5 February 2016

Newsletter Articles

Principal's News

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to school for 2016. I trust that the Christmas vacation has served you well and you and your children are ready for another busy year at St Joseph's School.

We welcome many new students to our school this year, with significant number of these children from new families. And, we welcome back all of our continuing students and their parents. As is the case each year, there were mixed emotions as their children either went to school for the first time or returned for another year. However, there was nothing really mixed about our students' attitude to starting/returning: overwhelmingly most were happy to be back, among friends and ready to start a new year full of academic and co-/extracurricular opportunities.

We also welcome a number of new staff to our school:

• Mrs Sarah Yates takes up the new position of Head of Student Improvement (Primary). This leadership role will see Mrs Yates analysing our student learning data in order to support teachers to maximise the learning outcomes of each student in their class.
• Mr Joseph (Joe) Shorter is our new Head of Humanities (Secondary)
• Miss Alyssa Taylor is welcomed to the position of Secondary Home Economics and Hospitality teacher.
• Mr Andrew Barker returns to the teaching profession from pharmacy to join our Mathematics and Science team on the Secondary Campus.
• Mrs Cathy Mills is our new School Counsellor. As a qualified psychologist and with vast experience in school settings, Cathy is well-placed to support the needs of our young people.
• While not as new as the above having commenced in Term 4 2015, you will recall that Mrs Megan Hines is our School Bursar.

We pray that they will be fulfilled during their time with us.

In December last year, OP results were released to our Year 12 students, and I am pleased to report these students performed very well. All of our students (100%) achieved an OP between 1-15. Further, each received a tertiary offer, while many of our non-OP students take up full time positions in trade and as trainees.

These are excellent results, which reflect excellent teaching from Prep through to Year 12. Congratulations to our 2015 Year 12 Graduates.

2016 promises to be another very busy year for students as they strive to be the best they can be, and, in order to enhance the opportunities for students at the School we have commenced an Instrumental Music Program and invested in the provision of instruments to students. Thirty students have registered for the program which will see students learning, piano, guitar, woodwind, and brass instruments. We have attempted to keep the costs low so that all our families can access this program if they so wish.

It is also shaping up to be another full calendar year on the social and fundraising fronts. The 50th Anniversary of the Apple & Grape festival is held in March this year, and preparations are well underway for our involvement in the street parade (you will receive more detail in due course). Also, on March (19th) the St Joseph's School Garden Party hopes to build on its success of last year, raising funds for The Arts at our school. Finally, our major fundraiser will be the Fete in October. A committee will be convened this term to make preparations for this significant event. We will be seeking as much assistance as possible for this event. If you are yet to register for your Community Contribution in 2016, you can do so HERE

Ash Wednesday will be our first Mass for 2016, and will also feature the induction of our student leaders. All families are warmly welcomed to this important celebration on Wednesday 10 February at 9am.

I pray that your year at St Joseph's School is a positive and successful one, and that we work together to ensure our children receive the best Catholic education possible.

Dr Michael McCarthy
Principal

Leader's News

SOCIAL MEDIA AND PRIMARY AGE STUDENTS

As a school we sometimes find that the behaviours of our students at school reflect the interactions that are occurring online via social media. For many of our students the level of maturity needed to understand the nuances of Social Media applications such as Kik, Snapchat and Instagram has not yet developed.

The responsibility for the student use of Social Media rests with parents; we are the best judge of our children's ability to cope with potential instances of cyber- bullying and exposure to unfavourable content. One of the most prevalent apps being used by the primary students is Instagram, an online app for sharing photos.

Parents need to be aware of the dangers on Instagram if they suspect their kids, pre-teens, or teens, are sharing images online.

Instagram which launched in October 2010 is owned by Facebook and has become an incredibly popular social platform. Instagram is a very creative way to take photos, share images, and use creative filters. It is also a social platform that exposes users if precautions are not taken. Instagram is wildly popular and that means parents need to be informed and on alert.

Teens can communicate on Instagram by commenting and writing messages on images. This activity can be concealed from parents, unless the parents know how to stay involved.

Instagram is not just sharing images online and using clever filters to alter the images. It is a social platform just like Facebook, Twitter, Path, or Foursquare. You must be 13 years of age, set up a profile, have the option of completing a bio, and option of using privacy settings.

3 Things You Should Do Today

1. Get involved. If your children are using Instagram, then you should be using Instagram as well. By default, anyone can hover over your child's profile and view info unless you change the settings.
2. You need to sign up for an account and start using the platform. You will realize that photos can be shared on Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.
3. You also need to make sure your child adds your name to their friend's list. (Yes, they will tell you that no one else has their parent's on their friend's list. It just isn't fair! Do you believe that?)

