Term 3 - Week 10, 2023

Acting Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

With the holidays in sight it is a great time to reflect on the third element of the Resilience Project 'GEM', and that is mindfulness. Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around us. Practising this is good for our relationships and helps us to have better mental health. This is also very good for our children. If we are constantly looking forward to the next thing and our life is planned to the minute, we miss the gift that is the present. It leads to us not embracing the moment and seeing the good in it. It leads to a mindset of ‘I’ll be happy when…. I get a new car, go on a holiday, lose five kilos etc,’ and we miss the beauty in the moment. 

Mindfulness is being able to put distractions away and enjoy the silence. It is the ability to notice the finer details of the moment. It is the ability to find joy in the simple things. This can be found by:

• Going for a walk, taking in the sights and sounds around you and noticing where your mind wanders.
• Focusing on a quiet activity like colouring-in or a jigsaw puzzle.
• Finding a quiet space and reading a book; or really listening to your favourite music or to what your children are saying.

When we are mindful we prioritise better, we are more in tune with each other and we notice the important things more easily.

When we value these moments we also teach our children the value of them too. They feel listened to and appreciated, which is what we all want and need, but more than that they learn to enjoy their own company and become happier with who they are, and this is the greatest gift of all.

We know life has a knack of getting in the way of us developing new healthier habits; however, why not try to incorporate some mindfulness time in each day? It will be a valuable investment in the health and wellbeing of our families and it is often in these busiest times that something as simple as pausing and taking a breath can reap the most benefits.

Psalms 46:10 NKJV - Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

It is when we are quiet we allow God’s voice to be heard in our lives. I wish this for each of you this holiday and always.

Sue Darby

Acting Principal

School resumes for Term 4 on Monday 9th October.

Stage 3 Excursion to Canberra

Our Stage 3 students are heading off to Sydney and Canberra in the first week of next term, accompanied by Mrs Beaumont and Mr Watts. They are all very excited and we look forward to hearing all about their adventures when they return!

Year 4/5/6 Prayer Assembly

Thank you to Year 4/5/6 and Mrs Beaumont for preparing a beautiful prayer assembly for us and reminding us how important prayer is in our day. The Rosary is one of our traditional Catholic prayers and spending time praying with the Rosary decade that the children made for us, is a great way to be still  and create space for God to be with us.

Weekly Awards

Congratulations to the following students, who received learning awards this week:

Brianna B-G - For wonderful work and effort in our morning sound lessons. Keep it up!

Tyler M - For wonderful effort when making mazes and using positional language in Maths.

Lucca L - For a great explanation in Mathematics of how to solve a problem.

Jules F - For his enthusiasm and technical ability in creating a hybrid text on 'Seals'.

Seth H - For demonstrating persistence in being able to explore all possibilities to solve Mathematical problems.

Rosie W - For the confident delivery of your prepared speech. Well done!

Cormac O - For displaying good sportsmanship at the Gala Day by acknowledging the defence skills of his opponents.

GEM (Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness) awards went to:

Lawson E - For always greeting staff with a smile and kind words.

Aurora W - For assisting other students with using 'Book Creator'.

Jules F - For recognising the talents of others and using encouraging words.

Lakota M-T - For being a good role model for others in showing gratitude.

Clay B - For showing leadership and gratitude at the NRL Gala Day.

Bell Shakespeare Incursion

Bell Shakespeare's touring troupe of actors visited our school on Wednesday to present Just Macbeth! (abridged), which featured Andy, Danny, and Lisa - characters from Andy Griffiths’ Just! series. The show took us on a wild and crazy journey into Shakespeare. It was enjoyed hugely by students and staff and was extremely funny and engaging.

This performance was being presented at no cost to the school, thanks to the generous funding of The Scully Fund.

Rugby League Gala Day

Some of our students participated in the Group 2 Greg Inglis Legend 7s Rugby League event in Coffs Harbour on Wednesday 20th September.

They had a great day and participated with gusto against some really big opponents. Well done team!

Project Compassion

We are continuing to collect toiletries such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, brushes, combs, sanitary items, shampoo, deodorant, washing powder and warm items like socks and beanies, all of which will be donated to Pete's Place in Coffs Harbour to help homeless people in our local area.

St Vincent de Paul are also looking for any 2nd-hand drink bottles such as kids' drink bottles (not plastic PET water bottles). 

Please help if you can - there is a basket at the front office in which to place your donations.

Thank you!

Louise Sprowles - LOSEC

How to Cancel a Canteen Order

If you need to, you can cancel canteen orders before 9am on Friday mornings. If you know your child is going to be away you can go into Compass Canteen and select "cancel order".

The refunded money goes back into your Compass "wallet" so you can use it next time you order - when you get to the Confirm & pay screen, click on the down arrow and select Compass Credit. 

School Facebook Page

Check out our school Facebook page! It is wonderful to be able to share the good news of our school with our families and community. 

Library Day - Wednesday

Library day for all students is Wednesday - please make sure your child brings in his or her cloth library bag on this day. Each student may borrow four books per week. 

