A Christmas Blessing

During this Christmas season,

may you be blessed with the spirit of the season, which is peace,

the gladness of the season, which is hope,

and the heart of the season, which is love.

Somehow, not only for Christmas, but all the long year through,

the joy that you give to others,

is the joy that comes back to you.

And the more you spend in blessing, the poor and lonely and sad,

The more of your heart’s possessing, returns to you the glad.

Week 9

My sincere thanks to all in our Sacred Heart Central School community. I have been honoured to have the privilege of being the Principal over the past 6 years and thank you for your support, conversations and trust in educating your children.

Mostly I thank you for the joy of working with your children each day. I have learnt something every day as a Principal and as someone who loves learning this has been an incredible experience.

I feel very passionately that we must provide quality Catholic education in country areas and I wish Nicky Trinder all the very best in the role for 2019 as she continues in this pursuit. I am confident that the school is in great hands and will continue to thrive.

I thank our children who have greeted me with a friendly smile each day when I am out and about. They have graciously talked to me in their classrooms about their learning and been willing to share their thoughts about how to improve the school. They have taken on change willingly and I appreciate their move towards a growth mindset which has led to an increase in curiosity and wonder throughout the school. I commend them for their willingness to “have a go” and try new things and for being patient, tolerant and kind when others may have struggled.

I thank our staff who have worked tirelessly to provide the very best education for your children and who have dedicated their time and energy, above and beyond what should be expected of a teacher, to deliver quality lessons and care for every child. Having worked in many large schools, you really have no idea just how dedicated and passionate the staff at Sacred Heart are, or how many “extras” occur on a daily basis to make sure that your children are nurtured and encouraged to learn, not just academically but socially, physically, emotionally and spiritually. What a huge job! And they do it so well every day, despite very trying circumstances at times. It has been a blessing to work with each and every one of you, and I thank you for the lessons you have taught me.

I would particularly like to thank our three fantastic office ladies. Emma Deep, Wendy McGlynn and Kate Elrington have been the most incredible support for me, and the whole school, and often don’t receive the recognition they deserve. They do a tough job being the first point of contact in our school and are often interrupted by phone calls, first aid and visitors (not to mention staff). Nothing I have asked them to do is ever too much trouble and I cannot express how grateful I am to have had such a strong team of fabulous women to help me over the past 6 years.

I thank our School Board who have been so supportive and willing to challenge and share their vision to ensure the best for the school.  Thank you to Chris Drum, our current Board Chair and to Michael Murphy, our previous Board Chair, who also gave up so much of their time to discuss concerns, visit other schools, be on interview panels and generally to be available at the drop of a hat to provide a sounding board. All of your efforts are greatly appreciated.

I thank our P&F who have been energetic and passionate in their pursuit of fundraising for resources for our school. More than that, they have been open to discussion, welcoming to new families and happy to invite all into the committee. Thank you to all the sub-committees who have also worked behind the scenes to ensure an incredible array of fundraising and community building opportunities. Thank you to Mel Finnigan, Tracy Guthrie and Deb Tiernan who have all taken on the role as President of the P&F and to those prepared to take on Exec roles. You really have done an amazing job.

Our school relies heavily on parent involvement and we are proud of the fact that we have so many parents contributing in such significant ways. I strongly encourage anyone who has ever thought about getting involved to do so. It is a very rewarding experience and your children love the fact that you are involved in their school. Taking on Exec roles for both the Board and P&F is critical to their success and I thank all these people enormously.

I thank Fr Kevin, Fr Joshy and Sr Kathy for their support and encouragement. They have always been willing to listen when things got tough and to celebrate the many achievements of the school. It would not have been possible to do the role without the close connection with the Parish and in particular without Fr Joshy’s support. Fr Joshy has trusted the executive to understand teaching and to be available to advise and assist as needed with matters of faith. It is an extremely tough job to do without the ability to connect with your own faith and I am grateful for the opportunity each week to gain the spiritual strength for the challenges of life by going to mass.  I also extend my thanks to the Parish, who welcomed me into the community and have always been supportive, friendly and understanding of the demands placed upon us in schools.

