5 February 2024

Upcoming Events - Term 1 Week 2

• Monday 5th February
  • First Day for Kindergarten
  • Tea and Tissues in the Mother Ignatius Croke Hall for Kindergarten parents after drop off
  • Assembly led by 6BG followed by a cuppa for all families
    
    
• Wednesday 7th February
  
  • P & F Meeting 5:30pm in Library Zoom link - passcode 788296
    
    
• Thurday 8th February

  • 10:00am Opening School Mass in the St Michael’s and St John’s Cathedral Church
    (Year 6 Leadership badges presented)

  • St Stanislaus College Scholarships close

2024 Important Dates

• Tuesday 13th February
  • St Stanislaus College Scholarship Testing Morning
    
    
• Wednesday 14th February
  • 10:00am Ash Wednesday Mass in the St Michael’s and St John’s Cathedral Church
    
    
• Thursday 15th February
  • Concert Band (7:50am) & Junior Band (11am) Commence
    
    
• Friday 16th February
  • P&F Welcome Picnic (all families invited)
    
    
• Thursday 22nd February
  • Pupil Free Day
    
    
• Friday 23rd February
  • 2024 Year 6 MacKillop and St Stanislaus College’s Taste of High School Day
    
    
• Monday 26th February
  
  • Bathurst Eastern Region Swimming Carnival
  • 5:30pm Parent Information Evening
    
    
• Thursday 29th February
  • AFL Paul Kelly Cup

More important dates listed here Website Calendar Link

Handy Hint - To add the Google Calendar to your Google Calendar App you need to open the Google School Calendar Link on a desktop site.

Welcome Kindergarten

We are so proud of our littlest learners. It feels like they have been here for years…

From The Principal

Self-preservation is a temptation. 
If winter were to never end, we would not marvel at the spring. Have the courage to replace your fears with dreams. Don't be managers of fears, but entrepreneurs of dreams! 
(Pope Francis @Pontifex 3.8.23)

This year our diocesan theme (above) reminds us of our call to allow the Spirit to guide us, to courageously step forward without fear. It acknowledges the very real struggle of life which at times includes suffering and hardship, while allowing for the beauty of hope and renewal to inspire our tomorrows. 

This year we look forward with hope as we continue to develop and adapt to bring a current and relevant schooling experience to our Cathedral students and families.  Our three priority areas are listed below:

1. Spirituality of Community 

• Cup of tea after assembly each Monday morning (bring your own from Cafe Viva or enjoy an instant on the house)
• Alpha Faith series for families 

2. Celebrating and Catering for Diverse Learners

• Implementation of the Resilience Project
• Development of the Hub learning space

3. Dynamic and Responsive Curriculum

• Implementation of new Mathematics and English curriculum with a focus on fostering high levels of engagement and challenge for students

Acknowledging and Celebrating Our Journey
We thank the very talented Calum Hotham for creating a magnificent entrance to our school. Calum is a local artist who uses spray paint to create amazing images which can be seen throughout Bathurst and beyond. Calum is currently creating  an artwork for Cathedral that honours our rich Mercy history and the importance of our journey. The autumn theme represents the magnificent Cathedral landscape, signalling the journey  from the autumn to the spring.  Our very popular resident wood ducks are depicted, representing the love and guidance of all those who have and continue to guide our students (the little ducklings) along their journey of faith.  The Mercy cross is the focal point of the artwork. The cross is radiating light, reminding us that it is Christ who guides us on our journey and that Jesus is the light of our world.

We are so grateful to Calum for sharing his creative gift with us, so that we can be reminded of our journey each day as we enter the school gates. 

Camille da Silva Tavares   | Principal

Teaching and Learning

Welcome back to another year at Cathedral! As we embark on 2024, we’re eager to highlight our key curriculum focuses, each aimed at nurturing academic excellence and promoting personal growth in our students.

Continuing Curriculum Reform
This year, we continue our commitment to embedding the new curriculum areas of English and Mathematics across K-6. Our goal in teaching and learning  is to create a vibrant culture of learning, where we elevate our existing practices to new heights.  By implementing high-impact teaching strategies, providing meaningful feedback, and designing and implementing quality assessments, our goal is to develop students into expert learners. Crucially, our teachers will be engaged in ongoing professional learning to support this initiative, drawing inspiration from the work of Dr. Michael McDowell. This professional development is part of a broader initiative across all schools in the Bathurst Diocese. A Professional Learning Day for teachers will take place on Thursday 22nd February (Week 4). This will be a Pupil Free day at  Cathedral School. 

Introducing The Resilience Project
In a significant enhancement to our Personal Development and Health curriculum, we are excited to implement ‘The Resilience Project’. This program, developed by Hugh van Cuylenburg, is a cornerstone in our approach to educating the whole child. It is designed to equip our students with the skills and strategies to build resilience, promote positive mental health, and foster a sense of belonging and inclusion. Incorporating elements of Gratitude, Empathy, and Mindfulness, it focuses on developing emotional literacy to support overall well-being. Please click this link to take you to the parent and carer’s hub to learn more about this exciting addition. 

Enriching Learning Support
Planning commenced at the end of last year on The HUB,  an extension of the areas of support provided to students at Cathedral School. The main aim of this centre is to build the skills required for our students to fully engage and succeed in the classroom. This will be achieved by creating highly-predictable and individualised routines that provide clarity and consistency for our students. The HUB is located to the left of the Year 2 classrooms. Mrs Debbie McKean, along with Mrs Anita Burke, will be the key professionals linked to THE HUB.

