16 March 2016

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

This Saturday at 9.00am Bishop Michael McCarthy will be celebrating Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral to mark the Feast Day of St. Joseph. St Joseph, as you would all be aware, is the patron saint of the diocese and additionally holds a place of great significance for our own school community as a Josephite school; being founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph. While honouring the Feast of St. Joseph on Saturday, this year in particular, we also give great thanks to the Sisters of St. Joseph who are celebrating 150 years of service as a religious order. Without the work of the Sisters of St. Joseph, many of our diocese schools would not exist.

While recognising that families are often very busy on the weekends, I would encourage you to come along and help us celebrate the Mass at the Cathedral this Saturday. A letter outlining the details has already been sent home to each family, though in short, I would ask that any students able to come along wear their formal school uniform and sit together in the church. Students attending should be at the cathedral by 8.45am.

This Friday, 18th we will be celebrating our school feast day as we join the parish for 9.00am Mass. As is our practice, we would like to invite any grandparents to the multipurpose area for morning tea following mass.

Last Saturday, the diocese hosted its annual St. Patrick’s Day race meeting, which was very well attended. My thanks to the families who managed to sell raffle tickets for the day. As there have been a number of calls on families’ finances lately, these were only distributed across a couple of grades and once again, thanks to those who were able to sell them.

At present I am attending the annual Diocesan Principals’ Conference and will be back at school on Friday. Please direct any inquiries to Bernard Fitzgerald, our APRE, during my absence or feel free to make an appointment to see me on Friday.

Next week our Year 6 students will be travelling to Chaverim at Bundaberg for their Year 6 leadership camp. We wish them all the very best for what promises to be a very rewarding experience.

Don’t Forget …

• Wed 16/3 - Mass of the Oils;
• Fri 18/3 - Celebrations for feast of St. Joseph and Grandparents’ morning tea;
• Sat 19/3 - Diocesan Feast Day Mass at the Cathedral – 9.00am.
• Mon-Thu 21-24/3 - Year 6 Camp;
• Thu 24/3 - Last Day of Term 1.

Have a great week!
Alan

APRE REFLECTION

Jubilee Year of Mercy Student Prayers

Lord Jesus, you have shown us how to be merciful like our heavenly Father.
In this year of Mercy,
teach us:
to show mercy in the same way you did,
to be kind, caring and forgiving as you were,
to love as you loved.
Help us:
to forgive those who offend or hurt us,
to seek forgiveness for our wrong doings,
and to say sorry when we need to.
Send your Spirit to bless us to be people of love and action.
We ask this through Mary, the Mother of Mercy.
Amen.

I hope you have a great week.

Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
St. Joseph’s PA APRE

RELIGIOUS MATTERS

Prayer Assembly

Due to our annual Feast of Saint Joseph whole school mass & Grandparent Morning Tea this Friday, there will be no class led prayer assembly.

St Joseph’s Feast Day/Grandparents Day Mass

One of, if not the biggest day in the Joey’s annual calendar is our St Joseph’s whole school Feast Day Mass followed by our Grandparents Morning Tea. This will be held this Friday, the 18th of March commencing with the mass in OLHC Church at 9:00am followed by the morning tea in the MPA till 11:00am.

Families with eldest children in Grades 3 – 6 are asked to bring a plate of sandwiches to share, while families with eldest children in Prep to Grade 2 are asked to bring a plate of biscuits, cakes or patty cakes to share.

Hope to see you there.

The Sacrament of Confirmation and Eucharist 2016

A Liturgy of the Word for Confirmation will be celebrated at OLHC Mass at 6:00pm this Saturday the 19th March. This is an important part of the programme.

For further information, please contact the Parish Office

(4928 2800) or
berylmills18@gmail.com

Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
St. Joseph’s PA APRE.

SPORTING MATTERS

Friday Sport 18/03/2016

OZ TAG

Girls Pool B 12:45pm
St Joseph’s PA Maroon v RGS Black on field 6

Girls Pool C 12:45pm
St Joseph’s PA Blue v St Mary’s Red on field 5

Boys Pool A 1:35pm
St Joseph’s PA Maroon v Allenstown on field 6

Boys Pool B 12:45pm
St Joseph’s PA Blue v Mt Archer Yellow on field 6

Mixed
St Joseph’s PA - BYE

Due to the number of teams nominated this year, games will be played at the Saleyards fields on the Southside (off Gladstone Road), and at Rockhampton Grammar School. When I just have a field number, these games are played at the Saleyards.

