2025, Term 2, Week 8

Principal Message

Dear Families

St Ambrose Primary School, in partnership with Southern Cross University and the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Office, has been selected to be a training hub for student teachers. This collaborative initiative aims to provide pre-service teachers from Southern Cross University with high-quality, real-world teaching experience within a supportive school environment.

Through this partnership, student teachers will gain valuable classroom experience, professional mentoring, and opportunities to engage with the dynamic teaching and learning culture at St Ambrose. In turn, the school community benefits from fresh perspectives, innovative practices, and strengthened ties with the university sector.

This initiative reflects a shared commitment to fostering the next generation of educators while continuing to uphold the values and educational excellence of Catholic education in the Lismore Diocese.

Recently, St Ambrose Primary School had the privilege of hosting 10 final-year education students from Southern Cross University as they completed their practicum placements. Having successfully fulfilled their requirements, these students will now graduate as qualified teachers and take their first steps into the teaching profession.

We hope their time at St Ambrose has equipped them not only with the practical skills to be effective classroom teachers but also with the inspiration and insight to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the students they will teach throughout their careers.

We sincerely thank them for their contributions to our school community and wish them every success as they embark on their teaching journeys.

Next term, we look forward to welcoming a new cohort of student teachers and continuing our valuable partnership with Southern Cross University and the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Office.

Last week student progress reports were issued to all families. Following these reports, teachers have made times available to conduct teacher / parent interviews. We strongly encourage all families to make an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher and discuss their progress to date.

Finally, I wish all the students the very best as they prepare to share “public speaking”  speeches with the class.  Public speaking, while being very daunting for many, builds confidence, communication, and critical thinking skills. It helps students express ideas clearly, engage with others, and prepare for real-world situations. Encouraging these skills early fosters leadership and personal growth across academic and social settings.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Laybutt
Principal

Student Early Arrivals - Before School Care

It has been brought to our intention that an increasing amount of students are arriving at school early i.e. before 8.25a.m.As the school offers Before School Care we will be advising families whose children are arriving prior to 8.15a.m. that they must register and be placed in Before School Care. Currently students are arriving from 8.00a.m. onwards and are unsupervised. Noting teacher supervision commences at 8.30a.m. Having repeatedly advised students who arrive early that they must remain seated and not play until a teacher arrives for duty, these instructions are being repeatedly ignored. Our Out of Hours School Care Service, is currently changing hands. As a result the  school is currently running the before school care service, however once the new service providers take over, the before 8.15a.m. arrival will be enforced. For those who are unaware our OOHSC service is means tested and generous rebates are available for all families.

Please see below the enrolment link for St Ambrose Community OSHC:
https://www.xap.rocks/waiting-list?organisationId=d130de27-fb09-4211-ac19-67b8fdbd2ee4&providerId=09b83836-2902-448e-86ff-eed183dcdbcd&centreId=42e2ada9-83f1-4a1f-893e-6c8a35bb90cf

Monster Raffle

Any family who would like to donate a prize for our upcoming Monster Raffle, please contact the school

OSHC Coordinator Position

Kindergarten 2026

Road Safety & Traffic Management Reminders

Year 5 Assembly

Weekly Awards

A huge congratulations to all our wonderful students who made their First Holy Communion this term.

Isla Piper, Emelia Stuart, Gracie Brooks, Kai Williamson, Charlee Attard, Bowie Moore, Sienna Nicholls, Florence Wiley, Asha-Rose Lynch, Mikayla Dooley,  Camilla Sestito, Avelyn McGloin, Grace Dawson, Gracie Dowsett, Angus Dowsett, Ivy Graham, Myles Prior, Tobin Brown, Max McCabe, Bronson Scifleet and  Roman Dusina

Sunday 22nd June STS Mary & Ambrose Church, Pottsville

SCHOOL FAMILY/ PARISH MASS CELEBRATION 7:30am

All Students who made their First Holy Communion this Year will receive their certificate and we will have cake after Mass to celebrate as a group.

We hope to see many St Ambrose families at this Mass celebration

At this Mass celebration staff from St Ambrose will be attending to the ministry duties and there will be children’s liturgy.

Sacrament of Baptism Invitation

If you are a parent who is Baptised Catholic and your child/ren have not been baptised into the Catholic Faith and you would like this to occur, please email the school with your name, child’s name, year level and contact phone number.

This information will be passed onto Mrs Falcke who will contact you to discuss the process. 

Term 3 Sacrament of Confirmation

Please take note of the following dates and commitment involved in the preparation of this Sacrament:

The Sacrament of Confirmation is targeted at baptised Catholics in the Year 3 classes (you will receive individual COMPASS invites in the near future to register your child.) however,

If your child is baptised a Catholic and is in Years 4 – 6 but has not yet received the Sacrament of Confirmation and you wish them too, please email the office,

Attention  -  Sue Falcke informing me of this by Mon. 30^th June.

