2024 Term 4 - End of Term Newsletter
Principal’s Report
Dear Families, and Friends,
Much excitement and anticipation fill us in this time of Advent. A time in the Catholic calendars of preparation and expectation where we prepare for Christmas and the second coming of Christ. Advent is a time to share in God's love with each other. Throughout 2024, I have shared many memorable moments with our students, their families, and our staff. It has been great cause for celebration, but we closed the year with some incredible events.
We celebrated International day of People with a Disability by co-hosting the Diverse Learning Mass at the sacred Heart Cathedral. A beautiful mass presided by Bishop Michael Kennedy, and a stirring homily by our Vicar General Fr Greg Barker.
We made history with our first ever Year 12 College graduates - Conor and Xavier. Conor and Xavier will truly be missed across campus and leave us with many memories of their time with us- these we will hold sacred in our hearts. Wishing Conor, Xavier and their families all the best in their new journeys.
We also farewell Blake Sellers, Elouisa Rae, Sharon John, Tayla Mullen, Jen Bone, and Lisa Turner. Each staff member will be immeasurably missed for what they have shared with us along their journey at St Dominic's.
We also send our blessing and prayers to Fr John Lovell who will be retiring this year and moving to Sydney to be closer to family. Fr John has been instrumental in supporting our school this year with the Sacramental program, mass and liturgies. Thank you, Fr John.
I trust you found much joy in celebrating your child's successes when reading through reports this week. Students have achieved great outcomes and accomplishments in their personal goals. Many thanks to our families who support our staff in this collaborative learning space.
Wishing all of St Dominic's Catholic College community a very Merry and Holy Christmas period.
Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty 1 God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace"
May God Bless,
Assistant Principal Report
As we are wrapping up another wonderful year of growth and achievement at St Dominic’s, it is wonderful to reflect on the successes we have been a part of this year. We thank our families for your valuable support and collaboration, and hope you enjoy reading your child’s report when they become available on Compass this week. Thank you to our amazing teachers for your dedication and time you have spent writing student reports to ensure they are a valuable document reflecting Semester Two’s triumphs. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any queries once you receive your child’s report.
It was lovely seeing all students receive an award this year at our Christmas Liturgy and End of Year Awards. We enjoyed celebrating the student successes for 2024 and an opportunity to come together as a community.
As the Summer holidays are fast approaching, we thought we would share some websites with you as inspiration on activities to participate in during the school break. I might run into you at a park playing frisbee golf or maybe at Kirantakamyari (Sugar Valley Library and Museum).
Summer School Holidays: What’s On in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter - Newy with Kids
150+ Kids Activities For Family Fun at Home - Newy with Kids
Explore Newy - Resolute Support | Disability Accessible Activities
We wish you a very happy Christmas and we hope it is filled with joy, love, and peace.
Look forward to seeing all our returning families in 2025.
Kind regards,
Angela Morris and Katie Philpott
Coordinators Report
We have wrapped up a very busy term with some wonderful sporting activities delivered for all classes. We have had members of Cricket NSW and NRL, deliver sessions that have been fun and brought out the inner athlete in some of our great students. Primary students have also completed a 6-week swimming program at Mauro’s Swim Centre. It was a great way for staff and students alike to end a busy year. It was amazing to see the confidence and ability of students improve over the time we had- thanks to Pete and Jackie.
This week we are saying farewell to our two Year 12 students- Xavier and Conor. They are the first St Dominic’s, Year 12 class to graduate and will be sadly missed by all. We congratulate them on completing their school journey and wish them well for all their future endeavours. Thank you to all who organised and attended the graduation ceremony, it was a proud moment for the families and friends of the boys.
Year 7 orientation visits have been a great success and enjoyed by all our fresh-faced Year 6 students ready to take on the big step into secondary school. Over the past 3 weeks we have also had the pleasure of meeting our new Kinders and their families. Welcome Mehki, Ellie and Rafe to the St Dominic’s community.
As the term draws to a close, it's a good time to reflect on all the learning and memories that have been made this year. Take this time to rest, rejuvenate and celebrate this blessed Advent period with your families. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday. See you in 2025!
Religious Education
As we conclude our year at St Dominic’s Catholic College, we begin to prepare ourselves for the birth of Jesus. Moving into the Christmas holidays I wish you all the peace and joy as you celebrate with your families and friends.
I am thankful to the St Dominic’s community for the amazing efforts and steps that have been made this year moving forward in our faith life. Looking back, we have celebrated some beautiful milestones together, from students completing their sacrament of Confirmation to recently celebrating the 25th annual Diverse Learning Mass. It was very special to celebrate our students at the Cathedral with music, prayer and dancing.
Happy holidays and God bless.
Lil Maher
Red
Congratulations, Red Class! I’m incredibly proud of everything we’ve accomplished together this year. It’s been a year of tremendous personal growth, with each student making strides socially, emotionally, and academically.
This term, we've thoroughly enjoyed the wide range of extracurricular activities available to us. From weekly swimming lessons and dance classes to cricket and rugby league right here at school. These opportunities have allowed students to step out of their comfort zones and try something new.
