28th July 2025

Term 3 - Week 2

• Monday 28th July 2025
  • Choir with Mrs Sadler @ 8.35am
  • Gospel Reflection & Assembly led by KM @ 9.10am (Friends and Family Welcome)
• Tuesday 29th July 2025
  
  • Mini Vinnies @ Recess 
• Wednesday 30th July 2025
  
  • Guitar Group @ 11.00-11.40am 
  • Year 2 Ukulele Group @ 1.10pm
  • Voiceology @ 1.30pm
  • Didgeridoo Group @ 1.40pm
    
• Thursday 31st July 2025
  • Senior Band @ 7.50-8.50am 
  • Junior Band @ 11.00-11.40am 
    
• Friday 1st August 2025
  
  • NAIDOC Excursion 

Term 3 - Week 3

• Monday 4th August 2025
  
  • Choir with Mrs Sadler @ 8.35am
  • Gospel Reflection & Assembly led by KA @ 9.10am (Friends and Family Welcome)
    
• Tuesday 5th August 2025
  
  • Mini Vinnies @ Recess
    
• Wednesday 6th August 2025
  
  • Guitar Group @ 11.00-11.40am 
  • Year 2 Ukulele Group @ 1.10pm
  • Voiceology Group @ 1.30pm
  • Didgeridoo Group @ 1.40pm
    
  • P&F Meeting @ 5.30pm School Library
• Thursday 7th August 2025
  
  • Eastern Regional Athletics Carnival
  • Senior Band @ 7.50-8.50am 
    
  • Junior Band @ 11.00-11.40am
    
• Friday 8th August 2025
  • MacKillop Day - Shared recess with Family and Friends followed by Mass @ 12pm in the Cathedral Church.

Important Dates

From the Principal

“Let us look to grandparents and the elderly as witnesses of hope, capable of lighting the path for new generations. Let us not leave them alone, but join them in a covenant of love and prayer,”
Pope Leo XIV

Such a wonderful way to start our term with a beautiful celebration of our Grandparents. At Cathedral School we belong to a very connected community and we are so grateful for the role that grandparents and other special adults play in the lives of our students. Thank you to all who joined us for this special celebration and thank you to all who love and support our Cathedral children. 

Our Newsletter will be published fortnightly in 2025 and we encourage you to access the Google Cathedral Community Calendar so that you can stay current with school dates and celebrations. 

Camille Tavares   | Principal

Congratulations

Congratulations to our Cathedral Families who become Australia Citizens during the holidays.

Staffing

We congratulate Mrs Melissa Vickers who has accepted a position at Assumption School as the Learning Support Teacher. Melissa has been on maternity leave this year and has been with Cathedral for many years. We would like to take the opportunity to thank and farewell Melissa during our Week 3 Assembly, at 9am. We invite families to join us for this event. 

This week we welcome back Mr Ashley Boylan, during this time 

Mrs Julia Baird acted in the position of Religious Education Coordinator. We thank Mrs Baird for her dedication to this role during this time, especially her work with the Grandparents celebration. 

Teaching and Learning

I warmly welcome all students and families back to Cathedral for Term 3. I hope the holiday break offered a chance to rest, recharge and enjoy time together.

This term promises to be an exciting and productive one, filled with rich learning experiences and opportunities for growth.

 Three-Way Conferences will be held in Week 4 for all classes except 4W, giving students, teachers and students a valuable opportunity to meet together to discuss progress toward Writing goals set in Term 1. These conferences will also allow for a brief reflection on the information shared in the Term 2 student assessment reports. Parents are asked to book their conference time via the Compass portal by Wednesday of Week 3. 4W Three-Way Conferences will occur in Week 9 when Mrs Wood returns from leave. We value these conversations as a way to deepen the partnership between home and school, and we encourage all families to participate.