Commitment to this Sacrament involves: (please take a note of the dates)

• Attending a parent/child meeting on Tuesday 29^th July at St Ambrose Primary School (Term 3, week 2) at 5:00pm in the year 3 classrooms.

• Attending a Parish/School Mass at Pottsville on Sunday of 3^rd August at 7:30am as it is a commitment Mass to this Sacrament whereby your child will have a small activity to participate in

• Working through a variety of home tasks.

• Attending the Confirmation Celebration at 6.00pm on Friday

5^th Sept. (Term 3, Week 7) at 6:00pm at St Anthony’s Church, Kingscliff.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to speak to me. 
Thanking you for your support in the preparation of your child receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation

Sue Falcke
Assistant Principal - Mission

Parish Newsletter

NAIDOC WEEK: 30TH JUNE - 4TH JULY

Winter Appeal

Athletics Carnival

What a fantastic day we had for our School Athletics Carnival! Students showcased their energy, determination, and sportsmanship across a wide range of events, including the 800m, 100m, and 200m races, as well as novelty events such as hurdles, sack race, shot put, tunnel ball, and the ever-popular dino egg and spoon race. A massive thank you to our dedicated teachers who acted as course judges and timekeepers, and to our wonderful Year 6 leaders who did an outstanding job supporting and leading the novelty activities throughout the day and to all our wonderful parents who joined us on the day. 

A compass event will be sent out to parents of students who have qualified to represent St Ambrose at the Zone Athletics Carnival in Kingscliff on Friday, 1st August (Term 3, Week 2). We wish all our competitors the very best of luck as they move on to the next level!

Congratulations to Gold House, who were the overall winners of the house colour points for 2025!

Special congratulations to our Age Champions, who showed exceptional athleticism and effort across the day’s events.

AFLQ Schools Cup 2025

On June 6th, St Ambrose proudly participated in the 2025 StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup, showcasing our students’ talent and sportsmanship. Due to weather conditions, the event was relocated from Byron Bay to Brunswick, but our teams adapted seamlessly to the change.

Both our boys’ and girls’ teams competed in the non-competitive, full-contact AFL format, playing 12-a-side matches. They represented St Ambrose with distinction, demonstrating skill, teamwork, and determination throughout the day.

A special thank you goes to our dedicated volunteers, Kylie and Jason Hoffman, who guided the girls’ team with patience and encouragement, ensuring a positive experience for all. We also extend our gratitude to Mr. Steven Davis, who led the boys’ team through drills and coached them with expertise during every game.

Days like these are made possible by the commitment of our volunteers, and we are incredibly thankful for their support. Well done to all our students for making St Ambrose proud!

NSWCPS Polding Cross Country

On Wednesday, 11th June, three students from St Ambrose represented the Lismore Diocese at the NSW Catholic Primary Schools Cross Country, held at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. Eden, Talin, and Hamish ran exceptionally well, competing against over 200 students from six Dioceses across NSW.

We are extremely proud of their efforts and results:

• Hamish – 25th place in 8/9 years 
• Talin – 25th place in 10 years
• Eden – 3rd place in 12 years

A huge congratulations to Eden, who will now go on to represent Polding at the NSWPSSA Cross Country Championships on Wednesday, 23rd July, also at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. We wish you all the best, Eden!

Tweed Zone 1500m Trials

We are proud to celebrate the achievements of eight St Ambrose students who recently competed in the Tweed Zone 1500m Trials at St James Banora Point on Tuesday, 17th June. Each runner gave an exceptional performance, showing incredible endurance, determination, and sportsmanship on the afternoon.

A special congratulations to Eden and Henry, who have qualified to compete in the 1500m event at the Lismore Diocese Athletics Carnival in Term 3. We wish them all the very best as they continue their athletics journey!

Upcoming Sport Dates

Reminder: Reports have been published & Parent Teacher interviews are open.

You can now book Parent Teacher Interviews via the Conferences tab in Compass. These interviews are optional/not compulsory. The interviews are for you to discuss any questions about your child's report. Please consider the following before booking a meeting: 

- Teachers have already met with many parents to discuss their child’s progress. Therefore, if you have already had a meeting, there is no need to schedule another, as your child's teacher has provided you with the most recent information about your child.

- If you are happy with your child's progress, for example, as evidenced by the school report, discussions with your child, Seesaw work samples, or attending the "showcase" afternoon, a parent/teacher interview may not be necessary.

- If you have questions/queries/concerns regarding your child’s report, please make an appointment.

Zoom Interviews are available. If you would like your interview via zoom, cannot find a suitable time slot or have any other booking issues please email your child's classroom teacher through Compass. If teachers are concerned or want to speak with parents regarding their child/ren's progress they will contact you to ensure an appointment is made. 

A message from the Art Teacher

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