Term 2, Week 6

What's On This Fortnight

Principal's Message: Mrs Angela Muller

“When They Say ‘I Did Nothing at School Today’”

You ask, “How was school today?” and they say, “Fine.”
You ask, “What did you do?” and they say, “Nothing.”

Let us reassure you: they definitely did something. A lot of something, in fact.

They might have read a story that made them laugh. They might have learned a math strategy that felt like magic. They might have had a conversation at lunch that made their whole day brighter. Every day at school is full of tiny moments that matter, even if they do not always come with endless chatting when the school bag hits the floor.

If you're getting the one word answers, try asking some of these questions. Here are some of our favourites:

• “What was the funniest thing that happened today?”
• “Did anyone do something unexpected?”
• “Who did you sit next to at lunch, and what did they eat?”
• “What part of your day felt really long?”
• “What part went by super fast?”
• “What did your teacher say that made you smile?”
• “If today had a title like a movie, what would it be?”
• “Did anything make you feel proud today?”
• “If you could redo one part of today, what would it be?”
• “What’s something you learned today that you think I don’t know?”
• “Did you help anyone today? Did anyone help you?”
• “What’s one thing you’re excited about tomorrow?”

Lost and Found Chronicles

The Lost and Found is bursting again! It now contains an assortment of jumpers, drink bottles and lunchboxes.

If you're wondering where that missing jacket is, come by the front office or check the hall foyer. You might find your child’s jumper and maybe one you did not even know was gone.

Pro tip: labeling things works like magic.
But until then, we are considering installing GPS chips in every jumper!

Yours in education,
Angela Muller

Message from The Assistant Principal: Mr Matthew Gibson

Spelling Bee

Last week four students from Stage 2 and Stage 3 travelled to Wellington to compete in the Diocesan Spelling Bee. Anees and Claudia competed in Stage 3 and Finn and Leo in Stage 2. Congratulations to all of these students for their hard work. We love celebrating their academic success!

Understanding Your Child’s School Report

At The Assumption Catholic Primary School, we believe that clear and meaningful feedback is essential in supporting student learning. Our school reports provide parents and carers with a clear picture of their child’s progress. Report comments for Religious Education, English, and Mathematics are structured into two key sections: Learning Strengths and Learning Goals.

Learning Strengths:

This section outlines how well your child has met or is working towards key areas of the curriculum. It highlights areas where they are demonstrating progress, mastery, or emerging skills. Learning strengths provide insight into their achievements and the areas in which they are building confidence.

Learning Goals:

This section identifies specific areas for further development. Learning goals set out clear steps for your child to work on, helping them strengthen their understanding and skills. Teachers will set goals focused on helping students to transfer their learning so all students will have goals, regardless of the overall grade they achieve. Some goals may also include ways in which parents and carers can support learning at home. 

 Examples include:

• Continue developing fluency by reading aloud daily and discussing texts
• Regularly practise counting backwards to support solving subtraction problems.
• Practise using number facts in problem-solving to increase fluency and automaticity (number facts include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)

By understanding these sections of the report, parents can celebrate their child’s progress and provide meaningful support at home. If you have any questions about your child’s report or their learning journey, please reach out to the school for further discussion.

REC News: Mrs Catherine Connor

Sunday, 8 Jun 2025 - Pentecost Sunday – Year C

John 20:19 - 23,  As the Father sent me, so I send you: Receive the Holy Spirit.

Gospel Reflection

The celebration of Pentecost is a time for joy and hope. It is a time to reflect on the promise that Jesus made to the disciples that, when he was gone, the Holy Spirit would be with them to guide and teach them. John's gospel gives an account of Jesus giving the Holy Spirit to his disciples: this time the emphasis is on peace and forgiveness and mission, passing on the good news to others. It is the Holy Spirit who lives in us, guides us and helps us live the gospel from age to age.

