2024 Newsletter Term 2 Week 4

From the Principal - Catholic Schools Week

Please feel free to join us as we continue to celebrate our school this week.

R.E. Matters - Walking In The Light

Catholic Schools Week- ‘Experience the Spirit of Community’.

This week our school community celebrates Catholic Schools Week and especially our Catholic School and its 141 year presence in Gulgong. 

Catholic Schools Week is about strengthening relationships between all those who have a stake in our schools – students, staff, families, priests, parishioners, and members of the wider community. 

The theme for this year’s celebrations is: Experience the Spirit of Community’. The MacMillan Dictionary defines school spirit as “the feeling of being proud and enthusiastic about the school that you go to.” This is what we are all about this week and what a wonderful opportunity we had on Monday with our Catholic Schools Week Liturgy, Morning Tea and Open Classrooms.   The enthusiasm, kindness, reverence and generosity were there for all to see. Thankyou to all those who could join us.

It has been wonderful to see families embrace this week as an opportunity to also recognise and celebrate the Catholic faith. This can be done in small ways, by asking your child about their involvement in the Catholic Schools Week activities at school, praying before meals or before bed throughout the week or attending Mass on Sunday as a family.

Our school has a supportive community of teachers, parents, carers, P&F, clergy, parishioners and support staff who work together to focus on giving students the best education possible, encouraging success, promoting discipline, supporting creativity and instilling compassion. As an entire school community, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support of All Hallows Catholic School.

Mary Help of Christians  - Patron Saint of Australia

May is the Month of Mary. Mary has a unique and privileged place in the Church because she responded “Yes” to becoming the Mother of God, she is our first model of discipleship and our model of grace and trust in God.

The Feast day of Mary Help of Christians is celebrated on 24^th May each year. Catholics have always had strong devotion to Mary. It is recorded that when there were no priests in colonial Australia, Catholics prayed to Mary to nurture their faith.  One of the first priests, Father Therry, dedicated the Australian Church to Mary under the title ‘Mary, Help of Christians’.  

On the 24^th May 1844 ‘Mary, Help of Christians’ became a special patron of our country under this title.  Australia was the first nation to have ‘Mary, Help of Christian’s as its patroness and to observe the feast on a national scale.  

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

The school Athletics Carnival will be held next Tuesday 4th June. 

Students from Yr 2 – Yr 6 will attend the carnival all day and participate in track and field events. K/1 children will come to the oval after recess and participate in ballgames, running and field events.

We are in need of parents to help with field events, timekeeping, judging and BBQ and would be very grateful if you could help.  Please email allhallowsgulgong@bth.catholic.edu.au and let us know how you can assist.

HENRY LAWSON FESTIVAL

As a school we are looking forward to participating in the upcoming Henry Lawson Festival. As a school we will be joining in the Parade at 12 noon on Saturday 8th June. We are asking all students and staff that are present in town to come and join us in the parade. 

We will be dressing as people from the goldrush and marching as a school group. Students will need to wear jeans, check shirts and olden style hats/cowboy hats or colonial clothes and meet at 11.40am at the Bowling  Club carpark. These details will be confirmed in the week prior to the long weekend. 

On Saturday our P&F will be running a BBQ/Street stall outside IGA. This is the major fundraising event for the year. A "helpers sheet" went home during the week . At this stage we have only had 2 forms returned.  If you're free and can volunteer a few hours your help would be greatly appreciated. You just need to send your form back or let Carolyn or Bec know in the office.  A copy of the sheet will be emailed out again today to all families.

GULGONG EISTEDDFOD

Congratulations to all our students and staff for their amazing results last Friday at the Gulgong Eisteddfod. We are extremely proud of our students and how well they performed. Thanks to all the teachers for their dedication and time spent preparing the students.

As a result of their fantastic performances, Year 6 and our Year 1 & 2 Groups have been invited to perform at the Gala Concert this Friday at 6.30pm Gulgong Opera House.  Can parents of students in these classes please email your class teacher asap to let them know if you are able to attend.  This is a massive honour for our school to be invited to participate.

TEDDY BEARS PICNIC

Our annual ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ will be held next Tuesday 28th May (Week 5). Gulgong Pre-School and Happy Days will bring their students to the school at 10.00am on Tuesday to join with our Kinder students. Their staff will be accompanying the students like a normal excursion. Mrs Menchin, Mrs Leotta and Kinder will organise games, stories and activities for the students during their time at All Hallows. Anyone with Preschool aged children are also invited to attend. We ask you to sign in and the office when you arrive.

KINDERGARTEN 2025 ENROLMENTS

LITTLE BLESSINGS PLAYGROUP

This Thursday from 9.30am -11.30am we will be holding ‘Little Blessings Playgroup’. We had a great time at our first playgroup last week. We are encouraging anyone with small children to come along and join in the fun. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday.

P&F PIE DRIVE

Thanks to everyone who placed an order for our Pie Drive. We really appreciate your support. Pies will be delivered on Wednesday 5th of June. We will confirm delivery time at a closer date once it has been confirmed.

Student Wellbeing Tips

This week's tip is focussing on having a look at our happiness calendar. It gives students (and adults) ways that you can brighten someone else's day. It would be great if we were to see this happening around our school more frequently.

Biggest Morning Tea

Kinder, Year 1 & Yr 2 have been invited to present their Eisteddfod items at the Biggest Morning Tea being held at the Gulgong RSL Club tomorrow.  Students will walk with their teachers to the Club at 10.00am and return by recess.

Diocesan Aboriginal Mass - Mudgee

Next Friday 31st May, our Year 6 Leaders and Indigenous students have been invited to a special Diocesan Aboriginal Mass in Mudgee.  Students will leave school at 10.15am and travel by bus to St Marys Catholic Church Mudgee.  Mass will begin at 11.00am with a Smoking Ceremony and the Mass will be followed by a Sausage Sizzle lunch.  Students will return approx 1.30pm.

Online permission has been sent out today via COMPASS.

CANTEEN

Our Canteen operates each Tuesday and Thursday. Emma relies on the generosity of our parents volunteering their time to come and help her on these days. She requires one helper each day from 10am until 1.30pm.  We are desperate for volunteers.  If we are unable to find some more helpers we may have to look at minimising the canteen menu in the coming weeks.  Training will be provided.

If you are able to help in our canteen please contact the office with your availability.

MERITS - Week 3 Term 2

KINDERGARTEN - John V, Jack B, James M

YEAR 1 - Bella G, Zach K, Claire F

YEAR 2 - Harper B, Roly A, Adeline O, Jack H

YEAR 3 -Kaitlyn H, Hunter K, Elise T

YEAR 4 - Charlotte A, Ivy G, Elsie B

YEAR 5 - Tayla M, Dylan M, Braxton B, Frank K

YEAR 6 - Sophia B, Hope S, Isaac M, Lola P

HALO'S - Hamish, Avelyn , Miller , Rosie , Elise , Georgia, Wayne, Alex, Ruby T, Eloise