Listed below are some important dates.

On Friday 22 March from 9:10 am – 9:30 am Years 2-6 will gather in the school hall to acknowledge all the students who have achieved great results in Swimming and the Wollongong Diocesan Sporting Trials. We will be announcing the Age Champions from this year’s swimming carnival and the following students who gained selection in the following Diocesan Sporting Teams.

• Beau Spiteri – Basketball
• Ben Morschel – Mackillop Tennis
• Murphy Beveridge – AFL
• Jesse Slater – AFL
• Harry Houghton - AFL
• Mya Daniels – Football (Soccer)
• Charlotte MacBeth – Netball
• Scarlett Kovacevic – Netball
• Violet Mitchell – Netball
• Flynn Collins – Softball

Parents, Carers and Grandparents are invited to join the students and staff of St Anthony's for The Stations of The Cross on Monday 25 March. 
There will be 3 sessions and you're welcome to join us at a time that is convenient for you.

• Kinder - Year 2 Stations of The Cross at school 10 am - 11 am
• Year 3 - Year 6 Stations of The Cross at school 12 pm - 1 pm
• Parish Stations of The Cross at Tahmoor Church 10 am on Good Friday 29 March

On Tuesday 2 April, the day after Easter Long Weekend, the canteen will be closed. The canteen will re-open on Wednesday 3 April as normal. Sorry for any inconvenience.

On Thursday 4 April, 2024, all students from Kinder to Year 6 will participate in the school's Cross Country Carnival.  As the carnival is being held at Victoria Oval, Menangle Street, Picton the students will walk to and from the oval.  All students are expected to participate in this fun day unless there are good medical reasons why they cannot. Children who are unable to participate should still attend school that day as they will be able to assist the teachers. All children will return to school to resume normal classes at the conclusion of the carnival.

Students are required to wear their sports uniforms including school hats.

All primary children will be participating in the 2km run. A team of runners from the 8/9, 10, 11 and 12 years age groups will be selected to represent St Anthony’s at the annual Diocesan Cross Country Carnival. The infants children will be competing in the St Anthony’s Fun Run over a shorter distance.

The carnival will begin at 9:45 am and parents are required to give consent via Compass Parent Portal.

To make the carnival an enjoyable and successful event, we will need assistance from parents. If you can help on the day we would be grateful if you could respond to the note sent home with your child today by Monday 25 March, 2024.

Due to Good Friday being in week 9 we will have our next assembly in week 10.

Year 2 White will be presenting at assembly on Friday 5 April at 2:20pm. We would like to invite parents/families from Year 2 White to join us in the hall for the presentation. 

Our students and teachers had a fun day today embracing the message that comes with Harmony Day. The enthusiasm shown by both students and teachers in embracing the message of inclusiveness, respect, and belonging is truly commendable. By wearing orange items and actively participating in Harmony Day activities, our school community has demonstrated its commitment to fostering a culture of unity and understanding.

Today we celebrated The Big Vegie Crunch. We had lots of vegies being crunched while building healthy eating habits. We even had children harvesting our cherry tomatoes and digging up our sweet potatoes. Here are some of our children enjoying their fresh vegies.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable contribution during last Friday's working bee. Your dedication, time, and hard work made a significant difference in improving the condition of our school grounds.

In just two short hours, the overgrown gardens received a much-needed transformation, thanks to your support and willingness to lend a helping hand. Your efforts have not only beautified the school but have also fostered a sense of community spirit and pride in our school environment.

We would like to express our sincerest thanks to the following individuals for their participation and commitment:

Angela, Colin and Aiden Cappelleri, Lisa, David and Oliver Buttigieg, Jaye and Harmony Williams, Andrew and Claire Warwick, Zoe, Joshua and Hemi Borg, Kristy, Astin and Xavier Elphinstone, Lisa, Richard, William and Alexander Bruffer, Tanita and Nate Coulter, Kelly Williams, Rhys and Cooper Collum, Benedicita Soonjin Kim and Christian Lim.

The Parish Continuing Celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection after 8:30 am Mass on Sunday 7 April.

Please join us after Mass for:

• Good Company
• Good Coffee
• Sausage Sandwiches
• Pancakes
• And Games Galore for young and old.

These chickens play an important role in keeping our school sustainable and environmentally friendly. Raising chickens is a great way to teach children about where food comes from, as well as encouraging responsibility and nurturing skills.

