2024, Term 2, Week 6

Principal Message

Dear Families,

As we reach the halfway mark of the Term we have much to celebrate and much to look forward to. To keep abreast of all that is happening, please refer to the school calendar for upcoming events. Currently we have many students who have prepared and are receiving their First Communion at weekend Masses. We congratulate these students and keep them in our prayers.

Last week we had nearly 70 students (Yrs 4 - 6) attend an AFL gala day at Byron Bay. In addition to this the students are currently gearing up for our Annual School Athletics Carnival - currently Shot Putt and Long Jump events are being held during school PE lessons and the 800m and 1500m events will be held during school time (as per notifications sent out). Our carnival will be held on Friday 21st June at the school.

Public Speaking will be taking place next week. Students will prepare a short speech that they can deliver to their class. From this we will select finalists who speak at our end of term Public Speaking Night. In turn two students per stage group will be selected to represent our school at the Tweed Zone Catholic Primary Schools Public Speaking competition.

A number of students are preparing for the Tweed Shire Festival of Performing Arts (Eisteddfod). The school will have students participating in choirs, bands and drama groups.

A BIG THANK YOU to our Yr 3 families who coordinated the recent school disco. It was a wonderful evening and clearly the children had a fabulous time. Our Yr 3 families did a wonderful job in organising this!!

Finally with winter approaching, a reminder that the school has warm woollen jackets that are available through the school.  Coloured jackets/puffers are not to be worn as a substitute to the school uniform. Please ensure that all items are clearly labelled with your child's name and class.

Warm Regards,

Brian Laybutt
Principal

Staff Changes

It is with great sadness we farewell Miss Lily Moore as Yr 6 Teal class teacher. Ms Moore has had to resign her position and is relocating to Sydney for personal reasons. We sincerely thank Ms Moore for all that she has contributed to the school and the Yr 6 students.

Mr Mike Lubans will take the Yr 6 Teal class for the rest of the school year. We thank and welcome back Mr Lubans.

Ms Annika Dicker will be taking leave from St Ambrose for 6 weeks. Ms Dicker will be taking up the appointment of Acting Assistant Principal at St Brigid's Kyogle. This is a wonderful opportunity for Ms Dicker and is a recognition of her, not only as a wonderful teacher, but her future as a school leader.

Hair Styles

It has become very evident of late that there are a wide array of haircuts that do not meet the school guidelines. In particular hairstyles such as mullets, having "lines" or "rats tails" to name a few. We also expect that hair is well maintained, tied back if long and students are well groomed.

As per our school guidelines:
Hair should be neat and tidy and appropriately cut. Extremes in style, cut or colour are unacceptable. This will be at the discretion of the Principal.

Whilst we have spoken to a number of students regarding this issue, many are ignoring the direction. As a consequence, any student who has an inappropriate hair cut will not be allowed to participate in any event outside the school. This includes sporting gala days, excursions, camps, band, eisteddfods etc.

One of our key core values at the school is respect. Wearing the correct school uniform and following school guidelines is a very important way of demonstrating the respect and pride you have of the school.

As of Monday the 10th June extreme haircut rule will be enforced.

Student Reports: Important Information for Parents.

Kindergarten Assembly Snippits

Term 2 Friday Assembly and Peer Support Calendar

Classroom Showcase

School Awards

School Family/Parish Mass Celebration

SUNDAY  23^rd June
STS MARY & AMBROSE CHURCH, POTTSVILLE 7:30am

All Students who made their First Holy Communion this Year will receive their certificate and we will have cake with morning tea after Mass to celebrate as a group.

We hope to see many St Ambrose families at this Mass celebration

At this Mass celebration staff from St Ambrose will be attending to the ministry duties and there will be children’s liturgy.

