Newsletter 29th October Term 4, Week 3

Principal's Message

Catholic Identity: In 2025, we will establish pedagogical practices that improve student religious literacy and provide opportunities for encounter with Christ.

Learning: In 2025 we will establish effective and consistent pedagogical practices for all students by all teachers.

Wellbeing: In 2025 we will establish a school-wide common language in Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L) incorporating our Mercy pillars.

Dear Parents & Carers 

Centenary celebrations
This Friday 31 October St Thereses’ will celebrate 100 years! Our day of celebrations will be as follows-

9:45am: Liturgy in the hall presided by Bishop Michael Kennedy. We will be joined by parishioners, ex staff and many of our sisters of Mercy. Immediately following this, our guests are welcome to join us for a morning tea and cutting of the cake with Bishop Michael in our Fr Walsh room (the original site of our school).

From 12 midday-1:15- our children will participate in ‘old time’ games and activities in our playground. After this at 1:30, we will enjoy a picnic in the school grounds, and families are invited to join their children for this. You are welcome to purchase the cakes and slices of our school fetes prepared by our Hospitality students from Trinity College (such as Honey joys, coconut ice etc). 

Throughout the day our Catherine McAuley centre will be set up with photos and memories of our school. Visitors are welcome to take a walk- through throughout the day.

We welcome our families to join us for any or all the special day’s activities.

Australian World Teacher’s Day- 31 October 2025
https://worldteachersday.edu.au/
Quality teaching is at the heart of our work.  We continue to reflect on our practices and develop our expertise so we can better educate, inspire and support our students and make them feel safe. 
As Principal I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank the dedicated teachers of St Therese’s who work so hard to support our children and their families every day. It is my privilege to lead such a wonderful team.

FACE meeting term 4
You are invited to our Term 4 FACE meeting will be held Monday 10 November at 6pm. Children are welcome. The educative component is helping and supporting your children socially. There will also be Zoom offered.
Please submit any items for general business by 3pm Monday 3 November via admin@newlambton.catholic.edu.au.

2026 dates
Please note the following for your 2026 diaries-
Teachers resume for the 2026 school year on Tuesday 27 January with four pupil free days granted to meet our mandatory induction and planning expectation before the school year commences.
Year 1-6 children start on Monday 2 February.
Kindergarten starts Wednesday 4 February.
On 24 November children (grades 1-6) who are joining us at St Therese’s for 2026 will visit.
Our step-up morning will occur on Monday 8 December where children will visit their 2026 classrooms and teachers. New staff for 2026 will join us at this time

Attendance at school
IT’S NOT OK TO BE AWAY!!
At St Therese’s we acknowledge that parents are the first and foremost teachers of their children. We strive to work in partnership with you to best enable you to raise your child. We can only work together if your child has regular school attendance.
The Education Act 1990 (NSW) states that ‘the child attends the school at all times while the school is open for the child’s instruction or participation in school activities.’ This means that children are expected to be at school EVERY DAY that it is opened unless they have a specific medical reason not to be there. Where possible a medical certificate should be provided.
It is recognised that COVID cost us the opportunity to go on holidays for a significant period of time, however it is detrimental to your child’s education and their social development if you consistently take holidays in the school term. We are working on (or consolidating) new content every day (even in kindergarten) and even one day off school is costly for your child.  It is not OK, to take holidays in school time!
Please schedule appointments and holidays out of school time so that your child gets the best possible school experience.
Did you know?
Non-attendance is linked with poorer academic achievement and long-term student outcomes.

• Higher rates of absences have been associated with lower NAPLAN scores (Hancock et al. 2013; Daraganova et al. 2014).
• In NSW, students who report positive attendance behaviours in Year 7 are on average 3 months ahead in their learning by Year 9, compared with students who have poor attendance

In addition to lower academic achievement, international studies have found that non-attendance is linked with other longer-term negative effects including:

• increased likelihood of dropping out of school earlier (Rocque et al. 2016)
• social isolation from the school community and peers (Gottried 2014)
• poorer mental health and social functioning (Kearney and Graczyk 2014; Gonzálvez et al. 2019)
• increased likelihood of requiring social assistance (Christenson and Thurlow 2004 as cited in Kearney and Graczyk 2014

A common cut-off point in the international literature is 10% of the school year (Heyne et al. 2018). That is, student attendance rates below 90% are considered as chronically absent. In NSW, 10% of the school year is 18.8 full-time equivalent days. Does your child miss more days than this in a school year?
Remember, every day counts.
If you are having difficulty getting your child to school every day, PLEASE contact us and we can help you.

