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Dear Parents and Guardians,
Students and staff are settling back into the routines of school and it is pleasing to see the smiles of so many throughout the school day.
Each new term brings with it an opportunity for students to build on previous achievements and to place further attention to areas which may need improving. I also believe that a new term will present additional opportunities for our school community to further build on the positive culture that exists here at St Joseph’s and for our school to continue our quest to provide the best possible educational and pastoral environment for all the children who attend.
I am looking forward to another productive and successful school term. I have always been very proud of the efforts your children put into their schoolwork and their overall exemplary behaviour. Of course, this does not occur by accident or by good luck. The pride students take in their work and how they conduct themselves is a product of great parenting and a highly effective teaching and learning environment. It takes hard work but the fruits of our labour will be well worth the effort.
Our school strives to develop and express its own unique culture. However, we cannot do this alone. We rely greatly on each of our students and staff members being able to actively contribute to this culture in a positive manner. One of the most important things you as parents can do to assist the school and the teachers is to ensure you instill a great value of school and education. Explain to your child that treating everyone with respect, attending school, being on time, wearing the correct uniform and placing a high value on learning is important to them. They are also important life skills. The value you place on the traits of a learner and being a global citizen will be the values your child holds into the future. Primary school is the crucial time to establish values, develop positive dispositions and an understanding of the benefits of being resilient and to persist.
Our Positive Behaviour for Learning rules, the Four R’s, serve as a guide for Learning the St Joseph’s Way. Our goal is that this proven approach will give students practical tools to learn and live according to these dispositions and enhance their wellbeing in a holistic way. Each Monday, classes attend a brief PB4L Assembly where we focus on teaching expected behaviour, followed by (Second Step) Social Emotional Learning Program activities in each classroom.
This fortnight we are focusing on ‘Focusing Attention’, which will involve students throughout the school learning and practicing skills related to listening and learning. We will continue to provide updates via the newsletter regarding the progression of this curriculum and what our topic is for the fortnight. We look forward to growing student wellbeing at St Joseph’s through continued focus and development of the St Joseph’s Way.
God Bless,
Megan
Catholic Education Week
Catholic Education Week will be celebrated across Queensland from 27 - 31 July. This annual event is held to promote the special ethos of Catholic schools and to highlight the great things that take place in Catholic schools every day across the state and country.
Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.
There are 307 Catholic schools in Queensland that educate around 146,000 students and employ approximately 19,000 teachers and staff and most will celebrate Catholic Education Week in some way.
Due to COVID-19, celebrations this year have been restricted. Here at St Joseph’s we will be integrating activities into our regular school week and celebrating a liturgy in the Church on Friday 7th August.
School Renewal & Improvement Process
As we are currently in our 5th year of operation it is time for us to develop a new five-year strategic plan. This process enables parents, staff, and students to have a voice on the future direction of the school. The findings of the Independent School Review we undertaken in 2019, along with the 2019 school survey and 2020 survey feedback and current student achievement data, will provide us with valuable information to create a fully informed strategic plan for the next five years.
We aim to have this process well underway and a draft Strategic Plan completed by the end of this term, ready for further consultation and feedback from school community groups in term 4.
In term One 2021 we will hold a parent meeting to launch our strategic plan.
Report Cards
One of the benefits of being Principal is that I get to see what is happening in all classrooms and witness how every student is progressing through the school year. Having just read their recent report cards, I must comment on the effort level of the majority of students in all year levels. A high level of effort tells me that you are putting in 100% effort into your work and that you are doing the very best you can do. Yes, we can all work on improving some part of our performance but if we are giving it our very best, success is sure to follow. These reports can be accessed from Tuesday this week.
Report cards for Semester One are based on learning that has occurred in Term One and Term Two and report on student achievement for the first half of the year. This is most important to keep in mind as students have a whole year to demonstrate the targeted knowledge.
