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World Day of Prayer 2020 calls us to say some prayers for Zimbabwe.
Lord,
We ask for Your care and protection for the people of Zimbabwe, especially mothers and children with disabilities. We pray for political peace, economic prosperity, gender equality and social harmony for all people who form this great land. We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen
EASTER HAT PARADE
After surveying families in 2019, there was a majority agreement to alternate between Book Week Parades and Easter Hat Parades. In 2020, we are due to hold an Easter Hat Parade. A group of our creative and generous staff will be planning this event and communicating to you soon what this will look like. Please save the date of Wednesday 8th April (last day of school for Term 1) to attend if you would like to be involved.
GOOD NEWS STORIES
We invite you to read about one of our students, Sophie Holmes, in the sports section of our newsletter this week. We were proud to hear from Sophie’s parents of her exemplary sportspersonship and achievements during Regional NSW representative Hockey recently. If your child is involved outside of school in noteworthy activities, please drop us an email so that we can celebrate these wonderful good news stories with our community. Well done Sophie, we are proud of you.
PUPIL FREE DAY - TERM 2
On the first day back in Term 2, our staff will be engaging in learning about the work of Lyn Sharratt, who is partnering with a number of schools in the Diocese of Lismore (including ours) from 2020 to 2021. Lyn is an educator and researcher from Canada, whose work helps us to further develop the way in which we collaborate in our school and across other schools to improve the learning of every child. In particular, we are addressing how we can improve the writing of students. As the work continues, we will communicate with parents around what we can do together to address what data tells us and how we can really see improvements in how students learn the best.
LEUKAEMIA FOUNDATION - WORLD'S GREATEST SHAVE
A reminder that Year 6 student Grace Chuwen will be participating in the World’s Greatest Shave on Friday 13th March at school. If you would like to donate, please click below and the link will take you to Grace’s page, or visit our office where there is a box to place money into.
Tess Koning
Principal
INCITARE FAITH RETREAT
Ten of our Year 6 leaders attended Incitare at the Port Macquarie Youth Hub on Tuesday with like-minded peers from other schools in our Diocese. The values of the day fitted perfectly in our Season of Lent by asking the students to reflect upon what they value most in life; ways in which they can show they are catholic in our everyday, how they can have courage and go out into the world and make a difference.
In the words of Pope Francis:
Incitare means to urge or encourage someone, to stir up or go forward. We are so proud of our leaders and continue to urge them to go out and Make Jesus Real.
ST JOSEPH'S FEAST DAY
Please join us on Friday 20th March at 9:15am in the MPA to celebrate St Joseph’s Feast Day led by Year 3. ALL WELCOME.
YOUTH MASS HOSTED BY ST JOSEPH'S
Please come along to Youth Mass this Sunday at 5:00pm, hosted by St Joseph's families and staff. If you can, please bring along a share plate for supper after Mass.
Nathan Porter
Assistant Principal Mission
READING WITH CHILDREN
Engaging children in reading experiences presents infinite opportunities for developing language and emergent literacy skills. Children's literature is important because it enhances development of language skills and other critical thinking skills that provide the foundation of learning. Further, reading children's literature stimulates a child's imagination therefore reading provides an important visual experience.
When parents and teachers share reading experiences with children, it provides numerous opportunities for language and literacy learning. Reading with children is an opportunity to support children to make meaning from texts, and to learn “how texts work” (e.g. exploring texts). Children can also “practice” their reading skills (e.g. concepts of print, phonological awareness, making meaning) through the supportive scaffolding from their parents and teachers. All children’s literature should:
- Engage children emotionally.
- Invite involvement.
- Provide opportunities for children to interact with the text to help them develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of print.
- The books need to be aesthetically pleasing and include interesting illustrations.
Make time this weekend to sit with your children and explore the wonderful world of print. Help them to create a love of reading.
Jeannine Ucdereli
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
WINTER SPORT TRIALS
Congratulations to our competitors in the searing heat at Winter Sports Trials on Monday.
Well done to our Hockey players, Sophie Holmes, Sheridan Barker, Oliver Mat who are automatically through to Diocesan. Congratulations also to Milla Swain, Lenox Pearce, Jhett Moore and Hudson Bell who are through for Soccer, Taj Davis for Rugby Union and Cruz Rebecchi, Koby Atkins, Jai Watts and Lachlan Burns for Rugby League. These students will be travelling to Grafton on Friday 13th March. Good Luck!
YOUNG HOCKEY STAR - SOPHIE HOLMES!
Congratulations to Sophie Holmes (6MH), who is competing at a top level in Hockey.
Sophie represented in the mid North Coast Sharks hockey team at the Centre of Development Regional challenge held from 28th February to 1st March 2020 at the Bathurst hockey stadium.
There were over 1000 children representing regional New South Wales with both boys and girls in under 13 and under 15 teams.
The girls played nine games over the whole weekend and conducted themselves very well. At the end of the challenge each region received a Regional Challenge players award. The criteria for this award is athletes on field performance over the weekend, citizenship displayed, and performance of the athlete at the regional sessions of Centre of Development training. The award was selected by the coaching coordinator in the New South Wales hockey pathway and Sophie achieved this award. She even managed to score a goal on the first day and also ran herself into the goal post after attempting another goal.
