Filter Content
- Principal's Message
- Date Claimers
- Socktober - Friday 25 October
- Infants NRL Tag Clinic - Tuesday 29 October
- All Saints Day Liturgy & Assembly Year 4 White - Friday 1 November (Special time of 2:10 pm)
- Super Star Awards
- Class Mass - Kindergarten - Tuesday 5 November
- Year 5 Camp 2024
- ONLINE ORDERING NOW OPEN - St Anthony's 2024 Fundraiser
- COMING SOON! New to the Canteen
- Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition
- Book Club - Issue 7
- Offertory Procession
- Reconciliation & Eucharist Program 2024
- Diverse Learning Information
- Strengthening Relationships - Parenting Courses
- Community Links Wellbeing - Free Community Event
- Parish Mass Times
- Catholic Life
- Uniform Shop
- Canteen Menu 2024
- OOSH - Before and After School Care
Dear St. Anthony’s Community,
We’re excited to welcome everyone to what promises to be a busy and engaging Term 4! The students have settled in wonderfully since returning to school last week, and we’re looking forward to a productive and positive term ahead. As always, Term 4 is filled with important learning opportunities and assessments, as well as reports, school camps and Kinder transition activities. We’ll also have a variety of whole-school events planned, culminating in special activities to celebrate our Year 6 students as they prepare to say farewell. Thank you for your continued support and here’s to a fantastic term together.
We will welcome back Mr. Devlin in Week 3 after his well-deserved break. We look forward to hearing all about his travels. It has been a privilege to serve as Acting Principal during his absence, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our students, staff, parents and carers for your support and partnership throughout this transition. Your collaboration has made this time enjoyable and rewarding.
As I return to my role as Assistant Principal, I encourage parents and carers to reach out if there’s any way I can assist you or your child for the remainder of the school year.
Thank you all!
Warm regards,
Julieann Ferguson
Acting Principal
Listed below are some important dates.
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2024 Term 4 |
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October |
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Friday 25 |
Socktober - Gold coin donation & Students can wear sports uniforms. |
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Wednesday 30 |
Kinder 2025 Transition Playgroup session #5 2:00 - 3:00 pm |
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Tuesday 29 |
Kinder, Year 1 & Year 2 NRL Tag Clinic - Students wear sports uniforms |
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Thursday 31 |
Kindergarten Excursion to Camden Park |
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November |
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Friday 1 |
All Saints Day |
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Friday 1 |
Year 2 Excursion to Space Centre |
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Friday 1 |
All Saints Day Liturgy & Assembly - Year 4W at 2:10 pm |
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Monday 4 |
Kinder 2025 Transition Playgroup session #6 2:00 - 3:00 pm |
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Wednesday 6 - Friday 8 |
Year 6 Camp to 'The Tops' |
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Monday 11 |
Remembrance Day |
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Thursday 21 |
Kindergarten 2025 Orientation Day 9:15 am - 11:30 am |
Socktober for Mission Month cultivates the passion of students to rise up as a school community to take action against poverty through the world game of soccer. Tomorrow, Friday 25 October, students from K-6 will wear colourful socks along with their full sports uniform and kick goals to raise awareness. Students will be asked to make a gold coin donation for the Catholic Missions.
Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 will be participating in an NRL Tag Clinic on Tuesday 29 October during school hours. All students from these grades are asked to wear their full sports uniform on this day.
On Friday 1 November, we will celebrate our All Saints Day Liturgy combined with the Year 4 White assembly. This special day honours all the Saints of the Catholic Church, both known and unknown, who have attained heaven.
The Liturgy/Assembly will begin at the special time of 2:10 pm in the school hall. We kindly ask that all parents and carers be seated by this time.
The following awards will be presented to students at week 3 assembly on Friday 1 November at 2:10 pm.
