21 March 2018

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL

Welcome to the penultimate week of the Term. I would like to start this week by drawing your attention to the scheduling changes we will have to implement this Friday due to the Rockhampton leg of the Commonwealth Games Baton Relay. Due to road closures, Friday inter-school sport will be commencing 30 minutes earlier than usual in order to ensure that all students can be returned back to school before the road closures take effect. This also means that Year 4’s Prayer Assembly this Friday will be held before morning tea at 10:15am.

The complete schedule just for this Friday the 23rd of March will be:

Morning Bell - 8:35am
Year 4 Prayer Assembly - 10:15am
Lunch - 10:45am
Lunch ends - 11:15am
Sport buses depart - 11:30am
Buses return by - 2:15pm
School finishes - 3:00pm

I have included a map of the relay for those who may be interested in attending.

As always, last Friday’s Feast Day mass for St Joseph’s Day and the Grandparents morning tea that followed was absolutely tremendous. Well done to Mrs Brennan and the students for a wonderful Mass and to all the Joey’s students for their participation in the celebration in very hot conditions.

Mrs McCutcheon and the choir performed beautifully for those whom gathered after mass. Many Grandparents asked me to pass on their thanks to all who honored them throughout the day, such as those in our community who provided food to the parents and students who helped serve on the day.

Thank-you to all those who contributed towards making the day such a wonderful event.

Congratulations to Tracy Wren who was presented with the P&F Community Spirit Award after mass last Friday. You will always see Tracy helping at any Joey’s event and is more than willing to get in and get her ‘hands dirty’ so to speak. Well-done Tracy, your willingness to get in and help over the last ten years has been, and will continue to be, a huge positive for our Joey’s community.

Well done to all who contributed to the Year 6 Easter Raffle that was drawn on Friday at our Grandparents Morning Tea. Due to the generosity of those in our community, over $2178 was raised to help with the Year 6 camp costs.

It was awesome to see over 135 students and their families from the Northside Catholic Parishes come together and celebrate the sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation at Holy Family church last Thursday evening. Well done to all of the families as well as the hard working Sacramental team as they continue to guide our youth in their ongoing faith journey.

St Joseph’s Park Avenue took part in National Stand Up Against Bullying & Violence Day last Friday. After the events of the morning our lower school students took part in various age appropriate lessons as well as creating posters, colouring-in competitions and designing our Prep pathway in a way that promoted ‘Being A Buddy, Not A Bully’ theme. Of course we all work to teach our children how to respect and care for each other every day, but it was great to see our youngest students taking part in this very worthy cause.

Finally, late last year CEO had a production team visit our school so they could make a promotional video for the school. As you may remember, we had just had a tremendous deluge of rain so you may notice that there are not too many outside shots or any of our students playing on the grass. I think the team did a great job to overcome these difficulties during production. I have included a link to the video for your perusal.

Just a reminder that I will be away with the Year 6 class on camp next week. Mrs Deanne Senini will be Acting Principal in my absence. Mrs Senini and Mrs Brennan will be available for you to contact if the need arises.

Don’t Forget …

• Rockhampton Catholic Education Leadership Conference, 20th – 22nd March
• Fete Meeting, Wed 21st March @ 3:15pm
• Commonwealth Games Baton Relay, Rockhampton Leg, Fri 23rd March
• Alteration of normal school routine at SJPA due to Baton Relay, Fri 23rd March
• Palm Sunday, 25th March
• Year 6 Camp @ Chaverim, 26th-29th March
• Holy Thursday, 29th March
• Good Friday, 30th March
• Easter Sunday, 1st April

Have a great week.

Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
St. Joseph’s PA Acting Principal

APRE REFLECTION

Ditosa is a young girl from Mozambique who hopes to go to university and become a police officer. Featured in Project Compassion 2013, Ditosa faced a challenging future with food scarcity, little education and few job prospects. Cared for by her grandmother and aunt, after her parents died of AIDS-related illnesses, they also lost their home and livelihoods in severe flooding.

Ditosa attended the Matuba Children’s Centre (set up by Caritas in 2007) which provides vulnerable children, like Ditosa, with lunch, study help, and computer and income-generating skills training.

In 2018, Ditosa has graduated from school and is ambitious for the future.

With our support, we can help people who do not have what they need to survive. Please donate to Project Compassion boxes in classrooms.

Bernadette Brennan
Acting APRE

RELIGIOUS MATTERS

Grandparents Day

What a wonderful celebration last Friday. It is empowering to see the support we are surrounded by in the Joey’s community. The representation by parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and parishioners was overwhelming and is a testament to the care you have for the education of your children.

