2025, Term 2, Week 4

Principal Message

Dear Families,

What a wonderful evening we had at our recent School Disco! It was a tremendous success, with many families in attendance and our students thoroughly enjoying themselves. Events like this are only possible thanks to the incredible support of our school community. A heartfelt thank you to the parents who coordinated and volunteered on the night—your efforts created a joyful and memorable experience for everyone involved.

We are now gearing up for our Monster Raffle, an exciting initiative that promises fantastic prizes while supporting our school in meaningful ways. Funds raised through the raffle will help subsidise key events in our school calendar, including our much-loved Feast Day celebrations. Additionally, proceeds will offset costs for special occasions such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Grandparents Day, ensuring these events remain accessible and enjoyable for all. Anyone who would like to assist with the organisation / fund raising aspect of this initiative, please contact the school office or School Community Group: stambrosescg@gmail.com

We are also thrilled to share that a brand new stainless steel barbecue has been installed on our school grounds. This fantastic addition, funded through the generous efforts of our School Community Group (Parent Forum), will be a lasting asset for both students and families to enjoy during school events for many years to come. We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support and commitment of our parent community in enhancing our school environment.

As part of our ongoing focus on student wellbeing, the school continues to conduct regular wellbeing surveys. These help us to better understand the needs of our students, identify any emerging concerns, and inform the development of classroom programs. Through this process, we aim to build a school culture grounded in respect, resilience, and compassion.

Most recently, I had the privilege of attending the NSW Catholic Schools Principals Conference. The conference provided valuable insights into both student and staff wellbeing, and explored the emerging role of artificial intelligence in education. The discussions around AI’s potential applications in learning and teaching were particularly thought-provoking, and I look forward to sharing these insights with our staff and broader school community as we consider the future of education in our school context.

Thank you, once again, for your continued partnership and support. Together, we are building a vibrant and caring school community where every child is encouraged to thrive.

Warm regards,

Brian Laybutt
Principal

St Ambrose is a Nude Food School!

At St Ambrose, we are proud to be a Nude Food School—a school committed to reducing waste and caring for our environment. The Nude Food concept encourages families to pack lunches and snacks that produce as little rubbish as possible. This initiative is not only environmentally friendly, but it also provides students with a practical, hands-on way to learn about sustainability and the importance of looking after our planet.

What is Nude Food?
Nude Food simply means food without excess packaging. It’s about using reusable containers instead of disposable plastic wraps, bags, or single-use packets. By choosing Nude Food options, we significantly reduce the amount of waste generated at school, keep our grounds cleaner, and instil environmentally responsible habits in our students.

Tips for Packing a Nude Food Lunchbox:

• Use Reusable Containers: Invest in a good set of reusable lunchboxes, snack containers, and drink bottles. These reduce the need for cling wrap or foil and can be used again and again.

• Buy in Bulk: Instead of buying individually wrapped snacks, consider purchasing in bulk and dividing portions into small reusable containers.

• Choose Fresh, Whole Foods: Fresh fruits, vegetables, sandwiches, and home-baked goods are all excellent Nude Food options that are both healthy and waste-free.

• Avoid Disposable Cutlery: Pack reusable utensils instead of plastic ones.

• Label Containers: Make sure all reusable items are clearly labelled with your child’s name so they can be easily returned if misplaced.

Why Nude Food Matters:

Adopting the Nude Food philosophy has many benefits. It:

• Reduces the volume of rubbish in our school

• Teaches students to make environmentally conscious choices

• Promotes healthy eating habits

• Contributes to a cleaner, greener future

We thank all our families for supporting this initiative and for helping us lead the way in creating a more sustainable school environment. Together, we can make a real difference—one lunchbox at a time!

Coffee and conversation

Road Safety & Traffic Management Reminders.

Year 2 Assembly

Weekly Awards

Tell Them From Me - Parents we need your say!

Year 4: Religious Education unit of work and Retreat Day

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 the great mums, dads, family members or friends who helped supply food for this feast.

Following this, on the Wednesday the Year 4 students participated in a wonderful Religious Retreat Day. We completed lots of activities based around their unit of work and the Eucharist.

A BIG thank you to Carina, Kia’s mum for picking up and delivering our pizzas we had for lunch.

We keep in our prayers and look forward to supporting the 20 students who will be making their First Holy Communion in a few weekends at Mass.

On Saturday 24th May we celebrate the Feast of Mary Help of Christians, (Patroness of Australia).

Almighty God
Deepen in our hearts, our love of Mary,
Help of Christians through Her prayers
and under Her protection may the Light of Christ
shine over our land and may your blessings remain with us always.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen. Mary Help of Christians Pray for us.

Winter Appeal

Reconciliation Week

Next week St Ambrose celebrates nation reconciliation week. During this week the students will be involved in many activities in connection with this celebration. There will be an incursion visitor, Jason King who will be doing a Bundjalung Language workshop

Parish Newsletter

Diocesan Cross Country

On Thursday, St Ambrose had 9  students travel to Grafton for the Diocesan Cross Country trials. Byron, Eden, Talin, Jasmine, Max, Flynn, Henry, Maya and Hamish. All students raced incredibly well in a very challenging course. 

