15 February 2017

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL

We had a truly wonderful Opening Mass last Friday with Fr Matt Maloney. Fr Matt addressed the school community and had them all responding and laughing with him. He also challenged everyone in attendance to truly live our 2017 school theme this year, that theme being; ‘BE THE SOMEONE TO SOMEONE IN NEED.’ Fr Matt went on to explain to the school community that in order to be that ‘someone’ we need to always strive to CARE for one another, FORGIVE one another and most importantly LOVE one another in all that we say and do. Great advise for adults and children alike.

Dance Fever kicked off a couple of weeks ago and both of our instructors, Rachel and Indi were very complimentary of our students behaviour and how much they were able to teach in the first couple of sessions. Dance Fever will culminate in a Parent Showcase performance in the second last week of Term 1. The date of the showcase will be forwarded in the next few weeks.

This Wednesday will be our first School Board meeting for the year. The School Board plays a very important role in supporting the school and helping shape the educational direction of our school. I would appeal to all of our school community that if you would like to become a member of the school Board please contact me through the school office to find out more information.

Our annual Bishop’s In-service Day for all staff is being held this Friday. This means that Friday the 17th will be a pupil free day. Due to all staff attending this professional development day Outside of School Hours Care will also not be operating that day. Sorry in advance for any inconvenience.

This weekend we will celebrate our first Children’s Mass for the year. It is always wonderful to have a great representation of staff, students and parents celebrating with our parishioners as a combined faith community.

Please bring along a plate of food to share for a light supper after mass.

Hope to see you there

Don’t Forget …

• First School Board Meeting for the year, Wed 15th Feb @ 5:30pm
• Bishop’s In-service Day, Fri 17th Feb (Pupil Free Day)
• First Children’s Mass for the year, Sat 18th Feb @ 6:00pm
• First P&F Meeting for the year, Tues 21st Feb

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

Children’s Mass This Saturday

This 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 all families to come along and share in this Eucharistic celebration. The Joey’s tradition is to bring a plate to share supper and a chat after mass. All are welcome.

SACRAMENTS – Confirmation / Eucharist Program

An information night for the Confirmation/Eucharist programme will be held on Wednesday, 22 February at 6:30pm in the Holy Family Catholic Church Hall.

Children do not have to be there but at least one parent/carer must attend.

Families who participated in our 2016 Penance programme should receive an invitation by email.

For further information, please contact the Parish office (4928 2800) or berylmills18@gmail.com.

Bernadette Brennan
St Joseph’s PA Acting APRE

SPORTING MATTERS

No Inter-school Sport This Friday

This Friday, staff from all the catholic schools will be attending Bishop’s In-service Day so the students will have a pupil free day. Inter-school sport will recommence next Friday 24th February.

Rockhampton District Selection Trials - Reminder

Term 1

I have received details about Rockhampton and District Trials for the following Primary School sports happening in Term 1. If your child has the prerequisite skills and you wish for them to trial in the following sports you can contact me through the school office to obtain the appropriate trial forms. Trial forms need to be submitted two days before the trials commence.

• Netball – Girls (10-11 yrs & 10-12yrs) - Week 6
• Rugby Union – Boys (10-12yrs) - Week 8
• Touch Football – Boys & Girls (10-12 yrs) - Week 8
• Soccer – Girls (10-12yrs) - Week 8
• Hockey – Boys & Girls (10-12 yrs) - Week 9
• Tennis – Boys & Girls (10-12yrs) - Week 9
• Soccer – Boys (10-12yrs) - Week 8
• Rugby League – Boys (10yrs, 11yrs & 12yrs) Girls (11-12yrs) - Week 9

Please be aware that for your child to attend these trials as a 10 year old student that they would need to be exceptional as they will be competing against students up to 12 years of age.

Bernadette Brennan
St Joseph’s PA Acting APRE

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.

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)

Start Smart Sessions

During this week 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.

Week 4 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 Fluency.

Strategy – Practise Common Sight Words and High-Frequency Words.