Throughout the term, students will have opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities, most notably the Bathurst Eisteddfod. All classes will be involved, with:

• Kindergarten, Years 2–6 performing in Verse Speaking
  
  
• Year 1 taking part in the Percussion section
  
  
• Cathedral’s Junior and Senior Bands, Guitar and Ukulele Group, and Choir performing in various  musical sections

These events offer students the chance to perform, collaborate and celebrate the arts as a school community.

Kindergarten will also enjoy an exciting excursion to the Mineral and Fossil Museum. This fascinating museum features a stunning collection of minerals, crystals, and fossils from across the globe, providing a hands-on learning experience that links directly to the science curriculum.

We are also looking forward to celebrating Book Week, with our Activity Day scheduled for Friday, August 22. This year’s theme, “Book an Adventure”, encourages children to explore the exciting worlds that books can open up and celebrate the adventurous spirit of reading.

In addition, we are excited to acknowledge and thank all the wonderful fathers and father-like figures in our community during our Father’s Day celebrations. These will include a Father’s Day Stall on Friday, September 5 and a Father’s Day Breakfast on Monday, September 8.

During the term, teachers will continue their professional learning with a strong focus on applying High Impact Teaching Strategies in the classroom. In particular, staff will be working collaboratively to strengthen approaches to Reading and Writing, ensuring consistency and high expectations across all year levels.

We look forward to a wonderful term of learning ahead and thank families for their continued support and partnership.

Catherine O’Neill   | Assistant Principal

Awards

Religious Education & Catholic Life

Welcome to Our New Parish Priest!
A special welcome to our new Parish Team: Fr Francis, Fr Nam and Fr Ephrem. We are delighted to welcome our new Parish Priests and look forward to their leadership and guidance in our faith journey.  

With the new team comes a new School Chaplin! We extend a warm welcome to Fr Nam, who will be working closely with our school community throughout the year. It was a joy to introduce him to our students and families at last week’s assembly. True to form, Mrs Baird’s spontaneous style meant that Fr Nam was soon in the Hot Seat, answering some fun "get to know you" questions.

We learned that Fr Nam is originally from Vietnam and comes from a large family. He LOVES reading, has a soft spot for dogs, and prefers savoury food over sweets. And one of his favourite sports? You guessed it — soccer! He’s already shown off his skills on the playground. We’re so excited to have him as part of our school family.

Grandparents Day – A Joyful Celebration of Faith, Family & Learning
What an incredible day! Our Grandparents Day celebration on the Feast of St Joachim and St Anne was one of the most joyful and memorable highlights of the year.

We welcomed over 200 beloved grandparents, parents, and special friends into our school community. The day began with a beautiful Mass in our overflowing Cathedral (our very first school Mass with Fr Nam) and was followed by a delicious morning tea in the school hall featuring Mrs Watson’s much-loved home baking.

The joy on the students’ faces as they proudly shared their work during open classroom visits was truly special. There was laughter, storytelling, and plenty of hugs as generations came together in a spirit of love and gratitude.

We are so thankful for the overwhelming response and the many kind words shared by our visitors. It was a day filled with happiness, appreciation, and strong connections - a true celebration of our faith, family, and school spirit.

Year 6 Religious Education Test 
I am pleased to share the outstanding results of our Year 6 students in the recent Catholic Diocese of Bathurst (CEDB) Religious Education Test. Each year, this formal online assessment is conducted across the Diocese to evaluate student understanding and achievement in Religious Education — an essential and central subject in our Catholic schools.

In 2025, 803 Year 6 students across the Diocese completed the test, with the average score being 28.1 out of 40. I am proud to report that our Cathedral students performed above this average, achieving a school average of 29.3.

Notably, only 45 students across the Diocese were awarded a High Distinction — and 9 of them were from Cathedral School. An additional 12 of our students received Distinctions, and many others earned Credits, demonstrating a strong overall performance.