Great job Sophie!
Yours in Sport
Laura Hatherly
BIG VEGIE CRUNCH = BIG SUCCESS!!!!
Snow peas, celery, capsicum, carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, watermelon, oranges and apples, were some of the yummy healthy foods that the children sampled yesterday.
We were privileged to have both the Healthy Kids Association and Port Macquarie News come along to see how we celebrated this exciting day. If you missed seeing the Port News article please click on the link below.
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 7 Term 1
Monday | Skye McGeoch |
Tuesday | Bianca Tuddenham |
Wednesday | Sally Marsh |
Thursday | You are welcome to join us |
Friday | Sue Quinn |
Kim Goldie
Canteen Coordinator
LEARN HOW TO CODE WITH 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 and carers to get hands on experience with some exciting digital technology.
So what is a sphero? Check out this YouTube clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYrifLfqlgU
Bookings essential due to limited equipment, see the flyer for bookings details.
KM | Jacob Wittenberg | Yzekiel Nieva | Buddy McGeoch |
1B | Rafael D'Souza | Ivy-Lea Harris | Ella Roach |
1R | Izakk Partridge | Spencer Searle | Angelrose Safin Vallooran |
2T | Koby McGinley | Josie Shipp | Jazmine Taylor |
3D | Jesse Johnstone | McKenzie Newton | Aryan Vishanth |
4B | Isabella Hawkins | Siya Modi | Mia Basanovic |
4F | Mikayla Love | Baxter Matthews | Lainey Campbell |
5G | Millie Paine | Amara Crutcher | Macey Stewart |
5H | Taj Davis | Oscar Turner | Ella-Yindi Jenkin |
6H | Sophie Pynaert | Sofia Atkinson-Blundell | Oliver Parker |
6MH | Sophie Bentley | Tahnee Dimon | Jesse Cooper |
The Zones of Regulation (2011) was developed by Occupational Therapist (Leah Kuypers) as a way to help children learn to regulate their emotions by:
- Helping to recognise their feelings
- Helping to communicate their feelings
- Finding tools and strategies to help cope with their feelings
The Zones place feelings and states of alertness into 4 colour zones:
BLUE: This can be described as having a low state of alertness. We don’t have much energy and it is really hard to do things.
Some blue feelings are sick, tired, sad, hurt, bored and shy.
GREEN: We are in a regulated state of alertness.
Some green feelings are calm, happy, proud, ready to learn, relaxed, focused and okay.
YELLOW: We are in a heightened state of alertness but we are able to control it.
Some yellow feelings are worried, silly, excited, annoyed, nervous, frustrated.
RED: This is when we feel we are about to lose our cool or explode.
We are in an extremely heightened state of alertness and have very intense feelings.
Some feelings are terrified, mad, angry, elated or mean.
We all experience each of the Zones at one time or another and by helping students learn how to regulate their emotions, they will be able to achieve the preferred state of alertness for the situation they are in.
With this in mind, St Joseph’s Primary School has introduced the Zones of Regulation (2011) throughout the school.
Each classroom has a display of each zone, the feelings associated with the zone and possible things students can do to try to regulate back to the Green Zone.
Staff are working with students to identify the strategies that are helpful for them and which strategies work best in various settings - such as in the classroom, on the playground, in assembly etc.
Throughout the year we will continue to place information about the Zones of Regulation (2011) in the newsletter so that you can practice similar strategies at home.
THE ZONES OF REGULATION: A CONCEPT TO FOSTER SELF-REGULATION & EMOTIONAL CONTROL
Kelly Russell
School Counsellor
(all information taken from: The Zones of Regulation (2011) by Leah Kuypers)
In Primary Art Club we are continuing our epic, large scale mural in the Sacred Space. It is a huge project that is really starting to take shape. The students are responsible for the design of the entire room and it is our goal to finish the project by the end of the year. We always welcome new painters to our Club at Lunch 1 each Wednesday.
Yours in Visual Arts
Elise Howard
Over the last 12 months we have been working hard to eliminate our carbon footprint at St Joseph’s. The funds raised from our weekly Return and Earn continue to support the growing food forest/outdoor learning centre here at our school.
We are looking for parents to take on the role of returning the cans and bottles to the Return and Earn stations on a weekly basis on behalf of the school. For more information please leave your name at the office and a member of the Sustainability Team will get in contact with you.
Emma Francis
Sustainability Team
St Joseph’s has entered into the 2020 Colgate Community Garden Challenge!
The competition will run from 24th February to 2nd October when we will be collecting used oral care products and community votes in order to win a community garden set for our school and cool upcycled products!
There are 2 ways we can earn points for our school:
- Send into school your used oral care waste. This includes any brand of used toothpaste tubes, non-electric toothbrushes, floss containers, interdental brushes, electric toothbrush heads. These will be collected and sent into the competition.
- Votes online for our school.
1 unit of oral care waste = 10 Garden Points
1 online vote = 1 Garden Point
This is a great opportunity for our school community to be involved whilst looking after our planet at the same time.
Please vote for our school by clicking here and remember to share this competition with your families and friends. There is no need to sign in, just scroll down the page and submit your vote.
If you would like more information please click here to be directed to the competition website.
Thank you
Emma Francis
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 (with the exception of 9th April) 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.