Term 3 Week 4
Key Information
Term 3 Important Dates
Week 5
Monday 5th August - Hearing Screenings
Tuesday 6th August - Hearing Screenings; Vision Screenings
Wednesday 7th August - Book Club Due; Hearing Screenings
Thursday 8th August – Mary MacKillop Feast Day - Mass & Activities, 2:00pm; Hearing Screenings
Friday 9th August – Term 3 Ride to School; Free Dress - Fete (Donations of Bottles and Old Cowboy Hats); Assembly, 8:30am; Disaster Resilience RoadShow (Year 3), 1:50-2:50pm; QLD Cricket Visit; Hearing Screenings
Week 6 – Book Week: Reading is Magic; Science Week
- Tuesday 13th August – Headspace Workshop (Years 6-9); Disaster Resilience RoadShow (Year 4), 1:50-2:50pm
Wednesday 14th August – SRC Meeting, first break; Hansel and Gretel Opera (P-6), 12:20pm
Friday 16th August – National Anti-Bullying Day; Free Dress - Book Week; Learning Breakfast (Pancakes), 8:00am; Book Week Parade, 8:30am; Cake Plates Handout
Week 7
Monday 19th August – Fire Drill, 10:30am
Wednesday 21st August – Life Ed Visit
Thursday 22nd August – Life Ed Visit
Friday 23rd August – Fete Free Dress (Donations of Baked Goods); Assembly, 8:30am; School Fete, 6:00pm
Week 8
Tuesday 27th August - Catholic Identity Meeting, 3-4pm
Wednesday 28th August - SRC Meeting, first break
Thursday 29th August – Father’s Day Breakfast and Song;
Week 9 – Child Safety Week
Wednesday 4th September – Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure Show (P-2), 1:30pm
Thursday 5th September – Sean Choolburra – First Nations Performance
Friday 6th September – Assembly, 8:30am
Week 10
- Tuesday 10th September – Board Meeting, 5:30pm
Wednesday 11th September – R U OK Day; SRC Meeting, First Break
- Thursday 12th September - Year 7/8 Retreat (Be the Attitude of Our School)
Friday 13th September – Assembly, 2:30pm (Farewell from MMS); Last Day Term 3
Tuckshop News
Please have your orders in by WEDNESDAY 8:30 am.
To order: https://myschoolconnect.com.au/
Our special for Week 5 is: Pizza Subs & Death by Chocolate Muffins
Our special for Week 6 is: Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs & Spaghetti & Queen of Hearts Strawberry Tarts
OUR TUCKSHOP CREW NEEDS YOU
Miss Jamie-Lea is looking for some wonderful volunteers to help her in Tuckshop on Thursdays. You do not have to be a parent to volunteer. We have had grandparents, aunties, uncles, friends and cousins, as well as mums and dads. If you are interested in volunteering, please join Miss Jamie-Lea's tuckshop volunteer group. 
https://m.facebook.com/groups/
Uniform Shop
Our Uniform Shop is 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.
Miss Heather
General News
BOOK WEEK
This year's theme is "Reading is Magic"
Get your thinking caps on for a magical costume to showcase in our Book Week Parade on Friday 16th August!
Keep reading for the Premier's Reading Challenge! The reading period is open until 23rd August
Principal's News
Dear Parents and Caregivers
What a busy few weeks it has been for our school! As we progress through this exciting school year, I’d like to share some important updates and information to keep you informed about our ongoing efforts to enhance the learning environment and safety of our school community.
School Satisfaction Surveys: Your Voice Matters
Each year, we conduct school satisfaction surveys to gather valuable feedback from parents, students, and staff. This survey is an important tool for the school in meeting your needs and your feedback is valuable to us. Your responses will help our school to identify what it does well and how it can improve. The data will also be used to underpin school improvement practices. I thank you in advance for providing feedback and assisting us to improve our school.
