8 April 2024

Upcoming Events

Week 11

• Monday 8th April 
  • First Communion Acknowledgement (9:00am Hall)
  • Assembly hosted by Year 3
    
    
• Wednesday 10th April
  • CWA Public Speaking Finals 9:15am (Years 3-6)
    
    
• Thursday 11th April 
  • Last day of Term 1
  • ANZAC Service (Hall) 9:00am - Concert Band
    
    
• Friday 12th April 
  • Pupil Free Day - Staff Development Day

2024 Important Dates

• Thursday 11th April 
  
  • Last day of Term 1
    
    
• Friday 12th April 
  • Pupil Free Day - Staff Development Day
    
    
• Monday 29th April 2024
  • Pupil Free Day - Staff Development Day
    
    
• Tuesday 30th April 2024
  • Welcome to the first day of Term 2 - Winter Uniform

• Thursday 11th April 
• Last day of Term 1

• Monday 29th April 

• Pupil Free Day - Professional Learning 

• Tuesday 30th April 

• Welcome to the first day of Term 2 - Winter Uniform

More important dates listed here Website Calendar Link

For those with a Google Account the calendar can be added to your Google calendars for
easy access on your phone or device Google School Calendar Link

Week 1- Term 2

• Monday 29th April 2024
  • Pupil Free Day - Staff Development Day
    
    
• Tuesday 30th April 2024
  • Welcome to the first day of Term 2 - Winter Uniform

Pupil Free Day Friday

Parents are reminded that this Friday, 12th April is a Pupil Free Day. With all staff off site for a spiritual retreat day, the school will be closed.

From the Principal

We invite our Cathedral students to join us as we commemorate ANZAC Day on Thursday 25th April. Students wishing to march with us are asked to meet at 10am at the Rankin St entrance to the RSL Club. Students are to wear their full winter uniform (including tie) and if a sunny day should bring along a hat and drink bottle. 

We also encourage families to join us this Thursday 11th April as the Senior Band lead us in a school ANZAC Day commemorative service. 

We thank our students, families and staff for a wonderful term of learning and we look forward to welcoming students back for Term Two on Tuesday 30th April.

Camille da Silva Tavares   | Principal

Buildings and Maintenance

Our new fencing is almost complete at the front of the school. Until the electronics can be installed (hopefully in the holidays) we will continue to use the front electric gate. Once the new keypad is installed then we will be able to keep the front gate open with visitors able to walk the length of the path before entering via a smaller gate. 

Access for afternoon pick up on George St will be via the first gate to the left of the path. This gate will be opened at 2:45pm and families are encouraged to wait on the grassed area inside this gate. The path should be left clear for students walking out to buses led by the teacher.

The purpose of the new fencing is to provide additional safety to the front of the school, remove the safety concerns around the large moving gate and provide a more welcoming entrance with a clear line of site to the front office upon entering the school.

School Shoes

Families are reminded that joggers should only be worn on designated sport days. On all other days students should be wearing black leather shoes. If you are unable to provide the correct shoes for your child because you are experiencing financial difficulties then please contact our office so that assistance may be provided.

Winter Uniform

Students return to school on Tuesday 30th April 2024

Students are asked to return in their full winter uniform (including tie). Please note that due to problems sourcing fawn stockings, navy stockings should now be worn with the girls winter uniform if wearing the winter tunic (white socks still to be worn for girls wearing maroon trousers).

Cathedral Winter Uniform 

Winter uniforms can be purchased from Marietta’s or Lowes

Optional school jacket can be purchased through the flexi schools app.

GIRLS                                                                              BOYS

Maroon tunic with navy stockings or               Long grey trousers

maroon trousers with white socks                   Blue long sleeve shirt

Fawn long sleeve blouse                                        Grey knitted woollen jumper

Maroon knitted woollen jumper                        School tie , Grey Socks , Black Shoes  

Black Shoes      

Hair that is longer than shoulder length should be tied back.

Hair accessories should be school colours (maroon or navy/royal blue on sport days).

One small pair of stud earrings may be worn. For safety, no other jewellery should be worn.

Students may wear the school winter jacket or a navy/maroon jacket for extra warmth.

Cuppa After Assembly

You are invited to join us for a cuppa after assembly each Monday morning.
Bring your coffee from Cafe Viva or make yourself a cuppa in the hall kitchen.
All are very welcome.

