SCRIPTURAL REFLECTION - ADVENT

Last Sunday, we celebrated the first week of the Church season of Advent, and the beginning of a new liturgical year. As a Catholic community we will be led over the coming weeks through our preparation for the great feast of Christmas. We are reminded that, at this time, we should allow ourselves, young and old, to reflect on our lives as followers of Christ.  We begin to wait and to watch in preparation for his coming at Christmas time, but also at the end of time. 

This is a reminder that Advent is not just looking back at the first coming of Christ at Christmas, but our personal preparation for his next coming: "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come." How do we prepare ourselves? How do we live so that we can truly be seen as Christian people?

During the coming weeks, as we watch and wait in hope, members of St Brigid’s community are asked to give to those in our local area who are in need. We are called to make room for him in our lives, to show his love to others, and to celebrate and think about the future, when Jesus will come again, fulfilling his promise … 

I came that they might have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION 2024 

If your child has been baptised in the Catholic Faith, you have already begun preparations for their reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. From the moment of their birth, you have shared your Faith with your children in your love, words, actions and prayers. This is an essential component in their faith formation.

Receiving the Sacraments is a very blessed time in our journey of faith, and it is the means by which baptised children can complete their journey into full membership of the Catholic Church. They are community events, which remind us of the role of the parish community in the development of our life of faith, hope, and love. 

Students in Year 6, who have received the Sacrament of Baptism, Reconciliation and First Eucharist are eligible to enrol in the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

SAVE THE DATES

• Parent Information Night  - Tuesday 19 March 2024 at 6:30pm
• Candidate's Commitment Mass - Saturday 23 March 2024 at 5:30pm
  
• Retreat Day - Thursday 16 May 2024 from 8:50 am - 3:00 pm
• Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation  - 18 May 2024 at 2:00pm

NEW VISION FOR PARISHES

On the solemnity of Christ the King, Bishop Brian shared his transformative vision for parishes in the Diocese of Wollongong. His heartfelt message echoes the beating heart of our communities—the person of Jesus. Come & See, Go & Make: A Vision for Parishes is an inspiring call to encounter Jesus, be transformed, and become disciples.

As Bishop Brian explains in Bearers of Christ’s Love: Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Wollongong Are a face of the Church and their close association with the life of the parish and therefore with the diocese cannot be separated. We encourage you to explore Bishop Brian’s vision for parishes and consider how we can each play a part in bringing it to life.

ALTAR SERVER ROSTER

Christmas Mass Times 2023

Advent is a time of active waiting and conversion, during which we are invited to pray and act, accompanying our faith with tangible deeds that care for and repair our common home. We prepare for the coming of Jesus into our lives and world. 

To assist you in celebrating an Eco Advent and Christmas you are invited to click on the links for resources, including classroom videos, actions and other eco ideas.

Laudato Si’ Movement 2023 Advent Calendar

Earth Buzz: A Very Green Christmas

Creation Corner Episode 10 - Advent: Creation Waits

Living Laudato Si’ at Christmas

Video: Live Laudato Si’ this Christmas 

CHRISTMAS HAMPERS

What a wonderful way to finish off our year. The students collected tubs overflowing with the many generous donations from our families.

All the food items have now been placed in the Kildare Conference Room, ready for our local SVdP conference to package them and distribute the hampers to the most needy of our Gwynneville / Keiraville area.

A huge thank you to all of you for your generosity and kindness in this Advent season. There will be many families grateful for the hamper they will receive in time for the Christmas celebration.

   

SPLICED BOOK AND WEBSITE LAUNCH

Over 150 students, aged 7 - 12, have successfully engaged with the challenging tasks of thinking critically, creatively and contemplatively with this year's conceptual unit for Stretching Potential through Learning in Interactive Challenging Environments (S.P.L.I.C.E.D) Program 

“A view From Afar: Examining and Dissecting, Marvelling and Wondering through a Wide-Angle Lens”. 

I acknowledge the hard work and commitment of Mrs Arthur-Worop and Mrs Lavelle  and the Stage 3 teachers who ensured this opportunity was engaging and enjoyable for all the participating students.  

