will present their visions to students in Years 2-6, staff and the wider community this Wednesday (Week 7) in the school hall from 9:00am

• House Captain Nominations:

All Year 5 students can nominate and present reasons for being House Captains at House Meetings this Thursday (Week 7).

• Year 6 Committee Expressions of Interest:

All Year 5 students will be asked to nominate their preferences for important leadership responsibilities based on their areas of interest and knowledge as part of their important work in Year 6 next year..

• Instrumental Music Program Captains: 

Nominations and presentations for captains will also take place involving members from our various ensembles thisThursday morning.

• Class Representative Nominations: 

This Friday, I will visit Years 2, 3, and 4 to help students nominate and vote for their Class Representatives for 2025.

• Voting and Announcement:

Final results will be announced during our Family Night, celebrating our new elected student leadership representatives.

As we move forward with this exciting process, we encourage all students to reflect on the qualities of effective leadership. Being a leader is about embodying our school universals of Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind behaviours in our daily actions

Ashley Boylan   | Assistant Principal

End of Year Celebrations

Each year we gather to celebrate and give thanks for the year that was. Below is a brief outline of our end of year events.

Family Night 2024

As listed above, all students are involved in grade performances on Family Night to celebrate the end of our wonderful year and the Advent/Christmas season. 

All students and families are asked to be at school by 5.50pm on Thursday 12th December as the performances will be commencing at 6pm. The night is expected to conclude by approximately 8.30pm. Families are most welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy in the school grounds **Note: Students will need their dinner before the 5.50pm start time. 

This year the staff have asked all students to wear the following items for their performance: 

• Kindergarten - Christmas themed t-shirt and red Santa hat
• Year 1 - Year 6 - Christmas themed t-shirt

It is always a joyful night to see the huge smiles, bop along to the songs and celebrate the students’ achievements from across the year, particularly with our special End of Year Awards.

Welcome!

Over the past weeks we have had many new additions to the Cathedral community. Welcome to all of our new Cathedral babies! Don’t forget to share your photos with the office if your family has welcomed a new bundle of joy.

School Representative Uniform Items

We ask that all school representative items be returned to school this week. Items such as football, soccer, netball, band uniforms and any other items that may have been loaned out throughout the year. These can be returned to the front office so that they can be used by students in 2025. 

Teaching and Learning

Thank you for your feedback

We would like to extend our gratitude to parents who have recently provided valuable feedback on resourcing, including student workbooks and stationery. Your insights are instrumental in informing our practices as we begin planning for 2025. Your support helps us enhance the educational experience for all our students.

Professional Learning

Earlier this year, all our teachers participated in a full-day workshop with renowned educator Michael McDowell. Last Friday, several staff members engaged in phase two of this exciting project, further enhancing our teaching practices.  McDowell's framework for K–12 educators emphasises three levels of learning complexity: surface, deep, and transfer. While surface and deep learning provide essential foundational knowledge, transfer-level learning develops interdisciplinary problem-solving skills—preparing students for real-world challenges.

To embed these principles in our classrooms and school planning, we focus on creating transfer-level learning experiences. Our educators are implementing strategies that incorporate perspective and perplexity, mimicking real-life scenarios. This approach fosters student ownership of learning, encouraging deeper engagement and critical thinking. Some practical applications include: 

Practical examples at home:  Here are some engaging activities that promote deep and transfer learning:

Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning:

Involve your child in planning meals for the week. Create a shopping list together, calculate costs, and discuss healthy food choices. Challenge them to adjust meals based on dietary preferences or seasonal ingredients.

Travel Planning:

Let your child help plan a family trip by researching destinations and creating an itinerary. Discuss cultural aspects of the places you may visit. Encourage them to budget for the trip and think about how to adapt plans for unexpected changes.

Analysing Current Favourite Streaming Series:

Watch an episode together and discuss character motivations and plot development. Ask your child to analyse themes and write an alternate ending or create a new character that fits within the story.

Ashley Boylan   | Acting Assistant Principal

Religious Education & Catholic Life

“You say that I am a king” John 18: 33-37

FEAST of CHRIST THE KING

On Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of Christ the King, a reminder of Christ’s love, leadership, and sovereignty in our lives. As a Catholic community, we reflect on His call to serve with humility and compassion, striving to live as faithful followers of His Kingdom. May this feast inspire us to bring His peace and justice to the world around us.

PRIESTS on RETREAT

This week, Bishop McKenna and the priests of our diocese will be gathering for their annual retreat. As a Catholic school community, we pray that this time provides them with spiritual renewal, rest, and rejuvenation. May their retreat strengthen their ministry and bring blessings to our diocese as they continue to guide and inspire us in faith.