Report cards for Semester One 2020 are modified to reflect the changed learning conditions for Term Two. The changed circumstances of the first half of Term Two may mean that not all learning areas have been fully covered or assessed as planned. It is also important to understand that the grades your child/children receive are reflective of the unforeseen circumstances we had during the term.
All schools are required to report using the Federal Government’s A-E format. This has been in place for many years now and a revised explanation of each achievement level is attached and is included in the report card. One issue that we often encounter is that of parents’ perception of A-E. If we are not too sure of something, we always revert to our default understandings – in this case “what A-E used to mean when I was at school”. The definitions are different and have been for many years, especially for the achievement level of ‘C’. Achieving the grading of ‘C’ means that your child at this point in time is demonstrating the targeted knowledge at the expected level for the particular year level they are in. In other words, that is where most children in a class should be at.
Learning is a journey and like all journeys, it will have its ups and downs. A person’s ability to apply higher-order thinking, transfer and application of knowledge to new situations etc, is different for each individual and often takes time, practise and maturity.
I have asked our teachers to focus on the following aspects when writing each child’s report and when preparing for parent / teacher interviews. How well each child has engaged with their learning. Their progress during this year, acknowledging it has been an extremely interrupted one. The strengths that each child has demonstrated and the ‘next steps’ that will help each child improve.
I thank our teachers for their time, effort and professionalism in writing their children’s reports. They will provide families, along with the parent/teacher interview, with a comprehensive overview of your child’s progress.
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Report cards are just one way of communicating student achievement. Parents are strongly encouraged to discuss student progress with their classroom teachers at any time.
Formal Parent-Teacher interviews will be held:
- Monday 20th July to Thursday 23rd July for Year 3.
- Monday 27th July to Wednesday 29th July for all other classes.
Each interview is for a period of 15 minutes. Social distancing and hygiene practices will be in place. Please book in via our Parent Teaching Online Booking System (PTO) to make an appointment at your preferred time. If you are experiencing difficulty accessing the Parent Teaching Online Booking System (PTO), please feel free to contact our office staff and they will be able to assist you. Explanation of how to access the booking system via the Parent Portal linked to the school website can be found below.
Instructions for Accessing our internet-based booking system called Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO).
Using this system, you will be able to book the interview times that suit you best from any internet-connected computer. If you do not have internet access, please contact our School Secretary to assist you in making your booking.
Please access the system as follows:
- Go to the parent portal
- Click the PTO icon as shown here …
- Click “Obtain PIN/Password” and enter your email address. Your PIN will be emailed to you. The email you receive will include a link that can be clicked on to log straight into PTO, bypassing the login screen.
Full instructions are provided to you after log in. Please note the following points:
- When you log on, the system displays only your own child/children. Bookings are made for individual parents/guardians, not for couples. Couples can however log on to the system simultaneously to coordinate bookings. If two parents/guardians wish to attend a single interview time slot, one parent/guardian should make the booking then both can attend.
- You will only see time slots that are available at the time you are using the system. As time slots are booked for teachers, those time slots are no longer displayed as available. PTO prevents double-booking of teachers or parents/guardians.
- When you have made all the bookings you require, you can download or email a report of your bookings in time order for printing. You can log in and change bookings any time up to 9am on the day before interviews. For cancelations on the day of your appointment please contact our school office directly.
- If you see this symbol displayed alongside the class name, it means this teacher recommends that you book an interview.
- Other parents may be making bookings at the same time that you are using the system. It is possible, though unlikely, that a time slot is displayed to you as available, but is then booked by another parent shortly afterwards. If you then attempt to book this time slot it will not be available and a message will be displayed to indicate this.
- If you encounter any problems using PTO please contact the school office on 4069 9500, or by email to secretary.weipa@cns.catholic.edu.au
2021 PREP ENROLMENT
Believe it or not, it is nearly time to finalise the year-long process which is the enrolment of our Prep cohort for 2021. As always, we will begin with interviewing our siblings before we move forward to interviewing new families to join our community. We will send out invitations for interviews at the beginning on next week and they will commence in Week Seven.
