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Hi everyone
I am back into video mode this week, trying to feel a little more connected to you all. If you would like to read what is in the video link, find it here below. I hope that things are going ok for you at home, please know that we are thinking of you and appreciating communication with us if there are things that you are concerned about.
P&F and Parent Engagement
This week I just want to highlight the focus of our P&F and work in our school around Parent Engagement and Communication. Our P&F are usually active in our school in the capacity of fundraising and community events, but during this time, their role is changing. Rather than not meet at all with restrictions, we are meeting via Zoom and finding new ways to work together for school improvement.
This week we discussed further ways that our school staff can gain insight from our P&F in things that matter to parents in the area of communication, especially at a time when we are not able to see each other as much. There are some great ideas being considered around how and what we communicate. We will share some things with you as we get moving in this space. If you have anything you would like to contribute, please let us know at any time.
We welcome Steve Robinson, one of our new parents to the school, as our Parent Assembly Representative. You will have noticed some of the opportunities for parent courses and information advertised in our newsletter - these are well worth a look. If you register, you have access to the webinars after the event.
Road Safety
We have had a number of parents and carers approach us with concern for their safety and that of our children with the traffic outside our school front in the mornings and afternoons. Some close calls have made for frightening experiences for adults and children. It is crucial to the safety of our community that all road users make good decisions around these busy times of the day.
Cars
- Use signed zones as they are marked for dropping off, picking up and parking.
- Use appropriate speed and turning areas - a few extra minutes to make a safe choice or wait for someone is not much.
- Watch for pedestrians and other vehicles.
Pedestrians
- Take the best possible path for safety - there are no marked crossings.
- Watch for vehicles - a few seconds is the difference between safe passage and a potential accident.
Council have not been prepared to make any changes to the traffic conditions in the past few years but we are currently seeking further support for a fresh look.
Drink Bottles
Check out our clever and entertaining students, helping us remember to bring our own drink bottles as we are unable to share bubblers at school. There are many students who are not regularly bringing their own drink bottles. Please ensure your child has a drink bottle for school every day - they are able to fill them from taps as needed.
Our Community
With so much to feel concerned about in the world around us, it is always wonderful to spread some good news around. Here are my reflections on our school community this week:
Year 1 - Prayer
Another change with COVID has meant that we are back to not gathering as a whole school for Monday prayer/assembly. Our lovely 1B class this week led prayer via Zoom with the rest of the school participating from their classrooms. We appreciate Mrs Blundell working with the technology aspect of this positive way to keep us meeting together.
Year 5 - Drumming
Our Year 5 students have been very lucky to have Mr Mark Spence from St Joseph’s Regional College working with them on drumming skills each Thursday. The workshops were organised with no cost to our students by Mrs Leanne Johnson also from the college through the Lismore Creative Arts Partnership. The students are really working well and learning some great skills during this time. We appreciate the time that Leanne and Mark have put into this program for us.
Year 6 Peer Support
It was sad for us under new COVID guidelines to have stopped our Peer Support program from this week. We hope we may be able to pick this back up in Term 4. Our lovely Year 6 leaders spent time this week preparing some bookmarks for each of their Peer Support groups to thank them for working so well with them in the first few weeks of term.
Tess Koning
Principal
Build My Life speaks into the freedom of building our lives anywhere but as Christians, we are called to build our lives with a strong foundation of faith and trust in God.
God's Family in Kinder
Our Kinder children have been learning about God’s family and were assigned the task of creating an artwork depicting God’s family. Here are some students sharing their artistic skills and producing some beautiful images of God’s family and some deep wonderings about Jesus’ own family.
EVERYDAY SAINTS IN YEAR 4
Year 4 have been learning about how Saints used their gifts to serve God, and how they would have felt during their lives by enacting some of their actions, such as caring for others, being kind and generous with their time. Here are some of their reflections on how acts of kindness make us and others feel.