YEAR 5 BIBLE ACTIVITY DAY

We are excited to announce a special new day that we are adding to our school’s Liturgical and Catholic Life calendar. 

This Friday, Year 5 will be participating in our inaugural Bible Activity Day. The Bible Activity Day is designed to inspire and deepen our students’ relationship with Jesus, particularly as they prepare for Confirmation. This special day will focus on helping our students grow in faith through engaging activities, games, and reflections on scripture.

Year 5 parents and family are invited to join us for Mass on Friday at 11.30am.

NOVEMBER - The month of remembrance

As November draws to an end, we recall all those who we have loved and cared about, that have departed this world. 

As a wonderful tradition at Cathedral Catholic Primary School in November, we have our own Book of Remembrance containing the names of people we want to remember and pray for. Each class has its own special book and they have a prominent place in our class prayer spaces.

Help to add names to our Book of Remembrance.  As a members of our Cathedral School community, you are invited to help your child/ren write down the names of any special people that you would like included in the class Books of Remembrance. Your child’s teacher will then help them write these names into the book.

END of YEAR EVENTS

There are so many special events coming up over the next few weeks. I urge all parents to make sure that they take note of the various days and dates and add these to your calendars. There are many opportunities for our parents and friends to engage and share in these events with us, and our celebrations are made even more meaningful when we do have our parent community with us. 

SACRAMENT PROGRAM

Last week marked the end of our Sacramental program. Congratulations to all students who received a sacrament throughout the year. I hope you always feel as special and loved as you did during that Mass/service. 

If your child did not complete their sacrament/s throughout the year, you will be invited to again enrol in the Parish Sacramental Program after Easter is celebrated next year. 

Up Coming School Events:

Please make sure that you are also aware of all the events listed on the School Calendar. 

IN OUR PARISH
We are proud to be an important part of the Cathedral Parish of Ss Michael & John.   For information about our parish please click here. This includes Mass Times, Ministries, Sacraments and current edition and archived stories from the Catholic Observer and Parish Bulletin. 

Julia Baird  | Acting Religious Education Coordinator

Awards

Library

Merryn Sadler   | Teacher Librarian

SPB4L - School Wide Positive Behaviours for Learning

‘We show leadership in our thoughts and actions’

Cathedral Staff believe that all our students, especially our 6 students, are leaders. Each and every day there are opportunities for all students to be a leader - a leader in their own life and learning, in their classroom, in the playground, or in our community. 

Developing leadership skills in primary school students is crucial because it fosters confidence, responsibility, and teamwork, enabling them to make positive contributions to their community. These skills prepare students to handle challenges, take initiative, and inspire others, which are essential for future academic and personal success. Early leadership opportunities also nurture empathy and effective communication, helping students grow into well-rounded individuals.

Week 7 Lessons will include: 

Lesson 4: “Leaders Show Respect” - To connect leadership with respectful behaviour.

Lesson 5: “Leading by Example” - Students will understand that leaders model positive behaviours.

Lesson 6: “Leaders Encourage Others” - To teach that encouragement is an important quality of a leader.

This week staff and students will be voting for the specific leadership roles for 2025. You can support and enrich this special democratic opportunity for our students, by discussing our new SPB4L focus with your child, what it means to be a leader, and your child/ren’s responsibility to make a fair and accurate vote for School Captains, House Captains, Music Captains and Class Representatives by reflecting on the leadership qualities they have observed and noted in our nominated students. 

Julia Baird  | SPB4L Committee

Mini Vinnies

Thank you for the donations we have had so far. The Cathedral Mini Vinnies Club met twice last week and began making the snack packs. Please keep the donations coming in if  you are in a position to help out.

Genevieve Avinash | Mini Vinnies Coordinator

Wellbeing

One of the core elements of The Resilience project which is taught in all classes at Cathedral school is Gratitude.

Some benefits of practising gratitude are:

• After 21 days, you start to scan the world for positives.
• After 42 days you become:
• More optimistic, energised & focused.
• Less likely to get sick.
• You will sleep better.
• Anxiety and depression decreases.

A few quick and simple ways to practise being grateful are:

• Journaling; each night write down 3 things that went well for you that day or purchase a gratitude journal with gratitude prompts.
• Write a gratitude letter to someone special, telling them why you are grateful they are in your life.
• Have a family discussion on the way home from school or around the dinner table about the things that went well that day or made you smile.