Our school website is the pathway to the enrolment process which must be completed online.
Children must be 5 by 30 June in the year they enrol (2021). I encourage you to attend to this process as soon as possible. Our friendly office staff are always happy to support and answer any questions you may have regarding your child’s enrolment.
NEWS AND EVENTS
I encourage our Parents and Students to read our School newsletter weekly and check our Facebook page to keep up to date with events as the pace will no doubt quicken throughout this semester. We are all looking forward to events and activities returning once the COVID-19 restrictions ease.
NAIDOC WEEK
NAIDOC Week has been postponed this year until 8-15th November 2020 due to COVID-19.
Important News Regarding Book Week 2020
The (CBCA) Children’s Book Council f Australia have moved the annual Book Week celebrations. The dates St Joseph’s will be celebrating Book Week are now from Monday 24th to Friday 28th August . This year’s theme is “Curious Creatures, Wild Minds”.
Curious Creatures Drawing Competition
Students are invited to draw their idea of a curious creature and bring it to the library no later than Thursday 13th August. All drawings will go on display and one prize will be awarded in each class.
Book Fair
We will still be having our Book Fair in the same week as Book Week.
COVID-19 Update
Social Distancing / Parents entering the school grounds – we will continue to err on the side of caution with this restriction: We ask that parents wanting to enter must have a good reason and maintain Covid-safe practices (hand sanitiser, not attending when unwell, maintaining social distance, not congregating etc). Thank you for adhering to this directive and keeping us all safe.
Social Distancing Precautions are also the reason we cannot yet welcome parents back to assemblies and masses as before. We certainly miss our families being part of our school events but by holding our Weekly Assemblies on the Basketball Court, we are now able to invite parents of students who are receiving weekly awards. We will now be able to hold parent meetings with individual parents, as long as appropriate hygiene and social distancing practices are applied.
Hygiene
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, it is important to remember that effective hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defense against viruses and can help prevent the spread of illness. Lead by example and encourage your children to
- wash their hands regularly with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
- use alcohol-based hand sanitiser if soap is not available
- cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of their elbow
- dispose of tissues in the bin immediately
- if they’re unwell, stay at home and avoid contact with others such as touching, kissing or hugging.
Uniforms
At St Joseph’s we have a school uniform that reflects our sense of community. Our uniform also demonstrates respect and pride for our school and for each individual student. Please ensure your child wears the correct full school uniform every day. All uniforms can be purchased through flexischools. See us at the office for a range of second-hand items if required.
Please remember to check our lost property box, located at the entrance to the library, if your child/ren have misplaced anything.
AFTERSCHOOL AUSKICK PROGRAM 2020
On Thursday afternoons from 3.10pm - 4.10pm on the following dates, AFL will run an afterschool Program for Auskick for a maximum of 50 participants due to COVID - 19 regulations.
First in, best dressed...ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT!
Thursday - 23rd of July - 3.10pm - 4.10pm
Thursday - 30th of July - 3.10pm - 4.10pm
Thursday - 6th of August - 3.10pm - 4.10pm.
If parents would like their child to participate they complete the attached forms in the Newsletter and return to the school office as soon as possible with the $20 Fee.
***PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT REGULATIONS***
Due to COVID - 19 Regulations the session will be capped at 50 participants and parents are unable to attend. Mrs. Turner will be the teacher to facilitate the afternoon with 3 AFL staff running the program. Parents will be able to pick up their child from 4.10pm at the Kiss and Go area.
This Week Let us include in our prayers…..
- Those communities that continue to suffer physically and mentally as a result of Covid-19. We especially pray for our families, friends and colleagues who are living with uncertainty and fear in the southern states of Australia.
- Peace in countries that continue to be affected by abuse of power and destruction through war. May leaders and those who bear weapons listen to the cry of those who are suffering and dying.
