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Author Visit from Gary Eck
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Dear Families
At Tuesday night’s P&F meeting, changes for 2020 staffing were announced. Sadly we have three teachers who are leaving our St Kieran’s community at the end of the year. Mrs Cara Appleton (5/6A) is stepping down to spend more time with her family while Miss Cassie Vavouris (3V) has decided to travel overseas for some of the year. Miss Emily Channell (3C) is taking on a leadership role as Religious Education Coordinator at one of our Broken Bay primary schools. We will miss these three wonderful teachers very much and wish them well for their futures. Mrs Narelle Leathem (PE) is taking long service for one year but will return in 2021.
It is a fact that school communities never remain static. Teachers and families come and go. Schools change and evolve because of their very nature. Families move on from the school community for various reasons such as a relocation, new jobs etc. as do teachers for new career opportunities. The contributions that families and teachers make to the school community and culture are invaluable.
St Kieran’s has always had the reputation of growing leaders. Those of you who have been a part of the community for a number of years will be familiar with a few teachers who have gone on to work as consultants, assistant principals, religious education coordinators, or principals. Teaching staff and leadership impact the school’s culture and ethos, contributing to the ongoing journey that sustains the vision and mission of the school, but once they move on, nuanced changes and different ways of contributing emerge.
The strong learning community at St Kieran’s will continue to flourish and do what it does best; providing excellence in teaching and learning. We’re looking forward to an exciting 2020 full of all that is positive about our school. Great learning; strong parish ties and a welcoming community.
Teachers for 2020 are as follows:
Kindergarten: Mrs Jane Hocking
Year 1: Mrs Michelle Leydon and Mrs Peta Sutherland/Mrs Vanessa Clifford
Year 2: Mr Nick Labone and Mrs Wendy Rose/Mrs Karen Hughes
Year 3: Miss Monique Wright and Mrs Karen Sullivan
Year 4: Mrs Geraldine Watson and Mrs Kerrie Wetzlar / Mrs Liz McGuire
Year 5: Miss Jedda Kassis
Year 5/6: To be announced
Year 6: Mrs Christina Ucchino
Library: Mrs Liz McGuire
PE: Mrs Lucy Middleton
Music: Mr Jordan Waller
Italian: Maestra Fabiola Pellegrino
Thank you to those who were able to attend the P&F meeting. The existing P&F committee will continue for one more year and I thank them for their contribution this year and for the promising events in 2020. One position is still waiting to be filled and that is a representative on the Catholic School Parents committee. Thank you to Natasha Gennusa who filled that role this year. If you would like to find out more about this opportunity, please contact the school office.
The Junior and Senior bands performed on Tuesday night and it was wonderful to see how much they had grown in ability and skill during the year. Congratulations to all students, but especially to the Year 6 students, who performed their solos and received their band badges.
Congratulations once again to Philippa Q on receiving her Outstanding Sports Achievement Award on Wednesday evening. Pip received her award from NRL and NSW Blues star Craig Wing. Pip represented the Polding team in Cross Country and Athletics. Well done Pip.
As the end of year rapidly approaches, I ask your assistance with a couple of matters. Firstly, would you please ensure that your child is in the correct uniform where possible? This includes socks, hats etc. It is also timely to remind you that when purchasing uniforms for next year that you refer to the uniform guidelines that can be found at this link. Secondly, if children are bringing candy canes with a Christmas card, that the cane be stuck to the card so that they can be placed into the school bag and taken home.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the Christmas Carols this evening on the playground.
Michael Gallagher
Principal |
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Religious Education
 Preparations for our Carols Evening are nearing completion. Our band ‘Tinseltown’ made up of ex- students and parents are well prepared. We are ready for an enjoyable family evening of carols. Children are invited to wear angel or shepherd costumes. Party clothing with a bit of tinsel here and there is also most appropriate.
In order to make our celebration as safe as possible we request that parents park and walk into the school yard with their children close by. There will be a lot of cars and movement and we want all members of our school community to be safe. All children are to remain with their family at all times. Students will be called by class to gather in front of the bubblers prior to their carol.
We request that parents bring a picnic dinner to share on the grass area. In order to enable everyone to see we ask that only low chairs and picnic rugs be brought into the playground. Gates will open at 5.30pm. The school band will play in the area outside the canteen from 5.30 – 6.00pm. Carolling will commence at 6.00pm. We request that no alcohol be bought into the playground.
Our safety officers for the evening are our Kindergarten parents and members of the P&F. They will be wearing fluoro vests. Please listen to their safety directions.
Thank you to everyone who has worked together in order to make our carols a successful family celebration. A special thank you to the band ‘Tinseltown’, made up of ex-students and parents, for their preparation and stepping up to lead our carols. Sincere thanks also go to Mr Ben Marshall from Evergreen Music for preparing the music and leading rehearsals for the band.
