Term 1 Week 8

Key Information

Term 1 Important Dates

• Week 9 (Harmony Week)
  
  • Monday 18th March - Spirit in Action, 3:00-4:30pm
  • Monday & Tuesday 18-19th March - Parent Teacher Interviews
  • Tuesday 19th March - Books in Homes, 11:20am
  • Wednesday 20th March - Harmony Day Orange Free Dress Day
  • Thursday 21st March - Years 6-8 Camp Presentation Evening, 5:00pm
  • Friday 22nd March - National Ride to School Day; St Joseph's Feast Day; Assembly, 8:30am 
  • Sunday 24th March - Races Clean Up for Years 7-9
• Week 10
  • Monday 25th March - Sacramental Program Meeting 6 (Final Meeting), 3:00pm; IEAC Meeting, 3:00-4:00pm 
  • Tuesday 26th March - QMEA Year 7 Water; Bull Sale Fundraiser, 11:00am-1:00pm, Queensland Parliament Visit Year 5/6 
  • Wednesday 27th March - Last Day of Term 1; Good Friday Litugy, 8:30am; World Greatest Shave/Crazy Hair Day

Tuckshop News

Our special for Week 8 is:  Potato Cakes and Cinnamon Sugar Easter Bunny Twists

Please have your orders in by WEDNESDAY 8:30 am.

To order: https://myschoolconnect.com.au/

Please email Jamie-Lea at jmcconachy@sjctsv.catholic.edu.au or call the office to let us know if you're available to volunteer!

Uniform Shop

Our Uniform Shop is now located in the new office space (old library). We are open to orders being placed via the app, https://myschoolconnect.com.au/

Please give us 24 hours to organise collection for your order, we generally contact you when your order is ready to collect.

If you are needing students to try on sizes we are available:

Monday from 2:30-3pm and Wednesday from 8:10-8:30am.

As this is a new system for us, please be kind and considerate while we find our feet in the new office space.

Miss Heather 

General News

Attendance

Just a reminder that any absences should be entered into Compass (instrustions below).

However, if you are unable to use this method please ensure that you email not only the students teacher but also the office staff via clncry@tsv.catholic.edu.au or call the office on (07) 4742 1633.

Principal's News

Dear Parents and Carers

It is hard to believe that we are on the tail end of the first term already.  There is a great deal taking place in our school over the coming weeks so please ensure you take time to stay connected with all that is happening.

NAPLAN

The 2024 NAPLAN testing took place this week, with the final test day today. It is important for us to use this data, amongst other sources, to check how well our students are learning in the essential skill areas of reading, writing and numeracy. To celebrate the completion of the tests, the students will enjoy some treats today as a reward for their efforts. 

Parent Teacher Interviews

Next week, we are holding our Parent Teacher Interviews on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. This is an opportunity for you to discuss your child’s development at school, and also to share information about your child with their teachers. Interviews can be booked through Compass until Sunday night. We look forward to seeing you there.

Harmony Week

Next week we celebrate Harmony Week to recognise the diversity within our school and the wider community.  This recognition is a step forward in bringing together Australians, from all different backgrounds, to build a sense of belonging for everyone.  One of the activities is a free dress day on Wednesday, where the students can wear orange to show their support. I am looking forward to seeing a ‘sea of orange’ next week.

Mid West Trials

Some of our students traveled on Monday to trial for the Mid West or North West sporting teams for Netball, Touch and Rugby League. A number of our students were selected:

Margaret Hansen (10-12 Netball)

Daniel Carstairs, Sam Drake, Louis Macnamara and Zaine Morris (Touch)

Louis Macnamara, Zaine Morris, Daniel Carstairs, Sam Drake, cole Daley and Michael Curley (Rugby League)  

Congratulations to all participants and a big thank you to Miss Borlase and Mr Delaney for accompanying the students.

The Feast of Saint Joseph

Next week we will hold our last assembly for the term in which we acknowledge St Joseph’s Feast Day. In the Bible, he is referred to as a “just man,” which was considered a high compliment in his time. It also meant that he was willing and open to do whatever God asked of him, including taking Mary as his wife, despite her unusual – and blessed pregnancy (Matthew 1:19). He also loved and cared for Jesus.  We take inspiration from this at St Joseph’s as we educate each child.  Because of the clash with NAPLAN, we will celebrate this feast day of our patron saint in Term 2.

Have a great week.

