8 February 2017

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ROCKHAMPTON

FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL

I am sure most of you will have all seen our brand new, full colour LED sign out the front of our school. The new sign is not only larger but it has the capability of displaying images and videos. This sign, along with our school newsletter and the school’s official Skoolbag app is the fastest and most reliable way to communicate with our school community. No staff member will post to the unofficial St Joseph’s Facebook page, so information received from this source may not be up to date.

Any important news or alterations to the normal school routine will usually consist of notices in the newsletter, posts on our LED signs, physical letters sent home and push alerts on our school app. Official School Notices will never appear on Facebook. If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Our older black & white LED sign is still great and has now been relocated next to the Kindy on Haynes Street. It too will continue to display up to date messages to both our school & local communities, albeit in a much plainer format.

Inter-school sport begins this Friday for our 10-12 years students, with teams taking part in OZ Tag and Football (Soccer) fixtures during Season A. All students have been made aware that representing our school is a privilege not to be taken lightly and much is expected of them in terms of their behavior and ‘sportspersonship.’

Please ensure all students have a frozen water bottle during these fixtures as the weather has been very hot.

Fr Matt will be presiding over our Opening School Mass this Friday morning at 9:00am in OLHC Church. All are welcome to come along and attend our official opening to our school year.

Thank you to the P&F and other Joey’s community members who gave of their time to host our annual Welcome BBQ last Thursday evening. The event was a wonderful opportunity for staff, students and community members to get together in a slightly less formal setting and get to know each other a bit better. It was a wonderful event.

Finally, please note that our annual Bishop’s In-service Day for staff professional development will be held on Friday the 17th of February next week. Due to all staff attending this day it is a Pupil Free Day for all Catholic Schools in Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and Outside of School Hours Care will not be operating that day. Thank you in advance for your understanding in this matter.

Don’t Forget …

• Parent Information Nights, Wed 8th & Thurs 9th Feb.
• Opening School Mass, Fri 10th Feb 9:00am.
• Bishop’s In-service Day, Fri 17th Feb (Pupil Free Day)

Have a great week.

Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
St. Joseph’s PA Acting Principal

APRE REFLECTION

Bernadette Brennan
St Joseph’s PA Acting APRE

RELIGIOUS MATTERS

Opening School Year Mass

Our Opening Mass for the school year is this Friday, 10th February commencing at 9.00am. We would love to have our parents and friends come along and help celebrate the start of the year in prayer.

Pupil Free Day

A reminder that next week, Friday 17th February, is our Bishop’s In-service Day. This is a faith development day for all school staff members in the Rockhampton area and so is a Pupil Free Day for students. This will be hosted at The Cathedral College and as such the office will be closed on Friday the 17th.

First Children’s Mass

Importantly next week on Saturday, 18th February, we will be celebrating the first of our Children’s Masses for the year. These are always special celebrations during the year and I would encourage you to mark these on your calendars and share in these occasions where possible.

Have a wonderful week

Bernadette Brennan
St Joseph’s PA Acting APRE

SPORTING MATTERS

Interschool Sport

Interschool sport commences this Friday for all eligible students in Years 4-6 (i.e. 10 years and up). Every student has been allocated a Season 1 sport, based upon the preferences they submitted and has been informed of the equipment required for their chosen sport.

Students playing in inter-school Soccer are required to have their own socks, boots & shin pads as safety equipment. The school soccer socks are maroon with two (preferable) or three stripes at the top. These are available at Inferno Sports (in East Street – opposite the Post Office) for $8.00 a pair.

All children must have sufficient sized water bottles and the school hat prior to leaving the school.

If you are spectating and wish to take your child home after their game, it is important that you let the teacher with the team know.

Bernadette Brennan
St Joseph’s PA Acting APRE

Friday afternoon sports 10/20/2017

Soccer

Girls 12:40
St Joseph’s PA v Glenmore SS @ Glenmore SS (field 2)

Yr 6 Boys Blue 1:35
St Joseph’s PA v Lakes Creek SS @ Pilbeam Park

Yr 5 Boys Maroon 12:40
St Joseph’s PA v Lakes Creek SS @ Pilbeam Park
(Pilbeam Park – along Lakes Creek Rd & turn into Cooper Street)

Oz Tag

Games are played at McLeod Park (on Dean Street)

Girls 1:10
St Joseph’s Maroon v St Mary’s Blue on field 2
St Joseph’s Blue v St Mary’s Yellow on field 3

12:30
St Joseph’s White v St Mary’s Red on field 1

Boys 1:10
St Joseph’s Maroon v St Joseph’s Blue on field 5

12:30
St Joseph’s White v Frenchville Blue on field 2

CURRICULUM NEWS

Important Curriculum Dates – Term 1

ICAS

The University of New South Wales will, once again, be running the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) in 2017. These competitions are open to any children in Years 3 to 6, and some of the competitions allow the year 2 children to participate. 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: www.eaa.unsw.edu.au

It would be appreciated if anyone wishing to enter any of the competitions could return the permission slip (sent home this week) to the office, along with entry fees by Monday 6th March (beginning of Week 7 - Term 1).

