13 May 2024

Upcoming Events

Term 2 - Week 3

• Monday 13th May 2024
  • Assembly led by 2M
  • Mini Vinnies with Mrs Avinash @ Recess
  • SRC Meeting @ Recess

• Tuesday 14th May 2024
  • Rugby 7's Gala Day
  • Choir with Mrs Sadler @ Recess
  • PR Committee Meeting @ Recess

• Wednesday 15th May 2024
  
  • Guitar Group at Recess

• Thursday 16th May 2024

  • Senior Band @ 7:50am-8:50am

  • Year 1 Miss Traill's House Excursion

  • Altar Server Information Session / Stage 3 Mass @ 9:00am

  • Junior Band @ Recess 
    

  • Alpha @ 12pm (Parents, Grandparents and Parishioners)
    

  • Variety Rally Vehicle Showcase from 2:10pm

• Friday 17th May 2024
  • Welcome, Mr Brien (CSU Prac Student)
    
  • K-2 Gymnastics
  • Year 5 Experience High School Day
  • Agriculture Club with Mrs Angelucci @ Recess

• Saturday 18th May 2024
  • Parish Mass @ 5:00pm

2024 Important Dates

• Friday 5th July 2024
  • Last day of Term 2

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

From the Principal

Our vibrant community is one that can be visibly seen in the wonderful events at our school. Our recent Mother’s Day event is no exception. We would like to thank all involved in these special celebrations, especially our Parents and Friends, volunteers, Kindergarten, our staff and our students.

Along with the many sporting, cultural and musical pursuits within our school, our students’ diverse needs are also catered for in each of our classrooms. This support is not always visible in the form of grand events, however is certainly visible as I do the rounds of the classrooms each day.

 All students are provided with quality core instruction within the classroom. Student learning data is then used to determine the level of support or enrichment required within the classroom. This can take the form of differentiated learning tasks, differentiated time allocations and small group instruction. This allows the varied needs to be supported for each of our students while ensuring that they do not miss out on further core learning in the classroom. At Cathedral, we have a beautiful balance which acknowledges a child’s sense of place in the classroom along with their requirements to be either extended or supported.

What is so exciting to remind ourselves of, is that many of the requirements of the new English syllabus have been developed, implemented and refined at Cathedral for many years. On an early morning round of the classrooms, I see all students engaged in targeted phonics instruction in each of our Infants classes. This is followed by students participating in the reading of decodable texts and supported in groups at the students’ point of need. As the morning continues I see fluency and comprehension taught across the school, along with spelling. Rich literature is then used to prompt and develop sustained writing across all classrooms.

New families visiting the school are always impressed by the focus of our students and the ability of our school to provide both engagement and differentiated instruction. Last week, as I attempted to continue an enrolment tour through the Year 6 corridor, I was blocked by the excitement of our Year 6 mathematicians as they explored fractions in an enrichment breakout group with Mrs Burns. While I was disappointed that we had to detour, I was excited to see our young minds so excited to be working with mixed numerals.

In addition to this differentiation, some students are allocated support through our Learning Support and Hub timetable.  This year our Learning Support team has been supported by Mrs McKean and Mrs Burke in the Hub. The Hub is an area where students can learn the skills required to be successful in the classroom. We have many students accessing both learning support in the classrooms along with academic support in the Learning Hub and social and emotional support in the downstairs Hub.

We are extremely proud of the learning that is provided at Cathedral. We are also so grateful for the support that is given to our students by their families. Reading fluency, comprehension and a rich vocabulary go hand in hand with a home where literature is loved, where families read and where children are given the opportunity to speak, to interact and to listen.

Our school motto is a true reflection of our reality at Cathedral.

Faith   

Values  

Excellence

Camille da Silva Tavares   | Principal

Thank You Mum!

Alpha - You are invited!

While we filled the tables last week at Alpha with the arrival of our new guests, we still have room for any of our Cathedral parents, grandparents, parishioners or friends who may like to join us this Thursday at 12pm in the Mother Ignatius Croke Hall.

What should I expect?
Alpha is an environment for anyone and everyone who wants to explore life and the Christian faith, ask questions, and share their point of view. Alpha is free and everyone is welcome. This season of Alpha will run for 10 sessions (each Thursday at 12pm).

Alpha begins by sharing a meal together (lunch will be provided free of charge).
After lunch participants watch a brief clip about Christianity.

Do I have to be Catholic or Christian to attend? No
Do I have to attend Mass regularly to attend? No
If I have small children can they come too? Of course!
Do I have to attend every week? No. It is ideal if you can attend every week, however we understand that you may not be able to make it each week or you may want to attend the first session to see if you will enjoy Alpha and that is perfectly fine.

Alpha is a wonderful opportunity to connect with others. The Cathedral Parish has already run two seasons of Alpha and our Cathedral staff participated in Alpha last year. This is a combined effort with our Cathedral Parish and caters for those who would prefer a day time event. The Parish will continue to run future seasons of Alpha with further evening options.