Mrs Karen Good 

Acting Principal 

Deputy's News

Today our Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 students completed their final NAPLAN test (Numeracy). I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for your cooperation and support throughout the assessment process. 

As we await the release of the NAPLAN results, I encourage you to celebrate your child's effort and hard work in completing the assessments. Regardless of the outcomes, participation in NAPLAN provides an opportunity for growth and learning, and we are proud of each student's commitment to doing their best.

Once the results become available, I will provide you with detailed information about “how to interpret and understand” your child's individual results. 

A reminder about our upcoming Parent-Teacher interviews early next week. If you haven’t booked a meeting with your child teacher, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. This will give the classroom teacher time to gather relevant information to pass on during your meeting.

Mr Dean Kelley

Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

APRE

125 Years of St Colman’s Mass and BBQ

Thank you to our community who gathered on Saturday to celebrate 125 Years of St Colman’s Parish. It was a lovely mass and evening. Thank you to our Sacramental and Spirit in action students who assisted in making the mass so special. A special thanks to the Barker and Kidd family for assisting with the set up. It was lovely to hear the old stories that were shared by our parishioners as we enjoyed the BBQ cooked by Mr Kelley.

Fr Ememe was given a blessing at this mass as the community wished him well for his move to Townsville. Fr Emene was also given a gratitude book where each student had written or illustrated a message of thanks. 

The event was attended by our Major, Robbie Katter and Bob Katter. Robbie Katter read the poem “The Tin Castle” that was believed to be written about Fr O’Keefe, depicting his thoughts on residing in a shed. At the time when the Josephite Sisters first arrived in Cloncurry, no accommodation was available. Fr O’Keefe gave the sister the presbytery, and he moved out to the shed.

The Tin Castle

The beauty of my castle
Is more outside then in;
The “Ironbark” they call it,
Because ‘tis bark and tin.
No matter how they name it
The castle is the same;
‘Tis just a little picture 
Within a crimson frame.
Upon a hill ‘tis standing,
The township is below,
And all around the castle
The oleanders grow.

A silver gum is near it
To give a pleasant shade,
And underneath the branches
A hammock I have made,
And high admid the fondage
A chanticleer you see.
He crows when early morning
Has rosy smiles for me
And tells me to be moving
Along the dewy trail
To the artesian waters
Beside the old slip-rail.

I have a wee verandah
A bogan-vilya too
Throws over the verandah
A light of purple hue,
And when the purple awning
Subdues the non-tide ray
I think it is delightful
To smoke my pipe and say
I’ve been in many countries
I find contentment here
The rose without a thorn,
A smile without a tear.

The stream I yet may harness
Before the summer heat.
When I immerse a turbine
Beneath its silver feet
‘Twill twist a Bosch magneto
Whose ultra vi’let ray
Will light by night my castle
And cool my brow by day,
And if my tea wants warming
‘Till make it piping hot
And if my luck short-circuits
‘Twill mend it on the spot.

I’ve been in city mansions
And their colossal hum;
They’re far below the castle
Beside the silver gum.
Short time for morning off’ring,
Where poets work like bees,
I say my beads in comfort
Beneath the Gidgee trees,
And when the pale horse cometh
I’ll saddle up and ride
Towards the golden castle
Across the Great Divide.

     -    “Sundowner”

St Patrick’s Day 

This Sunday is St Patrick’s Day. Our school celebrated on Friday  with a free dress day.   Below I have shared a lovely Irish poem.We have a large number of Irish members in our community, so I especially hope this prayer resonates with them.

Have blessed week,

Therese Curley

APRE

Pastoral Care

The Resilience Project - Parents & Caregivers Session

I hope you were able to either join us live last Wednesday evening or via the recording for The Resilience Project live Parents and Carers session. Presenter Sam gave an overview of the evidence-based positive mental health program to build resilience and happiness. There are three main strategies: Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness. The program is mapped to The Australian and New Zealand Curriculum and comprises presentations (students, teachers, parents), school curriculum, teacher resources and our app. This is a program that we are passionate about at SJC and it becomes more powerful when used at home too!

Social Media, Gaming and Apps

Are you concerned about the latest games, apps and social media and how safe your children are online? As a parent of children who are becoming familiar with these apps, I have found it crucial that I learn about these, including how to protect our information and report harmful content. 

eSafety is Australia's independent regulator for online safety. They aim to  educate Australians about online safety risks and help to remove harmful content such as cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse and intimate images or videos shared without consent.