Red Class loves hands-on learning in mathematics! This term, we've been using tens frames, number charts, and concrete materials to tackle number problems. We explored number bonds and the connection between addition and subtraction to solve partitioning problems. We’ve also begun solving multiplication and division problems with the help of objects, diagrams, images, and actions. Red Class especially enjoys playing interactive number games on the smartboard and challenging each other to beat high scores!
In Religion, we’ve been excitedly learning about Advent as we prepare for Christmas. Students have been asking thoughtful questions to deepen their understanding of the Holy Trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—recognising how they are distinct yet united as one. We are discovering that the Trinity serves as the perfect model for connection and community. As always, we continue to explore ways of knowing God and understanding His message through the scriptures.
Each student has continued to make great progress and achieve positive results with our PLD program. We love reading a different book each day, and the Christmas-themed stories we've started are a big hit! After reading, we’ve been writing sentences based on the stories and beginning to create festive Christmas crafts.
A highlight of our week continues to be our cooking lessons! We’ve been busy making delicious treats to share with our families. Wishing everyone a safe and joyful Christmas, along with a restful New Year. Blessings for 2025!
Green
And that’s a wrap!
Well done Green Class 2024, on a fantastic year of learning, growth and laughter. It has been a busy term as we consolidate our learning over the past 12 months and prepare for the changes the new year will bring us.
Green have enjoyed many activities this term both in and outside of the classroom. Students have particularly liked the sports program where they have learnt to play rugby and cricket. For the last few weeks students have been travelling to Mauro’s Swim Centre in town each Wednesday for swimming lessons, which has been lovely with the weather getting warmer. A big highlight for St Dom’s was heading to Hunter Valley Zoo earlier in the term. Students got to hold a special lizard, pet some animals and watch a lion feeding session.
Students have been engaged in learning about Advent and Christmas as we prepare for our special school holidays. We have written some letters to Santa and even received a reply with an Australian tree ornament as a gift from the big man himself!
Mrs B and I are so proud of you all.
Have a very Merry Christmas Green. We look forward to seeing you all rested in the new year.
Yellow
Yellow Class have ended the year strong. We have participated in a range of activities, excursions and fun lessons. The term began by visiting the Hunter Valley Zoo, where the students saw a range of animals and enjoyed finding the stamps in their ‘Animal Passport’. We watched informative presentations on the meerkats, lions and reptiles. It was a great day out and was enjoyed by all.
A highlight of the term was the weekly swim lessons at Mauro’s Swim Centre. We practiced our big arms, kicking and backstroke all while getting wet in the pool and having a great time. All the students looked forward to this across the year and wish to thank Mauro’s for having St Dominic’s in 2024.
Our science unit focused on the Solar System. We learnt about the Earth, sun, moon and planets surrounding us. We had the opportunity to explore the Solar System with a model projected onto the roof of our classroom. This increased our knowledge of each of the planets and their climate.
As the year has started to end, we have worked on our Christmas craft to get us into the seasonal mood. We will be sending home some additions to your Christmas Tree as well as some pieces that are sure to hold a special place on the fridge. We had the opportunity to make Christmas cookies which went down a treat.
Thank you Yellow Class for an AMAZING 2024 and wish all families and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Lorem ipsum,
Curabitur
Secondary
Class Teachers
As we near the end of the year, Secondary staff and students have been reflecting on what a successful year it was. With that, we've been congratulating students on what an amazing term they have had with our huge success within our Market Stall.
Students proved themselves with the preparation beginning in Term 3 and working extremely hard on all parts until the very end. We would like to firstly thank the students for their efforts but also the parents, carers, and families that joined us last Wednesday to appreciate each student's achievements! We are still in awe of what a fantastic term we've had.
Some exciting moments for Secondary within the last two weeks of school are our Awards Day and Liturgy and the Year 12 Formal where we farewell the lovely Conor and Xavier, we wish you all the best on your future endeavours and Congratulations on all your achievements & the many more to come.
Finally, our pool party happening during week 10 at Mayfield Pool. From our Market Stall profit, students are gifted an Uber Eats voucher to use at our party as a well deserved end of year treat!
We can't believe 2024 is drawing to a close but what a year it has been. We hope you have an enjoyable, restful and safe break and a very Merry Christmas.
The Secondary Team!
Pastoral Care
What a remarkable year we have had.
We have had our last fundraiser for the year Tamburlaine wines. Thank you for supporting this fundraiser.
Additionally, we have installed a small shed near our back playground to store sports equipment, facilitating easier access and encourage active play.
Catholic Care and St Dominic’s extend their gratitude to everyone who donated items. Your contributions are greatly appreciated, and we are thankful for the opportunity to assist families in need. I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, I look forward to seeing you all next year.
Administration / Finance
Thank you for another wonderful year! I look forward to seeing you all in 2025.
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
School Starting Dates for 2025 Reminder
Please note that the first day for Years 1 - 12 students is Wednesday, 5th February.
Pupil Free Day Friday 31/01/2025 - Teachers Return - Curriculum Planning
Pupil Free Day Monday 03/02/2025 - Teachers only - School Governance Day
Pupil Free Day Tuesday 04/02/2025 – Staff Development Day