Leadership Appraisals

As we embrace our journey of continuous improvement, our leadership staff are given the opportunity to reflect on their roles and plan for future development. 

This week our Religious Education Coordinator, Mr Ashley Boylan will undertake his leadership appraisal. This is an important time to validate the work that is being done in his role and to plan for leadership goals over the coming years. We take this opportunity to thank Ashley for his tremendous leadership at Cathedral, both in the area of Religious Education and the pastoral care of our students.

I will also commence my period of review in the coming weeks. Parents are invited to complete a survey which will be emailed next Monday, 20th May. The survey is aligned with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership standards and the data will be used for future goal setting.

Camille da Silva Tavares   | Principal

Staffing

This week we welcome Mrs Noemi Alcantara to our support staff team. Noemi will work on Thursdays and Fridays. Further recruitment for support staffing is continuing.

 We also welcome Mr Bailey Brien on his teaching placement. Bailey is currently studying to become a teacher and will spend time in 6BG for the next six weeks. Welcome Bailey!

It is with great joy that we congratulate Mrs Melissa Vickers on the announcement that she is expecting a baby.

Recruitment for each of our maternity leave positions has already begun and we look forward to sharing further details as soon as these are finalised.

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.

Student Representative Council (SRC)

Enrolments

Teaching and Learning

Return of an Old Boy
This week we are delighted to welcome back one of our ex-students, Bailey Brien, who is joining us for his final-year practical placement as part of his Primary School Teaching degree. Bailey will spend the next six weeks in 6BG. It is always a special moment when our former students return as emerging educators, ready to hone their skills where their own educational journeys began. This placement is not only an opportunity for growth and development for Bailey but also reinforces our partnership with Charles Sturt University, supporting the training of the next generation of teachers. We hope this experience will greatly enhance Bailey’s teaching skills and pave the way for a rewarding career in education. 

A Journey Back in Time
Our Year One students are gearing up for an educational adventure to Miss Traill’s House on Thursday, 16th May. This excursion will provide the opportunity for students to explore the changes and continuities in the way families have lived over time. Excursions such as this are pivotal in broadening our students' understanding of their local history and enhancing their learning beyond the classroom. At Cathedral School, we are committed to providing these enriching experiences, believing that they lay the groundwork for a lifelong curiosity and appreciation for the past, enriching our students' educational journeys.

Catherine O’Neill   | Assistant Principal

Religious Education & Catholic Life

Parish Mass -18th May 
We invite all families to join us this Saturday evening for the 5pm Parish Mass where Cathedral School members are excited to be involved in a number of ministries within the Mass. This is another wonderful opportunity to strengthen our connections with other parishioners in our parish.

Stage Masses
We are excited to be recommencing these celebrations this term.
It means a lot to your children if you are able to join them at this Mass.

Save the Date -24th May
Please join us as our whole school celebrates ‘Our Lady, Help of Christians’ with Mass in the Cathedral Church at 12:00pm on Friday 24th May.

Alpha Sessions
The Cathedral Parish invites families to another series of Alpha. We are excited to host these upcoming sessions in our school hall. Sessions commence on Thursday 12th May at 12pm with a provided lunch. Entrance is via the church car park entry.

Variety NSW Bash
Mr Bradbury is generously giving of his time once again this year, to  participate in the annual Variety Club Rally. Variety is a children's charity that helps to give children who are sick, experiencing disadvantages or living with a disability a fair go in life. As the participants travel around parts of NSW they will  get to see the direct impact of their fundraising efforts along the way, with a range of educational, health and mobility equipment provided to local schools and organisations en route.

On Thursday after lunch, classes are invited to come and check out the amazing set of wheels that has been decked out by Mr Bradbury and his teammates, that will be used in the rally!  The spectacular Holden Statesman and Mr Bradbury will be on the William Street Playground after lunch for classes to get up as closely and safely  as possible and to hear from Mr Bradbury about his upcoming adventure!

Thank you so much to Mr Bradbury for his time this Thursday afternoon and also for the time that he dedicates to this very worthwhile cause! Find out more information here:  https://fundraise.varietynswact.org.au/event/nswbash24/home

Sacramental Program:
It has been wonderful to hear about many of our students receiving sacraments through Parish Masses recently. Please email a photo through to me if you wish to have this celebrated in the school newsletter. We kindly request that names are not visible in the provided photograph

Information on First Penance, First Holy Communion and Confirmation and how the parish based, but school supported, Sacramental Program will function this year was provided last term via grade overviews, school and the parish information session.   Please speak to your child’s teacher or myself if you require further information about registrations.

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 leading these celebrations.

Coming up:

Ashley Boylan   | Religious Education Coordinator

Awards

Library

Merryn Sadler   | Teacher Librarian

Class in Focus | KA

What a Week! 
Kinder A have had a wonderfully busy week filled with Mother’s Day Art, Gymnastics lessons and our literacy and numeracy groups. We really enjoyed our Maths investigations around equivalence and also playing number bingo as our warm up game. We loved all our reading and writing activities, especially our focus text “Pig the Fibber”. We also completed some very detailed directed drawings of dogs we were very proud of.

