Year 6 Visit Canberra

Our Year 6 students have recently undertaken an education tour of the national capital. Students participated in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school.

Our Reflection:

I think all of Year 6 had a great experience in Canberra! To us, the main highlights were Parliament House, The Wednesday night Matilda’s game, the War Memorial and Questacon. The best part of Parliament House was when we got to visit Minister Roland's office. It was very interesting seeing where the Ministers work! Although the soccer game was very disappointing, it was still great fun to have everyone cheering for the Matildas. The War Memorial was a very interesting place. We learnt about the Vietnam War and World War II. It was really special to see all the different exhibits. On the night of Questacon, we did numerous fun activities that explained the world around us. These activities included a giant moon, lightning, earthquake simulator and some other fun games for us to enjoy. The food was delicious and the accommodation was great.

Overall camp was a great experience to learn about Parliament and to get to know other people.

By Ruby Meyyappan and Cleo Knispel (6D)

Paul Fletcher visit

Two weeks ago, Year 6 was lucky enough to have a visit from our local member, the Hon Paul Fletcher. He talked to us about our government system. Mr Fletcher was a very kind and knowledgeable man who answered our many questions about working in parliament. He told us about his role as the Shadow Minister for the Arts, Sciences, Digital economy, and Government Services. He also told us about his previous role as the Minister for Communications, which was very interesting to hear his perspective and stories as Octavia’s mum is the current Minister of Communications. My favourite thing was that he was fair to the other parties and when referring to them he used very kind and considerate terms, then we had a question time where all the girls got to ask their questions.

By Charlotte L and Eva L (6J)

Author talk in Primary

On the 22nd of August, Kristin Darell, the author of the ‘Football Fever’ series came for an author visit to Primary as part of Book Week. There were lots of fun interactive activities that we were involved in.

Sienna was chosen to get up and act out a short script where you get up and act out a scenario of one of Kristin Darrell’s books! Sienna’s character was a joker and could run fast with the ball.

Sophia got chosen to act out a character’s personality out of a hat! We were given shirts to put on, but she accidentally put hers on the wrong way! Luckily, her character didn’t take soccer seriously, so she did it on purpose!

We found this experience very interesting and fun, because it was very interactive with the audience by asking questions that people would answer. We all learned a lot about the book but we don’t want to spoil it by telling you! We are so excited for Book Week next year.

Sophia Z and Sienna- 5P

The author visit by Christen Darrell was very fascinating experience. She talked to us about how she writes a book and comes up with characters. A few people got to act out scenes from her book ‘Soccer Fever.’ We talked a bit about the Matildas and asked some questions about the Australian Matildas team. We got to meet an author that not just uses her creative mind to write characters for her books, but she also uses real life people as well. Overall, the was a very fun and interesting experience.

By Isabelle X and Emily F

Book Week Character Parade

At the book week parade there were a lot of colourful costumes. In the colourful display of costumes we saw so many different characters to look at. The most popular costumes were the Three Little Pigs, fairies, Harry Potter characters, Thing One and Thing Two and Little Miss and Mr Men. A lot of questions were asked, and people had to answer like their character would.  There were many funny questions and amazing answers. Many people tried out for Ms Bryce’s writing competition, so congratulations to Darcy Cosgriff from 5P and Medha Lingham from 6D, who won their grade’s prize. We give thanks to all our outstanding parents for coming and supporting us during the parade, and to Ms. Bryce and the Library staff for organising the event.

By Thea B and Evelyn N

IPSHA Athletics

On Wednesday the 30th of August a few girls from Year 5 and 6 went to Sydney Olympic Park in HomeBush, for the IPSHA Athletics Carnival. It was a great experience for everyone to get out there and verse other schools in track and field events. We all had so much fun cheering and supporting our teammates as they either ran a race or participated in a field event. We are so proud of those girls who tried really hard and got a ribbon and those girls who made it into CIS. A special congratulations to Juliet Carpenter in 5P for making it into CIS for High Jump. Thank you to all those girls who gave it a go and represented Loreto Normanhurst very well. Amazing effort!

Sophie Doyle 6B and Lucinda Walter 6B

Father’s Day Breakfast

The Fathers Day Breakfast was a fun experience for the Dads, Grandpas, special men in our lives and, of course, the daughters.

 At breakfast, I had lots of fun. I hung out with my dad for a while then broke off into a group with a few friends. My dad went and talked with a few other dads, and had coffee. The kids were allowed some small cupcakes and a juice box. I think that my dad had fun talking with the other dads. My favourite part of the breakfast was probably talking with my dad.

After breakfast we listened to a beautiful prayer and moved to our classrooms to do some fun activities with our dads. My favorite activity was the triangles memory game where we put the cards upside down and had to match the description of the triangle to the picture of the triangle. My dad and I ended up tying (after I told him the answers)!