I would like to draw your attention to the eSafety Guide. This is a fantastic resource for upskilling parents and caregivers about games, apps and social media and giving detailed information about each. Information given includes:

• What the app/game is
• How do people use the app/game
• Privacy settings and parental control information
• How can you report online abuse, ask for content to be removed or block someone
• How can you protect your personal information

For example, did you know that SnapChat has an in-app tool called Family Center, which provides parents and carers with insight into who their teens (13-17) are interacting with on Snapchat? Parents cannot access the content of their children's interactions, but can report any accounts of concern.

URSTRONG

So hopefully last week you signed up for your free parent membership for our URSTRONG program (if not, get access now by signing up for your (TOTALLY FREE!) URSTRONG Family Membership! This is the URSTRONG team’s gift to you, as they aim to help as many children around the world create healthy, feel-good friendships!)

This week, I would like to introduce you to the Language of Friendship. Explicitly teaching children how to develop healthy friendships + manage conflict in a positive way is at the heart of helping them flourish. These important social skills are the key to creating safe schools and raising KIND + STRONG children. This video is the first step in our Language of Friendship video-series where Dana (the Founder of the URSTRONG program) will introduce you to URSTRONG’s simple framework for guiding children towards healthy friendships.

Upcoming Events

Week 9

Monday to Tuesday - Parent Teacher Interviews
Wednesday - Harmony Day Free Dress (wear orange)
Thursday - Years 6-8 Camp Presentation 5pm
Friday - Ride to School Day & Icy Cups for Sale
Sunday - Races Clean Up for Years 7-9 Camp Fundraising

Week 10

Monday to Wednesday - Holy Week Activities
Tuesday - QMEA Year 7 Science Workshop
Wednesday - Easter Hat Parade with Good Friday Liturgy, World’s Greatest Shave & Crazy Hair Day, Icy Cups

Toni Schneekloth

Pastoral Leader

Prep

What is happening in Week 9!

During our Initial Lit lessons in Week 9 the students will continue to revise the letter sounds for m, s, t, a, p, i  and f to the letters they have learnt. Please practice hearing these sounds in words at home. For example, say “What sound do you hear at the front of fish?”  The Preps are identifying the letter sounds in written words such as “tap” and using this to blend the sounds to read the words. Week 9 is a busy week in the religious space. The class will be learning about St Joseph in readiness for celebrating this on Friday. We will also continue to explore the Easter story. The dramatic play camping area has been a big hit. Thank you to those of you who loaned us items to use in this area.

We will not be borrowing library books again this week. The focus will be on getting outstanding books returned before the end of the term.

On Tuesday the class will have a visit from Emmie who is a local wildlife carer. She will be bringing a joey for us to look at. 

Reminders:

Tuesday - sport
Thursday - return library books and tuckshop
Friday - St Joseph’s Feast Day Assembly

Yours in fun and learning,

Mrs McLauchlan and Miss Kylie

Year 1

Hello Parents and Carers

We have had a busy week!

In Math, we are continuing to skip count in 10s and 5s to 100. This week we have also added skip counting in 2s. The students are loving the skip counting songs. Here are some links to some interactive counting songs (Count by 2s, 5s and 10s). 

In English, we have been sequencing the events in our focus book ‘Brother Moon’. The students have been using the pictures in the hex tray to retell the ‘Brother Moon’ story. 

Reminders
Art: Tuesday 
House Shirts: Wednesday 
Library/ Homework Due: Thursday 
Sport: Thursday (sport uniform) 
Technology: Friday 

Have a wonderful week.

Miss Haley and the always fun Year 1s!

Year 2

Hi all

This week we have been looking at persuasive texts and their features in comprehension.  We are also looking at bossy e, as well as different spelling combinations using ue, ew and u_e during spelling. We have completed some poetry on The Lizard Gang and are currently completing an imaginative writing sample before we begin imaginative writing next term.

In Maths, we have been working on cutting shapes, collections and lengths into halves, quarters and eighths using repeated halving.

We also covered our other subject areas which include:
Religion - This term we are looking at God’s Nature and his relationship with his people
Science - This term we are looking at mixtures and their different purposes.
HASS - This term we are looking at Past and Present

Next Week

• Homework is due on Mondays

Kind regards

Miss Ansel

Year 3

Hello all

Wow! What a big week we have had in Year 3!

I was so proud of the way the Year 3s conducted themselves when they completed their four NAPLAN tests. They should all be commended for their efforts!

