2023, Term 4, Week 6

Prayer

Dear Lord,

You are so good to us. You have blessed us with beautiful buildings and learning spaces for our children to learn and grow in. You have blessed us with amazing staff that are wholly dedicated to supporting our students to achieve the Fullness of Life. You have blessed us with devoted parents in our community that care about their children’s education and school experience. 

We pray that you will guide us through the final school weeks of the year and help us to be open to making decisions in the best interest of our community and of the students in our care that we have been called to serve.

We ask this through Christ our Lord,

Amen

Principal Message

How was your day at school?

When you ask your child about their day (school, friends, etc.) how often do you get:
"I don't remember"
"Fine"
"Okay"

We want to have meaningful conversations with our children. We want them to be excited about
telling us things.

So how do we get them talking? Of course, developing a deep, trust-based connection with your child is key here but even then, sometimes our kids don't want to bother telling us about their day. In this case, try this very simple tip.

Instead of asking them lots of questions ("How was school?", "What did you do there?","Who
was there?","What happened?", or the total conversation killer "WHY" questions like, "WHY did
he do that?"), say:

"I wonder..."

"I wonder what was the most interesting thing you learnt today."
"I wonder what you did at lunchtime with your friends..."
"I wonder if your teacher had a good day today..."

When you use 'I wonder' instead of asking them lots of questions, you're showing your genuine
interest and you aren't demanding their answers.
Try using "I wonder" next time you want your child to tell you about their day and see how it
goes.

All Saints Day

On Wednesday 1st November, we celebrated the feast of All Saints Day. A time where we express our
thankfulness to God for the many faithful people who show us how to live as Jesus wants us to.

The feast of All Souls Day marked the beginning of a month where we remember all of the people
we have loved who have died and give thanks for the special place they have in our hearts. We
also pray that they are with God and at peace.

After Jesus died, his friends were sad and confused. When they met him on the road to Emmaus,
they didn’t recognise him, but they did what he had always taught them to do. They walked and
talked with him and then welcomed him in to their home. When they recognised him, they were
very excited and wanted to tell everyone.

When people we love die, we miss them very much. Hopefully we keep doing the wonderful
things they taught us to do. Maybe they taught us to cook, or to tie our shoes, or to swim, or play
piano. Maybe we enjoyed playing games with them, or singing songs together, or going on
adventures. Whatever it is, we keep doing the things that we learned and enjoyed, or know are
important.

We also realise that they will always be in our hearts. We carry our memories and have a sense of
them being with us, or watching over us, a bit like the disciples walking along the road beside
Jesus. When the disciples realised that Jesus really had risen from the dead they were very
excited, and we trust God’s promise that those we love who have died will also be raised to life
with God.

During the month of November, take time to thank God for the people close to us who have died,
and to ask God to continue to take care of them.

School Attendance

Attendance at school is crucial for all students, not only for the academic progress and growth but also for their wellbeing. It is difficult for students to learn effectively unless they are at school. They have a better chance of developing the skills and understanding that they will require if they are present in the classroom, as they utilise the experience and expertise of the teacher and the classroom dynamics.

We will be making contact with parents over the coming week to see how we can offer support and to discuss any continual absences that may be impacting on student learning and progress.

Assembly

Student of the Week, Most Improved Awards and Special Awards

Religion

Year 2 Advent Retreat Day

We are delighted to share the joyous and spiritually enriching experiences our Year 2 students had during their recent Advent Retreat Day. The day was filled with meaningful activities and reflections, fostering a deeper connection with their faith and creating lasting memories with their peers. 

The heart of the Advent Retreat Day lay in the interactive workshops that engaged our Year 2 students in discussions and activities. From storytelling sessions that brought biblical narratives to life, to art and craft activities that allowed students to express their understanding of Advent through creativity, each workshop was carefully designed to cater to the unique needs and interests of our Year 2 students.

The importance of prayer and meditation was emphasised throughout the day. Students participated in guided prayers, fostering a sense of quiet reflection and personal connection with their spirituality. This provided a peaceful and contemplative space for them to explore the beauty of prayer and its role in their faith.

As the day drew to a close, a beautiful and uplifting Liturgy was held and led by the students. Students shared their reflections, artworks, and experiences with their peers, teachers, and invited parents who joined us for this special occasion. The liturgy served as a collective celebration of the spiritual growth and understanding achieved during the Advent Retreat Day.

We would like to express our gratitude to the St Joseph’s Hich School students who joined and helped us with the activities, Matthew Ritchie, from the Catholic Schools Office who led one of the activities, Mrs Falcke who supported us with preparation before and on the day and to the parents who joined us for the liturgy. 

Parish Newsletter

Sports

Tweed Zone Trials

We would like to congratulate our Year 5 students who have been selected from the Tweed Zone Summer Sports Trials to represent our school and the Tweed at the Diocesan Trials. 