7 Dangers for Kids On Instagram

1. Many times pre-teens and teens give away personal information that should not be shared. Yes, even though you have had a thousand conversations about not over-sharing, it happens. The Profile section on Instagram makes your child vulnerable to listing: first and last name, birthday, gender, phone number and email address. They could also share personal information in the bio section if they are not careful.
2. All information begins as viewable by the public unless you change the settings to private. This way their profile information is concealed from strangers.
3. Instagram is available on your child's iPod, iPad, iPhone, or Android phone. Many parents have been surprised to learn their child, under the age of thirteen, had a secret Instagram account they were accessing from their iPod. If in doubt, check it out.
4. Make sure your child or teen is not revealing their location on their photos. You can turn off geo-tagging in the settings under Location Services.
5. Instagram is another social platform; therefore, your teen can become friends with strangers posing as another teen. They have the option to "follow" other Instagram users in the "Popular" section. This is one of the ways they can come in contact with strangers. Many times teens feel it is popular to follow many people similar to collecting "likes" on Facebook. Always check their friend's list to make sure you know the people they are communicating with.
6. One of the many dangers of teens on Instagram is nudity. There is not a filter to prevent your child from being exposed to explicit photographs unless you limit sharing photos to friends they know. This is another reason you should be on your child's friend's list.
7. A current trend on Instagram is to rate girls according to their looks. Many parents are not aware their daughter's picture has been posted and ranked online. This exposes their picture to strangers and their self-worth to an online ranking status and comments. Online beauty contests, or cyber-pageants, are another danger of teens being subjected to finding out if they are "hot or not."

Further information regarding the app KIK can be found at the links below.

David Fleming
Assistant Principal - Primary

School News

Prep

Year 7

We hope your child has enjoyed a successful start to Year 7. With the first week now past, we anticipate that each student is starting to feel settled, becoming familiar with the school procedures, establishing new friendships and commencing some work routines. They have been very busy adjusting to life in Secondary school, learning their timetables and rooms, using a locker and being organised with their books. 2016 promises to be full of opportunities for learning. As their teachers, we are certainly looking forward to the challenge and meeting the parents of such a wonderful and enthusiastic group of students.

Tracey Cullinan and Andrew Barker

SCHOOL COMMUNICATION: Information for Parents and Carers

In 2015, a review of St Joseph's School communication procedures was undertaken, and has now come to completion. The importance of communication between school and parents/carers cannot be underestimated. Indeed, we know that parent engagement in school, which is facilitated by good communication, contributes to improved academic outcomes for students.

These new procedures will ensure that the ways we communicate with families is both efficient and timely. It is important for the School to ensure that teachers and school leaders are accessible, and the appropriate people are contacted in order to resolve issues and/or provide the required support and advice.

In addition to the relatively new modes of communicating with parents (web-based newsletter, email and e-parent permission), parents and carers can expect the following which arise out of the revised procedures:

• An acknowledgement of receipt of email correspondence;
• A maximum 48 hour turn-around of response to email queries;
• Timely access to information pertaining to teaching and learning (i.e. subject overviews for each Year Level/Subject; Assessment Calendars)
• Continuation of availability of teachers and school leaders for face-to-face meetings/interviews.

Guidelines for parents/carers – Contacting the right person for the best response

The school employs a variety of staff whose primary role is to support students in different ways. When a parent/carer makes contact with the school, they will be asked about the nature of the query. This question allows the office staff member to direct the call to the correct person. Enquiries can be categorised below.

As is always the case, if parents/caregivers wish to speak with the Principal or Assistant Principal directly, then this request can be made through the office or via email.

Please note that email is preferred by teachers as the initial method of contact. Email addresses of all staff are as follows:

firstname.surname@twb.catholic.edu.au
Example: michael.mccarthy@twb.catholic.edu.au

The school email is stanthorpe@twb.catholic.edu.au and can be used for all general enquiries.

School Banking

Student Banking will recommence next week. Those students with accounts please bring your bank books on Monday to your classroom. If you would like your child to join the program collect a form from administration. A huge thankyou goes out to Daniella Scalia who has volunteered to coordinate the program this year.

