Dear Families and Friends

Welcome back students, we hope you are refreshed and ready for a great term of learning and new experiences. Some great events coming up early this term. On Tuesday the 7^th of August, we will celebrate Book Week. Our book week theme this year is “Find Your Treasure“ and we are asking the students to come dressed as a character from a book they treasure. As part of our Book Week celebrations, we will be holding a morning tea for our grandparents and friends commencing at 9:30 at our school. This will be followed by our Book Week Parade at 10:30. Please come and join us and spend time with your grandchildren/special children in your life in their classrooms and be entertained by their written work. Grandparents/parents may also like to bring along their favourite book to read to the children.

Next Tuesday, a team from the Archbishop’s Office for Evangelisation (formerly Catholic LIFE), will be coming to St Patrick’s, Gundagai, to present the My Body, My Life puberty and personal development program to our Year 5 and 6 students and their parents.  These sessions have been developed specifically for pre-teen, early adolescents and cover aspects of the physical, emotional and social developments that take place during puberty. The program is consistent with a Catholic understanding of the dignity of every human person and the dignity of the gift of sexuality. Students will attend a 90-minute morning session in class on Tuesday 31^th July from 9.00am to 11.00am.

Supportive Playgroups will continue on Friday mornings from 9 - 10:30 am, beginning this week. We are looking forward to seeing our parents and children in the group.

Our Public speaking finals between Gundagai and Tumut will take place on the 14^th of August with selected students progressing to West Wyalong on the 23^rd of August. Good luck to all those students preparing for this event.

All the very best for our staff, students and families for the term.

Vincent Powell

Principal

Welcome back to Term 3. I trust you all had a safe and blessed holiday.

Reconciliation and Holy Communion 2018

Reconciliation will be held on the Community/Retreat Day FRIDAY 24^th August at 12pm.

First Holy Communion this year will be held at St Patrick’s Church on Saturday 25^th August at 6pm.

The program will commence week 3, Term 3 at St Patrick’s Primary School.

For the Reconciliation and Holy Communion candidates, the program requires a commitment to, attending:

1. A parent information night on Monday the 6^th August at 6:00pm
2. afternoon sessions for candidates (Tuesday the 7^th August, 14^th August and      21^st August from 3:30pm – 4:30pm). These sessions will be held at St Patrick’s      Primary school.
3. 6:00pm Mass at the church to present the candidates to the parish community on Saturday 18^th
4. Reconciliation and Holy Communion preparation day (Friday 24^th August), at St Patrick’s Primary school.

If you wish for your child to receive these sacraments, please contact St Patrick’s School on 69441085 or complete an online registration to provide parent and child names, contact phone number and email address. Please complete the registration process by Friday the 3rd of August.

Online Registration:  Available using hyperlink   REGISTRATION 

OR go to:    https://goo.gl/forms/pvhU6lhdXkC3JFbY2

 Thank you for your support and we look forward to working with you.

Dates to mark on your calendar:

27/07- No Mass or Liturgy
03/08- Mass led by Years 5 and 6 (12pm).

10/08- Liturgy led by Years 3 and 4 (12:30pm).
17/08- Liturgy led by SRC (12:30pm).

24/08- RECONCILIATION Mass led by Tears 1 and 2 (12pm).

25/08- Holy Communion Mass (Saturday) 6pm.

31/08- Liturgy led by Kinder (12:30pm).

07/09- Mass led by Years 3 and 4 (12pm).

14/09- Liturgy led by Years 5 and 6 (12:30pm).

21/09- Liturgy led by Years 1 and 2 (12:30pm).

28/09- End of term Mass led by Staff and Leaders (12pm).

Thoughts/ Questions / Reflection for the week: Visio Divina 

Use this painting by Joseph Anton Koch of Noah’s Thanksgiving Offering to

encounter the divine.

1. Study the picture slowly, taking a first glance noting the colours, people, places and things.  Remain with the image for one to two minutes. If you would like, jot down a few words about the image.
2. Take a second, deeper, look. Where is there movement? What relationships do you see? Engage your imagination. Where are you in the artwork? What do you see from that perspective? What deeper meaning emerges?
3. Respond to the image with prayer. Did the image remind you of an experience, person or issue for which you’d like to offer thanksgiving? In what way does God’s promise change, or not change how you visualize your relationship with the earth, each other, and God? Offer your thoughts as prayer to God.
4. Find your quiet centre. Breathe deeply. Relax your shoulders, arms and legs. Rest in this quiet. Let God pray in you. God prays beyond words.

Rainbows are symbols of hope and renewal following a crisis.  May this day bring you your own personal rainbow.

God Bless, Mrs Flanagan REC

Library News

Dear Families and Friends

Some great events are coming up early in Term 3.

On Tuesday the 7^th of August St Patrick’s will be celebrating the “Children's Book Council Australia” Book Week.

The focus for book week this year is “Find your Treasure”.

On Tuesday the 7^th of August we will hold our Annual Book Week Parade and Book Fair in conjunction with our “Grandparents Day”.

We will begin our day with a morning tea for our Grandparents and friends at 9:30.

At 10:30 we will commence our much-anticipated book week parade. We are asking all children to come dressed as a character from their most treasured book.

We are also asking Grandparents and friends to spend time in our classrooms or read a treasured story to our children.

Our Annual Scholastic Book Fair will also operate during Week 3. It will be set up in the Library. This is a great opportunity for all grandparents, parents, friends and students to purchase books at great prices. Also, many friends and families purchase a book or two to donate back to our school library. Please remember that the school receives 35% of all sales to purchase more books. 

On this day we will again be holding a trivia afternoon for all the students. This year’s theme will be “Treasured Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes”.

Justine Hughes

Librarian

KINDERGARTEN:   Flynn Leane - using effective strategies.

YEAR 1/2: Emmy Gaskin - trying hard to use interesting words in her writing.

YEAR 3/4: Josie Quine - a well prepared and presented public speech.

YEAR 5/6: Will Naughton - creating a house design based on the White Cliffs of Dover environment.

Week 1:

RESPONSIBLE: Sam Crane

RESPECTFUL: Don Cotterill, Charlotte Curtis, Hugh Graham & Jess McDonnell

SAFE: Hugh Graham

Week 2:

RESPONSIBLE: Don Cotterill

RESPECTFUL: 

SAFE: 

Happy birthday to the following people who celebrate their birthdays during the holidays.

Lillian McDonnell celebrated her birthday on the 12th of July. we hope that you had a lovely birthday.