Newsletter Week 4 Term 2 2024

This week, we celebrated 'Catholic Schools Week.'

Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and walk the way of the gospel to reach their full potential as compassionate, engaged members of our community.

During our liturgy on Monday, we reflected on our 'Dominican Pillars' that form the very foundation of our school-Prayer, Service, Learning, and Community. These pillars are not just words, but living principles that we embody and celebrate in our school. 

• Prayer: Our opportunities for children to learn about and develop a relationship with God and 
• Learning: our wonderful opportunities to learn in the classroom and make meaningful connections to our community and our world
• Service: our authentic social justice projects help students connect to needs in our community, as well as overseas with compassion and understanding.
• Community: our wonderful community of students, family, staff and the parish. Your commitment to Catholic education and enthusiams for our school makes it so special.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate Corpus Christi and for your ongoing support of Catholic education in our community.

Have a great week,

Katie

Staff Development Day: 

Friday 5 July (Last Day of Term 2) 

Week 4: 

Friday 24 May 

Year 3 and 4 - Our Lady Help of Christian Mass 12pm  

Week 5: 

Monday 27 May 

Official Winter Uniform Changeover 

Students may wear Summer or Winter Uniform up until 27 May.  

Week 6: 

Tuesday 11 June 

P&F Meeting 6:30pm 

Wednesday 12 June 

Sacrament of Confirmation - Corpus Christi Church 

Week 9: 

Friday 28 June 

Reports published on Compass 

Week 10: 

Thursday 4 July 

Regional Athletics Carnival 

Last Day of Term 2 

Friday 5 July 

Staff Development Day (School Closed) 

Term 3: 

Monday 22 July 

First Day Term 3 

Friday 16 August 

Staff Development Day (School closed) 

PENTECOST: THE BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH

Last Sunday, we celebrated Pentecost, or sometimes known as the birthday of the Church. Pentecost celebrates that gift of the Holy Spirit, that was given to the Apostles, and that continues to live in the hearts and lives of the Church today.

Pope Francis describes this gift as a spirit that harmonizes everything, without reducing to uniformity. Pope Francis say:

As our Confirmation candidates prepare to recieve the Sacrament of Confirmation and be strengthend with the Holy Spirit, we keep them in our prayers. We thank their parents who are supporting them. The candidates and their parents made a Rite of Commitment last weekend in preparation for the Sacrament.

RE in Year 1

Year 1 are learning to know what it means to belong to the Christian family. Students are discussing special and important things about being in a family and the many ways God's love is expressed in a family.

Stage 2 Mass for Our Lady Help of Christians

Our Stage 2 classes will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians on Friday 24th May at 12:00 at the church. Parents and families welcome to join Stage 2 for Mass to celebrate the Patron Saint of Australia.

Christians look to Mary to help us strengthen our relationship to Christ and to seek comfort and encouragment in our daily lives.

Corpus Christi is consistenly monitoring our student well being practices and looking for ways we can create safe, positve learning environments for all students.

Positive relationships underpin all positive student well being, but establishing behavioral expectations is another practice that schools can do to ensure a positive impact on learning and wellbeing.

This last fortnight, CCW has focused on our BE SAFE rule, specifically "I  will keep my hands and feet to myself".

Whilst many of our Veritas Values are expectations, or valued beliefs or attitudes that we want students to display. This fortnight we have focused on a rule; specific
behaviours which define what students need to do to meet the expectations.

Classrooms have had a focused, explict unpacking of this rule this last fortnight and keep visual reminders in view to regularly remind and emphasise the importance of a safe and respectful community for all. 

Our Highway Heroes social/emotional program has supported the teaching of our Veritas Value through the teaching of strategies or 'tools' we can use instead of opting for unsafe behaviour. Take some time to read the Highway Heroes section of the newsletter for more details.

A spotlight on the STRAIGHT TALK strategy

Straight Talk is a HIGHWAY TOOL that enables a child to successfully step up to
teasing or Bullying, and also to social exclusion.

Teaching your child Straight Talk
involves discussing the differences between:
• Being verbally assertive and verbally aggressive.
• ‘Drama’ talking and strong, calm talking.
• A tone of voice that is whiney or firm.
• Words that are blaming or clearly describe the behaviour.

Simply, Straight Talk involves directly approaching the person who is causing hurt or unfriendliness, calmly describing the behaviour they’re engaging in, and assertively stating that it needs to stop.
Straight Talk takes a lot of courage. Approaching someone to openly ‘call’ them on
their behaviour is no mean feat for anyone – child or adult – and particularly if the
bullying or teasing has been covert - and therefore unrecognised.

Here are specific examples of bullying for which Straight Talk is effective:
Exclusion
• A group of friends who bunch up closely together, leaving no space for a child to sit.
• The children who run away after they have said that they will play with the child.
• The child who ‘tells stories’ about another child to embarrass and isolate them.
Verbal
• The child who whispers something about someone, and then denies it was nasty.
• The child who pretends their comments about someone were innocent, and not
intended to be hurtful.

The Straight Talk steps are straight forward. Your child would benefit greatly from role playing them with you during the week.

They are:
Step 1: Approach the person
Step 2: Calmly describe the unwanted behaviour.
Step 3: Assertively say it needs to stop.

The school finals for the spelling and maths bees were held last week. It was fantastic to see some of our talented students stand up in front of a daunting crowd and demonstrate their skills. Congratulations to our champions, our finalists and every student who gave it a go in their classroom as well. It's a lots of fun and a great challenge. There will be an opportunity for our champions to represent the school at the regional level later in the year. 

Stage 1 Maths

Finalists: Avery Southward, Georgie Gilbert, Eloise Batten, Charlie Miller, Aiden Pellew 

Champion: Hartley Roberts 

Stage 1 Spelling

Finalists: Billy Bray, Aubrey Swilks, Ava Roberts, Eloise Batten, 

Champion: Lachlan Smith

Stage 2 Maths

Finalists: Corvin Welschinger, Aisha Stamp, Nathaniel Hern-O'Cass, Eli Storey, Knox Knoll

Champion: Ted Williams 

Stage 2 Spelling

Finalists: Ruby Southam, Verity Kelly, Alfie Richardson, Sage Gleeson, Jack Jeffery

Champion: Freddie Johnson 

Stage 3 Maths

Finalists: Coby King, Saxon Logan, Sam Miller, Chase Grehan, Ruby Gilbert

Champion: Ben Sainsbury 

Stage 3 Spelling

Finalists: Lucy Taylor, Lachlan Dunne, Andria Bruno-Jackson, Lucy Cook, Connor Evans

Champion: Phoebe Ingram