Father Elio Visit

The 2016 pupil free days began for staff of our school with 2 days of faith development. Staff had the opportunity to experience inspiring and informative presentations by Salesian priest Rev. Dr Elio Capra. Through his use of artwork, YouTube clips, jokes and storytelling, Fr Elio presented workshops on 'The Mission of the Catholic School' and our role in this Year of Mercy. His message – that Jesus Christ is central to all we do in our school; living out the Gospel, gathering as community, during prayer and worship and in our service to others. Fr Elio's enthusiasm and love of his faith left all feeling uplifted and inspired as we embark on another school year at St. Joseph's

Quotes from staff regarding Fr Elio's visit

"This year is my first year teaching Religion and I felt quite unsure and nervous about how to approach the topic. Father Elio's workshop really inspired me and gave me a sense of confidence and excitement to bring this topic to my students. He was so positive and friendly and made me think about the Catholic Faith in new and different ways."

"Rev Dr Elio's Worksop broadened the notion of what it means to be "church" and reconceptualised some fundamental theological concepts. Most notably, his articulation of the meaning of Lent as a time for 'sacrifices of love' as opposed to simple sacrifices was particularly enlightening and timely. Fr Elio's Catholic perspective provides Catholic staff with a refreshed way of considering our role and purpose."

Megan Mahoney

WELCOME TO LOTE 2016

Firstly, thank you to the families that donated to the Book bank last year, and a reminder that we are still collecting this year.

There are many excellent apps for languages at the moment, and one in particular I plan to utilise this year is Duolingo, (https://www.duolingo.com/). It helps learners of all ages track their progress, learn new words and phrases, and gain points through stimulating activities. Duolingo runs on most platforms and devices, and is free. Why not give it a try today? You can learn any language, for free, forever.

Older LOTE students will be coming home later in the term with poems they have selected for presentation in class, in Term 2. Students will also have the opportunity to perform these poems at the Stanthorpe Eisteddfod in June.

Finally, if you would like to be an 'Expert-for-a-Day', we have many children interested in what life is like in Italy. How was it to move countries?, What is it like to have relatives oversees? How do regions in Italy differ? Which is the best soccer team?

If you have tales of Italy- a childhood; a holiday; a career- and you can spare 30 min.s to an hour, once a month, please contact the school.

Saluti/Regards,
Leigh Cusack

St Joseph's School Board

The St Joseph's School Board is an advisory board which takes responsibility for the formation of general policies that underpin the practical operation and management of the school. Ex officio members are the Parish Priest, religious personnel in the Parish and the Principal. Other members are elected for three year terms.

Boards of Catholic education in Queensland have grown in number and quality since their inception in the late 1970s. They were established primarily as a response to requests by parents to be more active participants in Catholic schooling. Today they are available to each Catholic education community in Queensland and provide a structure and process for genuine partnership in planning and decision making involving the key members of these communities.

Board members are called to a particular ministry in Catholic education which is both a privilege and an opportunity to serve the children, young people and adults who seek a Catholic education. The experience of board members over the last twenty years reveals that, far from being an onerous task, service on a Catholic education board has been an occasion for personal and community growth in faith, spirituality and understanding of the vision and mission of Jesus and of Catholic education.

The Board will collaborate with the St Joseph's School community to:

• Identify, enunciate, nurture and celebrate the Special Religious Character of the school with major and particular emphasis on the Special Spirituality of the school.
• Support processes developed by the school staff aimed at improving student learning outcomes in accordance with the educational vision and mission.
• Promote Catholic education that lives out the local Church's education mission, strives for educational excellence and contributes to society.

The Board has many responsibilities including:

• Participating in the planning of the ongoing development of the Catholic school in accordance with diocesan guidelines, government requirements and school renewal planning
• Review the school's statements of Vision, Mission and Special Religious Character periodically, as part of the Catholic School Renewal Process.
• Develop, Review and Maintain Policies on matters referred to it by the principal or by responsible Catholic education authorities.
• Participate in the selection process for the appointment of a principal by the Catholic School Authority.
• Support staff, especially the principal, who has the day-to-day responsibility for maintaining and promoting the Special Religious Character of the school.
• Provide advice, at the invitation of the principal, regarding the staffing provision of the school with due regard to educational excellence and particular emphasis on nurturing the Special Religious Character of the school.
• Oversee the prudent Financial Management of the school particularly with a view to ensuring access to quality education for future generations.
• Oversee the prudent maintenance of school buildings and plant and also plan for the provision of future facilities in accordance with the guidelines of the Diocesan School

The current members of the Board are:

Chair: Mr Chris Haynes
Secretary: Mrs Angelina Sims
School Board Members
Mr Stuart Sims
Mrs Megan Mahoney
Mr Damien Grace
Mrs Kylie Wilson
Fr Brian Connelly (Ex-officio)
Dr Michael McCarthy (Ex-officio)

INDRODUCING:

Board Chairman Chris Haynes

My name is Chris Haynes and I am the present Chair of the St Joseph's School Board. I currently have 2 sons attending St Joseph's, Charlie in year 4 and Jason in prep. I am a farmer from Ballandean and my family's association goes back to my mother and grandmother attending St Joseph's.

