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Dear Parents and Carers,
This week we sent home a brochure from the Department of Health, 'Is your family missing out on the benefits of being active every day?' If you haven't seen it yet, please take a look in your child's school bag.
The guide talks about
* the importance of physical activity
* the benefits of physical activity
* how to reduce and limit sedentary (sit down / lie down) behaviours
* Screen time guidelines
* Sleep guidelines
Please take some time to read and make some more plans with your family to get out and active!
Did you know three places to get information and support as parents are:
1. The Australian Parenting Website
https://raisingchildren.net.au/
2. Services Australia
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/raising-kids
3. The Department of Social Services
https://www.dss.gov.au/help-and-support-parenting-and-children/parenting-help-and-support
Blessings,
Jo
NCCD Update: Continuing Our Commitment to Inclusive Education
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we continue our preparations for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD), we want to thank you for your ongoing support and partnership.
This process is an important part of how we ensure that every student receives the support they need to succeed. It also helps us reflect on how we are meeting the diverse needs of our learners and how we can continue to grow as an inclusive school community.
What’s Happening Now?
Our teachers and support staff are currently:
- Reviewing student learning plans and support strategies
- Gathering evidence of adjustments being made in the classroom
- Collaborating with families and specialists to ensure we have a full picture of each student’s needs
This work helps us make informed decisions about the level of support each student receives and ensures that our data is accurate and meaningful.
How You Can Help
If you haven’t already, please share any recent reports or updates from health or learning professionals that may help us better understand your child’s needs. These might include:
- Medical or therapy reports
- Updated diagnoses or assessments
- Notes from recent specialist appointments
Your insights are incredibly valuable and help us provide the best possible support.
Looking Ahead
The final NCCD data will be submitted in August, and we’ll continue to keep you informed throughout the process. Please remember that this data is confidential and used only to help improve support and funding for students with disability.
Questions?
If you have any questions or would like to speak with someone about your child’s learning needs, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or our learning support team.
Thank you for being a vital part of our inclusive school community.
Emma Grant
Dates for your calendar
Class Mass- Friday 30th May, 1/2 Red (Families Welcome)
Confirmation Retreat- Friday 6th June
Confirmation Mass- Sunday 8th June
Save the Date!
Grandparent's Day Morning tea- Friday 6th June (Further details coming soon)
3/4 Green learning
In 3/4 Green, students have been exploring the qualities and values of Pope Francis and Mary MacKillop. As they learn more about Pope Leo XIV, they will have the opportunity to discover the traits he shares with both Pope Francis and Mary MacKillop, deepening their understanding of leadership and faith.
Life Education visit
Students in K-6 thoroughly enjoyed their visit with Healthy Harold this week, learning about health and safety in a fun and engaging way.
Wet weather play
Senior students engaged in lots of different games and activities during wet weather play over the last few days. Basketball and tennis are always a fun and engaging option, enjoyed by everyone.
Mel Ferris
1/2G are deep into their learning and told me they are currently being taught about Noah's Ark, a story from the bible. The students shared with me that the story is about a boat that God told Noah to build. The boat was to be used to save himself, his family and every kind of animal, because God was going to destroy the Earth by bringing about a great flood. The students were great at retelling about this amazing biblical story.
In English students have learnt about verbs, nouns and adjectives and are learning three new words each day. In Maths they have been learning how to add and subtract two digit numbers! Healthy Harold has arrived and the students have learnt what the average time they should be on a screen daily. When you are 5-12 years old you should be on a screen for under two hours daily.
Bella
Congratulations to Isabella, Will, and Archie, who have been selected for the Canberra Goulburn touch football sides! With only 12 students chosen per team, it's an impressive achievement. It's fantastic to see two of our St Pat's students making the boys' team, and Isabella’s well-earned try helped secure her selection.
The process for individual sports differs from school-based sports. Individual sports include AFL, rugby league, touch football, soccer, basketball, netball, hockey, tennis, and rugby union.
There are no school or regional selection rounds for these sports. Instead, the trial dates are advertised through our newsletter and on the Catholic Schools NSW (MacKillop) website.
These trials are typically open to Year 5 and 6 students, with most final team selections consisting of 12-year-olds. All sports are open age groups, except rugby league, which is divided into under-11 and under-12 categories. Currently, the girls' pathway for rugby league involves competing alongside and against the boys.
To be eligible to register, students must be of a very high standard, preferably having been selected for a local representative team. If no local representative teams exist, a good indicator is whether your child is among the top two players in their team.
Having served as a team manager at the MacKillop selection level for hockey and rugby league, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible ability and size of these 12-year-old athletes—some even have personal coaches at age 11!
If you believe your child has the potential to be competitive at these trials, the process starts with contacting the school to confirm eligibility. Registration is completed online through the Catholic Schools NSW website.
Once again if you have any questions about sport, please don't hesitate to reach out—I’m happy to help clarify any concerns!
Jannene Harnett
Thank you to the families who have finalised their Term 2 School Fees. School Fees are due today, Friday 23 May 2025, with the exception for families on an instalment plan. We recommend and encourage all families to set up a weekly or fortnightly school fee payment plan via BPAY through your bank, see BPAY details on your Fee statement.
If at any time your family is experiencing financial hardship, or if your family is in need of other support, please contact the school to organise an appointment for a confidential meeting with our Principal, Jo Scott-Pegum to discuss how the school can help support your family.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, please contact the Office Manager, Cathy Smith 6492 5500 or cathy.smith@cg.catholic.edu.au