St Joseph's Catholic School - Mundingburra eNewsletter

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

Last Wednesday afternoon, our Guidance Counsellors Amelia and Marissa presented a Parent Information Session on ‘Helping your child manage their worries’. The session took place at 2 pm in the Library, and Amelia and Marissa were pleased with the attendance and engagement by our parents and caregivers.

The message of the session was that when kids worry, it can be natural to want to help them feel better. Trying to protect kids from the things that worry them, doesn’t help them learn to deal with their worries. The best way to help kids overcome worries is to implement ways to help them deal with the worry when it arises. With practice, they will be able to learn to manage their worries independently. This advice can be applied to varying situations.

As parents and carers, we sometimes want to jump in and fix our children’s problems straight away. We tell our children everything will be okay, tell them how to handle a friendship upset or commiserate with our children when they complain that a peer or a teacher doesn’t like them. As much as we might ache to make it all go away, there are other ways of supporting our children. When we take responsibility for our children’s feelings, trying hard to reset their mood as quickly as possible, we deprive them of the opportunity to feel crabby or cross. In other words, when we try to fix everything for our children, they don’t learn how to work through their problems.

You might wonder why children come home and you experience the flood of emotion. It’s because home is a soft landing for them, as they feel comfortable enough to get it all out. Following rules, being polite, and interacting with others all day is exhausting! Coming home in the afternoon is a part of their natural recovery time. Our children often just need to vent, and if we rush in we can make the issue seem bigger or give them the impression that they aren’t capable of handling it.

So what can we do instead? Reflective listening is the key. When a child comes home with a frustration, we need to ‘hear’ the feelings in what they are saying or doing and reflect them back to them. Each time we do this, our children feel heard, it brings their emotions down and they can see the situation for what it is.

Whilst it is always hard to see our children frustrated, upset or angry, we can remind them that feelings are normal and they don’t last forever, and this is true for the best feelings and the worst feelings too. Recognising they have had a tough day is important, but our response needs to be one that helps children to hear that their feelings aren’t a permanent thing.

It is always important to remind our children what they can do to make themselves feel better. Sometimes it can be hard for children (and adults!) to remember that there are joyful, positive things in our lives. Knowing what your child enjoys doing and reminding them of some of these things when they are experiencing these feelings is a great strategy.

Obviously, there are times when an issue is larger and requires additional support and contact with your child’s teacher in the first instance, however, many times a bad day is just that: a bad day.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

God Bless

Tracy

APRE News

2024 Prayer Theme: Blessed to Serve

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

Sacramental Program

This Sunday a number of our students in Years 3,4 and 5 will begin the Sacramental Program. Throughout the program these students will be preparing for and receiving the sacraments of Penance, Confirmation and Communion. All families enrolled should have received an email with the details for this Sunday. If you haven’t please email me.

Naidoc Week

In week 10 of this term we are celebrating Naidoc Week. The theme this year is ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud’. The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Naidoc Week is a time to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. You can support and get to know your local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities through activities and events held across the country.

Please join us for our Liturgy on Monday at 8:40am

Once again this year we would like to collect items for the St Vincent DePaul Winter Appeal. If you are able to help, your donations would be greatly appreciated. During winter especially, material donations such as food, warm clothing and blankets are needed. When donating please ensure blankets and warm clothes are in new and clean condition.

Year Level Masses

Thank you to the parents, carers and family who were able to join us this morning for our Combined Year Level Mass. Our next mass will be held next Wednesday at 8:45am in the Church. Our students in Years 3,5 and Prep will be attending. Parents, Carers, Family and friends are welcome to attend.

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!

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

Peta.

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish

CHILDREN’S LITURGY

Children's liturgy takes place every Sunday mass at 7:30 am (during the school term) Members of our parish take the children out and complete activities related to the weekly gospel. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to engage with and understand the meaning of the gospel. All children are welcome.

MARY OF THE CROSS MAcKILLOP PARISH – SENIORS GROUP: Our next meeting is at 10:00am, Thursday, 6th June 2024 at the Spirit Centre. There will be a Guest Speaker from the House of Prayer at 10:30am.

THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS: A Diocesan Mass will be held on Friday, 7 June, 2024 commencing at 7pm at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Please join Bishop Tim and the Cathedral Parish Community in celebrating this very special feast in honour of Our Lord and his most Sacred Heart. There will be supper and celebration after the mass.

