10 May 2023

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents & Guardians

Welcome to Week 4 of Term 2.

I have endeavoured to try and include an extensive list of dates for the remainder of Term 2 this week.  We will also be trying to add these to our app calendar in the near future.

Our school photo day will be held next Monday, 15^th May.  Please ensure all students have appropriate uniform for the day including appropriate haircuts.  Appropriate hairstyles is significantly covered in the School Uniform Policy which has been created by and reviewed periodically by the School Board and myself.  Please refer to this document for guidance.

As the weather is beginning to get cooler, I would like to take the opportunity to remind all families that the school’s uniform policy is very clear regarding appropriate jumpers and jackets. 

The policy states for both girls and boys: The following items may be worn:

• School jacket or plain navy jumper (non-hooded)
• Plain navy track pants

Additionally for girls it also has the following option:

• Plain navy full footed tights, not leggings.

Although not my favourite topic when chatting with the students, I have also had to engage a number of students about incorrect shoes.  This particular item on the school’s uniform policy has not changed for over a decade.

The policy states for both girls and boys:

Formal Uniform

To be worn on Monday, Thursday and non-PE Tuesday or Wednesday (1-6)

Shoes: Plain black jogger or leather shoe (all distinguishing colour features to be blacked out)
Socks: St Joseph’s branded navy socks as provided by the school’s uniform supplier are to be worn at all times with the formal uniform.  Socks must be worn with St Joseph’s branding and stripes clearly visible and above the ankle.

Sports Uniform

To be worn on Friday (1-6), allocated PE day being Tuesday or Wednesday (1-6)

Prep  (Mon – Fri)

Shoes: Predominantly white jogger with white laces/Velcro.
Socks: Short white ankle socks (Just above ankle height)

Finally, I hope all of the Mothers and Grandmothers have a fantastic day on Sunday.  Your role in the lives of your children and grandchildren can never be understated and the bond between mother and child, just as it was for Mary and Jesus, is a very special one.

We thank you for all that you do.

Don’t Forget….

• P&F Meeting. Wednesday 10^th May @ 6:00pm in library
• CAPRAS CQ Challenge Gala Day – Friday 12^th May
• Penola Precinct (Prep & Year 1) Mother’s Day celebration. Friday, 12^th May
• Mother’s Day. Sunday, 14^th May
• School Photo Day. Monday, 15^th May
• School Board Meeting. Wednesday 17^th May @ 5:30pm in library
• Interschool Sport commences for 10-12 years students Week 5 – Friday 19^th May
• Children’s Mass. Saturday 20^th May @ OLHC 6:30pm
• School Disco. 80’s theme. Week 6 – Thurs May 25^th
• Our Lady Help of Christians Feast Day Mass. Friday 26^th May @ 9:00am in OLHC Church
• State of Origin – Game 1. Wednesday 31^st May
• Field Events Day @ SJPA Oval Monday 5^th June (Week 8)
• Track Events Day @ Emmaus Brosnan Oval Tuesday 6^th June (Week 8)
• Rockhampton Show. 14^th – 16^th June
• Rockhampton Show Holiday. Thurs 15^th June
• Semester 1 Performing Arts Assembly. Monday, 12^th June @ 8:35am in MPA
• Children’s Mass. Saturday 17^th June @ OLHC 6:30pm
• Semester 1 Academic Awards. Monday, 19^th June @ 8:35am in MPA
• State of Origin – Game 2. Wednesday 21^st June
• Semester 1 Report Cards posted to Parent Lounge. Wed 21^st June
• SJPA Under 8’s Day. Thursday 22^nd June
• Term 2 concludes. Friday 23^rd June
• Term 3/Semester 2 commences. Monday 10^th July

Kindest Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
Principal - St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Park Avenue

St Joseph’s 2023 School Improvement Priorities:

• Prayer Life
• Learning Dispositions
• Increased Learning Gain & Achievement

RELIGIOUS MATTERS

5th Sunday of Easter

I am the way, the truth and the life.
John 14:1-12

Living the Gospel – The Way, the Truth and the Life

When Thomas asks, ‘we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answers by saying, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.’ The reader of the gospel has known this truth all along from the opening line of the gospel, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ Our aim, as Christian people, is to be one with God, not only by sharing in the resurrection but also in the way we live. Jesus makes clear that the way to be with God is by following his example.