Pedestrian Safety

We ask that any families using the George St entrance/exit to please use the pedestrian crossing. It is unsafe to cross in the middle of the road as this is the bus bay area. We also ask that parents please hold their child’s hand when exiting the school gate and walking to their vehicles.

Afternoon Walkers

Parents are reminded that the afternoon walkers duty is intended for students walking home or to workplaces only. For those families picking up children, we ask that you walk into the school grounds
on George St for collection or for a quicker pick up approach the gate at William St.  We understand that this is a busy time of the day and there is congestion around the streets however it is important that our procedures are followed so that we can provide a safe exit for students.

If there is extreme weather at pick up time (heavy rain, lightning etc) then students who are walking will be supervised on George St until they can be collected from the school or can safely walk.

Enrolments

Enrolments for 2025 are now open.
We thank all those families who have already submitted Kindergarten enrolment forms and we ask
those wishing to enrol their child for 2025 to do so as soon as possible.

Teaching and Learning

CWA Public Speaking School Finals
Communicating effectively, including using language to entertain, inform and persuade audiences forms a significant part of the Stage 2 and Stage 3 English Curriculum. The CWA Public Speaking Competition provides a real-life opportunity to practise and develop these skills. After much work in classrooms across the last half of this term with all students in Year 3 to 6 planning, writing and delivering speeches, school finals will take place on Wednesday morning at 9.15am with Grade Finalists presenting their speeches to the school community.  We invite parents to join us for this event.

Congratulations to the following finalists from each grade:
Year 3 - Maisy, Imogen, Tessa and Nitesh
Year 4 - Aubree, Oscar, Benji and Ella P. 
Year 5 - Lily B, Georgina, Maya and Ana
Year 6 - Jacky, Drew, Stella and Ruby M.

One student from each grade will be chosen to represent Cathedral school at the CWA Public Speaking Competition to be held in Orange next term. See dates below

Year 3 - Monday, 27th May

Year 4 - Tuesday, 28th May

Year 5 - Wednesday, 29th May

Year 6 - Thursday, 30th May

Professional Learning for Teachers - Monday, 29th April
The first day of Term 2 has been designated as a professional learning day for teachers and as such will be pupil-free day for students. This day has been specifically set aside to enable our teachers to engage deeply with our assessment processes, focusing on the critical aspects of assessment design, effective practice implementation, and the consistent allocation of grades. We will dedicate time to standardizing the allocation of grades across different Key Learning Areas beginning with English and then radiating out to other subjects as we implement new syllabus documents. An essential aspect of our discussions will revolve around the utilization of assessment data to tailor our teaching and learning programs more effectively. Collaboration among our teaching staff is key to achieving these objectives. By working together, our teachers can share insights, strategies, and best practices, ultimately enhancing the learning experience for all students. 

Wishing all parents and students a safe and relaxing break across the holiday period. A reminder that school returns for students on Tuesday, 30th April.

Catherine O’Neill   | Assistant Principal

Religious Education & Catholic Life

Resurrection Service
Thank you to those who were able to join us last Monday afternoon as a  group of Year students presented the Resurrection aspects of this very special time in our faith.  It was wonderful to work with this excellent group of students and the impact they had on the school community in their portrayal of Jesus’ Resurrection.

I wish all of our families a lovely school holiday period as we continue in the joyous season of Easter.

Holy Week & Easter Services
It was wonderful to see our students and many in our wider school community at our Holy Week Service. I extend this gratitude to the Year 6 students who presented this dramatisation. We were moved and inspired by your reverence, respect and creativity in the portrayal of this very important sequence of events in our faith. You not only strengthened the understanding of the key events but also our faith. I would also like to acknowledge the considerable amount of their own time that they gave in the lead up, particularly during Recess and Lunch in Weeks 8 & 9. Today these students presented the Resurrection aspects of this very special time in our faith. Once again, thank you to everyone for your involvement in Holy Week at Cathedral School.

Project Compassion 
Thank you once again for your wonderful efforts towards our focus on almsgiving during Lent. Please bring in remaining donations and boxes (they don’t need to be full) this week.

Sacramental Program: Thank you to those families who were able to join us in the Assumption Church recently for information on First Penance, First Holy Communion and Confirmation and how the parish based but school supported Sacramental Program will function  this year. This was for families not just in the grades where Sacramental Units are taught (Years 2, 3 and 5). The information evening was also if your child has previously been in one of these grades but hasn’t had the opportunity to make one or more of these sacraments as yet.

