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Dear Parents and Friends,
The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary and last week we celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The word Rosary comes from the Latin word rosarius, which translates as ‘garland’ or ‘bouquet of flowers’. We could say therefore that the prayer of the Rosary is a bouquet of prayers offered to God.
The Rosary is a prayer loved by countless saints and people all over the world. Today we will reflect on some wisdom from the apostolic letter by Saint John Paul II Rosarium Virginis Mariae on the Most Holy Rosary.
No one has ever devoted themselves more to the contemplation of Christ as faithfully as Mary who lived with her eyes and heart always fixed on Christ.
The Rosary is Mary’s memories of various moments of her son’s life. In this way, Mary constantly shares with the Church the ‘mysteries’ of her Son. When reciting the Rosary, we join in Mary’s contemplation of her memories with our eyes and hearts fixed on Christ.
In contemplating Christ, we open our hearts and minds to receiving the mystery of God’s perfect love, in doing so we are being changed into Christ’s likeness.
Reflection questions:
Are you able to find some time this month to sit with Mary and pray the Rosary?
Has there been a time in your life when God has spoken to you through the Rosary? What did God say?
How can I reach out to Mary during this month of the Holy Rosary?
Yours in Faith, Justice and Learning
CONGRATULATIONS ST BRIGID'S STAFF
I am pleased to inform you that the St Brigid's staff have well and truly met the Public Health Order a head of time and ALL 29 staff members have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccination. The staff are committed to ensuring all members of our community remain safe and healthy.
WELCOME BACK KINDY AND YEAR 1 STUDENTS
We are so excited anticipating the return of our Kindergarten and Year 1 students this coming Monday. It will be wonderful to see their beautiful smiling faces! We look forward to once again engaging in face-to-face learning, striving for excellence in faith, learning and well-being.
FACE MASKS FOR STUDENTS
The level 3 restrictions clearly state that masks are strongly recommended to be worn by all students, at all times, indoors and outdoors. Please assure your child that we will support them if you choose to send your child to school for the staged return wearing a face mask.
SUMMER UNIFORM
We welcome the students back to school in full summer uniform. Sports uniform will only be worn ONCE a week this term on a Thursday.
GIRLS’ SUMMER UNIFORM
- Green check dress with red tie or bottle green culottes with white peter pan collared shirt
- Short white fold down socks
- Black leather shoes
- Green school hat
- Green school bag
- Green school jumper or cardigan
- Red or bottle green hair ties
BOYS’ SUMMER UNIFORM
- White short sleeve collared shirt
- Grey stubbie shorts
- Short turn over grey socks with school stripes
- Black leather shoes
- Green school hat
- Green school bag
- Green school jumper or cardigan
RETURN TO FACE-FACE LEANRING
Under the new timeline announced by the NSW Premier, students across the state will now return to face-to-face learning according to the following schedule:
- 18 October 2021: Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12
- 25 October 2021: All remaining year groups
To assist us with a smooth transition back to face-to-face learning, we seek your ongoing support and request that students continue remote learning and do not attend school before their scheduled return date. Of course, supervision will remain available for those students who have no option to learn from home during Week 3, Term 4. However, students who return before their scheduled week will continue remote learning under supervision and will not participate in face-to-face learning.
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS DURING THE STAGED RETURN
During the staged return, our school will follow the prescribed NSW Health Level 3 / Level 3 Plus restrictions, which apply across NSW. These COVID-safe settings will remain in place until we receive direction from NSW Health that restrictions can be eased.
For details regarding the activities that are not permitted or must be modified please read through the Level 3 restrictions. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school and we will be happy to provide further information.
Please note the following arrangements that will be in place at our school from 18 October 2021 until further notice:
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Drop off and pick up |
Morning drop off will be from 8:35am - 8:50am via the car zone. Alternatively, students walking or riding to school will enter via the pedestrian gate in Vickery Street. On arrival the student/s proceed directly to class.