Updated External Provider Access to Townsville Catholic Education (TCE) Schools Process
External health providers play a vital role in supporting students within schools. At the beginning of the year, the process was updated in order to ensure our duty of care to the safety and wellbeing of all students and their privacy, and the impact on the student’s learning was ensured. Due to changes in providers and students who require access to the private health providers during the year, I have inserted the Parent Fact Sheet into the newsletter, and it will soon be available on our school website. By following these guidelines, we can work together to support our students in the most effective and less impactful way possible.
School Fete
Our highly anticipated St Colman's Parish and St Joseph’s Catholic School fete will take place on Friday 23 August. Make sure you don't miss out! Our Facebook page will continue to update you on all of our Fete news! There will be lots of stalls, food, raffles and entertainment for everyone to enjoy! It is with immense gratitude that we thank the local businesses and organisations for your generous sponsorship. If you would like to get on board and support our fete, please contact Mia Dickson or Helen Phillips at the school office or email: hphillips3@supply.tsv.catholic.edu.au
Thank you for your continued commitment to our school community. If you have any questions or need further information about the topics discussed, please feel free to contact the school office.
God bless
Mrs Karen Good
Acting Principal
Deputy's News
We’ve had an eventful and enriching few weeks, and it’s wonderful to see everyone back and engaged in learning.
Values Awards
Last week during assembly, we introduced our new Values Awards. These awards are designed to recognise students who exemplify our school values in their daily actions. We were thrilled to celebrate our first set of winners, who have shown outstanding character and commitment. Congratulations to all the recipients.
Upcoming Events: Book Week & Learning Breakfast
As we move further into the term, we are excited about the upcoming activities in Week 6. We will be celebrating Book Week, an annual event that promotes the joy of reading and literature. This year’s theme is “Reading is Magic.” Students are encouraged to dress up as their favourite book characters on Friday, 16th August. While I’ve got your attention on Friday, 16th August—this segue took longer than I’d like to admit—we will hold our annual Learning Breakfast on the same morning. I encourage all family and community members to come along for what will be a fantastic morning.
Science Week
Simultaneously with our Book Week, we will be hosting Science Week, where students can engage in hands-on experiments and explore the wonders of science. This week is a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their curiosity and passion for discovery. Mr Grehan and Mrs Schneekloth have several exciting experiments planned for Science Week. All year levels (at various times, of course) will be invited to the Science Lab to participate in a series of 1-hour experiments.
Mr Dean Kelley
Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning
APRE
St Mary Mackillop Feast Day
On the 8th August (Thursday next week) we will celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, the first Australian saint, and our patron Saint who granted our Cloncurry community a Catholic education. We have such a strong connection to Mary, and it is important that as a school we recognise this with a celebration. Classes will participate in activities in the middle session of the day followed by a Mass at 1:40 pm. We encourage our school community to join us for this special mass.
Have a blessed week
Therese Curley
APRE
Pastoral Care
URSTRONG - The Language of Friendship
We classify conflict into just two categories to keep things as easy as possible for kids: Friendship Fires® (normal conflicts between friends) and Mean-on-Purpose behaviour. By making this distinction and establishing a common language, we can better coach and guide our children towards healthy friendships.
Is it a Friendship Fire or Mean-on-Purpose?
Kids and their parents sometimes mistakenly believe that any conflict with a friend is “bullying” (a word that is typically misused and misunderstood). Instead, however, we want to use simple, kid-friendly language. Here are a few common questions:
So, how can we tell the difference between a Friendship Fire or Mean-on-Purpose?
The difference really lies in intent—was it a misunderstanding or were they really trying to hurt your feelings? From the data we’ve collected so far, the majority of conflict that exists in schools are Friendship Fires (approx. 90%).
Can a friend be Mean-on-Purpose too? Yes, absolutely, and it really hurts!
Can a friend be Mean-by-Accident? Yep, this is a Friendship Fire.