@Liturgy Help – Greg Sunter

Liturgical Celebrations Coming Up

*SJPA – St Joseph’s Park Avenue
*OLHC – Our Lady Help of Christians church (next to St Joseph’s, Park Avenue)
*HF – Holy Family Parish Centre (next to Anthony’s School)
*MPA – Multipurpose Area (Basketball court)

SPORTING MATTERS

Cross Country Results

A big thank you to those students who competed in our Cross Country events held at Colts Rugby Fields Thursday Week 2.  A group of students qualified and competed at the Rockhampton District Trials held yesterday Tuesday 9^th May.

Congratulations to the following students who won their races (at St Joeys) and have been awarded Age Champion.

9yrs Boy  – Theo Pollack                           9yrs Girl  – Kiara Coughlan

10yrs Boy – Hudson Roati                         10yrs Girl – Kaeli Kirkman

11yrs Boy – Patrick Farr                             11yrs Girl – Paige Toby

12yrs Boy – Finn Wyatt                               12yrs Girl – Emma Clarke

Season B Inter-School Sport

Our first round of inter-school sport for Season B will begin Friday of Week 5.  Students aged 10 years and above have chosen either hockey, netball or rugby league and trials have been held last week.  From these, students will be advised of their teams. Fixtures and venues will be added to the SkoolBag app each week to inform parents and other community members who wish to watch games.

Rockhampton District Selection Trials

Thank you to those parents who have continued to be proactive in following the new system for RDS Selection Trials.

I have added below the calendar of trials as advised by RDS to date.  If you think your child would like to try for selection for any of these school sports, please download the Capricorn School Booklet and submit it to the school at least 10 days before the trial date.

Elizabeth Carter
Assistant Principal Religious Education

CURRICULUM NEWS

St Joseph’s Learning Spaces

We often have people ask us how our rooms operate and why we do what we do.  Over the term, I will share with you the reasons why we love our teaching and learning spaces and philosophy.

Reason Number One: Small group workshops allowing for target teaching according to need.
Reason Number Two: Our rooms enable students to move regularly. 
Reason Number Three: Our learning spaces enable regular collaboration opportunities. 
Reason Number Four: Our learning spaces help build positive relationships. 
Reason Number Five: Increased level of engagement.
Reason Number Six: Teacher Expertise.
Reason Number Seven: Pastoral Check Ins with students.
Reason Number Eight: Consistency of messages and content delivery.
Reason Number Nine: Choice of seating. 
Reason Number Ten: Short, direct lessons allow for extra time to be dedicated to student-directed exploration and practice of content/skills.

Maths Competition:

Last week a number of students from year 4, 5 and 6 attended a maths challenge competition at Glenmore school. They represented our school with pride.  These students give up their lunch time once a week to train for various maths competitions throughout the year.  Thank you to Mrs Catherine Farr and Mrs Alice Wayman for training these students.  It’s wonderful to see so many students enjoying maths.

 Competitions:

• Farm safety calendar competition. This is run by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.  Students are invited to draw and colour a picture to illustrate one of these farm safety messages:

Electrical Safety

• Overhead powerlines are dangerous. Don’t play, park equipment, operate machinery, or plant trees or crops under them.
• Safety switches save lives – ask an adult to get them fitted on all electrical circuits and test them regularly.

Animal Safety

• Make sure you are properly trained and understand animal behaviour before entering a stock yard.
• Always wash your hands after touching or playing with animals as they carry diseases that can make people very sick.

Tractor and machinery safety

• Have a safe, fenced play area to keep children safe from machinery and water hazards.
• Don’t have passengers on farm vehicles unless there is a designated seat and seat belt for them.

Quad bike safety

• Children under 16 should never use an adult sized quad bike.
• Always wear a properly fitted helmet when you ride a quad bike.

Water safety

• Stay away from flood waters – there can be hidden dangers like strong currents, logs and other rubbish.
• Always have an adult with you when playing near or in dams, creeks and rivers.