I wish you all the very best for whatever the future may bring. I look forward to having time to chat if we bump into each other in town and to hear all about how your children are going. The past two weeks have been enormously challenging as the reality of my leaving has taken hold. Your children have been sharing beautiful sentiments with me and it has made my decision all that much harder! (But they are very much appreciated.)

Lastly, but most importantly, I would like to thank my husband. When we made the decision to come to Cootamundra, it was a leap of faith. He left his job, which he loved, so that I could pursue my wish to give back to a country school, given all that I had been blessed with in my life. My husband has been my greatest support, always ready to help at school when I needed and has taken on so many roles at home that have allowed me to dedicate long hours to my job and the school. Thank you Dean. I could not have done it without you.

May you all be blessed with a very safe, happy and joyous Christmas and 2019!

Advent Liturgy

Please join us at 12noon for our Advent Liturgy on Monday 17 December in the church. Our students and staff have been very busy preparing so that we will have a lovely celebration of the possibilities that Advent brings. We look forward to celebrating with many from our wider community.

Awards Ceremony

Our Annual Awards Ceremony will be held on Wednesday 19 December from 12noon. If you are planning to sign your child out after the ceremony, please be aware that we now use an electronic system and all students will need to be signed out using this system. We only have one keypad which means that you will need to queue on the library side of the Front Office. Please be patient during this process. Students who do not return to class and have not signed out will be recorded as absent without explanation.

Secondary reports will be posted home. Please do not ask to collect them as they will already have been taken to the post office. This change has been necessitated by the number of Secondary Students who did not deliver their report to their parents. The school is still open on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 December. If you have any concerns about reports after Friday 21 December, please email me so that I can attend to your concern after 18 January when I return from leave.

Carols in the Park

An invitation went home to all Primary families this week and we hope that you can join us for Carols in the Park on Sunday 16 December. The festivities begin at 5.30pm with the official opening at 7pm at Jubilee Park. We will have students singing two Christmas songs shortly after the opening. I hope that you can find some time to enjoy this special community event.

Important Dates

• Wednesday 19 December 2018 is the last day of school for students.
• Tuesday 29 January the school office will be open and the teachers will be attending professional learning.
• Wednesday 30 January 2019 is the first day of school for all students except Kindergarten.
• Kindergarten Assessment will take place as per a schedule which will be sent home in the last week of the holidays, on Wed 30 Jan, Thur 31 Jan and Fri 1 Feb.
• Monday 4 February is the first day of classes for Kindergarten.
• Primary students are to wear full summer uniform on their first day. Secondary students will be sent a copy of their timetable and if they have PDHPE or PASS may wear their sports uniform.

In the last week of the holidays all Primary parents will receive an email with your child/ren’s teacher’s name and classroom. If you have any concerns upon receipt of that letter, please email nicky.trinder@cg.catholic.edu.au

Last year for Thompson’s Christmas Lights! (Reminder)

This will be the last year that Robyn and Graeme Thompson will be decorating their house with Christmas lights. All donations from this year will be going towards Lifeline in memory of Dave Forsyth. They are already up and running so if you have some time, please go and enjoy the wonderful display and support this very worthwhile cause.

SAVE THE DATE (Reminder)

John 'JC' Coutis is an exceptional person. Born with a severe disability that rendered him a double amputee, John defied medical opinion by refusing to die. Today he gets around on a skateboard and travels the world inspiring tens of thousands of adoring fans to block out the negatives and be the best that they can be.

We have booked John to come and speak to staff, parents and students on Thursday 21 February 2019. We are hoping to have a shared parent and staff breakfast and John will address the group. He will then speak to Secondary and Primary students in separate talks.

While John considers himself most privileged to be able to impart his gifts and dynamic life experience to others, in turn he is widely acknowledged as one of the most inspirational speakers of his generation. His invaluable messages encompass respect for diversity, anti-bullying, inclusion, resilience, goal setting, tolerance, motivation, self-determination and courage.

We find that we often get guest speakers in to speak to our students but would really love our parents to hear the same messages. Please save the date and join us to hear this exceptional speaker. Details will be sent out early in 2019.

With blessings,

Mrs Janet Cartwright

Principal

janet.cartwright@cg.catholic.edu.au

Wagga_Wagga_Forum_6_Year_7.pdf