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23 October 2020

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Dear Parents
 
The further easing of COVID-19 restrictions this week reminds us of how fortunate we are, compared to many of the nations around the world. While we are grateful for the situation we find ourselves in, we should also view with a sense of compassion and empathy, the plight of millions of people around the world who are facing a resurgence of the pandemic in their countries. For many of us, we may have family and friends who are affected by this ongoing situation and we keep them in our prayers at this time.

Pope Francis released his latest encyclical earlier this month. It is a letter titled Fratelli Tutti” which translates to “Fraternity and Social Friendship”. This is one of many letters written by Francis since he became pope. The first letter, "The Joy of the Gospel", speaks of the joy found in our faith. The second letter, "On Care for our Common Good", calls for us to repair our relationship with our planet. This latest letter asks us to re-ignite our relationships with each other, especially during this pandemic and the many social challenges facing the world at this time. Last week’s Parish Bulletin contains a summary of the letter. If you wish, you can read the letter itself through this link.

As of this weekend, the limit for religious worship has risen to 300. While this is great news for our churches, we are reminded to continue COVID-Safe practices such as the wearing of masks, social distancing and regular hand washing. As the opportunity for Mass attendance has increased, I encourage you to consider joining the parish community in the celebration of the Eucharist with your family. Our school community, part of the parish community, is looking forward to reconnecting with the parish through weekend masses in the future.

Stage 3 have been working hard in preparation for the musical extravaganza next week, Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits. Sadly, restrictions mean that audiences will be limited to students only, however, we are investing in a quality recording of the event so it can be shared with our families in the coming weeks.

A reminder that school photos are on Monday. Please ensure that you have followed the instructions provided through previous emails and newsletters so that your child does not miss out on the opportunity for a photograph.
 
Principal
Michael Gallagher

2020 School Dates and Terms

October
Mon 26:  School Photos
Tues 27:  Take it Home Tuesday
                 Musical Dress Rehearsal - Infants attending
Wed 28:  Stage 3 Musical for primary students
Fri 30: Yoga - Kindergarten
           World Teachers' Day
November
Tues 3:  Kinder 2021 Transition
Wed 4:  Yoga Yrs 5 & 6
Thurs 5:  Rice Day
Fri 6:  Yr 6 Camp at Collaroy
Tues 10: Kinder 2021 Transition
Fri 13: Yoga Kinder
Tues 17:  Scholastic Book Fair
Wed 18: Scholastic Book Fair
Thurs 19: Scholastic Book Fair
Fri 20: Yoga Yrs 5 & 6
            Optional play session Kinder 2021
Mon 23:  Swim Carnival
Fri 27:  Yoga Kinder 
             Yr 6 Spirituality Day
December
Fri 4: Yoga Yrs 5 & 6
          Christmas Carols tbc
Fri 11:  Yoga Yrs 5 & 6
Mon 14:  Yr 6 Lunch & Celebration Evening
Wed 16:  End of Yr Thanksgiving Mass tbc
Wed 16:  Term 4 Ends for students
                Yr 6 Long Reef dinner tbc
January 2021
Wed 27:  Teacher Return
Thurs 28:  Students Yrs 1 - 6 commence
February
Mon 1: Kinder commence
 
Please note that dates may be subject to change.  Remember to check your Compass App for any updates.
This week I spent some time watching our Stage 3 students prepare for the musical  Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits.  The students’ enthusiasm and pride was strongly evident and it made me think about the benefits of students participating in such a performance.

One of the wonderful things about being involved in a performance is that for a short period of time, the performer becomes someone else. For a child who struggles to talk about feelings, there is a tremendous relief in disappearing behind a character and using it as an intermediary through which to open up. It is a very safe way for children to try out certain feelings — and take ownership of them — while playing the role of someone else.  It also provides children with an awareness about themselves and their creative skills which they might have never discovered otherwise. The skill to manage a situation when something goes wrong means that children learn to improvise. 

