24th November 2022
Principals News
Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. Matthew 24:44 .
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have so many great things happening across our school in these next few final weeks of the 2022 school year and I sincerely hope the children will engage and enjoy all that we have planned.
This Sunday we begin the Church season of Advent - a time of preparing ourselves for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In Australia Advent is during the hot summer months and is not always conducive to the quiet, reflective time where we are encouraged to prepare ourselves spiritually for the birth of Jesus once again into our hearts. At our PD meeting this week the teachers explored the Infancy narratives from the Bible. We read the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke and teachers found them to be quite different. The gospels were written at different times and for different audiences and had very different purposes. We focused on all the characters we associate with Christmas and discovered that many things such as a donkey or cattle in the stable or a star in the sky, are parts of a story that is a combination of Matthew and Luke's gospels put together. That is ok and teachers will likely continue to share those stories with the children in our classrooms, so that the stories of the birth of Jesus come to life for them, but as adults, it was a key opportunity to grow our own understanding of the stories about the Birth of Jesus. As we prepare for the coming of Jesus as a child on Christmas day, we do encourage every parent and carer to please share the story as you know it and highlight to your growing child that Christmas is about giving and about being with loved ones and remembering the birth of a baby whose life changed the world in so many ways. Our classrooms will have purple cloths on the prayer tables to signify the Advent Season and we have a liturgy each Monday morning to mark the weeks of Advent with the children. Parents are welcome to stay and pray with us.
Wishing each family a calm and blessed Advent Season.
Kind Regards
Diane Murphy
Assistant Principals News
Positive Behaviour for Learning
This week we begin our new Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) focus:
“I use the play equipment safely.”
Using the play equipment safely is important here at Holy Spirit Infants Abermain as it ensures all students are safe while playing. Being safe means that our Early Learners can enjoy their play and benefit socially and physically. Teachers will be on the lookout to award students who they see using the play equipment safely and reward them with a GOTCHA or a special PBL merit award!
Rebecca Kearns
Assistant Principal
Sharing our Faith
Advent
This weekend marks the start of the season of Advent which is when the Catholic Church prepares in the lead up to Christmas. Advent goes for four weeks in the lead up to Christmas and it is a time that us as Catholics need to remember to be ready for the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Ways that we mark Advent is through using an Advent wreath. Being a circle, it has no beginning or end, reminds us that our lives will not end but that we will live in eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven. With the wreath, we place four candles, each representing a different Sunday (week) of Advent. Three of these are purple, representing hope, peace and love, and one is pink, representing joy. The light that these candles create represents the light of Christ who was sent to us to defeat the darkness. Each week we light a candle, each time lighting another to show the progression and our increasing readiness to meet our Lord.
Each Monday over the following weeks at school, we will have a prayer and reflection at our morning assembly about the Advent focus for that week where our students will be able to develop a deeper understanding of the reason for the season.
Family Mass
Thank you to those families and students who were able to make our family mass this past Sunday. It was a beautiful mass where the students were involved in reading, offertory, and singing. They all did an amazing job! During the mass Fr James took them through the Church explaining what they saw as well as giving each of them a rosary, explaining that this was another way that they could pray.
We look forward to continuing our Family Masses in 2023 and we hope you will be able to join us for one.
End of Year Liturgy
On Thursday 8th December, we will be having our school's End of Year Liturgy in the Church at 1:30pm. It will be a great way to celebrate the wonderful year that we have had in 2022 and give thanks for the many memories and experiences we have had. All are welcome to attend.
Social Justice News
St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Christmas is a time for hope and joy; and as we again approach the Christmas season, it’s a reminder to reflect on the good that has happened this year, as well as the hope we can bring to others. We invite you to help to make this Christmas season that little bit brighter for those who are really doing it tough in our community. We have 2 weeks left to collect non- perishable items that will brighten the Christmas period for some families.
Please see below for what each class will be collecting to donate. Donations will be due by Friday 9th December.
Vinnies Youth Christmas Card Competition
Each year Vinnies Youth runs a Christmas Card Competition where they select 5 winners from NSW to feature on the official St Vincent de Paul Christmas Cards. In classes students will have an opportunity to design their cards and we will select 2 from each class to be submitted into the competition by Monday 5th December.
Parish Mass Times
Saturday 26th November
10:00am Mass – St Joseph’s, Cessnock
6:00pm Mass – St. Joseph’s, Cessnock
Sunday 27th November
8:30am Mass – Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri
10:30am Mass – St. Joseph’s, Cessnock
4:30pm Mass – St. Francis Xavier’s, Abermain
Saturday 3rd December
9:00am Mass – Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri
6:00pm Mass – St. Joseph’s, Cessnock
Sunday 4th December
8:30am Mass – Holy Spirit, Kurri Kurri
10:30am Mass – St. Joseph’s, Cessnock
4:30pm Mass – St. Francis Xavier’s, Abermain
Yours in faith,
Miss Jessica Laczkowski
Religious Education Coordinator
Year 2 Transition to Holy Spirit Primary Kurri Kurri
On Tuesday our Year 2 students had their transition visit to Holy Spirit Primary Kurri Kurri. On this day they met with the current Year 3 teachers and their buddy group for 2023. They were able to explore the playground and the classrooms, hear about the things they will do Kurri and have some fun dressing up and taking photos with their friends in the photo booth.
The Year 2 students had a great morning. Here are some of the things our students are looking forward to:
“I’m looking forward to making new friends.” Lance D
“I can’t wait to play on the field” Jett W
“I’m looking forward to catching the bus.” Mia H
Year 1 Sharing Assembly
A huge thank you to all the parents, carers and grandparents that attended the Year 1 Sharing Assembly, our students were so very excited to share their learning with you. Both Miss. Elias and I are very proud of how far every student has grown this year and of their confidence to stand, speak and share all their learning with you. We worked very hard to perfect our presentation and our speakers worked very hard to speak clearly, with volume and to stand still. Please enjoy some of the photos from our assembly.
Warmest Regards
Mrs. Porter-Kay and Miss. Elias.
Year 1 Sharing Assembly
Kindergarten Grade Sharing Assembly Gallery
Office News
Lost Property
There are several school jackets that have been not collected, either from OOSH, the playground or the classroom. Unfortunately, some of the names on the jackets cannot be identified to children at this school. Some of the items don't have any names at all on them. If your child has lost/misplaced their jacket, please pop in to the office and have a look at the unclaimed items.
Finance News
Thank you to those families who continue to make payments towards the annual fee account. The next statement will be sent out on Monday 5th December. If you have not received your statement or have any concerns in regard to your account please email admin@abermain.catholic.edu.au
A review of fees has now commenced, and we wish to remind you of making regular payments with the view to finalise your account by 30th November, 2022.
BPAY is our preferred method of payment, EFTPOS is also available.
Dot Seamer - Monday to Thursday Bonney Lane - Friday
Book Club
The last book club of the year (Issue 8) will close Thursday 1st December. If you have ordered a special gift can you please advise so that we can disguise it. Also note on the order to Scholastic that it is a gift and they will note that on the order for us. Thank you for your continued support of our school we have received lots of beautiful books through the rewards/points from your orders.
This is the FINAL week for borrowing our library books as we need to undertake our stocktake. All students are to return all library books next THURSDAY 1st December please. We have a prize for the class who return all their books first! Lets get reading and then put our books back in the library bags ready to return.
Thank you, Library Staff.
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Canteen News
