Newsletter Term 3 Week 1 (Wednesday 23rd July 2025)
- Year 5 Haiku Poems on Display!
- Our Gospel Reflection
- From Our Acting Principal
- 3 Way Conferences
- Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
- Assistant Principal - Mission
- Scholastic Book Fair
- MJR & PB4L
- Sports Dates
- School Community Forum
- Stars of the week
- Celebrations
- Calendar
- Healthy Eating Active Living
- Parish News
- Community News
- Parent Resources
Year 5 Haiku Poems on Display!
Year 5 students have created beautiful Haiku poems, now on display in the office foyer. These thoughtful pieces are paired with stunning artwork and showcase the students’ creativity and poetic talent. Be sure to stop by and enjoy their wonderful work!
Our Gospel Reflection
Like so much of the Gospel of Luke, this week’s passage is, at its heart, all about hospitality. This theme has featured in the gospel readings for the last couple of weeks. It is a theme that the writer returns to over and over again throughout the gospel to reinforce not only the importance of welcoming the message of Jesus, but also the extravagantly generous hospitality and welcome that God extends to all people.
Taken at a literal level, this week’s gospel passage can be a problematic one. Jesus is dining at the house of Martha and she busies herself trying to be a good host and serving her guest, while her sister, Mary, simply sits and enjoys the company of Jesus. Martha complains about her sister’s apparent laziness and finds herself chastised by Jesus.
On the surface, Martha is doing the right thing: providing hospitality for her guests. Yet Mary is the one whose actions are affirmed. Like in the parable of the Good Samaritan last week, the gospel writer reminds us that being preoccupied with one’s duty – even in service of God – is not what God desires. Martha has forgotten that the guest is also a gift! Having welcomed and shown appropriate hospitality to her guest, Martha should have then accepted the gift of the guest, that is, the company and presence of the welcome guest. Instead she continues to busy herself with serving while her sister shows true welcome: accepting the gift of the guest’s company.
When we welcome a guest into our house, we can be too worried about impressing the guest with lavish hospitality and our best serving ware, rather than relaxing and enjoying the company of the guest. Like Martha, we can overlook the fact that God is present when we welcome a guest.
From Our Acting Principal
Welcome back to Term 3!
I hope everyone had a restful break and that you were able to get out and about to enjoy the holidays with your families. It is such a joy to see so many happy faces return to school and the excitement students display when they greet their friends and teachers in the morning. The students have settled in beautifully to their classes. As I walk around the classrooms, it is so lovely to see the children so engaged in their learning.
We’re excited about all the wonderful things happening this term and can’t wait to share them with our students and families.
2025 School Census – Friday 1st August.
The annual Non-Government Schools Census will be held on Friday 1 August. The purpose of the Census is to collect data about school staff and student enrolments to inform government funding and policy for non-government schools. A Privacy Collection Notice is available, outlining what information is collected, why, and how it may be used.
Staffing Changes
For the remainder of the year (Terms 3 and 4), Mrs Sally Griffiths will continue to teach Year 5 from Monday to Wednesday, and Ms Emma Davis will teach the class on Thursday and Friday. Ms Davis is an experienced teacher who has previously worked at St Brigid’s, teaching Year 2. Prior to her time with us, she taught Stage 3 at South Grafton and also held teaching roles in Narromine. In addition to her work with Year 5, Ms Davis will be teaching Year 4 RFF on Wednesday afternoons. We are pleased to welcome Emma back to St Brigid’s.
NAPLAN Results
Students in Year 3 & 5 will take home their Naplan Report in a sealed envelope tomorrow. The report will show four proficiency standards (Needs Additional Support, Developing, Strong and Exceeding) that are used across Numeracy, Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar & Punctuation. These proficiency standards describe what students are expected to know and should be able to do in Literacy & Numeracy at the time of NAPLAN. If you have any further questions, please contact your child's teacher. Your child's teacher can provide insight into how your child's NAPLAN result relates to their other school-based assessments and classroom learning, and any additional support your child might require.