Yours in Religious Education,
Mrs Kerrie Wetzlar
Dates for Term 4
- Christmas Carols: Tonight Fri 6 Dec 6 pm - St Kieran’s
- Yr. 6 Celebration Liturgy: Mon 16 Dec 6 pm - St Kieran’s
- Thanksgiving Mass: Wed 18 Dec 12.00pm - St Kieran’s
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Christmas Carols Tonight
If you would like a carols booklet please click here. |
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Vinnies Christmas Hampers
This Christmas we will again be supporting the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hamper Appeal but in a slightly different format to past years. The St Kieran’s hampers have had a reputation for being extraordinary in their generosity. Each year the need in the community grows and this year the hampers will be a little less grand but more in quantity. Each class has received a list of items needed and they have been making up two hampers instead of the traditional one per class.
The need is great. Please help us pass on some Christmas cheer to those less fortunate and recapture the spirit of giving at Christmas.
An additional voluntary contribution:
At this time of year, many of our families are looking for worthwhile causes to donate to. Last year, the teachers contributed gifts in the form of gift cards to both Bear Cottage and the Women’s Refuge. Both of these organisations are feeling the pressures of the times and have expressed to us that they would greatly appreciate some added support.
Option 1: Bear Cottage: They are in need of gift cards that would be suitable Christmas gifts for teenagers. These cards could be for any amount and be able to be used at major stores like Target, Rebel Sports, Big W, K Mart etc.
Option 2: The Women’s Refuge: They have been more specific in their need for gift cards valued at $20 that they can hand out to people in need that come to them to buy basic items such as food and clothing. These cards are better to be from a supermarket (e.g., Coles or Woolworths) or from one of the major discount clothing stores (e.g., Big W, Target).
Anyone who feels inclined to support either of these organisations could send whichever gift card to their child’s class teacher and we will make sure that they are delivered.
We thank you for your generosity in anticipation of the wonderful support always given from families in our St. Kieran’s community.
We would also like to thank the amazing families who have volunteered to deliver the hampers. The support was overwhelming.
(Please bear in mind that you can only do what your family can financially afford to do. Please do not feel pressured in any way by this request.)
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Library Books
All library books need to be returned by next Wednesday, 11 December. After Wednesday, notices will be sent home requesting payment for books. Please have a good look for books at home and return them if found.
Author visit- Gary Eck
On Wednesday, the students in K, 1 and 2 were fortunate to participate in a talk from Gary Eck.
Gary explained how long it takes to write a book, where his ideas came from and showed the students how to draw a mouse by simply starting with two triangles.
The students were able to ask questions and several were able to purchase a signed copy of his book. Below are some comments from the students:
- “I thought he was funny and he did a great “HONK” noise.” (Ryan KS)
- “I thought he was creative and I liked his book very much” (Ella 2L)
- “He knows how to make banana bread. Gary’s book had a great message” (Maya 2L)
- “Gary is a good author and he is great at drawing a mouse.” (Sam and Charlie KS)
- “It was a really funny story. I always wondered how they woke Sleepyhead up.” (Leon 1L)
- “I liked the pictures in the book and the mouse was funny when he spoke at the end of the story.”(Tommy 1L)
- When Gary drew the mouse’s nose as an elephant’s trunk, it was really funny.”(Sarah 1S
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Swimming Carnival Ribbon Ceremony
Thank you to all of the parents who were able to attend our Ribbon Assembly yesterday. What a great opportunity to recognise the sporting achievements of the students of St Kieran's following our Swimming Carnival. A big thank you to Blake Leathem for joining us at our assembly. It is great to see past students giving back to our school community.
Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent St Kieran's at the Northern Beaches Swimming Carnival in February 2020.
Marlon W, Charles B, Kieran H, Harrison D, Oliver F, Darek P, Michael P, William B, Lachlan D, Tadhg M, Matthew C, Daniel P, Jaden W, Oliver S, Felicity B, Amelie P, Alana R, Emilia G, Kayla D, April U, Aoife S, Philippa Q, Mila C, Maddison B, Maddison R, Ana Luiza F, Amy S
Two students have been selected for each age group for 50m Freestyle events. Participation for other events is broken down into Junior (8, 9 and 10 yr), 11yr and Senior (12yr +) categories. Two students have been chosen to represent the school in these categories for each additional stroke.
Thank you to all of our parents once again for their help at the carnival and for your continued support of sport at St Kieran's.
Kind regards,
Emily Channell
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2020 Band Program
In 2020 we are excited to introduce Evergreen music to St Kieran’s. Evergreen Music is owned and operated by Ben Marshall and Debora Mauro. Ben Marshall was the Parish Youth minister for many years at St Kieran’s and has a close association both the parish and school. Many St Kieran’s students already attend Evergreen Music in Brookvale, where the philosophy is to “learn to play music, learn to love music, and be a musician for life” Please see the linked flyer for information regarding the “mixed ensemble program”
Students in Years 2 – 5 will have the opportunity to trial an instrument on Monday 9 December at school.
