7 August 2024

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Welcome to Week 5.

Dear Parents & Guardians

Best of luck to our Season B teams who will be taking part in finals beginning this week.  Season B Grand Final day is scheduled for Friday, August 23^rd - Week 7.

Congratulations to the Senior Rugby League team who finished the regular season as Minor Premiers being undefeated throughout the season.

Well done to our students and staff who represented our school in last week’s inter-school chess competition.  Our ‘B’ schools team placed second overall which was a great result but even better than that, Mr Smith said the student behaved beautifully.   A big thanks to Mr Smith for dedicating their time to training and preparing the team each week.

This Thursday, August 8^th is the Feast Day date for Australia’s first Saint, Mary of the Cross MacKillop.  We, as a school community, will be celebrating the founder of the Josephite Sisters with the parish community during the 9:00am Parish Mass on Friday, August 9^th.  All community members are welcome to come and celebrate the life and achievements of Saint Mary MacKillop, for without Mary’s contribution to Catholic Education in regional Queensland, we would not have our lovely little school today.

Next Wednesday, 14^th August, we will have our rescheduled visit by Diocesan Director, Mr Michael McCusker.  Mike took on the new role midway through this year and we look forward to welcoming him to our school and introducing him to our community.

I have been informed that our tuck-shop will be closed on Monday, August 12^th of next week.  Debbie will have the tuck-shop operating again on the following day.  Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Have a wonderful Week 5.

Don’t Forget …

• St Mary MacKillop Feast Day Mass. Fri 9^th August
• New Diocesan Director, Mr Michael McCusker School Visit. Wed 14^th August
• 2025 Prep Offers Sent Out. Friday 16^th
• Children’s Mass. Sat 17^th August @ 6:00pm in OLHC
• Week 7. National Book Week & Book Fair. 19^th – 23^rd
• Joey’s in Jamas. Tues 20^th Aug
• Book Week Parade. Thurs 22^nd
• Season B Sport Grand Final Day. Fri 23^rd August
• Pupil Free Day. Friday 30^th
• Father’s Day. Sunday 1^st
• Parent/Teacher Interviews. 2^nd – 6^th September
• RU OK Day. Thurs 12^th
• Term 3 Concludes. Fri 13^th

Have a great week.

Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
Principal
St Joseph’s Catholic School, Park Avenue

St Joseph’s 2024 School Improvement Priorities:

• Christian Virtue – Dignity
• Increased Learning Gain & Achievement
• Learning Dispositions

CURRICULUM NEWS

Chess Competition

Congratulations to Mr Smith and the two Joey’s Chess teams who competed in the Gardiner Chess Competition last week.  Our B team placed 2^nd overall with Spencer receiving a merit award and Harrison coming first place in the B division being undefeated across the day.  Congratulations also to Jimmy from our A team who received a merit award.  Mr Smith reports that the attitude and behaviour of the boys was exemplary throughout the competition, well done.

Book Week and Science Week 2024

The theme of Science Week 2024 is ‘Species survival: more than just sustainability’. 

I am running a competition for Science Week.  To be in the running to win a prize related to the theme of Science Week, see the competition details below:

Prep – Year 2 Student Competition: Colouring

Students in Prep – Year 2 are invited to participate in a colouring competition for Science Week.  When choosing the winners, I will be looking for artistic flair, creativity as well as evidence of thought and effort. The colouring page will be available from your teachers this week and due Thursday, 8^th August. 

Year 3 and 4 Competition: Endangered Animal Awareness

Students in Years 3 and 4 are invited to participate in a competition around creating awareness of an endangered animal. This can be presented any way you wish, some ideas include a poster, a brochure, a postcard, a PowerPoint presentation, a podcast.  To be successful in this competition, you will need to show a thorough knowledge of your chosen animal and why they are endangered; include ways people can help stop them from becoming extinct; show creativity, thought and effort in your presentation. Your presentation is due Thursday, 8^th August.

Year 5 and 6 Competition: Saving Habitats

Students in Years 5 and 6 are invited to participate in a competition around educating the community about the importance of protecting the habitats of animals.  To be successful in this competition, you will need to construct a model habitat of a chosen animal (doesn’t need to be endangered) – it is up to you how you construct this – for example, it could be a diorama, a drawing or an electronic representation; produce an explanation of the habitat and how the animal uses it’s habitat; discuss ways the habitat is being impacted by humans; suggest ways people can help protect the habitat to help the survival of your animal.  Points will be awarded for creativity, thought and effort when choosing the winning entries.  Your entry is due Thursday, 8^th August. 

These projects have been designed to be completed in the student’s own time and are totally optional.  All entries will be displayed around the school during Science Week.  Good luck to all students who decide to enter.

The theme for Book Week this year is ‘Reading is Magic’.  Our annual Joeys in Jamas night will be held on Tuesday, 20^th August and our annual dress up day will be held on Thursday, 22^nd August. 

Premier’s Reading Challenge

I am delighted to invite all students to join in the 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC).

The PRC is not a competition but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life. Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books read during the reading period, from 7 May to 23 August. Attached to the newsletter is a reader record form to tally books read throughout the challenge.

To complete the challenge:

• Prep to Year 2 must read or experience at least 20 books
• Years 3 and 4 must read at least 20 books
• Years 5 to 9 must read at least 15 books.

Experiencing books can include shared reading, listening to stories, or reading picture books. The aim for the 2024 challenge is to encourage students to make time to read. Last year saw more than 110,000 children from around the state participate.