We are excited to embark on this journey with our students in 2024. We invite you to join us at our school Information Evening on Monday 26th February to learn more about these initiatives and our other areas of focus, along with areas of consolidation in the new year.

Catherine O’Neill   | Assistant Principal

Religious Education & Catholic Life

Welcome:   A warm welcome to all of our new and returning families. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome our new School Chaplain, Fr Karl Sinclair and look forward to working with Fr Karl in our Mases, Liturgies, CLassroom Visits and other important areas of Religious Education and Catholic Life of Cathedral School.

Opening School Mass:  Please join us this Thursday at 10:00 am in the Cathedral Church as we ask for God’s blessings on all of us as we start a new year. Our new student leaders will also be inducted and blessed in their new roles.

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.

The Year of Prayer:  As we embark on this new academic year, let us heed Pope Francis's call to embrace 2024 as the 'Year of Prayer,' preparing us for the upcoming Jubilee Year "Pilgrims of Hope." Pope Francis invites us to join in a great "symphony" of prayer, renewing our desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him, and to adore him. May this Year of Prayer deepen our relationship with the Lord as we fulfil our sacred vocation, shaping hearts and minds in the Catholic faith and tradtions.

Sacramental Program: Please join us in the Assumption Church on Thursday 7th March at 6:00pm for information on First Penance, First Holy Communion and Confirmation and how the parish based but school supported Sacramental Program will function  this year.

Community Google Calendar:  Check for any updates for our various liturgical events.

Musician Volunteers: If you have any experience in being involved with the music ministry at mass and would like to support us at some of our School Masses this year then please contact me to discuss this wonderful opportunity.

This Year at a Glance: Please find below an overview of the various Masses and celebrations planned for 2024. 

Coming up Next Week:

Library News

Welcome back! I hope you had a restful holiday filled with lots of good books.

The Library is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

My aim is for the Library to be a safe space where children are exposed to a variety of books, creating readers and ultimately lifelong learners. We focus on literature and information literacy in our forty minute lessons each week. Children are encouraged to borrow each week with borrowing starting for all grades this week. 

Please help your child remember to bring a Library bag and their books to return on their Library day.
Tuesday  - 4BR, 6BG, 6T, KM and KA
Wednesday - 4W, 3G, 3B, 2I and 2M
Thursday - 5A, 5C, 1M and 1JV

 Merryn Sadler   | Teacher Librarian

Welcome!

A huge congratulations to Sophie and Matt who have welcomed the very beautiful Eli. 

If your family have welcomed a new addition please email the office so that we can share this beautiful news with our Cathedral community.

Parents and Friends

 Cathedral School Parents & Friends 

Welcome to 2024! We’re excited to welcome our existing and new families at our Welcome Picnic. 

This will be held on the evening of Friday 16th February 2024 at the school, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm BYO picnic (no alcohol please!) 

This picnic is a wonderful opportunity to meet other families, and members of the school community in a relaxed setting. 

                                       This year’s P & F committee is made up of the following people: 

                                      President:  Allison Cornish
                                      Vice President:  Louise Francis
                                        Treasurer:  Jenny Taylor
 Secretary: Bianca Cutler
Publicity Officer: Melissa Bray
Fete Coordinator: Courtney Anderson

If you have any questions about P&F, our projects or would like to get involved, please see one of us or  contact us at cathedralpandf@gmail.com

Next P&F Meeting: Wednesday 7th February 2024 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. For those who cannot attend in person, we have the same Zoom link each meeting, if you would like to join from home! 

https://bthcatholic.zoom.us/j/62675200979?pwd=dUYyV3M2MVd0TVVjclRKZE5jdnlMdz09
ID: 62675200979@zmau.us   
Password: 106688

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. 

 Shrove Tuesday: Tuesday 14th February 2024

Tuesday is Pancake day / Shrove Tuesday. We make the children pancakes to celebrate this day before the beginning of Lent. If you are available to mix batter or cook pancake, please get in touch with us: cathedralpandf@gmail.com

Bianca Cutler   | Cathedral P & F

Music News

Welcome back!
I hope you all had a wonderful and restful break.
I'm really looking forward to another great year of music at Cathedral!

Please Note: Private lessons commence in week 2 
Both school bands and Guitar group will commence in week 3
Due to a pupil free day in week 4 there will be no bands.

We still have some vacant spots available for bands, guitar group and one on one music lessons at Cathedral.

If you would like some more information on how to enrol or would like to discuss further, please email me at chris_dove_trumpet@hotmail.com 

Chris Dove   | Band Director

Sports News

Cathedral Swimming Carnival

🏊‍♀️🎉 Our Swimming Carnival last Friday was a blast! 🏆 From impressive performances to peer encouragement, it was all about talent and teamwork. An extra big congratulations to Quinn house for winning the Spirit Cup and to McAuley house for taking home the win! 

We would also like to thank all families for persevering with the new online permission and nomination forms. Congratulations to all the below houses and students. 

House Points - McAuley 
Spirit Cup - Quinn
Age Champions and Runner Up
Junior Girls - Scarlett Lewis + Zara Gordon 
Junior Boys - Oscar Hession + Jack Buckley 
11 Year Girls - Lucy Smith + Emilia Blackie 
11 Year Boys - Carter Stahl + Jaxon Dury 
12 Year Girl - Peppa McWilliam-Gibson + Georgie Anderson
12 Year Boys - Samuel Guy + Maximus Vogelsang 
Participation Awards - Evie Hemopo + Harrison Galloway-Smith

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

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