“I went over to someone when they were sad and helped them. I felt really good after what I did.” - Cordelia Fazzorali, (4F)
“I have picked up rubbish around Port Macquarie to help sea life stay alive. I have helped several people that were alone to have someone to play and talk to. It makes me happy inside to see them happy.” - Hayley Honeysett (4F)
“I taught Evie to do a step-over in soccer. I felt good because I had helped a friend.” Jackson Coleman (4F)
Nathan Porter
Assistant Principal Mission
NEW GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY TOOLKIT FOR FAMILIES NOW AVAILABLE
Google has published resources to support families in understanding the technology students are using in schools. There are videos available for families that demonstrate accessibility, security, Google classroom and a general overview for the G suite. View the video introductions here and further resources here.
Jeannine Ucdereli
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
NEW MASS SCHEDULE AND BOOKING SYSTEM
Our new Mass schedule begins on Tuesday 1st September. The new schedule includes Masses at St Agnes' Church Lake Cathie, St Francis of Assisi, Christ the King and St Bernard’s at Telegraph Point. Please refer to the Parish website or the Parish bulletin for details of times and locations.
It will be great to have St Agnes' Church in Hay Street back in action on 1st September too, after the completion of maintenance works (see progress photo).
As per the Government's COVID guidelines we are still required to keep a record of the contact details of anyone who attends a Mass service. If you would like to attend Mass there a number of ways you can book in to do so:
- Phone the Presbytery on 6583 1024
- Book online via the Parish Website (go to Mass Times then click on the 'Book into Mass here' button and follow the prompts)
If you are vulnerable, unwell or unable to attend Mass in person, don't forget that each Sunday at 8am, Bishop Greg Homeming celebrates Mass at the Carmelite Monestary in Goonellabah, which is live streamed via the Lismore Diocese YouTube channel (click here to view the site).
JOURNEY INTO THE CATHOLIC FAITH FOR CHILDREN
KM | Jay Tymerski | Jenson Jarvis | Wyatt Hough |
KS | Harry Herbert | Cleo Gawith | Eli Fletcher |
1B | Isabel Shijo | Talon Swaysland | Eli Partington |
1R | Livana Lijo | Archie Rex | Angelrose Sefin Vallooran |
2S | Ivy Dalton | Jason Loumeau | Harlow Maher |
2T | Jack Armitage | Kyra Edkins | Koby McGinley |
3BH | Charli Robinson | Evie Johnson | Luna Tyson |
4B | Noah Dowd | Bo Sprague | Rocco Robinson |
4F | Cordelia Fazzolari | Amelie Obeid | Millahni Moore |
5G | Oliver Mat | Riley Robinson | Bronte Hood |
5H | Mia Cameron | Tiarna Flack | Laiken Richardson |
6H | Ansh Singh | Lucy Geary | Harlie Flemming |
6MH | Kyuss Batterson | Milla Swain | Amelia Queripel |
FLEXI FACTS
- Flexischools orders cut off time is 8.30am each day.
- You can cancel your order if your child is not coming to school up until the 8:30am cut off time. After that you will need to call the school office to let them know and your child can have a credit for that lunch order to be had at a later date.
- You can now order your child’s whole lunch online including fruit for Crunch'n'Sip (morning fruit break), bottles of water, lunch, drinks, ice blocks, and a snack for Lunch 2. If you are ordering fruit for Crunch'n'Sip, please remind your child to come and collect it from the canteen.
- I update Flexischools every day so you are able to see what is and is not available for ordering.
- Over 95% of our lunch orders come in through Flexischools online ordering.
- Flexi orders include the lunch bag and all utensils needed for the order, there is no need to send in a bag.
- You can order in advance for the whole week or even the whole month!
If you do not already have an account with Flexischools, please follow the link below to set one up.
There are still some issues with supplies but I am updating Flexischools daily. If children order something that is not available, I will offer a suitable alternative or can give them a credit or refund.
VOLUNTEER NOTICE
We are still unable to have volunteers in the canteen at this stage until further notice.
LUNCH ORDERS
The canteen is operating as usual and lunch orders can be placed via Flexischools or by dropping them in the basket on the counter each morning.
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
Kim Goldie
Canteen Coordinator
PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)
Physical education is taught through the key learning area of Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE). It is an effective means of providing all children with the skills, attitudes, values, knowledge and understanding for lifelong participation in society.
Physical Education is not only about playing games or sport, or just building fitness, the focus is on purposeful learning. Opportunities are created to support students to learn in, about and through movement and physical activity within quality physical education lessons.