Mathematics
The students have been learning about and investigating objects/3D shapes. 

English
The students have been working in groups to create a persuasive presentation to present to the class next week. They are coming along so well; I am very excited to be persuaded by all the confident presenters!  

Religion
This week we’ve been taking ourselves back in time to consider what life was like at the time when Jesus lived.

Science
The students learnt how to classify animals into five different classes—mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. They used tables to organise and represent a collection of animals based on their class.

HASS
This week we investigated St Patrick’s Day which will be celebrated on Sunday 17th. 

Reminders for next week:

• Parent Teacher Interviews Monday and Tuesday
• Homework - Homework will be handed out Monday and is due Friday. 
• PE uniform Tuesday 
• Chaplain’s Breakfast - Tuesday & Thursday at 7:45am in MMS
• Tuckshop order due before Wednesday 8:30am

Thank you

Miss Laura Cook

Year 4

Dear families

We are continuing our focus on The Preposition Start sentence. This sentence gives writing more energy. It starts with a preposition such as: on, in, by, after, during, under, over, from, behind, at, before, against, next to, close to, through, etc. After the preposition, students have learnt to place a comma, then add the subject, then to finish the rest of your sentence.  It's that easy! 

Here are some more examples:

• Under Gran's sofa, Billy discovered his long-lost peanut butter sandwich.
• Above the treetops, three golden eagle birds searched for their next meal.
• At exactly seven o’clock, every light in the house went dark.
• Before the end of class, Freddy pressed the switch and the teacher Mr Brown vanished

Our spelling sound is going to be the ‘o’ sound in orange. This can be represented by the graphemes: o and a.

• The ‘o’ sound in orange is used at the start and in the middle of words, but never at the end of words (e.g. office, clock).
• We often use a for the ‘o’ sound in orange after the ‘w’ sound in web (e.g. was, want, what, swan, squash).
• The grapheme au represents the ‘o’ sound in orange in a small set of words (e.g. sausage, auction).

Reminders:

• Parent Teacher interviews are on Monday and Tuesday. Please log in to Compass to make a booking to see me.
• Wednesday will be a Free Dress Day to celebrate Harmony Day - Please come in your best orange outfit!
• Chaplaincy breakfast is on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning at 7:45am.
• Library is on Friday
• PE is on Thursday
• It is ride to school day on Friday, please keep your eyes peeled for further communication about this event
• Assembly is this Friday where we will be celebrating St Joseph’s Feast Day.

Have a great week!

Mairin Borlase

Year 5

Welcome to Week 8!

NAPLAN
I just wanted to put it in writing that I have been so proud of the Year 5 cohort and their positive attitude and work ethic this week during NAPLAN. 

Goal Setting
As a class, we have discussed how important STRIVING to your personal best is. Alongside their Year 6 peers, our Year 5 learners have started to develop specific learning goals to work towards over the next term. Each student has chosen a reading, writing, mathematics and personal goal to work to achieve. 

Assessment Schedule
Over the remainder of the term, our learners will complete their assessment tasks. Please see the specific days that these tasks will be due:

English - Week 9 Friday
Reading and comprehension - Ongoing throughout the term
Spelling - Cumulative Review One completed and reviewed
Mathematics - Week 9 Friday (Think Mentals assessment ongoing throughout the term)
Religion - Week 10 Monday
HaSS - Civics and Citizenship (This is assessed per semester, however, a current grade at the end of term one will be based on a formative assessment and observations throughout the unit of work). (Week 10 Tuesday, visit from Queensland Parliament)

Life Education:
This week on Tuesday we had Mia from Life Education join our class to discuss the topic of Puberty. The class was so engaged and participated in the difficult conversations respectfully. After Mia left, she sent an email congratulating the Year 5 class for their participation stating that they were absolutely wonderful! This positive feedback is incredible to hear. If you haven’t already, this might be a great opportunity to continue these discussions around puberty at home. 

Have a lovely Week 9!

Kind regards

Mae-Louise Brock

Year 6

Dear Families

Our Prep Buddies have already begun to form lovely bonds with our Year 6 Leaders, which is so amazing to witness. Last week, we began our Easter craft with our buddies, had a group outside using the parachute (don't worry nobody jumped from a plane!) and some of the buddies investigated some tech together. We also continued to investigate writing feedback with our Year 5 buddies, ensuring that we continue to develop our writing for an audience.

