17 December 2019

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

Dear Parents, caregivers and friends,

REFLECTION

Thank goodness for Christmas…

Kids today need Christmas more than ever. Not for the gifts and presents - most children get their fair share throughout the year. They need Christmas for the escape, and for the mystery and magic that is associated with childhood.

There are few secrets left for kids these days. In this information-age they are bombarded with news and views of all sorts. Childhood was once a type of secret garden that was full of mysteries. The wider world was there to be discovered by children, rather than something that was thrust upon them. Christmas for all its commercialism still has its mystery and magic. Perhaps, once a year, children still want to believe in the magic. Teenagers, like adults, are always on the lookout for activities that anchor them back to their childhoods.

(Michael Grose, Happy Kids)

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas (Dale Evans)

May you have the opportunity to experience the joy of Christmas with your loved ones. Wishing you a happy, holy and safe holiday break.

With every blessing,

Mrs Jacqueline Wilkinson

STUDENT LEADERS 2020

Last week at our End of Year Mass student leadership positions for 2020 were announced. Congratulations to the following students;

MJR Leaders:

• Sienna Liva
• Thomas Goodwin

Social Justice Leaders:

• Sophie Fogarty
• Samuel Bell

Stewards of Creation Leaders:

• Coco Pinter
• Aurelia Russell

Engaging Community Leaders:

• Jemma Webber
• Max Amidy

Sports Leaders for 2020:

• Lawson: Trinity Rohr and Everett Bell
• Kendall: Samantha Rowan and Archie Brideson
• Paterson: Reegan Gainer and Rylan O’Brien
• Gordon: Maddy Flannery and Cooper Johnson

P&F 2020

Thank You! Each year we rely on the assistance of many parent volunteers. Our volunteers make a significant contribution to building and sustaining our community through their efforts, particularly the amazing fundraising the P&F do for our school community. Fundraising efforts will be realised over the holidays with the long-awaited establishment of the creative outdoor play spaces.

At the AGM meeting scheduled last week, all positions were declared vacant. Positions of President, Vice President and Treasurer were unanimously upheld. Shara Taylor was farewelled after completing her 3-year term as Secretary and Yolanda Armstrong generously agreed to accept nomination to this position.

COMMITTEE 2020

President: Erin Harold
Vice President: Eloise Jones
Secretary: Yolanda Armstrong
Treasurer: Fiona Rowen

IMPORTANT MESSAGES FOR PARENTS

SCHOOL FEES 2020

The establishment of school fees for St Patrick’s Lochinvar involves 3 distinct components;

• TUITION FEES (Amount determined by the Diocese)
• DIOCESAN FAMILY SCHOOL BUILDING LEVY -DFSBL (Amount determined by the Diocese)
• SCHOOL RESOURCE AND SERVICE FEES (Established by the school)

Information regarding each fee component is provided below.

DIOCESAN TUITION FEES 2020

The 2020 full rate Diocesan Tuition Fees are as follows:

• Kinder to Year 6 - $1,275 per year

In 2020, the family discount on Diocesan Tuition Fees, full rate, will be:

• 1 child family - 0% - full rate to be applied
• 2 child family - 10% - each child
• 3 child family - 20% - each child
• 4 child family - 40% - each child
• 5+ child family - 50% - each child

Fees are levied over three accounts (Term 1, 2 and 3).

SCHOOL RESOURCE AND SERVICE FEES

The general Resource Fee varies for classes. This reflects the variations in the cost of texts, excursions or activities. As with Tuition Fees, resource fees cover a service that the school provides and will not be refunded. This amount will be communicated to parents at the beginning of Term 1 2020.

The Year 5 Camp and Year 6 major excursion to Canberra is itemised and appears on the Term 1 statement. This excursion needs to be finalised by the end of Term 2 unless a payment plan is in place.

DIOCESAN FAMILY SCHOOL BUILDING LEVY (DFSBL)

The DFSBL is $1250 per year and is charged to the eldest child for each family. The levy is pooled to contribute towards past, present and future costs for building projects across all existing and new Catholic schools, and the acquisition of land for school purposes.

The DFSBL rate is determined by the Diocesan Offices.

If you have an older child at a Catholic primary or high school in the Diocese, he or she will be billed by their school.

The levies collected are used for building projects in all schools within the Diocese according to maintenance needs and building priorities developed by the DFSBL committee.

