Filter Content
- Prayer Focus
- The Principal's Report
- Road Safety
- Learning Together
- Sport Spotlight
- UNE Student Art Prize
- #Yr6leaders
- Kindergarten Sensory Walk Fundraising event
- Parish News
- Saints Youth Drama
- Sunshine Cafe
- This Week's Notes
- Student Awards
- What's On Next Week ...
- Advance Dates for Your Diary
- The Billboard
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
It is a little hard to believe that we have reached the halfway point of the year! No doubt you are like me, wondering where it went. Your children have worked hard to reach goals and achieve success in many areas of school life. Our staff have put in hard work in order to see the success we so wish for your children. You have worked hard to support our efforts and to enjoy the moments where it is all worthwhile. Thank you to all of you for your support this Semester in so many ways. We are looking forward to the second half of the year with its many opportunities. We wish you and your families a very safe and happy holiday.
ENROLMENT INTERVIEWS FOR KINDER 2020
Enrolment interviews for Kindergarten 2020 are now complete for St Joseph’s. What a wonderful experience it has been to meet the parents and children preparing for their big school start in 2020. Once all of our Parish Primary schools have finished their interviews early next term, we will be able to assess all enrolments and send out offers of placement. We look forward to sharing time with them later in the year as they transition into school life.
SOCIAL SKILLS GROUP - HOLIDAYS
Attached to this week’s newsletter is a flyer about a social skills program that is run by Sensory Smart OT in the school holidays. If you feel this could be useful for your child, please make contact with Sensory Smart for more information. Children don't need to be a client of the service, but there are some details that parents need to know by speaking with their office. Children with NDIS funding may be able to use this for the program.
Groups are organised depending on need. Groups for older children may be available later in the year.
STAFF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY - PUPIL FREE
We thank you for your support of our upcoming Staff Professional Learning Day on Monday 22nd July (Week 1 Term 3). Teachers will be working on Positive Behaviour Support, Microskills and Christian Meditation, all of which are whole school practices that we need to consistently develop. We will also be looking at areas of wellbeing for both students and staff and practices and planning to support this. Child minding bookings closed yesterday. Please make sure you mark your diaries that students first day back is Tuesday 23rd July.
A STORY FOR THE WEEK …... Get those tasks ready for the kids in the holidays
A young man went to seek an important position at a large printing company. He passed the initial interview and was going to meet the Director for the final interview. The Director saw his resume, it was excellent. He asked, "Have you received a scholarship for school?” The boy replied, "No.” “It was your father who paid for your studies?'' “Yes,” He replied. “Where does your father work?” “My father is a Blacksmith.”
The Director asked the young man to show him his hands. The young man showed a pair of hands soft and perfect. “Have you ever helped your parents at their job?” “Never, my parents always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, he can do the job better than me.”
The Director said, “I have got a request. When you go home today, go and wash the hands of your father and then come see me tomorrow morning.” The young man felt his chance to get the job was high.
When he returned to his house he asked his father if he would allow him to wash his hands. His father felt strange, happy, but with mixed feelings and showed his hands to his son. The young man washed his hands, little by little. It was the first time that he noticed his father's hands were wrinkled and they had so many scars. Some bruises were so painful that his skin shuddered when he touched them. This was the first time that the young man recognised what it meant for this pair of hands to work every day to be able to pay for his studies. The bruises on the hands were the price that his father paid for his education, his school activities and his future. After cleaning his father's hands the young man stood in silence and began to tidy and clean up the workshop. That night, father and son talked for a long time.
The next morning, the young man went to the office of the Director. The Director noticed the tears in the eyes of the young man when he asked him, “Can you tell me what you did and what you learned yesterday at your house?” The boy replied, “I washed my father's hands and when I finished I stayed and cleaned his workshop.”
“Now I know what it is to appreciate and recognise that without my parents, I would not be who I am today. By helping my father I now realise how difficult and hard it is to do something on my own. I have come to appreciate the importance and the value in helping my family.”
The Director said, "This is what I look for in my people. I want to hire someone who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the hardship others go through to accomplish things, and a person who realises that money is not his only goal in life. You are hired.”
A child that has been coddled, protected and given everything he or she wants, develops a mentality of, "I have the right", and will always put himself or herself first, ignoring the efforts of parents, family and friends. If we are this type of protective parent, are we really showing love or are we helping to destroy our children?
You can give your child their own room in a big house, good food, a computer, tablet, cell phone, and a big screen TV, but when you're washing the floor or painting a wall, children need to experience that too.
After eating, have them wash the dishes with their brothers and sisters, let them fold laundry or cook with you, pull weeds or mow the lawn. You are not doing this because you are poor and can't afford help. You are doing this because you love them and want them to understand certain things about life.
Children need to learn to appreciate the amount of effort it takes to do a job right. They need to experience the difficulties in life that people must overcome to be successful and they must learn about failure to be able to succeed.
