11 November 2020

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents & Guardians

Today we marked Remembrance Day with a lovely Prayer Assembly by our Year 2 students. We payed our respects to the men and women who have fought for our country and especially those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy today.

‘LEST WE FORGET’

It is great to already see some of our new school formal socks being worn. Remember, these socks are in stock and can be purchased from Wearitto. A pack costs $13.50 and contains 2 pairs. These socks become mandatory after the first Term of 2021.

This week, my staff began looking at class groupings for 2021. As you can imagine, this is not quite as complex as it has been in past years due to the entire school transitioning to our new open learning classrooms in 2021. We have been preparing for this for some time with every cohort in the school beginning the new year in a large double space with two teachers and a full time Education Support Officer. The only times students may be separated will be during the 1.5 hours of specialist lessons per week. If you need to contact me with any requests, please do not hesitate to contact me through the school office. Please be aware that we encourage our students to get along with and respect each other, and that totally separating students in the same year level will no longer be possible as it may have been in the past.

Finally, I have written a fee letter for all of our families that details the complexities of unpaid fees and how this may affect each family’s abilities in seeking the Secondary Education Facility of their choice for their children’s future. Processes have recently changed in regard to unpaid fees and secondary enrolment. Please read this letter as soon as possible so you are up to date with these more stringent procedures. The letter will be sent home with the eldest in each family.

I am looking forward to a wonderful NAIDOC Day celebration at Joey’s this Thursday.

Finally, I look forward to a quick P&F AGM tonight so I can get home to watch Queensland wrap up the 2020 State of Origin series.

Don’t Forget….

• P&F AGM. Wed 11th Nov (Time TBD due to State of Origin clash)
• NAIDOC Day. Thurs 12th Nov
• TCC Year 6 Student Orientation Evening. Mon 16th Nov @ 5:00pm TCC
• Emmaus Year 6 Orientation Day. Thurs 26th Nov @ Emmaus
• Second-hand Uniform Sale. Sat 28th Nov @ 9:30am – 11:00am in MPA
• Annual Awards/Semester 2 Academic Awards. Mon 30th Nov @ 9:00am in MPA (Sorry, no parents allowed onsite due to 500 limit – Event will be zoomed out)
• Year 6 Graduation Dinner. Wed 2nd Dec @ 6:30pm Frenchville Sports Club
  (Year 6 parents issued tickets due to COVID safe 150-person limit at the venue)
• Semester 2 Report Cards 2020 posted to Parent Lounge Wed 2nd Dec @ 12:00pm
• Year 6 Fun Day. Thurs 3rd Dec
• End of Year Mass/Graduation/Leadership Handover. Fri 4th Dec @ 9:00am in MPA (Year 6 parents issued tickets due to graduation and 500-person limit. No other parents will be permitted. Event will be zoomed out)

Kindest Regards

Bernard Fitzgerald
Principal - St. Joseph’s Catholic School Park Avenue

Happy every day. Learning every day.

APRE REFLECTION

In Week 5 of the Socktober Challenge we leave Africa and travel back to Asia and one of its biggest tourism and industry hubs, Bangkok. The capital of Thailand is home to eight million people and stark wealth inequality. Across the city, towering skyscrapers hosting finance, insurance and advertising corporations cast enormous shadows over urban slums, where communities of people live in steep poverty. These women, men and children are often overlooked by the businesspeople and holidaymakers that flood into the city in normal times. Do we ever ask, what is their story?

Follow this link and you’ll find all the videos, activities, and reflections we are exploring at school.

Scripture reflection

1 Corinthians 12:24b-26

But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

In the scripture from Corinthians we are reminded that we live as one with Christ and with one another even amidst the poverty, injustice, and messiness we experience. Each person works alongside the other members and promotes the common good.

Vinnies Appeal

Following the ongoing success of the Vinnies Appeal, the annual Christmas hampers are commencing this week.

In an effort to support the members of our wider community who may have fallen on hard times this year, we invite Joey’s families to donate grocery items (NO chocolate products or fresh foods) to the hampers in your child’s classroom. Baskets will filled be all over the school with goodies for Christmas.

This year we are limited to GROCERY ITEMS ONLY or CASH DONATIONS.

A representative from SVDP will be here for a special handover on Friday 4th December after our 9:00am mass. Please support this appeal where possible.

Bernadette Brennan
Assistant Principal Religious Education

CURRICULUM NEWS

Important Curriculum Dates:

Book lists for 2021

A note has gone home and a message has been posted on the SkoolBag App notifying families of the process for ordering book list equipment for 2021.

As you will recall from last year, our Parents and Friends Association assisted the school to purchase a variety of bulk stationery items for classrooms in an effort to lower the cost of book lists for families.  This will happen again for next year’s book lists and I take this opportunity to sincerely thank the P&F for their generosity.

Please take the time to read the information in the note and consider placing your order soon. If you have misplaced your note, a copy can be found on the SkoolBag App under parent notes.

If you have any questions or problems with placing your order, please contact me by calling the school office or via email: deanne_senini@rok.catholic.edu.au.

PLEASE NOTE: THE OPTION FOR SCHOOL DELIVERY HAS NOW CLOSED. YOU ARE STILL ABLE TO PLACE ORDERS BUT THE PACKS WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME.

Parents will be notified once the packs arrive at school for collection.