Can a Friendship Fire escalate into Mean-on-Purpose? Definitely. This is why we teach kids that timing is important when we put out our Friendship Fires. Sometimes we’re not ready or our friend isn’t ready to put out the Fire. If we continue to try and Talk-it-Out when the time isn’t right, we will inevitably make the Fire bigger.
Can we de-escalate a Mean-on-Purpose moment into a Friendship Fire? For sure. Sometimes we misinterpret someone’s behaviour as Mean-on-Purpose. When we respond with a Quick Comeback, the person knows we felt it was mean. This then allows that person to respond in a way that explains that their intent wasn’t to be mean. By doing this, they move into the Talk-it-Out phase on the Friend-o-Cycle and, thus, it’s downgraded to a Friendship Fire.
Here’s a scenario that demonstrates our step-by-step friendship strategy in-action:
Your friend starts calling you the nickname, “Sweatpants,” because you always wear comfy pants to school. At first, you think it’s fun and it makes you feel closer to your friend. You both laugh about it and think it’s cool. After time, it feels less funny and more like your friend is making fun of you. You start to feel offended and it’s really bugging you. THIS IS A FRIENDSHIP FIRE®.
In URSTRONG, we teach kids to (1) Retell the situation, and (2) Explain how it made you feel. This is a conversation.
You ask to talk to your friend and let them know that the nickname is actually making you feel bad. Through the conversation, you explain how you feel and you respectfully ask your friend to not call you “Sweatpants” anymore. The next day, your friend continues calling you the nickname, fully knowing you don’t like it. THIS IS MEAN-ON-PURPOSE.
In URSTRONG, we teach kids to say their Quick Comeback in a strong voice and then walk away. This is not a conversation.
When your friend calls you the nickname again, knowing it’s hurtful, you say your Quick Comeback: “Stop.” You walk away and try to keep your focus on something that makes you happy.
At this point, we would let kids know that if this is a healthy friendship, your friend would respect you enough to stop calling you the nickname. If your friend continues calling you the name, trust and respect (Friendship Fact #3) break down, and this friendship would be in the unhealthy (red) zone of the Friend-o-Meter.
The URSTRONG advice: Spend less time with this friend. You deserve healthy, feel-good friendships and remember Friendship Fact #4: Friendships change…and that’s okay.
If your friend continued to be Mean-on-Purpose, despite standing up for yourself and communicating it’s not okay (through your Quick Comeback), then THIS IS BULLYING. (We describe bullying as ongoing, Mean-on-Purpose behaviour.)
This requires the support of adults to provide deeper interventions. We encourage URSTRONG Schools to follow our Bullying Prevention Plan that outlines the procedure for both the victim and the perpetrator.
Written by Dana Kerford - Friendship Expert and Founder, URSTRONG
The Resilience Project
Working on our emotional literacy gives us opportunities to develop our ability to understand and express different emotions. When we improve our emotional literacy, we can work towards recognising our own feelings and our ability to manage them. This allows us to cope with different life situations, such as managing conflict, making friends, coping in difficult situations, and being resilient when dealing with change.
Whole Family Activity: Feelings Charades
- Gather together as a family. This might be around the dinner table, lounge room, or around the fire outside.
- Take turns to act out a feeling or emotion. Use your face and body language to act this out, For example: Make an angry face and stamp your feet
- Other family members need to guess the feeling/emotion.
- After someone has guessed the feeling/emotion, have family members discuss a time they have felt this way before and why. If it was a negative emotion, how did they overcome it?
Family Habit Builder:
Around the dinner table, ask everyone to share a feeling they felt during that day. Discuss how they dealt with that feeling and then discuss and share strategies you could use when faced with particular feelings.
SchoolTV
It’s never been more challenging for parents to raise happy, healthy and resilient children. The SchoolTV platform provides schools with an extensive range of wellbeing resources for parents, so they can work together in partnership to ensure better wellbeing for all students. With a greater focus on early intervention, SchoolTV aims to provide information on what children need to develop well, rather than what parents should do to be effective.
