St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Wandal Newsletter

You….a saint in the making.

This Friday, we celebrate one of the most important feasts in the Church’s year - the Feast of All Saints.  We remember all the holy people who have existed – especially those whose holiness was never recognised publicly. Think of the good, generous people whom you have known who have died.  This is the day to celebrate their holiness.  There have been all sorts of saints – gentle and calm people, outgoing and vivacious people, quiet followers and outstanding leaders.  There have also been cranky people who mellowed and outrageous sinners who repented.  They followed all sorts of careers - mothers, fathers, sailors, nurses and possibly some careers we wouldn’t recommend to our children!   Each had a unique personality, a distinctive story.

 As you celebrate the saints you have known, you can be inspired to own the type of saint you could be. With your unique personality, you too can reflect the glory of God’s love to those around you.  What is it that you do well that you can offer in love?  Some show love by listening, others by cracking a joke, some show love by being there, others by working hard. We can’t do everything but we can embrace the person God has made us to be and offer that in love.  No matter how small we may think our gifts are, when we use them with love, they become great in the eyes of God.  When each of us, does his or her part, we become a loving community glorifying God with joy.

 Loving Father, your Spirit draws us together into a family of love.  With the help of Jesus our brother may we truly embrace the gifts you have given us and show your love to the world in the way we use them.  We ask this in Jesus’ name confident that you will hear us.

Sr Kym Harris osb

Special Visitors - This Wednesday I look forward to welcoming our Diocesan Director, Miss Leesa Jeffcoat to our school. Leesa is hosting former Labor Senator and current Executive Director of the National Catholic Education Commission, Jacinta Collins. As always, we look forward to showing our visitors the quality teaching and learning that is occurring here at St Joseph's Wandal.

Thank you – for spoiling us last week, when we recognised World Teachers’ Day. Our generous P and F provided us with coffee and a Subway lunch. Many of our teachers also received messages of thanks and other tokens of appreciation. Thank you!

 Chookas! – Best of luck to our school staff  members, Miss Janette McLennan (Vocal Director) and Mrs Hayley Hutchinson (Stage Manager), who are busily involved in last minute rehearsals for this weekend’s performance of The Phantom of the Opera. Opening night is this Friday evening and tickets are still available. Good luck to all involved.

Our P and F and School Board both met last week. A date was determined for the P and F Annual General Meeting, where all current Executive roles are vacated and then appointed for the new school year. Some of our current Executive Committee members have completed two years in their positions, and therefore, according to our newly adopted constitution, must step down. If you think you may be interested in joining the P and F Executive Committee next year and would like to have a chat or ask for some further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Of course, anyone is welcome to attend these meetings - please do not feel obliged to take on a role.

P and F Annual General Meeting: 21 November, 5pm in the Staffroom. All welcome.

A School Board Pre-Service Meeting for 2020 will follow at 6.30pm.

The P and F acknowledged the wonderful work Tracey Black has done in coordinating our School Banking Program since its inception last year. Sadly for us, the Black family is moving towns at the end of the year. We would like to keep our very successful school banking program continuing but can only do this with volunteer help. This requires between 1-1.5 hours, on school premises each week (days are flexible) and Tracey is willing to train a new person this term, so that the transition process is smooth. If you have a little spare time to offer and would like to assist the school in a voluntary capacity, please let the school office know, and we can pass your details onto Tracey.

(Please click on the link to access further information regarding duties of a banking volunteer)

The St Joseph’s Wandal Tuckshop Policy is due for revision by the School Board. To assist us with this process, and to provide us with some feedback about the Tuckshop, please complete the very quick survey (it will take two minutes of your time!) on the school app, listed under “e-forms."

Please complete the Confirmation of Enrolment eform (on the Skoolbag App) after first confirming that your current information on Parent Lounge is correct or updated. Completing this form on an annual basis is a requirement of the Catholic Education Office of Rockhampton and ensures your child/ren a place at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Wandal in 2020. This information is also used to calculate discounts if you have more than one child at a Catholic Diocesan School.

