Dear Parents,

Father’s Day Celebrations

What a brilliant morning we shared last Friday as we celebrated Father’s Day together! Under blue skies and sunshine, families enjoyed delicious sausage and onion sandwiches along with brightly iced donuts to start the day. Dads, granddads and children all seemed to love the chance to gather, eat and chat together.

The excitement grew as the raffle was drawn, with many families heading home with a special prize thanks to the generosity of our wonderful donors. Our liturgy then reminded us of the traits St Joseph showed as a father to Jesus, and how dads and father figures are called to live in the same spirit of love, guidance and care. A number of children also shared with us what makes their dad so special – a beautiful reminder of the important role fathers and father figures play in our lives.

We were delighted to be able to celebrate, bless and thank all the dads and father figures in our community, and so grateful to see so many families join us. A huge thank you goes to Elise, Gigi’s mum, for her outstanding organisation, and to her team of helpers. We truly couldn’t have done it without you!

First Communion Celebration

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of celebrating with our recent First Communion students. The children enjoyed cake and M&Ms while sharing with me what they found most special about their First Holy Communion. It was a joy to hear their reflections and see their excitement. May those feelings remain in their hearts, and may they continue to be nourished throughout their lives through regular participation in the Eucharist.

Celebrating Miss Coe’s Wedding

This week our school came together to celebrate Miss Coe’s upcoming wedding to Nic. The children were delighted to see her dressed as a bride, while the staff – including Remi – joined in the fun as her bridesmaids! There were plenty of laughs, cheers and smiles as we shared this joyful occasion as a community. A special blessing was offered for Chloe and Nic as they prepare for their big day. We wish them a beautiful wedding and a lifetime of love and happiness together.

Building Project Update

Our building project remains on track and continues to take great shape. Inside the library, the ceiling has now been installed, the walls lined, and plastering is underway. The new stairs have been completed, and we’ve had visits from furniture companies to help us select pieces that will best enhance and complement our new library space.

From the outside, you can see the quad structure progressing magnificently, with many of the beams now in place. It’s exciting to watch everything coming together so brilliantly, and we look forward to sharing further updates as the project continues.

Have a lovely weekend, hopefully with lots of blue skies and sunshine,

Karen

Starting conversations that matter 

This week, with R U OK? Day in mind, we’re reminded of the importance of checking in and having meaningful conversations with the people around us. The same applies to our children. Taking time to ask thoughtful questions not only shows we care, but also helps them reflect and share more about their day and their learning. 

One of the most powerful ways families can support learning is through conversation. Asking your child about their day helps them reflect, build language skills, and share the highs (and sometimes the lows) of school life. But when we ask the familiar, “How was your day?” the most common response is often… “Good.” 

Here are some conversation starters you might like to try around the dinner table or on the drive home. They can encourage your child to think more deeply and share more of their learning journey: 

• What was something that made you smile today? 

• What’s one thing you learned that surprised you? 

• Did you find anything tricky today? How did you work through it? 

• If you were the teacher tomorrow, what would you teach? 

• If you could design your own lesson, what would it look like? 

• If you could swap places with a classmate for the day, whose shoes would you step into—and why? 

• What’s something you’re proud of from today? 

Open-ended and imaginative questions like these give children the chance to talk about their learning in meaningful ways. They also help parents connect school life with home life, showing children that their learning matters. 

So next time you’re gathered together, try one of these questions; you might be surprised by the stories and insights that come to the table! 

Zoe Parish 
Primary Coordinator 

Netball NSW Schools Cup Competition 

On Monday, September 1st, nine netball teams made up of students from Years 3–6, along with their dedicated coaches, managers and enthusiastic supporters, travelled to National Park for a wonderful day of netball. Blessed with sunshine, our students had the opportunity to showcase their skills, teamwork and love of the game. Throughout the day, every player gave their best effort, displaying determination, resilience and outstanding sportsmanship. Our teams celebrated some fantastic wins and faced a few close losses, all of which provided valuable experience. 

A special congratulations goes to the Year 3/4 Gems team, who went through the day undefeated. We also commend our competitive Year 5/6 teams: the Diamonds, who finished 2nd in their pool and 3rd overall, and the Mustangs, who placed 3rd in their pool and 4th overall. 

A heartfelt thank you to Ms Collins for her superb organisation, as well as Mrs Walker and Mrs Scuilli for their assistance on the day. We are also deeply grateful to our parent community for their support—whether coaching, managing or cheering from the sidelines. A special mention goes to Anna Graham for her behind-the-scenes contributions. Days like this highlight the spirit of our school community and the joy that comes from working together. 

Swimming Carnival 

This year our swimming carnival will take place on Thursday, 12th December at The Forum, University of Newcastle 

The event is open to all students from Year 1 to Year 5, and promises to be a fantastic day of fun, fitness, and school spirit! 

