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- Principal's Message
- Spiritual Reflection - World Mission Sunday
- Religious Education News
- Positive Behaviours for Learning
- SCC Sport
- Library News
- Mental Health Month
- Year 5 2024 iPads for Learning
- Feedback Sought on Changes to NAPLAN 2023
- Early Reminder: First Day of Term 1 2024 is Tuesday 30 January 2024
- Year 6 Cake Fundraiser
- School Disco!
- School Student Bus Travel
- Football NSW
- AFTER SCHOOL SPORT PROGRAMS - TERM 4 2023
- Walk For Brain Cancer
- Tree Top Arts
- Port Kembla Youth Project Team
- Illawarra Culture Mix
- 2023 Christmas Card Competition
As we begin our work in finalising 2023 and prepare for the upcoming school year, we invite you to share your thoughts and/or ideas relating to our core work of Faith, Learning and Wellbeing. Your response will help support our collective work moving into 2024. Please compete your SCC Parent Survey by Friday 27 October. Greatly appreciate your feedback and support.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfpyU7gkjUeEowtjPwQAWLZ3O8eVr2CM8qRsSdoD_qQGQC5rw/viewform
Each year, on the last Sunday of October, Catholics around the world celebrate World Mission Day. At Mass people of faith are invited to reconnect with the baptismal call to live as People of Mission.
For some, the idea of mission conjures up an age-old image of religious men and women dressed in soutanes and habits, traversing seas in leaky boats with Bible in hand, evangelising and building the global Church throughout foreign lands.
Mission, though, is not to be considered a work reserved exclusively for religious orders, and it is by no means all about making an epic journey to bring the Scripture to people who dwell in far away places.
The word mission means ‘to be sent out’, but we do not have to travel far to live our call to mission. Mission can happen when we respond lovingly, as the body of Christ to the needs of others that are right before us. Perhaps Saint Mother Teresa captures this thought as she became known for saying to zealous young missionaries:
“Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely, right where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in homes and in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society — completely forgotten, completely left alone.”
Whether it be tending to an ill family member, supporting a colleague through a difficult time, encouraging learners to adopt environmentally sustainable practices, assisting community members through the cost of living crisis, supporting reforms to empower Aboriginal people in taking a rightful place or creating equal opportunity for the disabled and disenfranchised - the work of Mission seems to call to us where we already are. The question is do we have eyes to see the need before us? Do we have hearts inflamed with compassion? Do we have hands and feet ready to respond and move from compassion to action?
This Mission Sunday we pray with Catholics all over the world that we might renew our commitment to being People of Mission.
With Pope Francis, we pray:
“Let us set out again with burning hearts, with our eyes open and our feet in motion.
Let us set out to make other hearts burn with the word of God,
to open the eyes of others to Jesus in the Eucharist,
and to invite everyone to walk together on the path of peace and salvation.”
When has a person of Mission entered into your life to offer you love and support? What did this do for you?
Where is your Calcutta - the places of need in your own community that call to you as a person of Mission?
How might you move from a place of compassion to action and respond to a need within your own community at this time?
Grandparents Day
Sacramental News
First Communion Books and Mass commitment cards are to be completed by and handed in at the retreat day, Tuesday 7th November. If you have not organised a date for your child's First Communion Mass please do so promptly. Any questions please contact myself or Lisa Bates at the parish office.
First Holy Communion Compulsory Classes: this Sunday 22nd October at 9am and the following Sunday 29th October at 9am.
Booklets for Year 2 students making their First Reconciliation will be handed out in the near future with the date for this sacrament being Thursday 30th November.
Mission Month
The month of October acknowledges World Mission Month. The theme for 2023 is “Hearts on Fire, Feet on the Move”. This month we focus on the country of Timor- Leste, where missionaries provide life-fulfilling opportunities for children in need. Timor-Leste became the first republic of the 21st century after a violent struggle for independence. Today the Salesian sisters support children and their families with their health and well- being needs. At the end of Term 3 Mr Colquhoun, Mrs Herring, Dom and Alissa attended the launch of World Mission Month at Holy Spirit College. Bishop Brian led the celebration and we received a photo of Jose to remind us that we are proud to be supporting Timor Leste in 2023.
Our support will be through money donations to be placed in socks on our prayer spaces and our annual crazy sock day led by the Mini Vinnies where prizes will be awarded. Our crazy sock day will be held next Wednesday 25th October. We thank you for your prayers and giving this October.