Merryn Sadler   | Wellbeing Coordinator

Sports

Parent Skills

Here at Cathedral School we are very fortunate to have a number of parents who are very skilled and talented in various sporting fields. 

We are endeavouring to develop student sporting skills in any sport and anticipate that these sessions would take place from 8:30 - 9:00 am any day Monday through to Friday (on a day that suits the parent) on the school playground at Cathedral School.

Equipment would be provided, depending on availability and the sport being played. 

We would like to invite any parents of current students (2024) and new parents (2025) who have any sporting skills that they would like to share with the students of Cathedral School, to nominate their chosen sport and a day that suits them by completing the linked form. We will then contact you to discuss further details.

Thank you in advance for your continued support of the students of Cathedral School.

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

Louise Condon   | Sports Coordinator

School Student Travel

School student travel information for parents and students

School Travel Passes

Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel. 

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their School Opal card at their nominated postal address from mid-January 2025.

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.

In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Terms of Use

Students using School Opal cards must tap on and tap off in line with the Opal terms of use.

This includes travel within the approved times between 6.30am and 7.00pm from Monday to Friday on school days only. Students must use their Child/Youth Opal card for any travel outside these times.

All students are required to comply with the Student code of conduct. The code of conduct aims to ensure the safety and well-being of school children and other passengers. It is important that parents ensure their child is aware of this, as failure to comply with the code of conduct can result in a suspension from travel.

Further information can be found at transportnsw.info/school-travel
Enquiries can be submitted at transportnsw.info/passes-concessions-feedback

Uniform

We ask that families support the school in presenting a positive image to our community by encouraging the wearing of the correct school uniform. 

Shoes

This week we ask families to ensure that their children are wearing the correct shoes. 

• Joggers may be worn on your child’s sport day only. 
• On all other days, we ask that students wear covered in black leather shoes. Black joggers are not suitable on these days nor are other joggers.
• If students are wearing boots, we ask that they do not wear boots with a reinforced toe. If students wear boots with a reinforced toe, we will need to request that they sit out of games throughout the day as these pose a safety risk to other students. 

If at any time you are experiencing financial difficulty and this is a barrier to providing your child with the correct uniform we ask that you contact the office so that we can assist you.  Our school uniform expectations are clearly set out upon enrolment and so we ask that you please adhere to these.

Parents and Friends

Next P&F Meeting & AGM: Wednesday 4th December 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. 

The December meeting will be followed by the AGM. 

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/j62675200979?pwd=duYyV3M2MvdoTVVjclRKZE5jdnlMdzo9

ID:62675200979@zmau.us 

Password: 106688

SCHOOL BACKPACKS have arrived!

The school backpacks can be ordered on FlexiSchools for $65 – click on shop, then your child’s name, then uniform shop. The back pack will be delivered to your child’s classroom along with the lunch orders so you can select a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday for delivery, then select school back pack and finalise your order.  We have attached the flyer about the back pack here for your reference.

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

Year 2 Instrument Testing- Please feel free to contact Mr Dove if you have any further questions regarding your child participating in the Music Enrichment program in 2025.  All information has now been sent home with your children.

Choir with Mrs Sadler Tuesday @ 8.45am

Guitar Group with BAM Wednesday @ 11am

Senior Band with Mr Dove Thursday @ 7.50am

Junior Band with Mr Dove Thursday @ 11am

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

OSHC

Cathedral OSHC is looking forward to a busy term with several community projects. This term, the children will be organising our annual Christmas Food Drive for The Little Pantry Bathurst. Please support their efforts with non-perishable, and/or long dated food item donations to assist families in need this Christmas season. Cathedral OSHC will be accepting donations in the OSHC room all December until 19/12/24 (and we won't turn away early birds!). Our children are also holding a design competition to decorate a giant "gingerbread" house as part of O'Connell Public's Competition. You'll be able to view their work, and hopefully hundreds of others, lining the streets of O'Connell Avenue with Christmas cheer later this year. 
If you'd like to express your interest for a 2025 enrolment, or have a sibling to enrol, please contact our Coordinator at cathedraloshc@centacarebathurst.com.au. 

Canteen

   Canteen Roster Term 4 2024

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

Bathurst Bus Lines - School Bus Tracking App
The school bus tracking app is available for parents to download on their phone and track their child's bus in real time.  This might alleviate some of the anxiety related to putting students on the bus. Please see instructions below.

Parents requiring any bus pass or general bus travel information are welcome to contact our office and we will be able to discuss their needs accordingly.

If you have any queries please contact us on 6331 2744

Kind regards,

Carolyn
Bathurst Bus Lines