Kind regards,

Sallyanne Stanbridge
Principal

Assistant Principal's Message

It’s been a wonderful first few weeks back to Term 4, with exciting events such as Orientation Day, Grandparents Day, Kindergarten Transition and Inquisitive Minds – to name just a few!  This Friday, we have our Centenary of St Therese’s and look forward to starting the day with a beautiful liturgy, followed by fun activities throughout the day.  We thank Mrs Borgia and the Food Technology department at Trinity College Adamstown for preparing the “old time” treats of Chocolate Crackles, Honey Joys, Mars Bars Slice, Coconut Ice and Chocolate Spiders.  These will be available to purchase for 50c on Friday with all money raised going to the Children's Mission.

Year 5 Leadership Day

Next Thursday, 6 November, our Year 5 students begin their preparation for formal student leadership positions in 2026.  Information regarding our Leadership Program was sent out via Compass to Year 5 parents/carers last term.  A reminder of the dates for Student Leadership are below:

• 6 Nov – Year 5 Leadership Day
• 10 Nov – Year 5 Nomination Forms for leadership groups (Social Justice, PB4L, Environment & Active Lifestyle) and formal leadership positions is due to the classroom teacher
• 13 Nov – Student Council speeches to members of their leadership group
• 17 Nov – School Captain & Sport Captain Speeches

We would like to wish all our Year 5 students the very best in the Leadership Process.  We see all our senior students as leaders and are so proud of all of them for the beautiful way they have supported their Kindergarten buddies.

Vivace

Mr Ward and the school band have been preparing for Vivace – which is a showcase of all our school bands across the Diocese.  The concert will take place on 11 November at City Hall, and tickets can be purchased via the link https://civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/what-s-on/all-shows/vivace-044e2ab3e430d7ebc2a9823af8747d98.  We are so proud of our St Therese’s Concert Band and encourage you to buy tickets to see their wonderful performance.

SchoolTV
The use of social media for our young people is a decision parents make with their children, and advice on recommended ages for different platforms can be found on the e-Safety Commission https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents.  SchoolTV has also developed information on how parents/carers can work with their child on how to use social media positively https://newlambton.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-social-media-comparison-culture-au.  Regardless of a child’s age, it is recommended that children only use devices in public places in the home such as the kitchen, lounge/family room etc.  Children should not have devices in their bedrooms.  The use of devices should also have boundaries, and children should be encouraged to interact “in person” with family and friends.

Welcome back to Term 4!  I hope you and your children had a wonderful holiday; we certainly had some great weather.  Term 4 is a busy term, so we encourage you to read the Newsletters and Compass updates throughout the term.

PB4L
Our PB4L focus for the next two weeks is demonstrating the value of Respect by playing fairly and safely.  We encourage all our students to play by the rules of the game, as well as sharing our play spaces, so everyone can enjoy their time at school.  Sometimes, children become so invested in a game, they begin to see casual playground games, as competitive sports, which can sometimes lead to conflict.  We encourage children to play for fun and enjoyment and to be inclusive of peers in their games.  By playing fairly and safely, all children will feel respected and safe at school.

SchoolTV
Friday 10 October marked World Mental Health Day, it is an important reminder that we need to all create compassionate and supportive communities, that encourage others to discuss their concerns.  SchoolTV has an excellent resource with information and links to useful ideas and strategies to support parents/carers on a range of topics including depression, mindfulness, anxiety and the state of Youth Mental Health.  You can find this information on the following link https://newlambton.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-world-mental-health-day-au.

Kaylene Maretich
Assistant Principal

Catholic Identity & Curriculum

Faith Formation - 'Leo's Lens': The excerpt below, written by Nick Brodie, is a summary of Pope Leo XIV's reflection on Sunday's Gospel message:
Pope Leo insists upon our recognising ‘the close connection between Christ’s love and his summons to care for the poor.’ The Pope reminds us that ‘contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us.’
Think about that for a moment: Here, now, our Lord is speaking. Where need is present, Christ is present.
The Lord of History is ever calling to us, summoning us to action. ‘In hearing the cry of the poor,’ the Pope says, ‘we are asked to enter into the heart of God, who is always concerned for the needs of his children, especially those in greatest need.’ We, therefore, should constantly seek to re-enter ‘the heart of God’ by listening to those who cry out for justice.
It is ‘Christ himself’, the Pope reminds us, who suffers with the materially poor, the ‘socially marginalised’, and the culturally impoverished. To ignore the poor is to ignore Christ.
We must learn to see beyond any ideology or prejudice that justifies inaction or indifference – even those cloaked under the cover of pious affirmations. As the Pope declares emphatically, this is not optional for Christians because charity is ‘the burning heart of the Church’s mission.’