Congratulations to all our Year 6 students for their achievements. I commend them for their effort and commitment. I would also like to thank and acknowledge our dedicated teachers — particularly our Year 6 team — for their thoughtful preparation and the high-quality teaching and learning experiences they continue to provide.

Welcome Back & Thank You! 
Welcome back to Mr Boylan from his Long Service Leave. We hope that you had a wonderful and refreshing trip away with your family, and we look forward to hearing all about your travelling adventures and travels.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mrs Tavares for the opportunity to step into Mr B’s very big shoes and support the Leadership Team as Acting REC in his absence. It has been both a privilege and a joy to serve in this role. 

What a truly special community we have here at Cathedral School — one where leadership is shared, supported, and deeply rooted in faith and purpose. I feel incredibly proud to be part of such a vibrant and caring school.

Coming Up
Please always reference the School Community Calendar for the latest event details and changes:

IN OUR PARISH
We are proud to be an important part of the Cathedral Parish of Ss Michael & John.   For information about our parish please click here. This includes Mass Times, Ministries, Sacraments and current edition and archived stories from the Catholic Observer and Parish Bulletin.

Mrs Julia Baird | Acting Religious Education Coordinator

National Vocations Awareness Week

National Vocations Awareness Week, 3-10 August 2025
National Vocations Awareness Week is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in Australia dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life and to renewing our prayers and support for those who are discerning one of these particular vocations.

This year, National Vocations Awareness Week is celebrated from 3-10 August, which coincides with the celebrations of Australia’s first saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop (8th August), and the Patron Saint of Priests, Saint John Vianney (4th August).

Pope Leo XIV, recently at Regina Caeli, called upon the people of God to pray for vocations, especially those to the priesthood and consecrated life. The Pope invited the Church “to welcome and accompany young people” and help them in their discernment, while encouraging young people, “Do not be afraid! Accept the invitation of the Church and of Christ the Lord!” (Regina Caeli, 11 May, 2025).

This week, we are invited to reflect upon our own vocation and how we may continue to foster vocations in our parish and Diocese.

Fr Nam Le | Diocesan Vocations Director

Sports

Rugby Union Polding Trials
Congratulations to Harryson from 6LB who competed in the Bathurst Diocesan Rugby Union Team in Forbes in the last week of Term 2. It was a tough day of competition but the Bathurst Team did very well. Well done Harryson on progressing to this level. 

Interschool Equestrian Championships
Well done to Harrison in 6B who competed at the State NSW Interschool Equestrian Championships over the school holidays. Harrison did extremely well at this event, coming in second place on a count back for combined training 60cm, second place for combined training 45cm and third place for overall state dressage Novice. Overall he was second in the state in the final championship results. This means that Harrison has now been selected for the NSW State Team with his two horses to compete at the Australian Interschool Equestrian Championships in October at SIEC- Horsley Park, Sydney. The events that Harrison will be competing in are: Combine Training 45cm and Novice Dressage on his horse Bells Mountain Alabama as well as Combine Training 65cm and Working Hunter on his horse Bamborough Lady Jodie. Congratulations Harrison on this wonderful achievement!

US Open World Martial Arts Championships
A big congratulations to Kral in 4RS who competed at the World Martial Arts Championships for karate in America during the school holidays. Kral competed in three disciplines: kata, weapons and fighting and he came a place in each one with a second place and two third places! This is a wonderful achievement as Kral was representing Australia, competing against other children from all around the world. Well done Kral! 

Eastern Region Athletics
A reminder that the Eastern Region Athletics Carnival will be held next Thursday 7th August at MacKillop College Bathurst. Parents are asked to please park in the carpark at Proctor Park and walk through to the school grounds. Parent consent and payment for this event is due by this Thursday 31st July.

