Upcoming Events

Our first major event this term is the Boorowa Touch Football Carnival for Years 2-6 held on Friday 25 October. This is a wonderful non-competitive day that allows the children to develop their skills in a supportive and fun environment. We have two teams registered for each class. Remember to pack a hat and plenty of water. Canteen facilities are available. 

Next Friday 1 November we host our very special Grandparents Day event. This day will commence with Mass at 9.30am and be followed by classroom visits. At 11.00am we will provide morning tea in the MP Hall for our visitors. If families could please send in a plate of food to share this would be greatly appreciated. Our Year One families are serving the morning tea and selling tickets in a raffle as their fundraising event on this day. If you can assist please contact Rechell Naughton.

After morning tea, at 11.45 am, our students will perform on stage to a collection of movie tunes. The day will conclude at approximately 12.45pm.  

Unfortunately, late last term, well after our calendar was set, the compulsory annual Principal Leaders Day Meeting date was changed. I am now unable to attend this wonderful event (my favourite of the year!) so will leave you all in Sally Croker's very capable hands.  

Please see a link to the invitation sent home below:

Grandparents Day Invitation 2019

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. It partners with local churches in developing nations to reach out to children by providing gift-filled shoeboxes to children in need.

We are aiming to fill as many shoeboxes as possible. Items can include small toys, hair accessories, hairbrush, toothbrush, skipping rope, marbles, pencils, notepads, textas, handkerchiefs, etc.  Alternatively, if you are unable to send in items to place in the box, a monetary contribution to assist with the $10 postage per box would be appreciated. Items need to be received by Wednesday 30 October.

Staffing Matters

This week we conducted interviews for two temporary teaching positions for 2020. It was commented by panel member, former Principal and current Senior Officer at the Catholic Education Office, Margaret Pollard, how fortunate we were to attract such high-quality applicants. The interviews were exceptional which made the panel's job quite difficult. I would like to congratulate all of our interviewees.

Recommendations have been made to the Catholic Education Office and the offer process is ongoing. When this is finalised, I will be able to start the process of allocating teachers to classes. This information will be published in the Newsletter later in the term.

You can be assured staffing decisions are taken very seriously, with many aspects considered. 

I would like to thank Fr Joshy, Margaret Pollard, Andrew Pursell and Sally Croker for their time, wisdom and support.

Mary Gilmore Festival

This weekend the Upper Lachlan Shire will host the Mary Gilmore Festival. This involves a variety of performances and events from Friday through to Sunday. 

I would like to wish Georgina Culley and William Heffernan the best of luck with their guitar performances over the weekend.  

Expressions of Interest: Junior Basketball Sessions

If anyone is interested in their children participating in some after school junior basketball skills sessions, and assisting with these, please contact Sam Simmons 0436918147.

Social Event - 1 November - LAST CHANCE

Tickets are now on sale for the P&F organised social event which will be held on Friday 1 November at Laggan Hotel. The night will consist of finger food, live music and an auction in a casual outdoor setting (weather permitting). Please come along and encourage all of your family and friends to do the same. The more the merrier! 

Tickets close tomorrow and can be purchased via Qkr!. 

Technology Upgrade

This week Year 6 was the lucky recipient of a Promethean ActivPanel. This interactive board was purchased second hand in excellent condition from a government department. Year 6 and Mrs Croker are excited about the advanced features their new board offers. 

Save the Date

1 November - ALL SAINTS DAY  (and St Mary’s Grandparents Day)

Our school will be attending Mass to celebrate ALL SAINTS DAY next Friday at 9:30am. We will also be celebrating our Grandparents. Jesus had grandparents. They were the parents of Mary – Anne and Joachim. It was in their home that Mary was raised to be good and kind and to develop a love and devotion to God like none other. Saints Anne and Joachim are role models for all parents and grandparents.

What is a SAINT?  The Church does not CREATE saints. Human beings make the conscious choice to do that for themselves. Every one of us is called to try to be saintly in our daily lives; to live lives according to God’s commandments to love God and love one another.

