6 November 2019

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

I would like to begin this week by saying thank you to Mick McLaughlin from the Catholic Education Office who has been extremely generous with his time in making himself available to the St Joseph’s community for our capital works information sessions. Madden’s Architects have also provided us with fantastic ideas in their plans and being able to view the 3D walkthroughs of the upcoming redevelopment project has been wonderful.

We have very exciting times ahead at St Joseph’s.

In preparation for the commencement of our capital works, some of our furniture and resources that we will not need in the immediate future will begin to be put into storage or moved this week by WridgWays removalists. WridgWays will return again in Week 8 after the demountables are delivered later this term to complete the larger more involved move in preparation for the 2020 school year.

At this point in time we have a number of families with outstanding fees in 2019. I would appeal to all those families to please make time to visit me and continue to prioritise the relationship between both the school and home. While the school continues to strive in providing the best possible opportunities for our students to access the curriculum in a faith filled way, I ask that families also continue to honour their commitment to the school. When fees are not paid, it makes it difficult to resource the school to the best of our ability which affects our whole school community. I especially urge those with students completing Year 6 this year to address this situation before moving on to high school. Your consideration of this difficult situation is much appreciated.

Class lists for 2020 have now been finalised. Thank you to those parents who booked in to see me with requests over the last few weeks. Information on your child’s classroom teacher for next year will be emailed to you before the end of the school year. In the case of our Prep classes, emails will be sent home with the names of both Prep teachers for 2020 as they will be beginning the new school year together in the library.

If for whatever reason your child may not be returning in 2020, please see me as soon as possible so I have the opportunity to fill the vacant position as we do have waiting lists in most year levels.

Again, I have included a list of most of the important dates for the remainder of the school year. Please take the time to put them into your family calendar.

Don’t Forget …

• Booklist 2020 Note sent home with every child, Wednesday 16th October
• Year 5 School Disco, Thursday 14th November
• Emmaus Mass & Farewell to Year 12 Students, Friday 15th November
• Final Children’s Mass of 2020, Saturday 16th November in OLHC @ 6:30pm
• Swimming Carnival, Week 7 - Wednesday 20th November
• Semester 2 Cultural Performance Assembly, Monday 25th November @ 8:35am in MPA
• Emmaus Year 6 Orientation Day, Thursday 21st November
• Presentation Night, Thursday 28th Nov @ 6:00pm in MPA
• Season C Sport Finishes, Friday 29th November
• Semester 2 Academic Awards Assembly, Monday 2nd Dec @ 8:35am in MPA
• Semester 2 Reports posted to Parent Lounge, Tuesday 3rd December
• Year 6 Graduation Mass, Wednesday 4th December @ 6:00pm
• Year 6 Fun Day, Thursday 5th December
• End of Year Mass/2019 Leadership Induction, Friday 6th December 9:00am
• St Joseph’s school office closes for holiday break, Friday 6th December
• St Joseph’s school office reopens for 2019, Monday 13th January (To be confirmed)
• 2020 School year commences, Tuesday 28th January @ 8:35am

Have a great week.

Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
St. Joseph’s PA Principal

APRE REFLECTION

Jesus enters the house of Zacchaeus.
The Gospel of Luke 19:1-10

In today’s gospel, Jesus has drawn very near to Jerusalem – Jericho is just a short distance from Jerusalem. Zacchaeus is as keen as the rest of Jericho to see Jesus as he passes through the town. However, because he is so short, he can’t see past the crowd and because he is a despised tax collector, no one was going to make room for him to see. He goes to the extreme length of climbing a tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Like other characters in the gospel, his determination to simply catch sight of Jesus is an indication of his readiness to accept the message of Jesus.

Tax collectors were hated by most Jews at the time of Jesus. Firstly, the taxes they collected were going to support Rome – a foreign, Gentile power that was an unwelcome occupying force in Palestine. The Jews’ taxes were paying the wages of the army that occupied their country, so tax collectors were seen as collaborators with the enemy. Secondly, the system of tax collection lent itself to abuse and corruption. Tax collectors were required to collect a certain amount from their district; any excess they collected was theirs to keep – that was their income.