SOCCER

Yr 5 12:40
St Joseph’s PA v The Lighthouse @ Elizabeth Park 1
St Joseph’s PA 2 v Mt Morgan @ Norbridge Park 4

Yr 6 1:35
St Joseph’s PA v The Hall @ Elizabeth Park 1

AFL

12:30
St Joseph’s PA v Frenchville SS on KP1

1:30
St Joseph’s PA v Crescent Lagoon SS on KP1

Games are played at Kele Park, which is off Western Street on the Southside

CURRICULUM NEWS

Important Curriculum Dates

ICAS

The University of New South Wales will, once again, be running the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) in 2016. These competitions are open to any children in Years 3 to 6, and some of the competitions allow the year 2 children to participate, (Science, English & Mathematics). Those children wishing to be involved can participate in the areas of Digital Technologies, Science, Spelling, Writing, English and Mathematics.

Dates and costs associated with the competitions are as follows:

These competitions are a great way for students in our school to compare their academic achievements against students in other schools around Australia. If you would like more information please visit the UNSW website:

It would be appreciated if anyone wishing to enter any of the competitions could return the permission slip (sent home last week) to the office, along with entry fees by Monday 21st March (beginning of Week 9 - Term 1).

Please note: ICAS forms and money are due back next week

DANIEL MORCOMBE CHILD SAFETY CURRICULUM

Weeks 8 and 9

Prep – Year 2
Lesson Objectives:
Students will:

• identify an unsafe situation (recognise) and consider an appropriate course of action (react)
• understand the process of contacting emergency services (triple zero)

Years 3-6
Lesson Objectives:
Students will:

• identify steps that can be used to make decisions about safety
• apply decision-making steps in a range of safety situations

LITERACY CORNER

Reading:

Learning to read involves children learning skills in comprehension, fluency, accuracy and expanding on their known vocabulary. This week’s skill comes under the heading of Fluency.

Strategy – Read good fit books

To help develop a student’s fluency it is important that they are reading books which are a good fit (not too easy but not too difficult). If a book is too easy for a child they are not coming across new words or getting the opportunity to practise a variety of reading strategies however if a book is too difficult they will be constantly stopping to work out unknown words which will then make fluency very difficult to achieve. It is therefore important that what they read is a good fit for them.

Spelling:

Strategy: Dots game

Make a square of 4 rows of dots with 4 dots in each row. Before taking a turn, the player must spell a spelling word correctly. If the word is correct, the player can connect two dots. When a player forms a square by connecting dots, he/she can write their initials in the box. The player with the most squares at the end of the game is the winner.

Regards,
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

FINANCE NEWS

Term 1 Fees were DUE Friday 19th February 2016

If still unpaid, your account is now overdue for payment.

If you are unable to settle your account, your immediate contact with either Alan or Megan is requested to advise when the account will be settled.

CLASSROOM NEWS

YR 2H

Superheroes of 2H

I am so impressed with the way in which 2H has started their Grade 2 year with confidence and manners. They have leapt into their learning with enthusiasm!

We have started our writing focus with procedures and have been reading the novel, ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’.

In Maths, the students have been busy learning how to tell the time, read and write numbers under 1000 and have been practising rainbow facts. We have been doing all this with lots of hands-on materials and are particularly enjoying maths rotations.

Our reading is focused on essential comprehension strategies and responding to a variety of texts in a personal and meaningful way to enhance understandings. As a class we are competent at choosing ‘good-fit’ books and most children have improved their reading stamina already.

We had a visitor from the Commonwealth Bank visit us to teach us to be more ‘Money Smart’. The class loved learning whilst acting as superheroes more about “speed for our needs and wait for our wants”. Check out our photos from that session.

SCHOOL COUNCILLOR

Resiliency:

Over the upcoming weeks we will have a series of articles on resilience. Resilience is a term which is used to describe how a person may handle difficult situations. We it comes to changes to routine, a change in the family system or even a change in our general life, it is important for us as parents to know how to adapt with the change, but also, be aware how children may adapt to the changes as well. Resilience can be seen as a person's ability to cope with living in spite of stresses. It's about coping with problems, and building strengths that protect and promote well-being. If children have a lot of adverse things happening in their lives there will always be some effect on their well-being, but we now know much more about the things that will help protect them.