The St Brigid’s 2023 SPLICED Team consisted of:

Name	Year
Arthur R	Year 4
Paulo D	Year 4
Hunter M	Year 4
David M	Year 4
Chloe M	Year 5
Lachlan E	Year 6
Emerson E	Year 6
Shennah L	Year 6
Eliza P	Year 6

  

  

Congratulations to Lachlan and Emerson E who were selected to be included in the published book. 

COLOUR RUN

What a wonderful day we had last week at our Colour Run. Thank you to everyone for your fantastic participation. It was a wonderful day full of colour and fun! Congratulations to all students for contributing to the sponsorship of this event. We have raised enough money to install a new 'Toss Ball Tower' in our main playground. Thank you to all the families who helped out on the day.

Overall School Award Winners

Class Award Winners

SEMESTER TWO REPORTS

Semester 2 student reports will be available via the COMPASS Parent Portal after 3:00pm today. 

Teachers write the reports and award grades in line with the NSW K-10 Syllabus outcomes and the Diocese of Wollongong Religious Education Curriculum. In NSW, schools are required to report to parents using a 5 point achievement A-E grading scale for each Key Learning Area (KLA)

The A-E grading scale is for use within each stage of learning;

• Stage 1- Years 1 and 2

• Stage 2- Years 3 and 4

• Stage 3- Years 5 and 6

How do teachers make judgements about grades?

Teachers award grades by making ‘on-balance judgements’ about a student's work. This means that assessment data is gathered across numerous work and assessment samples built up over time.  

Grades are not based on 'one-off' tests that may not fully reflect what the student actually knows and is able to do. This is why it is so important for students to be ready to learn each and every day. 

In each KLA, your child will receive an overall grade. However, there is more than one strand within each KLA.  For example, English has seven strands that include, listening, reading, writing, spelling, punctuation and grammar.  The overall grade is not always determined by averaging your child's performance across strands.  In many cases, more time has been dedicated to learning in one strand over others and this contributes significantly to the balanced judgement a teacher makes to award an overall grade.

The Common Grade Scale

What does it mean if my child receives a ‘C’ grade?

Celebrate because your child is at the expected level of achievement for the content they have been exposed to over the semester.  

A ‘C’ grade is considered sound and the student has demonstrated that they have gained the knowledge, skills and understandings expected of them at that point in time.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

We congratulate Jude C on placing second at the Cheer-Con Sydney Nationals on the weekend in the Mini Novice Jazz section.Great Effort!

ST BRIGID'S LEARNING MERIT AWARDS

Congratulations to the following students on receiving their awards during Week 6,7,8 and 9 Term 4.

Week 6 - Term 4

CLASS	MAKING CONNECTIONS AWARD	LEADER OF THE WEEK
Kinder	Ellen O	Rhea E
Year 1	Wilson Z	Roman G
Year 2	Sofia H & Marta O	Evanna T
Year 3	Charlotte F	Josiah M
Year 4	Millie A-B	Raphael I
Year 5	Lidia C	Daniel M
Year 6	Rocco G	Nicolo M

  

Week 7 - Term 4

Students from Kinder to Year 6 will receive the Service Catholic Values Award.  This award recognises those students who are called to respond actively to God's mission as servant leaders by reaching out to others - especially the needy as Jesus did.

CLASS	CATHOLIC VALUES AWARD - SERVICE	LEADER OF THE WEEK
Kinder	Alexander L	Ella F
Year 1	Georgina H	Teni A
Year 2	Jacob S	Sofia M
Year 3	Maya I	Grace H
Year 4	Hugh S	Christian J
Year 5	Ali S	Neave M
Year 6	Eve A	Matthew C

  

  

Week 8 - Term 4

Students from Kinder to Year 6 will receive the Strong Foundations Award.  This award recognises those students who create a safe, supportive and friendly environment.  They are active participants in their faith, learning and outreach.

