Dear Parents,

This week sees a number of our Year Four students making their First Holy Communion at either the Saturday night or Sunday morning mass. We keep these children in our prayers as they take another important step in their faith journey.

Mathematics

One area of focus for the school is to move students currently sitting in the middle bands in PAT testing to higher bands in both English and mathematics.

In mathematics this means ensuring students have the basic skills and knowledge and then provide some work that is challenging and moves them out of their comfort zone. Another important aspect is to build a positive attitude to maths, a ‘Growth’ Mindset, where they develop perseverance, resilience and hopefully, a love of maths.

The new NSW Syllabus stresses the importance of four mathematical processes that flow across all content areas. These are communicating, understanding and fluency, reasoning, and problem solving.

The most important one is understanding and fluency which is developed through:

• Exploring and connecting mathematical concepts
• Choosing and applying mathematical techniques to solve problems
• Communicating their thinking and reasoning coherently and clearly.

Recently I presented this problem to a group of Year Five girls I work with. Feel free to solve it yourself.

Fencing the Freeway

To reduce the number of animals killed on the freeway, a fencing company has been asked to fence some sections of the highway.

The company knows that they need one post for every 2 metres of fencing with an additional post at the end. So a fence 4 metres long will require 3 posts.

• How many posts will be needed for a 12 metre fence?

• How many posts will be needed for a 116 metre fence?

• A fence uses 85 posts. How long is the fence?

See if you can work out a formula that works for any length of fence.

Have great long weekend!!

For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be judged; but whoever does not believe is judged already, because that person does not believe in the Name of God's only Son.

REFLECTION

This Gospel passage begins with the words: “God so loved the world that God sent the only begotten Son.” I wonder how many times throughout the years we have heard these simple yet powerful words?  We know that Jesus came to earth for us and we know that Jesus died for us, but do we truly grasp and comprehend the depth of God’s love for us?

During difficult or painful times, it often is more difficult to trust God. At these times, God may appear to be absent or indifferent, yet God is at our side, walking with us, gracing us, and loving us every step of our way.  At other times, we may believe that we are unworthy of God’s love. This belief may arise from knowing that we have done something we know was sinful or hurtful of another or this belief may stem from our own belief that we are not loveable.

God’s love is very different from human love.  God’s love truly neither fails nor falters.  John Barclay wrote: “the mainspring of God’s being is love.” Many of us have heard the words: “God is love” from a very young age. Yet at times we struggle to believe and trust that reality!

Today may we open our hearts to God’s love.  Take time to bask in God’s love.  God is waiting for us.  Will we come? (Sr Kristine Anne Harpenau)

FIRST EUCHARIST

This weekend, some of our Year 4 students will be celebrating their First Eucharist. All of Year 4 attended a Retreat Day hosted by Hennessy where we learnt more about the Sacrament and prepared for our weekend celebrations.  The masses will be held on Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 10am. Each mass will be followed by a cake cutting to celebrate this special occasion. We warmly welcome all members of our community to come along and celebrate this very special time with us. We would like to thank Mrs Sullivan and Miss Downes for the work they have done preparing their students. As each candidate  celebrates their First Communion, remember that God’s love will always be there to comfort you, guide you, and bless you.

VINNIES WINTER APPEAL

This year as part of our Vinnies Winter Appeal, we are looking to support vulnerable women and children who are facing homelessness in our community. To raise funds to support the great works of Vinnies, we will be holding a special Winter Appeal Day on Friday 23rd June (Week 9). In exchange for a $5 donation, students will get to wear their pyjamas to school for the day, be provided with a hot chocolate and will participate in a marshmallow guessing contest and an ice-cream eating contest. It should be a fun day! Students are encouraged to start bringing in their $5 as of Monday. It can be given to the class teacher or handed in at the front office. If you wish to make an additional donation to the appeal, you are more than welcome to include it in the envelope. Thanks to all families who have already sent in their donations to help those in our community who are vulnerable this winter.

God Bless,

Warren Ziebowski

(Religious Education Coordinator)