Term 1 Week 9, 2022 (1/4/2022)

What is On?

Tuesday 5th April - Holy Week Liturgy - Travelling Liturgy in class groups, 10am

Wednesday 6th April- 6:30pm - Nuts and Bolts- Kinder families-  ( save the date details to come)

Wednesday 6th April - School Awards Assembly - Via Zoom (Now Via Zoom due to CSO recommendations)

Thursday 7th April - School Cross Country (see 'Sport News' below for details)

Friday 8th April - Last Day Term 1 for students

Term 2 

Monday 25th April - ANZAC Day - waiting on information from local RSL regarding march

Tuesday 26th April - First Day Term 2 for students

Wednesday 27th April - Back up date for School Cross Country

Friday 29th - ANZAC day Liturgy - in school staff carpark, 10am

Week 2, Term 2 - Catholic Schools Week 

Tuesday 3 May - School BBQ - 4pm -6pm ish

Wednesday 4th May - Maclean Show Day - half day Public Holiday - school closes at 12pm (limited supervision only)

Wednesday 4th May - Zone Cross Country - Grafton

Friday 6th May - Mother's Day Gathering,  7am

Dear Parents and Carers

As we move forward into the Easter Season and holidays I am aware that many of our community and those we love are at perhaps the toughest part of the past two or so years.  The challenges have been constant and unexpected.

In light of this I was really struggling this morning to write this letter and I set this aside and looked at the calendar and Catholic Schools Week. I am once more invigorated. 

I can't wait for Catholic Schools Week because: -

I can't wait for the community to gather once more.

I can't wait for you to see the learning in the classrooms.

I can't wait for you to see the investigations in lower school.

I can't wait for the senior students to share their learning.

I can't wait for you to visit the bush playground. 

I can't wait for the new families to meet their stage-based community of families.

I can't wait for all families to meet the staff team who will be present. 

I can't wait for the littlest siblings who have not been a constant presence at school, to become confident in the spaces. 

I just can't wait.

Of course we invite you in at any time to visit the school but this is somewhat of a "launching into the new"

See you Monday ( I expect and  pray and hope) 

Ann

Catholic Schools Week

 This year's theme is 'Community, Care, Compassion'.

Our school will join with more than 620 Catholic schools across NSW and the ACT to celebrate the annual Catholic Schools Week (CSW). This will take place in the Diocese of Lismore from May 2 - 6.

This year’s theme “Community, Care, Compassion’’ echoes the broader mission of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Lismore, to provide opportunities for all of our students to experience life to the full as caring and compassionate school communities.It is particularly pertinent at this challenging time for our diocese and the world.

We are immensely proud of the role we play alongside our parish in maintaining the rich heritage that is Catholic Education in our community. This week provides us with the opportunity to showcase and celebrate the quality education we offer to the diverse range of students in our school.

I would like to extend an invitation for you to participate with members of our parish and wider community in the spirit of this celebration.

Save these dates:

Visit a learning space to look at the learning your child has done- when? - ANY TIME Catholic Schools Week.

View the Investigations the children are involved in Tuesday to Thursday at 9:15-10am.

FAMILY BBQ-  Tuesday evening. Starts at 4pm

Mothers Morning.  Friday Coffee van opens at 7am!

- join an investigation in S1 or ES1,

-read on the rugs,

-grab a coffee and a morning snack and meet a new mum, grand-mum or family,

-check out a classroom,

-compete with your children at handball, 

- shoot a hoop with the kids,

- use the photo spot for the Best Mothers Day ever shot

- go for a ride in the bush playground (weather and bike dependent!)

Quite the list!

Notice

Louise Birch has today tendered her resignation as Canteen Manager. We thank Louise for her tireless efforts. Louise will remain with Outside School Hours Care and we thank her and wish her all the best.

Sport Dates 2022

SACRAMENTAL DATES 2022

Confirmation- Thursday 30th June, from 5:30pm at St Mary’s Church, Maclean.

Reconciliation- Wednesday 24th August, 11:40am in school hall.

First Holy Communion- Saturday 27th August, 5:30pm at St James Church, Yamba

McAuley Catholic College - Open Night and Save the Dates

RE News

Wellbeing

Sport News

Cross Country

We are just playing the waiting game at the moment to see if our playground dries out enough by Thursday for us to go ahead with the Cross Country as planned. If we are unable to run it on Thursday, it will be held the first week back next term on Wednesday 27th April. We will let everyone know what the plan is after we have made a decision early next week.

Swimming

Good luck to Clarence Dougherty who is competing at the NSW PSSA Swimming Carnival in Sydney on Monday and Tuesday next week. We look forward to hearing some results.

ES1

Last week Mrs Frazer helped ES1 to paint a rock for our school’s Indigenous Rock Garden. This garden is a special space near the school library, which depicts the Clarence River meeting the ocean.  The design was done by Tully Waghorn, who is now a student at McAuley.

Every child and staff member in the school has previously painted a rock, and now ES1 joins this school community space. It also contains the totems of every Indigenous student and staff member. Make sure you look for it next time you are on site!

Stage 1

We have been very busy this week in Stage 1. Our investigations play a very important part in our learning. This week students designed and built a water play area (located in our Stage 1 nursery). But they didn’t stop there. To ensure that we did not waste the water, students put together an irrigation system that through the water play then watered our beautiful plants.

We have also been talking a lot about friendship this week and what it looks like to be a good friend. Students have made short videos demonstrating what friendship looks like. While we have been at home, students were to create a recipe for ‘friendship soup’ we received some very delicious and healthy recipes.

Stage 2

Here are 4 new learner profiles that we are excited to share with you.

We have been busy learning how to compose narratives and almost have all the tools to be able to construct our very own storybook. We have been learning how to develop characters, compose engaging settings and have been able to include a range of figurative language to make our stories exciting! We have also been reading many Roahl Dahl books in our Reading Groups to ensure we have the language to be expert storytellers. We can’t wait to show you our finished books!

Stage 3

On Tuesday, Stage 3 participated in a Process Drama afternoon with Ms Dawson, based on the Passover Dinner that took place before Good Friday. Students, Miss Haines and Mrs Howland played the role of disciples, with Ms Dawson playing Jesus. Process drama is a method of teaching and learning where both the students and teacher are working in and out of role - it is a theatre technique that allows students to experience events and topics from the curriculum in an authentic way. 

At the dinner we enjoyed a wonderful meal together, before Jesus told us that this was our last day together, that tomorrow one of us would betray him, and that he would be crucified. Jesus then gave us a choice - stay or go.

This choice posed students with an ethical dilemma: as a follower, would you have stayed, prayed and showed your support for Jesus, even though you knew it was going to be a terribly sad day that could also have consequences for you, or would you leave and put yourself and your family first, to not risk the potential consequence? This led to deep discussions and wonderings, and next week students will write a response as if they were at the Passover Dinner and were a witness to the event

Birthdays