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- PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
- DEPUTY PRINCIPAL (ACTING)
- ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL PRIMARY
- ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL FORMATION & IDENTITY
- SCHOOL NEWS
- BORDER DISTRICT EISTEDDFOD 2019
- ART GALLERY VISIT
- PREPS LEARNING ALL THINGS B
- SPORT
- WIN FAMILY PASSES TO SNOWFLAKES IN STANTHORPE
- WOOLWORTHS EARN N LEARN
- FOR SALE
- UPCOMING EVENTS
As we move towards the second half of the year many of you will be considering 'what's next' for my child in the coming years. Many, particularly for Year 6 students, will be making decisions about which Secondary school to attend in 2020.
At St Joseph’s School we have a distinct advantage because the smaller size of our Secondary as a whole and the individual class sizes.
Research and experience have also shown that the following are advantages of smaller class sizes:
1. Each Student Gets Noticed
In a smaller class, it’s more difficult for students to hide and get left behind.
2. Better Results
Research has shown that high school students in smaller classes have higher grades and perform better on their university entrance exams.
3. Learning is Enhanced
Not only do students learn more in small classes, but they also learn faster.
4. Teachers Can Teach
Teachers at the front of a small class have more opportunities to observe and assess the class as a whole and the students as individuals.
5. Classes Become a Community
With fewer students per class, individuals can connect more closely with their peers and become more confident and comfortable when it comes to sharing their ideas and perspectives. These connections lead to lasting friendships.
6. Opportunities to Participate
Small groups mean fewer voices, which means the students those voices belong to, have more chances to speak up in their class.
7. Focus on Learning
In learning environments with a limited number of students, teachers can spend more time teaching the material and less time trying to regain the attention of those who are easily distracted. Teachers can also cater to students’ different learning styles and ensure that they stay engaged and understand what is being taught.
8. More Feedback
Teachers have more time to individualise their feedback, ensuring that each student understands the material, can get the help they need and can reach his or her potential.
9. Students and Teachers Can Work One-on-One
Students and teachers have more opportunity to work together one-on-one, which gives teachers the opportunity to customise instruction and guidance, and students receive their teacher’s undivided attention.
10. Ideas Are Shared
With fewer students in a class, there is more time for them to share their own ideas, express their opinions and describe their perspectives.
Further, research has also shown, compared to larger schools, students in smaller schools fight less, feel safer, come to school more frequently, and report being more attached to their school. Safety is not confined to physical security, it is also psychological.
Research consistently reveals that in small schools, students of all “types” feel they can connect with one another much more readily and openly, and also with caring adults whom they know quite personally. Smaller, more “communal” learning environments reduce both student and teacher alienation commonly identified in larger school systems, and enhance student engagement in learning.
Unlike many large schools, the culture of small schools typically revolves around hard work, high aspirations, respectful relationships with others, and the expectation that all students will succeed. Students who participate in activities and feel connected at school have higher achievement, are less likely to drop out, they have higher self-esteem, attend school more regularly, and have fewer behaviour problems.
At St Joseph’s School every student matters. Every student deserves the opportunity to be the best they can be. Our smaller size makes this much more achievable.
God bless,
This week Andrew and I presented to parents of our current Year 10 students our plan in regard to senior schooling at St Joseph’s School from 2020 onwards. As part of this, I outlined to parents and students the changes that form part of the new Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), the introduction of the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) to replace the OP system, and most importantly, our plan as a school to support and grow students in their academic performance across their senior schooling years.
As a school, a major focus for 2019 has been centred around the refinement of curriculum delivery and support for students to allow them to grow academically. This year, the school leadership team has engaged continuously in productive and proactive conversations and planning to identify ways in which we can, in particular, grow the curriculum offerings across P-12.
A major part of this review has been to increase the number of electives offered in Year 7-10 from three or four electives to six. Further to this, as part of the development of the senior schooling curriculum offerings, particular emphasis has been given to providing subjects and qualifications that will enable our students greater diversity in post-school pathways.
At St Joseph’s School, we continue to provide strong, proven academic pathways for students focused on obtaining an ATAR rank and tertiary entrance to university through a wide range of general syllabus subject options. Importantly, a major focus for this year has been increasing curriculum opportunities for senior students through offering a greater diversity of applied syllabus subjects options and VET qualifications (Certificate courses).