CLASS	STRONG FOUNDATIONS AWARD	LEADER OF THE WEEK
Kinder	Mia E-F	Noah M
Year 1	Violet D	Leo J
Year 2	Gisele M	Boone L
Year 3	Isla R	Jacob M
Year 4	Zahra R	Charlie E-B
Year 5	Bethany M	Ilena P
Year 6	Emerson E	Willow M

Week 9 - Term 4

Students from Kinder to Year 6 will receive the Deep Thinking Award.  This award recognises those students who use critical and creative thinking to become independent life-long learners.  They use a variety of thinking strategies and take responsibility for their learning.

CLASS	DEEP THINKING AWARD	LEADER OF THE WEEK
Kinder	Kai R	Zachary R
Year 1	Quinn S	Max N
Year 2	Samuel J	Hurley M
Year 3	Jonas T	Maya I
Year 4	Darren Y	Arthur R
Year 5	Zara H	Florence M
Year 6	Rio M	Eliza P

  

  

  

      

SILVER MILESTONE AWARDS - ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Congratulations to the following students who have received an Assistant Principal's Award. Well done! 

CLASS	STUDENT
Week 6 - Kinder	Nivana I
Week 6 - Year 2	Juliette I
Week 6 - Year 2	Joshua M
Week 6 - Year 3	Alice M
Week 6 - Year 4	Jude C
Week 7 - Year 1	Kana B
Week 7 - Year 5	Lidia C
Week 8 - Year 3	Veronica A
Week 8 -  Year 3	Maya I
Week 8 - Year 5	Neave M
Week 8 - Year 6	Christopher M

  

 

   

  

          

GOLD MILESTONE AWARDS - PRINCIPAL

Considered an honour of the highest order, the Principal's Award celebrates outstanding achievement by a student in Faith, Justice and Learning including other contributions to school life. Congratulations to:

CLASS	STUDENT
Week 6 - Year 6	Lachlan E
Week 6 - Year 6	Emerson E
Week 6 - Year 6	Hugo S
Week 8  - Year 4	Sarah M
Week 9 - Year 6	Eve A
Week 9  - Year 6	Amelia EB
Week 9  - Year 4	Charlie EB
Week 9 - Year 3	Charlotte F

2023 NSW PREMIER'S READING CHALLENGE   GOLD AWARD RECIPIENTS

Congratulations to Darren Y, Bailey C, Zac C, Emerson E, Lachlan E, Amelia E, Rafael M, Christopher M, Willow M, Anthony S, Lucas T, Hugh S, Aaliyah O, Hunter M, David M, Christian J, Allaria D, Lachlan C, Sachi B, Tom S, Arielle N,Alice M, Kip M, Charlie E, Ella D, Ireland C and  Millie A on yet another successful year in the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge.

A big thankyou to Mrs Richardson for your organisation of yet another successful Premiers Reading Challenge...your continuous support and encouragement of our students is much appreciated!

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrated a birthday in Week 6,7,8,9 and 10 of Term 4. We also wish our December school holidays birthday students a great birthday! 

Kinder	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	Year 6
Milani S	Leo G	Ivy F	Jacob M	Ned L	Rhiley A	Willow M
Mia F	Evelyn T	Boone L	Isla R	Allaria D		Lucas T
			Hkum S

  

  

  

NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL OFFICE  

  

UpdatingQkr!

Please make sure that you have updated all relevant information on your child's profile on Qkr!  Just a reminder that your child's class needs to be updated annually.

Qkr_Getting_started.pdf

      

  

2024 School Fees

You will receive your school fee statements from the Catholic Education Office in the new year.  We are listing the fees here for your convenience.

• Tuition Fees:  $1843.00 per family
• SEDSO Fees:  $1245.00 per family

In addition to the above family fees, the following are school based fees per student for each grade:

• Kindergarten  $289.00
• Year 1           $277.00
• Year 2           $269.00
• Year 3           $284.00
• Year 4           $291.00
• Year 5           $576.00
• Year 6           $576.00

These fees cover classroom resources, school carnivals, printing, licences and excursions.

Further information regarding school fees can be found on our school website under the parent tab.

