23 November 2022

Newsletter Articles

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents & Guardians

May I begin by saying well done to all of the students who displayed great courage in hopping up in front of the school community and displaying their talent during our Semester 2 Performance Arts Assembly on Monday morning. Well done to both the talented students as well as their teachers.

As the end of the school year draws near, we still have a few significant events to celebrate on the Joey’s calendar. The first of these being our school Presentation Night this Thursday, 24th November. The evening will be held in the school Multi-Purpose Area beginning promptly at 6:00pm. Each grade level, including the Kindy, have been working hard to prepare a Christmas song to perform on the night, which will also include the presentation of our annual awards that recognise the efforts of students throughout the entire year.

I would ask that during the evening we keep general conversation to a minimum as a form of respect for those performing or presenting and receiving awards on the night.

The night is anticipated to conclude at approximately 7:45pm and it would be lovely to see as many of our students and their families come along and attend.

Monday 28th November at 8:35am we will be holding our Semester 2 Academic Awards. All are welcome to attend.

At this assembly we will be celebrating our Gold, Silver, Bronze and Maroon Academic Awards recipients as well as our Navy Effort Awards for Semester 2. As per our normal procedures, and the length of the event, our Prep students will not attend this assembly.

Next Wednesday evening, 30th November we will be celebrating our Graduation Mass for the Year 6 students, which will mark the culmination of their primary schooling. The evening will commence with mass in OLHC Church at 5:00pm followed by a presentation & dinner for the students and their parents at the Frenchville Sports Club. Year 6 Parents, please ensure you are up to date on all the information by remaining in contact with the Year 6 teachers and reading all the communications sent home. I am sure it will be a memorable night for all those who are involved.

Thursday 1st December, our Year 6 class will be holding their ‘Fun Day’ celebration and traveling to Keppel Island for the day. Information about this event was sent home in the form of a note with each student.

Drawing our school year to a close will be our End of Year Mass next week on Friday, 2nd December. We will be celebrating with a whole school Mass commencing at 9:00am in OLHC church. The Mass not only provides us the opportunity to say fare well to our Year 6 students for the final time, it will also incorporate the induction of our student leaders for the 2023 school year.

School reports for the Second Semester will be posted on Parent Lounge on Wednesday, 30th November. Please ensure you have your appropriate login details in order to access your child’s information.

Don’t Forget….

• Emmaus Year 7 2023 Orientation Day. Thurs 24th Nov. 8:45am – 2:30pm @ Emmaus.
• SJPA Presentation Night. Thurs 24th Nov
• P&F Volunteers Lunch. Sun 27th @ 12pm, Park Avenue Hotel
• Semester 2 Academic Awards Assembly. Mon 28th Nov @ 8:35am in MPA
• Semester 2 Reports posted to Parent Lounge. Wed 30th Nov 
• Year 6 Graduation Mass & Dinner. Wed 30th Nov
• Year 6 Fun Day @ Keppel. Thurs 1st Dec
• End of Year Mass & Leadership Changeover. Fri 2nd Dec @ 9:00am in OLHC
• Term 4 Concludes. Fri 2nd Dec
• 2023 School Office Reopens. Mon 9th Jan (depending on roofing)
• 2023 Resource Drop-Off. Thurs 19th Jan 1:30pm – 3:00pm
• 2023 School Year Recommences. Mon 23rd Jan 8:35am sharp.

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

St Joseph’s 2022 School Improvement Priorities:

• Prayer
• Family Partnerships
• Increased Learning Gain & Achievement

Sacraments 2023 – Students over 7 Years of Age who have not been Baptised.

Families who have children over the age of seven (catechetical age) and are seeking to have them celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist in 2023– please contact Trish Jones at the Parish Office (49282800) for more information on the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children of Catechetical age. This program is specifically for children 7yrs and older and who have not yet been Baptised.

Warm regards,
Gail T Davis
Email gail_davis@iinet.net.au l g.t.davis@cqu.edu.au l 0498266100

RELIGIOUS MATTERS

The Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

The Crucifixion

Luke 23:35-43

Historical Context – Christ the King

The Feast of Christ the King was introduced to the liturgical calendar by Pope Pius XI in 1925. The establishment of the feast took place in a world that had suffered through the First World War and was unknowingly heading towards the Second World War. In this setting, the world was experiencing a dramatic growth in secularism and an even more dramatic growth in dictators who were rising to power in various states. The introduction of the feast was a call back from the secular and a call to remember Christ as having authority above and beyond any earthly leader.

@Liturgy Help – Greg Sunter

Children’s Mass at Our Lady Help of Christians

A huge thank you to the group who gathered for our final Children’s Mass of the year with our beautiful parishioners at Our Lady Help of Christians.

