Last Wednesday 12 June, as part of our secondary school transition program for our Gawura Year 6 students moving into Year 7 at St Andrew’s Cathedral School, we held a Coffee in the Hub meeting for Gawura Year 6 parents. This was an opportunity for you to meet the Junior School Year 6 teachers and other key staff who were able to explain how Semester 2 will work for our Gawura students as they enter the Junior School. A big thank you to those parents who did attend and for those who let me know they could not. I will call the families of those who were not able to make this meeting and share this information with you over the phone, during the coming week.

This coming Wednesday 19 June, our Yarning Session With Parents will be held at the Rabbitohs High Performance Training Centre in Maroubra. Our parents will be presented with the story behind this year’s Rabbitohs Indigenous jersey and what it means and which Elders who were responsible for its design. This will be followed by a tour of the new facilities and a possible meet and greet with the players themselves. This yarning session will commence at 10.30am. Any parents wishing to attend can come on the Gawura bus which will leave from Bathurst Street at 10.00am and return to Bathurst Street at 12.00pm to 12.30pm. For those parents wishing to meet us there on the day, the address is South Sydney Rabbitohs, Heffron Centre, 417-439 Bunnerong Road, Maroubra. It will commence at 10.30am and run for 1 hour. Thank you to Gawura parents, Alisha and Buddy who have kindly organised this activity as our next Yarning Session With Parents for Term 2.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarship that our Gawura students receive also includes the technology fees that other students’ families across SACS, need to pay for. Although there is no cost for Gawura families to receive iPads for K-2 students and laptops for Year 3-6 students, any damage to these school technological devices will be charged to your account on top of the term tuition fee of $250. Our IT Department are very thorough in their records and keep a photo of any such damage. All students are responsible for their devices and keeping them in good working order. If this is an issue for any Gawura family, can I ask that you reach out to me please.

Our preparations for NAIDOC are continuing. Our Aboriginal Dance teacher, Aunty Rayma has created a new contemporary dance that will feature at this year’s NAIDOC Assembly. The students have been rehearsing hard and listening to Aunty Rayma when she explains what the meaning is behind the dance moves that they are doing. It will be very special when they perform it. We have also booked an Aboriginal performance for all Gawura School and Junior School students in K-6 to see as part of NAIDOC week as well. Our annual NAIDOC Assembly will be held on Thursday 27 June in the cathedral starting at 9.30am, followed by a NAIDOC morning tea in the Heath Centre from 10.30am to 11.30am. We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday week.

Your child’s school reports for semester 1 this year will be emailed to you early next week.

Our last day of school is Friday 28 June which is also Gala Day, a fun day of sport and other activities.

The first day back for Term 3 this year will be Wednesday 24 July.

We wish all of our families a restful and peaceful winter school holidays.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Mr John Ralph
Head of Gawura

Free NBN connection offer

Please see the details below regarding a free NBN connection offer.

In 2023, the Australian Government established the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI) to provide free home internet until 31/12/2025 for up to 30,000 unconnected families with school age students. Giving unconnected students the opportunity to access fast and reliable broadband internet at home is important to support their learning and education in an increasingly digital world.

NBN Co is leading implementation of this initiative and is working closely with industry, government and community organisations that support the wellbeing of families who could benefit from the SSBI.

It is Anglicare’s hope that they can provide free internet to 30,000 families by the end of 2024.

Who is eligible?

A family must:

• Have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school.
   
• Do not currently have an active nbn network internet service at home – having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility.
   
• Live in premises that can access the nbn network through a standard connection. This includes all technologies (fibre, fixed wireless, satellite).

Families can find out more or sign up by contacting the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm AEDT) – or by visiting the website: www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet.

Communicating your child's absence from school

We wish to remind you of the process you are required to follow for instances that your child is absent from school. This process applies to absence due to illness, medical appointments, family emergencies, late arrivals or leaving early.

Gawura families should contact their class teacher via text and also the Gawura Bus Phone if they are due to be on the morning bus. This way the driver is not waiting around for a child who is sick and will not show up. It also means the students at other stops will not be late to school.

You are required to let us know each day your child is absent due to illness, even if they were sick the day before.

Many thanks in advance!

School Foyer at pick-up times

It is quite lovely to see the many of you who wait in the Square for your children to be dismissed each afternoon. It certainly reflects the type of school we are that you wait expectantly and chat with each other as our school day draws to a close.

Could we politely ask that you do remain in the Square and not enter the foyer (unless you need to chat with Reception staff) so that we can help our youngest students and their teachers locate their parents each afternoon?

Thank you, in anticipation, for your support with this.

