St Brigid's Catholic School Wynyard eNewsletter

Message from the Principal

Dear Families

The excitement of the past week has been phenomenal. Staff and students had been building up for a week of events to remember. Last Wednesday, the 3^rd of May, we were privileged to have His Grace Archbishop Julian Porteous and Father John Girdauskas concelebrate our 100-year mass; this was a significant date as it coincided with the official opening of the school in 1923.

Students listened respectfully, sang from their hearts and should be very proud of how they participated in the mass. Friday was a day for students and staff to celebrate; what a wonderful day of dress-ups, sausages, and cake. It was heart-warming to see students so excited and grateful. On Friday afternoon, the school leaders provided tours of our school, showcasing the fantastic student artwork depicting St Brigid’s story. All the visitors provided positive feedback about the students taking the tours. Many past, present, and special guests attended our celebratory centenary evening on Friday evening. Thank you to all who attended to make this a wonderful night reminiscing about memories and stories. St Brigid’s School was built over 100 years ago, and staff today continue to honour the values and vision of our founders, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, more fondly known as the OLSH sisters. The OLSH sisters are an international congregation with a missionary orientation who continue their work and are passionate about bringing the love of God to people everywhere. They value every human person and hold as precious the words of Jesus ‘I have come that they may have life and have it to the full’.

Their spirituality and mission are expressed in the motto given to us by their Founder, Fr Jules Chevalier: ‘May the Sacred Heart of Jesus Be Everywhere Loved.’ We continue to embrace our ongoing connection with the Josephite Sisters, who continue to be a presence with us today. We were fortunate enough to have Sister Lorraine and Sister Philippa from the OLSH sisters, and Sister Carmel and Sister Val from the Josephite Sisters attend our Friday evening.

We will be forever grateful to the early teachers- clergy, and leaders that provided a strong foundation to continue our growth as a school community founded on love, faith, and heart. I would like to thank all the staff and families that contributed to making last week a success. Please scan the QR code below for a link to the historical information.

We look forward to continuing our celebrations as a school this year.

Yours in partnership

Charlene Best

Photos from our celebration week

Religious Education

May is the month of Mary

In the Catholic Church the month of May is Mary’s month. It’s the month we honour Blessed Mary as the Mother of Jesus and our Heavenly Mother. We have been celebrating Mary in May since the 13th Century.

I distinctly remember when I went to primary school and we had a special ceremony for Mary in May. We attended Mass and placed a crown of flowers on the head of Mary’s statue. This ritual was a way of showing our love for Mary. I even had my picture taken for the Advocate for participating in this ceremony!

The history behind celebrating Mary in the month of May is due to May being the beginning of Spring in the northern hemisphere, with flowers blooming and new life evident. The sign of new life in nature is a reminder of the life Mary gave to Jesus.

During May pray to Mary our Heavenly Mother:

Blessed Mother,

Help me to grow closer to your Son in everything I do. Renew my spirit and restore my soul through your intercession. I seek your guidance and protection, remembering these words: “Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me”.

All this I pray in Jesus' name.

Andrea Jaffray Morf

Deputy Principal

NEW FUNDING FOR ST BRIGID’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL- A letter from Senator Anne Urquhart

A happy, safe learning environment is so important for students, teachers, and school
communities.

As Duty Senator for Braddon, I was very pleased to recently announce that St Brigid’s
Catholic School will receive $25,000 for building new outdoor learning spaces,
purchasing and/or upgrading ICT equipment (including laptops and tablets), and
refurbishing of classrooms.

The funding is part of the Federal Labor Government’s Schools Upgrade Fund and
delivers on an important 2022 election commitment.

St Brigid’s Catholic School is one of twenty schools in the North West and West Coast
that will receive a share of over $455,000 in funding.

More than 1,300 schools nationally will benefit from $32 million in grants to upgrade
school infrastructure and equipment.

I am looking forward to visiting the school in the near future.

Senator Anne Urquhart
Duty Labor Senator for Braddon
Chief Government Whip in the Senate

A selection of art illustrating a timeline of 100 years at St Brigid's.

St Brigid's Art Gallery

Within the next two weeks, we will be holding an unannounced emergency practice with staff & students to test our response to a potential scenario that staff identify a threat warranting the school to go into lockdown (opposite to evacuation).

Like for fire evacuation drills, we recognised the worth to test this process and have plans in place to make this practice as least disruptive as possible.

If you have queries please call our WHS Safety Officer, Katie Ryan, on 0497 681 042.

ThinkUKnow presentation

On Wednesday, 10th May, we welcomed Constable Paul Murray from Tas Police to our school to deliver the presentation “ThinkUKnow” for Grades K-6. The sessions are Australian Curriculum aligned and age-appropriate for the student’s understanding. We thank Const. Paul, for spending time with us!

We learned the following important messages:

Early Years:

Always ask for permission from an adult before going online.
Use technology in a shared space rather than alone in bedrooms for supervision.
Tell an adult immediately if you are asked questions about your name, location, or personal information.
Never use your proper name; make one up!

Middle Years

Use the privacy settings on your accounts and games.
If someone is bothering you online, asking questions or talking inappropriately, block them and turn it off.
Be smart when taking photos, don’t include anything that can say who or where you are.
Never accept game credits.

Upper Primary

Choose your usernames wisely! Never use your first and last name.
Be careful about what is shown in photos and videos - don’t reveal your information.
Age restrictions are in place for a reason. Are you old enough to be on these apps/games?
Anyone can lie online, be very careful about who you trust. Report anyone doing anything inappropriate.
Trusted adults are there to help you. Tell them if something happens.

Who can we go to?