Parent Information Nights

Our Parent Information Nights will be held this week on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th February. This is an informal evening where the teachers in each year level will present the curriculum they will be covering this year. This evening also allows our teaching staff to discuss expectations and procedures in their particular classrooms as well as school procedures and expectations.

Start Smart Sessions

During week 4 all students from Year 1 – 6 will be involved in a session on being money smart hosted by the Commonwealth Bank. These sessions were presented last year and the students really enjoyed the experience.

It’s never too early to teach children the value of money. Research indicates that it is crucial to develop financial literacy skills from an early age. The Start Smart Primary program teaches these skills in a way that students can understand and enjoy. It was developed with a panel of leading specialists in primary education, cognitive development, instructional design and financial literacy.

Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum

Throughout Semester One, our school will be implementing the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum with students in all year levels. The curriculum is based on principles of best practice in child safety education and centres around three key messages: Recognise, React and Report. Through a series of lessons, students will learn how to recognise, react and report when they are unsafe or find themselves in situations that can have a significant detrimental effect on their physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing. The Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum links very closely with the Australian Health Curriculum. Therefore these lessons will be delivered by Miss Tennille Kerrisk as part of our Health Curriculum on a Tuesday and Wednesday. The Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum has been mandated by our Diocese to be actively taught in all of the Rockhampton Catholic schools each year.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this program please don’t hesitate to contact either Miss Kerrisk, Mrs Senini or Mr Fitzgerald.

Information about the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum can be found at the link below:

Week 3 Lesson Objectives:

Prep – Year 2

Students will:

• review the meaning of recognise, safe and unsafe
• use LOOK, SOUND and SMELL clues to help recognise unsafe situations.

Years 3 - 4

Students will:

• be able to explain and provide examples of ‘risk’ activities
• identify how risks can be assessed
• be able to provide examples of how risk affects personal safety and the safety of others.

Years 5 – 6

Students will:

• identify relationships between rules, laws and safety
• discuss how rights, rules and responsibilities can all play a role in our ability to stay safe
• consider if and when people should take responsibility for their own actions.

LITERACY CORNER

This year as a regular part of the newsletter I will be discussing one reading and one spelling strategy parents can use with their children at home to consolidate what is taught in class.

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 Comprehension.

Strategy – Check for Understanding

This strategy teaches children to stop frequently and check or monitor whether they understand what they are reading. This is typically a quick summary of what they’ve read, starting with who and what.

Spelling:

Strategy – Across and Down Words: Write each of your spelling words across and then down. See the example below.

Example:

FAST
A
S
T

Regards,
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

FINANCE NEWS

TERM 1 FEE ACCOUNTS

Fee Accounts for Term 1 were emailed and posted out on Thursday 2nd February.

If you have not received your Fee Statement, please contact Megan for a copy.

If paying by Direct Deposit, please use your Account Number (6 digit number on your Fee Statement) as the reference.

If you have an outstanding amount and are unable to make any payment, can you please make immediate contact with Bernard or Megan to advise your current situation.

CLASSROOM NEWS

YR1

What an incredible start to 2017 we have had. Eager, bright, smiley faces appeared at the door on the first day and we started learning right away. We have all settled in – including Mrs McCutcheon – and are working hard to learning the rules of school and year 1M.

I’m sure you’ve all heard by now of our hand signals, so here is a little clarification. So as not to disturb learning time in the room, we use hand signals to let our teacher know that we need a bathroom visit, a drink of water, lost my pencil, need a tissue and lastly, I have a question or want to answer a question. We are getting used to this as well as many other new procedures in our classroom.

Last week we used our bodies to make shapes in Maths and started our handwriting book. For both Religion and HASS we started talking about families and how we are all different. If your child hasn’t already asked we’d love a copy of a family photo to put on our wall.

We are looking forward to starting our homework in Week 4 and learning lots of new things. Please join us this Thursday (9th) night at 6pm for our information night where we will give you heaps of information about the year ahead and how homework will work in Year One.

Mrs McCutcheon and Yr 1M

CONCERT AT THE CATHEDRAL COLLEGE

Concert at The Cathedral College, with Fr Rob Galea - Thursday 16 February, commencing at 6.00pm with a sausage sizzle at 5.00pm. Cost $5.00

Fr Rob Galea is a Catholic Priest currently serving in the Sandhurst Diocese in Victoria and is well known for his singing and song writing. Fr Rob has featured on Channel 10’s The Project and was a contestant in Australia’s 2015 The X Factor. He was also involved in the 2008 and 2016 World Youth Day songs.