Afternoon pick up will commence at 2:55pm - 3:10pm. The car pick up zone is the safest option and the preferred mode of dismissal. However, if you absolutely need to walk to pick up your child/ren, please wait outside the gate at Chrysalis Park at 2:55pm and adhere to the Level 3 restriction guidelines. Please ensure that you are physically distant (1.5m) from other adults and not mingling. Students riding their bikes from school will exit through the gate in Chrysalis Park. |
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Separation of students by year/cohorts |
Students will be learning, playing and interacting in their class groups only. There will be no mingling of class groups at any time. |
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Staggered breaks for recess and lunch |
Due to the size of our school, staggered breaks will not be necessary, however, we will only use the oval for recess and lunch breaks. Each class group will be allocated a designated area to eat and play. There will be no mingling of class groups. |
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Face masks |
Staff: Masks will be worn by teachers and staff at all times, indoors and outdoors. Primary students: Masks are strongly recommended to be worn by all students, at all times, indoors and outdoors. Some exemptions apply. Please see the Level 3 / Level 3 Plus restrictions for more detail about face masks. |
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Cleaning |
Enhanced daily COVID-19 cleaning arrangements (with a focus on high-touch surfaces) will remain in place until further notice. |
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Responding to a positive case of COVID-19 |
CEDoW has an established process for responding when a member of a school community tests positive for COVID-19. In the event this occurs, we will work closely with the Catholic Education Office and the Public Health Unit to rapidly inform impacted families and ensure we complete all required steps to safely reopen. |
While under Level 3 restrictions, parents and carers must:
- follow the physical distancing advice and avoid gathering outside school gates
- adhere to mask-wearing requirements in accordance with the Public Health Order
- remain outside school grounds (some exceptions apply for vulnerable students or students with a disability)
- When an exception allows a parent or carer to enter school grounds, they must sign in using both the Service NSW QR code and the CEDoW Quick Sign-In iPad
VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS
From 18 October 2021, only staff who have received two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine or have a medical contraindication certificate will be permitted on school grounds. Please click here for more information regarding the application of the Public Health (COVID-19 Vaccination of Education and Care Workers) Order 2021 in Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong schools.
There is no requirement for students to be vaccinated before returning to face-to-face learning.
If your child has a medical vulnerability that you believe will prevent them from returning to school according to the staged return timeline, please contact the school as soon as possible to discuss your circumstances.
NSW Health strongly urges all students aged 12-15 years to receive two doses of either Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible.
- There is currently sufficient supply of the Moderna vaccine to community pharmacies and the Pfizer vaccine to General Practitioners. Bookings can be made via the Vaccine Clinic Finder. Depending on location, bookings are available within the next few days.
- COVID-19 vaccination is the best protection against severe illness and also reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 now will help to protect both you, your family and your school community
The following fact sheets regarding the Moderna vaccine and young people are available:
- Commonwealth Government fact sheet
- Children aged 12-15 years require parental or guardian consent to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. For more information, see the COVID-19 vaccination FAQs for parents and guardians.
VENTILATION
All CEDoW schools have been supported by the Catholic Education Office to complete a school ventilation review. The results—including any identified adjustments—will be addressed in line with advice from NSW Health and the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS).
The advice from NSW Health and the NCIRS when it comes to ventilation of classrooms is that simple measures are the most effective. Opening windows and doors when possible and using fans to direct outdoor air in and opting for outdoor learning improves the ventilation of classrooms and learning spaces.
Ventilation is just one of a series of COVID-safe measures in place at our school, which also include:
- Service NSW and CEDoW check-in systems
- Vaccination of staff and adults in the community
- Face masks
- Staggered timetables, pick up and drop off
- Restricting access of visitors, including parents/carers, to essential personnel only
- Use of outdoor spaces
- Good personal hygiene and social distancing
- Staying at home if unwell and getting tested with even the mildest of symptoms
These are all measures to help keep schools safe and we seek your support with the implementation of these measures to assist in keeping our school and the wider community safe.
OTHER ORGANISATIONAL MATTERS
Please ensure your child has everything they require to start the term in the most successful way.
- Pencil case with all the necessary equipment in good working order
- iPad and headphones in good working order (Year 2-6)
- Drink bottle with their name on it
- Crunch and sip container with their name on it
- Lunch box with their name on it
- 1 roll of paper towel per student
- School hat with their name on it
- Summer uniform worn Monday – Wednesday and Friday
- Sports uniform only worn on a Thursday (Gymnastics program will commence in Week 5 for 6 weeks)
ACTIVITIES NOT PERMITTED OR ON HOLD – AS DIRECTED BY NSW HEALTH
Schools will stop the following activities during school hours or within school grounds:
- Singing, chanting, group repetition and choirs
- Sport (except for sport within existing PDHPE classes)
- Emergency drills
- Inter-school activities and carnivals and all community events
- Assemblies
- School performances, productions, concerts, speech nights and award presentations
- Excursions, camps, field trips and principal-endorsed activities for students
- P&F activities, including meetings (unless held online only)
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT - BUSH TUCKER GARDEN AND DRY RIVER BED
Following another successful application for a $2000 environment grant from CEDoW we completed the proposed projects this week.
The Djeera Bush Tucker Garden is an environmental project which addresses a number of Key Learning Areas. Named in recognition of the Dharawal people’s name for Mt Keira, the foothills at which St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School sits. The Dharawal people have an ancient tradition of utilising the plants in their environment for food and medicine and for their stewardship of the land.