Mary Mackillop – our very own Australian saint – is a great example for us to follow. She led her life striving to be like Jesus – her motto was: ‘Never see a need without trying to do something about it.’

St Mary of the Cross answered Jesus’ call to reach out and give life to others. Our Catholic school community is also called to take up this mission. This term our Year 5 students will lead us in reflecting on the right of every human being to dignity and justice. 

CATHOLIC MISSION

The Lord has told us what is good.

What he requires of us is this:

to do what is just, to show mercy,

and to live humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8)

Pope Francis says:

 “Never think that you have nothing to offer, or that nobody needs you. Many people need you. Think about it! Each of you, think in your heart: many people need me.”

PRAYER –You can join us in praying for the poor and marginalised.

DONATIONS – each classroom has a box for money donations for the poor. Please help us with this if you are able.

WHITE ELEPHANT–Please send any unwanted items (but in reasonable condition) into school. Items may be left in Mrs. Skelly’s Office. Items may include things like: toys, kitchenware, clothes\, drawing/ sketching materials, books etc.

Buy One Get One Free Book Fair

To show our appreciation to parents for supporting the Scholastic Book Fair earlier this year we would like to offer parents an exclusive event called the Buy One Get One Free Book Fair!

This is solely for parents. It may provide an opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping and what better gift to give than a book.

At a Buy One Get One Free Book Fair, every book purchased enables parents to select another book of equal or lesser value for FREE!

This Book Fair is on today, Thursday 24 October from 8.30am – 5.00pm in School Library.

I would like to share Part 2 of the following article with you from esafety.gov.au regarding children and internet usage.

Are they old enough?                                        

Is your child old enough for a smartphone?

A smartphone is about much more than making phone calls. It allows your child to spend time online using their own device, rather than a shared family tablet or computer. It literally puts the online world in their hands.

For many parents and carers, giving a five year old their own smartphone may seem like it is a step too far. For others, it might offer them peace of mind and security to know they can keep in touch with their child — especially in an emergency.

The right age for your child will depend on their level of maturity and your family routine. It is worth asking yourself the following questions before handing over a digital device.

• Does my child have a good sense of responsibility?
• Are they able to stick to the rules?
• Do they show a good understanding of actions and consequences?
• Do they come to me or another trusted adult when they are distressed or if they encounter problems?
• What are the rules about when and where my child can use their smartphone? For example, will they only be able to use it while they are away from the house, and not in their bedroom at night.

For younger children it may be best to start with a mobile phone without internet access, and only introduce a smartphone when they demonstrate an appropriate level of maturity. There are a range of mobile devices available that allow you to control which tools or services your child has access to.

Some younger children might argue that they are ready for a smartphone, especially if their friends already have one. But it is worth holding out until you feel confident that your child is mature enough.

If you have a family online safety contract (see online safety basics), it would be a good idea to go through it carefully with your child in the context of the new responsibilities they are taking on with their own phone.

When are they ready for social media accounts?

Both the physical age of your child and their level of maturity and resilience can affect their ability to have positive experiences on social media.

Each social media site and app has its own criteria for minimum age requirements. Most require users to be at least 13 years of age before they can register, although some sites are created especially for children under 13.

Generally, the 13-year age requirement is not necessarily because the site is unsafe for children to use but to comply with a US law — the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), which prevents collection and storage of personal information from children under 13 years of age.

Key questions to help determine your child’s readiness for social media

We suggest considering these questions to determine whether your child is ready for social media.

Is your child able to withstand negative online experiences?

If you think your child would be very upset by a negative experience online, you may need to guide them closely if you allow them to establish a social media account.

Look through online profiles and public feeds together, and talk about how some people behave differently online. Teach them how to filter abusive comments, block and report people.

Does your child understand the importance of protecting their personal information?

