Term 1, Week 4 Newsletter, 2023

Acknowledgement of Country

We respectfully acknowledge the past and present traditional owners of this land on which we stand, the Wulgurukaba and neighbouring Bindal people who are the custodians. We pray that we can walk together to a better future.

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, Staff and Students

Welcome to Week 4 of Term 1. There has been plenty to celebrate in the last couple of weeks. Our P & F Welcome Disco was well attended, with families enjoying time to catch up after the holiday break. It was great to see parents/carers, children and Miss Green up dancing and enjoying the Disco. The Parent Information Evening returned after a three year hiatus. Feedback from our teachers included the fact that it was a positive evening, and great to have the face to face experience again with parents and carers. Given the attendance numbers however, consideration will be given to either reducing the sessions to one session or sending information home via a digital platform.

Our Beginning of Year Mass took place last Friday in the Shelter Shed. During the Mass, our Year 6 students were inducted as leaders of the school and received their leadership badge. Likewise, the newly elected members of our Student Representative Council received their badge and certificate in the presence of staff, students and the wider school community. It was a beautiful ceremony, and many thanks go to Mrs Taylor, our APRE, and Father Dave Lancini who was the celebrant. Father Dave very effectively communicated the Gospel message to our students, challenging them to be a shining light for those around them and, in doing so, lift others so they could shine. 

When we consider student leadership, we invariably ponder the question of what makes a good leader. When researching this subject, I found a few pearls of wisdom in a Teach Starter Classroom Blog which resonated with me. As upper school students near their final year of primary education, there is a certain amount of responsibility that is placed on their shoulders. Whether they have ‘official’ leadership positions or are simply the oldest cohort, they need to understand the importance of their roles as student leaders. They need to develop strong leadership skills. Most importantly, students need to understand what makes a good leader.
Being a student leader is about more than just helping out during Assembly. Students have a responsibility to younger students as role models and buddies, and to each other as they work together to effectively lead their school. They should demonstrate this responsibility, as per our Joey’s Way, consistently. Good leadership is not about being ‘in charge’, rather it is about supporting those you are leading. Student leaders should take responsibility for their actions and choices, and recognise that owning their actions is a step in maturity that is necessary as they enter high school. Alongside this, is the responsibility they have to not lay the blame on others for their choices.
Other leadership skills include communication and trustworthiness. Communicating isn’t just about being a confident speaker. A good leader knows when to speak, how to speak, and also how to listen effectively. In order to inspire trust in others, students must speak with good intentions – this means speaking with honesty and kindness.
Perhaps the most important quality of all. A great leader leads by example. Younger students often look up to older students with awe and admiration. They closely watch and copy the behaviour of older kids, and so a good student leader understands their responsibility as a role model to the younger students. Not only do they recognise this responsibility, but a good leader is excited about the opportunity to lead and guide others. They would never ask anyone to do anything which they are not willing to do.
In early March, our Year 6 students will be attending a Leadership Day with the students from Marian School. The day is being facilitated by the team from Unleashing Personal Potential who ‘specialise in building growth mindsets, grit, wellbeing, healthy relationship skills and leadership skills by facilitating exceptional workshops’. 
Have a wonderful week.
God bless
Tracy

APRE News

Blessed to Serve

Bear with one another, help one another, and ever strive to serve God in a generous spirit. ~Mary MacKillop

Lent

The season of Lent is fast approaching with Shrove Tuesday on Tuesday 21st February and Ash Wednesday on 22nd February.  This year we will be holding our Ash Wednesday Liturgy at 8:45am in the shelter shed. All families are welcome to join us.

Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent. Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday. In the old days there were many foods that Christians would not eat during Lent: meat, fish, fats, eggs,milky foods. So no food was wasted, families would have a feast on Shrove Tuesday, and eat up all the food that wouldn't last the forty days of Lent without going off. Pancakes were made on Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that used up eggs, fats and milk in the house by just adding flour.

Some teachers may wish to make Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. If your child has any food allergies please send along pancakes that they can eat in their lunchbox.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday  marks the beginning of Lent, which lasts for six weeks. We call it Ash Wednesday because many, many Christians around the world receive a cross of ashes on their foreheads. God’s people have used this sign for hundreds of years. This cross of ashes tells friends and neighbours that we are not perfect, and that we know we are not perfect. With God’s help we can try to be faithful followers of Jesus who show by our words and actions what is really important to us. Even when we feel hopeless, God is there, loving us and giving us strength and courage.

Assemblies

Week 5 - No Assembly due to Ash Wednesday Liturgy on Wed 8.45am, all welcome.

Week 6 - Launch of Project Compassion - hosted by 5B - all welcome.

Christian Meditation will take place each 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!  Mrs Plant will be away in week 4 so there will not be any meditation in this week. 

Sacramental Program 2023
We will be running the Sacramental Program again this year. At this stage the dates are not finalised. As soon as we have more information we will let parents know. 

May God’s blessing be with you, have a wonderful week. 
Peta.

