1 September 2017

Newsletter Articles

Message from the Principal

The last two weeks have again been a busy time at St Joseph’s School.

Our two Optiminds teams are to be commended for an outstanding effort in a very challenging competition. Faced with some difficult tasks, both teams displayed great initiative and teamwork to achieve outstanding results. In a competition that had over 90 schools vying for a limited number of awards, both teams picked up an award. Well done!

Last week we had the annual “Books, Bears and Blankets” picnic and the P-12 Book Week Parade. Both were wonderful and fun community events. Thanks to all the staff, parents and students who were involved. In 23 years of teaching it was my first experience of a Book Week Parade and I really enjoyed my day as “Wally”.

The last week has also been a significant one for our Year 12s who sat the Queensland Core Skills Test. I congratulate and commend our students for the calm and supportive manner they displayed before and during the test. The senior students here at St Joseph’s School have had great success over recent years, both in terms of their OP’s and their success post school in their tertiary courses and careers. This is testament to a very supportive and well-structured secondary program that is delivered by our staff. The success of our senior students is recognised across the state.

Many parents and students are currently in the process of making decisions about their schooling for 2018. For Year 10’s it is about where and what to study in Year 11, and for Year 6’s it is about, “What’s best for me for Year 7?” When making your decisions I ask you to consider the success we have here at St Joseph’s School, the advantages of a smaller school where no one should get ‘lost in the crowd’ and the importance of completing your schooling in an environment that is dedicated to producing well rounded young men and women who have achieved the best they can and have the morals, principles and values to go out into the world to make a difference. Our students are our leaders of the future. I strongly believe that St Joseph’s School is the best place in our region to give our students the academic and moral grounding to be the type of leaders and members of our community that we need in a big and ever confusing world. That is, young men and women who achieve their best, and who respect, support and value those around them.

On Wednesday next week (6 September 2017 at 6.30pm) we have our Information Evening for Year 6 into Year 7. I hope to see all current Year 6 students and parents come along to hear what we have to offer in a very successful and supportive secondary school.

Thanks to you all for a great two weeks at St Joseph’s School.

God bless.

Andrew Kendall
Acting Principal

School News

OPTIMINDS 2017

On Sunday 27th August 2 teams from St Joseph’s competed in the annual Optiminds competition at the University of Queensland, Gatton Campus. The two teams had to compete in a Spontaneous Task at the beginning of the day, emphasizing team work and their long term task after lunch. The two teams worked for 7 weeks practicing and refining their team work and scripts ready for this event.

The Science and Engineering team of Jack Bell, Mackenzie Swan, Lochie Westlake-Rix and Eliza Telfer, ‘The Quirky Birdies’, achieved an honours award and the Social Science team of Caitlin Ellis, Hamish Alldridge, Arwen Keith, Georgette Forbes and Kira St John, ‘Salt and Pepper’ were awarded the Spirit of Optiminds award.

The ‘Quirky Birdies’ had to create a flat pack and explain its use and impressed the judges with teamwork and enthusiasm. ‘Salt and Pepper’ created a play to explain how we all need to be more inclusive to survive by using the similarities and differences of Fruits and Vegetables.

Both teams are to be commended on their efforts and behaviour, with the teams being acknowledged as ‘very mature for their age’ by the judges. A huge thank you to the parents of the competitors and Leigh Muller for her support and guidance before the event and her full day judging on the day.

Ms Melton’s Great Cycle Challenge

Teacher Emma Melton will be participating in the Great Cycle Challenge Australia, which raises money to help fight children’s cancers.

• Cancer is the largest single killer of children from disease in Australia;
• Over 600 children are diagnosed with cancer every year; &
• 3 children die from cancer every week

From Emma –

I think this is an incredibly worthwhile cause & have vowed to ride a minimum of 600km (on my mountain bike, not a road bike!) during the month of October. I’m aiming to raise at least $600 to help fight cancer – and have promised to do my absolute best to match every dollar over $600 with an extra kilometre of riding. (Up to $1000 – I still have to find time to come to work!)

It is a big undertaking on my part (I figure that’s only fair if I’m asking for sponsorship), and I have started increasing my weekly kilometres in preparation – not easy on the colder mornings before school!

More details can be found at the link below – my fundraising page is below. All of my rides are recorded onto my page using the Strava app – so there’s no cheating! My page is showing my “training” rides at the moment, but these will be wiped from October 1 & only rides from October will count towards my total. I will also put up a poster near the staff room showing my daily, weekly & total kilometres ridden during October.

Thank you, Emma Melton

The Year 9 PC class has gotten right behind the cause in support of their PC teacher holding their second McDonalds Fundraising Lunch today. Sutdents buy their chosen lunch and they pay an additional “$2.00 delivery charge”, which then goes towards a chosen charity. Many students are generously round up with a few extra dollars – meaning that they raised $62.10 towards Mrs Melton’s fundraising efforts as part of the Great Cycle Challenge.

Well done Year 9 and Good Luck Mrs Melton

Privacy Statement

Dear Parents

An update has been made to the Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS) Privacy Statement. This update has been made in preparation for NAPLAN online from 2018. The new inclusion to the TCS Privacy Statement relates to the sharing of student information and is in bold below.

A school or the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office may disclose personal information to assessment and educational authorities, including the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and NAPLAN test administration authorities (who may disclose it to the entity that manages the online platform for NAPLAN).

We are obligated by the Privacy Act (1988) to inform you of any changes made to the TCS Privacy Statement.

If you have any questions about this change, please contact the school principal.