Sunday’s Gospel- 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Please find shared in this week’s newsletter: the Sunday prayer at home which has some wonderful resources to unpack this week’s readings in a family friendly way. This week’s Gospel is another Parable from the Gospel of Matthew. The parables that Jesus used were neither scientific nor fanciful. They are stories that bear deep truths for those who engage with the imaginatively and who are prepared to make the choices we as Catholics are called to make. Jesus invites us on a journey of discovery when he unpacks the vision of ‘the kingdom of heaven’.... There is no parable that can offer a logical or comprehensive description of what the kingdom of heaven will be like, instead, Jesus teases and challenges believers to see the world in a different way- his way.
This way of seeing the world is especially strange for us in the 21st century and seems to operate with conflicting mindsets. On the one hand we demand scientific proof for truths before we adopt them, we are constantly searching for empirical evidence to back up belief. Yes this week’s Gospel is asking us to look beyond the scientific and take a leap of faith and visualise the potential of the world Jesus envisioned for us. Gospel Reflections
Assembly
It was wonderful to be able to gather together for a whole school assembly on Friday in the basketball court. As restrictions ease this term, we will be resuming more school functions. We will begin by gathering the students for a second assembly this Friday. Due to the continued restrictions around adults on school grounds, we will invite the parents of students receiving awards to the assembly each week. We ask parents to maintain social distancing while on school grounds and we appreciate your support with these changes.
Semester 1 Student Academic Reports
This week students academic reports will be available for downloading from the Parent Portal. If you are needing assistance with accessing the Parent Portal please contact our school office and we will be able to assist you. Please find below instructions on how to access the academic reports section of the Parent Portal.
May St Joseph smile on you,
Meg Newell
This week we welcome back AFL Cape York and are so excited to have them visiting St Joseph’s Parish School Weipa on the following dates: Thursday - 23rd of July
Thursday - 30th of July
Thursday - 6th of August
Matt, Jake and Shelby will also be introducing a nutrition program called On The Move With Deadly Foods.
On The Move With Deadly Foods Project (OTMWDF) aims to educate and promote healthy food and drink choices and encourage regular physical activity. The classroom session involves students working through a resource booklet, which aligns to the HPE Curriculum in a fun, interactive and educational session.
AFTERSCHOOL AUSKICK PROGRAM 2020
On Thursday afternoons from 3.10pm - 4.10pm on the following dates, AFL will run an afterschool Program for Auskick for a maximum of 50 participants due to COVID - 19 regulations. First in, best dressed...ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT!
Thursday - 23rd of July - 3.10pm - 4.10pm
Thursday - 30th of July - 3.10pm - 4.10pm
Thursday - 6th of August - 3.10pm - 4.10pm.
If you would like your child to participate please complete the attached forms and return to the school office as soon as possible with the $20 Fee.
***PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT REGULATIONS***
Due to COVID - 19 Regulations the session will be capped at 50 participants and parents are unable to attend. Mrs. Turner will be the teacher to facilitate the afternoon with 3 AFL staff running the program. Parents will be able to pick up their child from 4.10pm at the Kiss and Go area.
Issue #5 of Book Club is out, with orders due by Friday 31st July. Order via Loop. Your child’s teacher details are up to date. If you have any questions about Book Club or the ordering process, please contact Stacey Edmonds on sedmonds@cns.catholic.edu.au or phone the front office.
Welcome back to Term 3! We have lots of new things to learn. In the mornings before school the Prep to Year 2 students have been starting the day completing an obstacle course. Then they come into the classroom ready for learning after washing their hands.
In the morning block we have Literacy activities which include: reading, writing, Oral Phonogram Review and a construction activity. The book for the week is called; A Nice Walk in the Jungle by Vikki Rossi.
For Science we are learning about Push and Pull and how the forces work. The students will be able to work in groups and design a mini golf course throughout the term and then use materials such as books to construct their course.