The Djeera Bush Tucker Garden addresses the environmental issues of sustainability and land management.
The Woolyungah Dry River Bed is named in recognition of the Dharawal people’s name for Wollongong, meaning five islands. The Dharawal people are distinguished as fresh water or salt water people depending on whether they occupied the coastal regions or the plateaus and inland river valleys. The Woolyungah Dry River Bed relates to the ephemeral nature of water within the Australian landscape and the power of water to shape the land into river beds on a seasonal basis.
and let perpetual light shine upon him
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
ST BRIGID'S BEGINS TO WELCOME STUDENTS BACK TO FACE TO FACE LEARNING
We are so excited to welcome our Kindergarten and Year 1 students back to the classroom on Monday 18 October. We have missed all our students and can't wait for them to come back to school. We wait in great anticipation for our Years 2-6 students to also return to school the following Monday 25 October. Please be assured that we are adhering to very strict safety procedures to keep everyone safe. We are also preparing to transition the students back to face to face teaching and learning by putting in place the following:
- A focus on re-teaching routines such as arrival, unpacking, learning, playground, dismissal
- A focus on wellbeing and social emotional skills and settling back into school life
- A focus on teaching and learning
- Explicit lessons for recess and lunch eating time and play in cohorts on the oval
- Explicit lessons for dismissal in cohorts
- Re-teaching of classroom and playground behaviour expectations
Is your child feeling OK about returning to School?
It is normal for you or your child to be expereincing some anxiety about returning to school. It has been quite a long time that they have been away from their regular learning environment, teachers and friends. Please take some time to have a chat to your child about their feelings about coming back to school, acknowledge if they are feeling a bit worried about different things and let them know we understand that there may be lots of students with mixed feelings about their health, whether the learning will be too hard or whether their friends from Term 2 will still be their friends in Term 4. If you notice your child has some reservations or is feeling nervous about returning to school, acknowledge and validate their feelings as normal but also talk to them about these feelings being temporary as they settle back into the familiarity of school life. Below are some resources to help you talk to your child about returning to school if you think they need some support with this.
Talking to Your Child about COVID 19
The Parish Sacramental Program 2022
Please note that the First Communion Programme that was rescheduled for October this year, will now take place in Term 1 2022.
Dear Parents and Carers
Thank you for your patience as we navigate through the current COVID restrictions.
It has become necessary to restructure the Lumen Christi Preparation Programme for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
Bishop Brian has announced that with the easing of restrictions, the Churches in the Wollongong Diocese will open for Mass at the end of October when it is hoped that the population will reach the 80% vaccination target. The four square metre distancing requirement will be in place and we will have a reduced capacity for numbers for Mass in our Churches.
At Lumen Christi Catholic Parishes we value the health and safety of our parishioners. We understand the apprehension many may feel during these uncertain times.
We greatly appreciate your patience, however, having considered all of the options available, it has been decided to ask you to enrol your child in the Sacramental Programme for 2022.
Please mark this date in your diary for the 2022 Sacramental Programme Parent Meeting and enrolment evening 29/30 June SJV 6:30 pm. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the commencement of this meeting.
Yours in Christ
Fr Bernard Gordon
MISSION MONTH
‘We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.’
Catholic Mission is an Australian Catholic agency which outreaches to our neighbours in Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America as well as remote dioceses in Australia.
The needs of the people are identified by local Catholics, to give people the opportunity to a full and enriched life - physically and spiritually - regardless of race, stigma, religion or gender.
Our focus country is Thailand, where the Church seeks to provide life-fulfilling opportunities for children in need.
You can find more information here: Our focus project
“If the children have a chance to study or prepare well to go to school, it will be very good … for them. We try to support them, and not only for education. Mind and body have to go together for the children to develop. I believe that if we really and truly help them with love, they will grow nicely and will have a good future.” – Sister Chalaad Sungkalurk R.G.S
FRIDAY FUNdraising - Friday 29 October 2021
This year, we will be holding a Friday Fun Day to raise money for Catholic Mission, to assist them in their work in Thailand.
This will be a Mufti Day, for a $2 donation, where you can wear team socks or crazy socks.
You will have the opportunity to order a Subway lunch, lollypop and ice block.
All orders for the Subway lunch, lollypop and ice blocks, as well as the $2 mufti donation will be done via the QKR! app. A Compass notification will be sent to advise when this has been opened.
Let's make this a great community effort for a worthwhile cause.