Year 4 Prayer Assembly

CHANGE OF TIME to 10:15AM

Year 4 will be leading this week’s prayer assembly at 10:15am to accommodate the changes made to inter-school sport times due to the Queen’s Baton Relay. The Year 4 class are sharing a Palm Sunday assembly with us.

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

Easter Ceremony Times

Holy Thursday: Mass 6.30pm Our Lady Help of Christians
Good Friday: Stations of the Cross 9.30am St Mary’s (followed by Reconciliation)
Service of the Lord’s Passion 3.00pm Holy Family & St Mary’s
Easter Vigil: Mass 6.30pm Our Lady Help of Christians (no Reconciliation before the Vigil)
Easter Sunday: Mass 7.00am St Mary’s, 9.00am Holy Family
Brazilian Mass 10.30am Holy Family, Vietnamese Mass 5.30pm St Mary’s

Bernadette Brennan
Acting APRE

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.

• Touch F/ball –Boys (10-12 yrs) Mar 22 Touch Fields 4pm – 6pm
• Touch F/ball – Girls )10-12 yrs) Mar 27 Touch Fields 4pm - time change

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.

School Cross Country/Fun Run

We are holding a School Run4Fun for the students as a fundraiser next term so we do ask for your support. The event will be held on 19th April (Week 1 next term). The day’s focus is on fun and fitness with the added benefit of raising funds for our school.

This event will be the trial and selection for the school cross country team that will go on and compete at the RDS trials on 1st May.

It’s all about participation, with students treated to a great day as a reward for their fundraising efforts. Family support is key to our fundraising success and we encourage all students to participate. The more money we raise the more we can provide for the students through vital school projects, in particular interschool team fees, playing uniforms and athletics equipment.

The fundraiser commences in this week. The Sponsorship Forms have been sent home with each student to help raise funds for our great school.

Friday Sport

Oz Tag

Boys
St Joey’s Blue v RGS Red on field 4 @ 12:08pm
St Joey’s Maroon v Mt Archer 1 on field 7 @ 12:08pm

Girls
St Joey’s Maroon v St Mary’s 1 on field 6 @ 12:08pm
St Joey’s Blue v Mt Archer 3 on field 6 @ 12:45pm
St Joey’s Navy v The Hall 2 on field 10 @ 12:45pm
St Joey’s White v Allenstown on field 6 @ 1:22pm

Soccer

Yr 6
St Joey’s Blue v Park Avenue SS 6 FORFEIT Park Avenue SS
St Joey’s Maroon v Lakes Creek SS 6 @ Pilbeam Park 1:05pm

Yr 5
St Joey’s Navy v Park Avenue SS 5 FORFEIT by Park Avenue SS
St Joey’s White v Lakes Creek SS 5 @ Pilbeam Park 12:20pm

ALL GAMES ARE EARLIER FOR THIS WEEK ONLY

Bernadette Brennan
Acting APRE

CURRICULUM NEWS

PARENT LOUNGE / PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Last Wednesday evening we held a parent information session outlining the features of Parent Lounge.

Parent Lounge will enable parents to log in to a secure site where they will be able to complete a variety of tasks including:

• Access and print student reports
• Book Official Parent Teacher Interviews
• Update contact details
• View student attendance records

You should have received a letter with your parent code and password. Once you’ve logged on you are able to change your password to something more memorable for you. If the letter hasn’t made it home to you, please contact the office to receive your parent code and password.

This year we are offering parents a second formal parent teacher interview. These formal interviews will be held early next term and the only way you will be able to book an interview will be through parent lounge. Parent lounge will be open for parents in week 10 and over the holidays for you to book interviews for next term. It will close off on the first day back at school next term. A notification will be sent out via the Skoolbag app once parent lounge is open for you to book your interview times.

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:

Regards,
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

FINANCE NEWS

TERM 1 FEES were due on Tuesday 13th February

Fee Accounts for Term 1 were due for payment on Tuesday 13th February.

If your account remains unpaid, these are now FIVE weeks Overdue and require immediate attention.

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

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

CLASSROOM NEWS

Yr 2

Year 2 have been busy this term in class and around the school grounds learning about the school’s history and how students are connected with the Joey’s community.

In HASS we explored how we are connected and stay connected to different people and places in which we live. Our lessons have focussed on important cultural, religious and other places within in our school grounds. Year 2 were fortunate to have our acting principal Mr Fitzgerald take both classes for a tour around our school looking at all our special religious and indigenous places within our great school.

