St Joseph's Primary Schofields Newsletter

Term 3 Week 5

Principal's Letter - Mrs Lesley Studans

Dear Parents and Carers, 

This morning a new student began in Year 3 and this afternoon I took a school tour of 6 people around our school. Earlier this week I interviewed another 3 students who are ready to enrol at our school in 2020. I always ask why our school has been chosen by the parents for their children and overwhelmingly the answer is about good values. 

Our school is in the heart of a new and growing community. It’s a special part of a suburb where all around school, houses spring up like mushrooms after rain. We aim to be the caring heart of our community, guided by our values. 

So far this year we have highlighted 3 catholic values. We began with “Love your neighbour”. A very apt value when we are building a community. For the more longstanding members of our community that can remember the cows and chickens surrounding the school, It has always been the case that we are connected to each other. When we think about why that was so, its because we knew that part of caring for our children is caring for each other. As we become bigger it's worth reminding ourselves that love is at the heart of what we do. So all of first term we awarded the children with Blue Gospel Awards about loving our neighbour. 

Last term we awarded the children with the Gospel Awards for showing ‘forgiveness’. This is an essential part of our faith. At school we encourage the children to repair broken relationships through caring actions. We teach them through stories such as Zaccheus the tax collector favoured by Jesus and the Forgiving Father (Prodigal Son) who welcomed his wayward son back into the family. 

Now, this term we have a focus on “Showing Hope and Giving Hope”. The story of Jesus’ death and resurrection gives hope. Our community of Schofields has been founded on hope. Each of us has chosen to live in Schofields. We may have chosen a new country to live in, a better area, a bigger house, founding the local area as we found our families. Our new school building project symbolises the hope for our suburb, for our children.

Working with children is filled with hope. Today I met with some Year 5 students who want to make the world a better place by reducing plastic pollution in our school. They were bubbling with ideas and enthusiasm and I have no doubt that they will make a difference. They have hope for the future of the world, just as Jesus showed us. 

With kind regards, 

Lesley Studans

Principal 

Assistant Principal - Mrs Joanna Delvecchio

There is no doubt that there are many benefits to reading.  Here is the next part of the article that outlines the many benefits for your children when you read with them at home.  Taken from The Primary English Teaching Association Australia has an article about the importance of reading at home by Kay Lowe.  

Relationship building

At the core of reading is a relationship and it is the bond between children and parents that is enhanced through reading together. It only takes ten minutes a day to build this relationship.

Children’s reading improves

The research is conclusive: When parents successfully support their children’s literacy learning from an early age, everyone benefits. When teachers and parents work together to support children’s reading and academic success, learning outcomes for all children improve.

Children read more

Students who read with their parents are better prepared for school. They begin school with knowledge of book language and familiarity with concepts of print. They understand how books work and have many more exposures to text types and vocabulary.

Reading unites families through shared stories

When a family reads together, stories form a common ground for communicating. Stories bind families and help students makes sense of where they fit in the world.

Not only does parent involvement have a specific and profound impact on children’s reading, but also on children’s language and literacy learning in general. It is through interactions with parents and carers that children learn new vocabulary, seek clarification of new understandings, and learn to comprehend their expanding worlds. Talk is the key to reading and writing success. Talking with children (walking to school, at the table, in the car, bedtime) has a significant effect on literacy learning in general.

ICAS Assessment  

If you have paid for your child to participate in the assessment please ensure that you have these dates in your calendar.  Please ensure that your child is at school by 7.30am at the school office  with a fully charged ipad.  

Competition Dates

ICAS Science - Thursday 5 September 2019

ICAS English - Tuesday 17 September 2019

ICAS Mathematics - Thursday 19 September 2019

You can book and pay for the assessments directly online using the details below 

ATTENDANCE

CONGRATULATIONS Year 4  with an outstanding attendance of 92% with Year 1 in second place at 81%.  

Not only is it important to ensure that your child is at school each day, it is also important to be at school on time.  Every minute of learning missed also adds up.  