A key element this year has been re-establishing connections with the Queensland College of Wine and Tourism, the Trade Training Centre (TTC) and various external RTO’s to enable our students to access these qualifications and open doorways to alternate post-school pathways into employment, study and training. This greater diversity of curriculum offerings across the secondary school, combined with apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities through the SBA (School Based Apprenticship and Traineeship) program, will provide the opportunity for all students to achieve their own academic success and set themselves up successfully for post-school pathways.
Curriculum offerings for Year 11 2020 are listed in the table below.
Please contact me at any time to discuss curriculum offerings and what we can do to support your child in their schooling.
Matthew Brown
Deputy Principal (Acting)
ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL PRIMARY
As we approach the end of term, the pace of life on the Primary Campus has not relented. In recent weeks we have participated in the Border District Eisteddfod which afforded the students the opportunity to demonstrate their speech and drama skills as well as, for some, their talents in speaking Italian or singing in the choir. It is always such a delight to see the students perform in this arena with such confidence. Watching our youngest students take the stage in front of a large audience of adults all poised with their mobile phones to capture the moment, I felt nervous for them but they did such an amazing job. I’m not sure I could have recited a poem with such expression and enthusiasm when I was 5 years old. Congratulations to all those who participated in the event. They were a credit to our school in the way they performed and we are very proud of them all. As expected at such events, prizes were awarded to some students and to some classes for the group recitations, and those results can be found elsewhere in this newsletter. There would obviously have been some disappointed children, having put so much effort into their performances but they coped with the disappointment well. The ability to deal with such feelings and be able to ‘bounce back’ is part of our work this term on resilience. The Border District Eisteddfod is a wonderful event to be involved in and we look forward to many more years of participation. I would like to extend my thanks to the teachers who assisted in preparing the students and also to Mrs McLucas, who as well as helping to organise the event itself, also played a major role in ensuring our students were as prepared as they could be.
Also last week, a number of students attended the Granite Belt Athletics Trials held at Stanthorpe State High School. Again, this group of individuals represented our school well in their performance and behaviour. As a result of their efforts, a number of students have qualified for the Darling Downs Athletics Championships to be held in Toowoomba on 18 June. These students are;
- Ted Bonner
- Lily Tuvukica
- Aryanna Davie
- Akasha Stevens
- Harry Wren
- Jayden Green
- Alex Waterworth
- Jaiden Morello
- Addison McCosker
- Eliza Bonner
- Clair Danzey
- Darcy Daddow
- Lillian Kendall
- Darius Jansink
- Lily Savakov
- Katie-Lee Jansink
We wish them well for the next stage of the competition and also thank Mr Fleming and Mrs O’Dea for accompanying the students to the Granite Belt Trials.
We also received a visit from Sgt Dan O’Dea to our assembly in his role as our ‘Adopt-a-cop’. He talked about his role in the community and the need for us all to look after one another to keep us all safe. Sgt Dan will visit Primary classrooms in Term 3 and 4.
At this time of the term in the classrooms, the teachers are finalising assessment and completing report comments ready for the distribution of Semester 1 reports. The judgements and the comments the teachers make are based on much evidence collected over the semester and designed to assist parents by suggesting areas where further consolidation of skills may be required for instance. It is important to remember however, that this report is a ‘tracking report’ for the end of the year as our standards for each subject in each year level are standards for the end of the year. It is typical to see many students make significant progress in Semester 2 rather than Semester 1.
As always, we as Primary Campus staff are open to having conversations with parents about any aspect of their child’s development. Please contact us if you have any concerns – or if you want to celebrate some positive news! Research shows that positive relationships are key to a child’s success at school and we want to ensure we are doing everything we can to foster them between us, students and parents.
Sarah Yates
Assistant to the Principal Primary
ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL FORMATION & IDENTITY
To be successful in the community...
Last week I attended our APRE meeting day in Toowoomba. Part of our day was led by the Director of Formation and Identity, Dr Ken Avenell and focused on our Catholic identity.
“To be successful in community, we must give our students knowledge and capabilities as well as (Catholic) identity.”
Our identity is woven through our knowledge and capabilities, permeating every aspect of our learning and actions. Catholic identity is constantly changing and cannot be attributed to a series of check points. Rather, it needs to be seen as providing opportunities for our school community to experience Catholic faith as a living and meaningful reality.
The diagram below offers a perspective of Catholic identity in a school.
Image: Educator’s Guide to Catholic Identity by Paul Sharkey, p. 3
Dr Paul Sharkey explains that God is at the centre because everything that takes place at a Catholic school should draw its deepest meaning from God. The outer section of the diagram shows what Catholic schools do, but these activities only become “authentic when the inner elements are seen as connected and important” (Sharkey, 2015, p. 4).