Wildflower Holistic Services - Principal Psychologist Alexandra McCarthy

We have the privilege of working with many individuals who are neurodivergent, and we deeply value their unique perspectives, ideas, and visions. However, more often than not neurodivergent individuals are often misunderstood and face stigma that makes it difficult for them to thrive in society. This week is Neurodiversity Celebration Week, so we thought it would be fitting to share ways in which we can celebrate neurodiversity and practice inclusivity. Taking a strengths based approach to developmental differences like Autism and ADHD, allows us to simply view these as neurotypes that are a part of the human tapestry of life. Unfortunately within the medical model, which still makes up a large part of our society, it is traditionally assumed that because an individual has neurological differences they require “fixing” to become “normal”. Neuro-affirming practice on the other hand, recognises the strengths, qualities, and challenges that come from being neurodivergent. By recognising there is nothing “wrong” or nothing to “fix” or “this person will grow out of it”, the focus then becomes on developing an understanding of each individual and empowering them to appreciate and value the unique way in which their brain works as well as acknowledge the insights, abilities, and talents that they have.

As part of neurodiversity celebration week, let’s talk about some key areas that encourage neuro affirming practice and celebrate neurodiversity:

Language influences the way we view and understand individuals, which in turn impacts how individuals view and understand themselves. Through adjusting our language, we can change perspectives and create an environment that promotes acceptance, respect, and inclusion for neurodivergent individuals. Ways we can do this is through respecting the language an individual chooses and how they wish to identify, and avoiding deficit terminology, for example, “attention seeking” (deficit) vs “connection seeking” (affirming). While we acknowledge the inherent challenge, particularly when terms like "disorder" that stem from a pathology paradigm are ingrained in diagnostic labels such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Autism

Spectrum Disorder, it's crucial to recognise that individuals are not defined by these diagnoses.

Communication is another way we can practice inclusivity and celebrate diversity. We get that individuals who are neurodivergent may not communicate in neurotypical ways, and that's perfectly okay. Rather than imposing neurotypical standards and expectations, neuro-affirming practice strives to understand and respect unique communication styles. There are many different communication styles that exist and that can be utilised. For example, we may use visual aids for those who process information visually or use key word sign, gesturing, AAC or text to speech device for non-verbal individuals.

Self-regulation strategies are a further area to be aware of especially in the space of stimming.

Stimming is a tool used by both neurodivergent and neurotypical individuals to regulate their bodies. Stimming behaviours can take various forms, including tapping, fidgeting, spinning, nail biting, lip biting, hair twirling, and more. For example, a student rocking on their chair at school may be seeking movement to self-regulate. Rather than discouraging or removing the stimming behaviour, accommodations are made to ensure safety and comfort. Providing alternatives like wobble chairs or cushions can offer similar sensory input while minimising potential risks, such as falling off the chair. Instead of suppressing stimming behaviours, the goal is to understand their function and provide supportive strategies that honour the individual's unique self regulation needs while fostering a safe and inclusive environment.

Sensory needs are also an important consideration. Individuals who identify as neurodivergent may have various sensory needs, which can vary widely. This can include hypersensitivity (heightened sensitivity) or hyposensitivity (decreased sensitivity) to sensory stimuli such as sounds, lights, textures, tastes, and smells. Some neurodivergent individuals may engage in sensory seeking behaviours, whilst others may engage in sensory avoidant behaviours. Some may be more susceptible to sensory overload, where they become overwhelmed by sensory input in their environment. It's about understanding these diverse sensory needs to create inclusive environments. For example, understanding the individual's unique sensory profile and developing strategies for coping with sensory overload, such as, wearing headphones to the shops, encouraging and creating sensory friendly environments that reduce stimulation like playing calming music and using soft lighting. This supports the wellbeing and participation of neurodivergent individuals in various settings like school, workplaces, and community spaces.

By embracing neurodiversity, we foster a society that appreciates the diversity of human experience and promotes acceptance, respect, and empowerment for all individuals, regardless of their neurotype.

Book Club has now been issued to Families.  Please note that our School does not take orders with cash.  All orders must be placed via the LOOP App.  The information for placing orders can be found at the back of the catalogue. 

All orders for Issue 2 will need to be submitted by Friday 22 March 2024.  If you would like to pick up your order from the office rather than this being sent home with our child, please select GIFT when ordering and we will contact you when the order comes in.

For any further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Library.

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.