This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.
A SPECIAL REPORT: Wellbeing Barometer Survey: 2024
The Wellbeing Barometer survey has proven to be an invaluable tool for schools, providing insights into the state of youth mental health and wellbeing. Whilst last year’s results focussed the spotlight on areas of concern, there were also many highlights that demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of students and emphasised the necessity of prevention strategies.
Participating in this year's survey, will assist in identifying areas of strength and concern, as well as pinpointing opportunities for early intervention. Previously gathered information has helped support families as they navigate difficult conversations that enable understanding and foster connections to build relationships.
This survey is part of an ongoing, longitudinal study, with the results being instrumental in tailoring support for students and their families. Participation is strongly encouraged, as it provides a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements over the past year. Its aim is to capture a comprehensive picture of young people's lives, allowing for a tailored approach to enhance mental and emotional wellbeing.
We encourage you to take a few moments to complete a survey for each of your children. This will help us determine the nature and extent of your concerns and how best to support families in the months ahead. Responses remain anonymous and will only be reported on an aggregated basis. You are asked to base your responses on observations made in the last 12 months.
Acquiring the skills for future independence, taking healthy risks, and giving young people the opportunity to emancipate from parents, are key developmental tasks that are essential if we are to stave off the impact of mental illness in the future.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact Rebecca Greaves, SJC Guidance Counsellor, or myself for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report:
https://sjctsv.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2024-au
Uniform
St Joseph’s school family takes pride in its school uniform. It is a highly visible symbol of who we are and students are required to wear the full school uniform neatly and with pride.
Parents are asked to ensure their child is wearing the correct school uniform at all times. All items (except for shoes) can be purchased from the school’s Uniform Shop. Shoes are to be fully black, with no colours. Sports shoes can be worn on PE days.
The students are to wear their hat at all times when they are outdoors including to and from school. The school’s policy is NO HAT – NO PLAY! Please ensure that all items are clearly marked with your child’s name.
We understand that there are accidents or days when school uniform may not be worn correctly so just send a note to your classroom teacher, to the office or through COMPASS. Students who are not in correct uniform without parent or caregiver notification will be sent an email of non-compliance through COMPASS.
Our Uniform Shop sells new uniforms and second-hand uniforms (when in stock) and can be purchased via the MySchoolConnect app or at the School Administration Office.
Headspace Workshops - Years 6-9
In Week 6, Headspace will be conducting hour-long workshops for each cohort in Years 6-9 as below:
Year 6 - Transition - Primary to Secondary
Year 7 - Looking out for your friends: Notice, Ask, Connect
Year 8 - Standing Strong : bullying and mental health
Year 9 - Transitions: Leaving School
Headspace workshops deliver content of a general nature, have a health promotion and education focus, and aim to promote positive mental health and well-being. Key messages include:
- Having good mental health gives you the capacity to cope with change and challenges and build resilience,
- There are physical, psychological and emotional triggers that make us aware of our mental health,
- Mental health issues are common and often misunderstood, and
- There is much support for people with a mental health issue.
Feed and Succeed
I encourage all senior students to attend weekly tutoring available on Thursdays from 3-4pm!
Upcoming Events
Best regards
Mrs Schneekloth
Pastoral Care Leader
Prep
Hello Everyone,
WOW, what a busy start to Term 3!
Since the start of the term, Prep has hit the ground running with our involvement in both the 100 Days of School and NAIDOC Week celebrations. We have also began our Mini Olympics Friday activities with our Year 6 Buddies.
Looking Forward in to Week Three and Four:
Literacy: We will be learning what a digraph is. In Week 2, we learnt that when the two letters 'c' and 'k' are together they make the sound /k/. This is a digraph. Looking forward, we will learn about double letter digraphs: 'll', 'ff' and 'ss', as well as the digraphs 'sh' and 'qu'. Over the next two weeks, we will also learn the new Tricky Words 'have', 'of', 'here' and 'with', and will identify the parts that are tricky and the parts that we can sound out.
