31 January 2018

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL

Welcome back to the start of the 2018 school year, with our first official newsletter.

Even with the Australia Day holiday last week, it has still been a great start to the year with both new and familiar faces settling well into the school routines.

A very special welcome to all of our new families; we trust that you will find our fantastic school community to be very warm and welcoming.

As I mentioned in last week’s parent letter, we welcome Mrs Rebecca Gabriel, Mrs Gisele Vaz De Miranda and Mr Paul Nicholson into Prep and Years 5 and 6 respectively, and Garret Slade, our new PE teacher. We also congratulate Mrs Nicole Anderson on her appointment as a new Learning Support/Literacy Support Teacher in 2018.

I am sure we will all make these people feel very welcome over the next few weeks as they continue to find their feet at our wonderful school.

We also welcome our new Parish Priest Fr. Marcel Kujur who has already met with the teaching staff and will soon begin regular visits to our school in order to meet the students.

Fr. Marcel will be celebrating our opening school mass this week on Friday, February the 2nd. The mass will be held in OLHC at 9:00am with everyone welcome to attend.

I will also take this opportunity to congratulate Fr Jomon Poothara who on the weekend celebrated 10 years as a priest and was acknowledged by our faith community at our Saturday evening vigil mass.

Don’t forget that this Thursday, 1st February, we will be having a Welcome Barbecue in the Multi-Purpose Area, commencing at 5:30pm and hope to see as many families as possible – please come along for a chat and a bite to eat. If you have not yet brought back your note for catering, just drop it into the office, as we would love to see you there. I will also take this time to thank the school’s P&F Association for what I know will be a wonderful night.

In Week 3, on Wednesday 7th and Thursday, 8th of February we will be holding Parent Information Nights for our Year 1-6 parents; each approximately one hour in duration.

Wednesday, 7th

• 5:00pm Yr 6 & Yr 3
• 6:00pm Yr 2

Thursday, 8th

• 5:00pm Yr 1 & Yr 4
• 6:00pm Yr 5

It is important for parents to attend these sessions, where possible. Information regarding both school and classroom procedures will be addressed, along with the distribution of new parent handbooks, discussions around behaviour, uniform, and where applicable, sacramental programs, student ICY use, school camps, and the like.

A very important note regarding student protection information in relation to St Joseph’s Park Avenue was sent home with each student earlier this week. Please take the time to read this letter and discuss the themes addressed with your own children in order to reinforce these important messages from the school community. One of the items addressed is making the community aware of the school’s designated student protection contacts. This year Miss Brook Black and myself will be joined by Mrs Katherine Howell as the school’s Student Protection contacts and were officially introduced to the students on at our first Monday morning assembly. Taking the time to go over this letter with your children would be greatly appreciated.

Thank-you to all of our parents and students who have made a tremendous effort to begin the school year with both the correct school uniform and suitable haircuts.

Don’t Forget …

• Welcome BBQ, Thurs 1st Feb 5:30pm.
• Opening School Mass, Fri 2nd Feb 9:00am in OLHC church.
• Parent Information Nights, Wed 7th & Thurs 8th Feb.
• Bishop’s In-service Day, Fri 16th Feb (Pupil Free Day)

Have a great week and I look forward to working with you in 2018.

Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
St. Joseph’s PA Acting Principal

APRE REFLECTION

This year as part of the School Improvement Plan we will be spending some time focusing on the Catholic Social Teachings. There are eight principles of Catholic Social Teaching and these cover all areas of life – economic, political, personal and spiritual.

The first principle we investigate is Preferential Option for the Poor and the key question we will focus on in classes is “What is Justice for the Poor?” Throughout the term we will learn about caring for the poor and sharing the world’s resources.

“You are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor man, but you are giving him back what is his. The earth belongs to everyone, not to the rich.”
St Ambrose

Bernadette Brennan
Acting APRE

RELIGIOUS MATTERS

Our Opening Mass for the school year is this Friday, 2nd February commencing at 9.00am. We would love to have parents and friends come along and help celebrate the start of the year.

Pupil Free Day

A reminder that next week, Friday 16th 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 Emmaus College and as such the office will be closed on Friday, 16th.

First Children’s Mass

Next week on Saturday, 17th February we will be celebrating the first of our Children’s Masses for the year. These are always special celebrations in which the children participate in the ministries and we lead the hymns with children’s hymns. I encourage you to mark these on your calendars and join in these occasions where possible.

Bernadette Brennan
Acting APRE

Mass times

Weekday

Tuesday 9.00am Holy Family
Wednesday 12.00 Noon St Mary’s
Thursday 8.00am Emmaus College (Yaamba Rd)
Friday 9.00am Our Lady Help of Christians

Weekend

Saturday – Vigil
6.00pm Holy Family
6.00pm Our Lady Help of Christians

Sunday
7.00am St Mary’s
9.00am Holy Family

SPORTING MATTERS

Rockhampton District Selection Trials

Term 1

Below are the Rockhampton and District Trials (RDS) 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. Alternatively, the forms can be downloaded in the Parents Notes section of the Skoolbag App.