2026 Enrolments
Enrolments for 2026 are currently being finalised, particularly for Kindergarten. If you know of anyone intending to join the St Brigid's community for 2026, please ask them to complete their enrolment applications online as our staffing allocation will be based on our enrolments at Census which occurs at the beginning of August.
Newsletter Update
A reminder that from this term, we are trialling a fortnightly newsletter. On the alternate weeks, families will receive a short bulletin containing key upcoming dates and student awards from the previous week.
As always, Compass remains our central platform for all school communication. We continue to prioritise its effective use to ensure families stay well-informed and up to date.
We’re looking forward to a fantastic term ahead and thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.
Vanessa Walters,
Acting Principal.
3 Way Conferences
It is essential that every family has a booking.
Our 3 Way Conferences, involving parents/carers, students, and teachers, will take place in Week 3 of Term 3. It is essential that every student has a booking for these meetings. These conferences provide a valuable opportunity to celebrate your child’s achievements and engage in meaningful discussions about their learning progress. Active participation from students, parents, and teachers is key to making these conversations effective and supportive.
Book your time via The Compass App.
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
ICAS
It’s your last chance to sign up for the ICAS Competition in 2025! ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies. If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please go to the Parent Portal to register for your chosen subjects. You can do this in one of two ways:
- Direct login link – faster! Use this link to log directly into the shop and start registering.
- Log in using the PPS code. Visit our shop and use our PPS code to log in:
Shop link HERE. PPS code: NYX238
Registration for all subject areas closes on Monday 28 July at 11:59pm.
We are proud to be offering ICAS to our students this year and encourage you to consider entering your child. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.
Poetry and Public Speaking Competition
Children from Kinder to Year 6 have the opportunity to participate in the Richmond Zone Poetry and Public Speaking Competition this term. This is an optional activity for students who are committed to practising at home and allocated times for each stage with Mrs Lynch.
If your child would like to participate, they will need to come prepared to school in Week 2 with a poem of their choice (K-6) or if in Stage 2 or 3 either a poem or an original speech. Classroom teachers can assist in making these decisions. We will commence practice sessions in Week 2 during a lunch session (day and time to be advised). I will provide students with feedback and support as they prepare for our school competition. Students will be required to also practise their poem or speech at home and ensure that they know it off by heart.
In Week 7, as part of the preparation for this competition, participating students will present their poem/speech and be judged against the marking criteria in order to determine the two grade finalists for each grade who will progress to the Zone competition at Holy Family Primary School, Skennars Head on Thursday 18th September (Week 9). Children progressing to the Zone competition will be required to attend with their parents or carers.
Outline:
| Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 | Poetry Recital Only. |
| Kinder, Years 1 & 2 students | Recite a poem of choice. Creative ways of orally presenting information is expected. The poem can be an original or published. Years 1 and 2 students will have up to 1 minute. |
| Stage 2 | Poetry Recital or Speech. Years 3 and 4 students will speak on a topic of their choice, or recite a poem of choice. The poem can be an original or published. Creative ways of orally presenting information is expected. Years 3 and 4 students will have up to 2 minutes. |
| Stage 3 | Poetry Recital or Speech. Years 5 and 6 students will speak on a topic of their choice, or recite a poem of choice. The poem can be an original or published. Creative ways of orally presenting information is expected. Years 5 and 6 students will have up to 3 minutes. |
Important Teaching & Learning Dates
| Monday 28 July at 11:59 pm | ICAS Registration for all subject areas closes. |
| Monday 4th August - Friday 29th August | ICAS Assessments |
| Thursday 18th September | Richmond Zone Public Speaking |
Warm regards,
Sammantha Lynch,
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
Assistant Principal - Mission
Upcoming Term Events
We have a busy and exciting term ahead with many wonderful celebrations to bring our community together. Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up:
- This Sunday: Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne — Sunday Mass & morning tea at the Church.
- End of Week 2: Saint Brigid's Grandparents Day — 12:20pm Mass at the Church followed by lunch on the school grounds and our Book Fair in hall.
- Week 3: Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop
- Week 4: Rug Up, Snug Up Vinnies Winter Appeal & Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Week 5: Family Parish Mass at 9am with children’s liturgy, morning tea & playtime
Save the dates — we look forward to celebrating together!