PLANNED GIVING: The new St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish forms are now available. If you wish to join our giving, please fill in your details in the area on the form (ie.. Cash, Credit Card, Direct Debit) and tick the NEW box. If you are already a giver, kindly supply your name, address and tick the SAME box to continue. Likewise, if you wish to change your current giving, please amend the amount or details you wish to change, and tick the ALTERATION box. It will be most helpful if you would please PRINT ALL YOUR DETAILS. We sincerely wish to thank all our parishioners in helping with the upkeep and maintenance of the new St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop Parish, which is assisted through your Planned Giving.

The Joey's Way

St Joseph's Mundingburra Safe Persons

Last Thursday morning, the St Joseph's Mundingburra 'Safe Persons', comprising Mrs Nuttall (Principal), Ms White (Year 2 teacher) and Mrs Lane (Inclusive Practices Teacher), attended the Safe Person's Training Day at St Anthony's Catholic College in Deeragun. The morning was facilitated by Alyse Howard, who is the Student Protection team member from Townsville Catholic Education responsible for our school. During the training, we were reminded about how important it is for our school community to know who they can go to if they have any student protection concerns.

St Joseph's Mundingburra Complaints Procedure

Attached Complaints Procedure information (which is a screenshot from our Parent Handbook)

From the Office

Permission notes

All permission notes will now be sent out via Compass. Please ensure you complete permission notes online and not by returning physical forms. This ensures all information is saved electronically and easier to access on the day of events. You can complete permission notes online by logging into Compass on Google/Safari. You can also open a web browser in the Compass app.

Please see more detailed instructions below.

Permission notes for the Athletics Carnival were sent out on Friday, 31st of May and are due back Monday, 10th June 2024.

If you have any trouble completing your child/children's permission note, please contact our office as our admin staff are happy to assist you.

School Fees

Term 2 school fees are due on or before Friday, 7th June 2024.

Please ensure prompt payment is made.

School Musical

If your child has committed to participating in the school musical, a $50 fee must be paid to the office by week 10 of this term as costumes have already been ordered.

If you have any questions regarding the musical please email Miss Di Bella.

Dental Van

Dental forms were sent home with students yesterday, 4th June. The Dental Van will be visiting our school early next term. Please complete the form and return it to the school office or register online using the QR code.

Centenary Celebrations

Centenary Polos

Parents/carers can now order a Centenary Shirt through the School Locker. The shirt can be ordered in adult sizes if you would like one as memorabilia for our 100 year anniversary. If you are considering purchasing another shirt for your child, please note that our Centenary Shirts can only be worn by students this year as part of their uniform.

Shirts can take up to 8 weeks to arrive. Order forms & payment are to be made through the School Locker.

Please note order forms are due to the School Locker on Friday, 7th June 2024.

100 Year Polo Order Form

Diary Dates

Library News

Mrs Luton, our Specialist Library Teacher, has been organizing our Readers Cup Challenge for next week at Southern Cross Catholic College. The Competition will begin at 4.30 pm on Tuesday 11^th June 2024, with 5 students from Grades 5A & 5B who will compete in the Year 5/6 category Team.

The annual Competition is held with books chosen by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. This year ‘The Book of Wondrous Possibilities by Deborah Abela, Monster Island by George Ivanoff, Evie and Rhino by Neridah McMullin and Illustrated by Astred Hicks, The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-Bottomed Boat by Charlie Archbold and Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell’, are the selected 2024 books:

The book challenge encourages students to work as a team, while developing their love of reading. Good Luck to our Team for next week!!

SPECIAL DAYS IN THE LIBRARY:

The Library has observed many special days recently, these included Sorry Day; Reconciliation Week which is held every year from the 27^th May to the 3^rd June, where Mrs. Luton focused on and reflected on Indigenous Authors and Illustrators with the students. Also, on display, resources for students regarding World Ocean Day 2024, ‘Looking at solutions’ for our precious oceans on Saturday, 8^th June; and caring for our environment, World Environment Day 2024 on the Wednesday, 5^th June 2024.

BOOK CLUB ISSUE 4:

Book Club Issue 4 will need to be finalized by Wednesday the 5^th June, 2024. Please use the Scholastic LOOP Order System before the closing date!

SORA E HUB:

Our Sora digital club will meet again this Thursday, so don’t forget to come and join the fun on Thursday lunchtimes with Mrs H, and learn how to borrow digitally from our amazing reading app with more than 100 million titles available for borrowing by our students 24/7.