Health and wellbeing

• Make sure you’re ready to help out on the farm by eating healthy meals and getting plenty of sleep.
• Stay sun safe when you’re outside – wear a hat, drink water and take rest breaks in the shade.

This competition is now open and closes on Friday, 23^rd June.  Please see Mrs Senini for more information.

• The Independent Education Union (IEU) annual competitions are now open:

1. Award for Excellence in Art Design invites entries from preschool, primary and secondary school students and teachers in non-government schools throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory. Entries close: 21^st July.
2. Queensland’s longest running literary competition, the QIEU Literary Competition invites Queensland and Northern Territory students and teachers to share their literary prowess by submitting either poetry, short stories or non-fiction prose. Entries close: 16^th June.

• 2023 Premier’s Coding Challenge Students in years 3-10 are invited to enter the 2023 Premier’s Coding Challenge. The challenge aims to inspire the coders of the future. This year the theme is #digitalinnovationqld. Students are invited to help create change by examining real-world problems and responding with an innovative digital solution. The challenge in 2023 is to develop an interactive digital solution to create change in your local community or beyond. Students can develop an app, game or website and they must also submit a short video to explain and evaluate their entry. 

Please see Mrs Senini for more information if you are interested in entering these competitions.

Regards,
Mrs Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students who will celebrate their birthday this week.  They are: Isabella Austin (Yr 5), Ailey-Ahna Black (Yr 2), Emma Clarke (Yr 6), Harper Smith (Yr 1) and Aliana Fitton (Yr 6).

Have a great day.

CLASSROOM NEWS

Yr 5

This term Year 5 are learning the skills to be newspaper reporters such as interviewing and documenting current school events to write their own news articles to be published.

Runner’s Skills Put To Test

Amelia Pedersen - 3rd of May 2023

Cross Country runners strike victory as they win a place to go to districts at the Cyril Connell touch fields on Tuesday the 9th of May. St Joseph’s Park Avenue hosted their annual Cross Country trials on Thursday the 27th of April, with the students' running skills put to the test, as they hoped to succeed. Exhausted runners fell across the finish line on completion of the race.

Lucky students made their way into the district sports team by running in their age levels. With 9 and 10 year old’s running 2 km and 11 and 12 year old’s running 3km.

When asked if it was hard to organise Mrs Carter replied, "I had to walk and measure the distance, and make sure the temperature wasn’t too hot to run.” 

Sportsmanship was noticeable as students cheered on the runners while they waited for their turn, screaming and shouting to support the determined runners pushing through their exhaustion to reach the finish line. Being a good sport is a key fact when you reach the end, as your friends shout your name to make you feel like a champion. 

When asked how he felt during the race, Tayte Mooney replied, “I was tired in the middle of the race but people kept cheering me on so I kept going."

The moment people reached the end of their race they were astonished by the distance they had run. Puffed and sore runners gathered at the end of the finish line hoping to hear the good news that they had made it to districts for Cross Country. People returned to school with mixed emotions both happy and sad but plenty of fun was had by all runners.

Students Run for Fun at the Colour Run

Friday, 28th April 2023
Reported  by Audrey Brady  

St Joseph’s Park Avenue School held a Colour Fun Run on the school oval on Thursday afternoon, 1pm 27th April 2023. Students were fundraising money from the Colour Run to purchase new COMM boxes for the younger grades of St Joseph's.  The students that participated in the Colour Fun Run were filled with joy and excitement while running the gauntlet. 

One of the most anticipated events of the day was when Mr Fitzgerald was slimed by the two highest fundraisers both in grade two, Olive O’Keeffe and Aurora Irving. Additionally, students who were the highest fundraisers in their grade levels earned the opportunity to powder Mr Fitzgerald while he ran the gauntlet. When asked about how Aurora felt she said, “I felt proud and happy that I got to slime Mr Fitzgerald.” Olive stated that, “I felt happy when I got to slime Mr Fitzgerald, and I was excited about how much I had fundraised.”  

All students big and small had the opportunity to run the colour gauntlet.  By the end of the Colour Run all of the students were exhausted and were coated in colour. Mr Fitzgerald was slimed and powdered at the end of the Colour Run.  