Mr Selwyn Wu
Deputy Head of Junior School
(Pastoral Care and Educational Admin)

Kids Giving Back

Our compassionate leaders are contributing to the next generation of generosity!

I am excited to share the news of the wonderful volunteer work some of our students completed during the first term and the April school holidays with the wonderful organisation Kids Giving Back. Lola Cassar, Year 6, Tara Loughry, Year 6, Eliza McCluney Year 9 and Frances Li, Year 5 were superstars as part of a crew of 930 young legends making a difference.

They helped provide over 6,500 meals, snack packs, and care packages and wrote heartfelt messages to support 15 charities across Sydney.  These students showed incredible leadership, compassion, and a real drive to give back to the community.
They totally embody many of our school’s values and Character Strengths.

Growing Up In Australia - The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children found that:
"if by age 13 a young person was involved in volunteering, the odds of having 'clinical levels' of emotional symptoms two years later were reduced by approximately 28%."
This underscores the profound impact that volunteering can have on young people's emotional wellbeing.

If your child is eager to involve themselves in some ‘giving back’ initiatives, see suggested opportunities below:

• Little Helpers Saturday programme - K-2 Students.
• A monthly Saturday programme for Year K-2 students and a parent/carer to volunteer together.
• July School Holiday Community programmes.

Bookings NOW OPEN! These programmes are popular and fill up quickly, so we encourage early booking!

Mrs Rhonda Robson
Head of Junior School

Code Camp winter enrolment

Our friends at Code Camp are running some engaging programmes over the winter school holidays and enrolments are still open!

Free Code Camp - online

They also have some fun free online STEAM events happening after school over the next couple of months that your students are welcome to join.

Talking puberty...

It is always an exciting time in the school calendar when we present our Amazing Me! family online seminars.
Our Stage 2 seminar focussed on bodies and puberty has recently occurred and our Stage 3 seminar, which is focussed on bodies and babies, is coming up.  Check your email inbox for details. 

It is normal for children to begin the process of puberty by 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys, and therefore we support families to be starting these conversations with their children before this age so that parents are the first voice in the conversation, and children can feel positive and excited about the changes that come with puberty.

It is recommended to have open and relaxed conversations before the start of the physical changes of puberty to help your child feel comfortable as their body begins to change.

You can use a 3-step process to start a conversation about puberty:

1. Find out what your child knows.
2. Give your child the facts and correct any misinformation.
3. Use the conversation as an opportunity to talk about your family values.

For more information, our school library have a wonderful selection of books suitable for a range of ages which can help to scaffold these conversations.

During Term 3 our school Personal Development and Health curriculum integrates information based on the NSW government PDHPE syllabus.  Based on this syllabus, students in Stage 2 explore strategies to manage physical, social and emotional change and identify physical changes that occur during puberty in males and females.  In Stage 3 students understand changes that both genders experience during puberty and understand what reproduction is.

We encourage you to be having these important conversations in your family, so that children can understand their amazing bodies and have a safe place to discuss the joys and challenges that accompany the many changes of puberty.

Mrs Bronwyn Wake
Head of Character and Wellbeing (K‑12)
Junior School and Gawura Wellbeing Coordinator and Psychologist/Counsellor

Premier's Reading Challenge

We are now 10 weeks away from the close of the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) on Friday, 23 August 2024. As of 6 June, we have 126 Junior School and Gawura students who have completed the Challenge.

That’s less than half of our students, so please keep up the reading efforts and remember to log books online using the button below!

Congratulations to these students who have finished the PRC as of 11 June.

Kindergarten
Daniel Kim
Khushi Pant

Year 1
Aahana Dua
Holliday Sze
Jonty Tyler

Year 2
Harvey Kim
Nathan Meng

Year 3
Millicent Linnett
Jack Romeo
Jamison Sze

Year 4
Emily Gerges
Blair Li
Jaxton Poulton

Year 5
Audrey Linnett
Jesse Lo
Eli Qureshi

Year 6
Sophie Lesnie-James
Blake Li

If you have any questions regarding the PRC, please do not hesitate to contact me at rcosentino@sacs.nsw.edu.au.

Read More Challenge

Students who have completed the PRC are also eligible to enter our Read More Challenge. For every additional 10 books they read they have the chance to win a book of their choice up to the value of $25. Entry forms are available from the Library.

Our third draw was held in Week 6, this Term. Congratulations to Winnie Hong in Year 5 who was our first Read More Challenge Winner in the upper grades. Winnie is narrowing down her options for her prize and will select a book shortly.