Cassie Toole   | Sports Coordinator

Library

Book Week Activity Day at Cathedral School 2025 Important Information

• Our Book Week Activity and Dress up Day is in Week 5 on Friday 22nd August.
• The theme is BOOK AN ADVENTURE.
• Children can dress up on this day in a costume or casual clothing. 
• We will have a second hand book sale in the Library on the 22nd August. Most books are priced between $1 or $2. All proceeds will be donated to the St Vincent De Paul Society. The book sale starts at 8.15am and runs until 3.30pm. Parents and Carers can come and buy books from 8.15am. The children will also visit the Library with their class during the morning to purchase books.
• The Canteen provides a special lunch order on this day (more details to follow).
• Parents and Carers are welcome to join us in the morning at 9am for the Book Week Assembly and Parade.

Merryn Sadler   | Teacher Librarian

Wellbeing

Merryn Sadler   | Wellbeing Coordinator

SPB4L

SPB4L Focus: We Enjoy Breakfast Club!

This week, our School-Wide Positive Behaviours for Learning (SPB4L) focus is all about how we behave at Breakfast Club.

We are so proud to offer our students a warm and welcoming start to the day through our daily Breakfast Club. It’s a place where children can enjoy a quiet meal, connect with friends, and get ready for learning.

To help everyone enjoy this time, we are reminding students to be:

• Respectful by using their manners and waiting their turn
• Responsible by taking only what they need and binning their rubbish
• Safe by walking calmly and following procedures
• Kind by including others and showing gratitude to the helpers
  

We’ve noticed that most children do the right thing — lining up patiently, using manners, and appreciating the food provided. However, we are also reminding students that running, taking more than needed, or forgetting to thank our helpers is not okay and doesn’t reflect the values we share at our school.

We appreciate your support in speaking with your child about making kind, safe, and respectful choices at Breakfast Club. With your help, we can ensure it remains a space of warmth, care, and community for all.

Julia Baird | SPB4L Committee

Parents and Friends

OPTIONAL SCHOOL JACKETS
The Cathedral School logo is embroidered on the chest, the jackets are lightweight, windproof and water-resistant, perfect for the cold weather.  These optional school jackets are available to try on at the school office and ready to order via Flexischools or through the school office for $75.

Please note: The optional jacket is NOT compulsory - All maroon/navy/black school jackets are also acceptable.

If you have any enquiries about our projects or would like to get involved, please email us at cathedralpandf@gmail.com

SCHOOL BACKPACKS

The school backpacks can be ordered on FlexiSchools for $65 – click on shop, then your child’s name, then uniform shop. The back pack will be delivered to your child’s classroom along with the lunch orders so you can select a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday for delivery, then select backpack and finalise your order. 

THE BACKPACK CAN ALSO BE PURCHASED AT THE FRONT OFFICE.

We have attached the flyer about the backpack here for your reference.

If you have any enquiries about our projects or would like to get involved, please email us at cathedralpandf@gmail.com

Melissa Bray   | P & F Publicity

Canteen & Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club Roster Term 3

Canteen Roster Term 3

PLEASE CAN YOU HELP??

The Canteen is open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

We are in need of helpers in the Canteen on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. 
For the canteen to run smoothly 3 volunteers are essential.

Please contact Alana Watson on 0417 044 116 if you would like to be included in the canteen roster,
any time offered is welcomed.

Thank you to all our friends and family for all your ongoing support of the Cathedral Canteen.

School Calendar Handy Hints

Google Calendar is an easy way to keep up to date with the school events.  This can be found on our school website under the Parents and Families tab. Below is the link that will take you straight to the Calendar section of the site, where the calendar can be displayed by month. If you click on the event, more details (if confirmed) will be available for the event. 

Most end of year events and special celebrations have already been added to the calendar and all other events appear as soon as we can confirm the details.  Website Calendar Link

For those with a Google Account the calendar can be added to your Google calendars for easy access
on your phone or device. Google School Calendar Link

Update your Details

Update your email, phone number, address, your child’s medical details or emergency contacts by emailing the information to cathedral@bth.catholic.edu.au

Community Notices