Term 1 Week 10 Newsletter 2022

Acknowledgement of Country

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, Staff and Students
 
Welcome to Week 10, the last week of Term 1 and also our last newsletter for the term. It is the first newsletter I am writing as principal of our school, a role I was very proud and excited to be appointed to last week. It has been nice to remove the ‘acting’ part of my previous title in various communications since. Thank you for all your messages of congratulations, I am looking forward to serving this beautiful school community as your principal in the years to come.
 
A huge thank you to our school community for your generous support of our recent fundraising activities. Last Thursday students were asked to bring in a gold coin donation to contribute to the Brisbane Flood Appeal. Our donations, and the donations of other catholic schools in the Townsville Diocese, are going directly to the Brisbane Catholic Education Office for them to distribute to schools to assist with rebuilding after the recent floods. As a community we raised $430.65. Well done St Joseph’s!
 
As is our usual practice in Term 1, we have been raising money for Caritas (Project Compassion). Our Year 6 students have demonstrated leadership, initiative and motivation in organising a variety of fundraising events. This Friday they have organised a ‘Water Bomb the Teacher’ event which I am sure will be a lot of fun and enable us to end the term with a splash. Water bombs are currently on sale and being sold by Year 6 students in the undercover area at lunch break.
Next term, we will be participating in the ANZAC DAY march along the Strand. A note was sent out last Friday to all students in Year 4-6 who were interested in representing our school. Please contact the office for this permission note if your child missed out. Like last year, we are limited to having only 50 students march in the parade this year. If we don’t fill this quota with our 4 - 6 students, we will offer our Year 3 students an opportunity to participate.
I hope either in the weeks leading toward Easter or over the Easter break you will have time to experience the joy of the risen Christ with your family and friends. Holidays are long awaited gifts, and it is my hope families are able to use this time for some much needed rest and renewal. Where there are not too many demands or activities, rather time to create some peace within ourselves and within our families.
Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to our parents, staff and students for a wonderful term. Stay safe these holidays,Term 2 begins April 19.
God bless
Tracy

APRE News

Open Your Heart
Be a Gift of Love and Compassion for One Another Mary MacKillop

A Lent Prayer 
Jesus, you came to help us see what you could see in the world.
Your love for the poor was enormous.
During this time of Lent, lend us your eyes, your heart
and your mind so that we may see, feel and think as you do.
May we be always generous in our resolve to help the poor, for they are the ones who are dear to you, Lord.
Amen

Project Compassion 

Please return project compassion boxes to the office by Friday. Thank you for your generosity.

Project Compassion is Caritas Australia’s annual fundraising appeal which is held during the six weeks of Lent each year.  The theme of Project Compassion 2022 is ‘For All Future Generations’.  It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long term solutions to global issues. With our theme of Open Our Hearts, we are encouraging students to reach out to others in need and to find ways to enrich the lives of those around them. Project Compassion is a wonderful way to do this. 

Last week each family was provided with a project compassion box for donations or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at:  lent.caritas.org.au

 Fourth Week of Lent  
(Week beginning Monday 28th March)
This week through Project Compassion we learn about Rosalie, who lives with her husband and seven children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Forced to join the army when she was just 15-years-old, Rosalie experienced significant trauma and hardship during her years in the military. After she was demobilised from the army, Rosalie, like other ex-combatants, was left to fend for herself in the community. 
With your generous support and through Caritas Australia's partners, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Caritas Bukavu, Rosalie was able to connect with other members of her community and participate in business skills training to help her to reintegrate into society.
She joined a savings group which helped her with a loan to start her own small business selling second-hand shoes and natural remedies. 
“I can eat, dress, maintain my health and help others. My children study and manage to eat twice a day. I have learnt to work hand-in-hand with other members of the community. Really, there is more joy in sharing with others.” - Rosalie
Watch a short film about Rosalie’s story here.

Photo: Arlette Bashizi /Caritas Australia

Holy Week Prayers
This week we have been celebrating Holy week with a prayer each morning. Thank you to the teacher and students for 3B, 4B, 2B and 3A who have given up their time to practise and host these prayers for us. Thank you to all of the parents/carers who have joined us each morning.