The full TCS Privacy Statement is available on your school’s website.

Kind regards

Dr Patrick Coughlan
Executive Director: Catholic Schools
Diocese of Toowoomba

Book Week

Book Week and Parade

Once again St Joseph’s school community celebrated the joys of reading during Book Week. This year’s theme of “Escape to Everywhere” focussed upon those wonderful lands and places that exist in the pages of our favourite books – Neverland, Oz, Middle Earth, Hogwarts and Mr McGregor’s Garden - to name just a few. The Children’s Book Council, Australia’s short-listed and medal winning books provided great opportunities for sharing the expertise of authors and illustrators throughout the term.

We launched the festivities with our annual “Books, Bears and Blankets” picnic. The weather was ideal and many family groups joined us. Thank you to parents for taking time out from your busy day to be with us. It is a beautiful, relaxing way to spend time together.

The annual P-12 Book Week Parade was as usual a highlight for us. Students and teachers participated with enthusiasm and excitement and once again costumes were creative and clever. Lots of thinking was evident. Thank you parents for your hard work and support of this much loved event and congratulations to everyone for your wonderful participation.

Thanks to teachers for your help and encouragement of students before and during the Parade. Thanks to Mrs Yates, BJ Perrett and Katie Yates for your commentary and coordination of the event.

Thank you Miss Gangemi for all your hard work, especially with the library displays and help with activities. It is much appreciated.

Mrs. Grant (Teacher-Librarian)

Children’s Book Council Australia: Winners

Book of the Year: Early Childhood:

Go Home, Cheeky Animals by Johanna Bell. Illus. Dion Beasley

Picture Book of the Year:

Home in the Rain by Bob Graham

Book of the Year: Younger Readers:

Rockhopping by Trace Balla

Book of the Year: Older Readers:

One would Think the Deep by Claire Zorn (Secondary)

The Eve Pownall Award for Information Books:

Amazing Animals of Australia’s National Parks by Gina M. Newton

Author Visit

On Thursday 14th September, author Libby Blomfield will be visiting our library to talk to classes about her latest book “Flat Out –Far Out”. It is the story of Molly and Norm and Max the dog who travel in their caravan to Winton in Western Queensland, where Max makes an amazing dinosaur discovery! This is a wonderful opportunity for the students to meet, ask questions and chat to a real author!

Libby will also be holding some writing workshops in the Art Gallery during the school holidays so some of the students may want to follow up Libby’s visit with a writing workshop.

We look forward to some wonderful sessions with Libby.

Mrs Grant

Year 5/6 F Visit Carramar

Students from Year 5/6 F took a morning away from their usual classroom schedule to visit the residents of Carramar this week.

“I think Carramar was a great place to visit” -Luke Webb.

“We had a lovely feast of cupcakes and juice.” -Hannah Widderick

“We met lots of lovely people when we were there.” -Maggie Gallaway

“My favourite part was how they appreciated our visit.” -Mack Rowen

“We made every one very happy and pleased with what we did.” -Will Bonner

‘’Today I had a great time and made everyone happy, thank you for letting as come.” -Shania Politch

“I would love to go again.” -Sarah Juriss

“It was a lovely experience and I enjoyed every moment of it, I would absolutely love to come again.” –Taryn McCosker

“The residents there were amazingly nice and entertaining, the snack that the staff prepared for us were delicious and I can’t wait to come again.” -Jordan Cosmo

“The resident had some amazing stories to tell it was nice to listen to them some I think could talk to us for hours.” -Eloise Knight

“Going to Carramar was a wonderful experience and I would love to go again.” -Freya Creer

“The people at Carramar were all very nice.” -Charlie Haynes.

“I loved the company that the old people provided.” -Billy Webb.

“The residents were lovely and I can’t wait to come back.”- Patrick Brown

“I thought this was a great experience for our class to spend the morning doing something that was out of our comfort zone.” -Claire Williamson

“Today I had a great day because of seeing the smiles on the older people’s faces.” –Callan Grace

“Today was a great day because all of the men and women that I talked to were all very kind and talkative, when it was time to leave one of the ladies that I had talked to started to cry, so that is why I loved going to Carramar.” -Kristy Bell

“I really enjoyed talking to all the residents. I hope they enjoyed all of our company. I can’t wait to go back.”- Eliza Telfer

“I loved chatting with the elderly today.” “I had some delightful chats with them I really can’t wait to go back next term.” – Rylee Vedelago

“I liked going to Carramar today because I got to meet new people today and had fun with them.” –Anika Irwin

“Going to Carramar today made me feel as though I was doing something great for the best of reasons. Thank you so much for letting us come!” – Taylah Organ

CUA Colour Fun Run

The CUA St Joseph’s Colour Fun-Run is here! Students have their sponsorship forms and we’re fundraising!

Set the Date - Friday 15th September

For raising just $10, students will receive a reward and they’ll be helping the school to raise much needed funds for a variety of groups. Students should sign up for a Student Profile Page at schoolfunrun.com.au. They’ll be able to access online fundraising and they can win a $30,000 Ultimate Family Experience just for doing it!

How Does My Child Fundraise?

All students have received a Sponsorship Form where the money collected is to be noted.

Students can use the back of this form to collect cash donations, noting down their supporters for ease.

Online Fundraising

The easiest way to help your child raise money is through online fundraising. Students raise an average of $120 using online fundraising, which really benefits all involved; plus, you don’t have to worry about handling money! To set up online fundraising, please visit the link below.

Year 7 Information Night 6:30 pm 6th September Frayne Room 2 – Year 6 parents 2017

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