Children must also learn how to work and play with others and that they will not always win, but they can always work harder to reach their goals. If they've done their best, then they can take pride in all the effort they put forth.
Life is about giving and serving and these qualities are learned in our homes.
WITH SYMPATHY
We offer our thoughts and prayers to Tom Turner - 6 Gold, and his family on the loss of Roberts mother this week.
Tess Koning
Principal
As the school holidays approach, it is important to remember the following road safety guidelines:
For further information please click on the following link:
Have a safe holiday break.
Laura Stapleton
Road Safety Teacher
THE IMPORTANCE OF EATING HEALTHY
Research has shown that students are able to learn better when they are well nourished, and eating healthy meals has been linked to better academic performance, better memory and alertness, and faster information processing. It also helps to regulate their emotions and overall well being. One reason for this is that foods that are rich in fibre, protein, and healthy fats, such as eggs, yoghurt, apples and oatmeal keep the body feeling full longer, providing enough energy to focus and stay alert throughout the entire day. As a parent, how do you find time to pack lunches that are healthy, tasty, and don’t take hours to prepare? One simple way that you can ensure your child is getting enough of the nutritional foods they need is to pack food from every colour of the rainbow.
RED Foods
Sliced strawberries, cherries, apple slices, raspberries, watermelon slices, cooked sweet potato slices with cinnamon, cranberry juice, tomato slices with salt and pepper, bell peppers slices.
ORANGE and YELLOW Foods
Pineapple slices, cantaloupe balls, baby carrots with ranch dip, peaches, dried mango slices, oranges, yellow peppers, lightly salted pumpkin seeds, roasted squash, fresh papaya.
GREEN Foods
Sugar snap peas, kiwi, celery sticks, honeydew slices, avocado slices with salt, green grapes, cucumber salad with tomatoes and Italian dressing, peas, zucchini slices, broccoli, kale or spinach salads, stir fried bok choy.
BLUE and PURPLE Foods
Blueberries, blackberries with low-fat yogurt, dried plums, grapes, eggplant with parmesan, raisins, pomegranate juice, roasted beetroot.
WHITE Foods
Banana slices, roasted cauliflower, pear slices, white peaches, hummus dip, sautéed mushrooms, white bean dip with wheat crackers, hard boiled egg, kohlrabi slaw.
See the list below for foods and snack ideas from each colour of the rainbow that will satisfy even picky eaters, and provide the nutritional value needed. In most cases, raw versions of fruits and vegetables contain maximum vitamins and minerals.
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
STAYING ACTIVE IN THE HOLIDAYS
We’ve come to the end of a busy term, and although we need rest and relaxation time, this is a vital time for children to continue to be active. Here are some tips to help keep our kids healthy and active.
Turn Off Electronics
It’s important to have times of the day when electronics are not to be used. Of course in today’s world, technology is a part of daily life for school, communication and entertainment. There also needs to be scheduled times for the use of these devices, otherwise they can quickly become the dominating focus of a child’s life.
Research Fun Activities
If exercise isn’t fun it’ll be hard to get your child excited to participate consistently. That’s why it’s important to research a range of activities and sports and find one that suits your child’s personality, age, ability, and most importantly, one they enjoy. Holiday sports camps are a great way to trial different sports.
Provide A Safe Environment
Not every parent feels comfortable letting their kids run around the streets like we used to a generation ago, and depending where you live this may not be practical. So providing your child with a safe, supervised environment where they can play without worry will help encourage more daily activity. Also ensuring the equipment they use is of high safety standards is important.
Get Active With Friends
If you can find an activity that your kids can share with their friends, they’ll be much more enthusiastic. So, talk to the other parents at school or play dates and find activities they can do together. Team sports such as Soccer, Cricket, Aussie Rules Football, Netball, Basketball and Rugby are great for getting active, meeting new friends and increasing self-esteem.
Encourage Them
The most important factor is that you encourage and help your child become more active. Drive them to practice, find fun activities or programs to do over school holidays, be enthusiastic when they show an interest in a new sport or activity and educate them about the importance of regular exercise.
Encouraging your child to be more active during these crucial development years can lead to a lifetime of benefits that promote happiness and success across all aspects of life, including:
- Better social skills
- More self-confidence
- More academically motivated
- Happier about their appearance
- More friends
- Stronger muscles and bones
- Better sleep patterns
- A more positive outlook on life
Have a wonderful restful and active holidays!
Yours in Sport
Laura Hatherly
AFL PAUL KELLY CUP - 2nd Round Coffs Harbour
Thank you to all the parents for driving us to Coffs Harbour and supporting us on the day and especially to Dave Queripel for coaching the team. Special thanks to Ms Hatherly for making the day happen for us.