It is the muttering, grumbling crowd who are called to conversion; called to soften their hearts and see a faithful man where they have previously only seen a sinner. Throughout the gospel, the welcome and acceptance Jesus extends to the ‘outsider’ and the ‘sinner’ confronts and challenges those who would hold themselves up as being better than these others.

Where in your community do you see signs of welcome and acceptance?

Where do you see the need for welcome and acceptance?

@Liturgy Help – Greg Sunter

Bernadette Brennan
Assistant Principal Religious Education

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
5.00pm Holy Family
6.30pm Our Lady Help of Christians

Sunday
7.00am St Mary’s
9.00am Holy Family

RELIGIOUS MATTERS

What’s Happening this Term

PRESENTATION NIGHT

This year our Presentation Night will be Thursday 28th November and the theme is Joyous Christmas. Classes will be presenting songs and some dance performances during the evening which commences at 6:00pm. Our annual school awards will also be presented throughout this evening.

Final Children’s Mass for 2019

Our final Children’s Mass with the Our Lady Help of Christians Parish will be held Saturday evening the 16th of November at 6:30pm. It would be lovely to have as many of the Joey’s community come along to celebrate. It would be especially great to have as many of our Year 6 students as possible as it will be their last parish mass as St Joseph’s Park Avenue students. Hope to see you there.

Vinnies Appeal

Following the overwhelming success of last year’s Vinnies Appeal, the annual Christmas hampers are commencing this week. Baskets will be filled all over the school with goodies for Christmas. In case you missed the note earlier this week, the breakdown of adopted families is below.

This year we have a few options when donating to help those families in our community who may not otherwise have a joyous Christmas:

1. donate Christmas grocery items – NO Chocolate or choc coated products
2. donate some Christmas grocery items and some cash
3. donate cash

*Cash donations will be used to purchase 1 gift for each family member*

Representatives from SVDP will be here for a special handover assembly on Wednesday 4th December at 8:35am. Please support this appeal where possible.

Bernadette Brennan
Assistant Principal Religious Education

SPORTING MATTERS

Oz Tag

Basketball

T20

Bernadette Brennan
Sports Co-ordinator

CURRICULUM NEWS

Booklist Supplies Procedures for 2020

A very important note went home a couple of weeks ago explaining a change in procedures for the ordering of back to school booklist requirements for 2020. I strongly encourage you to read it carefully as it has the potential to save you a significant amount of time and money on your child’s back to school supplies for next year. If you are having trouble locating that note or your child’s booklist, they have been added to the Skoolbag app under the parent notes section. If you have any questions about the process or need some assistance with placing your order, please come and see me. To have your order delivered to your home before the start of the 2020 school year, please place your order by Sunday, 15th December. So far people are saying that the process is very easy to follow and has saved families a significant amount of money. If you have any feedback on this new process, I’d love to hear it and pass it on to Kookaburra Educational Resources.

If you’d prefer to purchase from Capricorn Educational Resources, there is a box in the school office to place your order sheet.

Regards,
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

CLASSROOM MYTHBUSTERS

Prep G

FINANCE NEWS

TERM 4 FEE ACCOUNTS

Fee Accounts for Term 4 were due for payment on Monday 28th October. These are now overdue and require your urgent attention.

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

Just a reminder to any Year 6 students that may be leaving the school at the end of the year, to please finalise accounts or make an appointment to see Mr Fitzgerald and myself in regards to this.

OSHC FOR 2020

ASC booking/enrolment forms are now open for 2020. Please see attachment below, Chelsea or the office for forms.

OSHC is seeking your support to collect the following items to create a Loose Parts outdoor area.

Crates, Rope, Lengths of PVC Pipe, Lengths of Wood/Boards, Nets, Buckets/Baskets, Containers (Milk, Yoghurt etc), Metal Tins, Spools, Pots and Pans, Textiles (Sheets, Shower Curtains, Blankets, Tarps etc) and Laundry Baskets.

If you have any of these items and would like to donate them please contact Chelsea on 0408703482.

Thank you for your support

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students and staff who will celebrate their birthday this week.

They are: Kaeli Kirkman (PG), Hunter Arnold (1H), Riley Slater (Yr 6), Mrs Tennyson (3T) and Mrs Crosthwaite (Office).

Have a great day.