If your child is away from school, it is important that you give a note to the teacher explaining the absence otherwise it will be marked as an unexplained absence on the roll.

Religious Coordinator - Mrs Anne Watson

Confirmation at our Parish Church, Mary Immaculate, Quakers Hill.

On Tuesday 20th August and Wednesday 21st August, a group of our Year 5 students made  their Confirmation at our Parish Church, Mary Immaculate, Quakers Hill.

Our Confirmation Candidates were;

 Mia MacDonald, Angelique Goupy, Narishqa Pascual, 

Maximos Fredericks, Cameron Grima and Ethan Sarno

                           PRAYER FOR CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES:

Lord, 

        You send out Your Spirit to touch the hearts of all people, 

So that they may believe in You and in Jesus whom You sent.

Look kindly on all candidates for Confirmation as they listen to

Your voice. Open their hearts to Your Spirit and bring to fulfilment

the good work that You have begun in them.

As these children prepare for Confirmation, make each of them an

instrument of Your love. Teach them to appreciate what is holy in

others, and to be patient with what they do not understand.

Deepen their faith in the Gospel and help 

them to pass it on by their example. 

We pray that You will continue to guide them and sustain them.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Fathers’ Day Celebration

All Welcome to join our students to celebrate Father's Day - Friday 30th August

Fathers’ Day BBQ breakfast @ 7:30am

Father’s Day Liturgy @ 8:40am in the Community Space. 

Part of the Fathers’ Day Liturgy is a slideshow of photos of fathers and fathers alike. If you would like your photo to be included in the slideshow. Please send in your photo to the following email address by Monday 26th August. 

stjosephsevents22@gmail.com 

Mary Immaculate Parish, Quakers Hill - Schofields Sacramental Program

       Reconciliation 2019 Children Year 3 and Older         

18th August - Sun Online Registration opens         

22nd September – Sun Online Registration closes                     

19th / 20th October – Sat or Sun Enrolment Mass 

(Sat 5.30pm or Sun 9am ONLY)                                                   

2nd / 3rd November - Sat or Sun First Class                                    

9th / 10th November - Sat or Sun Second Class                           

16th / 17th November - Sat or Sun Third Class and Practice                                    

21st November –Thurs Reconciliation    

                                                                

Gerald “Ged” Oblea and Marthese Sultana Sacramental Team Mary Immaculate Parish Quakers Hill – Schofields Ph: 9626 3326 (press ‘7’) Mobile: 0477 151 279

Email: sacramentalcoordinator@maryimmac.org.au

Sports Update -Mrs Kimberley Turner

Term 3 Sport News

Blacktown Zone Carnival

Last Tuesday I had the privilege of accompanying our school’s Zone athletics team to Blacktown International Sports Park.

We had the most wonderful weather and our team was by far the best behaved and most supportive team there.

I could not have been prouder of all our athletes as they gave 100% to their events.

A huge congratulations goes to everyone who represented our school, especially our 7 superstars who are going on to represent the Blacktown Zone at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival this coming Friday.

They are:

Our Junior Boys Relay Team: Yueil Abusalah, Hunter Wilkinson, Conor O’Brien & Jamie Gain

Yueil Abusalah: Boys 8 Years 100m

Narishqa Pascual: Junior Girls Long Jump

Lexie Beacroft: Junior Girls Discus

Georgia Wilson: Junior Girls Shot Put

We wish them all the very best on Friday.

News from the Librarian - Mrs Joanne Neil

Book Week 2019

Book Week 2019

We will be celebrating Book Week in September this year. Illustrator, Nathaniel Eckstrom, will visit St. Joseph’s on Monday, 23rd September. On the same day we will enjoy our annual Book Character Parade. 

This year’s Book Week theme is, ‘Reading is my secret power’, so here’s a chance to dress as a favourite book character or dress as something reading does for you – time to get our thinking caps on!

