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FOOD ALLERGIES
As you know, schools have processes around supporting students with allergies, most often related to, but not exclusively, food. There are students in our school with allergies to different foods and environmental factors which are managed in collaboration with families and medical practitioners. For some years, St Joseph’s has been a school with a nut-free procedure, where we ask that no students bring nuts or nut products to school. Our communication to families has been that we will send home any foods that have nuts in them and ensure they have a replacement if needed at school. We are beginning a review into this procedure due to new learnings about allergies, which we will continue to communicate to families. Until this is complete and we have worked with families on whether this remains the same or changes, we ask you to continue to support our nut-free procedure. Excerpt from our Parent Handbook:
It is our intention to endeavour to make our school environment as safe as possible for all. Our most urgent concerns have been for a small group of children who have a severe allergy to nuts. Exposure to nut products for these children will trigger a serious reaction. Such a reaction could be fatal if not treated quickly and appropriately. For this reason we are asking your co-operation to help reduce the risk for these children.
Our school has a Nut Free Policy. In real terms this means not sending Peanut Butter, Nutella, foods which contain nuts (e.g.: crunchy nut biscuits/muesli bars with nuts).
MOSQUITO REPELLENT
Currently with Port Macquarie experiencing an increased mosquito population due to the weather conditions, at school we are seeing an increase in the need to repel them. We recommend adding to your morning routine some repellent for your children if they are being affected and consider sending in something for them through the day should they need it. Products such as patches and wrist bands with citronella can be reasonably effective for personal use. As a school we are managing entrances to rooms and avoiding areas where they are likely to be more prevalent.
CHANGE TO PUPIL FREE DATE - TERM 2
I would like to correct an error in the Pupil Free Day for Term 2 2020. As ANZAC Day falls on a Saturday in 2020, there will be no Public Holiday on 27th April. For this reason, we will change our planned Pupil Free Day from Tuesday 28th April to Monday 27th April. This is the first day of Term 2 and child minding will be available for those who require it at school. We will open bookings for this later in Term 1.
JAPANESE EXCHANGE PROGRAM
St Joseph’s were approached late last year to be part of a Japanese Exchange Program with the sister city arrangement our council have with Higashi. Japanese students who are planning to study teaching are visiting our area in March to engage with students in Primary and Secondary settings. We are fortunate to experience Japanese culture and share our own Australian culture with 19 students on Monday 9th March. These students will be staying with host families during the week and also attend St Joseph’s Regional College and Charles Sturt University at this time.
Our involvement with the visiting students will be exposing them to how education operates in our setting by being in classrooms and learning from our children and teachers. They will also be providing us a view into their culture throughout the day with cultural activities presented and shared with us. We are pleased to be part of this opportunity and will be sharing some of the experiences with our families when they arrive with us.
EXCITING NEWS - LAURA HATHERLY
If you have seen our lovely Ms Hatherly recently, you may have noticed something different about her…. I am excited to let you know that Laura and her family will welcome their new baby in the middle of 2020. Ms Hatherly will continue until the end of Term 2 and will then take leave. We can’t wait to celebrate this with her.
LEUKAEMIA FOUNDATION - WORLD'S GREATEST SHAVE
As noted in last week’s newsletter, Year 6 student Grace Chuwen will be participating in the World’s Greatest Shave on Friday 13th March. If you would like to donate to Grace’s page, please follow the link below, or visit our office where there is now a box to place money into.
Tess Koning
Principal
MASS FOR VISITING RELICS
Students from St Joseph’s attended the Mass with the relics of St Therese of Lisieux and her parents at St Agnes' Church on Wednesday. The Mass was a beautiful celebration of St Therese’ life and the words she left for us to ponder. She died at the age of 24, but has left a lasting impression on many Catholics for her simplicity and devotion to Jesus.
Students were able to get up close to the relics and many students said a prayer for themselves and for their families.
ASH WEDNESDAY
A school prayer service will be offered to all students, staff and parents within our community to receive the ashes for Ash Wednesday on 26th February at 1:00pm in the school hall. Although this won’t officially be a Mass, you are very welcome to join us for the beginning of the Lenten Season.
Nathan Porter
Assistant Principal Mission
SLEEP IS YOUR SUPERPOWER
It has been a very busy start to the school year and I thought it timely to remind us all about the importance of sleep. Children and adults alike, need sleep. Without enough sleep, we get cranky and with time, unhealthy. But for children, it’s especially important because the effects of sleep deprivation can lead to lifelong problems.
