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Dear Parents and Friends of St Kevin’s,
The year is quickly drawing to a close. The students are continuing to work on various projects and activities that are keeping them engaged in their learning. Yesterday Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 and their teachers, learnt how to make pom poms. This is a great activity to promote hand eye coordination, persistence, and various mathematical concepts. I hope they look beautiful on your Christmas trees! Meanwhile Year 5 are busy writing and practising their Captains speeches. We will video these speeches and upload to TEAMS so the students can share them with their parents and even grandparents. COVID is placing restrictions but we are being creative in getting around these restrictions to include our parent community in our end of year activities. Our school Facebook page has many opportunities for parents to stay up to date with what is happening daily here at school.
Take care and go gently as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, remembering all the while “Jesus is the reason for the Season”.
Mary-Anne Jennings
Principal
Girls Summer Uniform
We have a new addition to the girls’ summer uniform. Orders are now being taken for this new outfit. Prices are in line with the boys’ summer uniform and are $25 a - piece. Our Year 4 model is wearing a size 8 shirt and size 10 shorts.
2021 Uniforms
In preparation for the 2021 school year we remind parents of our school uniform policy. Shoes worn with regular uniform must be black and polishable. They can be traditional lace up styles or Velcro or have buckles as fasteners. Girls wear white socks and boys wear grey socks. Jumpers worn with summer uniform is the navy, fleecy jumper with the school crest. School hats must also be worn every day.
SPORTS UNIFORM is worn on a Friday most of the time. Sports jackets are only worn on sports days. The sports uniform also identifies white joggers and white socks. NO COLOURED JOGGERS PERMITTED.
Last Day of School
Wednesday December 16.
Thank you to those parents who have returned the Family Discount Forms for 2021. If you haven't done so already, please return these to the school office as soon as possible. Many thanks.
Yaama Ngindaay! (Hello everyone)
Recently we welcomed 3 new students from the one family to our school. Zeus in Kindergarten, Jayda in Year 3 and Mia in Year 5. They are from Worimi Country, around the Karuah area. All children in the school have warmly welcomed them to our St Kevin’s community.
Our students have been learning about the Worimi people, where their Country is located and interesting information about their history and traditions. So we now have mostly Kamilaroi / Gomeroi / Gamilaraay children, one Yorta Yorta girl and three Worimi children. I am from Gomeroi Country near Quirindi.
When you look at the Aboriginal Language Map below, you will find these 3 Aboriginal Nations.
The Kamilaroi nation is of vast expanse, lying within northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, stretching from as far as the Hunter Valley in NSW through to Nindigully in Qld and as far west as the Warrumbungle Mountains near Coonabarabran in NSW, sweeping across the Liverpool Plains.
Centres within this nation incorporate Quirindi, Tamworth, Narrabri, Walgett, Lightening Ridge, Moree, Boggabilla, Gunnedah, Mungindai, Murrurundi, Singleton and Nindigully (Qld).
Information courtesy of ‘Kamilaroi - A Nations Identity website, designed and compiled by Michelle Carpenter. Macquarie University NSW.’ https://kamilaroianationsidentity.weebly.com/location.html
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Traditional Yorta Yorta lands lie on both sides of the Murray River roughly from Cohuna to Albury / Wodonga. They include towns such as Echuca, Shepparton, Benalla, Corowa and Wangaratta and extend northwards to just south of Deniliquin.
Information courtesy of the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation https://yynac.com.au/
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The Worimi are the traditional owners of the Port Stephens area. The area remains important for the Worimi people and traditional sites provide important information about their relationship and special connection with the lands. The Worimi nation, which envelops the Port Stephens local government area, extends from the Hunter River in the south to Forster in the north and as far west as the Barrington Tops and Maitland. The Worimi people spoke the Gathang language.
Information courtesy of the Port Stephens Council website (Aboriginal History) https://www.portstephens.nsw.gov.au/play/culture-and-history/aboriginal-history
Our children at St Kevin’s continue to learn about First Nations People from across Australia, thereby deepening their knowledge, understanding and awareness of the great diversity of traditions and culture among our First Nations People.
We all now share in the wonderful history of this land we all call home. This is our journey together.
Take care, stay safe, and look after your mob.
Yaluu ngali ngamilay (We will see each other again)
Phil Taylor
Aboriginal Education Teacher
This Sunday will begin the second week of Advent. The candle we light is the Bethlehem Candle. After this, the third and fourth weeks of Advent, we light the Shepherds’ Candle (Joy) and the Angels’ Candle (Peace).
Week 3: The Shepherds’ Candle
The shepherds candle reminds us of a loving carer, one who knows me by name. One who will miss me in absence and seek me out when I lost; one who does not count the cost to return me to my home. It reminds us of how the shepherds responded – they listened and followed, they saw Jesus and they believed. It reminds us of the power and importance of faith and trust.
Lord Jesus, help us to listen to the call of injustice, to open our eyes to the oppressed. Help us to proclaim the good news with joy, and to live lives which are loving. Help us to die to those things which entrap us in unloving and hurtful relationships and grow into newness, beauty and health.
Week 4: The Angels’ Candle
With the lighting of the fourth candle we know that the light of Christ is almost at its peak and most full. Darkness is almost banished away. We reflect on the role of messengers in the form of Angels to both Mary, her cousin Elizabeth and to the shepherds as they watched their sheep at night. So often messengers bring bad news, but the season of Advent is pregnant with the good news of mercy, hope, love, peace and joy. In the birth of Christ, humanity is called to be all of these things to the world.
When the first dreaming began in this land. A sign of human hope and life shone above it. The Southern Cross’ light has always blessed this land. Jesus grew up to carry a cross. We all carry crosses.
This Advent let every breath we take, be sacred in anticipation of our journey to the wonder of ‘God with us’. Let us open our hearts to the overwhelming and healing touch of a merciful God and may we find it in our hearts to be merciful also.
This week I have been visiting classes and we have been exploring the Christmas message and looking at the accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ in Matthew and Luke. We also looked at frankincense and talked about why the Magi might have gifted this aromatic. Please watch the “True Story of Christmas” that I shared with the children this week.
For unto us, a child is born, a son is given. And his name shall be called Emmanuel. Help us to strive to live lives of truth, remind us when we look to the stars– guide us always to truth. Amen. |
Reminders
Please remember to return any outstanding library books and home reading books by Friday 4/12/20 so that we can complete our end of year stocktake.