We require EVERY family in the school to complete this e-form, even if you plan on leaving St Joseph’s at the end of the school year (Year 6 students excluded). Please complete the forms at your earliest convenience so that we can finalise our preparations for classes in 2020.

Shortly our teachers, in conjunction with the Learning Support staff and Leadership team of the school, will commence preparations for class groupings for the 2020 school year. If you feel you have information that teachers may not be already aware of, and which may be useful for this process, please ensure you notify your class teachers at your earliest convenience. 

Remember, every minute of the school day counts and we appreciate our teaching and learning remaining uninterrupted.

Last week we had:

 30 Late Student Arrivals

 26 Early Student Departures

 78 Whole Day Student Absences

Any students arriving early (before 8.15am) are expected to be enrolled and signed in by parents/caregivers at Before School Care where formal supervision is provided. Our OSHC coordinator, Hailey Svensen, can answer any questions you may have, as well as provide you with enrolment paperwork.  Hailey can be reached on 0429316543.

Please be aware that your Term Four school fees are now due. If you are having difficulties meeting your fee commitment, please ensure you contact me at your earliest convenience.

If you have volunteered in any capacity at our school throughout the 2019 school year, please join us for a Morning Tea on Friday 15 November. This is our way of saying ‘thank you.’ Our Year 5 class will be coordinating this event and more details will be shared over the coming weeks.

"We are so little, so imperfect, and God is so great, so good."

Mary MacKillop (1898)

Last weekend we acknowledged a small group of children from St Joseph's Wandal who participated in a ritual of remembering their Baptism at St Joseph's Cathedral Parish.  

On Tuesday 12 November or Wednesday 13 November parents are required to attend one of the information sessions at Kevin Castles Centre from 5.30 - 7pm.  This session will assist parents to prepare their children to receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation.

Please join us on Wednesday 6 November at 9am for Mass in the Hall followed by Morning Tea.  Year 5 will assist with parts of the Mass.  During this Mass we look forward to witnessing one of our Year 6 student being Confirmed and receiving their First Eucharist.  

A reminder that Children’s Liturgy is held most Sundays at St Joseph’s Cathedral at 9.30am during the school term.   Please click on the link to access Mass times.

Year Three have been interviewing teachers about what they learnt at the recent Reading Project Inservice and what book they are currently reading in class.

Prep - We learnt about guided reading, shared reading and assessing reading. We need to read a range of texts to extend learning. Exposing children to as many books as possible per day improves literacy levels therefore, it is important for parents to read bedtime stories everyday.

Year 1- We are currently reading Tashi in class. We learnt that the best strategy to help students is to engage with beautiful and exciting texts.

Year 2- We learnt about a variety of exciting books to engage young readers. We are reading fairy tales and a variety of big books in class. 

Year 3- Each school reflected on their current practice for reading and what they found to work effectively when teaching reading. 

We are currently up to reading our 10th Roald Dahl book in class ‘The BFG’. 

Year 4 -  We learnt about a strategy called close reading. It is where you read a short passage from a book out of context. The passage was from the book 'Wolf Comes To Town’ By Denis Manton. On Friday Year 4 classes had lots of fun discussing and analysing this text.

Year 5 - We learnt some good reading strategies, some we have already tried. We learnt about a new teaching reading strategy called close reading. We received new resources and we are currently reading a series of picture books about natural disasters and ‘Wolf Comes To Town’ By Denis Manton. 

Year 6 - I was given a note-taking proforma to assist students with note taking and summarising information. Year 6 students are going to focus on note taking and summarising this term. We are currently reading ‘Wonder’ by R. J. Palacio

Congratulations to our award winners.  Please click on link.

We have again had reports of head lice in various classes.  Please check your child's hair, treat if necessary.