Holy Week Prayers

Assembly
Assemblies take place in the Shelter Shed on Monday mornings at 8:40am. All are welcome to attend.  Our next Assembly will be held on Monday 9th May, hosted by 4A.

Christian Meditation 
Christian Meditation will not take place this week as Mrs Plant is away. It will take place next Thursday morning at 8:00am in the Library.   Meditation is a form of sacred and silent prayer, known as prayer of the heart.  It is a lovely way to start the day! 

Sacramental Program
The Sacramental Program will commence in May. A note has been sent home this week. Enrolment forms for the program are available at the school office. These need to be completed and returned to the school/parish office not later than the 22nd April.

ANZAC Liturgy
Families are welcome to join us in the Shelter Shed on Friday 22 April for our ANZAC Liturgy commencing at 8:45am.

May God’s blessing be with you all, Peta

Easter Mass Times

Diary Dates

Term Dates

From the Office

School fees were issued via email on the 17th February.  If you have not received your invoice, please check your junk/spam folder or contact the office.  Payments were due 25th March.  Your prompt payment of any outstanding  fees is most appreciated.

Instrumental music fees are also now overdue.  Any families wishing to withdraw from the Instrumental program are asked to notify the office prior to the end of term.

Caritas Fundraising - Water Bomb the Teacher

2023 Enrolments

Library News

Another amazing Term, inspiring students to love reading, has nearly concluded, with students enthusiastically borrowing their favourite books for the holidays!

Students have been engaged in learning with our fabulous Library Teacher, Mrs Luton.  Year 4 looked at internet safety with ‘sharing online and differences between private and personal information’.  Year 5 continued on the revision of the daily life of convicts, with Mrs Luton sharing some real, fierce, convict ancestry with her students! Arr!!!

Don’t forget to check out the activities at the Townville Public Libraries during the school holidays and find some more books to delight your children :  https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/libraries.

Around our Library

Bimbi Wadja

At the beginning of the term, we read the book " Dingoes are not dogs" by Chris Sarra. 
It was about acceptance and being kind to each other. We created a friendship tree using all our hands as the leaves, it looks amazing. 
We have also been working on cards to send to the flood victims in South East Qld, these will be sent to Brisbane Catholic Education office.
 We will be making Gabul snakes out of bubble wrap and will wrap up the term with a variety of Indigenous activities in week 10. These include dreamtime stories, playdough animals, sand tray animal habitats, craft activity making Indigenous flags, looking at different coral and shells and indigenous puzzles. 

Duldhina ( Take care),   Cindy

Star Students

Guidance Counsellor News

Below is some important information about opportunities for support for your child and for you...

Seasons for Growth 
I will be running the Seasons for Growth Children and Young People's Program in Term 2. The program strengthens the social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people who have experienced significant change or loss in their lives. 

Who is Seasons for Growth for?
Anyone who is living with the effects of change and loss. Many
factors can cause change such as:
• Friends can come and go
• Loss of someone or something you love
• Parents and families separate
• Moving to a new place
• Impact of illness
• Family work-life changes
Change affects everyone differently, as does grief. It’s the
impact of the change, not the event itself that Seasons for
Growth focuses on.

The program provides a small group safe learning environment for children where they can give voice to their experiences, understand and befriend their feelings, learn skills that help them adapt, develop friendships, and recognise ‘I’m not the only one’.  

The permission note for the Seasons for Growth program has been sent to you via Compass. 

Later in the year, I will also be offering the Stormbirds Program. This program will support children that have been impacted by natural disasters, including the Pandemic. A letter regarding the Stormbirds Program will be provided early in Term 2.

On-line Mental Health Support for Families

I also want to highlight the growing on-line support for parents, such as MindSpot. MindSpot is a free service for Australian adults who are experiencing difficulties with anxiety, stress, depression and low mood. MindSpot provide assessment and treatment courses, or they can help you find local services that can help. Follow this link to find out more https://www.mindspot.org.au/

School TV…

SchoolTV delivers ongoing student wellbeing support to parent communities. Each topic or edition addresses key issues using brief interviews with expert specialists, fact sheets, parent quizzes, recommended apps, books and much more.  Every month from February to November, a new topic is published for you to review. Take the time to explore each series and topic and make sure you visit the resources section.

P & F Save the Date

Tuckshop

Community Notices