9 August 2018

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Last week was a great week for St Joseph’s School. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity to showcase all the wonderful things that go on in the school, and celebrate those as a community. There were many highlights and I thank staff, students, parents, caregivers and the Stanthorpe community for your involvement. It was a satisfying community week for us all.

Mass on Sunday July 29 provided an ideal launch to the week. The School Choir has come a long way since it was formed under the guidance of Mrs Jo Barker last year, and all commented how much they added to the celebration of Mass. The music and involvement of youth really makes for a more uplifting experience.

Our revamped Athletics Carnival on Thursday was the highlight of the week. The aim of the carnival was to include all students, get families along, have fun and give our athletes the opportunity to shine. Thanks to Head of Sport, Sandra Ellis, for her organisation of a successful day.

School Masterplan

On Wednesday last week we had a very successful master planning meeting with Paul Bryant, Toowoomba Catholic Schools Facilities Development Manager, and a representative from Aspect, our consulting architecture firm. Over the next two months we will be developing our 10 year masterplan for the school. Key aspects of the plan will incorporate the upgrade and construction of learning spaces, recreational areas and pick-up/drop off areas. The planning process will include consultation with the School Board, staff, students, parents and wider community.

This master planning process comes on top of a successful School, Renewal and Improvement Review. Details about the major findings of the review will be shared with the school community shortly, with the final report due in the next two weeks.

God Bless

Andrew Kendall
PRINCIPAL

LEADERSHIP NEWS

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATION-SECONDARY

On Monday night I attended the QTIC Salute to Excellence Awards. These awards recognised Year 11 and 12 students that are undertaking or have completed vocational education and training in tourism, food and beverage or cookery. The awards highlight the importance of promoting vocational education and training among secondary schools across the state.

Daniel Gschwind, the CEO of Queensland Tourism Industry Council, spoke to the finalists about the value of working in industry. He encouraged all to seek their way in a fantastic industry and to keep working to make mentors and obtain work experience when possible.

Year 12 student, Jessica Munson was honoured to be one of the finalists. Jessica had to complete an extensive process to become a finalist in these awards, which included a nomination based on a series of criteria, a skills test and an interview. The judging panel consists of six industry representatives. Jessica did not win, however she said that she was privileged to meet other amazing young people from around Queensland.

This week our school celebrates having 30 school based apprentices and trainees. These programs offer such value to our students and we thank our local employers for their continued support.

Linda Perrett attended the Excellence Awards dinner with Jessica Munson last Monday evening.

Linda Perrett
Assistant Principal Administration-Secondary

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATION-PRIMARY

In Week 3 we hosted a NED assembly on the Primary Campus. The students were introduced to NED who was on a mission to find his mindset. Through an engaging presentation which included magic and yo-yo tricks, the students learned that three important qualities are necessary for a positive mindset in life.

Never give up, Encourage others, Do your best

NED encountered many challenges whilst finding is mindset that day including problems that seemed insurmountable, but with the ‘Power of Yet’ and the encouragement to dig deeper, he was able to succeed. This message reinforces what the teachers have been talking with the students about this year in relation to Visible Learning. Success in learning does not always come easy and requires us to be resilient in the face of difficulty. It also requires us to develop strategies to assist us which will include seeking assistance from those around us.

As a result of the NED assembly, many of the students purchased a yo-yo and each day since the presentation, they have been practising their skills in the NED Zone at play times. It has been wonderful to see the resilience that they have shown to learn new tricks or even just to be able to make the yo-yo do the basic moves. All year groups have interacted to assist each other and to provide an audience. I am not sure if they realise that by engaging in this they are learning some important skills including perseverance and hand-eye coordination. I also understand that many parents have been reliving their youth by demonstrating their skills with a yo-yo – much to the amazement of their children!

Primary Students thoroughly enjoyed the recent NED Assembly

Last week was Catholic Education Week with the theme for this year being ‘Discovering New Horizons’. How fitting it was that we held our open morning for Prep students of 2019 during this week. Choosing a school can be a daunting experience for parents to make, but those who joined us last week enjoyed the opportunity to see the current Prep students at work in their classroom as well as talk to Mrs Glenda McNichol, the class teacher.

We will continue to encourage parents to visit us and witness for themselves how starting Prep at St Joseph’s will provide a nurturing start to school life for their children, as well as set them up for academic success from an early age. The Mercy Values which underpin all that we do and all that we are, provide guidance to each of us to be the best person that we can be. This is what we want for all students at St Joseph’s.

Sarah Yates
Assistant Principal Administration-Primary

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (APRE)

An uplifting and joyful mass signalled the commencement of Catholic Education Week for 2018. The School Choir and other members of the School Community led the Mass, and appreciation for their involvement was warmly received by many members of the Parish Community.