The students proclaimed the scripture with reverence and the Prayer of the Faithful was shared beautifully. It was also wonderful to see our students bring forward the gifts again at the Offertory.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to these and all families and staff who have made our Children’s Mass a priority in their weekends. I know just how busy we all are and that coming along can sometimes be a challenge, but I also believe celebrating the Eucharist as a community is life giving. Thank you!

Presentation Night

This week I will be busy preparing for our Presentation Night. It has been wonderful to be a part of the decisions around awards being presented and I would like to congratulate all our winners in advance. Unfortunately, due to my daughter’s Rite of Passage celebration at the Cathedral, I will not be able to join our community at this fantastic event. I can’t wait to hear all about it Friday morning.

Christmas Celebrations

As we enter the season of Advent, we turn our focus to the coming of the Christ Child. This season in the Catholic Church allows us the opportunity to prepare for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord on Christmas Day. Please see the Mass times offered in the various worship communities of Rockhampton, they allow time for reflection in a hectic world. I have also included the times for celebrations over Christmas. It is always wonderful to see families gather in our churches to share the joy that the birth of our Saviour brings to our lives.

Liturgical Celebrations Coming Up

*SJPA – St Joseph’s Park Avenue
*OLHC – Our Lady Help of Christians church (next to St Joseph’s, Park Avenue)
*HF – Holy Family Parish Centre (next to Anthony’s School)
*STM – St Mary’s Church (next to St Mary’s School)
*MPA – Multipurpose Area (Basketball court)

PARISH NEWSLETTER

Elizabeth Carter
Assistant Principal Religious Education

CURRICULUM NEWS

2023 Booklists

Booklists for next year have been sent home. They are also available on the SkoolBag app if you need to print one off between now and next year. You will hopefully notice that the quantity of items for parents to purchase has again decreased thanks to the generous support of our P&F. Their contribution to the booklists has enabled many items to be removed from each list, therefore, saving a considerable amount of money for every parent. A huge thank you to the P&F for everything they do to support the school.

Semester Two Reports

Students are busily finishing off assessments so teachers can begin preparing the Semester Two reports. These will be available to parents on Wednesday, 30th November through Parent Lounge. Please remember that Parent Lounge is the only way you can access your child’s report, so please ensure you are able to log in before then. If you need assistance, please contact the office so new log in details can be set up if required. Please encourage your children to work hard over the next couple of weeks and show their teachers what they can do in all assessment areas.

Medication Collection

Please be aware that all medication which is kept at school needs to be collected at the end of the school year. Any medication not collected will be disposed of as per Diocesan policy.

Regards,
Deanne Senini
Assistant Principal Curriculum

CLASSROOM NEWS

Yr 5

This is our last newsletter item as Year 5s. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us during this year. Here are some wonderful memories our students want to share with you:

The Question: WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT YEAR 5?

Tom: I’ve really enjoyed the Math Escape Rooms we did with Mrs McCutcheon

Aliana: I’ve enjoyed all the new things I’ve learnt and that we’ve had new students join us.

Nate: All the different ways we got to learn

Kade: Having good teachers

Delany: Doing pizza with Mrs Duncan

Tyler: Making new friends

Liam: That the teachers are all really kind and really helpful

Jack: Writing and delivering our speeches

Eli: The colour run

Mia: I really enjoyed the Math Escape room

Xavier: I found a great friend group this year

Finn: I enjoyed Sports Days

Maycie: I really enjoyed Maths Challenge with Mrs Farr

Marty: Trying all the different sports

Cruz: I got to play Friday sports

Jacob: I really like the math Escape Room

Samson: The Maths escape rooms

Connor: The Escape Rooms in maths

Nathaniel: Learning about Democracy – that all people get equal votes

Ryder: We did fun maths stuff

Alivia: Free dress days

Ava: Getting the opportunity to be a leader – taking part in pizzas and icy cups

Matilda: We got to do a fun Christmas song

Harper: We got to have different ways of learning new things

Emma: I really liked all the teachers we had

Charlee: I liked doing icy cups

Natalie: I enjoyed all the learning

Mikkaylah: I liked how the teachers are really really helpful

Audrey: I liked doing pizzas

Slater: That we can have fidgets when we need them

Cooper: We have a quiet zone

Patrick: I enjoyed Friday sport

Maggie: I enjoyed when we helped the people with the Colour Run.

Olivia: Friday sport

Monica: I liked when we were introduced to Math Pathways

Abbie: I liked the Math Escape room

Charlotte: I liked how we got to do escape rooms with Mrs McCutcheon

Elie: That we got to have fun in Maths and that we got to do puzzle maths.

Kenzie: I love meeting new friends

Ava: I love my school mates

Caitlin: I really loved the St Mary’s retreat about Social Justice

Ella: The students here at Joeys are great.