St Brigid's School Fee Information for Families

  

    

Amendment to the digital form for student image consent

Dear Parents/Carers

The safety and well-being of students is always our first priority. This includes protecting their privacy and respecting the wishes of parents and carers regarding the use of student photos, images, and works at all times.

At the start of each school year, you are asked to complete a form to provide your consent for images of your child to appear in various places (e.g., in school newsletters, social media, and promotional material).

In 2023, this form became digital, and you were asked to consent to an event in Compass. 

In the same way that you provided consent for your child in 2023, you will still be able to simply reply in the Compass app; however, in 2024, this consent will be provided in a new app feature called Compass Insight. Compass’ Insights module is a tool for gathering information from staff, students and parents that can be used for a variety of purposes.

   

    

What do you need to do?

During the Christmas vacation period, you will receive a new image consent Insight in the Compass app. Please click on the link provided and read the details of the Insight carefully, discuss it with your child, and once you have made your decision, answer the question to either provide or decline consent.

To ensure that no child misses out on having their photo taken as part of school life, we will occasionally send reminders to parents and carers who have yet to complete the Insight.

If you have any questions about this change or the image consent form in general, please contact the school, and we will be happy to discuss this further with you.

COMMUNITY NEWS

CATHEDRAL CAR PARKING - CAN YOU HELP?

    

 

If you can assist at some of the upcoming events, please add your name to the google spreadsheet.

CAR PARKING https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EBIW341QkaOagyL2XSjXPhSfNCCAl5jJYMG7hyKcdwg/edit#gid=1933478450

  

PARENTS  & FRIENDS NEWS

  

P& F Term 4 Meeting Minutes

General_Meeting_Term_4_2023_Minutes_1_.pdf

General_Meeting_Term_4_2023_Minutes_1 pdf 96.18 KB

    

Christmas Carols and Family BBQ

The P&F will be hosting a Family BBQ Lunch on Thursday 14 December 2023 following the Final Assembly and Christmas Carols.

Jump onto Qkr! now to order your sausage sanga! Orders can be placed for the whole family under one child’s name. Purchases are not available on the day so please ensure you pre-order by Friday 8 December.

Volunteers are needed to cook, serve as well as set up and clean. Please sign up here!

  

   

Yearbook 2023

Next week, the 2023 will be issued to those students who have made a purchase.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Yearbook Committee for taking photos, typing, cutting, pasting, sorting, writing, interviewing, proofreading and the list goes on… to compile a yearbook for our children to enjoy for many years to come. 

A very special thank you to Ainsley Eckermann and Pia Petre. These two wonderful ladies have led the Yearbook Committee for many years now and have dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort. Thank you!

  
 

Thank You

A heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers who have organised events or turned up to lend a helping hand over the past year. Your time and energy has made a difference to our children’s school.

A BIG thank you to Kathy, the school leadership team, office staff and all the wonderful teachers who have taught and supported our children throughout 2023. Your dedication is greatly appreciated by the whole school community.

   

Need to contact us?

Follow us on Facebook @ St Brigid’s Gwynneville P&F Association

Email: pandf@sbgdow.catholic.edu.au

  

Lawn Mowing Roster 2023 - 2024

       

Weekend	Mower #1	Mower #2
16/12/2023	Russell Bailey	Adam Fredericks
6/1/2024	Simon Young	David Hides
20/1/2024	Thomas Mortlock	Fabrizio Curcio
3/2/2024	Darrell Mitchell	tbc

 

  

 

LAWN MOWING ROSTER 2024 - WE NEED YOU!

We are in need of volunteers to add to the 2024 Lawn Mowing roster. This is a great way to contribute to the school if you are unable to help during school hours. The money the school saves on lawn mowing goes directly towards our children’s education. If you would like to help out, please sign up here!

   

PARISH NEWS

ST BRIGID'S SCHOOL UNIFORM 2024

Summer Uniform - Girls

Summer Uniform - Boys

Unisex Sport Uniform

School Winter Sports uniform

The winter sports unform his will be available for the start of Term 2, 2024. Made out of microfibre material. 

GRADUATION

COLOUR RUN