Loving God,

As we reach the end of this school term, we thank You for guiding us through our learning and for the blessings of our school community. Watch over all families and students during this term break. Grant them rest, joy, and safety in their time together.

May Your peace be with them, and may they return refreshed, ready to embrace the new term with open hearts and minds. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

As we approach our final week of term 3, may I take this opportunity to thank Father Tom and our incredible staff for all their hard work and support this term. Our students have accomplished so much and have a lot to be proud. Thank you to our wonderful St Anthony’s families who continue to provide guidance and support of our students and our school. I pray that each of you enjoy the next two weeks away from the routine of school life and return safely to us for our final term of the year.

We look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Monday, 14 October. The last day of term 4 for students will be Monday 16 December 2024.

At St Anthony’s we recognise the importance of every child feeling safe at school. This week we demonstrate our ongoing commitment to bullying prevention.

Bullying No Way Week gives us an opportunity to connect with students, staff and school communities to implement workable solutions to prevent bullying.

The theme for this year's campaign is Everyone belongs. This theme highlights the importance of creating a sense of belonging and inclusion for students. We recognise bullying often thrives in environments where individuals feel marginalised or excluded, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that every student feels valued and respected. 

“Positive school climates that value diversity and inclusion can foster a sense of belonging and provide a protective factor against negative peer relationships and reduce bullying.” (Australian Education Research Organisation 2023). 

For more information about Bullying No Way Week and bullying prevention, visit the Bullying No Way website. 

This week we will be engaging students in meaningful discussions and activities aimed at promoting empathy, understanding, and respect for diversity. We encourage parents and carers to take this opportunity to have open and honest conversations with their children about the impact of bullying and what they can do if they need support. You can visit the Bullying No Way website for tips around how to have this discussion. The new hero colour for the campaign is purple – symbolising peace, strength and empowerment to take a stand against bullying behaviour.  

Children are invited to wear a splash of purple this Friday 27^th September.

Hall building progress

Next term the commencement of our hall renovation will begin. This will mean at times; the carpark may be more busy than usual. The overflow carpark will be designated to work vehicles and onsite shed. The deliveries of materials and larger trucks will hopefully be managed outside of school hours. 

Directors visit

On Thursday of Week 9, the director of Catholic Education Canberra-Goulburn, Mr Ross Fox, visited St Anthony’s. Mr Fox had the chance to speak with some of our student leaders in Year 6, visit classrooms and talk to teachers, visit our wonderful ELC and meet with all staff for a morning tea. The hard work, commitment, and passion for education of all staff across St Anthony’s was evident in every classroom and interaction. Our staff and students not only showcased the best of our school but also highlighted the love and care they pour into our students' growth every day. The visit was an incredible showcase to the director of the unwavering professionalism, attention to detail, and, above all, St Anthony’s staff’s heart for education.

First Holy Communion 

Over the last two weekends, many of our Year 4 students received the sacrament of Eucharist for the first time. Each mass was a beautiful celebration of this special occasion, and it was lovely to see so many families and staff members attending mass to support these students. My thanks to Mr Joe McGrath for coordinating the program and to Fr Tom Thornton for celebrating each mass with us, as well as our teachers who supported students in the lead up to their First Holy Communion, especially our Year 4 teachers Mrs Angie Kisiel, Mrs Katherine Eastick and Mrs Sasha Daunt.

Year 5 camp

Last week our Year 5 students attended a 3 day camp at Warrambui Retreat, just north of Murrumbateman. Year 5 students had the opportunity to enjoy learning through the great outdoor experiences Warrambui offers. The staff at Warrambui gave our students a huge shout-out at the end of the camp, commending their behaviour. School camps are such a wonderful and unique experience and can only happen with the generosity and care of our teachers. My sincere thanks to Mrs Ephraums, Mrs Daly, Mr Lowe, Miss Whitfield and Mr Wigg for the sleepless nights, busy days and most of all for taking care of our students. It is a significant ask of our staff to leave their families to be at camp and one that I know is very much appreciated by our school community.

Staffing

Congratulations Joe McGrath for the appointment to permanent Religious Education Coordinator at St Anthony’s.

Reminder - Seeking interest: Term 4 social gathering 

Part of the discussion in our last School Community Council meeting in Week 7 involved a proposal for an opportunity for families to gather informally in a social setting e.g. a park. Part of the discussion involved families who may be living with neurodiversity, challenging behaviours and/or learning difficulties or disability.  

The School Community Council are interested in knowing whether your family would like the opportunity once a term to gather for a few hours one Sunday afternoon to chat, eat and let kids play and/or hear from guest speakers once a semester to learn more about childhood challenges and how we can better support our STA children to flourish.

We have extended the time to complete this form to collect your ideas on this initiative, which will stay active until this Friday 27 September https://forms.office.com/r/6QtbXrkrvq

First day of school Term 4

A reminder- Our first day of school next term is Monday, 14 October. The last day of term is Monday 16 December 2024.

OOSCA will close Tuesday 17 December and reopen on the 20 January 2025.

Please ensure students are dressed in their summer uniforms. The summer uniform requirements are as follow:

In addition to the photo, girls are able to wear blue skorts with the blue polo shirt.

Hats are to be worn each day.

Please reach out if you need support in purchasing the school uniform. Our clothing pool is open each fortnight on a Saturday and have a range of school uniforms and sizes at very reasonable prices.

Save the dates:

Wednesday 25 September. Kinder excursion to the Zoo and Aquarium

Wednesday 25 September. In-school chess tournament

Friday 27 September. Year 1 whole grade assembly @12pm

Friday 27 September. ‘Wear a splash of purple’ to school day for Bullying No Way week

Friday 27 September. Last day of Term 3.

Monday 14 October. Students return to school for Term 4.

Wishing all our families a safe and restful school holiday period.

Erin

We are delighted to invite your school community to the Vikings Sunday Funday on Sunday 20 October 2024, at Viking Park.

• Date: Sunday 20 October 2024
• Time: 10:00AM – 2:00PM
• Location: Viking Park, 4 Amsinck Street, Wanniassa