Religious Education

This term, the image below shows, at a glance, what all grades will be learning about in RE:

Prayer, Celebration & Mission

Coming Events– The dates below indicate some of the Faith Life and Mission events coming up for Term 4:

• Friday 31^st October - 100Yr Anniversary Liturgy with Bishop Michael Kennedy (9:45am - Main Hall)
• Sunday 9^th November - Family/School Mass (9:15am - St Therese's Church)
• Wednesday 12^th November - First Reconciliation Liturgy - Group 1 (6pm - St Therese's Church)
• Thursday 20^th November - First Reconciliation Liturgy - Group 2 (6pm - St Therese's Church) Note: this has been a change of date from that originally advertised
• Tuesday 2^nd December - Whole School End of Year Mass (9:30am - Main Hall)
• Wednesday 10^th December - Year 6 Graduation Mass (5:30pm - St Therese's Church)

Luke Smith
Religious Education Coordinator

School Community News

Carols By Candlelight
Preparations have now begun on our end-of-year Carols by Candlelight concert. Please be sure to pop Wednesday 19th November into your calendars. Our theme this year is "Walk to Christmas" with music inspired by and making reference to the word "walk". 
Like in past years, you will shortly receive an email with song lyrics to assist your child with learning the songs. Could we ask you put the songs on during the coming weeks to help them with memorisation. Use the opportunity to have conversations with your children about music, the artists, your own tastes in music, and explore some of the genres your children are performing.

Centenary Choir: Just a reminder that we have a remaining choir rehearsal for the centenary celebrations. Please see dates and time below. Our students have been working hard on presenting some beautiful hymns at the liturgy. We are very much looking forward to utilising  the rehearsal time to assist with polishing them up for the special celebration liturgy. 

Rehearsal 3: Friday 31^st October @ 8.30am

Alina Brymora
Performing Arts Teacher

Our school wants to reduce our use of waste, particularly disposable plastic!
This term beginning in Week 6 on the 19^{th of} November, we are going to trial:

‘Waste Free Wednesday’

Each Wednesday, we encourage students to bring their lunch and recess in reusable containers. The aim is to cut down on packaging and/or disposable plastic so that there is no waste.
Our Year 6 Environmental Team will visit classrooms in the following weeks, showing students what a waste free lunch looks like.
Parents and Carers may want to consider lunch boxes, containers for Christmas gifts that encourage us to not use disposable plastic. See the following images for ideas. Raid your cupboards for containers you may currently have and wish to use in the meantime….

Thankyou families for helping us to reducing our waste at St Therese’s.

Aspire Young Scriptwriters Program

Last Wednesday, a talented group of writers from our school showcased scripts they had written as part of the ASPIRE Young Scriptwriters Program.

The show was titled ‘First Draft’ and was a staged reading performed at the Civic Theatre Playhouse.

Tighe C, Anja J and Eloise H wrote original scripts which were performed by actors on stage. Their scripts were humorous, dramatic and could even be described as absurd! To see their writing come to life on a professional stage was uplifting for the students. We are very proud of their commitment to writing and creativity.

Down Syndrome Awareness Month - Year 3's StepUP! Your Way Challenge

StepUP! #21Your Way is a national fundraising and awareness campaign held during Down Syndrome Awareness Month every October. It celebrates the significant contributions people with Down syndrome make to our communities.
Why 21? Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes in each of their cells (46 in total). People with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes in their cells. They have an extra chromosome 21, which is why Down syndrome is also sometimes known as trisomy 21.
You can join online educational or online events or create your own challenges. Activities we have participated in have included: 

• Draw 21pictures of something that you are grateful for in the month of October 

• Do 21 star jumps every day in October
• Learn 21 new dance moves over the month of October
• Send 21 messages of kindness to friends and family in October

 #21YourWay is about doing things your way! The #21YourWay activity that you select should reflect who you are, and what you stand for. For more information see the Down Syndrome Australia website: https://www.downsyndrome.org.au/news-events/national-events-filter-by-s-t/stepup21yourway/

Grandparents Day 2025

Volunteering
Throughout the year, we welcome all parents/carers to volunteer at the school. To volunteer, you must complete the volunteer's induction. This process can take up to 6 weeks, so you are encouraged to complete this early.