Next week we will have parent interviews please select a time that would suit you on the PTO site. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Neve completing the obstacle course.
Have a great week.
Kind regards,
Ms Andrieka Knight
What a terrific start to Term 3 we have had! The students are thriving with our consistent routines. In Literacy we have been learning about past and present tense. When we add the suffix ed to a word it is a signal that the verb is past tense. Watch us practising.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oQdUfsV6GceJfTK4I_YFWRhHe4UJ6WI2/view
Thank you for bringing in recycled materials, we are looking forward to building our marble runs. We will be learning how to design solutions that meet the needs of our client. In this case we will be learning how to use sustainable resources (recycled materials) to fix Ms B’s marble run. We will explore forces and problem solve to improve the design.
I look forward to meeting with you face to face next week at Parent Teacher interviews. In the meantime, enjoy my video updates!
Regards,
Kelly Bienvenu
We have had a great start to Term 3!
This week in Year 2 we have been looking at self-regulation. We have identified the 4 zones that we will be talking about and using in the classroom and playground. Our green zone is where we need to be, to ensure we are learning! We have also been learning how to identify and regulate our emotions, and that is why we started a gratitude journal!
In maths we have been summarising our addition and subtraction strategies, including number lines and split strategy. The mini whiteboards are a great way to consolidate our understanding!
Some final notes:
- Homework is given on a Monday, and due in on the Friday
- Library is Friday for year 2
I would like to welcome all Year 3 families to Term 3 at St Joseph’s. We will be striving towards a term of learning and establishing positive relationships in Year 3. An outline of each key learning area has been provided. It would be great if you could use this as a reference to discuss with your child what they have learnt throughout the term.
General Information:
- Miss Newell will teach Health and Physical Education on Thursdays.
- Library Day Thursdays
- Yasi Kemmerling will teach AUSLAN on Mondays
Religion: What Can The Sacraments Do For Me?
Year 3 will determine the significance of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) for themselves and the Church community and make links with the Scriptures.
English
Literacy Groups will take place this term with students working through rotational activities according to their own individual reading ability and needs. For Writing this term, students will engage in a study of persuasive writing where they will come to understand the purpose and features of visual literacy, various advertisements and print media.
Mathematics
Throughout this term, the students will be involved in mathematical activities focusing on Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability strands. The following outlines the weekly content-
Week 1- Data, Week 2-3 Multiplication and Division, Week 4-5 Whole Number, Week 6 Money, Week 7 Fractions, Week 8 Measurement, Week 9 Position, Week 10 Revision.
History and Technology (Integrated) Who Lived Here First and How Do We Know?
Students will investigate the history of Australia and the contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures have made. After learning about Indigenous Life, in Technology, they will be asked to design, plan, create and reflect on an aspect of the First People’s culture.
Civics and Citizenship: What Makes A Good Community Member?
Year 3 will explore what makes someone a good community member- how does someone get involved in the community? and what makes a good community member?
Science- Day and Night
In Science this term, Year 3 will be exploring what causes night and day and studying the relationships between the Sun, Earth and Moon. They will explore the sizes, shapes, positions and movements of the Sun, Earth and Moon and investigate how shadows change throughout the day.
Art: Mixed Media, Mix Artists
Year 3 will explore and appreciate a range of artists and artworks as inspiration for their own artworks this term. They will be using a range of materials, techniques and processes when planning and creating their artworks.
Homework
Homework will be distributed on Mondays and should be completed and returned to school on Friday.
- Reading: Students are asked to complete- 20-25 minutes of reading per night and complete the reading log
- Mathematics: Students are to complete four problem solving questions a week and record their assigned timetables every night.
- Literacy Planet activities, Literacy Pro quizzes and Maths Online Revision Activities.
I look forward to a great term together and meeting you at the Parent Interviews.
Kind Regards,
Mrs Michelle Gear
What a great first week we had - catching up with our friends, establishing class expectations and an outdoor Assembly on the Basketball court.