By Jacob Queripel and Harry Holloway - Year 6
SPORT UNIFORM DAYS FOR TERM 3
Earlier this month we submitted over 40 artworks to the University of New England Student Art Prize. This is the first time we have entered this competition and we are thrilled to announce that Year 5 student, Peyton Harris’ piece “Knife Enough” has been selected as one of the four finalists. Her work will be part of the “Let’s Hang It!” exhibition at the New England Regional Art Gallery. The final winners and prizes will be announced on 2nd August.
Good luck and congratulations Peyton!
Elise Howard
Leader of Learning Stage 2 and Year 4 Teacher
NAIDOC WEEK
NAIDOC is a time to learn and celebrate Aboriginal history and learn about our ancestors. We also love learning to speak languages across Australia that have been spoken over 10,000 years ago. It’s fun to learn with Elders about Australia before we were here and then to teach the next generation about it then they can pass it on.
The word NAIDOC means National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.
By Memphis McCarthy and Molly Dowse - 6 Green
WYNISS PERFORMANCE
Last Friday we had an enjoyable time with Wyniss, a performance group from Torres Strait. They taught us how to make string animals which they use to teach children their traditional stories and culture. They also taught us their cool Aboriginal dances which their uncles taught them when they were children. We had a very fun time with them and it was an amazing experience. We wish the Wyniss crew all our luck and best wishes.
By James Cremins and Harry Holloway - 6 Green
Kindergarten Sensory Walk Fundraising event
Thank you for supporting Kindergartens act of practical compassion.
The Kindergarten Team
Emma Francis, Laura Stapleton, Sarah McKinnon
ST AGNES’ UNIFORM STORE STOCKTAKE
St Agnes’ Uniform Store will be closed for the first week of the July school holidays as usual. This will enable us to do our stocktake during that week without further disruption.
We will be open our usual hours for the second week. For more information please visit our website at
YEAR 11 2020 INFORMATION NIGHTS
BAPTISM FOR CHILDREN 7 – 12 YEARS
JHI PROVIDE RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING SERVICES
If you have a spare morning a month please volunteer at the Canteen - more helpers are always needed. Your children will love having you help at school and the rest of us will really appreciate it also!
Our Volunteers for Week 1 Term 3
Monday | Staff Development Day - Pupil Free |
Tuesday | You are welcome to join us |
Wednesday | Trish McKenzie |
Thursday | Amanda Rojo |
Friday | Robyn Hunt and Sue Quinn |
We ask that if you are unable to attend on your rostered day it would be very much appreciated if you could organise your replacement and let me know. This would really assist me enormously. Thank you.
Don't forget you can order online by 8:30am- it's so easy!!
- Go to www.flexischools.com.au
- Click “Register Now” to create account
- Top-up your balance
- Start ordering immediately
Annemaree Tonkin
Canteen Coordinator
K Gold | Spencer Searle | Georgia Bell | Patrick Sleeman-Duncombe | |
K Green | Talon Swaysland | Wynter Stewart | Bronte Wood | |
1 Gold | Jessica Dennes | Toby Smurthwaite | Lilly Smith | Layla Porter |
1 Green | Jack Armitage | Jason Loumeau | Aidan Shoby Alias | |
2 Green | Xavier Mat | Bailey Parker | Lailah Watson | |
3 Gold | Murphy Maher | Matilda Coleman | Zali Roberts | |
4 Gold | Laiken Richardson | Luke Davies | Mia Cameron | |
4 Green | Macey Stewart | Ysaac Nieva | Taj Davis | |
5 Gold | Harlie Flemming | Oliver Parker | Darcy McHugh | |
5 Green | Charli Acorn | Noah Davey | Evie-May Riske |
Week 1 - Term 3 |
|
Monday |
|
Tuesday |
|
Wednesday |
|
Thursday |
|
Friday |
|
Week 2 - Term 3 |
|
Monday |
|
Tuesday |
|
Wednesday |
|
Thursday |
|
Friday |
|
Week 3 - Term 3 |
|
Monday |
|
Tuesday |
|
Wednesday |
|
Thursday |
|
Friday |
|
Week 4 - Term 3 |
|
Monday |
|
Tuesday |
|
Wednesday |
|
Thursday |
|
Friday |
|
Week 5 - Term 3 |
|
Monday |
|
Tuesday |
|
Wednesday |
|
Thursday |
|
Friday |
|
STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYS 2019
As we are aware that parents and carers need to know about Staff Development Days so they can forward plan work arrangements, our remaining days (pupil free) are:
- Monday 22nd July (Term 3, Week 1)
- Friday 27th September (Term 3, Week 10)
- Monday 4th November (Term, 4, Week 4)
For each of these days we will offer limited child minding places. Closer to each date we will advise on how to register for the child minding if you require it.
Please note these dates can change from time to time due to unforeseen circumstances and we will endeavour to advise you of any changes at the earliest possible opportunity. Our school Google calendar can be accessed via this link for additional advanced dates -
For your convenience school term dates are located on our website. Click on the words “TERM DATES” on the home page.