Year 2 have looked at a number of images of our school from past years and have compared ‘Then and Now’. The transformation of Joey’s over the years has really surprised all the children. Students have been looking at special places around our school, including the Adventure Playground, Library and Church. Children have been writing about these special places as ‘My Special Place’ and how they can care for these places, who is in this place, why it’s important to other people and what does it feel like to be in this place?

Last Friday we had many grandparents come visit the school for our annual Grand Parents Day mass and morning tea for St Joseph’s Feast Day. All the children were very excited to spend time with their families and share a feast together. Year 6 had their Easter Raffle draw and congratulations to all the families who managed to win some lovely Easter packages.

Thanks
Mr Joyce and Year 2

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students and staff who will celebrate their birthday this week. They are: Ashley Roberts (6), Elle Honeyball (2J), Hanna Haigh (3F), Lucas Mabb (3T), Ashlea Styles (4), Charlotte Hopkins (PG) & Hannah McCrohon.

Have a great day.

P & F NEWS

The P&F held their AGM recently and so we thank the outgoing committee and welcome in the new. Congratulations to the following:

President: Amanda Conway
Vice President: Amanda Ryan
Treasurer: Tracy Wren
Secretary: Claire Morrison
Diocesan Reps: Wendy Bedford and Shellie Harkin

Did you know, as a parent of the school you are automatically a member of the P&F? You are welcome to attend meetings which are advertised through the school newsletter, app, and noticeboards.

The P&F is an integral part of our Catholic school and provides a formal structure and support network for parents to participate in the activities and decision making processes at the school and to work for the benefit of the school and our children.

Please feel free to join us at our next meeting to learn more about the role of the P&F in our school community and hear the latest news from our principal.

FESTIVAL OF COLOUR – 29TH APRIL 2018 – SAVE THE DATE

Our $25 Unlimited Rides passes have arrived!

The Festival of Colour will be showcasing various rides. These include a Merry-Go-Round, Spinning Cannibal Pots, The Sizzler, a Rock Climbing Wall and 2 Jumping Castles. For $25, you can buy a wrist-band which will give you unlimited rides on the day.

Passes are available for purchase from the office, and the wristbands will be available to pick up at the ride counter on the day. They will available right up until the fete, but be sure to get in early as if it’s left until the day, unlimited ride passes will cost $30 instead. Happy riding!

Fete Raffle tickets have been sent home. More are available from the office if required. As a special incentive, the family who sells the most raffle tickets, will receive a free ride pass at the fete.

Sponsors of the week

This week we shine the spotlight on JM Kelly Builders to thank them for their support of the Festival of Colour.

Being one of Queensland’s largest privately owned construction companies, there wouldn’t be too many people in Rocky who haven’t heard of, or seen a JM Kelly logo around the place. For over 50 years the JM Kelly name has been synonymous with projects in and around Central Queensland, employing nearly 400 people across its vast group of companies. Yet with all the hard work, their backbone; the Murphy family, still find time to be valued school and parish community members. You’ll find them at 212 Richardson Road North Rockhampton, on (07) 4931 4011 and online at the link below. With this, we again thank JM Kelly builders for their contribution to the Festival of Colour.

SCHOOL BANKING

Don’t forget School Banking every Thursday. This is for all students from Prep to Yr 6

LIBRARY NEWS

As we approach the Easter Holidays, library borrowing is winding up.

All books are due back this week on your child’s usual library day.

Thank you,
Michelle Roberts

TUCKSHOP NEWS

Attached is the 2018 Tuckshop menu. Please refer to this when pricing your tuckshop. Tuckshop have had a few orders which are using last years’ prices. If your menu does not have 2018, please disregard it and use the attached one.

Debbie is also looking for a few more volunteers to help out on Monday to Thursday. Please pop in and see Debbie if you can spare a few hours on any of these days – or even just 1 hour. To help out you will have to have a current Bluecard and have done the Volunteer Induction session with Mrs Senini on either a Monday morning after assembly in the MPA area or a Wednesday afternoon from 2:30pm in the office.

Thanks

VACATION CARE

Please find attached the Vacation Care Program and also the Booking Form. If you are looking at care for your child/children and have not yet booked in, could you please do so by calling Chelsea on 0408 703 482.

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 don’t take long and are available after assembly on a Monday morning with Deanne Senini, and on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30pm - 3:00pm. Debbie Rooney 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

SINGING LESSONS

Small group singing lessons (for years 2-6) have now commenced at St Joseph's. We have had many students interested in learning and Mrs Ellis will be closing enrolments THIS Friday. Singing is a fantastic way to build confidence and ensemble skills, lower stress and improve mental alertness. Lesson fees are $100 per term. Please contact Mrs Ellis on 041878096 or elliskate@live.com if you require further information.