Dear Parents
 

This week the School Advisory Council (SAC) gathered to continue reviewing the feedback from last term’s school-based survey. The range of responses have given us valuable data to work with in the weeks to come. Yesterday you received a letter from the SAC discussing the themes of the survey. Please take a moment to read this if you have not yet had the opportunity.

Catholic Schools Broken Bay (CSBB) is asking each school community to complete one more survey for the year. I acknowledge that there have been a number of surveys distributed this year, but I do encourage you to complete the Tell Them from Me survey. CSBB want to use the data collected to see how schools are meeting the needs of our families, especially in the areas of faith and spiritual development. More details and a link to the survey are in the newsletter.

A few of our families have experienced the death of a loved one either overseas or at home this year and have been unable to attend the funeral due to travel restrictions. After hearing of this situation at the recent SAC meeting, Father Dave offered to share a prayer for all of those families affected by the inability to be present, particularly due to the COVID pandemic. Please take a moment to share the prayer with Fr Dave through this link. Fr Dave also presented the Annual Parish Report to the SAC in the form of a video. Please click here to view the video.

Please remember in your prayers the Quarrell family (Jo) whose brother recently passed away due to Motor Neurone Disease. Please also keep in your prayers Michelle Leydon, whose sister in law passed away last week.

On Tuesday morning, we were finally able to welcome our Kinder 2021 students and parents into the school for the first time. COVID restrictions meant that all previous contact was through Zoom. What a difference it makes to meet with people face-to-face! Adhering to COVID safety guidelines, the children and a parent spent time in the classrooms before the parents gathered separately to hear more about the school. We look forward to their return next Tuesday when the new students will meet their Year 5 buddies.

As COVID restrictions are slowly easing across the country, particular restrictions for schools remain in place. While we are looking forward to parents joining us again for assemblies, class visits, meetings etc., as a school we need to continue adhering to the current guidelines. I will keep you updated of any changes in restrictions as soon as more information comes to hand.

Today I am accompanying Year 6 at the Collaroy Centre along with Mrs Ucchino and Miss Williams. The students are having a day of fun activities to make up for not being able to attend Canberra last term. They have had a great day!

Principal
Michael Gallagher

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

KB:  Amelie PT, Kailao H and Ava P
1B:   Joshua M and Jorgie A
1W:  Ryan W and Jacob T
2B:   Andrew G
2W:  Maddox W and Poppy E
3B:   Doug S, Harry D and Ella C
3W:  Jacob B, James G and Maylea C
4B:   Alicia M, Jake B and Zaara B
4W:  Ava W and Oliver F
5B:  Makayla J and April U
5/6: Lachlan D and William B
6B: Hamish G and Charlotte H
PE:  Florence C and Ava B
Italian:  Harrison D, Aidan C, Lauren O, Sophie O, Matthew C, Tristan D, April U, Sienna C and Pia F

 Jesus said “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

In our world only some people experience life to the full. Many others struggle each and every day for basic food, clothing and shelter. As part of our learning about living life to the full and service of others, students in Stages 2 and 3 took part in a presentation based on the video  ‘If the world were a village of just 100 people”.

Working on the premise that our class was ten students we thought about the world distribution of food, living standards, education, freedoms and wealth. Students are to be commended for the manner in which they engaged with these topics and the questions they put forward.


Congratulations to all our students and teachers who took on the challenge of Rice Day. Most students participated in the Rice Day challenge. Many of our older students reduced their food intake in order to experience a feeling of hunger. Other students supplemented a smaller lunch with a bowl of rice. 

At St Kieran’s our Social Justice program is taught through the Service-Learning Model whereby students try to walk in the shoes of the underprivileged and learn through service. Offering the students the opportunity to experience hunger for a short time is part of this program. All proceeds from Rice Day will be forwarded to Catholic Mission Australia. 

Thank you to Hannah and her helpers in the canteen for preparing and distributing the rice bowls. Thank you also to our Year 6 Mission Team for initiating the Rice Day challenge, advertising it and helping at the canteen on the day. 
 
Yours in Religious Education,
Mrs Kerrie Wetzlar

On Thursday, 5 November, the students of St Kieran’s participated in rice day, where we received a bowl of plain rice to last us for the whole day. 
 
From our experience we disliked the emptiness of being hungry. We also sincerely understood that we were doing it to experience what it is like to be hungry, as many suffering children around the world do. Luckily for us it was only for a few hours. 
 
Throughout the long day, we all felt slightly hungry as we did not indulge much breakfast or morning tea on Thursday morning. 
 
It was important to see the world from another perspective, as not everyone has the privilege to eat a large and nutritious meal day to day.
 
We praise and thank all the students who participated in this important event. We also thank the ladies in the tuckshop without whom the day would not have been possible. 
            Gretel Wilson on behalf of the Mission Team. 

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.

Friday 4 Dec 2020
Urban Tadka 7.00pm

 

I am pleased  to announce Dads Xmas Curry night will be on againat the Urban Tadka  _ Terry Hills. They do a great package Banquet and Drinks .

There will be a limit of 30 people so first in best dressed.
As I can't do the coach this year, I will talk to Uber and see what Cars/ Transport we can arrange or if this is possible.

Looking forward to a great night.

Howie    
Email Howardgiles100@hotmail .com   Tel 0438888528