Mrs Rachael Cosentino
Junior School and Gawura School Library Coordinator

Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge

Earlier this term, selected students from Years 1-6 participated in Round 1 of the Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge. The Bebras challenge is comprised of highly complex problems which require a diverse range of thinking dispositions. It involves the skills needed to think about how a computer might solve complex problems and create systems. Computational thinking draws upon logical reasoning, algorithms, decomposition, abstraction and patterns.

Congratulations to all the students involved in the first round of the competition on their exceptional performance who are listed below.

Special congratulations to Sophia Naidoo (in Year 1 who participated in the Year 3-4 competition) and Koji Takamura (in Year 6) for earning Certificates of Excellence for achieving Perfect Scores! Incredible!

Certificates of Distinction:

Grace Lin
Christopher Haoui
Esme Lau
James Zhu
Samuel Ackad
Henry Dethridge
Ethan Ratilal
Harris Shi
Henry Stafford
Nathan Zhang
James Yeung
Elliot Fok
Chloe Hawkins
Matthew Lee
Carly Ou
Jamie Tan
Jonathan Wood,
Zachary Beck
Esther Davis
Shuichi Matsumoto (Y2 in Y5-6 competition)
Willa Goyal
Douglas Madden
Max Medina
Genevieve Williams

Certificates of High Distinction:

Sophia Theodosiou
Kai Fan
Liam Burman
Eleanor Ha
Shuichi Matsumoto (Y2 in Y3-4 competition)
Erik Atkins
Tyson Happer
James Yeoh
Jarryd Chong
Sam McConnell
Isabelle Wood
Vanessa Yang
Olympia Arvanitellis
Aiden Bhuyan
Bligh Jordan
Tristan Lau
Annabelle Douglas
Declan Wu

G.A.T.E.WAYS Ignite Language and Literature

On Wednesday 5 June, selected students from Years 1-5 had the opportunity to participate in the G.A.T.E.WAYS Ignite ‘New Horizons’ programme. Within this programme, students engaged in two workshops focused on language techniques and literary analysis. The first workshop, ‘The Hero’s Journey’, encouraged students to develop the details of their own superhero character and write a characterisation or comic strip using compelling language. The second workshop, ‘Foreshadowing and the Feline Stealing Felons’, saw students examine works of Shakespeare, experiment with foreshadowing and red herrings, and compose their own tragedy using a range of literary devices.

           Here are some reflections from students about their G.A.T.E.WAYS experience:

"Our first session was about superheroes. I really liked designing and selecting the characteristics of my hero, ‘GO’. In the next session, we learnt about detective stories. I enjoyed using all the clues to try figure out who stole the kittens!"  Edward Hooper, Year 2

"During the G.A.T.E.WAYS workshop, we read texts by Shakespeare. This included Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. We learnt about red herrings and foreshadowing techniques in these texts, which I used in class the very next day!" Samuel Ackad, Year 3

"In our first session, we created our own hero with special characteristics and traits. My hero’s name was Diversion, and he could change the probability of anything. In our second session, we learnt about Shakespearean tragedies. We discussed how good situations in our texts can quickly turn into tragic circumstances. I look forward to using this plot style in my writing." Thomas Cipriani Hall, Year 4

Kids’ Lit Quiz National Final

On Monday 3 June, Aiden Bhuyan, Lily-Rose Finemore, Isabelle Wood and Hannah Zhang competed in the 2024 Kids’ Lit Quiz Australia National Final at The State Library of New South Wales.

Within the competition, the students worked as a team to answer long-format quiz questions using a buzzer. The questions started harder and became more obvious as various clues were provided. The final consisted of five categories, with 13 questions in each. The categories included Authors, Titles, Books into Movies, Aquatic Creatures and Side Kicks.

Of the 17 teams in attendance from across Australia, the St. Andrew’s Cathedral School team were awarded third place!
Congratulations to these students on their excellent achievement.
 

Mrs Rebecca Lord
Coordinator of Gifted and Talented Education
Junior School and Gawura

Empowering brighter futures together.

Join us in making a difference with Gawura!

Gawura is our unique school, providing a culturally enriching and supportive educational environment. We're committed to nurturing young minds and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed.

But we need YOUR help to continue this vital mission!
By contributing to Gawura, you’re not just donating money—you’re empowering these bright, young minds to create a better future for all.

Your support helps us provide:

• Quality education that is culturally authentic.
• Access to cultural activities, excursions and programmes.
• Essential resources and materials.
• Extracurricular opportunities, including camps, music lessons and speech, literacy and occupational therapies.
• Together, we can create a lasting impact. Let’s lift up these young learners and pave the way for a brighter future!

Donate now and be a part of this incredible journey.

NEW sports performance jacket

Introducing a new item to our school uniform range. Our new sport performance jacket is made from Ultra Robax fabric.

