It seems only a short time ago we started Term 1, and here we are at the end of it! It is a special time of the year for us as a Catholic community, with Easter just around the corner. We have celebrated and shared so many events and experiences across the term at school and it is with gratitude that I acknowledge our staff, students and families for all of the efforts that have gone into this success. For all you have done individually and collectively, we thank you for supporting us. We look forward to continuing sharing experiences with you across the next term.

As we celebrate the Easter season as the core of our faith, we wish you a safe and happy time over the Easter weekend and safe travels for those who will be going elsewhere during the holidays for family time. May the season be filled with the joy of our risen Christ.

HOLY WEEK - STORYTELLING FROM THE HEART

Each year level presented a part of the Holy week story as a window display. Classes then walked around the school while teachers told the Holy week story from the heart, from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday to Good Friday and finally Easter Sunday! 

CARITAS

Thank to all families for supporting Caritas yesterday.  Year 6 Students did a great job running all the stalls and the children had an awesome time spending their money on a variety of activities.

SACRAMENT OF FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

In Term 2 children will be preparing for First Holy Communion. This is the sacrament that completes the process of initiation and is when a person can join more fully with other members of the Catholic church by receiving the Eucharist.

The ceremonies will occur on Tuesday 20th May at 6.00pm, Saturday 24th May at 6.00pm and Sunday 1 June at 10.30am.

Please click on the following link for more information.

Sacrament of First Holy Communion - Letter for Parents

MOTHER'S DAY @ ST PETER'S

For this years Mother’s Day event, we will host a breakfast with an acai cup provided for all the mums/mum figures. The ingredients include: coconut cream, chia seeds, yoghurt, frozen raspberries, frozen banana, frozen acai, coconut flakes, fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, fresh grapes. To assist with catering please indicate how many mums or mum figures will be attending from your family in the google form here: Mother's Day Breakfast RSVP CLOSES 5th May

MOTHER'S DAY STALL HELPERS NEEDED

MONDAY 5TH MAY

 + PRE PURCHASE GIFTS THROUGH FLEXISCHOOLS

Please email kateroods@gmail.com if you are able to assist with the Mother’s Day stall on Monday 5th May between 11:30am and 1:30pm.

Gifts can be prepurchased via Flexischools OR bring in $6.00 cash on the day. Flexischools will close Sunday 4th May at 10.00am.

HOW TO BE A POSITIVE PARENT...

When your grown up kids don't want you around!

Click on the link below for a great two minute read for tips on growing with your child as they grow up into healthy young people. 

PARENT ASSEMBLY

Interested in Parent Assembly? Watch this clip to find out more information about the role of Parent Assembly in schools. If you are interested in assisting please email Alana Kelemec: akelemec@outlook.com

CELEBRATING LEARNING

HANDS-ON SCIENCE IN ACTION - YEAR 1

At St Peter’s Primary, we love to celebrate learning, especially when it sparks curiosity and creativity! Our Year 1 students recently undertook an exciting challenge: to design and create their very own anemometers!

As part of their hands-on learning experience, students explored how wind speed can be measured using an anemometer. They carefully designed and built their models using mostly recycled materials, ensuring their design could spin and move when the wind blew. But the learning didn’t stop there! Students reflected on their initial designs, identified areas for improvement and made adjustments to enhance their creations.

This project was more than just a fun learning experience, it encouraged critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork. By working together and testing their designs, our young learners learnt important skills that will serve them well in the future.

Well done Year 1, for embracing creativity and collaboration in such an inspiring way!

SHADOW PUPPETS IN ORBIT - YEAR 4

Year 4 Dive into Science and Storytelling with "Deadly Science"

This term, Year 4 students have been immersed in an exciting integrated English and Science and Technology unit titled Deadly Science. As part of their English learning, students explored a range of multi-modal texts, focusing on different planets within our solar system. They planned, drafted and published both written and digital texts with a strong emphasis on perspective, context and purpose. Each piece demonstrated thoughtful choices in structure, form and language to suit its informative purpose.

Bringing learning to life, students also collaborated to create engaging puppet shows. These hybrid texts combined scientific facts about planets with creative narrative elements, allowing students to share their knowledge through storytelling. Each group's presentation showcased not only their understanding of the content, but also their ability to communicate effectively in an oral format.

In Science and Technology, students investigated Earth's relationship with the Sun, exploring how the Sun, Earth and Moon interact. They studied the Sun’s effects on Earth, including light and shadows, and developed their scientific inquiry skills through research and experimentation. This scientific learning was then woven into their puppet shows, resulting in a truly interdisciplinary project that blended creativity with curiosity.

