Newsletter Week 6 Term 3 2024

Hi Everyone, 

Faith in Focus - Father's Day

As we approach Father's Day, we reflect on the beautiful example of God as a loving father. When we make these connections with children, we highlight:

God's love is unconditional.
God gives us guidance and wisdom to help us make good choices and grow.
God is always there to comfort us when we're sad and to celebrate with us when we're happy.
God teaches us the importance of forgiveness, showing us that even when we make mistakes, His love remains constant.

In our prayers, we ask God to bless these important fathers, grandfathers, uncles and those who are like fathers to us with strength, kindness, and wisdom. We are grateful for their care, generosity, and time spent with us. Let's show them how much they mean to us today and every day!

Thank you

We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated Parents and Friends Association for their exceptional efforts in our recent fundraising projects.

A special shout-out to everyone who contributed to the fantastic Parent Trivia Night, especially Rebecca Jeffrey and Kate Miller, for the organisation—it was a blast and a huge success! Thanks to all the families that supported the event. Your enthusiasm and participation helped make the event a great night.

Last week, we had our Father’s Day stall. It was a lovely opportunity for students to celebrate the special fathers and father figures in our lives. The stall was a huge hit, thanks to the thoughtful planning and execution of our Erika Logan and Erin Rowley, who put countless hours into making this event a success.

Book Week Parade and Grandparents Day

What a fantastic day we had celebrating Book Week and Grandparents Day! We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made it such a memorable day.
Your presence and participation made the Book Parade a joyful event, and it was wonderful to see the students so excited and engaged. We appreciate all of the time visitors were able to spend in classrooms and supporting the Book Fair. Your support makes these days extra special.

A special thank you goes out to our wonderful teacher librarian, Mrs. Spencer. Her hard work behind the scenes was instrumental in making both the Book Parade and the Book Fair a huge success.

Sydney Kings Visit

We are thrilled to share the fantastic experience our students had during the Sydney Kings visit to our school last week! It was a special day filled with a lot of fun and excitement. The older students had a great opportunity to engage with the Sydney Kings players, see how the pros play and train in fun drills to develop skills. The team was generous with their time, met with the students, and shared their autographs.

Olivia's family contributed to the event by sharing a cherished piece of their history. Olivia's great-grandfather, who founded the NBL in 1979, could share their stories with the team, owner Luc Longley and coach Brian Gorijan.

We thank Harvey Norman and the Sydney Kings for the donations to the school and our Federal Member Sharon Claydon MP for sharing in the day with us.

Religious Education Update

The new diocesan Religious Education Curriculum is firmly embedded in our Kinder, Year 1, 2 and 3 classes in 2024 and we look forward to the role out of a new curriculum in Year 4 next year. 

Our Year 3 teachers, Mrs S and Mrs Stamp, have been working to engage our Year 3 students in the "Pedagogy of Encounter". This teaching and learning method aims to pose questions and wonderings, in which students dialogue with each other, look at different points of view, inquire and evaluate.

Year 3 have been been engaging in robust discussion around the inquiry questions; How can we build a world of love through forgiveness and healing? Year 3 are using the Pedagogy of Encounter to unpack Forgiveness and healing as signs of God's love.

Congratulations to our First Communion Candidates

We congratulate Aoife, Harlan, Ruby, MJ and Hudson from Year 4 on their First Holy Communion. This important moment was celebrated in mass on the weekend with family, friends and parishioners. We hope these children will hold special memories of receiving the Sacraments in their hearts for years to come. It has been wonderful to witness these students grow through the Sacramental Program and take this next step in their faith. 

If you are interested or curious about the Sacramental Program for your child, please don't hesitate to contact the school to inquire. The 2024/2025 Sacramental program for children in Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 will commence in October. 

Welcome Father James Odoh

Holy Trinity Parish has welcomed Father James Odoh. Fr James and Father Velerian will work together in the tri parish to minister to the community, including the three schools in the parish. Corpus Christi staff and students were able to meet Fr James at our St Dominic Feast Day mass.

Father James recently reflected on the meaning and significance of First Holy Communion in the latest parish bulletin.

Please take some time to read his reflections below. 

