5 May 2023

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents & Guardians

Welcome to Week 3 of Term 2

Congratulations to the Joey’s community on the tremendous turn out to both of the ANZAC Day celebrations last week.  ANZAC Day is not about glorifying war but about remembering the sacrifice our armed forces make in order to maintain the freedoms we enjoy each day.

With well over a hundred students and 25 staff marching on the day, as a community we are definitely keeping the ANZAC Spirit alive whilst remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  Thanks to the P&F for the yummy ANZAC biscuits and cold water at the end of the march.  It was much appreciated and enjoyed by all.

The Colour Run is done and dusted for another year.  Thank-you to the P&F and Mrs Mooney for all their hard work in preparation for such a successful day. 

I am pretty sure I am still washing off powered and slime from the end of the day.

This year we ran the event in conjunction with the school cross country trials.  Next year we will be attempting to hold training sessions again in the lead up to the cross country and would love more competitors taking part and representing the school.

Best of luck to those students who now go off to the Rockhampton and District trials later in the term.

Last week saw the completion of our Semester 1 Parent/Teacher interviews.  I very much appreciate the staff for their commitment as educators and the time that they put into assessing and providing feedback on their student’s academic achievement.

Interview week is a positive time to connect with your child’s teacher and strengthen the bond between the school and home.  I also thank the families of our staff as the week can involve some very long hours for our teachers which sometime necessitates a change of normal routines at home.

If you were unable to make it in to see the teachers last week, remember that you can still contact them to arrange a mutually beneficial time if needed.

Don’t Forget….

• CAPRAS CQ Challenge Gala Day – Friday 12^th May
• Interschool Sport commences for 10-12 years students Week 5 – Friday 19^th May
• School Disco. 80’s theme. Week 6 – Thurs May 25th
• Field Events Day @ SJPA Oval Monday 5^th June (Week 8)
• Track Events Day @ Emmaus Brosnan Oval Tuesday 6^th June (Week 8)

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

St Joseph’s 2022 School Improvement Priorities:

• Prayer
• Family Partnerships
• Increased Learning Gain & Achievement

RELIGIOUS MATTERS

4th Sunday of Easter

Jesus the sheepgate.
John 10:1-10

Gospel Focus – Life to the Full

John 10:10 is a very famous quote from this gospel passage. Having life to the full does not imply life filled with every convenience, comfort and wealth. Rather, it is about living a life filled with purpose and intent. If we fail to live with purpose and meaning then our life is a hollow shell of what it could be. Jesus came that we may have life – a life that is at its fullest when it is lived in such a way as to be an expression of what Jesus taught and lived.

@Liturgy Help – Greg Sunter

Sacramental Program Update

This week, the families gather for the second Family Workshop for the sacrament of Reconciliation.  A reminder that these are held at Holy Family Parish and are offered either Tuesday or Thursday evenings, usually once a month. Thank you to those parents who have made the commitment for their children to be part of this important part of their Catholic faith.

Sunday Mass

As a working parent, I know it is never easy for a busy family to make time for Sunday Mass.  After the grind of the work and school week comes the whirlwind of the weekend, usually packed with non-stop homework and extracurricular obligations.  Finding an hour on Saturday evening or Sunday to attend Mass can often feel like an inconvenience.  But there are so many blessings hidden in that inconvenience.

Children, in particular, respond to action over talk.  That’s why at Joey's we prioritise some time each week to allow time for different types of prayer and to gather in God’s presence.

Perhaps over the next few months, you could take some time as a family to attend Mass at one of the Saturday Vigils or Sunday Masses offered in Rockhampton. It can seem like a lot to ask but if God asks it of us, it must be deeply important.

Decades from now our children will remember the things we did because they were important, not the things we did because they were easy.

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)

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.  Our rooms enable students to choose the furniture which they are more comfortable using.  Examples of this are:

- the child who would prefer to stand up behind a higher desk for a lesson or

- the child who finds it difficult to sit still can choose a wobble chair to help them regulate their body and therefore concentrate on the task they are working on.

 Our rooms provide this opportunity for them.

 Competitions:

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

• • 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.

• • 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.

• ABC Education Haiku Competition 2023 Write a haiku for a chance to have your poem published on the ABC! The theme this year is Seasons. To enter, scan or take a photo or screenshot of your poem, complete the entry form and upload your entry. The competition opens on 21 March 2023, 9am (AEDT) and closes on 21 April 2023, 5pm (AEST). The winning school will receive a book voucher, and the winning poem will be published on ABC Education.
• 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. https://education.qld.gov.au/about-us/events-awards/awards-competitions/premiers-coding-challenge/get-started

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: Cruz Nolan (Yr 6), Matilda Ballinger (Yr 6), Jackson Lynam (Yr 2), Leohan Capio (Yr 4), Addison Millar (Yr 3) and Mrs Paap.

Have a great day.

CLASSROOM NEWS

Yr 1

We are delighted that our Year 1 students have settled back in nicely to the start of Term 2 and have been working hard on developing their literacy and numeracy skills. In English, we have been very busy learning about narrative texts by exploring different Fairy Tales and using our skills to retell. We have been learning all about telling the time in Maths through a range of fun and engaging activities. In Religion we have been discussing God’s presence in our lives and community. Singing has been a regular occurrence in preparation for our Mother’s Day Prayer Celebration in Week 4 which students are really looking forward to.

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