 My dad and I joined groups with another friend, and we had lots of fun rotating around the activities and trying to teach our dads the confusing things we’re learning in math. My favorite activity would probably be guessing the triangles, because we could show our learning off to our dads, and also because I guessed two of the triangles in under 5 seconds. The activity that was the hardest would be the Haberdasher’s problem, but my dad was reluctant to give up and asked me to bring it home to do because he had to go.

Overall we think that this is a great experience for us to bond with our dads, and the important men in our lives.

Sabrina Whenman and Chloe Li 6B

Mrs Wood Maternity Leave

Last week on Monday the 21st of August, Mrs Wood’s Open Circle group had a baby shower to celebrate and thank Mrs Wood for all she’s done for us as the best Open Circle teacher and Sports Administrator at Normo.

At the baby shower we all dressed up in blue and we all played baby bingo together. It was really fun. We are so excited for the arrival of Mrs Wood’s new baby and can't wait to hear what name they choose.

We wish Mrs Wood all the best on her maternity leave, and we know little Scarlet is going to love her new baby brother.

Lucinda Walter 6B

Year 5 Cemetery Walk

Did you know that many of the nuns that started the school are still in the school today? All of year 5 (year 6 was in Canberra) walked through the school and the bush to the cemetery where the nuns were buried on Friday 18th of August. There were four rows of graves and each had a different name on it. We saw some familiar names like Maye, Benedicta and Dorothea. It was quite interesting to know about all of the nuns. I asked some people about their experiences.

Here is what some of the students had to say:

Elka 5R - “I thought that it was very interesting to learn about some of the nuns that were here before we came to Loreto”

Tatum 5S - “It was very interesting, and you got to learn how our houses got their names”

Emma Jurd 5S

Sport News

Mr David Brock | Head of Sport

State Interschool Snowsports

Well done to our State Snowsports qualifiers, Ashlee-Rose Saba (Year 5), Annabelle de Vos (Year 7) and Hannah de Vos (Year 11) who came away with some fantastic results. We are so proud of your efforts and are looking forward to the 2024 season which kicks off in Thredbo next year!

Primary Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to all Primary students who competed at the Primary Athletics Carnival a few weeks ago. Last week we presented ribbons to our 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed athletes in all track and field events along with all our major trophy winners as listed below:

Age Champions

U10: Sandy Hebblewhite (Year 5)
U11: Maia Fijan (Year 5)
U12: Chloe Granelli (Year 6)

Queen of the Track

Juliet Simon (Year 6)

Records

U10 100m: Sandy Hebblewhite (15.99)
U10 800m: Sandy Hebblewhite (3:11.83)
U10 1500m: Sandy Hebblewhite (6:15.07)
U12 1500m: Chloe Granelli (5:59.85)
4 x 100m Relay (Open): DOROTHEA Sandy Hebblewhite (Year 5), Lucinda Walter (Year 6), Juliet Simon (Year 6), Melanie Moorcroft (Year 6) (1.05.55)

Spirit Cup – Dorothea

Overall Champion – Benedicta

Tennis

Congratulations to Emily Tasker (Year 5) and Noemi Vangi (Year 5) who competed against students from 4 other primary schools in the NSTA Primary School Challenge, playing doubles. The girls won all 20 of their games and were first place gold medallists. Well done Emily and Noemi on this fantastic achievement!

IPSHA Track and Field Carnival

The 2023 IPSHA Athletics carnival was held on Thursday, 30 August at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre. Loreto Normanhurst had 21 students selected to compete at the carnival based on their performance at the Primary Athletics Carnival. The girls came ready to compete on the day and strive to do their best in every event they entered. They successfully rose to this challenge with students setting new personal bests and amazing overall results.

Well done to all girls involved, you should be extremely proud of yourselves!

Congratulations to the following students on their final placings in their respective events at the IPSHA Athletics Carnival.

Year 5

Juliet Carpenter: 5th in 11 Years High Jump – CIS qualified
Maia Fijan: 12th in Senior Relay

Year 6

Juliet Simon: 7th in 12 Years 100m, 11th in 12 Years 200m and 12th in Senior Relay
Chloe Granelli: 13th in Senior 800m and 12th in Senior Relay
Ella Pattie: 12th in Senior Relay

IPSHA Athletics Student Reflection:

On Wednesday the 30th of August a few girls from Year 5 and 6 went to Sydney Olympic Park in HomeBush, for the IPSHA Athletics Carnival. It was a great experience for everyone to get out there and verse other schools in track and field events. We all had so much fun cheering and supporting our teammates as they either ran a race or participated in a field event. We are so proud of those girls who tried really hard and got a ribbon and those girls who made it into CIS. A special congratulations to Juliet Carpenter in 5P for making it into CIS for High Jump. Thank you to all those girls who gave it a go and represented Loreto Normanhurst very well. Amazing effort!

Sophie Doyle 6B and Lucinda Walter 6B

Dates for the Diary

8 September- Debating Gala Day

12 September- Ethics Olympiad Competition

Hear from Tamil Refugee, Thanush Selvarasa

Wednesday, 6 September

Don't miss out on the second seminar of 2023 in our captivating 'A Call to Stewardship through Justice' series on Wednesday, 6 September starting at 5:30pm.

Get inspired by Thanush Selvarasa's incredible journey as a Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka and delve into thought-provoking discussions about refugees and justice from a Catholic perspective with theologian, Dr. Sandie Cornish.

Join us in person for some refreshments and engaging conversations with our esteemed speakers from 5:30pm with presentations starting from 6:00pm.

Register today by clicking here.

Parent Association Updates

FOLD Race Day

Saturday, 30 September
Newcastle Racecourse

The Fathers of Loreto Daughters (FOLD) committee warmly invite all members of the Loreto Normanhurst community to join them for the inaugural Race Day on Saturday, 30 September at the Newcastle Racecourse.

To find out more about the FOLD committee, we would love to encourage all fathers to follow us on LinkedIn here.

Click here for the invitation.

Click here to purchase tickets.

PAL End of Year Event- Save the Date!

Saturday, 28 October

PAL would like to warmly invite all parents to join them in a fun filled evening of Trivia! Get your smarts on! 

Dress up as your favourite movie character or simply decorate your table. A great way to get together and socialise!  This function will be a BYO, so chat amongst your friends & bring along with you some delicious goodies. Big prizes to be won with a raffle being drawn on the evening! Who will be crowned the winner?!

Mark the date in your calendar & gather your friends. More information to follow shortly.

Expressions of interest for the 2024 Spring Fair Committee & 2024 PAL Executive Committee

The PAL Committee are planning for 2024. PAL at Loreto is open to all parents and carers. Your level of involvement can vary from attending and or assisting at PAL events, becoming a Year Parent Representative, joining one of the Sub-Committees or even becoming a member of the PAL Executive Committee. Everyone is welcome to contribute in any way they can, and your contribution is always truly valued. We continue to support Loreto by providing additional funds for important programs and initiatives and we remain committed to keeping our community connected.

Our main event for 2024 is the Spring Fair which is held in Term 4. The success of the Spring Fair is reliant on the energy and goodwill of the whole parent community. PAL are looking for volunteers to join the 2024 Spring Fair Committee. All volunteers are welcome. If you wish to be involved, please reply to pal@loretonh.nsw.edu.au

If you have any questions about the Parent Association or the Spring Fair and getting involved, please contact Kath Walton - craigandkath@me.com

Advancement Team Updates and Events

Father Daughter Eucharist and Lunch  - and the Raffle Winners!

A heartwarming day unfolded at the Father Daughter Eucharist and Lunch last Sunday with Fathers and daughters uniting to commemorate their special bond ahead of Father's Day this weekend. The Eucharist service infused a sense of reverence and unity, fostering shared moments of reflection and spiritual togetherness. Laughter and heartfelt conversations filled the air during the subsequent lunch, deepening the relationships between generations. The Raffle added an element of excitement, highlighting the community's collective efforts in contributing to the Bursary Fund. With gratitude and inspired hearts, the day left an indelible mark, reinforcing the significance of family ties and shared goals. 

Please see the winning ticket numbers from the Raffle below - congratulations to our winners!

1st Prize: D.B Ticket Number: #476
2nd Prize: A.B Ticket Number: #345
3rd Prize: T.L Ticket Number: #73
4th Prize: S.T Ticket Number: #52
5th Prize: C.C Ticket Number: #163
6th Prize: I.C Ticket Number: #498
7th Prize: C.T Ticket Number: #315
8th Prize: I.C Ticket Number: #512

Alumnae Reunion Weekend

Saturday, 23 September
10:00am-3:00pm

Loreto Normanhurst in partnership with the Ex-Students’ Association warmly invites current parents who are alumnae to the Reunion Lunch!

The event day will commence with a Mass service in the morning, continued with guided school tours and a beautiful lunch.

We would be delighted if you could join us for a wonderful day at Loreto Normanhurst where we offer you the opportunity to reconnect with your fellow alumnae for this wonderful celebration.

Click here for the invitation.

Click here to purchase your tickets.

Birthdays

Wishing a very happy birthday to Chloe, Alexis, Millie, Sienna, Ella, Emily, Juliet, Nikita.