Filter Content
Dear STA Families,
Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Galong to meet with Principal colleagues in our Archdiocese for Siloam. I feel very privileged and blessed to have had this time to reflect and explore Scripture and Leadership. One of the sessions of Siloam focussed on Leadership as an Island of Sanity. Margaret Wheatley talks about leaders having choice. “We can be warriors for the human spirit, leaders willing to defend and support people, leaders who remember and value what humans are capable of creating together”. We need to use our influence and power to create islands of sanity in the midst of this destructive sea. There are times in our lives when we need to call on the work of others to create islands of sanity. I feel humbled to work in a school where I see this so often. Particularly for families who are currently going through the strain of personal hardship, where they have lost a loved one or are caring for a family member undergoing significant treatment for illness. As a school community, I hope that we can be the island of sanity for those in need of support and prayers during these challenging times. I feel very grateful to be a part of a generous community who I see as warriors for the human spirit.
Over the weekend it was so lovely to witness some of our students receive the Sacrament of First Eucharist. It was absolutely beautiful to see our children so reverent and joining Father Tom at the altar as they shared in the celebration of the Eucharist together. My thanks to Father Tom and our dedicated staff and families for supporting our students on this journey.
Below you will find information on the change in our finance transformation structures across our system. Thank you for your patience and support as we work together through these changes. We are currently receiving correspondence and training from Catholic Education to ensure that our Finance infrastructure is consistent across our Archdiocese.
It is with much delight that I let you know that Orla (Duggan) and Sean Rutledge have welcomed to the world their baby son Oisín Murphy Rusty Rutledge (Pronounced Oh-sheen; Meaning: little deer) last Sunday morning. A third beautiful boy for Orla and Sean.
Next Friday all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mobs in southside schools and their families are invited to a day of yarning, culture and fun. Activities include:
- Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony
- Live music and emcee
- Sports Activities - Brumbies, Raiders, GWS Giants, CBR Brave Ice Hockey, Canberra Chill Hockey and Hybrid Training Centre Boxing and Muay Thai
- Cultural Activities – Art, Writing Workshops, Craft, Dance with more to come….
- Food and drinks – Woolworths will be doing a BBQ and supplying refreshments; however, students are encouraged to bring something for recess
- Sponsors – Corroboree Group and Birrabang Scaffolding
Families take their own children from 10.00am-2.00pm and accompany them for the day to develop connections and relationships with each other through games, cultural learning and socialisation. Please see attached details for further information. I warmly encourage our Aboriginal and Torres Strait families to attend.
A reminder we also have our Fathers’ Day brekkie from 7.30am-9.00am in our asphalt area next Friday followed by our Liturgy at 9.15am led by Year One. Please place your order via QKR by Tuesday 29th August at 10.00am if you would like to purchase an egg and bacon roll.
Finance Transformation: Notice of Finance System Changes
In partnership with Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn (CECG), St Anthony’s Parish Primary School is migrating to a new finance system, that will integrate with the Compass Parent Portal and Compass App. It is anticipated that St Anthony’s Parish Primary School will begin to use this system in September 2023.
The move to the new system will increase the integration of the school finances into Compass, with parents/caregivers also having visibility of financial transactions within Compass.
There will be changes to the design of fee statements, which will include a newly assigned BPAY Biller Code and Customer Reference Number (CRN), that will be issued to you once the system has migrated in September when fee statements are issued with any outstanding balances.
The payment of school fees directly into a school bank account will no longer be possible in the new system, and the school bank account is being centralised across CECG. If you make regular payment of school fees via Direct Debit, please note that these have been cancelled and you will need to ensure that you move to an alternative payment option.
From September, BPAY will be the preferred payment method for the payment of student tuition fees and levies. Most banks allow for regular recurring payment to be made via BPAY. For more information on how to enable ongoing payments using BPAY, please speak to your bank.
Payments can also be made online utilising CompassPay or directly at the school office utilising cash or EFTPOS. Whilst payments via CompassPay are possible this does cost the school additional transactional fees, reducing the funds available to support the school. Where possible, please pay school fees via BPAY or directly at the school office via cash or EFTPOS. The following payments methods however will no longer be accepted:
- Direct debit
- Direct bank deposit
- Qkr!
To assist with a smooth transition to the new system, can you please ensure that the school is aware of any updated contact details for your family.
We appreciate your support during this transition. If you have any questions, please contact our school.
Front Garden Project update
What an incredible community we have here at STA. A huge thank you to all of our helpers who came along to assist with rakes, shovels and wheelbarrows on Saturday 29 July.
Our front garden project is being undertaken with assistance from the ACT Government under the Parent Engagement Grant Program. The garden is really coming along and we have planned for another working bee on Saturday 9 September from 9.00-12.00pm. A special thank you to the school P&F for their organisation, planning and overall assistance in bringing this garden to life. We currently have the last day of term scheduled for the official opening of the garden - watch this space!
Calendar Reminders:
- Monday 21 August to Thursday 24 August: Book fair open 8am-8.45 am (+ 3pm-3.45pm on the Thursday).
- Wednesday 23 August: P-6 Book Character parade 9.30am
- Friday 25 August: Book and Brunch 11.30am-12pm
- Friday 25 August: Year 2 Science SHowcase 12pm
- Wednesday 30 August: Year 4 excursion to National Film and Sound Archive
- Thursday 31 August: BACT Sue Geh Cup Year 5 & 6
- Friday 1 September: Father’s Day Breakfast 7.30am-9am
- Friday 1 September: Year 1 liturgy 9.15am
- Tuesday 5 September: RUOK Day
- Saturday 9 September from 9.00-12.00pm
Have a wonderful week,
Erin
Boorowa – Save the Date
It is with great excitement that we can announce the date for the upcoming Boorowa Netball and Touch carnival. This is great news as the carnival is a fantastic day and hasn’t been able to run for the last few year. St Anthony’s aims to put in a team for touch and netball for each year level from year 2 up. We will require Parent coaches for each of these teams. Without enough coaches we may not be able to enter teams. Please complete the expression of interest attached the to compass information note.