This material is designed to help regulate and maintain body temperature, specifically to help retain core temperature and prevent rapid cooling. This in turn means that you won't overheat when cool, as it helps regulate your body temperature.

There are two options available: a ¼ zip jumper and a full zip jacket.

These jackets should only be worn with the sports uniform on sport days. They are not compulsory but can be added as an extra layer in winter and/or a lightweight option for the summer. During winter months, the winter softshell sports jacket must still be worn to and from school on sports days.

The jacket is now available to purchase online through our parent portal or in store. Open hours Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00am-3:30pm.

The Uniform Shop is providing a blazer dry cleaning service during the school holidays

The Uniform Shop is providing a blazer dry cleaning service during the school holidays

1. Book and pay for your blazer dry cleaning at the Online Uniform Shop via the Parent Portal. Blazer dry cleaning costs $18 per blazer.
2. Drop off blazers: Wednesday 26 June or Friday 28 June (before 12pm) to the Uniform Shop on Level 6 of St Andrew’s House.
3. Collect: Term 3, Day 1, Wednesday 24 July, from the Uniform Shop

Mrs Larissa Taylor
Uniform Shop Manager

Please click the link below to see the newsletter from TheirCare

CIS Cross Country Championships

On Thursday 6 June, our successful runners from the ASISSA Cross-Country Carnival competed at the CIS Primary Cross-Country Championships. We are super proud of our runners who fought through some severe weather whilst navigating the difficult course out at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre in Horsley Park.

Congratulations to our runners Antares Qi, Joe Doenicke, Felicity Black, Annabelle Douglas, and Genevieve Williams!
They have done themselves and the entire Junior School proud in their efforts.

CIS Rugby 7s: Congratulations Maya and Nyarla!

An exciting spotlight within this newsletter is the fantastic news that Maya Hughes and Nyarla Gordon were successful in making the CIS Girls Rugby 7s Team.

Both Maya and Nyarla now have the opportunity to represent CIS at the upcoming NSWPSSA Girls Rugby 7s Championships in early September, with the chance to make the New South Wales team. It’s important to note that this is the 2nd CIS team that both Maya and Nyarla have been successful in making, which is a fantastic achievement for these girls and we couldn’t be prouder.

The future of Girls sport in the Junior School is shining bright!

AFL Paul Kelly Cup

Due to some turbulent weather in the lead up to the Junior School AFL Paul Kelly Cup, the carnival had to be rescheduled. The carnival will now take place on Tuesday 25 June at Queens Park.

Despite the postponement, all of our teams are eager and roaring to participate and get on the field and enjoy a fun-filled and competitive day.

Oliver Denny
Head of Sport, Junior School

P&F General Meeting

Come and join the P&F Executive, a senior member of staff and other parents at a P&F General Meeting to discuss current school activities, school focuses, upcoming school events and future plans.

Each meeting has a school report from a senior member of staff and an opportunity for parents to ask questions in an informal setting. You will also hear about P&F fundraising initiatives and ways that parents and friends can support the School.

Attending P&F meetings is a great way to get to know more about the School, meet other parents and to get involved.

Cheese and wine provided!

No need to RSVP – everyone is welcome but please sign in at reception.

Wednesday 19 June, 6pm
The Community Hub, Level 4, St Andrew’s House

Click here for the agenda:

Illuminate

Join us at the historic Sydney Town Hall for Showcase 2024 Illuminate. The concert will feature outstanding performances from ensembles and soloists, K-12, and will also feature a highlight from the recent school musical performance of The Little Mermaid. The concert will also feature the exciting world premiere of a composition composed for St Andrew’s Cathedral School! Titled Life Giving Learning, it is composed by award-winning Australian film composer Finn Clarke and will be performed by the Symphony Orchestra and Cathedral Choristers live to recently filmed school footage projected on the big screen in Town Hall. A night not to be missed in our 25th Anniversary year of coeducation!

Tickets go on sale Wednesday 5 June, 12pm.

Thursday 20 June, 6.30pm (doors open 5.45pm)
Sydney Town Hall

Join us for our NAIDOC Celebrations

Gawura is inviting our community to the annual NAIDOC celebrations.  Come and hear what this year’s theme, Keep the Fires Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud, means to our students.  See the students perform dances choreographed specially for them by the esteemed Aunty Rayma Johnson and hear from our special guests.  All welcome.

The assembly begins at 9:30am, followed by morning tea at 10:30am. 
 

Thursday 27 June
St Andrew's Cathedral (Assembly) and Heath Centre (Morning Tea)
 

RSVP by Thursday 20 June by clicking the link below!