Explaining to a child why privacy is important can be difficult. Start by describing what personal information is. Emphasise that it includes anything that can identify them, such as their mobile number, email address, photos, the name of their school, and any sporting clubs they belong to. Remind them that photos can contain information that could be used to identify them, such as a photo taken right outside your house or a photo of them in their school uniform.

Let them know that if they share personal information online, it could mean that others, including strangers could use it in ways they may not have thought about. Someone could even post bullying messages or inappropriate photos on social media while pretending to be them.

Does your child understand how privacy settings for social media work?

Show your child how to view the privacy settings for each social media service you use and talk them through how you decided on which settings to use in your own accounts. You can find advice on privacy settings in the eSafety Guide.

If you would like help with technology, including how to use social media services yourself, Be Connected provides step-by-step advice on the basics and beyond.

Does your child understand what is safe to share online?

If you are concerned your child may post personal information that allows people to identify and locate them — even after you have talked through the dangers — then they may need your help to use social media sites.

Talk about the risks of 'checking in', tagging people in photos, sharing nude or sexually suggestive pictures, meeting online friends in person, making offensive comments, and what is not acceptable.

Does your child know how to report cyberbullying and other kinds of abusive content?

Although there are huge benefits to being connected through social media, your child may experience some form of online bullying or harassment. If this happens, it is important that they know how to manage and report this behaviour. Together with your child, check the safety resources for individual social media services and look for information about how to block and report. You can find online safety advice and direct reporting links for social media, apps, games and websites in the eSafety guide.

You can also report abusive content to us. We deal with three key types of reports:

• Cyberbullying— if you are under 18, or making a report on behalf of someone who is under 18, you can make a complaint about online bullying.
• Image-based abuse— if an intimate image has been shared, or someone is threatening to share it, without your consent, you can make a report no matter what your age.
• Child sexual abuse material— we prioritise the investigation of online child sexual abuse material and work with law enforcement to remove this content wherever it is hosted.

Is your child willing to let you establish clear rules and supervise their social media activity?

It is a good idea to supervise your child’s online activity, at least initially and certainly with younger children. Be clear on things like when and where online devices can be used and when they need to be switched off. The way a preschooler or younger child begins to use connected devices will instil good online habits from the start and help them transition to using social media later on.

When your child first starts to use social media, talk with them about how to do this in a way that you are both comfortable with. Help them to understand why and how you would like to support them as they begin to explore. It may be tricky having this conversation, particularly with tweens and teens, but getting their agreement will keep the lines of communication open between you and ensure that they feel able to come to you for help if they encounter any problems. This is especially important so you can continue to support them.

Talk with your child about which social media services they would like to use and come to an agreement you are both comfortable with about how they can use these services. You might discuss the following:

• Which types of content they can post — it is a good idea to look at examples together and discuss the pros and cons of different posts.
• How often they should post.
• How often you are comfortable with them checking social media.

Is your child willing to let you establish clear rules and supervise their social media activity?

You can read more about creating a family online safety contract in online safety basics.

Another strategy is to become their friend or follow their social media accounts. This will enable you to observe what they are doing online and support them to make safer choices about what they share and how they share it. But be prepared to learn more than you might like about their friends and possibly about them.

Try to resist talking about the specifics of their online activity unless, for example, you are worried about particular things they have posted — and keep your comments offline. It is much better to start the chat in person, one-on-one, and let them guide the discussion if specific issues come up, than it is to post online safety tips in comment form. If you intervene too much or comment publicly, it can embarrass them and break their trust. This may prompt them to use a separate profile without your knowledge or restrict what you can see by sharing to restricted groups of friends or followers, before you think they are ready to venture out on their own.

Finding the right balance about how much to supervise your child’s online activity will depend on your family’s culture and the individual needs of your child. Be prepared for your child to need more support from you at particular times, and to resist your support at other times. Eventually they will be ready to explore on their own — but keep the lines of communication open so they can come to you with any concerns they may have.

