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, Caregivers, Staff and Students

I hope this newsletter finds everyone happy and well. It is only Week 4 of the term, yet so much has already transpired in the daily and weekly life of our school. Prep Art Gallery, Quest for Knowledge, Combined Year Level Masses, Eco Marines Waves of Change and a number of Digital Technologies / STEM events including Bebras and Robotics Competitions. On top of these extra curricular activities, our Inclusive Practices staff and teachers have been involved in Individual Education Plan Meetings with parents / carers and Mrs Taylor and our classroom teachers have been busy planning for Religion. As a whole school community, led by Mrs Taylor and our Year 6 staff and students, we have been generous in our donations and the effort being put into supporting Catholic Missions Week in Week 5.

Keeping children and young people safe online is one of the biggest challenges facing society today, and it is all of our responsibility to ensure that children are educated to make positive, informed choices when they are online. Yesterday, Year 5 and 6 staff and students attended a Cyberbullying and Online Safety Presentation by Gerrad Kennedy, Senior Constable with Townsville Rapid Action and Patrols.

Gerrad, who is also a parent at our school, did a wonderful job preparing and delivering up to date and relevant information about online issues. He spoke about the challenges of social media for young people today, defined Cyberbullying, why it happens and the fact that it is an offence. He provided suggestions for what students can do if they are the recipient of cyberbullying, the most important one being to tell someone they trust and also reporting the behaviour. Reporting was also important for Online Safety issues, which may include sharing of real, altered or fake images and videos, blackmail and extortion, data leaks and fake/AI content.

To help keep your child safe when they are online, you can (Department of Education Qld):

put computers in open spaces within your home
remind your child that content can be posted instantaneously, the downfall is that they can potentially post something without thinking about the ramifications.
educate your child about appropriate online behaviour and the need for respectful communication with other internet users
keep an eye on what your child is doing online (both in the home and on any mobile devices they may have access to e.g. phones, music devices and tablets)
set clear rules about what sites and activities they are allowed to access
install software to limit their use and monitor/restrict the sites they visit
discuss a plan with your child about how to address any cybersafety issues that may arise (make sure they know you will be supportive if they mention anything and that they will not get in trouble)
encourage them to find someone they feel safe talking to, such as yourself, a relative, a teacher or a trusted adult.

This morning, Isla from Year 5 took part in an ABC radio interview which also included Jason Lange from Atlas Soils. Isla and Jason spoke to Susan Graham-Ryan about the Grounds to Grounds initiative which St Joseph’s Mundingburra is a part of. She did a fantastic job interacting with Susan and Jason in promoting this initiative. Please continue to bring in your empty coffee pods and leftover coffee grounds, delivering them to the tuckshop drop off area. Our school is currently coming first with the amount of coffee collected, so well done to everyone who has contributed.

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

This month (October) is Catholic Mission Month, a time where we raise awareness of the work of Catholic Missions. Our Mission Week celebrations will take place throughout the month with a variety of activities including Soctober and Mission Stalls. All money raised throughout the month will go to the programs run by Catholic Missions Australia to help restore dignity and end poverty.

Thursday 31st October

We will hold our annual Mission Stalls which are organised and run by our Year 6 students and teachers to raise funds to support the important work of Catholic Missions. Thank you to all of our families for your generous donations last Friday. We are still chasing more donations for our stalls. If you are able to help that would be great.

As part of our stalls we will have a cake stall. All donations of cakes, slices etc can be dropped into the school office on Thursday 31st in the morning.

This week we will also start holding our Socktober kick offs at lunch times. Thank you to Mrs Plant for organising and helping classes to make their Socktober balls. Mrs Plant is still chasing donations of old clothing, towels, etc to make the Socktober balls with. If you have any of these donations please send them to school with your child.

If you would like to read more about Catholic Missions you can visit their website: https://www.catholicmission.org.au/worldmissionmonth

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 5: Grandparents Day hosted by 5A

Week 6: St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal Launch hosted by 5B

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.

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.