Till next time, Happy Reading everyone!

What's Happening in Year 5

In Week 7, Year 5 were very fortunate to have two guest speakers come and talk to the students about their 'War on Waste' and rehabilitating the school fish pond. On Thursday Amelia Chaplin from Townsville City Council spoke to the students about the local waste management of our city. Please see attached some helpful household tips! On Friday the students had Mr Butler, an environmental research scientist from JCU, speak to the students about his work with local ecosystems. Using scientific tools and equipment students will now be recording, analysing and representing water temperature, oxygen, salinity and ph levels of the current and new pond to determine the health of our ecosystem. All students enjoyed learning from these guests and had plenty of questions to ask!

Waste & Recycling

Inclusive Education Matters

Understanding Tics in Primary School-Aged Children

What are Tics?

Tics are sudden, repetitive movements or sounds that some children make unintentionally. These can be motor tics (such as blinking, shoulder shrugging, or head jerking) or vocal tics (such as grunting, throat clearing, or repeating words). It's common for tics to come and go and for their severity to change over time.

Should You Be Concerned?

Most tics are harmless and often temporary. However, parents should consider reaching out to your child’s teacher and family doctor if:

Tics last more than a year.
Tics cause significant distress or interfere with daily activities.
There are other symptoms present, such as changes in behaviour, learning difficulties, or emotional challenges.

When to Contact Your Doctor

Make an appointment with your healthcare provider if:

The tics are frequent or severe.
They impact your child's social interactions or school performance.
You notice your child is becoming anxious or frustrated because of the tics.

Your doctor can help determine if further evaluation or treatment is needed and provide guidance on managing tics.

Challenge Games

In Term 3 St Joseph’s will be attending the Challenge Games on the 24th of July. The Challenge Games is a wonderful event where children with disabilities get together to compete and have fun in sporting activities, athletics, fun and games. If you feel your child who has a disability would enjoy being part of the Challenge Games please contact Diane Engert or Therese Lane via email dengert@sjmbtsv.catholic.edu.au tlane1@sjmbtsv.catholic.edu.au

Guidance Counsellors

When children experience trauma, it profoundly disrupts their sense of safety and normalcy, manifesting in significant emotional and behavioural changes. This School TV special report helps parents understand how they can help the recovery of their child/ren who’ve experienced trauma.

https://sjmbtsv.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-trauma-recovery

Technology Club

Congratulations to our students who competed in the Bebras Competition. This was a wonderful opportunities for students to engage in activities that utilised their critical and creative thinking along with problem solving skills. Our next Bebras Competition will take place in October, Term 4.

This week in Tech Club our students were busy designing a robotic animal with our brand new Spike Prime Lego Kits. These kits were purchased this term and students were extremely excited to open them up and use them for the first time.

Reconciliation Week

The St Joseph's community recognised National Reconciliation Week through a number of activities during the week. Classes used books by First Nations authors to explore the significant events surrounding Reconciliation Week; Sorry Day, the 1967 Referendum and Mabo Day. Each class created a poster, aligning with the theme, Now More Than Ever, and made a commitment towards reconciliation. On Wednesday our Bimbi Wadja families had a yarn and enjoyed a yummy breakfast which was followed by a moving liturgy. The First Nations students and their friends led the school proudly in prayer and song. Year 4 student, Alaska spoke beautifully about her family's history, connection to country and journey of recognition. Throughout the week, students participated in lunch time activities including film, art and story to delve deeper into the themes of reconciliation.

Townsville Education Centre provides STEM based events for those of all ages, including school holiday workshops. This June/July school holidays they have 10 x 3 hour workshops coming up with topics such as human anatomy and edible science. They are passionate about educating and engaging children in all areas of education but particularly STEM.

School Holiday Programs

Andrew Chinn Visit

On Friday 7th June, Australian religious songwriter and singer, Andrew Chinn, will be visiting our school to share his songs with our students. Andrew’s songs, such as “These Hands”, “Rainbow”, “An African Blessing”and “Rise Up!” are used in classrooms and liturgies around Australia, New Zealand, USA
and Canada. The concert will take place in the shelter shed at 1.30 - 2.50pm. All parents are welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing you there!

Friendology

P&F News

Mother's Day Soirée

Our Mother's Day event is always a highlight, and this year was no exception! Our Joey's mums had an incredible time at the Soirée. A huge thank you to the P&F for organizing such a fantastic event. It’s these special occasions that bring our school community closer together! 💐💕