Places on the bus are limited and will be a first in first served basis. If you are planning on attending by private vehicle and are willing to take other students please let me know via email and we can arrange to get everyone there.
Save the date – Friday 20 October (Term 4 Week 2)
Basketball
Term 3 seems to be full of basketball days! Unfortunately, we were unable to attend the Year 3/4 girls day but are looking good for the Year 3/4 boys and the Year 5/6 days.
Year 3/4 Boys report
On Tuesday August 1, Mr McDevitt led two very excited teams made up of Year boys from Year 3/4 to take on the best teams from South Canberra in the annual Jamie Pearlman Cup. Under Mr McDevitt’s expert coaching the two teams played an breathtaking style of basketball with quick passing, teamwork and rock solid defence being highlights of their game play. The students grew as a team throughout the day and each game saw each player improve their skills. Mr McDevitt reported that the students played a great style of play and should be proud of their efforts.
The students who played on the team included:
Sam B, Malachi B, Declan C, Louis E, Jayden G, Caleb G, Owen J, Louis K, Alex L, Joseph M, Baxter M, Cooper N, Daniel R, Henry R, Tobias R, Lucas S, Beau S, Noah T, Kai W.
Congratulations to all you participated.
Year 5/6 upcoming events
We wish our Year 5 and 6 Boys and Girls teams luck in their upcoming Basketball days. Girls will be on August 31 and Boys September 6. Please check compass for permission notes.
Both of these days will require parent coaches. If you are able to help out please let me know via email as soon as possible – josh.mcgrath1@cg.catholic.edu.au
Tuggeranong Regional Athletics Carnival
The Tuggeranong Regional Athletics Carnival is set to take place on Monday 21 August. We are very lucky to have had over 40 students qualify for this event. We wish them luck on the day.
We will share results after the carnival has been finalised.
Good luck everyone attending!
Combined National Cross Country Championship
Harper D has qualified for the National Cross Country Championship which takes place Friday 25 August. Harper will have inside knowledge of the course with the event taking place at Stromlo Running Track. We wish Harper the best of luck for the day and cannot wait to her how she goes. We know she will do the school proud!
Good Luck Harper!
Warrior Course
This term we have been lucky to open our new Warrior Course playground. It has been fantastic to see the students attempt the course in Sport lessons or Lunchtimes. Many students have improved significantly over the few short weeks the course has been opened. It is amazing to see students conquer elements of the course that not that long ago felt impossible to do. Each student who has braved the course is commend for showing courage, resilience, and determination to achieve your goal.
The following students have managed to complete the course (all stations warrior style, first go) and have told Mr McGrath (Sport) about it. If you have completed the course warrior style please let Mr McGrath know so we can celebrate your great achievement.
Congratulations to the students who have made the Warrior Course Honour Board
Student | Date of Course Completion |
John R | 21/7/23 |
George L | 21/7/23 |
Mikayla R | 21/7/23 |
Liam C | 24/7/23 |
Charlotte B | 24/7/23 |
Mia P | 24/7/23 |
Alex H | 26/7/23 |
Permission Notes on Compass
All sport days will have permission notes published on compass. It is vital that these are completed by the due date to ensure students place on the team. No late entries will be accepted. Permission notes will close approximately 1 week before the competition date. This is to ensure we can enter correct number of teams, organize team lists and send out any final information.
Students must have completed a compass permission note before the due date to be considered for team selection.
If you have any issues with compass please contact the school asap.
Parent/Carer Coaches
As we are getting back into attending Gala days they are becoming more and more popular. To ensure we are able to offer these days to all students who wish to participate we required parent helpers for these days. You do not have to be an expert in the sport, just someone who is able to attend the day and provide guidance for a team.
If we do not have parent coaches we may not be able to provide the opportunities we wish to do for our students. If you are able to help please fill in the compass permission form for that sports day. If you are unsure but would like to find out more please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Thanks in advance for all the volunteers we will receive.
Upcoming Events
Please note the following upcoming events in your calendar
Week | Sport | Date |
6 | Tuggeranong Regional Athletics Carnival | Monday 21 August |
7 | Sue Geh Years 5/6 Basketball | Thursday 31 August |
8 | Jamie Pearlman Years 5/6 Basketball | Wednesday 6 September |
Please check compass for permission notes for these events. Permission notes must be completed for students to be considered for team selection.
Congratulations
Will C, Joseph R and Fraser H were selected to compete for the ACT in the AFL Schoolboys U12 competition which was held in Lavington Albury from 6-11 August. Very impressive.
Sporting Success Stories
It has been great to get to hear some of the sporting success stories that are happening in our community. Please keep sending these through. Please email your stories, along with a photo to josh.mcgrath1@cg.catholic.edu.au and we will endeavor to share your success with the school community.
ThinkUKnow Parent and Carer resources
Thank you to those parents who attended our cyber safety and awareness presentation last Thursday evening. Presenters from ThinkUKnow shared valuable information in relation to keeping children safe online and highlighting various issues around online safety. Attached are two flyers with information about social networking, meeting people online and online gaming that you mind find useful.