31 March 2021

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE ACTING PRINCIPAL

It is a quiet week here at St Joseph’s as the Year 6 students are on camp at Chaverim near Bundaberg. No doubt they are having a fabulous time and embracing the challenges that the camp offers. Camp is a great opportunity to build stronger relationships with peers and demonstrate leadership in many forms. We hope they enjoy the last two days.

Don’t Forget:

• Year 6 Camp @ Chaverim, Monday 29 March – Thursday 1 April
• Holy Thursday, 1 April
• Good Friday, 2 April
• Easter Sunday, 4 April
• Term 2 commences, Monday 19 April NO TUCKSHOP
• Cross Country Trials Tuesday 20 April
• ANZAC Day, Sunday 25th April
• ANZAC Day Public Holiday QLD Monday 26th April

HOLY WEEK

As we enter Holy Week, we continue to reflect on the lives of people vulnerable to extreme poverty and injustice and how we can respond through supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal.

Let us take time to remember the life and teachings of Saint Oscar Romero. His many lessons include: live a simple life, commit to bringing peace to the world, speak the truth and of course aspire not to have more, but to be more. Some words from what has become known as the Oscar Romero prayer; “We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”

Thank you for supporting Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion Campaign. Your generosity will work for the freedom of those living in poverty, challenge unjust structures, and empower people to work for a sustainable way of life.

LAUDATO SI’ WEEK

Last week all families were emailed by the classroom teachers about Laudato Si’ Week. This year we are celebrating Laudato Si’ Week. Laudato Si’ is an encyclical letter (a papal letter) written by Pope Francis on ecology and climate. This letter is about “Care for our Common Home.”

Pope Francis is reminding each one of us of our role in the Plan of the Creator.

in the Care for Our Common Home.

We want our school community to unite for a more just and sustainable future.

Our Laudato Si’ Week celebrations will include an expo on Thursday 27th May in the Multi-Purpose Area and the surrounding lawns. Each class is hosting a stall and/or activities that have a focus on caring for creation through either water, energy efficiency, waste management, mental health and wellbeing, greening and biodiversity or ethical investment.

If you work in an industry that lends a hand in caring for creation (be it plants or people), you might just be what we need to help out. If you have an idea that may help in educating everyone about greater sustainability, please make contact with your classroom teachers or myself. We are looking forward to a great afternoon as a caring community.

Watch this short clip to learn more about Laudato Si’ week here

CROSS COUNTRY

This year, students born in 2009, 2010 and 2011 are invited to trial for the school cross country team on Tuesday 20 April. This will be a low-key event that is to determine who will be in the school team that goes to the RDS trails in May. Children MUST be able to RUN the entire distance to be eligible for the team.

The trial will be held at Tom Nutley Rugby Fields (Colts). Students that are trialing will be walked to the fields, run their event and then walked back to school.

Runners are required to wear their PE uniform that day.

SPORTING SUCCESS

Capricornia School Sports Selection

Congratulations Ava on your selection in the Under 12’s Basketball team and also the 11-12 years Netball team. Ava will travel to the Gold Coast later this year for the basketball state titles and Brisbane for the Netball State titles.

Great work also to Egan and Alfred on their selection in the Under 12s Capricornia Hockey team. The boys are off to Toowoomba later in the year for the state titles.

Rockhampton District School Sports Selection

Congratulations to the following students for their selection in the Rockhampton teams. They have been trialling for Capricornia selection in the recent and upcoming weeks.

Bernadette Brennan
Assistant Principal Religious Education

CURRICULUM NEWS

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

All parents are invited to make a booking to catch up with their child’s teachers for a Semester One Parent Teacher Interview. These interviews will take place during Weeks 2 and 3 of next term. Each interview is 15 minutes in duration and is a great opportunity to see how your child is progressing with their learning.

To book an interview you will need to log in to your Parent Lounge account. If you need assistance to access Parent Lounge, please call into the office and Tracey will be happy to assist you. You will be able to book interviews from the start of the school holidays (8am Monday, 5th April until 5pm Sunday, 18th April). After this time, no bookings will be able to be made through the Parent Lounge system. This then gives teachers one week to prepare for the interviews.

ST JOSEPH’S TEACHING AND LEARNING FRAMEWORK

Throughout 2019, the staff assisted me to develop a teaching and learning framework for our school. It has since been endorsed by the Rockhampton Catholic Education Office and is currently being implemented across our school. Each week in this newsletter I would like to share a section of this framework with the school community so that everyone is aware of what teaching and learning looks like at our school.