Doing and being, reflecting and acting must be at the core of life in a Catholic school.
Megan Mahoney
Assistant to the Principal Formation & Identity
FROM THE VOICE OF CATHERINE MCAULEY-FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY
Coming editions of our newsletter will feature inspiring quotes from Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy. As a Mercy School, we are inspired by the passion and commitment of the Mercy sisters in their work at St Joseph’s School from 1875. Following on from the last newsletter, below is a brief description of the establishment of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia.
The establishment of the many groups of Sisters of Mercy around the world began with Catherine McAuley and the founding sisters in Dublin, Ireland. While Catherine founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831, it wasn’t until after her death in 1841 that the Sisters of Mercy first came to Australia in 1846. Ursula Frayne, a close friend of Catherine McAuley, arrived with six Sisters and settled in Perth, Western Australia where they began the first chapter. Since its local beginnings in Perth, the institute rapidly evolved and spread throughout Australia growing to 17 congregations nationwide. In 1981, the congregations converged to become the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia, which form part of the world-wide network of Mercy Sisters that serve people in need and carry out the mission of mercy today.
"We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us."
Catherine McAuley
BORDER DISTRICT EISTEDDFOD 2019
Last Tuesday, the Drama and Italian sections of the Border District Eisteddfod took place.
Students chose their poems and ensured they were well prepared by practising. Whilst this was a daunting experience for some of the students, the confidence and experience they gained from performing in front of an audience was extremely beneficial.
Congratulations to all the performers in the various sections.
INDIVIDUAL RECITATION
PREP | |
1st | Oliver Fraguas |
2nd | Patrick Moxham |
3rd | Greta Stibbard |
HC | Oliver Haysom |
YEAR 1 | |
1st | Prue Philip |
2nd | Mia Howard |
3rd | Ivy Hill |
HC | Jason Maggiolo, Moira Purcell & Sienna Ponzo |
YEAR 2 | |
2nd | Lucas Ho |
3rd | Gracie Zanatta |
HC | Brody Howard, Liam O'Dea & Mack Brown |
YEAR 3 | GROUP 1 |
1st | Milla Fraguas |
2nd | Maggie O'Dea |
3rd | Phoebe Wilson |
HC | Emily Gallaway |
YEAR 3 | GROUP 2 |
1st | Kirrili Chin |
2nd | Kayleb Spiller |
3rd | Lily Tuvukica |
HC | Gwen Philip, Ella Wren & Alexander Stefanon |
YEAR 4 | GROUP 1 |
2nd | Charlotte Zanatta |
3rd | Claire Nelson |
HC | Abigail McErvale & James Bell |
YEAR 4 | GROUP 2 |
1st | Natalie Gasparin |
2nd | Sophia Mills |
3rd | Ethan Cosmo |
HC | Thomas Telfer, Vayda Heads & Charlie Alldridge |
YEAR 5 | GROUP 1 |
1st | Ashley Juriss |
2nd | Erin O'Dea |
3rd | Jaiden Morello |
HC | Magnolia Mills & Harry Wren |
YEAR 5 | GROUP 2 |
1st | Stella Rabic |
2nd | Jessica Pradella |
3rd | Sienna Berlese |
HC | Jack Brown |
YEAR 6 | GROUP 1 |
2nd | Alex Waterworth |
3rd | Dakota Burton |
HC | Mikayla Osborne |
YEAR 6 | GROUP 2 |
1st | Jacob Hennoste |
3rd | Noah Taylor & Rhianna Richards |
HC | Sonny Fraguas & Taneisha Marino |
GROUP RECITATION
Prep to Year 2 | Choral Speaking Group (<100 students) |
1st | Year 2 |
Years 3 & 4 | Choral Speaking Group (>100 students) |
1st | Year 3/4 |
Years 5 & 6 | Choral Speaking Group (>100 students) |
1st | Year 5/6F |
2nd | Year 5/6C |
3rd | Year 5/6S |
SPECIAL AWARDS - ST JOSEPH'S SCHOOL
Champion | Jacob Hennoste |
Betty Paine Award | Year 2 |
Mary McLucas Award | Year 5/6F |
Margaret Osborne Encouragement Award | Year 3/4 |
Year 7 | Character Recital Solo |
2nd | Olivia Page |
Year 2 | Italian Verse Speaking - Individual |
2nd | Imogen Staley |
Year 3 & 4 | Italian Verse Speaking - Individual |
1st | Vanilia Enson |
3rd | James Bell |
Year 3 & 4 | Verse Speaking - Group |
2nd | St Joseph's School |
Year 5 & 6 | Verse Speaking - Group |
3rd | St Joseph's School |
Last Friday afternoon, the Year 3 and 4 students visited the Regional Art Gallery to view two exhibits. One by local artist Fay Roselt, who uses a variety of collected mediums in her art work, and also an exhibition from GOMA "Physical Video".
