Dear Families,

There is a real air of excitement around today. Firstly, it is our Rocktober Socktober celebration. The amazingly clever ideas of different ways to wear socks and the endless array of colourful bright socks in every shape, colour and size is wonderful to witness and take in. And of course, there is the disco- that adds another level of anticipation. All aimed at a terrific cause, The Arrupe Centre, in Cambodia, which strives to show the love of God through caring for and empowering those in need. Thank you all for supporting this in dress and donations. 

Our second cause of excitement today is World Teachers Day. The children have, for the last week, been involved in the secret organising of a special assembly to acknowledge our staff. The SRC with Presidents Farrah Carpenter and Brad Felsch led the assembly today with the theme of teachers as lifesavers.  They presented our staff with a lifesaver floaty, neon lifesaver sunglasses, a lifesaver gift bag of energy lollies and a certificate.

Since World Teacher's Day last year,  our staff have been at the helm through bushfires and now the pandemic. Throughout both crises, they have not faltered in ensuring our students' safety, wellbeing and learning. So proud of their amazing efforts. Happy World Teacher's Day to all of our staff!

Our Junior Joeys 2020 Orientation Program began last Wednesday. It was terrific to finally welcome our Kindergarten 2021 children. They settled in very quickly and absolutely loved finding out about the 'big school' that they will be coming to next year. Junior Joeys continues for the next 3 consecutive Wednesday mornings. The last session will be held on 18 November 2020.

• Our SRC Leaders, Farrah and Brad for working in so well with the SRC class reps to organise the World Teachers Days assembly and celebrations. 
• Mrs Boyd and the Mini Vinnies for organising and promoting Rocktober Socktober and the Missions Appeal.
• Our Junior Joeys for such a successful first week.
• Our beautiful Missions Mass with Kinder, Year 2 and Year 4.
• Our Water awareness sessions. 

• Staff and students exhibiting even mild COVID-19 symptoms are to be sent home and required to produce proof of a negative COVID-19 test before returning to school. 
• Non-essential adults are not be permitted to enter the school grounds. We ask that no parents enter the school past the front office. All inquiries to the front office, please. 
• Pick up and drop off will continue out the front of the school. 
• Canteen for lunches only is continued to be offered if we are able to get parent volunteers to assist.  
• It is paramount in these times, in particular,  that any child who is unwell is kept at home. We appreciate your understanding and consideration for the safety of the other students and the staff.
• Our bubblers will still not to be used and therefore the children require a water bottle.
• Our stringent hygiene practices for our new normal continue with: the washing of hands regularly; sanitiser after eating, no food or drinks to be shared; coughing and sneezing into elbows, tissues discarded immediately, cleaning of the desks between lunch and recess breaks and extra cleaning of the school by our cleaners.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Regards

This Sunday's Gospel Reading:

Feast of ALL SAINTS

From the Holy Gospel according to 
Matthew 5:1-12
Jesus teaches what it means to be happy -

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are the merciful ........

The Beatitudes can be understood as a path for Christian living. Because of this, it is natural that we proclaim this Gospel on the Feast of All Saints. Saints are people who lived the spirit of the Beatitudes as Jesus did. We are called and challenged to model our lives on the spirit and promises of the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes, the gospel of the feast of all  Saints, are ideals of every follower of Christ. The saints followed these as their program for living. The saints are “blessed” not because they were poor,  persecuted and lowly, but because they saw their difficult situations and that of others with a firm trust in God’s unconditional love and mysterious plans. 

 St. Mary MacKillop of the Cross MacKillop,  shows us the way of being and doing this! She was truly an Australian woman of the Beatitudes who sends out such a strong message that to be a saint is possible in our Australian life. 

While striving to be saints ourselves, let us remember all the Saints who have gone before us and to pray that we may have the courage to choose to be saints where we are. Simply by seeing a need and doing something about it is reflecting the actions of saints.

CATHOLIC MISSION FUNDRAISER   

ROCKTOBER SOCKTOBER DANCE PARTY

Thank you for your generous support!

We thank our students and teachers for wearing colourful socks in a creative way -  we saw socks in hair, on arms, around the waist, and in every possible way that you could think of. Also, thank you for your gold coin donation.
We congratulate our Mini Vinnies leaders Lacie Soward, Breanna Moss and Jahli Brady for preparing and presenting the DANCE PARTY in the Primary and Mrs Michelle Stormon for being our DANCE PARTY DJ for our Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 children.

The coins donated for our  ROCKTOBER  SOCKTOBER DANCE PARTY  fundraiser will be given to The Arrupe Centre, in Cambodia, which strives to show the love of God through caring for and empowering those in need. They provide children with support and opportunities to live a fulfilling life. As Bishop Kike says, “We are here for the common good; to be a more inclusive society and to bring also the joy of life everywhere ... we look with a positive vision and, I would say, with hope and joy and happiness”.

Each classroom has a mission box and all money donated from now until December will also be sent to the Children's Catholic Mission appeal.

You are now able to access this and other important Parish information by clicking on the link below.

Strategies For Taming Teasing

Richmond Zone Summer Sports Trials

School Swimming Carnival

Our school swimming has been booked for the 4 December at the Evans Head Aquatic Centre.  Unfortunately, this will be held without spectators this year.  More information will be issued closer to the carnival.

School Water Awareness Program

We are utilising the Woodburn Pool for our water awareness program this year. The students will participate in a Water Awareness Swimming Program at the Woodburn Pool for 3 consecutive weeks, we started last Tuesday and will continue Tuesday 3rd November and concluding on Tuesday the 10th November.  This program develops the children's water awareness strategies which are aligned with the PDHPE syllabus.

Congratulations

CANTEEN ROSTER

Could you please give Gayl a call on 66822468 if you

are able to help out in the canteen during Term 4.

THANK YOU LADIES!