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Dear Parents and Friends of St Joseph’s,
According to our student management software that we login to each day, there are currently only 30 days until the end of term! Christmas will arrive sooner than we imagine! There are however, many learning hours and events that will happen before the end of term so we are excited for the term ahead.
Yes, it will be a busy term, but I do urge children, parents and teachers not to just cross events off in the calendar as they pass but to make the most of this time and take in the special moments which will occur over the next couple of months.
This week and next we look forward to welcoming our Prep students for Orientation Day. For them it will be an experience of many firsts. Our Year 6 class has already begun transition days to WCC.
At the end of this month we will take part in “Day for Daniel”. During 2020, many adults and children have been using technology more than usual. I have included a government website, https:// www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/taming-technology that I encourage you to explore. It has many useful tips for parents who wish to keep their children safe whilst using technology during the pandemic. I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of knowing and understanding the devices that children use that can connect to the internet, so you are able to protect yourself and your family.
Please be advised that our current guidelines around Covid19 are still in place. As you would have seen in the news, there have been some changes to outdoor gatherings restrictions. This will assist us in holding our end of year functions and events like Starry Starry Night. We will keep families posted on any changes.
We are excited to invite all families to the launch of the St Joseph’s School Song next Wednesday at 5pm on the Basketball Court. Invitations will be sent out this week. Hope to see you there.
God Bless,
Megan
This week let us include in our prayers…..
- The leaders of the world may they have the courage to do what is right;
- For those who have no one to care for them,
May these prayers and all those we hold in our hearts, be felt by those who need them most.
Sunday’s Gospel- 29th 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.
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Today we might wonder about the reply Jesus gives to his hostile questioners about paying taxes to Caesar. Is he really answering the question or is he being cleverly evasive? They ask Jesus whether the people should pay taxes to the Emperor, as the law told them to. If Jesus answered “No’, he would have been reported for crimes of treason. If he answered “Yes’ then he would have confirmed his critics beliefs that the people who believed that God was their only king and by paying taxes was a form of insult to God. Either way, his response, like the parables, opens the way to reflection and debate. No one has a monopoly on the “right way” for Christian persons and communities to relate to secular authority. There are innumerable variations on this theme. It’s easy enough to say that Christians are called to respect and obey lawful authority while living out the demands of the gospel. How that plays out is vastly different for people around the world. Australian Christians are not exempt from the challenge of this dilemma. We live in a world and we have responsibilities to the world that cannot be ignored. Bills to pay, shopping to be done, work that can not be ignored. We also live in relationship with God and that too brings responsibilities which can not be ignored. We have obligations as Catholics to bear witness to the teachings of the Church. Something to think about this week. How can we balance our obligations? To society? Our families and to God? This week let’s take some time to reflect on these balancing responsibilities and how we can be better at fulfilling these balancing obligations. |
ACER TESTING
This week the students begin their yearly standards tests, the ACER Progressive Achievement Tests. ACER’s Progressive Achievement approach is used in thousands of schools in Australia and around the world. The approach focuses on assessing and monitoring student growth over time and is underpinned by an understanding that students of the same age and in the same year of school can be at very different points in their learning and development. Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT), are a series of tests designed to provide objective, norm-referenced information to teachers about their students’ skills and understandings.
At St Joseph’s we undertake yearly standardised testing in the areas of Mathematics & Reading Comprehension. Each test is completed online and lasts for forty minutes each. The results are used by the school to track each student’s progression in these areas.
Daniel Morcombe Curriculum
This term for Health the students of St Joseph’s will be undertaking the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum. The Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum has been developed to support Queensland schools’ delivery of key safety messages to students in Prep to Year 9. Through a series of lessons, students will learn how to recognise, react and report when they are unsafe or find themselves in situations that can have a significant detrimental effect on their physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing.
Some of the safety lessons for students will include:
Recognise
- Safety clues and situational awareness
- Risk taking
- Rules, rights and responsibilities
- Private body parts (using anatomical names) and body ownership
React
- Problem solving
- Strategies
Report
- Safety helpers and persistence
- Online and mobile phone safety
- Review of personal safety using self-confidence skills
As part of the modules, students will need to discuss body parts with the correct use of vocabulary and reminders of the appropriateness of these words in the right situation. If there are any concerns about the content of this unit, please contact myself. To support your understanding at home we have uploaded the curriculum supporting resource at home on the parent portal. You are welcome to access this at any time to engage with discussions around each weeks learning content.
Please find attached the Daniel Morcombe Curriculum information flyer for parents. This is a great resources as it assists parents to learn about the curriculum and the messages your child will be receiving. If you would like further information about the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum, it can be found at www.education.qld.gov.au/child-safety-curriculum.
May St Joseph smile on you,
Meg Newell
APRE/CST
Enrolments for 2021
At this time of the year, plans are also being made for 2021 and the key factor upon which planning is based is enrolment facts and figures. Whether it’s class composition, number of classes, number of staff members or budget planning, it is essential to be as accurate as possible in predicting the number of students at St Joseph’s come January next year.
Can I ask then that you keep us informed about potential moves between now and the beginning of the year?
Thank you for helping us to be well-prepared for the year ahead.
Uniforms
A reminder to ensure that all uniform items are clearly named, especially hats. Named items that have been left around the school, are usually returned to the rightful owner by the end of the day. Sports uniforms are only to be worn every Thursday.
Can I also ask parents to ensure our uniform guidelines are followed? This includes no fluro or multi coloured joggers and for girls, all hair accessories need to be in the school colours. Jewellery is limited to stud or sleeper earrings and a watch. Necklaces are not recommended unless they are of a genuine religious significance.
Your co-operation at home with uniforms, goes a long way to assist us in monitoring what students are wearing and supports our efforts in maintaining a high standard.
2021 Book Pack Information
We have been busily finalising our student book packs for 2021. Once again book packs are $120 per student and cover all stationery and textbooks. The only items you will need to supply with be an art smock (upon request by the classroom teacher) and a set of headphones. This year we will have headphones (Verbatim Urban Sound Kid) available to purchase at the school or through Flexischools for $21.00.
Book Packs will be available to purchase through flexi schools from Monday 2nd November 2020.
Books and equipment will then be distributed to classes in 2021.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Susan or Suzy in the office on 4214 6600.
Parent Engagement
Recently the Catholic School Parents Australia Toolkit – Gearing up for parent Engagement in Student Learning – has been updated with case studies.
The toolkit has been developed for families and schools to help make the transition into primary and secondary school a great experience for children and young people.
This information will assist the unique relationship between parent and child to flourish into a meaningful partnership between home and school towards improving the learning and wellbeing of students.
Minister Tehan launched this addition to the toolkit and the media release is attached. Minister’s video launching the toolkit is here https://www.parentengagementcspa.edu.au/website-search?s=tehan The case studies are a series of short videos and vignettes to share Parent Engagement experiences of Principals and parents.
They are from State, Catholic and Independent schools. I draw your attention to this worthwhile website as we begin discussions around the Parent Partnership for 2021.
The resources can be found at https://www.parentengagementcspa.edu.au/
