News in Brief
Mr Hyland’s Ordination (Sunday 23rd February)
We invite College families and friends to join us in witnessing Mr Shane Hyland's Ordination as a Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church on Sunday, 23rd February, at the 5:00 pm Mass at St Agnes Catholic Church, Hay Street, Port Macquarie.
We continue to pray for Shane and his family as they begin this beautiful ministry within our Church.
Ash Wednesday Invitation
Wednesday signifies the beginning of the Season of Lent within the Catholic Church. This is a preparation season for Easter, where we focus on the three pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (charity). On Wednesday, 5th March in Week 5, we will celebrate the beginning of Lent with an Ash Wednesday Liturgy in the Hall. A smoking ceremony will precede this gathering, and students, staff and visitors will be invited to pass through the smoke as they enter the hall. This traditional Aboriginal cleansing ritual aligns nicely with the theme of repentance for Ash Wednesday. We seek to turn back to God and cleanse ourselves of those things that distract us from being all that God calls us to be.
We invite our parents to attend our Ash Wednesday service, which will commence at 9:05 am and be finished by 10:00 am.
NAPLAN 2025
Each year, the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is undertaken by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, and conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation), as well as numeracy.
Our school will be participating in NAPLAN between Wednesday, 12th March to Tuesday, 18th March 2025, and the following tests will occur on the dates indicated:
- Wednesday 12 March – Writing
- Thursday 13 March – Reading
- Monday 17 March – Conventions of Language
- Tuesday 18 March – Numeracy
Additionally, students who miss a NAPLAN test will sit a catch-up exam during the testing period from Wednesday, 19th March until Monday, 24th March 2025.
All students require a working set of wired headphones and a fully charged laptop for each test.
NAPLAN tests are just one part of our school learning assessment program, and questions are primarily based on knowledge, understanding and skills gained from the prior year of schooling.
Students and parents can access the public demonstration site https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN and the types of questions and tools available. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended.
Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA Website (https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/understanding-the-curriculum/naplan/parent-information).
If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact our NAPLAN Coordinators.
Anne Marchment
Leader of Curriculum
Lisa Freeman
Leader of Numeracy
Sarah McLeod
Literacy Coach