P & F NEWS

The swimming carnival is two weeks away, and the P&F are looking to run the BBQ to provide a sausage sizzle for dinner. A note will go home tomorrow about orders for your family. We will require help to cook and serve on the night as well, even if it’s only for half an hour, in between watching races. Any help is much appreciated, and we’d love for some new faces to come and join in.

Speaking of new faces, we’d love to see as many new families come along to our P&F AGM this Monday at 5:30 pm. Come and have a bite to eat and see what we’ve been up to. If you’ve never been before, this is a perfect time to start. If you’re unsure, come and have a chat to a few P&F representatives and have a cuppa after assembly at the Coffee and Chat.

As the year winds down, we’re asking that all returning families to the school, if you haven’t already, get in and register for our online tuckshop service Quickcliq. As of next year, the tuckshop is cashless, and will not accept money in paper bags. The link can be found below, and it’s also on the app. It’s quick and easy.

Reminder:

Thanks,
Joeys P&F

SCHOOL COUNSELLOR

The digital age is here with fast devices, easy access, social connectivity and use of devices to aid learning.

It feels like for us as adults there are many competing demands, and digital devices and screen time have become a familiar feature around the home, in the car and at school.

It is tricky to work out how you will have conversations with your kids about how they can use these devices, when, for how long, what they can see and use, what games and apps, as well as talking about online safety and privacy.

How do you use devices and role model setting limits around use of devices and have your own screen free time? Kids look to us to work out what and how to use devices.

Do you have some limits and expectations for the whole family about device free time; no social media apps, no devices in bedrooms, or no devices at the dinner table to be able to have some quality time as a family?

Is their screen time skill building fun that allows them to create or are they consumed by the need to be on it and it has become a distraction for your child?

This is an ongoing space that parents are navigating, looking for ways to balance screen time with allowing space for your kids to get some downtime to just play, use their imagination and connect with family. Also we worry about how to navigate expectations for use and online safety with what they can see or access with the click of a button. It's okay to stop and think about this. Redefine the rules.  Explore how and when things might be used and to think about the habits that are forming now.

If digital devices are having a presence in your child's or familiy life that is dragging away from fun family time or social play, maybe this could be an opportunity to rethink and ask “What works for us?“

A question could be – “What impact is screen time having in our lives?” Is it creating any unhelpful impacts like loss of sleep, distracting kids from their school work/learning, changes in behaviour, giving up sport or even being short tempered about getting off the device when it is time to leave the house?

Digital devices are at the ready to be used by humans to aid their learning, build knowledge, create fun, connect with others and can be useful, handy and grow other skills, when there is purpose to their use and some moderation.

I have included some quick links to visit if you have been thinking about how to manage screen time in your house.

Some quick links to help you think or renegotiate the use of digital devices

Online safety – check out the safety commission site

Michelle Hoffman
Counsellor
Direct: (07) 4923 5700
Emmaus College - Tuesdays & Alternate Mondays - (07) 49235 700
St Joseph's Park Avenue - Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - (07) 4994 8205

TUCKSHOP NEWS

We are now half way through the term and soon the school year will be coming to end. Tuckshop will be starting to run stock down and certain items will become unavailable. If you order via Quickcliq, those items will be unavailable to order. If a substitution needs to be made and there is a price difference, a refund will be made(partial or full) via Quickcliq. If you still order via brown paper bag, please also take into consideration that your child may get a substitution.

Thank You,
Debbie Rooney

PARENT LOUNGE

Changes to your address, phone number or work phone number can be made in Parent Lounge. To do this, log in through the Skoolbag App, go to the Parent Details tab, make your changes, and then submit.

Changes to Parent Lounge are the submission of your child’s absentee days (but only for the current term). It will be similar to the way you do this on the Skoolbag app. Once accepted our end (when we log into our computer), this will be entered straight onto our system, and saves the double handling.

SCHOOL BANKING

School banking happens every Thursday.

If you wish to start school banking, you need to open a Youth Saver Account at the Commonwealth bank, make no deposit and they will provide you with your banking book and details.

Please send your child’s banking book in so they can place it in the grey classroom-banking bag.

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 do not 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 conduct induction sessions in the tuckshop, if you are helping 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 and Wednesday afternoon from 2:45 – 3:15.

Please feel free to drop any uniforms you no longer need so they can be 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 inside.

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 at 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