Numeracy: Our first math concept for the term is measurement. During the next few weeks, we will continue to use language to describe the measurement attributes of length, mass, capacity and duration by connecting the words with the appropriate attribute. We will begin to compare pairs of objects to say which is longer/shorter and heavier/lighter We will also learn about duration of time, experimenting with different events/activities at the same time to decide which takes longer.
Religion: In Religion this term, we will begin to recognise Jesus’ teachings about love, compassion and forgiveness that challenged people about the way they were living. We will relate examples of people having the freedom to choose between good and bad, right and wrong. We will also continue to learn about our school's Catholic Values of Love, Strive, Lead and Serve having a weekly focus on one of these values.
HaSS: In Geography this term, students recognise the features of familiar places, identify why some places are special to people and the ways they can care for them.
Reminders:
This Term we have begun to run our Literacy Rotations a little differently, however, Parent Helpers are still welcome from 9:00am daily. Please let me know if you are available to come and read with our class.
At the start of Week 3, your child was sent home with a decodable reader, as well as a Home Reading Diary. This Home Reading Diary shows the steps to follow when reading with your child. At the back of the booklet there are also some activities that students may complete if they would like to. Please see our Home Learning Page on our class website for updates and other activities to practice at home.
Keep up to date with what is happening in Prep by checking out our Little Leaders Website.
Yours in fun and learning,
Miss Brock, Mrs McLauchlan, Miss Rachel and Miss Kylie
Year 1
Hello Families
We have had two very busy but fun weeks!
In Maths, the students have been looking at different strategies, including counting on using their fingers and number lines, as well as pictures to help them do simple addition questions. They will continue to add to their knowledge with different strategies then apply this to subtraction questions.
In English, we have continued looking at creating information reports. The students have constructed two information reports together on a platypus and a possum. The students have loved learning about the different animals and creating amazing labelled pictures of them.
Each Friday afternoon we will be joining with the Prep, Year 5 and 6 students to join in some olympic fun! The Year 5 and 6 students will be using their leadership skills to create some olympic games that the younger students will participate and compete in.
The students joined with Prep for Catholic Education Week to do an act of kindness. The students worked together to do an emu parade and pick up rubbish around the school. Here are some photos of their great teamwork!
Reminders:
Tuesday: Art
Thursday: Sports, Homework due and Library
Friday: Technology and Homework goes out
Have a wonderful week.
Miss Haley and the always fun Year 1s!
Year 2
Hi all,
We have hit the ground running with our learning areas as we have a jammed packed term ahead with events including our ever popular fete. During Writing this term, we will be looking at Informative Texts.
During HASS the students will be researching significant people in our community and this research will be used to create an information report on a chosen person of significance for writing.
Our Maths topic for the next few weeks is multiplication and division.
In Science, we are looking into Earth’s resources and how they are used in a variety of ways. We will also be examining messages and advertising during Health.
Reminders:
Please bring in jars and knick knacks for our bottle stall at the fete
Homework - Homework day is due Mon
Library - Monday (Week B)
Book Week - Week 6
Have a fantastic weekend!
Miss Ansell
Year 3
Hi all!
During Week 3 and 4, the Year 3s have been busy learning in all areas!
Mathematics
The students have been doing A LOT of work to solve real-world problems that involve multiplication or division. Check out this “Think Board” that shows lots of strategies to solve this problem: “A box of chocolates contains 10 pieces. If you buy 5 boxes, how many pieces of chocolate do you have in total?”
The students are really enjoying their learning in maths. So much so that many of them even asked for more problems to solve during Brain Break!