Parish Lift Assistance – Help a Fellow Parishioner: As part of our commitment to caring for one another, we are encouraging parishioners to offer a lift to those in our community who are unable to drive. If you are attending Mass and have space in your car, please consider reaching out to a fellow parishioner in need of transportation. If you are able to provide a lift or know of someone who needs assistance getting to Mass, please contact the parish office. Together, we can ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate in our parish life. Thank you for your generosity and support!

PAIRSH LUNCH: All parishioners are invited to gather for lunch at the Rising Sun Hotel on Friday, 25 October, the last Friday of the month, at 12 noon. This is an opportunity to spend time with other members of our parish community. If you wish to attend, please advise the Parish Office by phoning 47791404 or phone Jill on 0400 062 039. Numbers are required for booking.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PROMOTING YOUR BUSINESS IN OUR PARISH BULLETIN? Our weekly bulletin reaches over 1,600 individuals, both through email distribution and printed copies available in our churches. Advertising in our bulletin provides a fantastic opportunity to connect with a broad and engaged community. You are also welcome to advertise or extend

wishes for special events in your life or in the lives of your loved ones, such as birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, First Holy Communion, and so on, for a nominal fee. For further details, please contact the parish office at 4779 1404.

Whole School Christian Meditation

The Joey's Way

Star Students

From the Office

School Fees

Term 4 school fees have been issued and are due on or before Friday, 15th November 2024.

Updating Information

If your circumstances or contact details have changed, please inform our office so we can update our records accordingly.

Reminder: Office Hours
Our office is open from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Important Dates

Term 4 is incredibly busy, so please ensure you keep an eye on our social media for upcoming events and refer to the important dates document on Compass and below for all key information.

Term 4 Important Dates

World Teachers' Day

🌏✨ Happy World Teachers' Day! On Friday, 25th October, we will celebrate the incredible educators who inspire, guide, and empower our students every day. We are immensely grateful for their dedication, passion, and unwavering support. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our learners and for shaping the future with your knowledge and compassion. 💖📚

Thank you to our wonderful P&F for organising a coffee van. Coffee Presto will be selling coffee on Friday! Please find more information below and remember that hot beverages are not allowed in the school grounds. ☕️

Day for Daniel

Dental Van

Library News

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR 2024 NEWS!

Flyers have been delivered to all classes this week, advertising our annual Scholastic Book Fair 2024. Parents and students will be able to purchase products from the Scholastic Book Shop daily during the event as follows:

DATE: 28^th to 31^st OCTOBER 2024

DAILY TIMES: Morning session 8.00 AM – 8.30 AM

Afternoon session 2.45 PM – 3.30 PM

PLACE: ST. JOSEPH’S LIBRARY

Students will bring home the Book Fair wish lists next week, regarding titles they would like to purchase. On these forms, pre-payments for those titles can be made by using the back of the wish list and going online to scholastic.com.au/payment or scanning the flyer sent out this week. We look forward to seeing you, to purchase any books when visiting the Fair next week in person!

Book Fairs are an exciting opportunity for students to buy books and also at the same time earn school rewards for our school library.

Some benefits of our annual Scholastic Book Fair :

Students have the opportunity, to have the power of their own choice of books. When students choose the books they want to read, this in turn inspires them to read and fall in love with reading.

Children have fun amongst the book literature, which in turn encourages them to enjoy the joy of reading by themselves or with friends.

Book fairs are a traditional way of raising money. With every book purchased, this enables the school library to build a better and more varied library collection for their students.

Students home libraries expand, which gives children more opportunities to further their reading and comprehension skills, building more knowledge and understanding of literacy.

Book Fairs are just another way of capturing children’s pleasure in reading!

See you next week at the Book Fair!!!

SORA EBOOK HUB

Students are enjoying the Thursday lunchtime Sora Club in the library. Come join the fun with Sora!

BOOK CLUB ISSUE 7

Books ordered through the Book Club should arrive in the next weeks!

OVERDUE BOOKS

Thank you to parents and students who have returned their books! We appreciate it!