Courtney Hyde,
Assistant Principal - Mission
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair will be open on:
Thursday 30th July – Lunchtime
Friday 31st July – Lunchtime
Friday 1st August – During Grandparents Day
The Book Fair will be set up in the school hall. Come along and discover a great range of books for all ages!
MJR & PB4L
Sports Dates
Sports Dates Term 3
| Thursday 31st July | Zone Athletics |
| Friday 29th August | Multisport - Stage 3 |
School Community Forum
Next meeting: Tuesday 5th August, 3:30pm, School Library.
Parent Voice Matters!
We’re planning some exciting additions to enrich our students’ school experience, and we’d love your input. Ideas already include:
New sports equipment for recess and lunch
Additions to the Wellness Mat
Prayer boxes for classrooms
All ideas will be reviewed and costed this week, ready for discussion at our first Term 3 meeting: Tuesday 5th August, 3:30pm, School Library. Please complete the survey or send your ideas by the end of term to ensure your voice is included!
👉 Share your suggestions here: [Click here to submit your ideas].
We’ll also be discussing the possibility of running the Flower and Foliage Show again.
Stars of the week
One of our school goals this year is to have an average weekly attendance of 90% and above. The class with the best average each week receives the “Stars of the Week” trophy and certificate to display in their classroom.
Term 2 Week 10 attendance was 91.29%!
Term 2 attendance was 88%, just 2% short of our target of 90%. Let’s aim to beat this in Term 3
Celebrations
May God bless you with joy, good health, and His loving presence today and always. May your faith continue to grow and guide you through every step of the year ahead. Have a truly blessed day!
| 24th July - Frankie |
| 26th July - Alaska |
| 27th July - Braith |
| 31st July - Caius |
Congratulations to the following students who have shown tremendous effort and were presented with their awards at our assembly in Term 2 Week 10.
| Kindergarten | Jasper & Isla. |
Year 1 | Freya, Molly & Sophie. |
Year 2 | Sebastian, William, Elvii, Ayla & Harper. |
Year 3 | Igziah & Nicholas. |
Year 4 | Frankie & Stanley. |
Year 5 | Judah, Shekinah & Ruby. |
Year 6 | Bodhi & Adam. |
Principal | Sebastian. |
Calendar
School Calendar Access
You can find the school calendar in the Compass app by tapping the calendar icon at the bottom of the homepage. Click on the button below for how to access your calendar. Please always refer to the calendar for updates, as changes may occur.
Healthy Eating Active Living
Cook once, eat twice! With school back this term this easy pasta salad is a winner for family dinners and makes tomorrow’s lunch a breeze. For the full recipe click here
Parish News
Parish Information
Our Lady of Sorrows Parish established 1916. Our Parish Family includes the town of Kyogle and the villages of Urbenville and Woodenbong.
Parish Priest: Fr Joe Holloway | Parish Office Phone: 02 6632 1074 | Email: kyogle@lismore.catholic.org.au | Facebook: @OurLadyofSorrowsCatholicChurch
Service Times
Kyogle Weekday Masses: Tuesday 5.15pm, Wednesday & Thursday at 9am. Friday is at 12:30pm. Please note that this schedule is subject to change. Saturday Vigil 5pm | Sunday 9am.
Adoration and The Sacrament of Reconciliation begins 30 minutes prior to Mass on Friday's & Saturday's. Morning tea is served every Sunday after Mass, hosted by the parishioners. Everyone is welcome!
Quick Links
Catholic Life Latest Edition - April 2025
The April edition of Catholic Life is filled with stories and news that captures the vibrant life of the Diocese of Lismore.
The Catholic Diocese of Lismore YouTube Channel
Community News
Parent Resources
Educational Games
Toy Theatre | Educational Games for Kids
Math Games
Hidden Pictures Games and Puzzles
Quick Links
St Brigid's Facebook Page
Parent Assembly Facebook Page
Supporting Learning - Primary
Faith and Family
Tips for Parents – Supporting your Childs attendance at School
NSW Government Facebook Page