Term 3 Week 6 Newsletter 2024

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 the second half of Term 3. It has been and will continue to be a Term of highs and lows. You would be aware that a student at our school, Henry Thiele, is currently in hospital in Brisbane undergoing treatment for a serious medical condition. While the family still awaits the results of genetic testing, it is looking likely that he has a very rare disease called Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS). Henry’s parents, Carla and Chris, are in Brisbane with Henry and continue to be by his side day and night as he receives regular rounds of dialysis. Henry’s sisters, Isla (2B) and Penny (1B), are still attending school at St Joseph’s Mundingburra while being cared for by Chris’s sister Anna. Anna has been a point of contact for the school, and has recently provided me with some information about the disease Henry is bravely fighting at present.

Only a handful of people per million have aHUS, which can cause uncontrolled activation of the complement system, part of the body’s natural immune system, where the lining of small blood vessels shears apart red blood cells (RBC). Tiny clot formation, with its reduction in red blood cells and platelet counts, clog blood flow and impair organ function. People can experience aHUS at any age, for varied durations and with great range in severity. 

 Atypical HUS is difficult to tell apart from conditions with similar conditions, and there is no single test to diagnose aHUS. Instead, aHUS remains a ‘diagnosis of exclusion’ or what condition is left after other illnesses are ruled out. Symptoms of aHUS are not often visible and usually present with few and vague signs, such as fatigue or nausea, or perhaps unexplained skin bruising. This lack of clear, clinical signs makes this disease difficult to diagnose. 

Advancements in understanding the disease have led to better outcomes for both adult and paediatric aHUS patients. Clinical trials and/or drug approval processes are underway for patients with aHUS or similar conditions. Patient preferences tend toward less disruption to daily life, overall improvement in ‘quality of life’ measures, and better life/treatment balance. 

The Thiele’s have wonderful family support, and this has been a godsend for them as they undergo a very challenging time in their lives. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our St Joey’s Mundingburra family for the instantaneous support you have all demonstrated over the last week or so. Belinda Hochen, one of our parents, set up a gofundme page for Henry, and the generosity of our community in donating to this fund has been amazing. As of this morning, just over $40 000 has been raised. Our P & F, led by parent Kerin Boyes, are also busily fundraising. A number of raffles have been organised, with tickets being sold for one of the raffles at Monday’s Book Week Parade. Subsequent raffles will be happening throughout our Centenary Celebration event. A huge thank you to all in our school and wider community for the abundant donations of prizes for our fundraising raffles. This Friday is Crazy Sock Day where, for a gold coin donation, students can wear crazy socks to school with all funds raised going to the Thiele family. 

Please continue to keep the Thiele family in your prayers at this time.

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

Congratulations to all of our students who completed the Sacramental Program on Sunday. Thank you to their families for supporting them on this journey. Now that they have completed these sacraments they have become full members of the Church. A very big thank you also goes to Mrs Plant, Mars Cornish, Mrs Bortignon, Mrs Franklin and  Mr Feaver, for helping to prepare the students.

Year Level Mass

Assemblies

Our assembly is held on Monday morning at 8:45am in our Shelter Shed. Parents, families and friends are all welcome to join us. Our next assembly will be: 

Week 8: Kindness hosted by 1A

Week 9: Father’s Day hosted by 1B

Week 10: Eisteddfod Poems Showcase

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.

HOUR OF HOPE: Jesus asked his disciples… could you not stay with me for an hour? Please join us for an Hour of Hope commencing at 5.30pm at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on 7 and 21 August and 4 and 11 September

IGNITE CONFERENCE 2024: Ignite Conference 24 is a National Catholic conference for young people to experience faith on fire with powerful rallies, workshops, keynote speakers and unforgettable worship and sacraments. High school students and young adults are invited to experience these incredible four days between the 18th – 24th September 2024 in Brisbane.

Email us at youth@tsv.catholic.org.au for more information.

Centenary Celebrations

All money raised at our Cake Stall will be donated to the Thiele Family. 

The Joey's Way

Crazy Sock Day!

From the Office

Morning Supervision

Supervision starts at 8:00AM in the Shelter Shed. We kindly ask that you do not drop your child off before this time as there is no staff to supervise the children.

Afternoon Supervision & Office Hours 

Please be reminded that supervision finishes at 3:15PM in the Shelter Shed. Any students who have not been collected by this time will be taken to the office. The office closes at 3:30 PM, and staff often have meetings/appointments after this time. We kindly ask all parents to please be mindful and ensure they collect their children on time. If you are unable to collect your child by 3:15PM, please make arrangements to book them into after school care or advise the office. 

 Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

Fees 

Term 3 school fees have been issued.

Please ensure prompt payment is made before Friday, 23 August 2024. 

Diary Dates

Interschool Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to Miss D and all St Joey's students who participated in the C Schools Interschool Athletics Carnival on Wednesday. Despite moving up from D Schools this year, we did amazingly well. St Joseph's Mundingburra were:

• Winners of the Averages Trophy
• Winners of the Girls Aggregate points
• Placed a very close second to Cathedral on overall points.

We are so very proud of the efforts and sportsmanship of our students. Thank you to Mr Barton, Miss Lucie, Mr Feaver and Mrs Lane who assisted Miss D on the day.

