Newsletter Term 4 Week 7 2024

Welcome to Country

In the Spirit of Reconciliation, the St. Pius X school community recognizes the ongoing role of the traditional custodians of this land, the Tubba-Gah peoples of the Wiradjuri nation. It is on their ancestral lands that we continue our learning journey together.

We extend that respect to Elders, past, present and emerging. Furthermore, all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within our school community. Acknowledging their presence and spiritual connection to Country.

In the light of faith, we work towards a more accepting and humble school environment for all.

Principal's Address

Student Leaders for 2025

After some amazing speeches last week. I am extremely proud of all the Year 5 students. We have an outstanding leadership team in 2025.

School Captains

Amahlii Thurston

Lace Clarke

House Captains

Moore

Stella Levelle

Katelynn Treacey

Shannon

Hope Anderson

Harry Rouse

McAuley

Holly Ellis

Ralph Bautista

Quinn

Ali Edwards

Mason East

Important Dates

All important and upcoming dates can be found in the Parent Google calendar. Dates include end of Term dates and the return to school dates for 2025.

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/embed?src=bth.catholic.edu.au_nulcg0clkf381t1kdmbbrcssds@group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Australia/Sydney

Hot Weather

We are expecting some very hot weather this week. Please ensure that your child has their drink bottle (that can be filled at the bubblers). And we will be following our ‘No Hat No Play’ policy to ensure our students are safe. We also have plenty of shaded areas for students to play in to help them stay cool.

Semester Two Reports

Teachers are in the process of compiling Semester Two reports for all children. These reports are based on formal and informal assessment of your child’s skills, knowledge and understanding of the content that has been taught and how this is demonstrated in class on a daily basis.

The Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst has created our school reports to make them an effective reporting tool that allows schools to inform parents of their child’s educational progress.

You will see this explicitly in your child’s Religious Education, English and Mathematics report with learning reported using the sub-headings Learning Strengths and Learning Goals. This is in response to the findings that state the need for clear, objective reporting on student achievement and goals rather than “soft language”). The Learning Strengths will provide an overview of student achievement, what students can do, in line with syllabus outcomes. The Learning Goals section will provide 1-3 key areas that students can work on in order to move their learning forward.

It is also important to understand that your child’s the Grade Descriptors and Effort and Application Descriptors. When a child receives a Grade of C (sound) - they are reaching the expected outcomes in that area of learning at this stage of their schooling. An Effort and Application descriptor of Satisfactory indicates that the child displays satisfactory levels of effort and achievement.

Please see the table below for all Descriptors.

Katrina Isbester 

Principal

Assistant Principal's Address

Annual Primary Handball Competition

The annual Primary Handball Competition started in Week Six and we hope for record participation.

We run the competition with charity in mind, with money raised from the competition going to the term four St. Vincent de Paul Christmas hamper appeal.

The competition schedule will be as follows:

It will be a $2 enter fee with this money due to each child’s teacher no later than the Friday before their competition commences. Year Three any day this week.

Normal school uniform is to be worn for the event (unless a special mufti day etc); anyone not wearing correct uniform may be forced to forfeit their matches.

Intensive Swimming

The program consists of Kindergarten, Years One, Two and Three children participating in a five day swimming program run by the Dubbo RSL Aquatic and Health Club.

The program will commence in week eight, dates are 2nd to 6th December with the cost for each child being $0!

Please complete the registration that was sent through Compass for permission and grading; students cannot take part without permission.

Kindergarten and Year One will leave school at 11.00am and return at 12.40pm, Years Two and Three will depart school at 12.00pm and return at 1.40pm.

Normal school uniforms are to be worn.

Students will need: swimmers, underwear, towel and thongs.

Optional: goggles and swim cap.

It would save much time if the students have their swimmers on under their uniform.

NRMA Road Safety Program

Thank you to Shaun from NRMA, who shared the NRMA Road Safety program with St Pius X children.  It was a fun and interactive education about being safe on our roads.  A reminder of key rules for adults...

1.     By law, all children under the age of 7 must use a booster seat. A booster seat allows children to sit taller in the seat so that the adult seatbelt doesn’t rest across their neck which is very dangerous in a crash.

2.     Did you know that for maximum protection, your child’s seatbelt must sit on their collarbone and across their hip bones? If your child is constantly slipping their seatbelt under their arm so that it rests against their ribs, then they may still need a booster seat. We need to keep the seatbelt away from the rib cage as it is not strong enough to withstand the forces generated in a crash.