OTHER FEES

DIOCESAN PASTORAL CONTRIBUTION

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle consists of parishes, schools, CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning, St Nicholas Early Education and the Curia offices. The diocesan offices exist to support the work of parishes and other pastoral ministries that are the responsibility of the Bishop and the diocesan community. There are about 160,000 Catholics residing in our diocese.

The voluntary diocesan pastoral contribution for 2020 will remain at $300 per family ($100 per term for three terms).

These funds will support the ongoing pastoral works of the Diocese, which include, among many initiatives:

• the diocesan pastoral ministries office and the activities of its many advisory councils — the Diocesan Pastoral Council, the Adult Faith Formation Council, the Liturgy Council, the Ecumenical and Interfaith Council, the Social Justice Council and the Diocesan Council of Ministry with Young People
• the provision of chaplains ministering in the following areas — University of Newcastle, Newcastle Port, prisons, hospitals and CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning
• Family Community Faith co-ordinators who reach out and connect families to their local parish and school
• pastoral co-ordinators who work in those parishes without a resident parish priest
• Dara van, Aboriginal Catholic Mission, Refugee Services, the Apostleship to Seafarers
• worship and prayer, sacramental programs, marriage and relationship education, family ministry coordinators, Caritas Australia and Catholic Mission.

ENROLMENT FEE

A non-refundable enrolment fee of $100 is to be paid when applying for enrolment at St Patrick’s. The enrolment fee covers all administrative work involved in processing the application. The enrolment fee will be deducted from the Term 1 tuition fees the following year.

SPECIAL FEE REDUCTIONS

To assist families with limited financial resources, St Patrick’s offers a lower tuition fee to means tested low income families such as Health Care and Pension Card holders. This rate is 50% of the diocesan tuition fee full rate for each child. This discount applies only to the diocesan tuition fee, not to the DFSBL or other resource and service fees charged by each individual school.

EXTERNAL PROVIDERS 2020

Parents wishing to continue therapy services for their child in 2020 will need to reapply for approval by emailing the principal. This may be done now, however, External Provider Engagement Agreements will not be processed until the start of next year. Please allow time for classes to settle into their routines so that new therapy times may be negotiated at mutually agreeable times. Accordingly, external providers will be permitted to begin service delivery from the beginning of week five and no earlier.

CALENDAR EVENTS

WHAT’S ON?

IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2020- ADVANCED NOTICE

Friday 31st January, 2020

• Kinder and Year 1 start of School Term 1 Week 1

Monday 3rd February, 2020

• Year 2- Year 6 start of School Term 1 Week 1

Thursday 13th February, 2020

• St Patrick's Lochinvar school swimming carnival

Monday 17th February, 2020

• ASC Swimming Carnival – Maitland

Thursday 27th February, 2020

• Diocesan Swimming Carnival – Lambton

RE NEWS

COMMUNITY NEWS

APPRECIATION

A huge thank you to Layla Martin (yr4) and the Martin family for the donation of a didgeridoo to the school. The didge is smaller than the ones we currently have and had a turtle and cockatoo painted on it. Being small it is perfect for our younger players. Thank you Layla and family.

Stephanie Callaghan
Learning Support/ Aboriginal Education Worker

ST NICK’S VACATION CARE & OOSH 2020

Please forward any enquiries to St Nicholas OOSH General Operations Manager: Tracey Sweetman

Mobile: 0428 814 238 ( Lochinvar OOSH mobile)

Email: lochinvar@stnicholasoosh.org.au

VINNIES LOAN

ASPIRE CHOREOGRAPHIC AND THEATRE FLYER 2020

SCHOOL TRAVEL - 2020

Updated brochures now online

PARENTING PAGE

CANTEEN

WEDNESDAY 5th Februrary, 2020. Will be the first day of canteen.

Our new menu TERM 1 (copy below). Due to the overwhelming demand on a small number of volunteers, the decision has been made to divide the workload by moving the availability of - CRACKLES, POTATO GEMS AND SPRING ROLLS TO LUNCHTIME 2 ONLY. All the other food items are available Lunch 1 & 2.

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped throughout the year – without you we would not be able to provide the children with a canteen service. From the children and myself (Julie) THANK YOU

If you are available next year to help – please contact Julie Lawrence – Phone: 0402 061057 or email: julie.lawrence@mn.catholic.edu.au