"I am a mission on this earth: that is the reason why I am here in this world" Pope Francis 2019
OCTOBER, THE MONTH OF THE ROSARY
This month, as Catholics, we have a special prayer focus in the Rosary. The Rosary is a special communal mantra prayer that includes the prayers that we all know, the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. It is a prayer that honours Mary, while focusing on the events in the life of Jesus Christ. It is a powerful prayer, that, when shared, can transform a family’s spiritual life.
- Are you able to find some time this month to sit with Mary and pray the Rosary?
- Has there been a time in your life when God has spoken to you through the Rosary?
- What did God say?How can I reach out to Mary during this month of the Holy Rosary?
RE SHOWCASE - Kindergarten
REFLECTIONS
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Sunday 17 October Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time  |
When we set out to follow Jesus, faithful to the promises that we made at baptism to renounce sin and live lives directed by the Spirit, we normally do so with generosity of heart. However, after we have borne the burdens of this decision and realise some of the implications of our commitment, we begin to wonder if it was worth it. We believe that God will generously bless us. Still, would it be so wrong to hope for a little more, especially if we have made significant sacrifices along the way? Of those to whom much has been given, much will be required in return. The closer we are to Jesus, the more we will be expected to mirror him. The great ones in the reign of God, the ones who exercise authority over others, must be the servants of the rest. Parents, teachers, civil authorities, managers of every kind, pastoral leaders must all be servants, as Jesus was a servant. We will also have to drink from his cup of suffering and be baptised into his death. As we draw close to the one who gave his life as an offering for sin, we will find that the same self-sacrifice is being asked of us. When we struggle with the misfortunes that we face because of our commitment to Jesus, we will have him as an inspiration and a model to follow. He can sympathise with our weaknesses, identify with our suffering. We can draw strength from his example and hope from his kindness. © Dianne Bergant CSA |
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Sunday 24 October Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time  |
Throughout this liturgical year we have examined several aspects of our faith. We have pondered the history of our salvation, the merciful compassion of God, God's willingness to lead us out of the bondage of our addictions. We have meditated often and long on the person of Jesus, on his life and death, on the meaning of his sacrifice, on his resurrection, on his influence in our lives today. We have considered our own ongoing transformation as disciples of Jesus, baptised into his death and resurrection, commissioned to bring the news of his love to all those with whom we come into contact. We have reflected on all of these wonderful deeds of God, and now we must ask the question: What difference has it made? Have we merely acquired some information about the biblical readings, about our religious ancestors, about the ministry of Jesus and the life of the early church? Or have our eyes really been opened; have we been enabled to leave behind whatever prevents us from living the Christian life fully, to abandon our exiles or the trappings of our former lives? Have we accepted more genuinely the Christian responsibilities that are ours as baptised followers of Christ, in our own personal lives, in our families, in our relationships with others, at the workplace? To what degree have we been transformed into Christ? How open have we become to the action of the Spirit in our lives? Have we been made a new creation? And do we recognise Christ in our midst? © Dianne Bergant CSA |
Congratulations to the following students on receiving their awards.
Week 1 - Term 4
| CLASS | LEARNING AWARD | LEADER OF THE WEEK | |
| Kindergarten | Gabby L & Blaire W | Gisele M | |
| Year 1 | Lucas S | Finn D | |
| Year 2 | Hunter M | Ella D | |
| Year 3 | Fabrizio M | Enzo H-D | |
| Year 4 | Anthony St A | Christopher M | |
| Year 5 | Flynn S | Malachy H | |
| Year 6 | Natalia R-T | Olivia H | |
Week 2 - Term 4
| CLASS | LEARNING AWARD | LEADER OF THE WEEK | |
| Kindergarten | Marta O'D | Ari O'B | |
| Year 1 | Charlotte F | Grace H | |
| Year 2 | Kip M | Alice M | |
| Year 3 | Theo D B | Daniel M | |
| Year 4 | Lachlan E | Rio M | |
| Year 5 | Noah S | Raen G | |
| Year 6 | Edwina J | Quentin M | |
Happy Birthday to the following students celebrating during Weeks 1 and 2.
We hope you have a great birthday!
| Kinder | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 5 |
| Elliott G | Jude C | Paulo DVJ | Sophie J-T |
| Ari O'B | |||
| Valentino D B | |||
| Xavier D B | |||
| Ava Y |
LAWN MOWING ROSTER
We are looking for a volunteers for the next roster. If you can help please contact John Harman on 0419 993 133 or dabeers@bigpond.com
SAVE THE DATE - P&F EVENTS
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DATE |
EVENT |
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6 Nov 2021 |
Working Bee and BBQ Lunch 10:30am – 12:00 tbc |
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2 Dec 2021 |
Christmas Concert and family picnic- tbc |
St Brigid’s Gwynneville
PARISH WEBSITE
DIOCESAN WEBSITE
Please visit the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong website for further information.