Life Education will visit our class on Tuesday 12th March to add to last year's discussion about 'Welcome to Puberty'; it has the title 'Thriving in Puberty'. Having regular conversations with your child about the changes they are going through, as they move into young adulthood, are important. It can be a little embarrassing for them at first, however the more it is discussed openly and honestly within the family, the easier and more natural these conversations become. There is a parent session via Zoom which I will update you with shortly.

This week, remember it is a FREE DRESS DAY on Friday for St Patrick's Day (on Sunday) - with all gold coin donations contributing towards next year's Yr 7-9 Camp, your continued support is greatly appreciated.

In English, all children worked on their narrative assessment - with many achieving the target 400+ words in 42 minutes. This week, we will edit our writing by trying to improve our text - which sentences can we improve? What does the feedback look like for our writing? In spelling, we are investigating words with the grapheme [i]. We will investigate the prefixes (added to the beginning of a base word to make a new word with similar meaning) - mis- meaning wrong and dis- meaning not/opposite of. We will also spend some time this week investigating the prefixes in-, im-,  il-, and ir- (meaning - not) e.g. irreplaceable meaning not replaceable. There will also be an opportunity to discuss last week's Spelling Review 1 and the common errors made as individuals and as a class.

In Mathematics, our Think Mentals learning continues to focus on subtraction strategies when solving problems involving decimals. We will continue to investigate capacity with a focus on decimals and fractions of the whole container (1 Litre) - using our understanding of the divisions marked off on the scale. 

How can you help at home? 

• Have discussions about liquid in containers. 
• Put water into a jug and discuss the scale - what fraction of the container is full? How many more mL to fill the jug? What if I poured away a quarter of the liquid, how much would be left?

This sounds relatively simple however these rich discussions are what makes the most difference in this learning about fractions in context. It also brings in problem solving strategies for addition and subtraction. We will begin to investigate the decimal fractions in the next few weeks - 100 mL is the same as 1/10 (one tenth) of the Litre etc. What fraction would 250 mL be?

In Science, we are investigating circuits and symbols used within circuit diagrams. Using wire, light bulb, battery and switches to make simple circuits as well as continuing to investigate Makey Makey kits and Micro:Bits as connected digital technologies.

Have a great week.

Kindest regards,

Mike Tarleton

Subject Spotlight

Year 9 RE with Mr James Delaney

We started the time by participating in a variety of prayer styles and experiences, which set the students up for the term and the expectations when engaging in personal and communal prayer. 

For the remainder of the term, we have been learning about the co-existence of good and evil in the world, and the Church’s response based on human history. We started by focusing on the Age of Reason (Enlightenment) and explored some of the well-known philosophers of the time to determine their attitudes and values. We analysed the second creation story (the original sin) to interpret sin through the text, using the symbolism included. The students are sequencing the significant events within the years 1750 to 1918, including the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, the First Vatican Council, and what was happening in Australia during this time. These events throughout history, including the Church’s response, will assist the students in understanding sin in the world. 

Year 7 Art with Miss Shara Humes

This term we have been exploring Media Arts with a focus on how images are used in various media formats, including film, print and social media. Students have engaged in discussions about the appropriate use of images and whether we can or should share them for others to view, and discovered how easily people can find images of someone on the internet. Throughout all of this, students have also had the opportunity to experiment with taking their own photographs and employing different techniques that can take their photography skills to the next level - we’ve had some creative use of perspective in particular, and that’s not even mentioning the editing that followed where students replaced the background and made it their own! 

Year 9 English with Mrs Rachel Delaney-Lovett

It’s wild to think that Term 1 is (almost) done and dusted! This term, the students have engaged with persuasive texts, focusing on a public health issue as the topic. We have examined and explored the way a text (written, spoken, visual - or combined) can be manipulated for effect. The students have constructed a visual text (in the form of a print advertisement) that aims to promote or prevent a public health issue of their choosing. The visual text must be purposeful - reflected through the choice of colours, images, composition, vocabulary choices and language features used. From this, the students will develop an argument in response to their topic and effectiveness of the campaign materials they have constructed. 

The expectation with the written component is adherence to structure (from sentence to paragraph, to sections of a whole text); use of persuasive language, and analysis of the techniques they’ve used to create their advertisement - arguing their impact. This is a big task, however, I am pleased with the progress of the learners and will be in contact if there are any concerns.

Community Information

Bookings are essential - This can be done by contacting Jo Moore or Tarhynee Shepherd at your local Neighbourhood Centre on 1300 672 273.