Gospel Challenge

Try to take some time this week to listen to the Holy Spirit and to reflect on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that are Wisdom, Understanding, Right Judgement, Courage, Knowledge, Reverence and Awe and wonder and how they are manifested in your life.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same holy Spirit we may be truly wise. Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Parish Mass on Sunday, 22 June at 6 PM at The Assumption Church

The children from The Assumption School choir along with Mrs Kathy Powell will be helping with the Music at the Parish Mass on Sunday, 22 June at 6pm at Assumption Church. Please keep this Mass in mind and join the children with the parish to celebrate it.

Feast of the Sacred Heart Mass - Friday, 27 June, 2025 

The Feast of the Sacred Heart is on Friday 27th June. A Mass will be celebrated on Friday 27th June to commemorate this Feast Day. This Mass will have a special focus on the help we can give to the St Vincent de Paul Society Winter appeal. As a school our focus of support will be donating warm items such as hats/beanies, scarves, gloves and socks to support those who are not as fortunate as us. Could you please donate one of these items to help support others and keep the cold out this Winter.

To keep connected to the Cathedral Parish please follow the link to the Cathedral Parish Bulletin.

Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist & Confirmation 2025

Congratulations to Eddison for making his First Penance recently.

Students in Year 2, Year 3 and Year 6 are prepared and ready to receive the Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist (First Communion) and Confirmation.

Now your child/children have completed the Preparation Program for their Sacrament the parents/carers can contact Cathy Brien at the Parish Office on 6331 3066 or cathy.brien@cdob.org.au for coordination of dates and times to make the Sacraments..

Please inform the school office, class teacher or myself when your child is making a Sacrament. It is also very important to have the student who is receiving a Sacrament in the Parish Mass to be at the Church at least 20 minutes before the Mass and let the priest know you are there. 

The place for children to receive the Sacrament of Penance will be organised by Cathy O’Brien.

Both the school and the Parish office can supply you with the robes for Communion and Confirmation and medal and sash for Penance. We would also love to receive photos so we can publish them in the newsletter.

Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist and Confirmation and The Confirmation Process 2025

The process of booking in for the Sacraments.

1. Completed Sacraments preparation course. 
2. Obtain a Request form from Cathy Brien at the Cathedral Parish Office cathy.brien@cdob.org.au or phone 6331 3066.
3. Return the completed Request form to Cathy Brien, ensuring that all the relevant supporting documents have been attached. 
4. Cathy will then coordinate the requests with the available dates - remembering that the Bishop will only be available for Confirmation on the following dates:
   
   This weekend is an important one for our students choosing to be Confirmed as Bishop Michael McKenna will be Confirming students from across our four Catholic Schools. 
   

• • 7th and 8th June
  • 29th June
  • 9th and 10th August

If none of the above dates suit a family for Confirmation, contact the Cathedral Parish Office on 6331 3066 and alternative arrangements will be organised for the child's reception of the Sacrament.

The Sports Arena: Mrs Alison Hanley

Assumption Athletics Carnival 

Yesterday we held our Athletics Carnival as MacKillop College with the Sun shining brightly. We have many future track and field stars in the making here at Assumption and were very impressed with the sportsmanship on show throughout the day.

The winning house for the day was Keogh House (Blue). The Spirit Cup, for their amazing support, attitude and cheering went to Clayton House (Yellow). A huge thanks to all of the organisation that goes into preparing this carnival for our students and the staff for running such a smooth carnival on the day.

The Eastern Region Carnival will be held at MacKillop on Thursday August 7th next term. Information will be sent out towards the end of this term about the event. 

Age Champions 

Soccer Gala Day 

A Soccer Gala Day will be held on Friday 20th June for students in Year 3-6. Students have nominated themselves and an event will be sent out next week with more information on Compass.