Board member Damian GRACE

I am a local Police Officer, moving to Stanthorpe with my wife Kim at the end of 2002. We now have a son and daughter, both in their respective grades at St. Joseph's Primary School. They both enjoy their time at the school and we would consider nowhere else for the education of our children. I believe the Stanthorpe town and area is a beautiful place and great for young families. The parish and associated school of St. Joseph's further lends to that, providing what we believe is an exceptional education with the necessary attention able to be given to our young children. When offered a position on the School Board during the middle of last year, I accepted the role hoping to contribute in some way towards the school, its continuing progress and development. I am always available and willing to discuss with anyone as far as I am able, in relation to school and Board matters.

Board Member Kylie Wilson

Hi, my name is Kylie Wilson. I was born in Stanthorpe where I spent my early childhood. Our family later moved to Brisbane where I attended primary school. I moved back to Stanthorpe in year 2000 where I completed my secondary education. After leaving school I was employed by Qld Country Credit Union. I married Brett and became a stay at home mum when we had our children Madison and Phoebe, who both attend St Joseph's - grade 2 and Prep. Im currently employed by St Joseph's School as their WPHS Co-ordinator and C & K Kindergarten as their admin assistant on a part time basis. I enjoy outings with my family and friends and my hobbies are photography and paddleboarding.

Board Member Megan Mahoney

My name is Megan Mahoney and currently my position is Assistant to the Principal Religious Education (APRE) at St. Joseph's School. I have been married to my husband Michael for almost 25 years and have three boys aged 18, 15 and 13.

I began my teaching career in the Primary School in 1989 and have taught numerous classes and held various positions over the years, including Learning Support Teacher, English as a Second Language Teacher and Curriculum Co-ordinator Years 4-7. My current position has seen me move into Secondary teaching, planning, assessing and reporting in religious education from P-12, as well as preparing liturgies, prayer gatherings and social justice events throughout the school year.

I am passionate about our School and committed to providing quality Catholic education, and opportunities for staff and students to actively live out our Mercy Values in today's world.

Board Secretary Angie Sims

My association with St Joseph's School has spanned quite a few years as a student, parent and employee.

Sophie, our daughter, graduated in 2013 and is enjoying her second year at QUT Brisbane, studying for a Bachelor of Creative Industries. Daniel is in Year 12 and is looking forward to his final schooling year. He is honoured to be School Captain this year.

I have worked with the Catholic Education Office for fourteen years, the last three of these as the Principal's Assistant.

Board Member Stuart Sims

I am the other half of the Sims partnership. I have worked with Telstra for 21 years. I enjoy being a Board member as I like to take an active interest in both my children's education. My involvement with the school has ranged from being a Tuckshop Dad, working bees, on various committees and recently as the Co-ordinator of the Fruit & Vege and Cake Stall at the successful Fete.

Congratulation Australia Day Award Winners

Congratulations to students and staff whose amazing community contributions have been recognized at the Stanthorpe Australia Day Awards on Tuesday 25th January. Recipients included 2015 Year 12 Graduate Thomas Jensen who received Junior Citizen of the Year; past student Hannah Reeves who received Junior Sports Person of the Year and St Joseph's 2015 Year 4 Class for their Celebrate A Citizen Day. Well done winners and nominees which included our students Natasha Petroccitto and Anika Spiller.

Congratulations Stanthorpe Show Art Winners

New teachers

As the new year begins St Joseph's School welcomes not only new families and students to its community but also numerous staff whose experience and skills cover a broad range of teaching areas.

Joining Secondary teaching staff is Mr Joseph Shorter, Mr Andrew Barker and Mrs Alyssa Taylor. As a passionate advocate of the Arts, Mr Shorter begins his teaching position at St Joseph's School as Head of Humanities. Having previously been Head of English at St Margaret's in Ascot and a Humanities teacher at Stuartholme School Mr Shorter is looking forward to working with St Joseph's students and sharing his passion for writing, reading and story- telling.

Mr Barker is re-joining the teaching profession after a 12 year hiatus working in Pharmacy. Although Mr Barker will primarily teach Mathematics and Science there are hopes that his skills in instrumental music will also be utilized.