The children can take part in a colouring competition as part of the celebrations.

What a lovely way to end the term.

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2019

The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is closing on 31st August. For all students participating, their list of books will need to be put onto the PRC website. If anyone needs help, please don’t hesitate to ask for assistance.

School Musical - "Into the Woods Jr."

When

September 6, 2019 7:00 PM to September 7, 2019 7:00 PM

Where

St John Paul II Catholic College Performance Hub

More information

St Joseph will be presenting it’s inaugural school musical ‘ Into the Woods’ on the 6th and 7th September 2019. Tickets are selling fast: www.trybooking.com

We hope all of our St Joseph's families can attend and enjoy this wonderful community event.

St Joseph's Primary Schofields


Voice of Youth News

Congratulations to our school representatives, William Spiteri and Jessica Khov. Both performed very well at the Voice of Youth cluster final at St John XX111, Stanhope Gardens. Jessica received the Social Justice medal for her speech about verbal abuse. This is the second year in a row that St Joseph’s has won a public speaking medal. A very big thank you to the Year 6 teachers and parents who assisted and encouraged the students to achieve.

Junior School Leadership Forum in NSW Parliament

Member for Riverstone Kevin Conolly MP was delighted by the success of the Riverstone Junior School Leadership Forum in NSW Parliament today.

 30 students from 11 local primary schools attended the Leadership Forum at NSW Parliament House today and had the opportunity to discuss leadership with The Hon Anthony Roberts, Minister for Counter Terrorism and Corrections and The Hon Shelley Hancock, Minister for Local Government.

 The forum is an annual event initiated by Mr Conolly to inspire junior school students in leadership roles to think more broadly about leadership in our community.

 “It is also an opportunity for me to recognize the hard work that school captains and leaders give to their school communities” Mr Conolly said.

 The students from John Palmer Public School, Kellyville Ridge Public School, Mary Immaculate Primary School, Parklea Public School, Quakers Hill East Public School, St John's Primary School, St Joseph's Primary School, Vineyard Public School, Riverbank Public School, Norwest Christian College and St John XXIII Catholic Learning Community were welcomed by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

 The students then watched question time in the Legislative Assembly Chamber and got to see the Premier and government Ministers in action answering questions from the opposition.

 "I believe it is important that our young leaders have an understanding of how their democratic government functions,” said Mr Conolly.

 Mr Conolly then gave the students a personal tour of Parliament House.

 “This experience may have opened their eyes to wider possibilities for their own futures,” Mr Conolly said.

Thank you to our school captains Cameron & Sierra for attending and Mrs Attard for transporting them to the event.

PARENT CALENDAR

School Calendar

For the full yearly school calendar click this link Important-Dates


Year 5’s First Camp Experience

Last Thursday and Friday Year 5 and their fearless teachers embarked on a journey to Camp Collaroy.

We were blessed with the most amazing weather and as the bus drove out of the bus bay we all felt the excitement in the air!

From the get go we were challenged to get out of our comfort zones and to work as a team. As a teacher it was awesome to see our students encourage and support each other through each activity.

We ended the first day with a lovely evening walk down to the Collaroy Plateau. Here we could see all the city lights, hear the crash of the waves and smell the fresh sea breeze. It was an amazing end to a brilliant first day!

Lights went out at 10pm and silence was finally heard around 11:30pm.

Our second day was just as exciting and after a scrumptious breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausages we began all the excitement again!

A massive thank you goes out to all the fantastic staff at Collaroy and all the brilliant teachers (Mrs. Delvecchio, Mr Parnis, Mrs Powell, Mrs Watson and Miss Alexander) who gave up their time to accompany our Year 5's on what was a truly awesome first camp experience.

Mrs Turner

PARENTS & FRIENDS

SCHOOL UNIFORM PRICE LIST & HOW TO ORDER

Second-Hand Uniform Shop

The second hand uniform shop will be closed from Monday 26th Aug and will reopen the first week of Term 4