Involvement in a performance is all about self-expression, exploring alternative options and embracing creativity.  This allows children to develop self-confidence and belief in themselves.  It also develops language and communication skills, helping children to communicate with others confidently and effectively.

It’s been fortunate for our Stage 3 students that this has been able to go ahead this year as the advantages of being involved in something like this will continue to foster their growth and development for years to come.

Have a great weekend
     Marisa Bombardieri, Assistant Principal

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrate a birthday this week.

20 Oct: Kurtis S
22 Oct: Joshua P
23 Oct: Samuel C

SCHOOL  NEWS



Important

All visitors to the school must sign in via the Compass kiosk located at school reception.

School Fee Relief


The Diocese of Broken Bay is committed to supporting families as the impact of COVID 19 continues to be felt in the community. To apply for COVID fee relief please click here

Congratulations to the following students who received Merit awards this week:

KB:  Alexander M, Emily R and Louis H
1B:   Charlie C and Carter A
1W:  Angelique C and Jude C
2B:   Jack H and Toby S
2W:  Tyler P and Felicity M
3B:   Alessia F, Phoebe K and Marlon W
3W:  Alana R and Aidan C
4B:   Eli W and Sam M
4W:  Josh G and Jack P
5B:  Zoe M and Abbey M
5/6: Amelia R and Lukas G
6B:  The Year 6 debaters - Ashleigh W, Pia F, Luke W, Amelia S and Trevor O
PE:  Jorgie A and Alessia F
PlusAll of Year 5 !!

Religious Education

Rice Day
An opportunity to feel hungry

We are all aware that many children in the world live on a cup of rice a day.  As part of our Mission modules of learning, we are offering students the opportunity to go hungry for part of their day. We are not asking students to starve but simply feel hungry for a few hours. Students are under no obligation to participate in Rice Day.

 

Parents can discuss with their children the extent to which they participate. For example: Our Kindy and Yr1 students may simply replace part of their lunch with rice whilst older students may have a light breakfast, no fruit break or morning tea, only have a cup of rice for lunch then fast until dinner, no snacking. This is an opportunity for students to walk in the shoes of the hungry.  

 On Thursday 5 November the canteen is serving a cup of rice for lunch.  Please use the canteen online ordering system QKR!  to order and pay for a cup of rice. The cost of the cup of rice will be $2 with a dollar from each cup going towards Catholic Mission Australia. Hannah would like to put a call out for rice cookers. Could you please contact Hannah if you are able to send your labelled rice cooker to school for the day.  
     Yours in Religious Education
     Mrs Kerrie Wetzlar


A few starvation facts to ponder and discuss:

  • Overall, 5.6 million children under age five died in 2016, nearly 15,000 daily (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016).
  • Approximately 3.1 million children die from undernutrition each year (UNICEF, 2018a).
  • Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year (Glicken, M.D., 2010).
  • 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, (World Food Programme [WFP], 2012).

 Source:   https://www.worldhunger.org/world-child-hunger-facts/

Book Week



What a wonderful week we had with Book Week! The students all looked fabulous in their dress ups and had great fun “parading” on Tuesday. Many thanks to all the parents who went to such an effort with costumes; the students really enjoyed it.

There were many entries for the colouring in competition and drawing of “curious creatures.” The winners will be announced next week.



The Scholastic Book Fair will be held in Week 6 this term. The Book Fair has always been a very popular event but will be run differently this year due to Covid restrictions. The students will complete their wish lists at school then bring them home for parents to pay online. The wish lists are then brought back to school after the payment is made and the goods will be given out. As the Book Fair is a great Scholastic points raiser for the school, we hope that this system continues to be a great way to get these points.

The Book Fair is a great opportunity to stock up on up-to-date books and even assist with Christmas shopping! More details will follow closer to the Book Fair.