Mrs Mooney organised the colour run course and the colour to throw at the students. When asked about how Mrs Mooney did it, she replied with, “I found Google images to give me some ideas for the colour run course. Also, a prep student helped with some ideas for the course."  

This year is the third annual colour run for St Joseph’s Park Avenue.  Prizes have now been ordered for St Joseph's pupils that fundraised and will be delivered later this term. There will be many students waiting patiently for their prizes to arrive.    

Marching to Remember our Australian Soldiers 
By Jacob Wall 

Tuesday 25th April 2023, 10am

On Anzac Day, staff and students gathered together to participate in the Rockhampton Regional Council’s annual Anzac Day March. They gathered behind Target to line up ready to start the march at 10am. Students and staff marched with pride as they remembered the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for us to live freely.

Students marched through the city streets respectfully in their lines to represent their school as they listened to the trumpets, drums and other instruments played by older students.

During the march, one student said, “I was not nervous, but my legs were sore because we marched pretty far around the city centre, and I think a lot of students and teachers were exhausted as well.”

Student leaders also attended the Dawn service at the Rockhampton Botanical Gardens. To attend the Dawn service the school leaders from St Joseph's Park Avenue had to get up early, one student Gus spoke about it saying, “No, it wasn’t difficult because I was ready to get picked up, but it was super nerve wracking laying down the wreath.”

Students were thankful for the school P & F for supplying Anzac biscuits and cold water bottles at the end of the march. Year 5 student Ella spoke about her feelings and said, ‘I was tired but was glad I did the march.’ 

Overall, the students had a great march and felt proud to represent the school and remember those who had lost their lives fighting for freedom.

SJPA Participates in QAMT Maths Team Challenge

Jake Baker, Amelia Pedersen, Emilee Thompson, Audrey Brady and Ella Coughlan

On Thursday the 4th of May, the Rockhampton branch of the Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers Maths (QAMT) held their Year 5/6 Teams Challenge at Glenmore State High, starting at 9am and ending at 11:30am.

30 students in Years 4, 5 and 6 from St Joseph's Park Avenue represented the school at this event.

Students came into the event being nervous but it didn’t take them long to start having fun with everyone. There were astonishing wins from Ella Coughlan and James Farr.  Organisation Mathspace ran an online competition leading up to the event for students from every school. James Farr and Ella Coughlan won this in the Years 5 and 6 category, tying in the Mathspace competition for the most amount of growth among all of the students that participated sharing the $100 prize money.

To prepare for the event students gave up their lunch times to be able to make sure that they knew what questions would be asked at the event. They were pushed to their limits because they knew how many people were participating and they really wanted to win.

All students worked very well together in the relay although they didn’t achieve 1st, 2nd or 3rd. The Math Quiz students are looking forward to competing in the next Maths Competition which is The Australian Mathematics Trust Online Maths Competition and the QMAT regional quiz both in August.

DISCO

Grade 6 is excited to be holding a whole school disco on Thursday the 25th of May from 5:30pm - 7:30pm.  The theme for the disco is 80s.

All food and drink for the disco can be ordered through quickcliq - you can order pizza, chips, lollies, soft drink, poppers and chocolate.  Orders need to be in before 8:45am Wednesday 24th May. QuickCliq is the preferred way of ordering for the night, but there will be limited cash only sales for food and drinks on the night, in the tuckshop.

The entry fee for the disco is $2. Everyone is welcome to attend the whole disco from 5:30pm - 7:30pm, but music will be more suited to Prep to Yr 3 (5:30pm - 6:30pm)  and Yrs 4-6 from 6:30pm - 7:30pm.

We hope to see you there in your best 80’s costume.

DRAKES SUPA IGA

Drakes Fundraiser for St. Joseph's Cathedral

I thank you for your support of this project which has raised over $40,000, of which the school community has played an important role.  Please continue to support the Cathedral by shopping at DRAKES using your key tag and receiving the benefits.

If you have not been part of this fundraiser you are invited to get a key tag from your local School or Church and shop at your local Drakes, one cent in every dollar you spend will go to the Cathedral.  No Fuss, only benefits.

Hoping to see you at Drakes 
Stay Safe

Shirley Hopkins,
Co-ordinator, Drakes Fundraiser for St Joseph's Cathedral