Once children have a solid bank of sight words which they can recognise quickly their fluency will improve because they won’t be stopping at every word to try to decode it. It is essential for fluency that your child knows their sight words.

Spelling

Strategy – Bubble Letters: Write and colour each of your spelling words in bubble letters or fancy shapes.

Regards
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

FINANCE NEWS

TERM 1 FEES are due on Wednesday 15th February

Fee Accounts for Term 1 are due for payment today Wednesday 15th February.

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

If your account still remains unpaid please contact Bernard or Megan to advise when it will be settled.

CLASSROOM NEWS

YR6

Written by Calan Gear & Megan Shephard

What a busy start to our last year of primary school!

In novel study for this term we are looking at a book called ‘Seven Little Australians’. We listen to the book and then complete activities for that chapter. Seven Little Australians is full of mischief and adventure.

In science this term we are learning about micro-organisms! We have been looking at the conditions in which yeast and mould like to grow, which has turned into some yucky discoveries!

During P.E this term the whole school is doing Dance Fever. Our dance instructors (Rachel and Indi) are super fun and make us work very hard. We are choreographing our own crazy cultural dance where we get to add a bit of our own personality into the dance and we are trying to be very creative with that.

In Maths, we have been learning a lot of new topics as well as revising some old ones from last year. We are learning new strategies in problem solving and find this workshop a lot of fun!

In religion we’re learning about the Luturgical seasons of the church. From finding bible references to researching the colour to represent different seasons.

And the most exciting thing, camp! We’ll be going away for basically all of the last week of this term. Everyone is already talking about climbing trees, being outdoors, and all the other fun activities we will be doing! Can’t wait!

All of us in grade six are busy with ideas for fund raisers. The student council has been coming up with a list of ideas, such as having a dress up day!

Finally, Art. We made a giant heart that’s split into random colours. We each had a part we needed to colour in and the teachers put it together, its currently up on display and looks amazing! Lots of hands make light work! We are also starting to write our name and a pattern on a triangular piece of paper, these will also go up near the heart to make it look like it is shining!

We have our first Prayer Assembly next week, our theme is about everyone having special qualities and how we should use these to help each other out. Hope to see you there!

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.

NORTH-SIDE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

Holy Family, St Mary’s &
Our Lady Help of Christians

Last week a letter was read out to all our communities from the Bishop sharing the news of the availability of priests in our Diocese. As of Easter 2017, our communities will have only one full time active priest on the north-side. We will not have the use of priests from the south-side during the week or on the weekend.

This necessitates our communities to radically look at the Mass roster during the week and also on the weekends so that Mass can be celebrated in our churches. Other changes will have to be looked at also like the timing of baptisms in each of our communities with only one priest.

An invitation is extended to all members of our worshipping communities to a “North-side Parish Assembly” to be held in the Holy Family Church Hall on Sunday the 5th of March at 10.30am, to see a way into the future. Some very difficult decisions will have to be made and each community will be affected in some way.

Fr Trevor Trotter ssc, from Brisbane will help as a facilitator at the gathering. I hope and pray that together we can look to a future where Bishop Michael says our communities can ‘continue to be vibrant and a living experience of the Lord.’

Fr Matthew Moloney

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students and staff who will celebrate their birthday this week. They are: Jacinta Dives (5T), Gabriel Maker (1M), Kathleen Phillips (5C), Angus Ballinger (6B), Mace Downie (PW), Shari Wust (5T) and Mr Carrington (5C) Have a great day.

PUPIL FREE DAY

This is a reminder that on our PUPIL FREE DAY (this Friday the 17th February), 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.

The Uniform Shop has quite a lot of good second hand uniforms. Please feel free to pop in (at the opening times above), and have a look.

There are second had Emmaus uniforms also.

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)
• Emu Park

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

PIANO LESSONS

Piano Lessons are available for students from years 1 to 6. A keyboard will suffice to practice on as long as it has no less than 66 keys.

Lessons are for 30 minutes on a rotational basis so the students don’t miss the same class each week and includes Theory.

Please contact Lynette Anstey on 49333661 / 0419358485 or email – anstey.family@bigpond.com for further information.

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