This week we will begin looking at Part 2 of the Teaching and Learning Framework – The School Curriculum Guide. This section is broken up into 5 sub sections: Curriculum Vision, Learning Culture, Curriculum Organisation, Data for Learning and Teacher Expertise.

This week’s focus is on the Learning Culture of St Joseph’s. This section is quite large so it will be broken up into smaller sections for the next couple of weeks.

Intellectual Rigour and Inclusive Practices

At St Joseph’s, we believe that all students have a right to be both challenged and supported in their learning. Because of this belief, we ensure our learning sequences consist of relevant, engaging and purposeful learning experiences in which students are supported to set and achieve learning goals. Students are provided with opportunities to apply their learning to relevant and purposeful contexts in an effort to deepen their understanding. Our learning environments provide opportunities for collaboration and differentiation for all learners.

Our school provides teachers with a substantial amount of assistance in all learning environments to provide students with the support they require. Each cohort is allocated a full-time teacher assistant who works within the classroom space to provide support for students to access the curriculum. In addition to the full time teacher assistant, additional teacher assistants are allocated to students who meet the criteria for specific learning support.

Teachers in Years 1 and 2 are provided with a dedicated literacy intervention teacher who provides strategic literacy support through the implementation of the Minilit program.

Teachers in Years 2-4 are provided with a dedicated numeracy extension teacher who uses data to plan extension opportunities to students who require numeracy extension.

Teachers in Years 4-6 are provided with a learning support teacher to provide additional support within the classroom for students who meet the criteria for specific learning support.

St Joseph’s also provides teachers with access to an Indigenous Support Officer to help support the indigenous students and families in our school and provide the community with advice and opportunities to explore the indigenous culture.

All students requiring additional support are provided with the relevant Individual Education Plan, Educational Adjustment Plan and/or Individual Support Plan they are eligible for and the support which accompanies those plans.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN will be occurring this year for our Year 3 and 5 students.

Last week the Years 3 and 5 students completed official practice tests. These practice tests ran quite smoothly. The practice tests allow for us to test our devices as well as our internet to ensure we don’t have any technical issues. They also give the students a chance to practise the tests in the same format that they will appear on the day.

Please see below for our school’s official NAPLAN testing schedule:

There will also be opportunities to compete catch up tests during the week of 17th – 21st May.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s participation in NAPLAN, please contact me through the office or via email: Deanne_senini@rok.catholic.edu.au.

ART COMPETITION

Students are invited to enter the 2021 Independent Education Union’s Awards for Excellence in Art Design competition. All students from Prep – Year 6 are eligible to enter.

Design Task:

• Your task is to produce a piece of artwork that best reflects the theme: Our World.
• You may include a statement or caption to reinforce your visual image.
• You may use a variety of media (paint, crayon, pencil, ink etc). It must also be suitable for exhibition purposes.

Entries close: Friday, 23rd July. Cash prizes of $100 - $350.

Please note: All entries must be posted to the appropriate address in time for it to be received by Friday, 23rd July. Parents are responsible for posting their child’s entry.

Please see Mrs Senini for an official entry form if you are interested in entering this competition.

Regards,
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

FINANCE NEWS

School Fees for Term 1 were due for payment on Tuesday 16/2/21. These are now overdue for payment.

If you have an outstanding amount and are unable to make any payment, please make immediate contact with Bernard or Megan to advise your current situation.

If you currently have a direct debit set up with us, you do not need to do anything further.

All new families should have received their Parent Lounge Login details.

If you have not received these, please contact Tracey or Megan in the office.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following staff and students who will celebrate their birthday this week and over the holidays. They are: Alfred Timms (Yr 6), Max Toby (Yr 5), Sophie Louttit (Yr 1), Nate Oliffe (Yr 3), Haylee Wust (Yr 6), Connor Collins (Yr 6), Abby Martin (Yr 1), Matilda Wooler (Yr 1), Matilda Hancock (Prep), Imani Cooney (Yr 2), Benson Perkins (Yr 2), Elijah Austin (Yr 6), Nahla White (Yr 1), Maggie Wooler (Yr 4), Mr Fitzgerald, Mrs Mac (OSHC) and Mr Tennyson (Yr 4).

Have a great day.

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