To assist with catering for the sausage sizzle please RSVP to frrobgaleaconcert@tccr.com.au.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students and staff who will celebrate their birthday this week. They are: James Sandilands (6B), Abigail West (3T), Alysha Munster (6F), Mia Duncan (PW), Harrison Lentell (6F), Amaya Murphy (1M), Oliver Smith (2F), Cooper Lee (PW), Abby Richardson (5C) and Hana Salam (6F). Have a great day.

PUPIL FREE DAY

This is a reminder that on our PUPIL FREE DAY, there will be no OSHC, as staff will be attending the Bishop’s In-service also.

NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME

Do you know of someone who has a diagnosed disability? If the answer is YES then PLEASE READ THIS….

The NDIS supports people with a permanent and significant disability that affects their ability to take part in everyday activities. This scheme is currently being trailed in Queensland.

The scheme is designed to identify supports to help individuals

• Live their life as independently as possible.
• Achieve goals in education, employment, health and wellbeing.

It also focuses on early intervention where getting early supports can reduce the impact of disability on you or your child. PLEASE READ the attached flyer and attend this session if you are able. Other information and sessions are happening regularly and if you are unsure about whether or not you should attend or have any questions in general please ask and I can point you in the right direction.

Dates: 19th April
Location: Frenchville Sports Club, North Rockhampton
Register Now – Reserve a seat Places are limited

Thanks,
Kath Howell (Learning Support Coordinator)

TUCKSHOP NEWS

The Tuckshop is looking for volunteers who can help out with the preparation for lunches, particularly anyone that can help on a Monday or Tuesday. It does not have to be every week; any time you can spare would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to help out, please drop by the tuckshop any morning Monday to Thursday and let me know.

Also, a new tuckshop list was sent home on the first day of school. Please refer to the 2017 list for all current pricing.

Thank you
Sue Clarke

BREAKFAST CLUB

Breakfast Club is back up and running. For any new parents, this is a free service run by volunteer parents. It is offered Tuesday - Thursday before school.

Anyone who would be able to spare 15 to 20 minutes to help out on any of these mornings, would be greatly appreciated.

Also, donations of breakfast items such as margarine, jam, honey, vegemite, milo, cereal and fruit would also be greatly appreciated. (please remember no nuts).

We would like to thank the Joey’s community for their continued support.

Sue Clarke

CASSEROLE CLUB

We are in need of some frozen meals for our Casserole Club. These meals can be Stews/casseroles, mild curries, Spaghetti Bolognese, etc – whatever can be made, frozen, defrosted and heated.

We distribute these meals to families who are finding things a little tough from time to time. And as little as a frozen meal for dinner goes a long way. If you could help us out, please see Sue in the Tuckshop for some containers for the meals to go in. We do ask that you put the name of the meal and the date that it was cooked on the lid. Your help is greatly appreciated by all who receive.

Thank you

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 on Tuesday afternoons from 2:45pm - 3:00pm.

UNIFORM SHOP

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

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

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

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN 2017

Enrolments for Instrumental Music are still open! A reminder to new, interested students as well as those wishing to continue that they should complete their enrolment as soon as possible to avoid missing out on a place in the program.

There are still a high number of vacancies on clarinet, trombone and trumpet and these instruments have had their hire fee reduced to only $16 per term.

Further information and the link to enrol is available at the link below. Some forms are also available at the school office, but enrolments must be online, or a scanned copy of the form emailed to Alexia_Lally@emmaus.qld.edu.au.

Any queries can be directed to Alexia Lally at Emmaus College (Yaamba Road) – 49235700/Alexia_Lally@emmaus.qld.edu.au.

FRIDAY PIZZA

Meatlovers 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

DRAKES SUPA IGA

Simply scan your Drakes Supa IGA key tag and the checkout with your groceries, and automatically 1 cent 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

FINAL CELEBRATIONS FOR ST MARIA GORETTI CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Community of St Maria Goretti Catholic Church, Thozet Road, North Rockhampton would like to invite any past parishioners or interested people to attend their final celebration of Mass on Sunday 19th February at 7am. The church has been operational since 1958 and over that time many families have come and gone, so we would like to see as many representatives of those families as possible at our final Mass. Following the Mass there will be a farewell breakfast, where memories can be shared and tales told.

THE HAVEN

Recently the Catholic Education Office in Rockhampton purchased The Haven. This is once again available for hire. Please see attachment for more information or contact Robyn Bourne for viewings of the site, tariffs and bookings.

Phone: 0438 507917 (during office hours Monday to Friday)
Email: the haven@rok.catholic.net.au

ROCKHAMPTON BASKETBALL AUSSIE HOOPS

Aussie Hoops is a 7 week learn to play basketball program for children in Yrs 1 – 6. Please see attached flyer for all details