Studies show that children who do not get enough sleep can end up with behavioural and learning problems that persist for years and affect a child’s life forever. The prevalence of devices such as mobile phones and IPads also has implications for sleep. More and more, children are staying up or being woken up by these devices. Add to that our achievement culture; between homework and extracurricular activities, many of us simply have less time for sleep.So, how much sleep does your child need? Here are the recommended amounts:
- Infants: 12 to 16 hours (including naps)
- Toddlers: 11 to 14 hours (including naps)
- Preschoolers: 10 to 13 hours (including naps)
- Grade school-aged children: 9 to 12 hours
- Teens: 8 to 10 hours
Here are four ways you can help your child get enough sleep:-
- Make sleep a priority
- Set the bedtime routine earlier
- Switch all screens off
- Keep the same routines on the weekend and during the holidays
INTRO TO SPHERO SESSION - FROM ZERO TO HERO LEARN HOW TO CODE WITH A SPHERO
We are very excited to offer our parent community two opportunities to come and learn with your child. Our Year 6 Tech Specialists are hosting two special opportunities for parents to get hands on experience with some exciting digital technology. You will have the chance to learn new skills side by side with your child.
So what is a sphero?
A Sphero is a robot ball with several features that can be controlled through mobile apps, including computer programs that the students build.
The main features are:
- Rolling - The Sphero can roll at a given speed and heading for a given amount of time.
- Colours - The Sphero can light up in any color.
- Bluetooth - Sphero connects to devices such an iPads, iPhones, and Android phones and tablets through wireless Bluetooth connections. This allows the Sphero to be controlled by a number of apps.
We are offering two unique sessions on Wednesday 25th March for parents to come and learn and play. The two sessions on offer are 2.10pm-3.10pm and 5.30pm-6.30pm. This exclusive event will be held in our hall and has limited bookings due to availability of equipment. Details on how to book for these sessions will be made available to you soon.
Jeannine Ucdereli
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
STUDENT VERIFICATION REPORTS
Please note that the annual Family Details update reports have been sent home with students. Please carefully check these and make any necessary changes and return to the office as soon as possible. It is important to keep your details up to date so we can care for your children to the best of our ability.
The Parents & Friends (P&F) Committee are ready to meet for our first meeting of 2020 and to fully develop our vision for the year we need your feedback!
Please take the short survey via the link below to ensure we continue to keep your ideas at the forefront of our planning and decision making. Responses are made confidentially and we do not ask for your details unless you would like to stay up to date with planning throughout the year.
P&F feedback survey link - https://forms.gle/
Included below is the link to view the P&F Meeting Agenda for our first meeting to be held next Tuesday 25th February from 5:30pm - 6:30pm. We will be trialling this new day and time in response to some suggestions made at our AGM last year.
This meeting will involve important planning for our 2020 Community events as well as nominations for our vacant P&F committee positions.
We hope to see you all there. I am looking forward to a great evening!
Laura Bell
P&F President
BIG VEGIE CRUNCH
What is the “Big Vegie Crunch?”
Did you know that only 5.4% of Australian children eat enough vegetables?
To encourage students to eat more vegetables, our school will be taking part in The Big Vegie Crunch on Thursday 5th March at 10.00am.
Schools across NSW will join together to break the record for the most students crunching vegetables simultaneously.
To assist with the Big Vegie Crunch our local supplier Ken Little Fruit & Veg will be providing boxes of mixed vegetables. These will be distributed to all classes and will give the students an opportunity not only to participate in the Big Vegie Crunch, but to also experience different types of vegetables that they have not had before.
A BIG thank you to Ken Little for his generous donation and support of the school and Big Vegie Crunch.
Don't forget you can order online by 8:30am- it's so easy!!
- Download the Flexischools app from the App Store or from Google Play.
Note: for iPhone and iPad please select ‘Allow’ notification - Click “Register Now” to create account
- Top-up your balance
- Start ordering immediately
- Alternatively Go to www.flexischools.com.au
Our Volunteers for Week 5 Term 1
Monday | Skye McGeoch |
Tuesday | Karen Hamilton |
Wednesday | Karyn Martin |
Thursday | Amanda Rojo |
Friday | Sue Quinn |
Kim Goldie
Canteen Coordinator
KM | Karla Lucas | Leon Hewitt | Islah Kingsmith |
KS | Hannah Cooper | Eli Fletcher | Lewis Freeman |
1B | Marcus Cramp | Talon Swaysland | Sianna Karickal |
2S | Lenny Dixon | Harlow Maher | Millie Schneider-Smith |
2T | Alivia Johnson | Lily-Rose Francis | Hayley Ylias |
3BH | Mayriah Spicer | Luna Tyson | Lucas Lynch |
4B | Matilda Coleman | Matilda Beresford | Abbey Delforce |
4F | Edvin Benny | Felicity Goldstein | Hayley Honeysett |
5G | Phoenix Charnock | Lawson Bentley | Penny Little |
5H | Ivy Basanovic | Savanna Cunneen | Cooper Grant |
6H | Kobi Dixon | Ansh Singh | Erin Little |
6MH | Jhed Monckton | Jai Watts | Sophie Holmes |
With that in mind, there are a number of initiatives that have been introduced by the government to assist people’s mental health.
I have provided some information about the Bushfire Recovery Access Program below as well as links to helpful factsheets.