English
The students have read the first eight chapters of our class book "The Broken Rainbow (Nerra: Deep Time Traveller) " By Tasma Walton… They are loving it!! Reading together as a class has been a great way for students to practice reading aloud and to listen to other good readers.
As a part of the book study, the students have completed chapter reviews, character maps and group brainstorms about the settings, characters, and events in the story. They have also been continually learning a range of new words that are used in the text to expand their vocabulary knowledge.
As per routine, students have been working hard to:
- enhance their writing skills with Writer’s Toolbox
- learn to write using joined letters in handwriting
- learn new sounds each week to enhance their spelling skills
Religion
The students have found a lot of value in reading the Old Testament’s scripture from Exodus that tells the story of how God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. The students have identified and explored how the scripture is guiding us to live a moral life full of love, respect, and care for others. They even investigated how actioning the 10 Commandments can support our Basic Human Rights (like our rights to life, food, education, health, and freedom).
Science
Here’s a photo of the Year 3s investigating how particles move quicker when they are heated. They saw this happen when food colouring was dropped in boiling water and cold water.
HASS
The students have been enhancing their research skills to find accurate information. They’ve even been learning handy skills on their chromebooks like how to use “ctrl c & v” to copy and paste an how to use “ctrl f” to find certain words within websites. Within their research, students have been exploring the diverse settlement types and languages within Australia and Australia’s neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and New Zealand.
Reminders:
- Homework - As of next week, homework will be given to students on a Friday and will be due the following Thursday.
- PE uniform Tuesday
- Library every second Thursday (odd weeks - W1,3,5,7,9)
- Chaplain’s Breakfast - Tuesday & Thursday at 7:45am in MMS
Thank you
Laura Cook
Year 4
Hi all,
Writing: We are continuing with the same sentence focus as last week: The Explore the Subject Sentence. The Explore the Subject Sentence makes your writing believable. It's the smartest way ever invented to show how much you know about a subject, and then take your reader somewhere else. It does all this in a single sentence. That’s why professional writers use this Sentence Style. Here are some Explore the Subject Sentences:
- Napoleon, who was not very tall, led an army of 350,000 troops.
Spelling: Our spelling sound this week is the ‘s’ sound in seal. It can be represented by various graphemes: s, ss, se, ce, x and c.
- We usually use ss after short vowel sounds at the end of single-syllable words (e.g. floss, dress).
- We can use c for ‘seal’ before e, i or y (e.g. cent, centre, city, pencil, cylinder, fancy).
- We can use x for the two sounds ‘k’ (kite) and ‘s’ (seal) (e.g. six, box, wax, next, sixty).
- The graphemes se and ce for ‘seal’ are usually used at the end of words (e.g. mouse, horse, dance, peace).
Reminders:
- Merry Muster - Remember that we have Friday off school to celebrate the Merry Muster.
- Tuckshop - Please make sure Tuckshop orders are placed by Wednesday morning.
- Library - Students will miss their library visit this week due having Friday off for the Merry Muster.
- PE - Students have PE on Thursday.
Thank you,
Mairin Borlase
Year 5
Welcome to Week 4!
This term is flying by in Year 5. It was great to see so many of you at the Parent Teacher meetings. If you couldn’t make this meeting and would like to meet, please reach out and I will arrange another date and time. We are looking forward to seeing you at the Merry Muster on Friday.
English
Over the last two weeks we have continued our information texts. We have been working with Year 6 on our Olympics topic. The children have worked on a web page which contains topics such as the history of the Olympics, Olympic sports, First Nations Olympians, Paris 2024 and significant Olympians. We have looked at the structural and language features of informative writing.