Last week we listened to the story The Bucket Filler and have agreed to be Bucket Fillers this Semester in Year 4.
This Term P.E for all students will be on Thursday, please wear Sports Uniform on the allocated day. The students will be learning about the following P.E Unit - Bat, Catch, Howzat!
AFL Cape York are back and we are so excited to have them visiting St Joseph’s Parish School Weipa on the following dates: Thursday - 23rd of July, Thursday - 30th of July, Thursday - 6th of August.
Matt, Jake and Shelby will also be introducing a nutrition program called On The Move With Deadly Foods which aims to educate and promote healthy food and drink choices and encourage regular physical activity.
Reminders
Library Day is Wednesday – please ensure Library bag is packed on that day.
Health and Physical Education
Teacher: Melanie Turner (Thursday)
Health Lesson
Teacher: Megan Newall (Friday)
Auslan
Teacher: Yasi Kemmerling (Monday)
Homework is given out every Friday and returned the following Thursday
Lapotops – Please remember to charge Laptops at home each night
Communication
If you have any questions or queries, please email us on mturner@cns.catholic.edu.au and sulanas@cns.catholic.edu.au and we will endeavour to return your email within 24 hours.
Regards,
Mel Turner
Welcome back to Term 3. We have had a great start to the term with reviewing the 4R’s. The students are getting back into the routine of learning with many new topics being covered. A big focus for this term is The Gold Rush. In history we are looking at what it was and the events that took place. For technology we will be recreating the Gold Fields using Minecraft Education. Our Religion lessons will be about the pioneers of the Catholic Church. The students have shown great enthusiasm this past week being interested in the new topics of learning. I’m sure once the Minecraft activities start taking place, there will be many opportunities where they are coding endlessly.
This coming Friday the Year 5 students will be on school prayer for assembly. I’ll ensure to get a few pictures to send through.
Thursday’s as of this week will be the day our homework is due. I’ll have homework marked and returned on a Friday. Thursday is also our Library day and PE uniform day.
A reminder also for students to be in correct uniforms and to have laptops charged each day for learning. Some students are choosing to leave them overnight 1 or 2 days a week and that is fine but charging should be happening at home, not at school.
Regards,
Stacey Edmonds
Year 6 News written by Year 6 students
It is official!! Yr 6 are going to go to school camp. We are super excited and can’t wait to do all the fun activities planned. It is called Camp Patterson and there is a variety of action-packed opportunities. We have also been informed we are much closer to getting our school shirts!
We are learning about Persuasive writing and the elements of Persuasive. It is fun because we learn lots. Some elements we have talked about so far are rhetorical questions, onomatopoeia, using personal pronouns, emotive language and modality.
In Maths we have looked at Angles and Capacity and Volume. We’ve learnt about measuring angles at a point, how to add and subtract angles and how to find the missing angle in a complementary and supplementary angle.
This term for Science we are doing Circuits and Switches. So far we have talked about different types of energy, energy sources and circuits. Some energy types are solar, nuclear, wind farms and hydro energy. We have a few makey makey boards which in the coming weeks we will create different circuits on to make handheld devices.
PBIS rewards. Each week we choose a new reward if we are demonstrating the 4R’s. Students get to pick the reward like….popcorn day, choose your teachers hairstyle, scooter day, shoes off and much more like that. In Second steps we are starting to look at bullying in depth and the self-regulation zones (blue, green, yellow, and red).
A busy start to the term!
Regards,
Libby Lange
Prep - Amelie Hancock, Faith Bell and Riley Wright
Year 1 - Niamh Horwood and Lala-Sue Bowie
Year 2 - Kade Larcombe and Finn Alleyn
Year 3 - Philemon Agale and Jayce Christie
Year 4 - Oscar Argent and Louis Argent
Year 5 - Samuel Hancock and Jack Kelleher
Year 6 - Jake McDonnell and Liam Mattisey