Monday Liturgy & Assembly:  Please join us each week between 9:00 and 9:30 am as we pray together and acknowledge the achievements of those in our school community. Classes, Grades and Committees each take responsibility for this important event weekly.

Coming up:

Ashley Boylan   | Religious Education Coordinator

Awards

SPB4L

As we commence our last weeks of the Term, our SPB4L Focus moves towards prioritising our physical, mental and emotional health.  Please see below for a summary of activities that students will be doing inside and out of class.

Ashley Boylan   | SPB4L Committee

Wellbeing

Part 3: Empathy and Kindness
This next presentation from The Resilience Project is all about Empathy and Kindness.

Empathy is our ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others to feel and see what they do. We practice this through being kind and compassionate towards other people.

Brain imaging data shows that being kind to others registers in the brain as more like eating chocolate than like fulfilling an obligation to do what’s right (e.g., eating brussel sprouts)!

Research shows that practicing empathy, such as performing acts of kindness, taps into our brain’s ‘mirror neurons’, builds compassion and our behaviour becomes more social and community-based.

View Part 3 of the series here:
Part 3 - Empathy: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2023-parent-carer-hub-inspire-hugh/

Here’s an activity to practise empathy and kindness:

1. Reflect on someone in your life who could benefit from an act of kindness today. It could be a friend who would love some affirmation about their work, your pet who deserves an extra treat, or a family member who would love a phone call or text message.
2. Make a plan for who you are going to give an act of kindness to, and what you are going to do.
3. If you want to add accountability to your plan, share it with someone else and encourage them to do the same thing.
4. Follow up with each other in a few days time, to ask how it went!

In the Wellbeing Space it is wonderful to hear the students talking about G.E.M and finding things everyday to be grateful for.

We thank Coles Bathurst and Woolworths Bathurst for their generous donations and support as we continue to establish funding and food sources for the Cathedral Primary School Breakfast program. Woolworths Bathurst is generously donating Fruit each week, which is readily available from the Canteen and The Hub for all students.

We are putting a call out to any business or families that may be in a position to support our Breakfast Club. If you would like to make a contribution please make contact with Alice Gallagher a.gallagher@bth.catholic.edu.au.   We are encouraged by the positive feedback from the school community around this exciting initiative.

Alice Gallagher and Abbie Bowman   | Wellbeing Teacher/Primary Coordinator 

Sports

CPS Swimming

The CPS Swimming Championships were held last Wednesday at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Max represented Cathedral School as part of the Bathurst Diocesan team and came third in his event! This is a huge achievement and we wish Max the best of luck as he represents Polding at the PSSA Carnival this week. We will be cheering for you! 

Rugby 7’s 

Stage 3 students have been training early mornings before school to prepare for the Rugby 7’s gala day. This gala day was postponed last week due to heavy rainfall and will be rescheduled for Tuesday 14th May (Term 2 Week 3). Our next training session will be held at 8am Thursday 2nd May (Term 2 Week 1). We would like to say a huge thank you to our parent volunteers, Peter Rohr and Barry Froebel, who have been giving up their time to train our students. We are very lucky to have such amazing expertise and support for our students.

Community Sport Site
Our Diocesan sports coordinator Mr Steve Maguire has created a Community Sport Site (has reports from events) for parents, families & teachers which can be accessed to assist with Diocesan Sports pathways. You may like to bookmark this site for reference: https://sites.google.com/bth.catholic.edu.au/cedbsportcommunity/home

Abbie Bowman   | Primary Coordinator

Parents and Friends

Next P&F Meeting: Wednesday 3^rd April 5:30pm - School Library

Everyone is invited to attend our monthly P&F meetings, which are held on the first Wednesday of each school month at 5:30pm in the Library.

There is NO PRESSURE to attend every meeting or volunteer bucketloads of time - the P&F is a great resource to keep track of what’s happening at school and connect with other parents, caregivers and school staff. 