The children have also continued their weekly Soundwaves lessons. In Week 3 we worked on the sound ‘ar’.‘ar’ is most commonly represented by the grapheme ar (e.g. car, start). The grapheme a for ‘ar’ is often used before S or f sound. (e.g. ask, craft). The grapheme al is an unusual way to represent ‘ar’ (e.g. half, palm). The grapheme au is an unusual way to represent ‘ar’ (e.g. laugh, aunt). In week 4 we worked on the sound ‘S’. We usually use ss after short vowel sounds at the end of single-syllable words (e.g. floss, dress). (Helpful Hint)
We can use c for ‘S’ before e, i or y (e.g. cent, centre, city, pencil, cylinder, fancy). (Helpful Hint) We can use x for the two sounds ‘k’‘S’ (e.g. six, box, wax, next, sixty). (Helpful Hint)
The graphemes se and ce for ‘S’ are usually used at the end of words (e.g. mouse, horse, dance, peace). The grapheme sc is an unusual way to represent ‘S’ (e.g. scissors, muscle).
The grapheme st is an unusual way to represent ‘S’ (e.g. listen, castle).
Maths
We have worked continued work on our probability unit and have expressed possible outcomes and probability as fractions. We have carried out a number of investigations including a Skittles investigation which the children loved.
Religion
In Religion, we have completed our unit on The Power of the Holy Spirit. The children learnt about the action of the Holy Spirit in their lives of believers as they engaged with a variety of texts, including Scriptural references to the Holy Spirit and the Catholic Rite of Confirmation.
Homework
Homework is due on the Friday each week to allow me time to go over the work in class with the children. Please make sure homework is returned on Friday so the new homework can be reissued on Monday for the following week.
Specialist Subjects:
Monday: Japanese and Science
Tuesday: Drama
Wednesday: Health and Technology , students may wear their House Shirts to school
Thursday: Science and HASS
Friday: Sport and HASS, Students may wear their Sports Uniform
Reminders:
- Tuesdays and Thursdays: Chaplaincy breakfast begins at 7:45am.
- Wednesday : Tuck shop orders due by 8.30am
Hope you have a great weekend,
Nicola Cullen
Year 6
Dear Families
On Friday afternoons, we have spent time with Y5/Y1 and our Prep Buddies to structure Mini Olympic Games. This has allowed us to collaborate with Year 5 and lead structured play experiences for our youngest learners. The Y5/6 Leaders, who have led their sports, have been exceptional so far!
In English, we have continued to investigate the structure and features of informative texts, connected to the Olympics. We have reviewed the ‘Explore the Subject’ Sentence type and ‘Compare and Contrast Paragraph to support our writing. In our reading comprehension, learners have enjoyed reading short narrative texts like ‘Life’s a Scream with Zinbah!’ Our focus continues to be on developing our understanding of the main idea and making inferences based on evidence the author shares about characters and settings. In spelling, we have investigated the graphemes for [er, ur, ir, or] and words ending with the -ed/-ing suffixes. We have also studied the Latin Prefixes and Roots [circum/circ - meaning round] and [vers/vert - meaning turn].
In Mathematics during the past fortnight, we have been revising our addition strategies when working with numbers and decimals. Investigating digital and 24-hour time and using timelines to calculate differences between times. We have begun to study timetables and consider questions related to time differences and duration of journeys.
In Religio, we are currently investigating Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians to discover more about the early Church. Students have been introduced to the Christian understanding of faith and the term 'communion of saints'. They will develop their understanding of the many ways in which faith is lived out and celebrated in the lives of believers past and present.
Looking forward to the Merry Muster this weekend and hopefully see you there.
Kindest regards
Mike
UMY Subject Spotlight
Religion (RE) with Mr Delaney
The current Year 7 unit is titled Life of the Church & Communities. This unit of study covers the time period of 6 BCE – c. 650 CE. We have been learning about the role of key figures in the life of the Early Church - namely, St Peter (Simon), St Paul (Saul of Tarsus), and Emporor Constantine. The core Scripture utilised to teach through is Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) and the story of Paul’s conversion (Acts 9:1-22). Their assessment task will require them to co-create a children’s picture book of this time period, the key figures, and events that explain change and continuity in the Church, and contrast the way faith has been lived out in the past compared to the present day.
