2025, Term 1, Week 8

Principal Message

Dear Families,

Well-renowned eSafety speaker Brett Lee recently visited our school to share valuable insights into the use of social media, age-appropriate devices, screen time, and safe online practices. The session was designed to equip both parents and children with essential knowledge to navigate the digital world safely. Initially, we had 26 parents registered, along with six children for childcare; however, we were only able to welcome 10 families and 3 children on the night. While attendance was lower than expected, the information shared was invaluable. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Diocesan Parent Assembly for their outstanding coordination of the event and for providing delicious food and drinks for all attendees. We appreciate their efforts in making this event possible and look forward to offering more opportunities for families to engage in important discussions around online safety in the future.

We regret to inform you that our school Bush Dance, scheduled for tonight 28th March, has been postponed due to inclement weather. We know this event was eagerly anticipated, with lots of family fun and excitement planned. It is disappointing for both students and staff, who had worked hard to prepare. However, the Bush Dance will be rescheduled for later in the year and we look forward to celebrating together when conditions improve. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Stay tuned for the new date!

Additionally our Ride Safely to School Day has also been postponed to another “dry” day!!

Our school’s Cross Country event was a fantastic success, held right here at the school. The weather held off, providing perfect conditions for the event, and we were thrilled with the fantastic turnout of parents who came out to support the students. The enthusiasm from the students was truly inspiring, as they gave their very best during the races. It was a wonderful sight to see the dedication and spirit of the participants, and the support from families added to the excitement and energy of the day. A huge thank you to Miss Dicker, who meticulously planned and coordinated the event, ensuring everything ran smoothly and making it a memorable experience for all involved. Her hard work and commitment were evident in every detail. We are grateful to all the staff, students, and parents who made this event such a success!

Have a great week.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Laybutt
Principal

Road Safety & Traffic Management Reminder

Year 1 Assembly

NAPLAN

Over the last weeks students in Yrs 3 & 5 across Australia have completed the NAPLAN assessment tasks. NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) provides a snapshot of student performance in key areas such as reading, writing, language conventions and numeracy. It is intended to give students, families and schools an understanding of academic progress at a particular point in time. While it is a one-off test, teachers use NAPLAN results alongside other assessments to monitor individual student development and identify areas for improvement. For families, it offers valuable insights into their child's strengths and areas needing support. For schools, it helps evaluate overall educational outcomes and inform teaching strategies.

Once results are received families will be informed.

Keeping School Funding Fair – What You Need to Know

Did you know that 6 in 10 Australians don’t fully understand how school funding works? Catholic Schools NSW has launched the Keep School Funding Fair campaign to ensure families have access to clear and accurate information. Our schools play a vital role in providing high-quality education while keeping costs affordable for families. A fair, means-tested funding model ensures all students are supported, no matter their background.

Read the Catholic Schools NSW media release below to learn more, and visit keepfundingfair.org.au to watch the explainer video and take action.

Wedgetail Retreat - Palliative Care

A local parishioner makes home made Jams that she sells so as to raise funds for the Wedgetail Retreat - Palliative Care Centre.

She is always in need of empty jars (jam jars). If you have any or can collect any, please bring them to the school and we will happily pass these on.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

A Reminder regarding the Commitment Pledge Action Required by the children making their Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Students who are preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation must attend one Mass of your choosing over the coming weeks prior to making the Sacrament. You may choose one mass on the weekends 29/30 March or 5/6 April.

      Mass times in our parish are as follows:

             St Anthonys Church Kingscliff Saturday  6:00pm

             St Ambrose Church Pottsville Sunday 7:30am

             St Anthonys Church Kingscliff Sunday  9:00am

At the conclusion of the Mass you choose to attend, your child will need to hand their Commitment Pledge to Father Paul. The commitment pledge is located in plastic sleeve of information received.

Your child will make their First Reconciliation/Sacrament of Penance at the Parish Celebration on Wednesday 9th April at 6:00pm at St Anthony’s Church, Kingscliff.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s classroom teachers or Sue Falcke. 

Thanking you for your support in the preparation of your child receiving this Sacrament.

Parish Newsletter

St Ambrose - Cross Country

What a fantastic day it was for our school Cross Country Carnival. A huge thank you to all the parents who volunteered to be course judges and to all the staff who worked so hard to make it a wonderful day for all students. A note will be sent out within the next week to all parents of students who have made it through to represent St. Ambrose at the Zone Cross Country Carnival in Murwillumbah on Thursday, 8th of May, Week 2, Term 2. Good luck to all of those students! 

