4 December 2024
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents & Guardians
Welcome to Week 10
Well done to our Semester 2 Academic Award winners, who were recognised for their efforts on Monday morning. It was fantastic to see so many awards being presented, with 137 Navy Effort Awards, 18 Maroon Academic Awards, 8 Bronze Academic Awards, 5 Silver Academic Awards and 8 Gold Academic Awards. This is a huge achievement.
Those students who received Gold Certificates were also awarded QBD book vouchers to enjoy some reading over the holiday break.
A reminder that Semester 2 reports were posted to Parent Lounge today, Wednesday 4th December. Please access these via your individual logon.
It was fantastic to see so many of our Joey’s community gather for last Thursday’s Presentation Night.
This was my 15th Presentation Night at Joey’s, and I honestly think it was one of, if not, the best.
Many thanks to everyone who came to support our students and help make it a memorable evening. Congratulations to the worthy recipients of this year’s awards as well as all students who performed on the night. Many thanks also to the staff who put in much hard work and preparation for what proved to be a wonderful event.
Presentation Night Award Winners for 2024:
Junior Performing Arts Award – Ryan Thistlethwaite & Millie Watson
Senior Performing Arts Award – Abby Farr
Encouragement Award – Emily Schneider & Nate Oliffe
Sports Girls – Paige Toby
Sports Boy – Tasharn Beckett
Sportspersonship – Kelsey Kinlyside
Luke Monaghan Award – Audrey Brady & Jacob Wall
Kelvin Hill Award – Jaison Henaway
Principal’s Recognition Award – Mika Waters & Hugh Witten
Dux – Ella Coughlan & Pippa Kaufman
Leadership Award – Pippa Kaufman
Spirit of St. Joseph’s Award – Paige Toby
Congratulations also to Brigid Sleeman who received the 2024 Diocesan P&F Community Spirit Award.
Drawing our school year to a close will be our End of Year Mass this Friday, 6th December. We will be celebrating with a whole school Mass commencing at 9:00 am in the Multi-Purpose Area.
The Mass not only provides us the opportunity to say farewell to our Year 6 students for the final time, but it will also incorporate the induction of our student leaders for the 2025 school year.
We must also be aware that we share Friday’s mass with the Parish, so I request that we leave the parking spaces directly outside the office vacant for the use of our parishioners.
Please remember that during all of our celebrations, we must not use the parking in the mall car park during the day as retailers in the mall have previously complained that there is no parking for their patrons.
Officially school concludes at 3:00pm on Friday, though some parents have enquired about students going home early. Students are able to go home with their own parents or guardians following Mass at approximately 10:30am. Students wanting to leave with another child’s parent must have written permission to do so from their parents.
Please remember that OSHC will not be in operation on the final day of school and that all staff are required at a staff function and will not be available after 3:20pm.
As you will all be aware of Joey’s educational philosophy and how our open learning spaces support the diverse learning styles of our students, every child in the school will be a part of a Year Level cohort and will all have two teachers and an Educational Support Officer within their double-sized learning spaces.
The Joey’s teaching staff for 2025 will be as follows:
Prep – Kirsty McLeod & Erin Shaw with Kristie Sloan & Maddi Paap
Year 1 – Sophie Noake & Lauren McDonald with Kylie Schoneveld
Year 2 – Catherine Farr & Jessica Trounsen with Jacinta Beak
Year 3 – Tarina Hancock/Alana Jones & Alison Mann with Kylie Farr
Year 4 – Kelsey Milburn & Lori Guest with Lyn Lavender
Year 5 – Louise Chapman & Rebecca Gabriel with Petrina Brady
Year 6 – Aimee Watson & Paula Roati with Jacinta Thackeray
Inclusive Curriculum – Lesley Donohoe
Inclusive Curriculum – Kira Tickner
Inclusive Curriculum – Leonie Mooney
Inclusive Curriculum classroom support – Kerrie Tennyson
Arts Specialist & Inclusive Curriculum classroom support - Ann McCutcheon
Pastoral Support and Wellbeing – Brooke Black
PE & Health Specialist – Dave Smith
Banked Release Days – Dave Smith & Alice Wayman
Indigenous Support – Rebecca Duncan and Jessie Ivers
Special Project Numeracy Extension – Alice Wayman
Special Project Support – Rebecca Whiting, Kelson Tennyson & TBD.
Sports Coordinator – Rachael Duncan
Congratulations to the Year 6 students, staff and parents on tonight’s Graduation Mass and Dinner. Enjoy yourself and savour the end of your Primary years at Joey’s. Have a wonderful Fun Day at Great Keppel on Thursday and for all of the rest of our community, have a great last few days of the 2024 school year.
Have a safe, happy and holy Christmas break.
Don’t Forget….
