12 May 2021

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Welcome to Week 4 of Term 2.

As detailed in the last few newsletters by Mrs Senini, NAPLAN testing will again be delivered in an online format and be taking place throughout this week. To help our students perform to their optimum, we are trying to limit movement and any other type of distractions. Any help you can provide in promoting our students to do their best will be greatly appreciated.

A reminder to all families that may have younger siblings and are looking to enrol at Joey’s for Prep in 2022, I strongly encourage you to begin completing your online enrolments as soon as possible. In the last few years positions have been in demand. With this in mind, we need to know the number of siblings who will be attending to properly prepare for the enrolment interview process that will begin in early Term 3. Please be aware that even if you have a child currently enrolled at St Joseph’s, we still follow school enrolment policy and interview all possible new students to the school.

Term 2 School Fees were sent out a few weeks ago and are now due. Please see our Finance Secretary, Mrs Megan Crosthwaite as soon as possible to make payment arrangements or book a time if you need to meet with myself. A friendly reminder that if school fee payments are unable to be met, parents must meet with myself every 12 months to review the situation.

Thank-you in advance for your consideration in attending to this matter.

A reminder that our next Monday Whole School Assembly will be held this Monday, 17th May. Assemblies will now resume each Monday morning as per normal.

Finally, I hope all the mothers and grandmothers in our community had a lovely day last Sunday. Your unconditional love, nurturing and commitment to our students is imperative to both their education and development. Also, congratulations to Year 2 teacher, Ann McCutcheon who became a Grandmother for the first time recently. Ann has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new grandchild and was bursting with pride on the safe arrival of her beautiful grandson.

Well done to Ann and her extended family.

Have a great week.

Don’t Forget …

• NAPLAN Dates 11th – 14th May
• P&F Meeting. Wednesday 12th May @ 6:30pm in the Library
• CQ CAPRAS Challenge Gala Day. Friday, 14th May @ Rugby Park
• Mike Kelso, AD Schools Rockhampton Term 2 Visit. Tuesday 18th May
• Rockhampton Principal’s Cluster Meeting hosted by St Joseph’s. Wed 19th May.
• School Board. Wednesday 19th May @ 5:30pm in the Library
• Our Lady Help of Christians Feast Day Mass, Fri 21st May @ 9:00am in MPA
• Season B Inter-school sport begins, Fri 21st May
• OLHC Mass Celebration 200 Years of Catholic Education. Mon 24th May @ 12:00pm in St Joseph’s Cathedral (live stream available)
• Laudato Si’ Week. Mon 24th – Fri 28th May
• Laudato Si’ Expo. Thursday 27th May
• Athletics Field Events. Monday 31st May @ St Joseph’s
• Athletics Track Events. Tuesday 1st June @ Emmaus Oval
• Rockhampton Show Holiday 10th June

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

St Joseph’s 2021 School Improvement Priorities:

• Parent Engagement
• Writing
• Social Emotional Learning

RELIGIOUS MATTERS

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Live on in Christ
John 15:9-17

Living the Gospel – Love One Another

Have you ever thought what it really means when Jesus commands us to love one another? At first, it seems like a simple commandment: I can love my family; my friends; I can even feel love for some people I’ve never met. But there was a condition that Jesus placed on the command: love one another as I have loved you. How did Jesus love? Without restriction and without seeking something in return. He loved those that no one loved and he even loved those who hated him and sought his downfall. Can I love those who hate me? Those that others ridicule and despise? Can I love without counting the cost?

@Liturgy Help – Greg Sunter

Liturgical Celebrations Coming Up

*OLHC – Our Lady Help of Christians church – next to school
*MPA – Multipurpose Area (Basketball court)

Do it for Dolly Day – Wear Kindness shirts

This Friday, we are inviting students to wear their Kindness Shirts in recognition of Dolly’s Dream. Our aim is to highlight the importance of Kindness towards our peers and the importance of everyone feeling safe in our school environment.

Children can substitute their PE shirt for their Kindness shirt. Please note this is not a free dress day.

Bernadette Brennan
Assistant Principal Religious Education

CURRICULUM NEWS

ICAS

St Joseph’s will be offering ICAS assessments again this year. These assessments are online assessments designed to recognise and reward academic excellence. The assessments are based on the curricula for the relevant year. Students are asked to demonstrate a deeper, integrated, and thorough level of knowledge. New ICAS assessments are developed annually for each subject in every year level. This is to ensure an engaging and beneficial experience for all students.

ICAS offers the following assessments:

Please note that your child may miss out on their PE or Arts lesson if the ICAS assessment is scheduled for that time. If your child is absent for the scheduled assessment, there is no opportunity for a catch up assessment and you would need to speak to ICAS directly to try to organise a refund.

To purchase an ICAS assessment for your child please log on to our ICAS parent page at the following link and using the following access code:

Your school access code is: XWG624

ORDERS MUST BE PLACED BY SUNDAY, 25TH JULY.

If you have any questions or concerns about ICAS, please let me know.

NAPLAN

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

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.

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 Teacher Expertise.

At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Park Avenue we believe that the class teacher has the greatest effect on student achievement. Consequently, it is essential for teachers to regularly reflect upon the impact they are having on student achievement.

Every year, teachers identify 2 goals related to the Australian professional standards for teachers. One of these goals needs to be aligned with current school priorities and the other from a professional interest. All teachers meet with the principal to discuss these goals at the beginning of the year. A second meeting with the principal occurs towards the end of the year for a reflective meeting about the achievement of these goals. New graduate teachers are supported to work through all AITSL goals at the graduate level to gain full teacher registration.

Professional Learning Communities occur on a fortnightly basis. These PLCs provide opportunities for dialogue, learning, data analysis and sharing of good practice.

Regards,
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

CLASSROOM NEWS

Yr 5

John 15:17 (This, then, is what I command you: love one another).

Mr Fitzgerald came in and answered some of our questions that we have been wondering about the Commandment of Charity (Love). At the start of the interview, he began with this, people that are living in poverty would love to swap lives with us, and what I think he meant is that sometimes we take stuff for granted. When we work together things happen, our lives can change and especially the lives of people that are living in poverty. Mr Fitzgerald said that the charity of Caritas shows us what is really happening around the world.

One of my questions that I asked was, are you planning to make an improvement to our school to show your students different ways to take action and express the Commandment of Charity (Love)? He answered with this, we can't always plan it sometimes it comes unexpectedly and that's when we take action. This is shown when Joey families are going through tough times and then we show love and support. Mr Fitzgerald said that when us, as teachers, have staff meetings we try to work together to think of different ways to teach and express through your learning.

Mr Fitzgerald said a couple words that really hit me, it all starts with an influencer exactly like your Mum and Dad that gave you love and also said to not just love yourself love others. As he kept talking, he started to dig deeper into why it is important to start with an influencer. Mr Fitzgerald said that when you want to show love to others sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone to be able to do it properly.

Overall, the Commandment of Charity (Love) is very important to our St Joseph school community. After all the incredible answers from Mr Fitzgerald, we now realise that we are very lucky, and others aren't so lucky. Now we know that not just to look after ourselves but others to, we want to make sure that you understand that the Commandment of Charity (Love) is very important. We wouldn't be called Joeys if we haven't done all of this to support the Commandment of Charity (Love).

By Lani Duncan
(Year 5 Student)

INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM

Welcome back Hunter and Hudson! Thank you to our school community who prayed with us for their recovery.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students who will celebrate their birthday this week. They are: Wyatt Currie (Yr 6), Peppa Davey (Yr 5) and Aliana Fitton (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