On Tuesday, students were able to showcase the many opportunities offered at St Joseph’s School. Performances by our School Choir, Robotics and Sporting groups, as well as Choral Speaking were enjoyed by large crowds in the piazza. Families and members of the community were kept entertained and marvelled as Year 8 students programmed their robots to turn and manoeuvre set routes. The aromas of snags on the BBQ kept the crowd coming, showing their appreciation for the sausage sizzle by donating over $50 to Orange Sky Laundry. A perfect winter’s day capped off another wonderful celebration of Catholic Education Week for 2018.

Many thanks to staff, students and families who supported these events.

The BBQ was appreciated by members of the community

Megan Mahoney
Assistant Principal Religious Education

SCHOOL NEWS

JESSICA MUNSON ATTENDS EXCELLENCE AWARDS DINNER

On Monday the 30th of July, Jessica Munson attended the 2018 Salute to Excellence Awards Dinner in Brisbane where she received her Certificate of Achievement as a Food and Beverage Finalist.

“It was an honour to represent my school, the Queensland College of Wine Tourism and to be recognised for my achievements in the Hospitality Industry.” Jessica said. “Having my nomination chosen as one of the top five in Queensland presented me the opportunity to meet and work with others who share my passion for the food, wine and tourism industry. It has been a most valuable learning experience and I would encourage my fellow students to take such opportunities to expand their horizons in their chosen field. I would like to thank my mentors for their ongoing support and encouragement and my fellow students for their well wishes.”

Well done to Jessica!

CELEBRATING CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK

Catholic Education Week kicked off with the celebration of Mass on Sunday 29th July. Students and staff were involved in the Mass with the St Joseph’s Choir leading the singing so beautifully, followed by morning tea at Valente’s for the Parish and School community.

Catholic Education Week is for Catholic Schools and Parishes in the five Dioceses of Queensland. The theme of this year’s celebration was “Discovering New Horizons.” This event is held each year to promote the special ethos of Catholic Schools and to highlight the great things that happen in Catholic Schools every day.

A whole School assembly was held on Monday with prayer being the focus to launch this special week. Several students were awarded with Catholic Education Week Certificates.

A highlight of this week was the showcase of the school held at the Piazza on Tuesday. Performances by the School Band, Choir, Robotics Club, classes reciting poetry and a sports exhibition kept crowd pleasers entertained for 3 hours. A sausage sizzle was also held with donations to Orange Sky Laundry.

Students enjoyed a Pupil Free Day on Friday 3rd August, whilst staff attended the Bishop’s Inservice Day at St Saviours College Toowoomba. Guest speaker was Rev Dr Richard Leonard who was born in Warwick and grew up in Toowoomba. Rev Dr Leonard is a writer and film critic who has written and spoken about cinema, culture, and faith on four continents. An Australian Jesuit with advanced degrees in theology and film, Rev Dr Leonard is the Director of the Australian Catholic Film Office. Rev Dr Leonard’s presentation was informative and insightful with a touch of humour. The day concluded with the celebration of Mass in St Patrick’s Cathedral by Rev Dr Leonard.

It was a wonderful week of celebrating all that is great about Catholic Education and being part of the St Joseph’s School and Parish community.

YEAR 8

Year 8 had a lot of fun burning “Tiny Teddies” recently – all in the name of Science, of course – as they worked out how much energy is contained in each biscuit. This involved converting chemical potential energy into heat energy, measuring the temperature increase in a set amount of water, and using a mathematical formula to find out how many joules of energy were needed to achieve this increase.

YEAR 7

On Friday 27th July, the Year 7’s became archaeologists for the day by investigating what people from the past ate. The students had fun dissecting ‘waste’ to work out the time and place of the ‘incident’.

YEAR 10 PROJECT BASED LEARNING

In Project Based Learning this term the Year 10 students have been set a task to create a project that benefits people globally.

Project Based Learning is an elective subject that requires students to plan and implement a project, giving students the ability and the opportunity to better themselves, as well as their local and global community.

As a group, these students have decided to create hygiene survival packs for women in impoverished countries. Working with Rotary, these packs will be sent to Fiji for distribution to women in need.

To include the Primary students in this very worthwhile project, each child has been given a slip of paper to identify what product they need to donate to help complete the packs. Items need to be brought to the school by Monday 13th August. These are:

CONGRATULATIONS TO CATHY MILLS

Congratulations to our Guidance Counsellor, Mrs Cathy Mills, who was a finalist last Thursday night in the Excellence in Education Support - Teaching and Learning Support category of the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Awards.

Cathy provides outstanding support to our students and staff at St Joseph’s School. Her commitment to the well-being and growth of our students is exceptional.

Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office Executive Director, Dr Pat Coughlan with Mrs Cathy Mills at the Awards ceremony last Thursday in Toowoomba.

LIBRARY NEWS

INTRODUCING STAFF

In the first newsletter of the School year, the new teachers were introduced as well as a reintroduction of the Leadership. Every fortnight, a staff member from both campuses will provide a profile of themselves to allow the school and wider community to familiarise themselves with the staff at St Joseph’s School. The school operates with approximately 50 staff members who all have a special role to play in the effective functioning of the school.

My name is Debby Wilson and I have been employed at St Joseph’s for the past 20 years as a Teacher Aide in what was known as Preschool and later Prep.

This year I am working in Learning Support with Years 1, 2 and 3 students. I am enjoying seeing the children progress after finishing Prep.

I was born in Stanthorpe and other than a few years absence, Stanthorpe has always been my home. My husband and I live on a small farm at Eukey with our 3 dogs, 2 horses, 5 cows and 7 chooks. Our 3 children have all grown and flown the coop.

I have seen many changes and improvements over my years at St Joseph’s but the teaching of core Mercy Values has always been the focus. I feel very privileged to be able to work with children in our school environment. To see children come in as a 5 year old Prep and then see them graduate to Year 12 is a real highlight of my work. I’ve always loved when the year 12’s would call back up to Prep and talk of their happy times with us. Playing a role in a child’s education is so very rewarding.

Having already completed Cert 3 in Educational Support and Children’s Services, this year I’m hoping to further my experience by completing Cert 4. I look forward to the new challenges of working with older children and seeing what happens since I’ve finally graduated from Prep!

My name is Aimee Coulston and I began at St Joseph’s at the start of 2017 as a Graduate Teacher. In my role at St Joseph’s, I teach every Year level across the Secondary campus, covering a range of subjects including English, Business, Religion, and Senior Legal Studies and BCT.

In addition to my classroom role, I also am the current Manager of the QISSN team and have had a role in coaching the Junior Netball teams, as well as my Legal Studies Mooting Team.

The most enjoyable aspects of my role in the Secondary campus is the quality relationships I’ve built with colleagues and students. I also get significant joy from working with students on different projects, such as the Year 9 Business ventures, fundraising, and especially my senior students in their Cultural Showcase event.

St Joseph’s School has been an exceptional place for me to begin my teaching career, and I truly value the community that I have been welcomed into.

NEW SECONDARY SOFT SHELL JACKETS

St Joseph’s School has introduced a new Secondary Soft Shell Jacket for all Secondary students.

The jacket is a high quality and stylish jacket which offers a number of great features:

• Wind resistance
• Water resistance
• Breathability - it allows moisture to escape from inside while being water and wind resistant
• Comfortable and light weight
• Fleece lined for warmth
• Zipped pockets on the outside and inside
• Stylish with both the formal uniform and sports uniform
• School crest embroidered on the front
• Full range of sizes

Price: $79.00

The jacket is OPTIONAL and can be worn with the sports uniform from Year 7 to 12 and the formal uniform from Year 7 to 10. The blazer must be worn with the formal uniform in Year 11 & 12.

Jackets are now available for purchase at Gleeson’s Mercery. They have samples in various sizes to try on.

CAN BE WORN WITH THE FORMAL UNIFORM FROM YEAR 7 TO 10

CAN BE WORN WITH THE SPORTS UNIFORM FROM YEAR 7 TO 12

SECOND HAND UNIFORMS

A number of uniforms for both Primary and Secondary have accumulated from lost property for some time. Owners have not been identified.

These uniforms are available for purchase at $5 per item from the School Office. Mrs Amanda Bonner has also kindly agreed to sell these items on Friday 10th August from 2.00-3.30pm as a pop up shop in the Multi-Purpose Room, Primary Campus.

Thank you for your ongoing support of St Joseph's School.

SPORTS NEWS

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

A few changes were made to this year’s Athletics Carnival to ensure all students were engaged on the day. A number of new “fun” events were introduced to minimise idle time for students and guarantee a fun-filled day for all. The ball games for our Under 8s proved to be popular. The consensus was that the day had a good atmosphere and well attended by our families. Students were well behaved and displayed great sportsmanship. The weather was perfect for sporting success with a significant number of records broken on the day. These records included:

Age Champion Results

P&F ASSOCIATION

The P&F Winter Firewood & Marshmallow Smores Hamper was drawn Monday afternoon by Principal Andrew Kendall. Congratulations to the Barker Family on their win of this prize.

We thank the Irwin Family for their generosity in donating the wood and to all those who bought tickets. Funds from this raffle will be earmarked for maintenance and upgrades of School facilities.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tickets are available via contacting Kim Gallaway personally, the FB page and/or Kim for bank details for direct deposit.