ICAS Results

Congratulations to the following students who participated in ICAS Spelling:

• Ethan Roati (Year 3) received a merit award achieving in the top 38% of Year 3 participants in Australia.
• Thomas Compagnoni (Year 3) received a distinction award achieving in the top 5% of Year 3 participants in Australia.
• Zaeleigh Hannah (Year 4) received a certificate of participation.
• Kobe Hannah (Year 5) received a credit award achieving in the top 25% of Year 5 participants in Australia.

Kind Regards

Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

FINANCE NEWS

TERM 4 FEE ACCOUNTS NOW DUE

Fee Accounts for Term 4 are due by this FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER.

If you have not received your Term 4 Fee Statement, please let me know as soon as possible.

If you have a Means Tested Concession Card and have not yet provided a copy, please send this through to Megan in the office for verification.

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.

When paying by Direct Deposit, please use your Account Number as the reference

(this is the 6-digit number on your Fee Statement).

CLASSROOM NEWS

Yr 1

What’s been happening in Year 1?

Year 1 has been learning about emotions. To explore what emotions we have, we have set one of our investigation tables up to show different facial expressions and examine our own. Here are some pictures.

We have also been learning about the external features of animals in Science. We have enjoyed investigating in our Veterinary Surgery and playing with the habitats of the animals in our tuff tray table.

This term, we’ve also had some special events, including Melbourne Cup, Book Week and some visits from the local fire fighters to teach us about fire safety.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students who will celebrate their birthday this week. They are: Maisie Duncan (Prep), Trinity Jones (Yr 4) and Cooper Pettett (Yr 2).

Have a great day.

P & F NEWS

Our final P&F meeting for the year will be this afternoon, Wednesday November 11th with our AGM at the earlier time of 5:30pm, and our final official meeting at 6:00pm. As our school takes shape, now’s the time to come and have your say about what we can accomplish.

On Saturday November 28th, the Uniform Shop will be opening in the MPA for anyone to come and purchase some second-hand uniforms for the new school year from 9:30am-11:00am. Any volunteers who’d like to help on the day are more than welcome, and to learn the running of the Uniform Shop, as we bid current volunteer Rebecca Wogand, farewell at the end of the year. Please contact Rebecca or Amanda Conway for any other info.

Only 3 weeks left of our Jabbering with Joeys segments. After our final segment will be our quiz, so keep paying attention.

Reminder:

• Wed Nov 11th: P&F AGM 5:30pm in the Inclusive Curriculum room
  P&F Final Meeting 6:00pm in the Inclusive Curriculum room
• Sat Nov 28th: Uniform Shop sale 9:30am – 11:00am in the MPA.

Thanks,

Joeys P&F

Jabbering with Joeys

We continue with the senior school, and upper school Education Support Officer’s, Rachael Duncan from Grade 5, and Jacinta Biddulph from Grade 6. These guys provide great support to our senior students.

Name: Rachael Duncan
How long have you been at Joeys?: 18 Months
Favourite Food: Mushroom Prime Rib with Sweet Potato Wedges, Vegetables & Béarnaise Sauce – Hogs Breath Café
What did you want to be when you grew up?: Teacher/ Professional Basketball Player
Favourite Music: All types of music …. except for Head Banging Music
Coffee or Tea: Both - a little picky when it comes to coffee though and only drink Cappuccino’s
Favourite subject at school: Health & Physical Education
Hobbies outside of Joeys: Playing/Coaching Basketball & CrossFit
Favourite book/movie: Jerry Maguire – Movie
Favourite colour: Teal Green
Best “Dad” joke: "What do you call someone with no body and no nose? Nobody knows."
Favourite thing about Joeys: I love the school community, the way everyone looks out for each other.

Name: Jacinta Biddulph
How long have you been at Joeys?: I started as an ESO in Week 7 of Term 3, but I also completed my third year practical placement here in Term 1 and 2.
Favourite Food: Sushi
What did you want to be when you grew up?: Nurse
Favourite Music: A bit of everything
Coffee or Tea: Tea
Favourite subject at school: Maths
Hobbies outside of Joeys: Going to the beach and playing with my dogs
Favourite book/movie: A Star is Born
Favourite colour: Pink
Best “Dad” joke: What do you call a deer with no eyes? No eye deer
Favourite thing about Joeys: The welcoming and supportive spirit

VACATION CARE

Please find attached the Program for Vacation Care for the upcoming holidays.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC 2021

Instrumental Music provides so many benefits to a child – please watch the attached link to a fantastic video about Music and the Brain:

Instrumental Music Learning and Brain Fireworks

Enrolments are now being accepted for new and continuing students to learn the following instruments:

FLUTE, CLARINET, SAXOPHONE, TRUMPET, TROMBONE, VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO, GUITAR & VOICE.

Please see the attached information letter for details on required year levels for each instrument, and a downloaded version of the enrolment form.

Enrolment is available online at the link below.

FRIDAY PIZZA

• Pizza and Icy Cups to be ordered and paid for from outside the Year 6 room in the morning from 8:15 – 8:35am.
• Brown bags not required for pizza – students simply bring their money ($2 per slice) and tell the Year 6 students what you would like to order.
• Pizza slices will be delivered to classes in provided brown bags in tuckshop boxes at lunch time.
• Icy Cups will be delivered to the classrooms at approx. 2:55pm ready for home time.

Please note: There is a pizza order form available if you think this will be helpful to assist your child with the ordering process. Also, Icy Cups can sell out, so it is first in best dressed when ordering in the morning.

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