We cannot always prevent things going wrong for our children, but we can help them build strengths so that they are more able to successfully face challenges and setbacks. Some people not only face and overcome a difficult situation; they can even be strengthened by it.

What parents can do:

Help children feel like they are part of a community

The saying ‘it takes a community to raise a child’ is one that promotes resilience in children and families. One of the most important things is a sense of belonging. The first year is especially important. From the beginning, babies need to know that someone or some people really care and will always be there for them. These people can be mother and/or father, a grandparent or another reliable person who cares for them a lot.

Becoming attached to another person besides the parent does not mean that children will be less attached to their parents. In fact it is the opposite. When children learn to belong in this way it gives them the ability to make attachments, trust others and be able to form relationships with other people in their life. If parents are sick or not available for some reason, having someone else is very important for a child's healthy development. Having conversations about people that are in your child’s life that can help them feel safe and protected can be an important way to instil positive relationships in your child’s life.

Information adapted from:

Next week we will explore building self-control in children

If there is a particular topic that you would like discussed in the School Newsletter, feel free to contact someone from the Leadership Team or the School Counsellor.

WRITE & WIPE FOLDERS

CER has informed us that they now have the Write & Wipe folders in stock, which were on some lower year level book lists. If you are requiring one, please pop in and purchase yours.

ENROLMENT AT EMMAUS COLLEGE 2017

Parents should be advised that all enrolment paperwork for Yr 7, 2017, needs to be returned to Emmaus College Office at least one week prior to our interview.

Previously the College website stated that documents could be returned to the office of the student’s Primary School, however this is no longer the case.

Please call 4923 5700 if you have any questions or concerns.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students and staff who will celebrate their birthday this week. They are: Macy Gray (5T), Heidi Nembach (PW), Blair Andjal (PW), Ashley Roberts (4M) and Miss Sloan (PW). Have a great day

VOLUNTEERS INDUCTION SESSIONS

WPH&S Volunteers Inductions are necessary for the safety of your children. Therefore we ask that all parents who generously volunteer their time to the school, either in a classroom or in the tuckshop, attend a very brief induction regarding maintaining a safe environment for the children of St. Joseph’s.

These sessions only take about five minutes and are available after assembly on a Monday morning with Deanne Senini, or with Ray Carrington on Friday mornings at 9.00 am. Tracy Wren will also be conducting induction sessions in the tuckshop, if you are helping out in there.

Thanks,
Ray Carrington

UNIFORM SHOP

Our uniform shop is run by VOLUNTEERS of the school and is open

Monday morning from 8:15- 8:45 and
Tuesday afternoon from 2:45 - 3:15
Friday morning 8:15 – 8:45

Please feel free to drop by any uniforms you no longer need to sell. Proceeds can go back to you or you can donate it back to the P & F.

FRIDAY PIZZA

Meatlovers, Chicken and Aioli and Hawaiian Pizza are available every Friday for $1.50/slice. Please have your order in a Brown Paper Bag with your name, class and order on it, with the money in side.

Please use a brown paper bag with child’s name and class written on the front.

TUCKSHOP IS UNAVAILABLE ON FRIDAYS

MOVEMENT IMPROVEMENT

SCHOOL HOLIDAY SPEED AND AGILITY CAMPS
Juniors (6-11 years) and Senior (12 years +)
3 x 1 hour sessions, Hegvold Stadium
Cost $60 includes sports pack
Ph: 4923 7576
email admin@movementimprovement.com.au

SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN

Ride the Purrey Steam Tram and have a close look at the C17 Steam loco
Climb aboard restored passenger carriages
Change the signals and use the antique phones and
other fun activities.
Wednesday the 30th March from 10:00am – 1:00pm. Entry fee $8.50. One adult free per family.
For further information please see attached flyer

DRAKES SUPA IGA

Simply scan your Drakes Supa IGA key tag and the checkout with your groceries, and automatically 1 cant of every dollar you spend goes to the Cathedral Conservation Fund.

Key tags are available from the office, local church or Drakes stores. Put it on your car keys so you remember to use it.

Key tags can be used at any Drakes Supa IGA supermarket in Queensland. Currently in our Diocese Drakes stores are located at

• Glenmore (North Rockhampton) Gladstone
• Emu Park Toolooa Street
• Calliope Sun Valley