Information sourced from:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/are-they-old-enough

Boorowa Touch Football

The Term 4 school fee accounts were emailed on Monday 21 October. If you have not recevied yours, please check the junk or spam folders in your email, alternatively a paper copy can be provided for you.

Fees are due by Week 5, Friday 15 November, unless a direct debit arrangement is in place.

Thank you to those families who have already paid your fees!

This is a good time to set up a direct debit, if you don't already have one. This arrangement is an easy, convenient way to ensure your fees are up to date without you having to remember to pay them or be sent reminder letters. Please see Belinda for more information.

A reminder that we are no longer utilising the Skoolbag app any longer and we have now commenced use of the "SZapp" app. This app is how we send out school notices and emails and utilises the same platform that our online newsletters are sent on and also our website. It is important that our newsletter email address is saved as a "safe" address to ensure it doesn't go to your spam or junk email folders.

Below are instructions on how to download the app, registering and managing your notifications. Please ensure your notifications are turned on so that you receive all the correct information.

Please see Belinda if you would like help installing the app.

Year 4 – Reece Allport and Bryce Foley

Year 5 - Marnie McCormack and Olivia Wong

Year 6 - Paige Croker and Lachlan Nagle

School Spirit Awards

Naomi Picker, Briana Blowes and Braith Plumb for caring for our environment 

Ethan Whittle for consistently demonstrating our School Values through his actions 

Awards are presented at our Monday morning Assembly in the Old Hall at 9.05am.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Parish Office

For Parish and Sacramental matters please forward your enquiries to Parish Secretary, Janet Haynes or Pastoral Associate Sr Rosemary via email or call into the Parish Office at the Old Convent Building on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

Email: Crookwell@cg.org.au

Website: http://cg.org.au/crookwell/Home.aspx 

Phone: 48321 633 

Address: 55 Wade Street (the Old Convent Building)

Altar Roster

27 October- Oliver Gray, Skyelah Gray and Abagail Gray

3 November-  Regan Picker

10 November- Phoebe Selmes & Oliver Gray

17 November- Regan Picker & Olivia Anderson

24 November- Nathaniel Waters

Please arrive 15 minutes before Mass to help Father prepare.

It is important that you contact another server to arrange a swap if you are unable to make it on your rostered day.

We would love it if some more children could join our Altar Serving team. Please contact the Parish Office if your child is interested. Training is provided and new children are rostered on with experienced servers.

in 2020, Go4fun will be run during term 2 will be in Goulburn.

Go4fun is a great way for children aged 7-13 and their parents to build knowledge and confidence around creating healthy affordable meals as well as getting active. The program runs for 2 hours once per week for 10 weeks and children receive a range of goodies each week (balls, Frisbees, hats and drink bottles) as well as the Go4fun recipe book for parents.

For those who cannot attend face to face programs, there is G4fun online.

Primary Go4Fun

Go4Fun Online

Mums Exercise Group Australia (MEGA)- Goulburn branch

Mums Exercise Group Australia (MEGA) is a volunteer group, run by mums for mums, grand mums and mums to be etc. We aim to motivate, support and encourage each other to get healthy and socially connected to their community. MEGA provides free and low-cost exercise sessions and events across Australia. We also provide a Facebook forum to encourage and inspire each other through our health and fitness journeys alongside motherhood in a non-judgemental and supportive environment. MEGA aims to be involved in the greater community by our involvement and support of causes that are meaningful to our members with a focus on those that promote health, safety and equality for women. We believe with encouragement and friendship we can achieve our goals and be strong and powerful women who can make a difference.

We currently have 2 walks, meditation, mindfulness, Bootcamp and the Parkrun that we are involved with as a group. So come and join us at the link below!

Link to private Goulburn group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1704679186471140/

Hospital Auxiliary Plant Store & Sausage Sizzle

Elizabeth Egan's new book

Congratulations to Elizabeth Egan who is launching her new book, "My Real Life", at the Criterion Hotel on Saturday 2 November 2.00-4.00pm. We're very excited to read it!