Take it Home Tuesday

 

Next Tuesday 27 October,  we will be conducting ‘Take it Home Tuesday’. Please bring all your food in earth-friendly containers and wrappings.  Our focus will be reducing the packaging you bring to school. 

The Environment Team
Sofia, Makayla, Lennox, Trevor, Ronan

Year 5 Leadership Camp

Last Friday was a memorable day for Year 5 students as they travelled to the Collaroy Centre for their Leadership Day. It was a day of developing and demonstrating leadership skills such as effective communication, teamwork and problem-solving. Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed participating in Laser Tag as they made the most of the opportunity to battle against Mr Gallagher and their teachers!

Students needed to work together in a range of ‘challenge’ activities to achieve a common goal. It was difficult to complete some of these tasks when communicating without words or navigating others through a maze whilst they were wearing a blindfold. Year 5 also showed a great amount of team-work and encouragement to support each other on the Giant Swing where many went far out of their comfort zone.

  • “I enjoyed practising team-work and encouraging others and myself to be brave on the giant swing. I felt that I had accomplished something and am proud that I did what I said I was going to do.” – Daisy
  • “During Laser Tag, we needed to communicate to our team without talking which was challenging but fun. If someone didn’t understand what you were trying to explain, then you’d have to try telling them in a different way which was hard to do without words.” - Dylan
  • “The day was so fun because we got to play with our friends and spend time with others that we normally wouldn’t in class. Lots of people faced their fears on the giant swing, it was the best Friday ever!”- Aoife
Click here for photos.


Stage 3 Musical - Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits


Performance details:
Open sesame! The St Kieran’s Stage 3 musical for 2020 is Ali Baba and the Bongo Bandits. Our Stage 3 students have been busy rehearsing and are very much looking forward to sharing this musical and their gifts and talents with the St Kieran’s community!  Due to our Covid restrictions, this year our musical will be performed during school hours for a student audience only. Next Tuesday 27 October, Stage 3 will perform for K-2 classes and on Wednesday 28 they will perform for Years 3-4. So that parents have the opportunity to watch the musical, we will be recording the performance next Wednesday 28 October. Once the video is cut and created, we will set up a private stream where parents can view the video of the musical for one evening later in the term. More information will follow in the coming weeks regarding the date and time the private video stream will be open to access.
 
A taste of the tale:
Our musical is set in the ancient city of Old Baghdad which is in total chaos! The bustling bazaar is overrun with ruthless robbers and up in the palace Sultan Pepper's precious princess and Royal Ruby have vanished! To make matters worse, it seems the poor Sultan cannot trust his own Vizier, Mustapha Widdle, nor his mischievous monkey Booboo. So, when Ali Baba discovers the hidden Cave of Wonders (the secret hideout of Balthazar Bongo and his bumbling bandits) it's down to him to save the day!

When Ali’s ravenous, tap-dancing camel Humphrey bites off more than he can chew and Ali is accused of royal robbery, his fate seems as sealed as the Cave of Wonders itself. With the sands of time rapidly running out, will Ali escape the clutches of the evil Vizier? Will he find and free the imprisoned princess? And what's in store when Ali and Bongo finally meet ... fez to fez? These mysteries and many more will be revealed as Stage 3 fly across the dusty desert dunes with a little help from a genius genie!

So, be prepared to slip on your sandals for some sandy silliness as we take a thrilling carpet ride with Ali Baba and his crazy camel on an amazing Arabian adventure!
      The Musical Team

2021 School Travel Applications Now Open

Applications for student travel in 2021 opened from Monday 12 October 2020.
Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass for 2021 can now apply online. A new application should be submitted if a student is applying for a school travel pass for the first time or requesting an additional pass as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation (e.g. joint custody). 

For full details click here.

NSW Police Child Safety Digital Handbook

The “NSW Police Legacy Child Safety Handbook” is a comprehensive resource to assist parents, carers as well as teachers on a range of topics essential to child safety.  

The handbook has been updated to include key messages about COVID-19 safety and bush fire safety given the unprecedented fires we experienced earlier this year.  