December
- 4th Graduation Mass and Dinner
- 4th Semester 2 Report Cards posted to Parent Lounge
- 5th Year 6 Fun Day
- 6th End of Year Mass & Leadership Handover
- 6th Term 4 Concludes
- 6th Joey’s Office Closes
January
- 13th Joey’s Office Reopens
- 28th Term 1 2025 Commences
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
Report Cards
Today the Semester Two reports will be posted on Parent Lounge. Please ensure you are able to access your Parent Lounge account before school closes this week so that you can view your child’s results from this semester. Please reach out to the office if you require assistance.
Medication
If your child takes medication at school, please ensure you collect the medication from the school office by Friday. Any medication still at school after Friday will be disposed of as per Diocesan policy. All medication must be collected by an adult.
In 2025, new medication procedures are being rolled out through all Catholic schools. These procedures will require ALL medication to be provided in its original packaging. This packaging must have an accurate expiration date clearly written on it. This includes when your child has run out of their school supply. Please ensure you speak to your pharmacist about this so that they can provide you with a second labelled container for this purpose.
I hope everyone enjoys a safe, happy and holy Christmas break.
Regards
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal, Curriculum
RELIGIOUS NEWS
The First Sunday of Advent
Luke 21:25-36
Be Ready for the Second Coming
The word “Advent” derives from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming.” In this case, it refers to the coming birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ during the second coming.
In the Catholic Church, the Advent season reminds us about the importance of Christ in our lives, prepares us to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas, and refers to his second coming at a future time. Catholics consider all three comings when they celebrate Advent. Traditionally, Catholics will focus more on prayer and Priests will wear purple vestments during this time, and it is traditional to have an Advent wreath as well.
Advent – week by week.
Each week during Advent has a specific meaning and relevance.
In the first week, Catholics will light the first candle. This signifies hope as it is commonly known as the “Prophet’s candle” and signals that Jesus is coming.
On the second Sunday, a candle is lit to celebrate faith. This is based on the everlasting love of God, and it is also commonly referred to as the “Bethlehem” candle. This reminds everyone that Mary and Joseph undertook the journey to Bethlehem.
On the third Sunday of Advent, it is traditional to celebrate Joy with the “Shepherds” candle. This third Sunday is also called Gaudete Sunday, and a literal translation here is to “rejoice.” It is a Sunday to remember Mary as the mother of Jesus.
On the fourth Sunday, the candle symbolises peace and is known as the “Angels” candle. The simple message here from the angels is “peace on earth and goodwill towards men.”
Try a new Advent tradition…Beginning 1 December, read one chapter of Luke's Gospel each evening. There are 24 chapters. On Christmas Eve you will have read an entire account of Jesus's life and wake up Christmas morning knowing WHO and WHY we celebrate!!
Liturgical Celebrations Coming Up
WEEK | DAY | DATE | EVENT | TIME | PLACE |
Week 10 | Fri | 6 Dec | End of Year Whole School Mass | 9:00am | MPA |
*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
Specialist Teachers
Numeracy Extension – Term 4
Year 2
This term in Year 2, we have been busy improving our numeracy skills and having lots of fun along the way!
We continued practicing our mental addition and subtraction facts. Everyone worked hard to solve problems quickly and confidently. We also developed our multiplication facts and their related division facts. One of our favourite ways to practice our mental maths is by playing the game ‘I have… Who has ….?’ This game gets everyone involved and challenges us to listen, think and share answers.
We also explored fractions and spent time dividing shapes and groups of objects into equal parts. It has been exciting to see how fractions connect to real life, like sharing lollies with friends.
Year 3
This term we were very excited to attend Maths Club during lunchtime. This has been a great opportunity for students to dive deeper into their learning, skills practice and work together as a team. We are starting to prepare for an exciting new format to the QAMT Rockhampton Branch Maths Competition – next year they are introducing a Year 4/5 Competition.
At the beginning of each session of Numeracy Extension, we continue practicing our multiplication facts. We have also been exploring time. We’ve been solving problems involving the duration of time including situations involving ‘am’ and ‘pm’ and conversions between units of time.
Year 4
This term we were excited to also start Maths Club at lunchtime.
In class, we have been exploring the world of fractions in exciting new ways. We have been adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator. We’ve also worked on equivalent fractions.
Maths Club – Years 5/6
We had our end of year break up from our three terms of practice and competitions. All the students received a participation gift for all their effort this year. The following students also received special awards:
Corben E and Zane B– for displaying an exceptional level of commitment to Maths Club.
Elizabeth C – for outstanding improvement in mathematical knowledge and problem solving.
Ella C – for consistently contributing to the team’s performance at competitions and practice.