Staff & Students | KA

SPB4L

This week in our classrooms, we are learning about how we can show respect using whole body listening. Our classrooms are full of many varied learning activities with time for movement, discussion and exploration. These cues are used when students are required to listen to teacher directions and the contributions of others.

SPB4L Committee

Wellbeing

The Resilience Project
The Resilience Project is committed to teaching positive mental health strategies to prevent mental ill-health and build young people’s capacity to deal with adversity.

Teachers and students will engage in weekly lessons and activities around the key principles of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness (GEM), and Emotional Literacy to build resilience.

Check out their website for more information: The Resilience Project

And check out TRP@HOME; a place filled with inspiration and activities for the whole family, to help improve your wellbeing and build resilience. TRP@HOME

Breakfast Club
Our Cathedral Breakfast club has continued to be positively received by our students. It is really pleasing to see our students enjoying something warm on these colder mornings, and being able to fuel their bodies for their day of learning and playing ahead.

We would like to thank Coles, Woolworths, Q Office Furniture, Mount Panorama Lions Club and the McMahon family for further sponsoring this project with their generous donations. Our hope is to continue this project into the future and would welcome any further donations of food or money to support the project.

Please contact Alana in the canteen on 0417 044 116 if you would like to be included in the morning breakfast roster. Food is served from 8:30-9:00am. If you could spare some time at drop off it would be greatly appreciated.

This program is voluntary and only students presenting to the canteen will be given breakfast. Please contact the school if you would like to opt your child out of this program as all students who present to the canteen will be given breakfast unless instructed otherwise.

Did you know children consume around 30% of their daily food intake at school? Most of this comes from the contents of their lunchbox.
What children eat during their day at school plays a crucial role in their learning and development.

Alice Gallagher and Abbie Bowman   | Wellbeing Teacher/Primary Coordinator 

Counsellor

Jordana Kissell   | Counsellor 

Sports

Coolah Cross Country
Congratulations to our 32 Cross Country representatives who, after their impressive efforts in the Cathedral Primary Cross Country last term, attended the Diocesan Cross Country in Coolah last Tuesday, 7 May. We were very impressed at the excellent skill, talent and behaviour displayed by all students on the day. Congratulations to Emilia who came 6th in her age group and will be representing the school at the Polding carnival in June at Eastern Creek. Thank you to our wonderful parents for transporting and supporting their children on the day. Thank you also to Mrs Louise Condon who supported our students.

Peachey Richardson Rugby League Gala Day
We had two Stage 2 teams represent Cathedral school last Wednesday, 8 May at the Peachey and Richardson RL gala day. All the students had a wonderful time and a chance to showcase their football skills. Thank you to Barry Froebel for assisting the students on this day. Thank you also to Mrs Naomi Dubojski and Mrs Alice Gallagher who supported our students.

Rugby 7’s Gala Day
We have a Stage Two team representing Cathedral school on Tuesday, 14 May at the Rugby 7’s gala day.
Thank you to Barry Froebel and Peter Rohr for preparing students in training sessions and coaching the students on this day. We wish all students the best of luck and a great day of football!
Thank you to Mrs Louise Condon and Mrs Alice Gallagher for supporting students at the gala day.

Infants Gymnastics Sessions
We are very excited to have Aspire Gymnastics come to school this term to teach our infants classes. These sessions will be taking place in Week 2, 3, 4, and 5 of this term on a Friday. This will mean that infants sports day will change from Thursday to Friday for these weeks only. Students are asked to wear their sports uniform on Friday for these weeks. They may still wear their sports uniform on their regular sports day if they wish. 

Parent Volunteers
This term is filled with lots of fun sporting events for our students to be a part of! For these events to be as successful as possible and include all the students that want to participate, we are asking for parent volunteers to assist in managing these teams. We are particularly calling for any parents who have experience or a child participating in the athletics carnival in week 4, netball gala day in week 6 or the soccer gala day in week 8 to reach out via email to the school office or Mrs Bowman. We will be holding a parent volunteer induction session later this term for parents to be able to assist us on these very busy days. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

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

Mini Vinnies Club

Lost and Found

Please claim at the School Office.

Parents and Friends

Next P&F Meeting: Wednesday 6th June 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

Mother’s Day
A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers that helped at our Mother’s Day stall and breakfast.

Friday 21st June- Trivia Night
Put your thinking caps on, plan a babysitter and get ready for a fun child-free night.
 Start organising your table of up to 10 adults, If you need help finding a table, please contact us.

OPTIONAL School Jackets
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

It’s great to hear all of the wonderful sounds happening again this term with music  back in full swing!

It’s important to try your hardest to arrive on time each week for bands and ensembles, especially for our progress and structure.

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

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

   Canteen Roster Term 2 2024

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.

Out of School Hours Care (OSHC)

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