• Basketball – Boys & Girls (10-12yrs) - Week 4
• AFL – Boys (10-12yrs) - Week 5
• Netball – Girls (10-11 yrs & 10-12yrs) - Week 5
• Hockey – Boys & Girls (10-12 yrs) - Week 7
• Rugby League – Boys (10yrs, 11yrs & 12yrs) Girls (11-12yrs) - Week 7
• Tennis – Boys & Girls (10-12yrs) - Week 9
• Touch Football – Boys & Girls (10-12 yrs) - Week 9
• Rugby Union – Boys (10-12yrs) - 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.

Friday Inter-School Sport

Inter-school Season A sport commences next Friday 2nd February for all children aged 10, 11 and 12 (born 2008, 2007, 2006) The sports we are participating in this year are OZ Tag and soccer. Season A runs through until week 2 of term 2 when the finals are held. Student preferences will be collated this week and children will be notified of their teams. Draws will be published in the newsletter and on the Skoolbag App each week.

Students playing in inter-school Soccer are required to have their own socks, boots & shin pads as safety equipment. Please ensure children have sufficient sized water bottles to take with them.

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

Have a great week
Bernadette Brennan
Acting APRE

TOUCH FOOTBALL JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT DAY

Rockhampton Touch Assoc is holding their annual Development Day for juniors interested in learning more about Touch footy. This event is open to every child from the ages 9 to 16 no matter what experience or skill level they are.

(Children under 9 may find skills and drills a bit advanced and the morning too long.)

Date: Sunday 4th February 2018
Times: 9.00am till 11.30pm (8.30 arrival for registration please)
Bring: Hat and water bottle and wear shoes and sunscreen
Provided: Morning tea is provided.
Cost: NO Cost

Anyone interested should email Denise at admin@rockytouch.com for more details or to register to attend (for catering purposes and to ensure sufficient coaches and support staff are in attendance).

CURRICULUM NEWS

Welcome back to school for what I’m sure will be a very productive 2018 school year.

Important Curriculum Dates – Term 1

Parent Information Nights

Our Parent Information Nights will be held next week on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th 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. A note regarding these nights went home early this week.

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.

More information about this program can be found at the website below.

ICAS

The University of New South Wales will, once again, be running the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) in 2018. 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 5th March (beginning of Week 7 - Term 1).

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 below.

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 Accuracy.

Strategy – Use pictures, illustrations and diagrams

Yes, it is ok for children to look at the picture to help them work out a word. It is a common misconception that looking at the picture is ‘cheating’. At Joey’s we actively teach this strategy to the students and encourage them to use the picture to help provide clues to what they are reading.

Illustrations give clues about the meaning of words and text. Paying attention to the pictures may also confirm the meaning of words. Students learn to cross check which means asking themselves: do the pictures match what I think the word means and does it make sense?

Spelling:

At St Joseph’s we teach spelling using a word study approach. Students learn different strategies and rules associated with spelling. They also participate in various activities to help consolidate their learning. Below is a strategy / activity you can do at home to assist your child/ren to master their current spelling pattern.

Strategy – 3D words. Use play dough or clay to sculpt your spelling words. This strategy provides children with another way of seeing their words which will hopefully help them to visualise the words when they are writing.

If there are any curriculum related concerns or questions you may have throughout the year, please don’t hesitate to book a time to discuss these concerns or questions with me.

Regards,
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

FINANCE NEWS

2018 FAMILY INFORMATION UPDATE (Yellow)

Family Information update forms (Yellow) were sent home last week with students.

These forms are to confirm or update your address, your contact and emergency contact details for students attending St Joseph’s.

Forms were due back MONDAY 29th JANUARY 2018.

ALL forms MUST be returned to the school (Even if all details are correct or unchanged)

Fee Accounts for Term 1 will be issued by the end of the week.

If contact was made with the school regarding outstanding fees and your circumstances have changed, your immediate contact with the school is also requested.

A Diocesan family discount form was sent home towards the end of the 2017 school year.

This form is used to calculate the discount you are eligible for if you have other students at St Joseph’s (same family) or attending other primary and secondary schools in the Rockhampton Diocese.

If this form has not been returned, the school is unable to incorporate discounts you may be eligible for.

CLASSROOM NEWS

Prep M

Greeting from Prep M! What a fantastic start we have had to the 2018 school year. The Prep students have settled into their classrooms and are establishing new friendships through learning and play. The Prep team has been busy helping students become familiar with their new surroundings, classroom rules and routines.

Students have already had the opportunity to participate in music, health and physical education lessons. In the classroom we are focusing on improving and refining our fine motor skills with creative activities while introducing numeral and letter recognition.

Students have started to wonder about God and participate in daily prayer. We are excited at the curiosity they demonstrate for learning during our daily rotations and are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead filled with faith, learning and new opportunities.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students and staff who will celebrate their birthday this week. They are: Mercedez Dougan (6), Luke Gilson (6), Blaine Fergusson (4), Wesley Johnson (PM), Matari Tanner (2J) and Miss Agius.

Have a great day.

SCHOOL BANKING

School Banking will commence tomorrow Thursday and will be every Thursday throughout the year.

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, and on Tuesday afternoons from 2:30pm - 3:00pm. Sue Clarke will also be conducting induction sessions in the tuckshop, if you are helping out in there.

Thanks

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 hand 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