The First Holy Communion is a significant milestone in the children's spiritual journey. It is a moment when they receive Christ in the Eucharist for the first time, deepening their relationship with God and participating fully in the sacrament of

the Altar.
Reflecting on this, one can see it as a sublime expression of God's graciousness and invitation to pure hearts, the children to partake in the mystery of his love.

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as
these” (Mark 10:14). This emphasises the purity, trust and openness children naturally possess; and qualities that are perfect for receiving Christ in the Eucharist.

For children, First Holy Communion can be seen as the beginning of a lifelong journey with Christ. It is a moment when they are invited into a deeper and beautiful relationship with God, receiving his grace and love in a new and tangible way. The
Eucharist becomes their spiritual nourishment, sustaining them in faith, just as food sustains their physical bodies. It is a renewal of the covenant made during their Baptism. In Baptism, they were welcomed into the Christian Community, and through First Holy Communion, they will take on a more active role in the
sacramental life of the Church. For the parents, Parish and school communities, this is an opportunity to renew our commitment to supporting these children's spiritual growth. It is a call to nurture their faith through example, prayer and ongoing catechesis, so that the seed of faith planted in the children’s hearts can grow stronger and bear fruit throughout their lives.

This sacred moment is a reminder of the simplicity of faith. A serene invitation to approach God with the same openness and wonder children have, trust him in his love and be present in the Eucharist.

Today our weary travellers of Stage 3 are returning from their Canberra overnight excursion. The trip was a great success, marked by three days filled with learning and adventure. Our students were outstanding throughout the trip, showing enthusiasm, curiosity, and exemplary behaviour.

A very special thank you goes out to our dedicated staff team—Michael Deed, Maree Koen, Nellie Connolly, and Tahlia Holbrow. Their substantial commitment and tireless efforts, spending three days and two nights away from home and their families, were crucial in making this experience possible. Their commitment ensured that our students could fully immerse themselves in the camp activities and create lasting memories.

Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER)

Students from our school have undertaken an education tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government is contributing funding to our school in the amount of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Musica Viva Incursion

Our Musica Viva Performance is coming soon. We have been learning about the Musica Viva group 'Two-Wheel Time Machine' in our lessons with Mrs Evans. 

In our upcoming incursion, "Two Wheel Time Machine," students and teachers will embark on a creative adventure that combines learning to make and perform music with learning to ride a bike. By exploring a mix of indie-rock, jazz, and classical chamber music, students will experience how music can evolve from spontaneous moments to happy accidents.

Aspire Young Actors Program

Diocesan Athletics Carnival

We are excited to share the great news about our students' performance at the recent Diocesan Athletics Carnival. Our athletes showcased remarkable talent and sportsmanship, representing our school with pride and enthusiasm.

A special congratulations goes out to Chase, who has made us all proud by advancing to the next level at the Polding Carnival for Shot Put!

Netball Gala Day Year 4 and 5

Students in years 4 and 5 recently participated in the NSW Netball Gala Day. The students exemplified remarkable enthusiasm and teamwork, showcasing their sportspersonship, resilience and teamwork skills. This event allowed them to build on their skills and experience community spirit, where students come together to enjoy friendly competition. Their energy and commitment on the court not only highlighted their personal growth, but also fostered a sense of unity and camaraderie among participants.
Thank you to Eric Miller and Erin Rowley, our volunteers who assisted in managing teams on the day.

Mountain Biking

Ruben, Harriet, Jake, and Isaiah recently competed in the Mountain Biking NSW School Funduro Championships. We are proud to share that our team achieved a 24th place overall, and the the team represented Corpus Christi with such enthusiasm!

2024 Volunteers Required for Soccer Gala Day

We are making a call out for parent/carer volunteers to assist at the upcoming Regional Soccer Gala Day for Years 3-6, Thursday 19th September at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, Speers Point. Last year all the students had a wonderful day together and we are looking forward to another great year!

We are excited and proposing to have approximately 15 teams attending for 5 a side and all this is not possible without parents assisting to manage a team for the day. 

If there are any volunteers with Diocesan Volunteer clearnace that would be able to assist for the day please email:

kieran.deveridge@mn.catholic.edu.au

Alternatively, if you do not yet have clearance, click on the following link and fill out the forms required. Starting now will mean your clearance should be processed in time for the day.

Form can be found here: Volunteer Registration Form (office.com)
OR 

Yours in Sport,

Kieran Deveridge