Mary Bags (Month of Mary & Rosary)
In the Catholic Church, the rosary is one of the most cherished prayers. For Catholics, it is a powerful prayer of intercession to the Blessed Mother. Praying the rosary is promoted as a means of strengthening one’s faith, resisting evil, growing spiritually, and generally benefiting society. Each night a student will bring home their class Mary/Rosary Bag and prayer book. Students and their families are encouraged to share special thoughts, prayers and intentions in the grade prayer book and these are then shared with the class. Thank you for taking the time grow spiritually this month.
All Saints & All Souls Day
The Feast of All Saints, 1st November, is a rich and beautiful tradition within the Church which occurs annually on the 1st November. It honours those who have died, it reminds us that we are part of a wider communion of holy people, and it affirms our faith in God’s loving fidelity to life.
The Feast of All Souls is celebrated the following day on the 2nd November. This day is not a feast of sadness, but one of great hope and confidence. It invites us to entrust our dead to God, because we know that they are really God’s dead. We know that if we have loved them, God has loved them more. They are in God’s care, and like a good shepherd God will lead them to peace. (Dianne Bergant CSA).
Our Year 5 & 6 students will attend Mass with the parish on All Saints Day at 12 noon. You are most welcome to be a part of this Eucharistic celebration.
Youth Group
Join Amy for food, fun and fellowship at St Columbkille's Church hall each fortnight. This Youth Group is a new inititative for our parish and Year 6 students are welcome to attend from 6.30-8pm.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT - JETT HYSLOP
On Friday 27 October Jett Hyslop from Year 2 will compete in the A Team at the State Championships for gymnastics to be held at the Sydney Gymnastic and Aquatic Centre (SGAC) in Rooty Hill . Jett has been selected as one of the top five gymnasts from the region after achieving excellent results at the recent state trials. We wish Jett all the best for her upcoming competition.
Scholastic Book Club
The last day for ordering from the Book Club Magazine Issue #7 is Thursday, 26th October. The orders will hopefully be sent to us by Week 5. I will distribute these to students as soon as they arrive. Issue #8 of the Book Club magazine will be sent to us soon after.
As always, we really appreciate every purchase made to the club as we earn reward points for these. This allows us to buy resources for the library and classrooms.
Scholastic Book Fair
The Book Fair's coming hear the cheers,
At SCC joy appears.
Pages turning, tales to explore,
In every book, a world to adore.
Parents join the Book Fair's delight,
Choosing stories to read at night.
In their love, a bond takes flight,
With each book, a new adventure's insight.
Book Fair isn't just stories and dreams,
It's where our own school library gleams.
With purchases made, we all unite,
To keep our reading future bright.
Kindly back our 2023 Book Fair's quest.
Buy a book or donate, be our guest.
Your generosity, we hold with pride.
For our library to thrive, side by side.
Book Fair Sales / Browsing Times
Thursday 26th October - 8:10am - 9am
Friday 27th October - 1:30pm - 2:20pm (before our Grandparents Day assembly), 3pm - 3:30pm
Monday 30th October - 8:10am - 9am
Tuesday 31st October - 8:10am - 9am
Please support our school whilst getting your hands on the best new children’s books. Stock up early for Christmas! All donations made to our school will be gratefully received.
Mrs Carroll’s Musing
During Mental Health Awareness Month, I've made a concerted effort to enhance my daily routine with new activities and revisiting old ones, aimed at revitalising my mental well-being. My journey began by embracing a new fitness regimen and enrolling in pilates reformer classes during the holidays. In classic 'Mrs. Carroll style,' I didn't just opt for a few occasional sessions; I committed to daily classes spanning the two-week period. This immersive experience served as a substantial mental diversion, and while my mind remained eager, towards the end of the holidays, my body displayed a tad less enthusiasm. It led to a comical episode of me rolling off the pilates machine at the end of a class which, much to my amusement, lightened the mood.
Undoubtedly, I've experienced a surge of endorphins during this period, and it's had a positive impact on my overall well-being. As I keep going with this newfound regimen (recognising that it's still in its early stages), I sense a lightness in both my physical and mental state, accompanied by a noticeable increase in my energy levels.