For those who cannot attend in person, we have a zoom link, if you would like to join from home!
https://bthcatholic.zoom.us/j62675200979?pwd=duYyV3M2MvdoTVVjclRKZE5jdnlMdzo9
ID:62675200979@zmau.us 
Password: 106688

SCHOOL DISCO: Friday 5^thApril - School Hall
The school Disco is back for 2024, dust off your dancing shoes and practise your dance moves
Infants: 5:30 - 6:15pm      
Primary: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Entry: $5 at the door includes a Glowstick

DATE FOR THE DIARY
 May:
Wednesday 1^st P&F Meeting 5:30pm
Thursday 9^th Mother’s Day Breakfast & Liturgy
Friday 10^th Mother’s Day Stall

OPTIONAL School Jackets- Are you ready for a cold snap?
The Cathedral School logo is embroidered on the chest, the jackets are lightweight, windproof and
water-resistant perfect for the cold weather. These optional school jackets are available to try on at the school office and ready to order via Flexischools under shop.

Please note: The optional jacket is NOT compulsory - All maroon/navy/black school jackets
are also acceptable.

If you have any enquiries about our projects or would like to get involved,
please email us at cathedralpandf@gmail.com

Melissa Bray   | P & F Publicity

Music

A reminder that the school Concert Band will be performing this Thursday at the ANZAC school service. The Concert band will have rehearsal prior to this service (7.50am). Please ensure your children are on time for band rehearsals.

Keep up the great work and progress we have made this term and enjoy your school holidays.

Keep Practising!

Cathedral School Ensemble Times & Days:

• School Choir Tuesdays at Recess
• Guitar Group Wednesdays at Recess
• Concert Band Thursdays at 7:50am
• Junior Band Thursdays at Recess

If your child is interested in participating in any of these groups please feel free to contact me  chris_dove_trumpet@hotmail.com

Chris Dove   | Band Director

Combined College Musical

𝙂𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙙 𝙜𝙤!

What an amazing show! Year 6 were lucky enough to attend the Combined College production of’ Freaky Friday' last week by St Stanislaus' College and MacKillop College - Bathurst. We were blown away by the amazing talents of the cast, crew, band and staff that brought this musical to life. After the show we were lucky enough to meet the stars of the show which featured many former Cathedral School students. Thank you to the dedicated teachers and students involved in this amazing opportunity.

Mr Boylan, Mrs Gallagher & Ms Toole   | Year 6 Teaching and Learning Team 

A Message from the Social Welfare Committee

A huge thank you to the entire school community for their support of Project Compassion across the season of Lent. Between class fundraising and the Easter egg raffle, we raised just under $3 800 for Caritas Australia.  

A massive thank you to our Social Welfare Committee (Zoe, Peppa, Ruby M, Josephine, Charley and Ruby Y) for their amazing work in promoting and leading our appeal.  These students were involved in every aspect of planning and implementation including sharing information at our school assemblies, creating and maintaining a display of our fundraising efforts, selling raffle tickets (mostly in their own lunch times), counting donations, making easter prize packs and leading the raffle draw. It has been a pleasure to work with such a dedicated and committed group of students. I look forward to continuing to work with them across the year. 

If anyone still has Project Compassion boxes at home, please return them to school before Thursday. Mrs Mellenbergh hopes to finalise our fundraising before the term finishes. 

School Calendar Handy Hints

For those who are not familiar with Google Calendar an easy way to keep up to date with the school calendar is to check the school website. Here is the link that will take you straight to the Calendar section of the site where the calendar can be displayed by month. If you click on the event more details (if confirmed) will be available for the event. 

Most end of year events and special celebrations have already been added to the calendar and all
other events appear as soon as we can confirm the details.  Website Calendar Link

For those with a Google Account the calendar can be added to your Google calendars for easy access
on your phone or device. Google School Calendar Link

Update your Details

Update your email, phone number, address, your child’s medical details or emergency contacts by emailing the information to cathedral@bth.catholic.edu.au

Canteen

The Canteen is open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

We are in need of helpers in the Canteen on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. 

For the canteen to run smoothly 3 volunteers are essential.

Please contact Alana Watson on 0417 044 116 if you would like to be included in the canteen roster,
any time offered is welcomed.

Thank you to all our friends and family for all your ongoing support of the Cathedral Canteen.

Community Notices

Bathurst Bus Lines - School Bus Tracking App
The school bus tracking app is available for parents to download on their phone and track their child's bus in real time.  This might alleviate some of the anxiety related to putting students on the bus. Please see instructions below.

Parents requiring any bus pass or general bus travel information are welcome to contact our office and we will be able to discuss their needs accordingly.

If you have any queries please contact us on 6331 2744

Kind regards,

Carolyn
Bathurst Bus Lines