Bushfire Recovery Access Program
(From: Australian Psychological Society https://www.psychology.org.au)
Following the bushfires of 2019-20, the Government has introduced 10 Medicare rebatable services available in each calendar year for two years (2020 and 2021), referred to as the Bushfire Recovery Access Initiative.
The maximum number of sessions in each calendar year is 10, which can be offered face-to-face or by video conference for those living in a rural or remote area.
People who have accessed these 10 ‘bushfire services’ may also access the 10 Better Access sessions if they meet eligibility criteria for that initiative.
The Government has removed the necessity for a GP referral to access the ‘bushfire services’ in order to ensure easy access to mental health services for those affected - requiring the health professional to determine eligibility.
Eligibility
People presenting for bushfire services do not need to have a GP referral or to be diagnosed as having a mental health disorder.
An eligible client is anyone who has had an adverse change in their mental health as a result of a bushfire which occurred in the 2019-20 financial year. This includes emergency services workers who have been affected by the bushfires.
The health professional is responsible for determining eligibility and whether the individual would benefit from the services.
Further information on mental health support for those affected by the bushfires can be reviewed at
How to get mental health support - Services Australia
Other useful factsheets:
Helping children who have been affected by bushfires
Promoting safety, comfort and help after the recent fires
Useful skills for disaster recovery - helpful thinking
Useful skills for disaster recovery - emotional distress
Useful contacts:
Lifeline - 131114 - 24 hour crisis line
Mental Health Access Line - 1800 011 511 - 24 hour triage line from NSW Health - available for carers as well as people with a mental health issue to access the best service for them
Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800 - free, private and confidential 24 hour phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25
Kelly Russell
School Counsellor
Our Creative and Performing Arts extra-curricular has been off to an exciting start this year.
Check out what’s on offer for our students each week:
Tuesday Lunch 1:
Glee Club with Mrs Hawkins and Mrs Toole in the Hall - This club is for all students who love to sing and dance.
Wednesday Lunch 1:
Infants Art club with Mrs McKinnon in KM classroom creating a variety of Arts and Crafts.
Primary Art club with Mrs Howard painting a mural on the walls of our Sacred Space.
Thursday Lunch 1:
Infants Drama club with Mrs Toole in the MPA
Primary Drama club with Mrs Gilchrist in the Hall
Yours in the Creative and Performing Arts
Leah Toole
REMINDER!!
Please wear sports uniform for our make up Gymnastics lesson next Tuesday 25th February and for Thursday and Friday as usual.
WELL DONE TO OUR ZONE SWIMMERS!
27 of our students went to Macksville this week to compete in Zone Swimming.
Congratulations to Airlia Matthews who achieved 12 Year Girls Age Champion!
Congratulations also to Gemma Cooper, Zoe Lawrence, Lailah Watson, Billy Stapleton, Airlia Matthews, Sheridan Barker, Charlee Maher and Jhed Monckton for making it through to the Diocesan Carnival.
Thank you to Mrs Goldstein and Mrs Germain for making the early start and supporting our swimmers and also to our parent volunteers who helped with timekeeping and running of the carnival.
SWANS VISIT
Thanks to members of the Sydney Swans who came to visit this week!
We can’t wait for the Paul Kelly cup Friday next week!
IMPORTANT DATES FOR TERM 1
Week 5 Monday 24th February - Zone Winter Sports Trials (Selected Year 5 and 6 students)
Week 5 Thursday 27th February - Bulldogs NRL Visit (Year 6 )
Week 5 Friday 28th February - Diocesan Swimming Kempsey
Week 6 Thursday 5th March - AFL Paul Kelly Cup (Nominated Year 5 and 6 students)
Week 8 Wednesday 18th March - Netball Schools Cup (Nominated Year 3-6 students)
Week 9 Friday 27th March - Whole School Cross Country Back up date: Week 10 Friday 3rd April
Yours in Sport
Laura Hatherly
Week 5 - Term 1 2020 |
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Monday |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday 26th February |
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Thursday 27th February |
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Friday 28th February |
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Week 6 - Term 1 2020 |
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Monday |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday 4th March |
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Thursday 5th March |
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Sunday 8th March |
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Week 7 - Term 1 2020 |
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Monday |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday 11th March |
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Thursday 12th March |
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Friday 13th March |
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Week 8 - Term 1 2020 |
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Monday |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday 18th March |
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Thursday 19th March |
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Friday 20th March |
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Week 9 - Term 1 2020 |
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Monday |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday 25th March |
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Thursday 26th March |
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Friday 27th March |
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Week 10 - Term 1 2020 |
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Monday |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday 1st April |
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Thursday 2nd April |
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Week 11 - Term 1 2020 |
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Monday |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday 8th April |
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Thursday 9th April |
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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.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYS 2020
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:
- Thursday 9th April (Term 1, Week 11)
- Monday 27th April (Term 2, Week 1)
- Monday 20th July (Term 3, Week 1)
- Monday 12th October (Term 4, Week 1)
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.