Braxton: My favourite thing about Yr 5 was playing tackle football for Friday sport

Izaiah: I really liked the maths and learning about Space

Paityn: I liked when we filmed our iMovie

Lilly: I liked how all our teachers encouraged

Robert: I really liked the maths we did

Phoenix: I’ve really liked coming to school and playing with my friends and doing Friday sport.

Ryan: Having fun with my friends and learning maths

Ethan: Learning through Math Pathways

Preston: Having heaps of friends to talk to

Gustavo: The teachers

SJPA SUSTAINABILITY

During National Recycling Week the Year 4 students participated in our annual bin audit with the Rockhampton Regional Council. This was our 3rd year completing the audit, where staff and students worked together to sort a sample of waste using over 12 different waste/recycling categories. This information is then compiled so we can track our progress and make changes to our current processes. Earlier in the year, we were proudly acknowledged as a Recycling Hero School for our commitment to caring for the environment and this is a part of maintaining this title. Thank you to Kelly, Sharyn and Matt for guiding our students throughout the process on the day and teaching us all how we can improve our waste management here at SJPA.

Watch what we got up to by using the link below!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Congratulations to the following students who will celebrate their birthday this week. They are: Gustavo Da Silva (Yr 5), Indiie Lawton (Yr 5), Marshall Bell (Yr 1), Callum Jamieson (Yr 4), Millie Watson (Yr 1), Hunter Wehlow (Prep), Koby Savage (Yr 3) and Chloe Crosthwaite (Yr 6).

Have a great day.

LIBRARY NEWS

DID YOU KNOW??

St Joseph’s has a FREE online LIBRARY?

Simply download the SORA app, follow the log-in instructions and enjoy access to thousands of age-appropriate resources!

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC in 2023

Enrolments are now being accepted for new and continuing students to learn the following instruments at St. Joseph’s Park Avenue.

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

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

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:

KEYBOARD LESSONS

Leanne Voss will continue to offer Keyboard lessons in 2023 for interested students in grades 1 – 6.

Lessons are of 30-minute duration and will be conducted weekly at school.

Students will be required to have access to a keyboard for practice and purchase a music tutor book and theory book. Lessons will generally be given to groups of 2 or 3 students with some individual lessons available when it is not possible to match students of similar musical ability. The lessons will focus on using a chord bass with an emphasis on utilising keyboard features such as different tones and rhythms.

Playing keyboard is an excellent extra curriculum activity to develop not only musical skills, but creative thinking, hand-eye coordination, concentration and commitment to task.

Enrolment forms are available from the office and in the newsletter for both new and continuing students.

UNIFORM SHOP

Our Uniform Shop is open Friday Mornings from 8:00 – 8:45am. The Joeys and Friends Facebook page will still have what is available for sale.

WEARITTO

Wearitto will be extending their trading hours on Saturdays in January. On the 7th, 14th and 21st January they will be opened from 9am until 2pm. Normal opening hours Mon-Fri 8:30am - 4:45pm.

DRAKES SUPA IGA

Drakes Fundraiser for St. Joseph's Cathedral

I thank you for your support of this project which has raised over $40,000, of which the school community has played an important role. Please continue to support the Cathedral by shopping at DRAKES using your key tag and receiving the benefits.

If you have not been part of this fundraiser you are invited to get a key tag from your local School or Church and shop at your local Drakes, one cent in every dollar you spend will go to the Cathedral. No Fuss, only benefits.

Hoping to see you at Drakes
Stay Safe

Shirley Hopkins,
Co-ordinator, Drakes Fundraiser for St Joseph's Cathedral

SCHOOL TRANSPORT ASISTANCE SCHEME

We are now processing STAS (School Transport Assistance Scheme) school bus pass applications for the 2023 school year.

Parents/Carers will need to apply for a new school bus pass if their students are -

• Starting at a new school in 2023

OR

• Moving into Year 7 at their current school in 2023

OR

• Residing at a new address in 2023

Parents/Carers will not need to apply for a school bus pass if their students are already bus pass holders and are (a) staying at the same school and (b) residing at the same address.

Parents/Carers can apply for STAS online here

• One Form
• Up to Five Children
• Any Device

Additional Information

Please contact STASDigital.Helpdesk@tmr.qld.gov.au or 1300 119 289 for technical assistance with your online application.

Please visit our website below for school bus service information.

Rothery’s Coaches

Phone: (07) 49224320 Email: info.rotherys@cdcbus.com.au

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards,
Emily Meek
School Liaison and Customer Service Co-ordinator
T (07) 5476 6622 M 0459 854 010
A 11 Page Street, KUNDA PARK, QLD 4556
E emily.meek@cdcbus.com.au
cdcqueensland.com.au