Address: 158 Katoomba Street Katoomba
Phone: 4780 6800
Email: stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au
Website: stcaniceskatoomba.catholic.edu.au
Facebook: St Canice’s School Katoomba
Dear Parents, Carers and Members of the St Canice’s Community,
On Sunday, we celebrate the feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. It is worth considering, in these challenging times, the challenges faced by Mary and how her faith helped her to not only navigate them but to become Australia’s first saint. Among her challenges, she was excommunicated from the Church by the Bishop. She hung on to her faith, however. She patiently waited and was reconnected with her community. She showed great courage by travelling to Rome to seek permission to carry out her great work. She suffered many losses in her lifetime but overall gained strength from this pain. We all have her to thank for the Catholic education we value and continue today. Her most well known quote, “Never see a need without doing something about it” reminds us to reach out the hand of help. In fact, catholicism apart, there is great benefit for us all in offering help to others and in accepting help, particularly in difficult times. Let us pray to Mary MacKillop to help us in our time of need and to help us to help others.
Trying to connect with the community is a difficult thing in this lockdown. I am pleased to say, however, that we have been able to create opportunities to involve parents and carers in our community. Our Grandparents’ Day and Olympics Assembly were very well-attended and were an excellent example of what we can do when we have limited ways of keeping in touch. My thanks to Mrs Wedesweiler and Mr White for the Grandparents’ Day Assembly and to Mr van der Walle and Mr White for the Olympics Assembly. We look forward to another great assembly on Friday this week where our Mini Vinnies group will help us to remember to help others who live on the margins. We have included in this newsletter a fact sheet related to information we collect for some of our students for whom we make learning adjustments because of a disability. It is entitled the NCCD (Nationally Consistent Collection of Data) Fact Sheet. The factsheet outlines what information is collected, why it is collected and what it is used for. Should you have any questions about, please contact Mr White, who leads Diversity at St Canice’s.
Meantime, thank you all for your work in helping us to keep learning moving at St Canice’s. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if we can be of any help,
God Bless,
Miriam Meaney, Principal
Many thanks to all of the staff at St Canice’s for their enormous effort in keeping us up and running since lockdown began. Our office staff have been on site from 9-11am each day and working from home for the remainder of the day. A reminder to all that phone calls need to happen between 9 and 11. Our teaching staff have been working both virtually and face to face. You would all know how hard the work is. All of your children have been working with learning packs, in Google Classroom and via Zoom. A reminder, Parents and Carers, that we have a very limited staff on site and can only accommodate the children who must be at St Canice’s because of family work commitments or because they cannot learn at home.
Ms Morley launched Extension Maths Online for Stages 2 and 3 on Friday last, 30 July. Many thanks to the students and parents who joined. Ms Morley gave a clear outline of what to expect and she is looking forward to discussing last week’s tasks and solutions on Friday this week at 12:30pm.
Zoom address:
https://parracatholic.zoom.us/s/64655163080?pwd=TlpFZ2RtWCtXMUY0NGFmWXpnZDVTdz09#success
We were deeply saddened to hear that Fionn, Callum and Lucy Hargraves’ uncle and Therese’s brother, Michael O’Brien, passed away last week after an illness. We ask that you keep the Hargraves children and Therese in your prayers at this very difficult time. We also pass our condolences on to Ms Sally Piggott, a staff member who is currently on leave recovering from a broken leg. Sally’s sister, Cathryn, passed away last week. She had a prolonged illness and it is consoling for the family to know that her suffering is now over. Sally, her husband and her brother have been granted an exemption to attend the funeral. May Michael and Cathryn rest in peace.
Let's celebrate pyjama day at home!
(Unfortunately this year’s pyjama day has been interrupted.)
We invite the students to wear pyjamas to this week’s assembly, where we will pray for those who are homeless and struggling through this cold winter.
When : Friday 6th August.
Donations can be made online at https://my.fundraise.vinniesnsw.org.au/fundraise-your-way/winter-games-night-and-pyjama-day
to help support The St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal.
Our target is $300.00 .
On behalf of Mini Vinnies, I thank you for supporting this most important cause.
Ms Morley
Photos of students at home can be shared with their class teacher to be posted on our school’s facebook/website.
We enjoyed a lovely Coffee and Chat a couple of weeks ago as a community. It was an opportunity for parents to say hello to friends you have not seen recently. We caught up on each other’s news and shared stories. We will do this again next Wednesday, 11 August at 11am. So find a minute to sneak away and have a coffee with us all next Wednesday! I have copied the Zoom details below and will share them via COMPASS on the day.
Mrs Meaney’s Coffee and Chat Wed 11 Aug, 11am Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://parracatholic.zoom.us/j/98095363921?pwd=UVN5cU9LVnpGcnl1ekQySFp5S3FHdz09 Password: 751287 Join from SIP/H.323 room system: SIP: 98095363921@zmau.us H.323: 202.177.207.158 (meeting ID: 980 9536 3921) Password: 751287 Join from Skype for Business (Lync): |
Sportaus is not only a wonderful resource for teachers and coaches, it is also a valuable resource for parents that has many activities to help keep children and families entertained. You may like to print the resource cards to play continuous cricket or try something different like Yulunga Traditional Indigenous Games where you can learn and experience aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
https://www.sportaus.gov.au/yulunga
PE with Joe are 20 minute child friendly workouts via youtube.