In physical education we aim for our students to:
- Develop in confidence, competence, knowledge and understanding.
- Display physical competence, moving efficiently and effectively, and the ability to transfer and adapt their skills to suit a range of physical activity environments.
- Display the cognitive understanding and social and emotional skills they need to lead a physically active life.
- Demonstrate capability to engage in PE on different levels and adopt different roles.
- Display a positive attitude towards engagement within PE and demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of adopting and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle and the skills to do so.
- Demonstrate prosocial behaviour and realise the benefits of persistence, cooperation and teamwork.
MARTIAL ARTS
The whole school have been enjoying their weekly Martial Arts classes.
The benefits of Martial Arts are:
- Physical activity.
- Building self esteem and confidence.
- Working on goal setting and self improvement.
- Learning to respect and listening skills.
- Encourages teamwork and belonging.
- Learning about conflict resolution.
Year 2 students enjoying Martial Arts classes:
Due to the Staff Development Day (Pupil Free) on Wednesday 2nd September there will be no After School Drama for Year 4 to 6 on this day. Mrs Thompson will be holding this class on Monday 31st August instead.
CREATIVE ARTS
Creative Arts is a Key Learning Area that teaches the artforms of Visual Arts, Music, Drama and Dance. They play a significant role in how meaning is made in peoples’ lives. Visual arts, Music, Drama and Dance offer students opportunities for personal expression, enjoyment, creative action, imagination, emotional response, aesthetic pleasure and the creation of shared meanings. The artforms also provide students with opportunities to explore social and cultural values about spiritual and worldly beliefs in Australia and in other regions and cultures, and to celebrate, share and negotiate these values and beliefs.
INFANTS DRAMA CLUB
Infants Drama club continues this term on Thursdays at Lunch 1. Due to new restrictions, it will alternate between Year 1 and Year 2 for the remainder of the term, with Year 1 going in Week 6, 8 and 10 and Year 2 going in Week 7 and 9.
Yours in the Performing and Creative Arts
Leah Toole
INFANTS ART CLUB
Infants Arts Club continues this term on Wednesdays at Lunch 1 in KM. Kinder had great fun creating their bendy frogs today. Due to new restrictions, sessions will alternate between Infants classes for the remainder of the term.
Year 1 will go in Week 8
Year 2 will go in Week 9
Kindergarten will go in Week 10
Sarah McKinnon
Infants Art Club
CSO ART EXHIBITION
Each Semester, art works are selected from around the school to be exhibited at the Catholic Schools Office. Congratulations to the following students who have been selected:
Kindergarten - Hamish Brockenshire (KS), Sarah Koning (KS) and Jay Tymerski (KM)
Year 3 - Anabel Shijo (3D) and Oscar Peirce (3D)
Year 4 - Edvin Benny (4F) and Chelsea Meehan (4F)
Year 5 - Ivy Basanovic (5H)
Year 6 - Koby Atkins (6H) and Savannah Beard (6H)
Elise Howard
Primary Art Club
An important update for SZapp has been released to accomodate for iPhones which have been intermittently receiving push notifications.
SZapp version 3.6.0 is available from the App Store now and we advise all iPhone users to install this version to ensure notifications are received correctly.
Users with automatic updates enabled on their device will receive this update automatically.
PBS (Positive Behaviour Support)
Our focus for Week 7 and 8 is ‘I am like Jesus’. Being like Jesus is central to who we are and all we do at St Joseph’s Primary School. Being like Jesus includes being positive, being a role model, acting with integrity, being honest, being welcoming and caring, showing love and forgiveness and loving God. We can pray to be more like Jesus, to be more mindful and to embody these qualities, but God doesn’t always click his fingers and snap us into action. Often, we are granted an opportunity to demonstrate love, forgiveness and positivity in challenging moments. Over the next two weeks, can you identify those challenging moments that God sends us to be like Jesus?
Week 7 - Term 3 2020 |
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Week 9 - Term 3 2020 |
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Week 10 - Term 3 2020 |
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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
Our remaining planned Staff Development Day (pupil free) is:
- Monday 12th October (Term 4, Week 1)
Limited child minding places will be available and we will advise on how to register closer to the date if you require it.