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St. Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal

Thank you to all the wonderful families from St. Joseph’s Mundingburra, who have so generously donated warm bedding for our 2024 St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal.   The car was overflowing with blankets, sheets and warm bedding.   It was a delight to deliver them to the SVP Centre and the people at the Centre who were very appreciative.

Thanks to you, many people will be warmer on these cooler nights.

Your thoughtfulness and kindness is a wonderful example of following the “Joey’s Way” and reaching out to others.

With many thanks from St. Joseph’s School Community.

Thank you 

Clare Plant

Chaplain

Library News

BOOK WEEK 2024

This year once again we celebrate Children’s Book Week and enjoy Australia’s best literature, with our annual ‘Reading is Magic’ Parade on Monday 12^th August. Our students and parents made an amazing effort to dress up children in costumes on an unusual August wet day! It shows the high regard our community places on literature in the school and was a fabulous success, with children wearing their favourite book character and showing the books they love to read. The excitement and enjoyment were palpable, as each class sang with the music and cheered on their peers as they paraded around the assembly!  Thanks to Professor Sprout, our fabulous compere and sidekick Maxine the Apprentice Magician, who enthused the students with the joy of reading. A thank you again this year to Miss Di Bella for playing our music.  What a fabulous parade!

Due to the early start to Book Week this year, we will have to wait for the judging of the Shortlisted Best Book of the Year Awards for Australian Authors and Illustrators. The winners in each category, will be announced by the CBCA, Friday noon, 16^th August.  Have you read any of the Shortlisted Books from the categories below?

Lunchtime library Book Week activities have been focused on our shortlisted books from the categories above i.e.  ‘Bear and Duck and Friends’ (Early Childhood category) has been a success with students making finger puppets, focusing on great literature and storytelling.

Our ‘Wanted’ Posters Reward Competition, thanks to our teacher suspects enjoying a mysterious book, has been viewed with enthusiasm by students. Students are still investigating the books, with catalogue searches and sleuthing skills. Due to the enthusiasm and the additional suspect posters, the competition will be extended into earlier next week.   

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB

Issue 5 has arrived and will be distributed to students this Wednesday.

Issue 6 brochures will be distributed soon to all students, with ordering of books through the Scholastic LOOP closing on the 28 August 2024. Thank you.

 “A word is a small magic, a spell that can unlock the world.”

Jane Yolen

Enjoy the love of reading during this Book Week 2024 ‘Reading is Magic’!

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Guidance Counsellors

Friendships and Belonging

It is not always easy for children and teenagers to always know how to manage friendships. Learning how to make new friends and keep them involves a number of skills every young person needs to understand and develop. For some these skills will come very naturally.  For others, this can be much harder to navigate. Friendships are full of ups and downs and it is better for kids to learn how to manage and build their own friendships, even though as an adult carer you may be tempted to interfere. This school TV resource offers some tips for parents as their children learn to navigate their way in their world from a social perspective. 

https://sjmbtsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/friendship-belonging

Inclusive Education

The Importance of Vision and Hearing Checks in Children

Early vision and hearing checks are crucial for children's development because these senses play a vital role in learning, social interactions, and overall well-being. Children rely heavily on their vision to observe, read, and interpret the world around them, while hearing is essential for communication, language development, and understanding instructions. If left undetected, vision or hearing impairments can lead to delays in language acquisition, difficulties in school, and social challenges. Early detection through regular screenings ensures that any issues are addressed promptly, allowing children to receive the necessary interventions to support their learning and development.

Vision and hearing checks should be conducted at key developmental stages, typically at birth, around six months, at ages three to five years, and before starting school. Regular screenings are recommended throughout childhood, especially if there are risk factors or concerns. Signs of vision problems include squinting, sitting too close to the TV, holding books too close, frequent headaches, and difficulty concentrating. Hearing problems might be indicated by frequent ear infections, not responding to their name, unclear speech, turning one ear towards sound sources, or difficulty following instructions. If any of these signs are observed, parents and educators should seek a professional evaluation to ensure the child's needs are met effectively.

Inclusive Education Committee - our next meeting will be Tuesday the 27th August at 3.15pm

LOTE

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 brought an end to WW2 but at a great cost to the civilian population.  In Japan August 6th is now known as "Peace Day," and many Japanese fold origami cranes as a symbol of peace.  Last week to commemorate this event we folded Japanese cranes.  The students generated interesting and thought provoking conversation about this topic and enjoyed folding the cranes, although they were a little tricky!

First Nations News

Friendology

Dental Van

P&F News

Helping Henry 

Henry, one of our students, has been diagnosed with Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome and doctors have told his family they will be in Brisbane for an extended period of time. We are reaching out to our community for support. If you can donate in any way to help assist his family during this difficult time, your generosity will be greatly appreciated. 

Please click HERE for Henry's GoFundMe Page. 

Our P&F have also organised a raffle to raise funds. Tickets can be purchased at the school musical, Centenary Family Fun Day & from the office. 

The raffle will be drawn live on Facebook on Wednesday, 28th August. 

Fathers Day Stalls

Secondhand Uniform Shop

Mass Times

Parish Mass Times

Wednesday 7.00am

Friday 7.00am

Saturday 5.00pm

Sunday 7.30am