Please discuss with your child over the weekend if they would like to join the band.
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Semester Two Reports 2019
Our Semester Two Reports for 2019 will be available on Compass. This will make it easy for parents to access their child’s report and as your child moves through Primary School, it will be easy to access all the reports from your child’s schooling journey.
We’d advise all parents to print out reports from the Compass website and keep a copy as once your child leaves St Kieran’s, access to the Compass website will cease. Therefore, as reports are made available on Compass it would be a good idea to download, print and keep a hard copy at home.
Below (or here) are some instructions as to how you can view and download the reports. Reports this year will be available from Friday 13 December.
Enjoy your weekend
Marisa Bombardieri
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Young Investigators Science at St Kieran's
Introducing Young Investigators Science – A hands on Science program giving K-6 students opportunities to have fun with Science and experiment with critical thinking and problem-solving.
More information on the program can be found here.
Registrations are now open and places are available on a first in best dressed basis and will close once the class is full. Please register using the below link.
Registration: https://www.eyeheartscience.com.au/yiregistrations
When: Thursday mornings (Starting Term 1 2020)
Time:7:30-8:30am
Where: Onsite – classroom TBC
Cost: $220 per term. (CREATIVE KIDS VOUCHERS ACCEPTED!)
Dates: Thursday 6 th Feb – Thursday 9 th April
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Term 1 2020 After School Robotics Program
For Years 1 -3 on Monday afternoon 3 - 4.30pm from 3 February to 6 April. Click here for details.
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Canteen
NEXT WEEK’s ROSTER (Term 4 - Week 9):
Wednesday 11 December: Jane Rich (M), Alicia Unkovic, Kate Foley (A)
Thursday 12 December: Nelly McGarth (M), Trisha Byrne, Tracey Willis (A)
Friday 13 December: Nicole Covich, Riany Tanner, Debbie Barton - LAST DAY OF CANTEEN for 2019
Full day Volunteers are required from 8.50am to 1.50pm.
Morning Volunteers are required from 8.50am to 11.15am (M).
Lunch Volunteers are required from 11.15am to 1.50pm (L).
Any changes to the canteen roster, please contact: Jo Nesbitt - via text on: 0410 629 135.
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Expressions of Interest - Canteen Coordinator
Temp Part-Time - 30 hours per fortnight / 3 days per week - ideally Wed, Thurs, Fri for 2020.
SPECIFIC CRITERIA:
- coordinate and manage canteen roster
- operate the canteen in accordance with the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy
- facilitate and maintain on-line ordering system (QKR)
- communicate effectively with school, parents and students
- procure and manage canteen stock
- support school initiative to minimise waste
- work with parent network committee to order additional supplies for school functions
- assist with the management of canteen finance and banking
All applicants for school support staff positions must submit a CV including details of three nominated referees and include a letter addressing the essential / specific criteria for the position and be mailed to the Principal.
For further information please contact the school office 9949 3523 / skmv@dbb.catholic.edu.au. |
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Year 4 Christmas BBQ
Year 4 Christmas BBQ & Farewell for those students leaving will be at Manly Dam 15 December from 1pm onwards at Table 22. Any questions please contact Tash Gennusa 0411 433 514 or skmv.kindy2015@gmail.com.
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Digital Entertainment Memberships
Entertainment Memberships have now gone digital!!
As of November, Entertainment Memberships will now only be available as Digital Memberships. The biggest changes include:
- Memberships are now valid for 12 months from date of activation! (They don’t expire 1 June of each year)
- You can now Gift someone an Entertainment Membership! What a great idea for Christmas.
- You can have access for up to 5 devices! Great for all the family over the holidays.
There are 3 new memberships to choose from:
- Single City for $69.99. Valid for one year. All the best savings in your city.
- Multi City for $119.99. Valid for one year. Enjoy savings across all of Australia, New Zealand and Bali.
- Multi Plus for $229.99. Valid for two years. 2 years of savings across all of Australia, New Zealand and Bali.
Click here to order your membership now. For further information and to answer all your questions, please contact Susan Nicols at slnicols@hotmail.com
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Christmas Eve Family Mass
C hristmas Eve Family Mass at 6:00pm at St Kieran’s Church All children are welcome to participate in this Mass and come dressed as angels and shepherds (optional). Any assistance with the following would be greatly appreciated:
* Helpers to sit with angels and shepherds * Welcoming; *Collecting * Ushers
Please contact Ursula by phone 0423 595 204 or email catechist@northharbourcatholic.org.au if you and your family can assist in this joyous parish celebration. |
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Northern Beaches Council School Holiday Program
Some brochures are available from the school office or go to the council website.
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