Medallion - Annabel Dengate, Gabriella Semann, Jaxson Sanders
Super Star - Max Gibbons, Koa Micallef, Brax Patterson, Claire Henderson, Aislinn Bertrand-Sands, Samuel Hurtado, Salvatore Cenatiempo, Harper Gordon, Cristiano Frisina, Evalyn James, Maverick Weir, Lila Messer, Ava Lyons, Jack Fenning, Isaiah Banasik, Imogen Messer, Indie-Rose Szcerbanik, Luca Falcone, Taj Davies, Giuseppe Molluso, Lelia Catford-Potter, Abigail Williams, Beau Marano, Nathaniel Ryan, Indiana Lindsay, Indy Mahoney, Joel Carstens, Ivy Nguyen, Lilly Irwin, Ethan Flew
Class Mass with Father Peter will be held every second Tuesday in the school chapel. Our next Mass will be on Tuesday 5 November at 9:30 am, organised by Kindergarten with Year 4 White attending.
On Monday and Tuesday this week our Year 5 cohort attended their first school camp. It was a memorable experience full of adventure, excitement and incredible experiences. The students challenged themselves with a vertical challenge, giant swing and H2O skirmish. The days were packed full of activities while at night the students enjoyed roasting marshmallows by the fire pit and walking through the bush to look for nocturnal animals.
Support Our School Fundraiser!
We're excited to announce that our online ordering for the school fundraiser is now open! Our talented students have created some amazing artworks that you can now view and purchase online.
You can choose from a variety of items, including:
- Calendars
- Tea Towels
- Diaries
- And much more!
This is a fantastic way to celebrate our children's creativity while supporting our school. Don’t miss out—place your order today and help us make this fundraiser a success!
Please see attached flyer for prices.
Thank you for your support! ?
Get ready for a refreshing treat!
Starting week three, our school canteen will have delicious slushies—gluten-free and packed with 99% fruit juice!
With a 4.5-star rating, these flavourful cups are just $2.50 each.
Flavours will vary, so come by and taste the ultimate slushie experience! Students cannot preorder slushies —available only over the counter.
Our Stage 3 students were given the opportunity to participate in the Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition, an initiative by the Catholic Education Office in Wollongong. This competition aims to celebrate and explore students’ creative talents in illustrating the Christmas story. We are thrilled to share that Year 6 student Nicholaz Sanchez received a Highly Commended Award for his exceptional entry. His artwork is currently on display at the Wollongong Art Gallery, highlighting his impressive artistic ability. Congratulations, Nicholaz!
Book Club Issue 7 went home with students on Tuesday. There is absolutely no pressure to purchase from Book Club, however if you would like to purchase items for Christmas presents we can arrange for these to be picked up from the School Office.
If you are ordering for Christmas, select "GIFT ORDER" when you are making your purchase and it will then let us know that this is not to go home with the student. Once the items are received from Scholastics we will then call you to let you know that your parcel is ready to collect.
Please note all orders are due by Monday 28 October 2024 and it takes approximately 2 weeks for the orders to be delivered to our school.
An invitation is extended to any families/couples/friends interested in taking part in the offertory at the weekend Masses. If you would like to be an active participant in this important task, please arrive 15 minutes before Mass and make yourself known to the greeters who will introduce you to the offertory organiser for that Mass. If you are unsure and would like further information, please call the Parish Office on 46 832 230.
Supporting our Diverse Learners and families at home offering some strategies on how to help foster engagement in learning and promote success both at school and at home. If you need any support for your child please reach out and make contact as we highly value positive partnerships with our parent community.
Miss Karyn Wescombe
Diverse Learning Support Leader
Wildflower Holistic Services - Principal Psychologist Alexandra McCarthy
Empowering Kids Through Age-Appropriate Responsibilities
Every parent wants to raise responsible, confident children who contribute at home and can manage their self-care tasks. Kids naturally want to feel involved and valued, just like adults. When they are trusted with responsibilities that are suitable for their age and abilities, they gain confidence and a feeling of self-worth. They feel more capable and proud of themselves for completing tasks, no matter how small, which is crucial for building a positive self-image - even toddlers benefit from this!
Assigning kids age-appropriate responsibilities taps into this curiosity and eagerness to help. It also teaches valuable life skills like problem-solving, time management, and accountability, while also fostering a sense of belonging within the family. The tasks allow them to feel valued for their contributions and start understanding the importance of teamwork. Teaching responsibility early on helps children not only in the home but also equips them to handle more structured environments like school and later life, with greater ease.
However, it’s essential to ensure tasks are realistic for their age and abilities. Responsibilities should grow steadily as children develop, ensuring they’re both empowering and enjoyable, not overwhelming.
