9 October 2024

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Welcome to Week 2.

Dear Parents & Guardians

Just a quick reminder that tonight we will be holding our final whole school disco for the year.  The Year 6 Disco has a ‘Country’ theme and will be free entry.

Our 2025 School Swimming Carnival date has had to change with the Southside Pool unavailable on the date advertised last week.  The new date will be on the evening of Thursday the 31^st of October.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

Fees Update – With the 2024 school year coming to a close this term, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind parents who hold a valid concession card to give Mrs Crosthwaite their updated card details if it has expired and/or been renewed throughout the year.

Families are also invited to make contact with Megan in the office to review any possible need to increase periodic fee payments for the 2025 school year.

Don’t Forget….

October

• 9^th P&F Meeting
• 10^th School Disco
• 15^th Emmaus Academic Awards @ 6pm
• 16^th Board Meeting
• 17^th Prep Orientation Day (Two Sessions: 9am-10am & 12pm- 1pm)
• 22^nd Day for Daniel (Wear Red)
• 25^th World Teachers (Staff) Day
• 25^th Canteen Day
• 31^st Swimming Carnival

November

• 1^st All Saints Day
• 2^nd All Souls Day
• 5^th Melbourne Cup Day
• 8th Leadership Team Offsite Strategic Planning Sem 2
• 14^th Emmaus Graduation Mass
• 14^th P&F AGM (due to Leadership Gathering & Mass)
• 20^th Board Meeting
• 21^st Emmaus 2025 Year 7 Orientation Day
• 25^th Semester 2 Performing Arts Assembly
• 27^th Board & P&F Executive Meal
• 28^th Presentation Night

December

• 2^nd Semester 2 Academic Awards Assembly
• 4^th Graduation Mass and Dinner
• 4^th Semester 2 Report Cards posted to Parent Lounge
• 5^th Year 6 Fun Day
• 6^th End of Year Mass & Leadership Handover
• 6^th Term 4 Concludes

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

RELIGIOUS NEWS

The 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

They are no longer two. They become one body.
Mark 10:2-12

Scriptural context – Discipleship

This section of Mark’s Gospel explores what it means to be a disciple. While this particular passage may seem to be a bit out of place, Jesus seems to be stressing to the disciples that there are some bottom lines – some non-negotiables – when it comes to being a disciple. Unlike the Pharisees who are preoccupied with the letter of the Law, Jesus encourages his disciples to get beyond that and understand the spirit of the Law – God’s dream for humankind. The shift in the passage to the focus on children seems a little disconnected but the whole passage is about living in the kingdom with the right attitude.

@Liturgy Help – by Greg Sunter

October – The month of the Rosary

In the Catholic Church the month of October is dedicated to the holy Rosary, one of the best known of all Catholic meditative and vocal prayers.

As a teacher, I have found that the Rosary is a great teaching tool in the classroom. It offers the opportunity for mindfulness and quiet reflection as well as group and individual prayer.

The Rosary draws its mysteries from the New Testament with each decade referring to an event in the life of Jesus and Mary.

The Mysteries of the Rosary give us “thumbnails” of the life of Christ and his Mother.

• The Joyful Mysteries are taken mostly from Saint Luke’s Gospel in the New Testament. They involve the joyful events of Jesus’ childhood.
• The Luminous Mysteries bring a deeper understanding to the public life of Jesus. They fill in the blanks between the childhood of Jesus and His suffering and death on the cross.
• The Sorrowful Mysteries remind us of how much Jesus loves us. They recall how He suffered and died just for us.
• The Glorious Mysteries tell us what happened after Jesus died -His Resurrection, the descent of the Holy Spirit and the love Jesus had for his Mother.

During the month of October, we will be praying the Rosary at 11:30am each Wednesday in Our Lady Help of Christians’ church. All are welcome to join us for this prayerful time. A reminder that visitors should come through the office to visit Joeys during school time.

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

SPORTING MATTERS

Good luck to Tasharn and Orlando who are representing Capricornia in Brisbane at the Queensland School Athletics State Titles this week. 

JOEYS GALACTIC ENCOURAGEMENT AWARDS

This week, the Encouragement Awards for Joeys Touch go to the following students: -

Aubery V, Amira L, Sophie G, Xavier H, Harper C, Carter C, Georgia McD, Olivia G, Millie W, Maggie W, Elijah K, Kasey SH, Cody P, Marshall B, Allyza M, Travis S, Theo R.

CLASSROOM NEWS

Yr 3

Greetings from Year 3!

Year 3 is digging deep this term as we explore and discover rocks!  In Science we are examining the different types of rocks and how they are used in the environment. Our learning wall display has generated a lot of interest and is provoking many questions which we are exploring through learning. 

In English we are looking at many different forms of poetry.  The students were quite surprised to learn that music lyrics are a form of poetry!  Throughout the term we will be learning about poetic devices such as similes, metaphors, rhyming and onomatopoeia, and how to use these in poetry.  We will then be unleashing our creativity as we write our own poems!

Our Religion lessons are focussed on learning about what a Diocese is and who are the important people within a Diocese.  We have had lots of fun role-playing and discussing the roles of people within the Diocese.  In Maths we are revising strategies to solve three-digit addition and subtraction sums as well as memorising our multiplication.  We are looking forward to an exciting and fun last term in Year 3!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following staff and students who will celebrate their birthday this week.  They are: Lincoln H (Yr 4), Brooke C (Yr 2), Noah C (Prep), Austin K (Yr 1), Harrison K (Yr 4), Hadley Emerson (Yr 2) and Brooklyn SH (Yr 2).

Have a great day.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL

“Do you want to make a difference in our community? You’re invited to join the St Joseph’s Online Conference (St Vincent de Paul Group). We are taking expressions of interest from anyone throughout the Diocese. Meetings are monthly, online via Microsoft Teams.

Training will be provided. Email membership.rocky@svdpqld.org.au if interested.”

More about the St Vincent de Paul Society: We are the Society - St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland (youtube.com) if you would like to use it.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL PARENTS - AUSTRALIA

Please find attached flyer with details of the Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) National Parent Survey 2024 on student wellbeing and learning.

The information from this survey will provide national, state and diocesan data, which will be shared with Directors of Catholic Education and others as appropriate.

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