Thursday August 14

Dear Families,

Over the past couple of weeks, our Grade Five and Six students have been offsite to visit The Shroud of Turin exhibit at MRC and attend The Catholic Education Week Mass in Ulverstone. Students in Grades Three - Six represented our school in various sporting endeavours and we also had Mrs Monique Hall come to SBW and facilitate the Circle of Life program. We have also had school visits from guests including Archbishop Julian Porteous, the Chair of the Catholic Education Commission, Kathryn Westwood, and The Director of Catholic Identity and Evangelisation, Martin Tobin. Why is it that I am communicating this? Throughout of all these visits, excursions, sporting opportunities and educational programs, the feedback has been the same: 'What great young men and women we have at St Brigid's Catholic School Wynyard.' What is further highlighted from the feedback is that our students know and live out our school values of Care, Curiosity, Courage and Connection. Two significant takeaways from this are:

1- Our staff are doing a fantastic job of teaching our values and having high expectations for our students

2- Our community, in particular families, are supporting these values through role modelling, conversations and teaching

At every enrolment interview, we take the opportunity to share the values that we have at SBW. We ask our families to not only support these values but to actively role model them for their children and within our school community. We are grateful for the continued support of our parents and community members as we work together in partnership to provide a holistic education for every student who proudly calls St Brigid’s Wynyard 'my school.'

On Tuesday, I was fortunate to attend the installation of our new Archbishop Anthony Ireland as the twelfth Archbishop of Hobart. This was a privilege to attend and we look forward to supporting Archbishop Anthony as he commences his new role. His Grace spoke about the opportunity moving forward for all of us to have that sense of 'awe and wonder.' This is something that I wrote about in our last newsletter and links strongly to our school value of Curiosity. This 'awe and wonder' can be about the simple things: The great view that we have out to Bass Strait and of Table Cape. It could be going to Fossil Bluff. Or it could be those magical moments we have with our family and friends. I encourage all of you to seek out the 'awe and wonder' around you as it is one of life's greatest joys. 

Next week, I will be in Queensland for the National Catholic Education Conference. Mrs Rachel Donnelly and Ms Erin McCormick will be available for any compliments or concerns. 

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Nic

As part of Catholic Education Week celebrations, our Grade 6 students had the special opportunity to attend Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ulverstone, concelebrated by His Grace Archbishop Julian Porteous and priests from across the region. 

The Mass was a meaningful experience for both students and staff, offering a moment to come together in prayer and reflect on the importance of faith in our lives. Gathering with students and staff from other Catholic schools highlighted the unity and shared mission that lies at the heart of Catholic Education.

During his homily, Archbishop Porteous shared an inspiring message with the students, reminding them that God loves them deeply and personally. His Grace encouraged all young people to live with confidence and hope, grounded in the knowledge that they are never alone and are always loved by God.

We are grateful for the opportunity to gather in faith and community.

Miss Ashtyn Middap will be finishing up at SBW tomorrow. Ashtyn has been a staff member at SBW for the past couple of years and has worked dilligently in her role as Teacher Assistant to support both classroom and intervention programs. Ashtyn has been offered a role in a different industry and is going to take up the opportunity. We are grateful for all of Ash's contributions to SBW and wish her all the best for her next chapter.

The Feast of the Transfiguration is a very special day in the Catholic Calendar, celebrated each year on August 6th. 

The word "transfiguration" might sound a bit big, but it means a change in form or what something looks like. On this day, we remember a time when Jesus’ appearance was changed right in front of some of his friends.

It's an amazing story from the Gospel. One day, Jesus took three of his disciples — Peter, James, and John — up a high mountain. As they were there, something incredible happened.

Suddenly, Jesus’ face began to shine like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white, brighter than anything they had ever seen. The disciples were amazed and a little scared, but that wasn't all! Two other famous people from the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah, appeared and were talking with Jesus. Then, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

This was God's voice, telling the disciples that Jesus was truly his Son and that they should listen to everything Jesus had to say.

So, why do we remember this day? The Transfiguration was a moment where Jesus showed his true glory and divinity to his friends. It was a sneak peek of what was to come after his Resurrection. It also gave Peter, James, and John a great deal of strength and hope. They had been following Jesus, but seeing his glory helped them to believe even more strongly in who he was.

For us, the Feast of the Transfiguration reminds us that Jesus is not just a good man or a great teacher, but he is the Son of God. It encourages us to listen to his words and follow his example. It's a day for us to feel proud of our faith and to remember that Jesus' light and love can shine through us, too, if we let it.

We warmly congratulate Alison Stevens on receiving an Outstanding Contribution as a Friend in Catholic Schools award. For more than two decades, Alison has been a quiet force of genersoity, reliability and community spirit at St Brigid's. Through her role as a Teacher Assistant, she has taken on many responsibilities with dedication and grace, always guided by the principle: "Never see a need without doing something about it." 

We thank Alison for her outstanding contribution and for the countless ways she has enriched the life of our school. 

We congratulate the students from Prep to Grade 5 who have been elected as Class Captains for Terms Three and Four. These students were chosen by their peers and teachers for consistently demonstrating our school values and showing leadership in the classroom and playground. 

Prep: Iris and Arlen M 

Grade 1: Mason and Maisey

Grade 2: Sophia and Lachie 

Grade 3: Hadley and Evan 

Grade 4: Lochie and Charlotte 

Grade 5: Campbell and Leon

Last week at Whole School Gathering, our new Class Captains were formally recognised and proudly received their leadership badges.

Winter Appeal
A heartfelt thank you to our school community for your generous donations to the Mini Vinnies Winter Appeal. Your kindness will help bring warmth, comfort and hope to those in need this winter. Together, we’ve made a real difference!

Wear Your Winter Woolies Casual Clothes Day
A big thank you to our wonderful school community for your generosity in supporting Mary MacKillop. Your kindness helps us continue her legacy of compassion and make a real difference for those in need.

On 8th August, our Casual Clothes fundraiser raised $320.50 to help provide education to children in Timor-Leste. Every contribution brings hope and opportunity to these children and honours the spirit of Mary MacKillop.

The Children’s University Graduation will be held on November 25 during school hours. This special event celebrates the achievements of our young learners who have explored new skills, taken on challenges and shown a strong commitment to learning beyond the classroom. To be eligible for graduation and to receive the Bronze Award, students must have 30 hours of learning activities recorded in their Passport to Learning. Please note that all hours need to be recorded by Week 2 of Term 4.

To support students on their journey, Josie, our Children’s University coordinator from UTAS, will be visiting on Wednesday August 27. She will check how many hours each student has recorded, assist those who are working towards graduation or encourage achievement of the next award. Please ensure all Passports and Activity Logs are brought to school between now and Wednesday of Week 6. 

Our new SBW Beanies have arrived at Midford and will go live on the website to order in the next fortnight. Look out for a Compass notification to let you know that you can order them. Don't forget to have your uniform orders in by the end of the day on Wednesdays to secure your delivery to the office on Thursday afternoons.

Please see below the Complaints Policy and Procedure as developed by Catholic Education Tasmania.