Events will include: 100m Freestyle, 50m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Butterfly and 200m Individual Medley 

With warmer days ahead and the holidays fast approaching, now is the perfect time to jump in the pool and start practising!  

Please note: Results from the carnival will be used to select our team for the Regional Swimming Carnival, to be held in February 2026. 

Summer Sports Trials 

We are currently asking for nominations for the Summer Pathway Sports (PSSA). The Regional trials will take place in Term 4. The sports on offer are Tennis, Basketball and Cricket. 

These trials will be open to children in the current (2025) Year 4 and Year 5 classes who are competitive level players or have previous competitive, representative level experience. They are held to select children who display outstanding talent in a particular sport. 

The number of children from each school that can attend the trials varies for each sport. Generally, though, each school may only send up to 4 to 6 talented and experienced children to trial. Therefore, any children sent must be actively playing and at a competitive level. In addition, children selected must be available to attend all future selection trials which will take place throughout 2025/26. 

If your child plays one of the summer sports on offer at the appropriate level and you would like them to be considered for selection, please collect a Summer Sports Trial nomination form from the school office.

There is a separate form for both basketball, tennis and cricket, so please select the appropriate form to complete.  

These nomination forms must be completed and returned to school before Friday, 3rd October 2025. 

No late nominations will be accepted. 

Reminders 

Knight’s 9s Rugby League Gala Day Year 5/6 – Tuesday September 23rd, St John’s Oval, Charlestown 

Touch Football Gala Day

• Year 3/4 Tuesday 21st October, Newcastle Touch Fields, Broadmeadow  

• Year 5/6 Wednesday 29th October, Newcastle Touch Fields, Broadmeadow 

Central Region Tennis Trials – Wednesday 29th October 

Central Region Basketball Trials – Monday 3rd November  

Shannon Bailey
Sports Coordinator

Father's Day Raffle

• Six Nitro Circus tickets - kindly donated by the Mantle family.
• WINNER: Wren C (KB)
• One month’s unlimited training and one PT session for two people at Manisha Fitness - kindly donated by the Ward family
• WINNER: Luna F (1B)
• $100 Bunnings voucher kindly donated by Loan Market Newcastle
• WINNER: Juno P (KB)
• A Mitch Revs artwork - kindly donated by Sean Hersee at SAGE painting
• WINNER: Raph W (KB)
• A Home Movie Night pack - kindly donated by Gillian Karpiel
• WINNER: Ruby R (2G)
• A $200 Cryoking Newcastle gift voucher (redeemable for whole body cryotherapy, infrared sauna, oxygen compression massage, red LED light therapy - kindly donated by the Bates family
• WINNER: George B (2B)
• A gift card from the Letter Q - kindly donated by Kendall Sadler
• WINNER: Lilya N (1B)
• A $200 voucher for the Signal Box - kindly donated by Rose Building Co
• WINNER: Harriet R (3G)
• A $50 Blue Door voucher - kindly donated by Amy James
• WINNER: Sienna S (2G)
• A Father’s Day beer pack - kindly donated by Mick McGreevy
• WINNER: Donna McMillian
• 3x “mystery gifts” - kindly donated by Jacqueline DeFiddes
• WINNERS: Ticket C54, Lennox Bull and Zoe Wood
• 2x $50 breakfast vouchers for Monte Cafe - Little National Hotel Newcastle - kindly donated by the Kent family
• WINNER: Chris Stathis and TBA
• Sellars Butchers voucher - kindly donated by Hayden Cornish
• WINNER: Isla (2G)
• A Welder’s dog pack (beer and merchandise) - kindly donated Matt de Witt
• WINNER: we can't remember who won this but they picked up the prize!
• A carton of Byron Bay Lager - kindly donated by Ali and Mick Bull
• WINNER: Rob Chaseling
•  and six bottles of Peter Drayton Wildstreak Shiraz - kindly donated by Ali and Mick Bull
• WINNER: Penny Crooks (3G)

P&F Meeting

Term Planners

Term 3Term 4

Please be advised that dates and times are subject to change and any changes will be communicated via Compass

OOSH News

St Nicholas Early Education and St Nicholas OOSH are now accepting new enrolments for 2026.

St Nicholas Early Education provides high-quality early education for children aged eight weeks to 5 years, while St Nicholas OOSH offers engaging before school, after school, and vacation care programs for primary-aged children.

Families can learn more and submit an enrolment enquiry via:

• OOSH – stnicks.org.au/oosh
• Early Education – stnicks.org.au/early-education

All families that are currently enrolled at St Nicholas OOSH, are asked to confirm their places for next year as soon as possible.

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