CELEBRATING SUNSHINE AND HISTORY IN KINDERGARTEN

Our Kinders had a wonderful time exploring the fascinating world of celebrations. The classes took their learning outdoors to enjoy the sunshine while sharing their favorite festivities. Children enthusiastically discussed birthdays, cultural holidays, and family gatherings. They expressed their understanding through vibrant drawings, showcasing their unique interpretations of these special occasions. This hands-on activity not only fostered creativity but also encouraged social interaction as they delved into the theme of celebrations.

AUTHOR VISIT - KATE AND JOL TEMPLE

At Monday’s assembly, it was announced that we will have not one, but two very famous, popular and entertaining authors visiting our school next term!!

On Tuesday 1st July (Week 10) we are so fortunate to have acclaimed authors, Kate and Jol Temple spend the day with our students here at St Peter’s, all the way from Sydney!!

Kate and Jol are internationally awarded children’s authors of well over 30 books for kids, including the extremely popular smash hit “Bin Chicken” picture book series as well as the best-selling graphic novel series, “The Underdogs” and “Frog Squad” plus many, many more. Kate also writes the middle grade fiction series, “The Dangerous Business of Being Trilby Moffatt” which is perfect for students who love stories with a historical element.

During the day, each student at St Peter’s will be able to attend one of three interactive sessions where they will get to meet the authors; hear about their stories and the characters; the inspiration behind their stories and also receive some tips and guidance about how our students can create their very own characters and stories.

Many of the books written by Kate and Jol will be on display in the school library next term and available for students to read and borrow in preparation for their much-anticipated arrival.

NATIONAL FAMILY READING MONTH

STARTING SOON !!!!

2025 marks the 29th year of the Scholastic National Family Reading Month (NFRM) which encourages families to read together on a regular basis to create positive, long lasting reading habits and lifelong readers by inspiring families to read together for a minimum of 10 minutes each day throughout the month of May.

Exclusive St Peter’s Bonus Reward:

As an added bonus, students of St Peter’s families that complete the NFRM 31-Day Challenge throughout May will receive an exclusive reward.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

• Register your participation before 1st May at: Register your Participation

• Print off (see the links below) or collect your reading log from Mrs Ayres at the school library. Only one reading log is required per family and either of the two reading log formats will be accepted.

• Read together as a family for a minimum of 10 minutes every day throughout the month of May.

• Mark off your reading log each day as you complete the challenge.
• To claim your exclusive St Peter’s bonus reward, submit your completed reading log (including a parent/carer signature) to Mrs Ayres at the school library following the end of the challenge (31st May), between the 2nd-5th June.

Reading Logs:

Read More in May Challenge

Read Every Day - Take the 31-Day Challenge

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE UPDATE

Deadline Extension

The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) team has advised that there have been a number of technical issues affecting students of non-government schools’ access to the PRC website. For this reason, the PRC team has decided to extend the PRC completion deadline until Friday 19th September 2025.

For families of participating students that have not been able to log into the PRC website, could you please email Mrs Amanda Ayres at amanda.ayres@lism.catholic.edu.au so that any issues can be resolved. If you have not yet logged onto the website using the login details provided, please do so as soon as practicable to ensure that any access issues can be resolved in a timely manner.

If your child would like to participate in the PRC, there is still time to sign up to the challenge by contacting Mrs Ayres via the email address provided above, to organise login details. A summary of information relating to the PRC is provided below:

2025 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge

ACEN DIGITAL LIBRARY AND SORA APP

Looking for something to keep the kids occupied in the school holidays? Why not access our online digital library for some exciting reads or even an audio book which is perfect for those long car trips!

In addition to our well-stocked school library, students at St Peter’s also have access to many fantastic titles through our digital library. 

Students can access this service either:

• via the St Peter's Student Page when using a desktop or laptop computer by selecting the student’s grade followed by the “Sora - Digital Library” link; or
• by installing the “Sora” app to utilise these resources via mobile devices such as smartphones, I-pads and tablets. 

Instructions for installing and accessing the Sora app onto mobile devices is provided here: Instructions for Accessing the Digital Library via the SORA app

COMMUNITY EVENTS

MID NORTH COAST LIBRARY WHAT'S ON

These school holidays there are many exciting activities on offer at our local libraries including a variety of art and craft activities, the annual Cosplay Parade and Manga Mania Art Exhibition on Sunday 13th April, as well as a storytime session and creative writing workshop on the 24th April with local children’s author, Alanna Alfora. 

Alanna will be sharing her new storybook, “Serena and the Sun”, during the storytime session (10.00am-11.00am) and will also share how she first began writing stories and provide guidance on how to write your very own story, during the creative writing workshop (2.00pm-3.00pm - bookings essential).

Please access the following link below to find out more about the events happening in our local libraries over the school holidays to keep the kids interested in all things books and reading: 

Mid Coast Libraries: What's On