Dear Parents, Friends, Students and Staff,
It has been a pleasure to be back at school, greeting and catching up with the students and families, after my two weeks away. Sincerest thanks to Karen Keddie and Diane Scriven for their work in managing the school during my absence.
Confirmation
The Year Six students are in the final stretch of preparations to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Thursday 5th November at 6.00pm at St Francis of Assisi Church. Confirmation is the final Sacrament of Initiation and we pray that the students will be transformed as they receive the gifts of the Hoy Spirit to assist them as they navigate their life journey as young Catholic adults. Sincerest thanks to Ms Christina Zurzullo and Mrs Karen Keddie for their work in preparing the children to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
PRAYER FOR CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES
Lord, You send out Your Spirit to touch the hearts of all people, so that they may believe in You and in Jesus whom You sent.
Look kindly on all candidates for Confirmation as they listen to Your voice.
Open their hearts to Your Spirit and bring to fulfilment the good work that You have begun in them. As we prepare these children for Confirmation, make each of us an instrument of Your love.
Teach us to appreciate what is holy in others, and to be patient with what we do not understand. Deepen our faith in the Gospel and help us to pass it on by our example.
We pray that You will continue to guide us and sustain us.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Matthew Gibney Day
This week we celebrate our tradition, mission and charism as we gather for Matthew Gibney Day on Friday. Matthew Gibney Day is also a special day to celebrate and acknowledge the special role that our Grandparents play in our families and in our lives. It is such a pleasure to welcome Grandparents to school on Friday. This year, due to the disruptions of Covid 19, the celebrations will be a little different than previous years. The Resurrection Play, cancelled in Term One, will be performed for the audience as the first item on the day. I am most grateful to Mrs Aldred for her work in preparing the students for their various roles in the play. After the hard work during Term One, and the disappointment of having to cancel the scheduled performance, it is with a great sense of satisfaction that the children can perform the play for the audience on Friday morning. I look forward to welcoming all our visitors on Friday morning.
World Teacher’s Day
World Teacher’s Day is celebrated across Australia on 30th October. The day is an acknowledgement of the important role that all school staff play in the education, wellbeing and development of our children. The staff at Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School are dedicated to ensuring the students in our care have a strong sense of security in belonging to our community. I thank them all, on your behalf, for their commitment and dedication toward the students of our school.
NAIDOC Week
Next Friday, 6th November, we celebrate the culture, traditions and history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the first inhabitants of Australia. The students will be participating in a variety of activities during the week, including damper tasting and sampling various bush tuckers. Food sampling is optional and available for those children who would like to try something new. The week culminates with the NAIDOC Week Liturgy in the undercover area commencing at 9.00am. Parent and friends are most welcome to attend. My thanks to Ms Candy McKay and Miss Martinez for coordinating the NAIDOC Week activities.
P&F Raffle
The final fund-raising activity for 2020 is the Crown Touchers Voucher Raffle. The P&F have secured a generous donation form Crown Towers of a night’s accommodation, valet parking, bottle of champagne and entry for 2 adults to the Crystal Club. Raffle tickets are available at school and have been sent home to all families. I am sure we would all love the luxury of a night at the Crown Towers! Please support the raffle that will be drawn at the Edu Dance Concert Night on 4th December.
Out of School Hours Care
Thank you to parents for replying to the out of school hours care survey and filling in the application forms. All replies from parents were sent to Discovery Kids. Discovery Kids rang all families who had expressed interest for their commitment to commence in Term One 2021. Discovery Kids need a minimum of 15 students per session to be viable. Unfortunately, we are not quite there – close, but not close enough. Discovery Kids suggest our families enrol with their existing provider for Term One. They will visit the school to provide further opportunities for parents to learn more about the service they provide during Term One 2021 with the view of gaining more enrolments for a possible Term Two commencement. Thank you for your patience as we endeavour to work towards a service at Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School.
P&F 30th Anniversary Recipe Book
The P&F are busy planning celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of our school. They are working towards producing a recipe book with contributions from each family. Please keep an eye on the class Face Book pages for further details about the recipe book. We would love a contribution from each family so please dig out your favourite treasured recipe and send one into the recipe book project for other families to enjoy.
Absentee Procedures and Pick Up Procedures
Parents are reminded that an absentee notification must be sent to school prior to 9.15am. The absentee notification must be sent through to the administration office so our records can be kept up to date. Absentee notes to teachers must be copied to administration. Thank you for your support of this important procedure.
Parents who need to collect children during the day for appointments must come to the office to sign their child out, collect a card and then collect the child from the classroom. The children do not have to wait for their parents in the office.
Please continue to keep an eye on the upcoming dates. This is a busy term and it is important that parents are kept as informed as possible.
Best wishes for the week ahead.
Therese Hussey
Principal