The updated online edition (link above) also includes important content updates from: NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Police Force, Fire and Rescue NSW, Rural Fire NSW, Transport for NSW, Sydney Trains, NSW Department of Family & Community Services, eSafety Commissioner and NSW Office of the Children's Guardian.

Have your child’s school memories captured forever!
Please take time to read the relevant information on the MSP Photography payment letter and remember these helpful points:

ONLINE PAYMENTS:
Parents can order and pay online through the Compass Portal. Instructions are included on the back of the letter. All Credit cards are accepted.
 
Orders accepted until Monday 26 October 2020
  1. ALL PAYMENTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY. 
  2. WE DO NOT ACCEPT CHEQUES OR CASH
  3. CONNECT: Log into your Compass Portal at:  skmvdbb-nsw.compass.education
  4. Order:  Place your order online and keep a record of your Order Reference Number.
  5. Family orders:  ** Must be placed no later than the day before photo day, to capture their photo. **
    Please order this with your eldest child. Order online by scrolling down below the individual packages to find your family ordering options.
  6. Orders received after photo day are subject to a $20 Archive Fee.
  7. Sport/Specialty Photo Orders will be organised after photo day on a separate Letter that will be sent home
For all enquiries please phone MSP Photography directly on 9499 6555

Cancer Council Healthy Lunchbox

A one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about packing a healthy lunch box.  The site has an interactive lunch box builder, lots of easy recipes and snack ideas and informative blogs about healthy family eating.

Volunteers - Please remember to sign in at the Compass Kiosk at reception when you arrive at school.

Please follow our Canteen Facebook Page.  Volunteer opportunities are posted here.

Week 3
  • Wednesday 28/10: Morning - Kavita Babuta / Afternoon – Jo Quarrell 
  • Thursday 29/10: Jane Smith and Kristie Hardy
  • Friday 30/10: Richard Bartlett, Kate Barbalace and  Kate Williams
Thank you
     Hannah, Canteen Coordinator, 0438 433 231 

Compass Guide for Parents

Compass is now our main form of communication with all families. If you are experiencing any issues with logging in, booking parent teacher interviews, viewing school reports or adding attendance notes please refer to the Compass Guide for Parents. If you need to have your password reset please email or call the office.
Compass Guide

Parenting Ideas- Michael Grose

Michael Grose is a former teacher and one of Australia's leading parenting and educational writers and speakers. He is the author of nine books for parents, plus 'Parenting Ideas' which offers a wide variety of parenting and educational resources from renowned experts including himself.

We would like to share one of his articles with you and also a webinar on 11 November:

Before and After School Care

Please be reminded of our contact details:

All calls, emails and texts will be returned during Coordinators admin hours which are 9am to 10:30am and 2pm to 3pm.

Alanna Kellendonk
Coordinator St Kieran's OSHC

Entertainment Memberships


Click here to support us now. Any questions please do not hesitate to contact Susan Nicols at slnicols@hotmail.com.

PARISH NEWS

Masses

For all Parish Bulletins from the Catholic Community of North Harbour please click here.

Parish Gospel and Homily Live Streaming Facebook or via YouTube

For further information please contact Janette on 0408 866 521 or via email

Baptism of Young Children Program
Is your child interested in becoming a Catholic or would you like your child to become a Catholic and participate in the 2021/2022 Children’s Sacramental Program?

Our Baptism of Young Children Program (for children aged 7yrs – 11yrs) will be offered in Term 4 2020 on Sunday 15, 22 and 29 November.
Please contact Janette at sacraments@northharbourcatholic.org.au or on 0408 866 521. 
      Janette Davidson - Family and Sacramental Minister, Catholic Community of North Harbour

COMMUNITY NEWS

COVID-19 Updates

For COVID-19 updates and latest news, click here.
Copyright © 2020 St Kieran’s Manly Vale, All rights reserved.


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