I also decided to rekindle my connection with a long-loved passion during the holidays—playing a musical instrument. Music holds a special place in my heart, and though I begin each day with a dose of melodies whilst walking my dog, I rarely find time to actively engage in creating music myself. This holiday, I made a deliberate choice to spend quality time with my fellow music enthusiasts, where we seamlessly blended playing and conversation, allowing the hours to melt away. It was a harmonious meeting of minds, underlining the numerous health benefits that music provides.
Playing a musical instrument isn't merely an enjoyable pastime; it's a means to enhance self-awareness. It serves as a defence against cognitive decline and dementia while bolstering memory functions within the brain. My musical pursuits have kept my mind sharp and acted as a powerful stress-reliever, counteracting anxiety and depression. Studies show, playing a musical instrument contributes to the growth of grey matter in the brain, solidifying the belief that music is indeed a transformative force for both mind and soul.
Revitalising your mind doesn't always necessitate embarking on new or rekindled pursuits. In my life, I've discovered that there's always a special place for reading, a timeless practice that never fails to nourish my perpetually active mind. Reading offers a wealth of mental health benefits that extend far beyond the realms of imagination and escapism. Engaging with literature, whether it's fiction or non-fiction, has the power to soothe the mind and promote emotional well-being. The act of reading fosters a sense of calm and relaxation, making it an effective tool for managing stress and reducing anxiety. It provides an opportunity for mindfulness as you immerse yourself in a book, shifting focus away from daily worries. Furthermore, reading helps enhance empathy and understanding as readers connect with the emotions and experiences of fictional characters. This empathetic engagement can contribute to improved interpersonal relationships and mental resilience.
The mental health benefits of reading are multifaceted, offering solace, introspection, and personal growth, making it a therapeutic and enriching endeavour for individuals seeking to cultivate a healthy mind. What's even more rewarding is when we pass on this practice on to our children by modelling it to them.
If you get a chance during the remainder of Mental Health Awareness month, try taking some time to read or even better, read a story to your child/ren and enjoy that glorious, loving connection.
Best wishes to you all.
Mrs Katrina Carroll - Library Administrator
October is Mental Health Month in NSW and this year’s WayAhead theme is “We All Have a Role to Play”. This theme highlights that each individual, community, and workplace all play a part in promoting good mental health.
Mental Health Month is dedicated to shining the light on the significance of good mental health and wellbeing. It provides an opportunity to increase awareness, reduce stigma, educate ourselves, and take meaningful actions to support mental health in our workplace.
Mental Health Check-In
Beyond Blue have developed a Mental Health Check-In tool. We encourage everyone to take a moment to check-in with themselves - to pause, reflect, and consider your own wellbeing. It’s a small action that can have a big impact.
If you are looking at purchasing a new iPad for your child moving into Year 5 2024, the following link to EduCom It may be of interest. The link will allow you to view EduCom It prices and iPad models and if interested place an order. You may choose to use this price to help you shop around. There is no obligation to purchase through EduCom It.
Please note that wifi models are all that is required and devices with greater storage (GB) will last longer.
Further information regarding 1:1 iPad Learning in Stage 3 was shared via Compass.
Please feel free to contact me, shoud you have any questions.
Mrs Maria Disibio
Leader of Technology and Assistant Principal
ACARA is seeking feedback on changes to NAPLAN 2023, including the change of date from May to March this year, and changes made to reporting in order to provide simpler, clearer, and more meaningful results.
ACARA is keen to hear from principals and teachers, as well as parents and carers, on these changes.
A link to the survey is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NRTZCHN
Mrs Maria Disibio - Assistant Principal
The first days back of Term 1, 2024 will be as follows:
- Tuesday 30 January 2024: First day back for staff
- Wednesday 31 January 2024: First day back for students in Year 1 to Year 6. Best Start Assessemnts commences for Kinder
- Wednesday 07 February 2024: First Day for Kinder
Year 6 held a cake stall fundraiser on Tuesday 17th October 2023.
The fundraiser was to raise money for the Year 6 Graduation by selling some delicious assorted cakes made from Year 6 students and parents.
The total money raised on the day was $813.90!
Thank you very much to our Year 6 students and Staff for organising the event! Well done.
Calling all Daughters and Dads!
If you are looking to spend more time together, encourage a sense of empowerment, build confidence and football skills, this is the program for you! Daughters and Dads Football is kicking off at Thomas Gibson Park Thursday 19th October, with 9 x 90 minute sessions between 5.30pm-7.00pm.
Don't miss out, find out more and register now - Daughters and Dads - Football NSW.