The children, under guidance from Mrs Mary Findlay, viewed the exhibit and discussed their reactions to the pieces. This wonderful gallery, and staff, are terrific assets to our community!
Last week, the Preps enjoyed learning about the letter 'B'. They ended their week with B activities. Balloon blob painting, beautiful butterflies (collage) and colouring brontosaurus and bumble bees.
BRONCO'S GALA CUP
On Wednesday 29th May, students travelled to Warwick for the first day of the Bronco’s Gala Cup tournament in netball and rugby league.
Thirteen St Joesph's boys joined with Inglewood and Texas to play rugby league, while twenty-eight St Joseph's girls competed in the netball tournament. Students played hard against tough opposition all day and displayed great sportsmanship.
The second gala day was held in Goondiwindi on the 12th of June, where students played in the finals for the trophies in their divisions. An update will be provided in the next newsletter of the results.
GRANITE BELT ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
Snow was falling near Stanthorpe on Monday 3rd June, which also happened to be the date of the Granite Belt Athletics Carnival! Despite windy and cold conditions, St Joseph’s School primary students participated in track and field events, with 16 students selected to go on and represent the Granite Belt at the Darling Downs Athletics Carnival to be held on 18th June. Congratulations to all students who participated!
QISSN RAFFLE WINNERS
The QISSN raffle was drawn recently with the winners receiving a pleasant surprise when they were advised of their good luck.
Thank you to the generosity of those who donated prizes and to all who supported the raffle.
The winners were:
- Heath Tomkins-Beckett’s - Pest Control voucher and two bottles of Gossip’s wine
- Madeline Biddulph -Lifestyle Footwear gift pack
- Jacob Steele - Anna’s Gift Voucher
- Marlene Parker - 3 bottles of St Joseph's School wine
- Kataya McNamara - Gleeson’s Lorna Jane gym pack
- Josie Gangemi - Beauty on High Gift pack
- Catherine Oag - 2 bottles of St Joseph's School wine
WIN FAMILY PASSES TO SNOWFLAKES IN STANTHORPE
As part of last year's school review, a number of suggestions were made by parents as to how St Joseph's School could better promote our Catholic Identity and Mercy Charism. One of the projects we are undertaking in response to the feedback is an outdoor learning space linked to our identity, scheduled for completion in October.
To help fund the learning space sheduled for completion in October, we are kickstarting a fundraising campaign!
Student Council Representatives will be selling raffle tickets before school each day from 8.10am for the coming weeks. There are two main prizes - 2 Family Passes for the Snowflakes in Stanthorpe Festival:
- Saturday Family Pass for 6 July (2 adults and 3 children) valued at $60, and
- Sunday Family Pass for 7 July (2 adults and 3 children) valued at $45
Tickets are $2 each and are also available from the School Office. The raffle will be drawn on 26 June 2019.
We thank the Snowflakes in Stanthorpe Committee for their kind donation of the passes.
We have 18,030 stickers and counting. The program finishes on Tuesday 25 June 2019, so keep collecting!
We have 6 brand new Joe Rocket leather jackets for sale at a bargain. These jackets normally retail for $200, but can be yours for $80.
There is 1 ladies black jacket in large, 1 ladies blue/white jacket in large, 1 small in blue/black, 1 black in large and 2 black in small. We also have 4 Joe Rocket leather gloves for sale at $20 each. Gloves are small size.
Only one pair of Joe Rocket cotton pants, size 36 for $30.
If you are interested, please contact the School Office on 07 4681 5900.
Funds will be earmarked for various projects for our school.
19-21 June | Senior School Exam Block (Years 10- 12) |
24-26 June | Year 10 Work Experience |
25-26 June | Year 12 QCS Practice Test |
27 June | End of Term 2 |
28 June | Student Free Day |
30 June-5 July | QISSN & Confraternity Shield |
15 July | Start of Term 3 |