What Is Age-Appropriate?
Every child and family is different, so it’s important to adapt responsibilities to suit your child’s unique needs and your family dynamics.
For instance, a toddler might not be ready to help put away groceries or set the table, but a preschooler can start handling these types of tasks. As children move into early primary school, they can take on more complex responsibilities like making their bed or packing their own school bag. By the time they reach late primary school, they are often capable of managing their homework routine and keeping their school bag organised.
Below is a general guide to help you decide what responsibilities might be suitable for different age groups:
Responsibilities for Toddlers (1-3 years)
- Cleaning up their own messes: Encourage them by saying, “Whoops, we made a mess. We always clean up our own messes.”
- Tidying up toys: Teach them to put toys back in their places.
- Choosing what to wear: Allow them to pick their clothes (with some guidance on season, safety, and appropriateness).
- Deciding how much food to eat: Letting them decide when they are full helps with self-regulation.
- Choosing toys to share vs. put away: Before friends arrive, they can decide which toys are special and should be kept aside.
Responsibilities for Preschoolers (3-5 years)
- Sorting clean clothes into piles
- Watering the plants
- Tidy their room
- Help put the groceries away
- Getting dressed independently
- Helping prepare meals: Simple tasks like washing vegetables or stirring ingredients.
- Setting the table for meals: Putting plates and cups on the table
Responsibilities for School-Aged Children (6-12 years)
- Feeding family pets daily
- Emptying and putting away dishes from the dishwasher
- Making their bed
- Hanging out clothes and folding laundry
- Helping prepare meals: More complex tasks like measuring ingredients, chopping, and cooking simple recipes.
- Make breakfast for themselves
- Provide opportunities to earn money through completing extra chores: This teaches the responsibility and value of saving/budgeting
- Managing homework routines: Help them establish a consistent time and place, and encourage them to complete it independently.
- Packing their school bag: Ensure essentials like homework, lunch, and a water bottle are included.
Gradually Building Responsibility
The key is to gradually increase the level of responsibility and the degree of independence. Start with smaller tasks and provide support as needed. As your child masters these tasks, you can increase their responsibilities. This steady approach helps them feel capable and confident, setting them up for success as they grow.
By nurturing these habits, children learn to take ownership of their roles, contribute meaningfully, and build a strong foundation for independence and self-confidence across all of their environments.
Festival of Fun is a FREE community event which has amusement rides, inflatables, market stalls, service stalls, food trucks, bbq, reptile show and plenty of other attractions!
In 2023 we counted over 2,500 community members and received an abundance of positive feedback from the community, which was absolutely amazing, so we are pleased that we can bring this family event back in 2024!
Festival of Fun will be held Sunday, 24 November 2024 10am – 2pm at Bargo Sportsground.
| St Anthony's Church Tahmoor | ||
| Saturday Vigil | 6:00 pm | Tahmoor |
| Sunday | 8:30 am | Tahmoor |
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Reconciliation |
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| Saturday | 4:00 - 4:30 pm | Tahmoor |
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Weekday Mass Times - This Week |
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| Tuesday |
5:00 pm |
Adoration |
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5:30 pm |
Tahmoor |
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| Wednesday | 8:30 am | Tahmoor |
| Thursday | 8:30 am | Tahmoor |
| Friday | ||
Sacramental Programs
Religious Education is a priority in Catholic schools. It provides the knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith and outlines what is needed to live a Catholic life. Sacramental programs are Parish based, Parish coordinated, family focused and school supported.
Each year the Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist and Confirmation are celebrated in the Parish.
A Parish based program caters to the needs of all participants. In this way children from all schools receive the same preparation for each sacrament.
The Parish based, family focused approach to Sacramental programs is widely used throughout Australia as the preferred approach. This approach acknowledges the important role of parents and families in the whole preparation process. Parents are the first educators of children in the faith and traditions of the Catholic Church. Parents involvement in Sacramental preparation is crucial in shaping the values and attitudes of each child. So it is vital, for the continual spiritual growth of the child, that the families involve themselves in the Sacramental life of Parish.
The uniform shop is now open for face to face purchases every Friday from 9 am. Otherwise orders can be emailed to the school via info@sapdow.catholic.edu.au
Orders must be at the office by 9am Fridays.