A huge congratulations to _. _ has made the Lismore Diocesan Cross  Country Team and will represent the Diocese at Polding, held at Sydney Equestrian Centre on the 11th June. We wish you all the best.

Zone 1500m and 800m Junior (8, 9 and 10yo) Trials

The Athletics carnival is fast approaching us, as well as Zone trials for the 1500m event. In preparation for these races, we will be holding the following trials on the following day:

- Tuesday, Week 7 (10th June), we will be holding the 1500m trials for Zone for the Junior (8s, 9s, and 10s), 11s and Senior boys and girls. Only 2 students per age group will qualify to participate at zone in this event. This is an optional event. If your child does not wish to qualify for this event, they do not need to run the school trials. 

- Friday,  Week 7 (13 June),  we will be having 800m trials for the Junior (8s, 9s, and 10s) boys and girls to qualify to race at our school athletics carnival. We will be taking the top 10 students through. 

For both of these events, students are asked to bring a change of clothes and joggers to run in. More information will be sent out closer to the date.

Upcoming Sporting Events

Term 2, Dates 

Year 2 History Excursion to Murwillumbah Museum

On Friday, Year 2 went on an exciting History excursion to the Murwillumbah Museum. We explored fascinating artefacts from the past and discovered interesting facts about the history of the local fire brigade. One of the highlights of the day was visiting the dinosaur exhibit—it was so much fun!

Walk To School Safely Day

On Friday 16th May, we participated in Walk To School Safely Day. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to walk to school with their family members and friends to promote the importance of road safety and daily exercise. Students were greeted at the school gate by our wonderful Mini Vinnies representatives.

National Simultaneous Storytime

25th Anniversary of National Simultaneous Storytime. 2,204,658 participants took part in the LIVE reading of “The Truck Cat” Australia wide today. Thank you for taking part in the library today.

K-6 Public Speaking!

This term we have our School Public Speaking. Next week, teachers will send out the guidelines and criteria. Key dates are outlined below. 

• Weeks 6-7: Students write and practise their speeches at home for homework.

• Monday Week 8: In-class public speaking commences. Students from each year level (K-6) are chosen to compete in the finals. 

• Tuesday Week 10 (1st July): School Public Speaking Finals Evening commening at 5.30 pm in the hall. Students present in stages (Early Stage 1 Kindergarten, Stage 1 Years 1 & 2, Stage 2 Years 3 & 4, Stage 3 Years 5 & 6). 

If students do not wish to present their speech in class they can film this and upload this to Seesaw. If they choose to do this they are not eligible to compete in the finals. 

Chelsea Carter
Assistant Principal- Learning & Teaching

Jess Wilson
Leader of Pedagogy

Classroom Showcase - Friday 13th June

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Classroom Showcase! This event is a wonderful opportunity for you to see firsthand the hard work and creativity your child/ren have put into their learning tasks. The purpose of the showcase is to highlight the accomplishments and progress of students in various subjects. Students will share their educational experiences and goals through technology, classroom displays, and their written bookwork. Please note that this is not a time for individual parent-teacher conferences.

You are critical partners in your child/ren’s learning, and thus you have a hugely influential role in supporting learning outcomes. We look forward to seeing you at the Classroom Showcase and celebrating your child/ren’s achievements together!

Student Reports will be issued via Compass on Wednesday 11th June (Week 7).

Raising Kids in a Digital World

Below is a link to parent resources from last week's Inform & Impower Webinar. The resources include:

• Toolkit (slides, links & resources from the session) CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE TOOLKIT
• Webinar Replay - this will be available to view until 13th June https://event.webinarjam.com/t/click/81ng0a7vf7gsplunz3lsvgkyigxwao

All students have participated in an Inform and Empower Incursion over the last two weeks. Attached are parent tip sheets that relate to the contact covered. 

Apple Parent Sessions – We’d Love Your Input!

Each term, we host an Apple Parent Session on a Friday morning. These sessions are a great way to explore iPad features, set-up parental controls, showcase how iPads are used in class, ask questions, and build confidence in supporting your child’s digital learning journey.

To make these sessions as relevant and helpful as possible, we’d love to hear from you!

What topics would you like us to cover? Please let us know what you're curious about, what you’d find helpful, or any specific concerns you'd like addressed. To share your suggestions CLICK HERE.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts – your input helps shape these sessions to best meet the needs of our parent community.

Free Online Summit: Parenting Children with ADHD

Parents are invited to register for the FREE International ADHD Parenting Summit, featuring leading global experts, practical strategies, and real-life advice to help children with ADHD thrive. Accessible online from anywhere. Register here

Parent Assembly Conference

Registrations are now open for parents and carers to attend the annual Parent Assembly Conference featuring keynote speakers Maggie Dent, the Queen of Common Sense Parenting and Brad Marshall, the Unplugged Psychologist. A flyer with further details is attached. 

CCSP's Free Webinars - Term 2

NCCD Parent Information