The workouts are fun and suitable for all ages and even adults can get involved. You don't need any equipment at all. Joe's YouTube channel link is below for all of the PE with Joe workouts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvrtftiOOVw
NSW Sport - School camp at home
Check out some great activities for kids and families from NSW Sport. They have videos and activity sheets to help you keep your kids entertained during COVID-19 lockdowns.
https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-04/school_camps_at_home_23042020_final.pdf
Have you been keeping up with the Tokyo Olympics? Link below is the schedule of events https://www.theroar.com.au/olympics/olympics-events-schedule/
Current Medal Tally as at 8pm 2/8/21 Australia is currently 4th place Go Australia !!
Remember to have a break and go outside a couple of times a day. If you can go for a walk around your neighbourhood or a bush walk with the family (see last week's fb post for suitable and local bushwalks).
Stay safe and take care of yourself,
Kylie Ranson
Thank you so much for your support as we work together to keep all members of our community safe and healthy. With new COVID-19 restrictions announced by NSW Health, we must remind all families that the expectation is that children engage in remote learning from home.
Supervision will be provided at school only for children of essential workers, vulnerable students, or those who are not at home and have no other options for supervision of their children due to work responsibilities. This learning for these students will be delivered in the same form as for students who are learning at home.
Thanks again for your cooperation and understanding as we continue to work together to respond to COVID-19.
As always, it’s important to reinforce that no child will be refused enrolment at our school due to a family's inability or difficulty to pay school fees’.
if you need to have a discussion please call the office on 4780 6800 between 9am - 11am or email jmacpherson@parra.catholic.edu.au
In our effort to reduce the number of staff on site, the school administration office will only be open between 9am and 11am until further notice.
If you need to contact your child’s teacher please do so by their direct email. A list of staff, their email addresses and rostered working days were sent to all families via the Compass Parent Portal yesterday. Please keep in mind there may be a small delay in response times.
If you have any other queries please email the school email at stcanices@parra.catholic.edu.au this will be monitored during our normal office hours of 8:30am to 3:30pm.
Phone contact will only be available between 9am to 11am weekdays. We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time.
The 2021 August Census will be conducted on Friday 6th August 2021 as per advice from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) and Catholic School New South Wales (CSNSW).The August Census collects information on both students and staff.Please see the Parent Privacy Noticed attached or use this link
We look forward to welcoming parent / carer volunteers into St Canice's in the future. If you are interested in volunteering your time either in the classroom or at any of the exciting upcoming events, please ensure your Building Child Safe Communities training is up to date.
This module must be completed every two years and is mandatory for anyone wanting to volunteer regardless if you hold a WWCC number or not.
Please follow the link to complete your training
https://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/About-Us/Building-Child-Safe-Communities
Parents of school-age children are reminded to register for their Active Kids and Creative Kids vouchers. The NSW Government’s Active Kids program provides vouchers for parents, guardians and carers of school-enrolled children to use towards sport and active recreation costs each year and also vouchers that can be redeemed for creative activities such as drama & visual arts. Creative Kids vouchers are also available to be redeemed for creative activities and craft supplies.To find out more information on how to apply please visit
As per Catholic Education Office Parramatta school fee policy, a term's notice (10 school weeks) in writing must be given to the Principal before the removal of a student or a full term's fees will be payable.
One exception is that notice in writing will be accepted at any time during term 4 in relation to the following year's enrolment, that is, the notice period of 10 school weeks will be waved in this circumstance.
Special circumstances that may warrant 6 weeks notice include moving out of area due to employment transfer or sale of house.
We are calling for our local community to help raise funds and awareness about homelessness and disadvantage in our very own back yard. Please join our fundraiser or give now to help us reach our fundraising goal which will assist Vinnies provide support for those in our community who need it the most.
All donations can be made on our Mini Vinnies fundraising page.
We are now taking enrolments for Kindergarten 2022, if you know of people looking for a school for their child (even if it is for the other grades), please let them know about St Canice’s. The power of your words of recommendation has an enormous effect on our enrolments. Let’s keep working together to make St Canice’s that great school that has been in operation for the past 120 years.
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish
Parish Priest Fr John McSweeney
Presbytery Contact Ph: 02 4782 2804
Fax: 02 4782 6090
Website: marymackillopupperbluemountains.org.au
MassMonday 8.30am Friday 12.00pm Saturday 9.00am Sunday 10.00am
ConfessionSaturday 9.30am Confession outside this time is available on request
RosarySaturday Cenacle Rosary and Consecration following benediction after 9am Mass
Stations of the Cross1st Friday of month, 12.30pm
Exposition of Blessed SacramentFridays (Except 1st Friday) 12.30pm
BenedictionBenediction Saturdays following 9am Mass
Weekly Divine Mercy HourSundays 12.00pm to 1.00pm
Vespers4th Monday of month - 6pm