Mary MacKillop Parish News

VINNIES VOLUNTEERS
St Vincent de Paul Society Chapter needs your help to make a difference in people’s lives. If you think you would like to be involved in our local St
Vincent de Paul conference and are willing to commit to an hour a
fortnight, please contact one of our parish Vincentians for more
information. Thank you. Geraldine Feaver: 0448 472 891

See the full Mary MacKillop Parish Notices here: 

Parish Mass Times

Tuesday 7.00am

Friday 7.00am

Saturday 5.00pm

Sunday 7.30am

Enhancing Catholic School Identity Surveys

2023 Enhancing Catholic Identity Surveys - Request for Parents and Caregivers to complete
Dear Parents and Caregivers

St Joseph's Catholic School Mundingburra is one of a number of diocesan schools who are due to complete the next round of Enhancing Catholic School Identity Surveys in 2023. Parents/Caregivers, Staff and Year 5 and 6 students are being asked to complete these surveys. We ask that you make time to participate in this very important survey research, as high participation rates will yield results of greater validity.

The purpose of this survey research is to gain meaningful insights into how your son or daughter’s school views its Catholic identity today and how such identity might be shaped for tomorrow. Everyone’s input is important, and only you will be able to view your individual results, and this can be done once you’ve completed the questionnaires.

Please find attached all the information you will need to complete these surveys. Thank you in anticipation of your engagement in this process. It will be much appreciated.

Kind regards
Tracy Nuttall

The Joey's Way

Diary Dates

Star Students

School Uniform Days

Chess Club

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons will commence on Friday this week for years 1, 2 and 4.

From the Office

School fees for Term 1 were issued on 9 February via email.   If you have not received your invoice, please check your junk/spam folders and advise the office if you cannot find them. 

Fees are due Friday 3 March.

There are various payment options available.

Our preferred payment method is via Bpay.  Payment details can be found on your statement.  

Orders close today (15th February) for 2023 Senior Shirt orders.

Please return order forms and payment to The School Locker at Domain.

Parents are reminded to use our enquiries email for correspondance to the office.  Email enquiries@sjmbtsv.catholic.edu.au

Absent notifications can be sent to absent@sjmbtsv.catholic.edu

These email accounts are monitored by multiple office staff and by using them ensures timely replies to your enquiries.

If you have something you would like in the school newsletter (subject to approval) please email newsletter@sjmbtsv.catholic.edu.au  

Is your child absent from school?  Please notify the office via

• emailing absent@sjmbtsv.catholic.edu.au
• calling the office and leaving a message at the absent option
• parent/guardian can note the absence through Compass
  

A text message will go out at 9.30am to any parents whose child is marked absent without an explanation.  Please reply to this text using one of the above methods.  If your child arrives after 8.30am, they must pass through the office for a late pass so that if the role has been marked at the classroom, office staff can make the ammendment for the arrival.  We thank parents for assisting with this. Roles are marked promptly at 8.30am on Mondays due to assembly - students are required to collect a late pass before moving to assembly if they are late.

Enrolments - Prep 2024

We are currently taking sibling enrolments for Prep for 2024.  Enrolment applications can be found on our website or by visiting our office for a paper copy.  Please return to the office as soon as possible as interviews commence later this term.

Bimbi Wadja

Our Bimbi Wadja group are looking at Australian natives to decide what would be nice in our Yarning circle garden. What attracts butterflies, birds, lizards? What grows in full sun? How high will they grow?

Tuckshop

Flexischools offers a convenient way to order school lunches online. Please update your child's class to their 2023 class so that orders go to the correct place and children are not delayed in receiving their order.

Our Tuckshop list is also available on our school website.

Jeannine is our Tuckshop Convenor and is always appreciative of volunteers.  If you can spare even an hour of your time, please contact her on M:  0407 578 105

Volunteers are required to complete our Induction process.  This includes the Online Modules, Supporting Documents and Quiz.  Please follow the link below and follow the instructions.

Library News

Yesterday, we celebrated St Valentine’s Day, but it is also an important day for the libraries of the world. February 14 is Library Lovers’ Day, for people who love reading books around the globe! Library Lovers’ Day was initiated in 2006 by the State Library of NSW and is globally celebrated during the whole of February as Library Lovers’ Month! Our library celebrates the amazing library we have at St Joseph’s and the wonderful and varied books we have in our fantastic collection for our students to enjoy and read. Libraries still hold an essential role as the educational resource for students to be successful and to be a safe place for children to read and learn. Fun fact: The word ‘Library’ means ‘a place that stores books’ in Latin And the largest library in the world is the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. holding 39 million books! Wow that is a lot of books!
Yesterday lunchtime in the library, students from every class in the school enjoyed a fantastic scavenger hunt, in which students had an excellent time in discovering various resources in the library, which educationally improves their awareness of; where to find resources or leisure books to read. They all had such fun and it was lovely to see children eager and happy to search for different clues, to find different resources!

This week we enjoyed our lovely Mrs Luton, Specialist Library Teacher continuing her knowledgeable classes in safe internet usage and cyberbullying (safety.gov.au) for students from Grades 1-6, ensuring the online safety message was understood by students. As well, Mrs Luton (sometimes a pirate or Josephine the dancer) continued her lower primary reading programme for younger students and note taking and gathering information for students in Grade 5 researching the theme of ‘Convicts in Van Diemen’s Land’.

This week the Sora Club group commences Thursday lunchtime, so come and learn all about our amazing eBook programme ‘Sora’. Everyone has a great time!

Happy St Valentine’s Day and Happy Library Lovers’ Day.
“All we need is love and a good book!” Happy reading!

St Joseph's Choir

School Sport Trials

Uniform Shop

P & F News

St Margaret Mary's Showcase

Community News