School Bus Travel

Applications for student travel can be made online. Apply here 

School Drive Subsidy

The School Drive Subsidy is available for eligible school students where there is no public transport available for all or part of the journey. If you have to drive your child more than 1.6km to a school bus stop, you may be eligible for this subsidy – go to the link below to apply. 

Swimming Squad at Dorrigo Pool

If any parents are interested in helping to organise a swimming squad at Dorrigo Pool on Monday evenings, please contact Matt Moffatt on ph 0403 203 702.

Dorrigo Cricket Club Registration

Dorrigo Cricket Club is looking for players for the 2023/24 season. We will be entering an U16s,U12s and a Blast program for children aged 6 to 10.

Under 16s play on Friday nights, Under 12s on Saturday morning. The Blast program for children aged 6-10 will be held down at the Dorrigo Stadium on a weekday yet to be decided. There will also be a senior team playing on Saturday afternoons.

If you are interested in playing, please register at https://www.playhq.com, then search Dorrigo Cricket Club, then go to register.

If you have any questions, please call Justin on 0447 575308.

Rugby 7s Tournament - Coffs Harbour

Join the craze that's sweeping the nation - here's a great opportunity to join the fast-paced, action-packed world of 7s rugby!

Exciting Announcement from NSW Rugby: Term 4 Spring 7s Tournament - Coffs Harbour

Boys U11s,U12s,U13s,U14s Boys and Girls U12s, U14s, U16s.

• Friday nights starting October 20^th (times to be confirmed with entry numbers)
• Boys & Girls divisions
• $110 entry fee per player for insurance through Rugby Australia and tournament fees- 8 rounds including a crossover gala day on Sun December 3^rd
• Maximum of 6 teams per division so GET IN QUICK

For more information or to join a team please contact Craig Landrigan, Development Officer – Mid North Coast on 0406 884 504 or Craig.Landrigan@nsw.rugby

Dorrigo Drama - Kids on Stage

Hello to all the keen kids aged 5-17 who are wanting the opportunity to get back on the stage with Dorrigo Drama. We have 2 plays that we are looking to put on in November.

Alice in DownUnder Land is a delightful, unique Australian story combining the timeless tales of Alice, Mary and Matilda.... who are they?

The Sword in the Stone is the story of a young Arthur before he became King, his half brother Kai who thinks he should be King, Merlin the magician and of course Guinevere.

For the moment rehearsing will be Mondays at 3.30pm at the Dorrigo Theatre in Hickory Street. If it turns out Monday isn't the best day for rehearsals then we will work out what is.

You can get in touch with Dina via email at dinalucid@gmail.com OR phone on 66572243 - leave a message if necessary and don't forget your phone number.

Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival

The Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival is a three day celebration of local, national and international acoustic folk, bluegrass and old-time music. The festival is a boutique, family friendly event with concerts, workshops, dance and jam sessions. Patrons have opportunities to perform and learn from the best traditional, contemporary and exploratory acoustic music exponents of these genres. 

With the festival now recognised across the globe, it attracts artists from the USA, Canada, UK and NZ  and Australia, presenting a full program from 6pm Friday evening through to 5pm Sunday. It is the longest-running folk festival on the Mid North Coast. All venues are alcohol, drug and smoke free zones. Environmental sustainability is actively promoted. There are workshops across the weekend to cater for young and old, including a full program of children’s workshops and activities including the much loved Pitts Family Circus. 

You can book tickets and camping or find out more at: https://www.dorrigofolkbluegrass.com.au/

The Dorrigo Old-Time Music School takes place before the festival. Three full days of workshops emphasize the cultural heritage that informs the music and how it sounds.  Tutors in 2023 are Foghorn Stringband (USA/CAN), Erynn Marshall & Carl Jones (USA),  and Ian Alexander (AUS),  collectively representing a wealth of knowledge, tradition and exceptional skills as acknowledged exponents of the genre. This year's Old-Time Music School is currently fully booked and we are accepting prospective participants to our waitlist.

Dorrigo National Park Kids' Holiday Activities - 'Gondwana Birdsong'

As the days get longer, the air feels warmer and the sounds of incredible birdsong fill the rainforest at Dorrigo National Park. These spring school holidays, we’ll take your curious young explorers under our wing for this season’s Nature Play ‘Gondwana Birdsong’ activity, informed by Ranger Andrew Turbill, our very own bird expert. Learn to find bird nests and to track the movement of predators (goanna, snakes and birds of prey) through the landscape by listening to bird language. 

The ranger-guided session will introduce them to understanding bird language through sensory and hands-on activities and a short guided walk, to connect with the fascinating bird life flourishing in Dorrigo National Park. 

Sessions are running each Tuesday in the school holidays at 10:30am and 12pm for children (ages 5-12), at only $10 per child - places are limited. The early bird catches the worm, so book your spot book at Kids Gondwana nature play: 5 to 12 years | NSW National Parks.

Dorrigo News

Dorrigo Lift The Lid Walk - Sunday 15th October 2023

School Holiday Activities @Dorrigo Library

Healthy Lunchbox Website

Cancer Council’s Healthy Lunch Box website is your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about packing a healthy lunch box.  For recipes, information and health tips please visit the website below.