The current Year 8 unit is titled Apostolic Preaching. This unit of study covers the time period of c.650CEc. 1750CE. We have been learning about key events in the history of the Catholic Church, including The Great Schism, The Reformation & Council of Trent, and the rise of science. This includes learning about significant Church mothers and fathers who in their own way, were reformers. Similar to the Year 7 unit, the core Scripture that we consolidate our knowledge on is Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Their assessment task will require them to present information about the life, motives, actions and writings of a chosen Church reformer in whatever format they choose.
The current Year 9 unit is titled Making Meaning Through Interpreting Biblical Text. This unit of study requires them to use form and narrative criticism understand and interpret Scripture. We have been using methods of exegesis (critical interpretation) to make make meaning from Old and New Testament texts, including The Exodus and The Feeding of the 5000. They will be assessed on their Biblical Criticism through a folio of work and will then choose one of the miracle or parable stories to write an extended response based on the following prompts: “What do I need to know in order to make meaning of this text?; How do I connect with this text?; How is this text speaking to me today?; How am I called to act or respond?”
Mr. Delaney
English with Ms McCall
Year 7 English
This term in Year 7 English, we have been engaging in a study of mythology. The students will be analysing how ancient mythological elements are adapted to engage modern audiences through the core text of “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.” They will create an imaginative short story and analyse film elements to understand how texts engage the audiences.
Year 8 English
This term in Year 8 English, students are exploring racism in sports through the lens of ‘The Final Quarter’ a documentary on AFL player Adam Goodes. Through engaging with historical context, documentary analysis, and practical application through a social media campaign, students will develop critical thinking skills, empathy, and a deeper understanding of societal issues depicted in media.
Youth Ministry & Chaplaincy
Important dates/reminders!
- Chaplaincy Breakfast: every Tuesday and Thursday before school @ 7:45. Due to morning prayer sessions and homeroom time for classes, we will begin to pack up from 8:10am.
- Mini Vinnie’s: now that our Dressed by Vinnie’s initiative has come to an end, it’s back to regular programming. The group will meet during lunch time next Wednesday (7/08). Not only will we be discussing new initiatives and doing some formation, the students will be combining elements of their previously brainstormed ideas for a SJC Mini Vinnie’s logo. This final design will be used to create badges for the group!
- Year 8 Aged Care visit: Next Friday, the Year 8 students will visit the Cloncurry Hospital and spend time with the residents. I will send permission information via Compass.
- Spirit in Action: Students in Years 6 to 9 are still encouraged to join our group! Our next session will be Monday of Week 7.
Just like Mini Vinnie’s, we will be getting our own badge for students that have proven their commitment to attending and leading our youth faith community. See design below:
Dressed by Vinnie’s
Year 9 Aged Care Visit
Yours in faith, hope & love
Mr Delaney
Guidance Counsellor
SPECIAL REPORT: Eating Anxiety
The complexity of eating anxiety stems from a combination of social, psychological, and environmental factors. Young people may develop this anxiety due to social pressures related to eating in front of others, fears about body image, or due to more ingrained issues such as eating disorders. Additionally, cultural norms or dietary restrictions can also play significant roles, as can direct experiences like bullying or teasing related to food choices or eating habits.
Whilst not a formally recognised condition, eating anxiety is a genuine and often overwhelming experience that can significantly hinder a young person's ability to participate in everyday activities comfortably. This condition can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies and social withdrawal, impacting overall health and academic performance.
Recognising and addressing eating anxiety is crucial for parents, carer, and educators. Through education, policy changes, and community support, we can help young people manage their anxieties and improve their relationship with food, thereby enhancing their overall well-being and social interactions.
This Special Report will help you understand how best to support a child experiencing anxiety around eating.
Here is the link to your Special Report https://sjctsv.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-eating-anxiety-au
Mrs Bec Greaves
Guidance Counsellor
Community Information