Student Wellbeing: Mrs Sonia Peck

Mindfulness and Breathing: Creating Calm in Busy Lives

Life can get busy - with school, sports, work and family routines all competing for our attention. Children often feel the pressures of a fast-paced world just as much as adults. One simple and powerful way to find calm and improve focus is through mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the practice of being present - paying attention to the moment without judgment. It helps children develop emotional awareness, reduce anxiety and feel more settled in themselves. The good news is, it doesn’t require a lot of time or equipment and families can practise it together at home.

Here are a few simple mindfulness activities families can try together:

🧘 Breathe with Intention
Sit quietly and take three deep breaths. Try breathing in for 4 counts, holding for 2 and breathing out for 4. You can say together, “Breathe in calm, breathe out tension.” This is a great reset before homework, dinner or bedtime.

⏳ One-Minute Stillness
Set a timer for one minute and sit together in silence. Focus on breathing, sounds around you or how your body feels. This short pause can help children slow down and feel more focused.

🌿 Mindful Walk and Talk
Go for a short walk and notice things with your senses. Try this: find five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell and one thing you’re grateful for.

🛏️ End the Day with Gratitude
At bedtime, invite your child to share one thing they enjoyed about the day. Taking a moment to reflect on the positives can help build a more optimistic mindset.

Encouraging small moments of calm helps children build self-awareness, regulate their emotions and improve their overall wellbeing. When families practise mindfulness together, it also strengthens connection and provides a shared sense of calm in today’s busy world.

Sonia Peck
Leader of Student Wellbeing

First Nations Education: Dhurany (News): Mrs Kylie Booth-Martinez

Reconciliation Week 2025: Bridging Now to Next

Last Tuesday, our school community came together to acknowledge National Sorry Day and mark the beginning of Reconciliation Week 2025. With leadership from our Year 6 First Nations students, we gathered for a meaningful assembly that honoured the significance of both these important dates in Australia’s history and future.

During the assembly, students and staff learned about the ongoing journey of reconciliation through story, song, and prayer. The powerful messages shared reminded us of the impact of past injustices and the importance of recognising and respecting First Nations peoples' history, culture, and connection to Country.

Throughout the week, each class engaged in a special reconciliation activity, offering students the opportunity to reflect, connect, and contribute to meaningful conversations. This year’s theme, “Bridging Now to Next,” encouraged students to think about the progress we’ve made and the steps we can take together to create a more inclusive and respectful future.

Discussions centred around key questions: What have we already done to support reconciliation? What more can we do—individually and as a community? These reflections helped students to better understand the importance of saying sorry, not just as a word, but as an action that builds understanding, healing, and change.

Reconciliation Week has reminded us all that learning about our shared history, listening with empathy, and walking together with respect is essential to building a stronger, fairer Australia for everyone.

Bush Tucka Yarn with Uncle Gerald Power

On Tuesday, our First Nations students had the privilege of participating in a Bush Tucka Yarn session led by Uncle Gerald Power. A proud Juru man from Bowen, Queensland, Uncle Gerald has called Orange home for nearly 40 years. In 2016, with the blessing of local Wiradjuri Elders, he founded Indigenous Cultural Adventures to share the rich traditions and stories of the Wiradjuri people with both visitors and residents alike .

During the session, students explored a variety of native plants and their traditional uses:

• Saltbush: Known for its salty flavor, the leaves can be dried and enjoyed as a snack reminiscent of potato chips .
• River Mint: This aromatic herb has been traditionally used to alleviate headaches, soothe insect bites, and treat minor cuts .
• Warrigal Greens: Often referred to as native spinach, these greens are a nutritious substitute in various dishes .
• Davidson Plum: A superfood rich in antioxidants, it offers a sharp, tangy-sour flavor and was traditionally eaten raw .
• Finger Limes: Dubbed "citrus caviar," these fruits contain tiny pearls that burst with a zesty lime flavor, a hit among students who enjoy sour tastes .

The session concluded on a delightful note with a unique treat: popcorn infused with dried lemon myrtle and honey, blending traditional flavors with a modern twist.

Term 2: Important Dates