Orlando - Cricket

Husker - Cricket

Rugby Union

On Wednesday, the 15th, St. Ambrose actively participated in the annual Casuarina Rugby Cup. It was gratifying to witness a substantial number of students gaining their inaugural exposure to rugby, engaging in a fierce competition encompassing all six teams representing St. Ambrose. Thank you to the parents who contributed to coaching and attending to provide support for our students. Your collective involvement significantly enhanced the overall experience of this event.

Kindergarten 2024 Orientation

This week, we welcomed our 2024 Kindergarten students to St Ambrose as they attended their orientation days. There was so much excitement as the students marked the beginning of their educational journey. Our days provided an opportunity for all students to familiarise themselves with our staff, school environments, our daily routines and playground settings. We look forward to seeing all students returning and becoming apart of the St Ambrose Family! 

STEM

Last Wednesday Mia, Evie, Chase and Jarrah from the Year 6 STEM team, flew down to Melbourne to showcase their idea ‘Firefly’. While we were in Melbourne we went to the Google warehouse for a tour and met the two other STEM teams from our Lismore Diocese, we had so much fun. On the second day, we headed down to the Catholic Student Leadership Centre where we showcased our idea and explored other people’s innovative ideas as well. We met Ryan Evans, a finalist from Lego Masters and he showed us some projects he has made. We were a top three finalist in the Well Being Major awards, we had a great time and came back with a smile on our face! 

By Mia Collier 

Kindergarten - Year 2 Intensive Swimming

Uniform Order Cut-off Dates 2023/2024

Last Day for Uniform Orders 2023

Uniforms delivered to classroom Wednesday 6^th Dec - Order by 5pm Tuesday 5^th Dec

** Please note – All exchanges must be finalised by Wednesday 13^th December

 1^st Uniform Orders for 2024

Uniform orders ready for collection in Classroom when attending MAI/Best Start Testing - Order by 5pm Sunday 28^th Jan

Please make sure you have changed your child’s Year Level/Class in Flexischools to be their Class for 2024 so uniforms can be delivered to the correct classroom!

School Planning and Organisation for 2024

Is your child returning in 2024? It is the time of the year where we begin planning classes and staffing for 2024. To assist with preparation, we need to know who is NOT returning to St Ambrose next year. Information is sought for any student who will not be returning in 2024.

Please advise in writing your plans and details on sapot@lism.catholic.edu.au or contact us on 02 66760099 as soon as possible.

School Bus Pass Notification – Term 1 2024

Who should apply / reapply?

• All students transitioning from Primary School to High School / Year 6 to Year 7

• Students with a 2023 bus pass who need to update or change any of their details

• Students without a bus pass wishing to travel on a bus.

 Who doesn’t need to apply / reapply?

•  Students who currently have a bus pass for 2023 which do not fall into the above categories

• Students without a bus pass not wishing to travel on the bus

Please visit the below links for more information on applying for a School Bus Pass.

https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ticket-eligibility-concessions/school-student-travel

https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ticket-eligibility-concessions/child-student-concessions

If you have concerns regarding your schools’ services or a student on the network, Kinetic can be contacted directly on 07 5552 2700 and select option 5, where you will be directed to the Customer Experience Team.

Useful links to follow and keep up to date on travel and road conditions:

To view the latest travel alerts from Transport for New South Wales, please visit https://transportnsw.info/alerts#/bus

To check road and traffic conditions, please visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/live-traffic-nsw

For all travel options, to and from school refer to the Trip Planner by visiting https://transportnsw.info/trip#/trip or phone Transport for New South Wales on 131 500

St Joseph's College 30 year Anniversary Celebrations

Christmas Appeal

Gaming and the Brain

For many children, gaming is not a problem and may never be one. But for a very small number of children, gaming may become problematic. The distinction between healthy gaming and addiction lies in the negative impact it has on a person's life.

Signs to Watch For

• Needing to spend more and more time playing to satisfy the urge
• Using gaming to relieve or cope with problems or negative feelings
• Feeling unable to focus on other activities when they’re not gaming
• Having problems or arguments with family or friends
• Continuing to play even though it’s causing them problems
• Playing even though they’re no longer enjoying it
• Inability to reduce playing or unsuccessful attempts to quit
• Having problems at home, school, work or with study because of gaming
• Neglecting responsibilities and activities that are important or they enjoy
• Lying to people they’re close to about how much time they spend playing
• Having risked or lost friends because of gaming
• Feeling sad, angry, moody, anxious or irritable when they can’t play

Practical Tips

• Create a Family device agreement.
• Explain that you will turn off the Wi-Fi at a specific time or use parent controls to manage screen time.
• Decide together on the time allowed for gaming and that you will provide them with a 5-minute warning.
• Help them to understand how the games are designed to make them feel good and to play more. Watch this short video Your Child’s Brain on Screens and Video Games to understand game design and impact.
• Explore other healthy ways to feel similar endorphins such as active play and fun games.
• Contact Parentline (1300 1300 52) for advice if you continue to experience difficulties with your child’s gaming.

Learn More About the Impacts of Gaming and Screen Time

Watch How too much screen time hurts our kids by Associate Professor Wayne Warburton.