 Further congratulations to our age champions on the day!

Our overall champions were the Purple House scoring 149 pts! Closely followed by the Gold House on 146 pts.  3rd place went to the Teal House, and White came in 4th. Congratulations to our Purple house captains Lily and Ned!

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Winter Sport Diocesan Trials - Grafton

Congratulations to Emmy Murphy, who represented the Tweed Region at Diocesan Winter Trails in Grafton on Thursday, 27th March for Netball. Emmy played exceptionally well and represented St Ambrose with outstanding sportsmanship.

Soccer  - Postponed to Friday 4th April

• Maya Shackell 
• Indiah Brooks 
• Sam Bressan 
• Lachlan Bridges 
• Braxton Beacroft 
• Max Collier 

Rugby League U11's - Postponed date to be advised

• Beau Deegenaars
• Koby Binns
• Alfred Deacon 

School Bush Dance POSTPONED

Unfortunately due to the predicted wet weather this week, we have decided to postpone the St Ambrose Bush Dance. We are hoping to hold the event later this year, likely Term 3, and will advise of the new date once confirmed.

Families should have received notification from Flexischools to advise orders have been cancelled and the funds returned to  Flexischool Wallets. 

Year 2 Science Excursion

Assessment

Congratulations to Years 3 and 5 students who completed NAPLAN last week. NAPLAN provides nationally comparable data about Literacy and Numeracy achievement across the country. 

At St Ambrose, a range of ongoing assessment methods are used to determine students’ strengths and areas for growth, to plan for effective teaching and learning. Examples include:

• Observations

• Class and small group discussions

• Projects

• Quizzes 

• Short answer responses 

• Peer and self-assessment activities

• Multiple-choice questions 

• Presentations

• Conferencing

• Criteria rubrics

• Checklists 

• Exit slips - quick written student responses to questions teachers pose at the end of a lesson. 

• Four corners - students decide a question, problem, or topic by physically moving to the corner of the room where their answer is posted. 

• Traffic light cups- provide quick visual feedback by students to teachers during lessons. Red means 'I am stuck'; Amber means 'I'm not sure' and Green means 'I fully understand'.

Using a range of assessment methods allows all students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in many different ways. 

Chelsea Carter
Assistant Principal- Learning & Teaching

Jess Wilson
Leader of Pedagogy

iPad information for parents

2025 Annual Improvement Plan

We're excited to share our 2025 Annual Improvement Plan (SAIP) with you! 
We encourage all parents to review the attached flyers, which outline our goals and initiatives for this year.

Cyber Safety and Digital Wellbeing

Delivery: Community Webinar
Presenter: Martin McGauran & Carley McGauran
Date: Thursday 15 May 2025
Time: 7.30 pm (90 mins)

Sporting Schools Grant - Tennis

Over the next 3 weeks, students in years 1, 2, 3 and 4 will participate in the Sporting Schools Tennis grant we received this term. With this grant, we have purchased a tennis kit containing 6 by 3m nets, 30 tennis rackets, 1 equipment bag, 4 dozen red balls, 2 rolls of barrier tape, and 2 packs of drop-down lines. Students will also receive professional coaching from Andrew Bates from Byron Bay Tennis. 

Stage 2 Hockey Gala Day - Murwillumbah

On Tuesday, 25th March, 22 students from years 3 and 4 attended the Fitzpatrick Hockey Shield Gala day held in Murwillumbah. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their hockey skills and play friendly matches against other schools in the Tweed region. It was fantastic to see all St. Ambrose students display great sportsmanship and encouragement to others throughout the day. Thank you to Mr Cutler, Zoe and Willow for supporting and coaching students throughout the day.

Upcoming Sporting Events

Term 2, Dates 

Primary Schools - Stepping Stones

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for three free webinars for parents of children with an intellectual disability. Learn more about positive parenting approaches, helping your child reach their full potential and changing problem behaviour into positive behaviour. Provided by The Sydney Children's Hospital Network and Triple P Positive Parenting.

St Ambrose Learning Assistance Program

2025 Parent Assembly Conference

The annual Parent Assembly Conference will be held on Saturday 14 June this year.  A registration flyer will be sent out closer to the event.

2026 Enrolments & School Tours

Year 7 High School Enrolment & Information Sessions

Year 6 parents please consult the Mt St Patrick College & St Joseph's College School websites for all the details regarding 2026 High School Enrolments (closing soon) including information sessions, tours and taster days.

PIPPIES IS TURNING 30!