Book suggestions are available on the PRC website: https://readingchallenge.education.qld.gov.au/resources/book-lists

Every student who completes the challenge, and returns the completed record reader form, will receive a Certificate of Achievement. I look forward to seeing as many of our students as possible take part in the 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge.

Regards

Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

RELIGIOUS NEWS

The 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus is the Bread of Life.

John 6:24-35

Historical Context – Bread

For thousands of years, bread has been a staple part of the human diet in many cultures. It is no accident that the image of Jesus as bread makes such a significant appearance in the gospel of John. For the Jews, like other Ancient Near Eastern cultures, bread was a vital mainstay of their diet. In the Bible, the word ‘bread’ often simply means all food – it was that important! For many, regular access to bread did equate to life. Bread also played a crucial role in religious practices, especially the Passover meal.

                                                                        @Liturgy Help – by Greg Sunter

Feast of St Mary of the Cross

The 8^th of August is the Feast of St Mary of the Cross.

We will celebrate this feast with a whole school Mass on Friday, August 9 at 9am.

This is a very important feast not just for our school but for all Australians. Mary MacKillop is the very first Australian to be recognised by the Catholic church as a saint. She is truly a very Australian saint.

Her first school was established in the small country town of Penola. This name might sound familiar, our Penola Precinct has been named to acknowledge this special place. St Mary of the Cross was a hard worker, she persisted and demonstrated resilience when obstacles were in her way. In our MacKillop Precinct, these virtues help us to learn, even when it is hard. St Mary of the Cross is an example for us all. But she did not work on her own, St Mary of the Cross had a team, and the support of Fr Julian Tenison Woods strengthened Mary. Fr Tenison Woods worked with Mary, together they were dynamic. We see the leadership of Fr Tenison Woods and St Mary of the Cross modelled in the Tenison Woods Precinct. The students in years five and six at Joeys work together and support one another inspired by the example of St Mary of the Cross and her great mate; Fr Julian Tenison Woods.

Australia’s first saint has been described as an Aussie rebel. She was courageous and at times, argued with authority. As a leader, Mary could see and used the strengths of others, she didn’t tolerate those who were not genuine. Her commitment to the schooling of children from poor and rural communities established a model of Catholic education that continues today.

This week we say, “Thank you, St Mary of the Cross!”, you are a Saint for and of Australia!

Liturgical Celebrations Coming Up

*SJPA – St Joseph’s Park Avenue
*OLHC – Our Lady Help of Christians church (next to St Joseph’s, Park Avenue)
*MPA – Multipurpose Area (Basketball court)

Elizabeth Carter
Assistant Principal Religious Education

CLASSROOM NEWS

Yr 5

All things cane toad! Year 5 students have been reading feature articles this term. They have been identifying structural and visual features of the texts and how they support the author’s point of view. Here are some interesting cane toad facts we have learned so far:

“Cane toads came from South America and were released in 1935 into Queensland to stop the cane toad beetle.” – Jimmy

“Cane toads have poisonous glands at the back of their head.” – Blake

“They can breed all year round. A clutch of eggs looks like a long clear string with black dots.” – Gabby

“They lay lots of eggs. They can lay over 30,000 eggs at once.” – Olivia G

“There are some cane toads that can get up to 2kg. They are evolving by getting larger to produce more toxins for survival. Cane toads are also adapting to have longer legs which makes them move more quickly across the country. The cane toads are breeding bigger due to spatial selection.” – Spencer

“Some cane toads can grower bigger than 20cm.” – Tyson

“They are an invasive species and are very poisonous.” – Sebastian

“Cane toads are killing off our endangered animals, but mother nature is evolving, and animals are adapting themselves against the poison in the toads.” – Tayte

“Some species have figured out clever ways to eat toads.” – Ned

“Scientists are using adult cane toad poison to create a bait which attracts cane toad tadpoles.” - Koby

BULLYING NO WAY: NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION 12 – 16 AUGUST

Next week (Week 6) is Bullying No Way: National week of action, 12 to 16 August 2024.

Bullying No Way Week is a commitment being made by thousands of schools and supporters across the country. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to bullying prevention. It gives us an opportunity to connect with students, staff and school communities to implement workable solutions to prevent bullying.

The new hero colour for the campaign is purple – symbolising peace, strength and empowerment to take a stand against bullying behaviour.

On Tuesday, 13 August, we will show our support for the campaign by participating in ‘Pop of Purple Tuesday’; this means that the students wear their Tuesday uniform and include something (accessories, hair tie, socks, wristband, ribbon, clip…) as a pop of purple.

The theme for this year's campaign is Everyone belongs. This theme highlights the importance of creating a sense of belonging and inclusion for students. We recognise bullying often thrives in environments where individuals feel marginalised or excluded, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that every student feels valued and respected.

“Positive school climates that value diversity and inclusion can foster a sense of belonging and provide a protective factor against negative peer relationships and reduce bullying.” (Australian Education Research Organisation 2023).

For more information about Bullying No Way Week and bullying prevention, visit the Bullying No Way website.

During the week, we will be engaging students in meaningful discussions and activities aimed at promoting empathy, understanding, and respect for diversity. We encourage parents and carers to take this opportunity to have open and honest conversations with their children about the impact of bullying and what they can do if they need support. You can visit the Bullying No Way website for tips around how to have this discussion.

Brooke Black
Pastoral Support & Wellbeing

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following staff and students who will celebrate their birthday this week.  They are: Alyssah P (Yr 4), Nate B (Yr 6), Stella W (Yr 2), Hudson S (Yr 3), Jack W (Yr 3) and Mrs Senini (APC).

Have a great day.

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