3.     The front seats of cars are potentially dangerous places for children. Airbags deploy at 300km/hr and they are designed to hit an adult at chest height. For any child under the height of 150cm it will hit around head height. Australia growth charts show that less than half of children reach 150cm by the age of 12, so delay your child’s move into the front seat for as long as possible.

4.     For a bike helmet to do its job, it must stay on your child’s head in a crash and the best way to do this is to adjust the straps to ensure there is no more than a two finger space above the eyebrows and between the chin and strap. Remember to remove their hats and for girls avoid wearing high pony tails to ensure the helmet stays in place.

5.     Never slash or cut the inside foam of a bike helmet as this is the part that absorbs all the force that would be transferred to the head in a crash. If your child has a crash and their helmet hits the ground, you will need to replace the helmet even if it still looks okay. This is because the all-important inner foam has been compressed and it is now too hard to absorb the force of another crash.

6.     Make sure your child’s bike is the right size bike so they can always be in control – are the balls of the feet able to reach the ground when they are seated on the bike? If not, you will need to lower the seat. Make sure that the brakes, gears and bell are in easy reach when riding.

Greg Cant

Assistant Principal

RE News

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hampers

Each year we help out the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hamper appeal through each class putting a hamper together.  Every child will come home with one item to purchase as a contribution towards our hampers. These hampers are distributed to members of our local community who are less fortunate as many of us on Christmas day.

Christmas Eve Mass Nativity Play

Every year, the Christmas Eve 6pm mass at St Brigid’s includes a Christmas Nativity play presented by children of the parish.  If your child would like to be part of the Christmas Nativity please let me know.  Practice dates are as follows...

Advent

We will be entering the season of Advent soon.  During this time we are preparing for the birth of the Son of God, Jesus.  As we celebrate Advent, we reflect on hope, peace, love and joy. 

Term 4 Dates to Remember…

Jo Taylor

Religious Education Coordinator St Pius X

Library

• Our Final Book Club is Edition 8 and is due back by this Friday 29^th November. Please make sure you let me know if you want the books kept aside as Christmas Presents and you can pick them up discretely from the Front Office.
• This will be the last week for borrowing books so encourage your child to finish off the year by borrowing a book they will really enjoy!
  

David Schwager 

Librarian 

Student Wellbeing

• ‘Rocko the Rock Snake’ would like to report that, due to your generous donations of his body segments, we have ordered a new 30-foot Slip n Slide for all students to use at our Fun Day at the end of the year! Well Done St Pius!
• Thanks for the generous support of our Movember Day last week. We were able to raise $238 on the day. Combined with donations from family and friends, we are now well over our target of $500, with $823 raised for this worthy cause, and still a week to go!
• ‘Wear a Moustache’ Winners:

Kinder: Freya Penman, Harry Lehmann

Yr 1: Sophie Zumbo, Jack Williams

Yr 2: Hugo Myers, Georgie Howard

Yr 3: Estelle Wise, Molly Rouse

Yr 4: Maddi McInnes, Amity Penman

Yr 5: Harry Rouse, James Howard

Yr 6: Digby Rose, Abe Morley

• Moustache Artwork Winners:

Hayden Clark, Georgia Howard, Cydi Towns, Aahana Biju, Matilda Manusu, Grace Howard, Vince Orajay, Oliver Thomas, Sophie Zumbo, Oliver Kitcher, Molly Hague, Elsie Jones, Violet Dunstan, Digby Elliot.

Kind Regards, Mr Schwager (Teacher/Librarian, Student Wellbeing Officer)

David Schwager 

Wellbeing Coordinator 

Merit Awards

Kinder - Edith, Lienna, Sateki,Venus, Zara, Freya

Year 1 - Jack, Willow, Jet, Lilly, Rosie, Ollie 

Year 2 - Allie, Micah, Kailey, Siena, Rori, Audrey

Year 4 - Keidan, Abigail, Georgia, Grace

Year 5 - Mason, Hope, Lace, Ali, Holly, Elizabeth, Amahlii, Katelynn, Harry, Claudia, Jamie-Lea, Lace, Parker, Stella, Kim, Camden, Kodi, James, Almirah

Year 6 - Zach, Matisse, Atticus

Happy Birthday !

Olivia                                           Riley 

Nova

Evie

Lauren 

Oakley