“There is more treasure in books, than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island”

Walt Disney

HAPPY READING!!!

Guidance Counsellors

Raising Girls

It is no surprise that girls today are transitioning to puberty a lot earlier than they did a century ago. The physical, psychological and emotional changes that occur during this time can be challenging for girls, but also their parents. Some parents and carers may feel uncertain about how best to support their daughter through the ups and downs of adolescence and childhood. With the rise of social media and technology, mental health difficulties in girls are increasing as often they are faced with online images that make it difficult to see themselves as acceptable. This School TV resource gives parents some handy tips on raising girls.

https://sjmbtsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/raising-girls

Inclusive Education

Safe Headphone Use for Primary School Children

With the increasing use of technology in schools and at home, many children use headphones regularly for listening to music, audiobooks, or completing school tasks. However, it’s important to ensure that primary school-aged children use headphones safely to protect their hearing.

Research on Volume and Duration
According to Australian hearing health experts, prolonged exposure to loud sounds can damage children’s hearing over time. Sound levels above 85 decibels are considered harmful, and children's ears are more vulnerable to damage. Safe listening practices can help prevent long-term hearing issues.

Suggestions for Safe Headphone Use:

Set Volume Limits: Look for headphones designed for children with built-in volume limiters that cap sound at a maximum of 85 decibels. Many kid-friendly headphones in Australia come with this feature.
Monitor Listening Time: Encourage children to follow the "60/60 rule"—listening at no more than 60% of the maximum volume for no longer than 60 minutes at a time. Remind them to take regular breaks.
Use Over-Ear Headphones: Over-ear headphones are safer than earbuds because they block out background noise and reduce the need to increase the volume. Noise-cancelling headphones are another option to minimise external noise.
Teach Safe Listening Habits: Talk to children about the importance of safe listening habits. Show them how to adjust the volume to a safe level and explain the risks of listening too loudly for too long.

By following these simple steps, parents and schools can help protect children’s hearing while still allowing them to enjoy their audio content safely.

For more information, you can refer to resources from organisations like Hearing Australia or the Australian Government Department of Health, which provide further guidance on hearing protection for young people.

Earth Warriors

Isla (one of our Year 5 Eco Marine Ambassadors) was invited by Jason Lange from Atlas Soils to join him for a radio interview about the fantastic Grounds2Grounds project!

Isla spoke passionately about St Joseph's being involved in the local sustainability initiative that promotes and educates students and community on healthy soils, healthy humans and healthy reefs.
The interview was aired on ABC Radio today at 9:35am

During the interview, Jason and Isla encouraged our school community to bring their coffee grounds and coffee pods to the collection point near the tuckshop drop off area and help St Joseph's retain its current no.1 position to be in the running for prizes!

Robotics

Second Place Win for Flaming Ferrari Team!🥈

Our talented Year 5 students, known as the Flaming Ferrari, represented St. Joseph's School with pride today at the Junior Lego Robotics Competition held at Townsville Grammar School. Competing against local primary schools, the team showcased their creativity, teamwork, and technical skills.

The five-member team designed, built, and programmed a high-speed race car to compete on the track. Their hard work and collaboration paid off as they secured an impressive second-place finish! Congratulations to the Flaming Ferrari team for their fantastic achievement! 🏎

Last week, our students truly did us proud at the Willows Robotics Day! Their creativity, innovation, and teamwork were on full display as they took on the challenges with skill and determination. Mrs Cantoni & Mrs Carli were incredibly impressed as they worked and collaborated so well!

This year's theme was for students to design and build a robotic Lego scene that represented a First Nations cultural story or aspect of culture, focusing on celebrating the traditions of First Nations Peoples. The students researched prior to the event and chose their preferred story as a group.

Girls Team - The Great Watersnake of Nagamaru (Wangkumara people)

Boys Team - Little Bird's Day ( Ganalbingu and Wagilak people)

The focus animal in the story needed to include a robotics moving part. All schools created the most amazing designs! Well done students!