Year 4: Religious Education unit of work

As part of the Year 4 Religion unit on “The Eucharist” the students last Monday celebrated Sharing  a Meal together that linked with the Scripture Story of “The Last Supper”, when Jesus shared this meal with his disciples. It was a wonderful experience and time, many thanks to to the great mums, dads, family members or friends who helped supply food for this feast.

First Holy Communion

Congratulations to the 12 students who made their First Holy Communion on the weekend of 1^st and 2^nd June

There will another 14 of our students making their First Holy Communion on the weekend of 15^th/16^th June. We congratulate and pray for these children.

Parish Newsletter

St Ambrose Reconciliation week 2024 Celebrations

Throughout Reconciliation Week the students and staff of St Ambrose came together and broke the barrier between Indigenous and Non-indigenous Australians. We celebrated this week by wearing a splash of yellow as well as students creating a number of art works with deep meaning. We also created a beautiful cultural display in our Library for students, staff and visitors to be a part of.

Winter Appeal

Sports

AFL GALA DAY

Last Friday, the St Ambrose AFL teams travelled to the Cavanbah Centre in Byron Bay for the AFL Queensland Cup. Our Team 2 of the girls secured two victories and experienced one loss, while the members of Team 1 displayed remarkable sportsmanship throughout the day, offering great support. Both teams faced tough opponents, with St. Ambrose being the sole school to field two girls' teams, marking a significant accomplishment for the girls' participation at St. Ambrose. Every player had the chance to explore different positions, bringing pride to St. Ambrose.

We sent two boys teams down to participate. The Team 1 boys won 3 out of 4 games and were narrowly defeated by St Athony’s. These boys came 2nd in their pool. The Ambrose Boys Team 2 won a couple of their games in their pool. 

Everyone had a fantastic day and represented St Ambrose with pride. Thank you to the wonderful parents that assisted on the day!

Cross Country

A huge congratulations to Eden who recieved her Zone Cross Country medallion and her Diocesan Cross Country Trophy.

Year 5 and 6 NORPA Excursions

On Wednesday, students from Year 5 and 6 embarked on an enchanting journey to the Byron Bay Theatre. They immersed themselves in the captivating world of "The Laboratory of Light" show. Led by Luminous, a backyard scientist with an insatiable curiosity, the students delved into the mysteries of light. Through engaging experiments and original live music, they experienced a magical night filled with wonder and discovery. Following the show, they savored hot chip sandwiches in the park under the radiant sunshine of Byron Bay.

GRIP Leadership Conference

Last Thursday 10 Year 6 leaders went to the GRIP Leadership Conference at Twin Towns where they learned about leadership skills. GRIP stands for Generosity, Responsibility, Integrity, People. 

“We got to listen to keynote speakers, play some really fun games, learn about overcoming obstacles, facing challenges and achieving goals. We met kids from other schools, listened to inspiring people and got to make a whole lot of noise! It was a great experience.” 

Orlando and Max

Year 3 Excursion to Jellurgal Cultural Centre

On Wednesday 29th of May, Year 3 went to Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Burleigh. We enjoyed learning about white ochre and what it is used for. The ochre is used for multiple things such as sunscreen, medication and cultural ceremonies. The group leaders led us through the mountain trek and taught us about their history and the symbolic land on which we explored. They also taught us about their culture and way of life. We listened to an Aboriginal Dreamtime story about Jabrine, the careless giant and we could see where his stone fingers lay to rest on the grassy mountain. We would like to thank our wonderful parent helpers for joining us. We had an amazing time!

By Emma and Abbie

Apple Parent Workshop

Safety on Wheels

Expect your child to be at school every day.

Setting the expectation for your child to be at school every day is a fundamental aspect of fostering a positive attitude toward education and establishing good attendance habits. 

Clearly communicate to your child that attending school regularly is a top priority. If your child faces challenges related to attendance, such as reluctance or anxiety about going to school, address these issues promptly. Open communication with the school can help identify and resolve any underlying concerns.

You can seek advice free from NSW ParentLine 1300 1300 52.