Mrs Alice Wayman
Literacy Club
This term in Literacy Club we focused on Poetry. The students spent time exploring the structure of Rhyming Poems and Colour Poems. I am incredibly proud of the dedication the students have shown by taking time out of their play each Monday. They have expanded their writing skills and their creativity is truly impressive. I hope you enjoy reading some of the student entries into our competition.
Blue
By Hayley B
Blue is dazzling blueberries
Blue is the colour of sad tears.
It rains down on us with its blue sad drops like the blue sky falling down on us.
Pink
By Olive O’K
Pink is love and kindness
Pink tastes like fresh cupcakes from the oven
Pink feels like diving into pink marshmallows
Pink sounds like birds tweeting in the noon
Pink looks like the sunset rising into the above
Pink smells like flower perfume just made
Pink is the sign that you have a good life
Pink is the sweetness of kids.
Pink
By Alexis L
Pink is a sign of peace
Pink is a muddy pig living his best life
Pink is the colour of life
Pink is a colour that some people like
Pink is a colour that represents warmth
Pink is magical
Pink is the taste of a sweet treat so juicy and good
Pink is the smell of a pink flower fresh from the garden
Pink makes you feel good.
Tarina Hancock
Writing Extension and Literacy Club Teacher
The Arts
A Creative Journey Through Term 4
This term, students at St Joseph’s Park Avenue embraced their artistic sides, producing vibrant and imaginative works across all year levels. Each class explored different techniques, mediums, and styles, resulting in some truly stunning creations.
Prep students delved into the world of colour and line, experimenting with a variety of mediums. Their enthusiasm shone as they developed foundational art skills while crafting beautiful collages.
Year 1 and 2 drew inspiration from Eric Carle, the beloved author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. They painted their own unique papers using a range of techniques and transformed them into enchanting underwater scenes, capturing the wonder of Carle’s style.
Year 3 and 4 explored the dynamic world of Pop Art. They studied how contemporary artist Dylan Mooney incorporates his culture into his superhero creations, then designed their own colourful heroes, blending bold lines and vibrant shades.
Year 5 and 6 mastered the art of printmaking, experimenting with techniques such as frottage, collagraph, and block printing. They crafted intricate matrices from diverse materials, producing prints that showcased their creativity and precision.
The students’ hard work and creativity throughout the term resulted in exceptional pieces of art that reflected their growth and imagination. Well done to all!
See below some examples:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Congratulations to the following students and staff who will celebrate their birthday this week and over the holidays. They are: Jaxson B (Yr 6), Adam G (Yr 1), Izabelah Z (Yr 6), Juliet H (Yr 6), Amelia S (Prep), Emilee T (Yr 6), Michael O (Prep), Amelia G (Yr 5), Elijah K (Yr 3), Corben E (Yr 5), Amelia P (Yr 6), Penelope B (Yr 2), Emily-Rose E (Yr 5), Tayte M (Yr 5), Braxtyn P (Yr 3), Noah R (Yr 3), Madeleine W (Yr 6), Anevay McG (Yr 3), Eden J (Yr 5), Amira ML (Yr 2), Jaison H (Yr 6), Evelyn A (Yr 2), Thomas McC (Prep), Walt B (Yr 2), Aurora I (Yr 3), Mrs Farr (Yr 6), Miss Thackeray (Yr 5), Mrs Watson (Yr 3), Mrs Tickner (IC), Mrs Lavender (Yr 3) & Mrs Ivers.
Have a great day.
Keyboard lessons
Leanne Voss will continue to offer Keyboard lessons in 2025 for interested students in grades 1 – 6.
Lessons are of 30-minute duration and will be conducted weekly at school. Keyboards will be provided at school for lessons.
Students will be required to have access to a keyboard for practice and purchase a music tutor book and theory book. Lessons will generally be given to groups of 2 or 3 students with some individual lessons available when it is not possible to match students of similar musical ability. The lessons will focus on developing note reading and counting skills and using a chord bass accompaniment. There will also be an emphasis on utilising keyboard features such as different tones and rhythms.
Playing keyboard is an excellent extra curriculum activity to develop not only musical skills, but creative thinking, hand-eye coordination, concentration and commitment to task.
Enrolment forms are available for both new and continuing students.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC in 2025
Enrolments are now being accepted for new and continuing students to learn the following instruments at St. Joseph’s Park Avenue.
FLUTE, CLARINET, SAXOPHONE, TRUMPET, TROMBONE, PERCUSSION, VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO, GUITAR & VOICE.
Instrumental Music provides so many benefits to a child – please watch the attached link to a fantastic video about Music and the Brain: Instrumental Music Learning and Brain Fireworks
Please see the attached information letter for details on required year levels for each instrument, and a downloaded version of the enrolment form.
Enrolment link is included here: Instrumental Music Enrolment 2025
Further information is available online at https://emmaus.qld.edu.au/co-curriculum/instrumental-music/
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
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