Ms Alyssa Taylor will be taking over our kitchen and catering as Secondary Home Economics teacher. Having moved from Bondi to Stanthorpe Ms Taylor is looking forward to getting involved in the local community and sporting groups and see what the local area has to offer an avid hiker.

Primary campus this year will be home to Mrs Sarah Yates and Mrs Catherine Mills. Hailing from the UK Mrs Yates taught for thirteen years in Bedfordshire before moving to the Gold Coast in 2005. Sarah will be teaching Year 5/6 as well as fulfilling the role of Student Improvement Officer.

Mrs Catherine Mills is the new Guidance Counsellor at St Joseph's. As a psychologist and teacher Catherine looks forward to assisting students achieve their best personally, emotionally and academically.

In administration St Joseph's welcomes its new Bursar Megan Hines. Megan is a local and has worked throughout the community as an financial manager for many years. .

We offer a warm welcome to all those who are new to St Joseph's School and look forward to an fresh and exciting year.

Library News 2016

Welcome to the new school year and to St Joseph's school library! Students and teachers have kept us busy with borrowing and requests and it has been wonderful to see large numbers of students making great use of the library and its resources so early in the year.

Students, don't forget that you can visit the school library without even leaving home or the classroom! By accessing the school website you can browse the data base and even reserve items!

Parents and students, a reminder that you can also access World Book Online from home! World Book Online is an online encyclopaedia which is constantly being updated and added to.

In information literacy classes, students are taught how to access and retrieve WBO information from Year 1 onwards. World Book Online provides educational games and online reading for the Early Years. It also has entry levels for middle and upper primary and secondary students.

In order to access WBO a user name and password is needed. If your family requires these please email me and I will provide.

lesley.grant@twb.catholic.edu.au

Parents, you are more than welcome to browse and borrow from our extensive collection which includes an adult fiction section and parenting resources. The library foyer is a peaceful place for sharing books with your toddler before and after school and is a great way to familiarise them with the library spaces.

Have a great year everyone. Miss Gangemi and I look forward to seeing you in the library!

Mrs Lesley Grant

Sports News

Primary Swimming

Primary Swimming commence for Year 1 to 6 on February 10th .Times are as follows:

Year 1and 2 (starting Monday 15th for 2 week intensive lessons)

Monday15th and 22nd February
12:00 noon Year1, 1:45pm Year1/2 and 2:15pm Year 2

Wednesday 17th and 24th February
11:30 am Year 1, 12:00 noon Year 1/ 2 and 1:30pm Year 2

Friday 26th February
12:00 noon Year 1, 1:45pm Year 1/2 and 2:15 pm Year 2

Year 3 & 4

Wednesdays 1:45 pm, commencing February 10th

Years 5 & 6

February 10th at 11:15 am and remaining Wednesdays at 9:00 am

Reminders and Updates

ROAD SAFETY AND PARKING

School pick-up and drop-off times are often hectic both for parents and students. In order to minimise the risk to students, parents are asked to follow the legal and school guidelines for parking and road safety around the Primary and Secondary campus during these times.

• Between the hours of 8am – 9am and 2pm and 4pm parking on Connors St is available school side only.
• We ask that parents refrain from parking in staff car parks.
• Double parking and parking in bus zones causes traffic congestion and will incur a fine of $45. A drop-off parking bay has been provided on the eastern side of High Street just before Davadi Street. This is where parents should park for quick drop offs. Drivers should remain with their vehicles when utilising this parking bay.
• Corundum Street - Please refrain from parking in bus zones or using parking provided for other businesses on Corundum Street.

P & F News

Welcome back to another exciting year for St Joseph's School, Students and Families. We welcome all our returning families and also the many new families who have chosen St Joseph's as the school to guide and teach your Children along the way to greatness.

The P&F already have lots planned for the year and this began with manning the Can Bar at the Stanthorpe Show. A big Thankyou to the Parents and Staff who helped out over the weekend and a big thanks to Dave Fleming who organised it for us. Our Tender to man the bar at the Apple and Grape ball has also been accepted, so this will be our next focus.

Our Pavers have arrived from our Fundraiser last year. We will need discuss where we would like these to be laid at the next meeting.

I would like to invite you all to attend our first P&F meeting which will be held in the Library on the Primary School Campus on the 23rd February at 7.00pm. I want to encourage you all to attend. It is a great insight into how the school runs and to also be a part of some very important decision makings. The Myth surrounded by these meetings is that you will be "given a job" This is untrue. It is a chance to give some fresh ideas and to be a part of a great team who gather once a month to make sure our kids are getting the best out of their school life. I promise you might actually enjoy it…