St Therese’s Business Directory – Supporting Our School Community
St Therese’s is creating a business directory featuring families within our school community. This initiative aims to encourage support for local businesses owned or operated by our families.
The directory will be published on the school’s website and made available to our community.
If you would like your business to be included, please email admin@newlambton.catholic.edu.au with the following details:

• Business name
• Brief description of your services/products
• Contact details (phone, email, website or social media links)

We look forward to showcasing and supporting the wonderful businesses within our St Therese’s community!

For more information, families can visit sparkskids.com.au or contact us at hello@lythealth.com.au or 02 4945 1603.

Wellbeing

Parent and Carer Hub

Check out our Resilience Project Parent and Carer Hub with content for Kids, Teens, Adults, Parents, A Wellbeing Hub and a home for The Imperfects Podcast.

https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/parents-2023/

The benefits of showing kindness

benefit from some care and kindness

If you’re thinking of more people you could show empathy towards, one of our special guests on The Imperfects podcast, Nedd Brockmann, thinks the homeless could really benefit from more empathy/kindness. Homelessness is a complex issue that affects over 100,000 people in Australia* for a multitude of different factors. If you are applying an empathy lens here, how might that look? Could we put ourselves in their shoes and really consider their situation and struggles? Could we withhold judgement? Could we explore other initiatives or avenues to help support homeless people?

We hope you see the importance and amazing benefits of empathy/kindness, and you remember it not only improves the lives of others but also makes a great impact on your own wellbeing. Now with all of that in mind, we’d like you to participate in our…

RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS CHALLENGE

For the next week, the team at TRP and St Therese’s New Lambton challenges you to do one kind thing each day. Again, it can be as simple as complimenting a friend, offering to help someone with their homework or even sending a thank you note to a teacher or family member. Get creative, and think of ways you can show kindness to the people around you to make their day.

How can I bring TRP into my home?

This week we take a closer look at what Year 2 is learning about in their Resilience Project Lessons.

Pictured above are two students from 2W – Alice C. and Roisin D. who are showing some of the work they are proud of from their Resilience Project Journal throughout the year.

Mr Smith – “What do you like most about TRP?”

Lucas – “Mindful Colouring in the journal and doing the activities in my journal.”

Mr Smith – “What have you learnt most from doing TRP lesson?”

Lucas – “Learning about feelings, other people’s feelings and about how these feelings work inside our body.”

Miss Toscano- "What do you like about TRP?"

James- It calms me down after I've played soccer at recess. 

Miss Toscano- "What do you like about TRP?"

Tansy: I like that it makes me calm and relaxed after each lesson and there's lots of fun activities you can do. They're all really fun! 

Melissa Pyers
Primary Coordinator

Sport

On Tuesday last week, Mr Bowen and Miss Le Compte took a group of Stage 2 students to the Touch Football Gala Day. We had six teams representing our school and they had a fabulous day in the sunshine playing collaboratively and respectfully. Well done to all our Stage 2 students for their fantastic teamwork and sportsmanship! We’d also like to extend a huge thank you to the many parent volunteers who coached and assisted on the day, it wouldn’t have been possible without you!

Canteen

Important Dates

29 Oct - Yrs 5 & 6 Touch Gala Day
31 Oct - Centenary Celebrations
5  Nov - Kinder Transition 2nd Visit
6 Nov - Yr 5 Leadership Day
7 Nov - Trivia Night
17 Nov - School Assembly 2:15pm
19 Nov - Carols Concert
27 Nov - Open Classrooms & Liturgy 2:15pm
1 Dec  -  PUPIL FREE DAY
05 Dec - Infants Picnic - Speers Point Park
               Year 6 Graduation Dinner
10 Dec - Year 6 Graduation Mass 6.00pm  
               Presentation Ceremony 6.30pm
12 Dec - Christmas Craft Day
16 Dec - Swimming Carnival Yrs 2-5
17 Dec - End of Year Presentation

               LAST DAY OF SCHOOL