Newsletter 23/2/2024

From the Principal:

Dear Parents and Carers,

We finished our swimming lessons on Thursday and have seen many students progress over the two weeks. Swimming programs completed by schools are only a small part of teaching children basic swimming skills and survival techniques around water.  As parents, the most important consideration when learning to swim is frequent exposure. Regular opportunities to play in the water, alongside formal lessons will get the best results.  A school program once a year is only one tiny part of this. All children benefit from regular swimming lessons. Here in Deloraine  we are lucky to have a free program offered by Rotary over the summer holidays.  Look out for it at the end of this year and get your children enrolled. There are also small group lessons offered weekly in the Deloraine area. They are offered at a small cost.

Next week we will have parent goal setting meetings. This is a great opportunity for all parents to share with teachers the strengths, needs, behaviours and learning styles of children.  This enables teachers to tailor their approach and apply appropriate strategies to suit your child's needs and learning in class.  Please book a time through the Compass app for an appointment in the coming week.

I look  forward to seeing you all at the Welcome BBQ next Thursday 29th, starting at 4.30pm.

Kind regards,

Mary Bennett

The Symbols and Colours of Lent:

Liturgical colours enhance our experience of religious rituals and symbols. Colours express and convey feelings and moods. Bright colours symbolise feelings of joy or excitement; dark colours symbolise feelings of sadness or sorrow. The liturgical colour used during Lent is purple, but red is used on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Banners and backdrops in the church are purple, and the celebrant (priest) wears purple vestments. During Lent Christians focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving as a sign of repentance and to atone for sin. Purple is a colour of repentance. The use of purple as a liturgical colour helps to emphasise the message of the rituals that are performed during Lent. It reminds us of the theme of Lent:

• Penance: We acknowledge our sins and ask for forgiveness. Catholics usually receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent. We are truly sorry for our wrongdoings. We make every effort to repair the damage caused to our relationships and to change our ways.
• Humility: We reflect on the importance of being humble. We put others' needs before our own. We acknowledge our call to look after others before we serve ourselves.
• Jesus' Suffering and Death: We reflect with sadness on the suffering and death of Jesus for our own salvation. We are thankful that God loves us so much that Jesus died for us.

School Board Positions:

Are you interested in joining our school board?

The School Board supports the operation of the school at a local level. In accordance with the Board Terms of Reference, the Church Trust Corporation delegates a range of functions to the Board. These include supporting the Principal across a range of governance issues such as strategic planning, local policy development and preparation of the budget and the capital works program of the school. 

We have two vacant spaces on the School Board.  

• We meet six times a year for an hour.  
• A board term is 3 years.

If you think you have the skills and would like to nominate yourself or someone for the school board please contact the school office for a nomination form.

Current members are: 

Fr Ben Books

Dion Vidler

Michael Daunt

Mary Bennett

Welcome BBQ Thursday 29th February:

Goal Setting Meetings:

Please remember to book via the Compass app to nominate a time to talk to your child’s teacher/s next week.  Meetings start Monday 26th February and finish on Friday 1st March.  

Parents & Friends Canteen:

Canteen is recommencing next week, Wednesday 27th February and Friday 1st March.

Canteen will be run twice per week for Term 1.  Orders need to be placed via the QKR App by 9:00am on canteen day. Please see more information below.

St Patrick's College Enrolment 2025:

Upcoming Dates:

Week 4

• Monday 26th start of Goal Setting Meetings
  
• Tuesday 27th February - School Assembly

• Thursday 29th February - Welcome BBQ  4:30-6:30pm

• Friday 1st March - Grade 3-6 Athletics Carnival, St Leonards Athletics Track, Launceston.

Week 5

• Monday 4th March - Long Weekend

• Friday 8th March - NMPSSA Athletics Carnival

Piano Tuition: