Primary Camp- Katoomba

Last week, Year 5 and 6 travelled by bus to Katoomba, where we stayed at the Katoomba Christian Convention (KCC), in cabins with a dining hall and a variety of activities. All of the primary students came across challenges and fun experiences. We all experienced long exciting days with adventurous tasks while being fed delicious food by the amazing cooks. We enjoyed three days of fun, friendship and challenges. We learnt about ourselves and others; our dislikes, likes, fears and our skills.

Camp was the best thing ever! The staff who came along with us were wonderful even when times were tough. We did so many fun activities like archery and mission survival. These activities were challenging but overall, it was very enjoyable. The most important part about this camp was to grow friendships between the whole primary school. Meeting someone new is always exciting because you get to learn lots of new things about them and to also expand friendships with many other people.

Amelia Visevic 6B

I personally liked this camp because it helped us all build bigger relationships with our peers, and it helped us grow more independence. Some of the teachers didn’t let us sit with our friends and at first, I didn’t like it and I wanted to sit with people I knew, but then I started talking to them and I made lots of new friends. Mission Survival was an activity where we had to use some good communication skills to solve the puzzle and lots of thinking, and this is why I think it helps build friendships. When we communicate, we build strong relationships because I think all good friendships need to have good communication.

Kristina Frangi 6D

From this beneficial camp we gained an open mindset where we tried new, out of our comfort zone activities, where we pushed ourselves to the test. Katoomba camp allowed us to be adventurous people and see fascinating things and do activities that you wouldn’t come across in everyday life. One of those exciting experiences was the Reptile Show, a show that included reptilian-type animals right up close and personal. I believe the students at Loreto primary school benefitted from this camp in many ways and we will never forget Katoomba.

Stephanie Cuthbert 6D

In this camp there were lots of new activities to try, games to play and there were definitely multiple things that I learnt about myself. One of the main things that I learnt about myself was that I am good at archery, which was one of the activities we had. I’ve never really done archery that much, but I liked trying it out. Another thing was that I really like orange marmalade on toast! I enjoyed the fun games that we played at night in the auditorium. We did group activities like a charade game that you had to work through as a team.

Ella Pattie 6D

At camp we had some amazing and delicious varieties of food such as cereal, cake, roast dinner and much more. We also got to make damper for one of the activities. We had to cook it on a fire and it was so cool to watch it change from a floury dough to a golden, brown, crispy damper, with a fluffy inside. We were allowed to fill the inside with honey or maple syrup. It was such a great experience, and it was so yummy.

Kate Dean 6B

As everyone in the primary school may know, on the first day of camp it was my birthday and it was also Miss Rahme’s birthday. It was one of the big highlights of camp for me especially because we got to share 4 amazing looking cakes. The first day was definitely a highlight for everyone because we found out about our cabins, the activities, and best of all how good the food was. One activity that I enjoyed was the amazing scenic race. It was really fun from when we left the dining room to when we were running frantically back.

Lucinda Walter 6B

I learnt that many of the primary school girls were braver than I thought. A year 5 was even brave enough to have a bearded water dragon on her stomach! I learnt that my group was able to overcome difficult challenges. I got to learn their fears and strengths, their likes and dislikes. I didn’t get a chance to have an animal on my stomach but my number one activity was our trivia/Aboriginal exploration night.

Alannah Mouawad 6D

Camp at Katoomba was really enjoyable but like anything it came with its challenges. Making new friends is a really beneficial experience and a key part about Loreto camps and we made some new friends too. Another big challenge was overcoming our fears and being away from home. Orienteering was a really great learning experience as it helped build navigation skills and taught us to look at things from a different perspective, literally, as we had to figure out what way the map was supposed to be facing in relation to us.

Melanie Moorcroft 6J

Learning Languages

Ms Clara Marsh | Acting Head of Languages

“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world”. Chinese Proverb

Creativity, grit, independent thinking and voice can be understood as both drivers of languages learning, and the by-products of languages education. This year, the Languages Faculty is delighted to launch a new program in the Primary School where students will study the three languages offered in the Secondary School: Chinese, French and Italian. Starting from 2023, Year 5 students will rotate through the languages on a semester basis and over the course of Stage 3 will be exposed to all three languages. The Languages Faculty have designed interdisciplinary programs, allowing the Year 5 students to learn content from their other curriculum in areas in a second language. In Semester 1, 2023 Year 5 students are exploring concepts from Visual Art in Chinese, French or Italian. Please encourage your daughter to share her learnings with you!

Xie Xie, Merci, Grazie.

Sport News

IPSHA Tennis Trials

Good luck to Elva Rong (Year 5) who is trialing for the IPSHA Tennis Team today (Friday, 17 February). We hope you had a great day at the trials.

IPSHA Basketball Trials

Good luck to the following girls who will be trialing for the IPSHA Basketball Team on Monday, 20 February. We wish you all the best of luck!

• Anna Tsuzurahara (Year 5)
• Kate Dean (Year 6)
• Kristina Frangi (Year 6)
• Lily Tudehope (Year 6)
• Sabrina Whenman (Year 6)

Birthdays

Wishing a very happy January birthday to the following girls:

Hanyang, Lucinda, Alesia, Charlotte, Emily, Juliet, Lily, Heart Laurene, Lily, Eline, Alessandria, Emma

Primary Parent Dinner

Wednesday 15 March

6:30pm – 9:00pm

Gonzaga Barry Centre, Level 3

An event for Primary parents to meet the new Head of Teresa Ball (Head of Primary), Mrs Maree Board, and other parents in your daughter's year group. This is a complimentary event for primary parents.

Click here for invitation.

Click here to RSVP

Open Day - Saturday 4 March - How Can you Help?

Open Day is coming up on Saturday 4 March! PAL will be running a BBQ, Devonshire Tea, and Cake Stall on the day! Please see below for updates about the activities PAL will be running and how you can get involved on the day!

Cake Stall – Years 5-9

We would love it if Year 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 families please bake a cake, their favourite slice, brownies, or cupcakes to be sold to new, visiting and existing families on Open Day. Cake Kits will be sent home with your daughter in the week of 27 February.

Cakes can be dropped off to the Cake Stall on Open Day throughout the day. If your daughter can’t come on Open Day because of other commitments and you would still like to bring something in, cakes will be accepted by the Community Engagement Team on Friday 3 March. Please bring cakes to the Primary or Secondary Student Services Office and not to Main or Primary Reception. Please keep in mind that cakes dropped off on Friday will not be refrigerated overnight.

Volunteers!

We are looking for volunteers to assist at Open Day and have assigned year groups to the stalls so you can volunteer alongside other parents from your daughter’s year group. Please check out the links below to sign up.

Drinks - Year 5 & 6 - Sign up here.

PAL Stall - Sign up here.

Raffle - Sign up here.

Visitor Welcome - Carpark - Sign up here.

Dates for the Diary

Shrove Tuesday

Tuesday, 21 February

Ash Wednesday Liturgy

Wednesday, 22 February

Year 6 Leadership Liturgy and Morning Tea

Friday, 24 February

11am

The Principal, Ms Marina Ugonotti, and The Head of Teresa Ball, Mrs Maree Board, warmly invite you to attend the Primary Leadership Liturgy and morning tea on Friday, 24 February. This liturgy is our first Primary School Liturgy for the year and is a celebration of our Year 6 students as they pledge their commitment and service to leadership in the Primary School.

The Liturgy will begin at 11:00 am in the Loreto Normanhurst Chapel. Following the liturgy, you are invited to
join us for morning tea in the Primary Quad.

Click here for the invitation.

Click here to register your attendance.

Please RSVP by Monday, 20 February

Early Dismissal

Friday, 3 March

Students will be dismissed at 12:35 pm on Friday, 3 March in preparation for Open Day. If you require your daughter to remain at school until 3 pm supervision will be provided in designated areas, you will receive a separate form for this purpose.

Open Day

Saturday. 4 March

Women of Influence

Wednesday, 8 March

6:45pm – 8:45pm

Level 3, Gonzaga Barry Centre

Celebrate International Women's Day and join us for an evening of inspiration as we share in the stories of Loreto Normanhurst Alumnae.

Parents and students are invited to attend to hear from four inspirational ex-students who will share their stories about how their Loreto education has guided their life and careers.

Please click here for the invitation.

Please click here to register for catering purposes.

Primary Parent Dinner

Wednesday, 15 March

6:30pm - 9:00pm

Generations Morning Tea

Friday, 17 March

8:00am – 9:30am

An event for parents or family members who alumnae of Loreto schools. Further information will be sent out shortly.