13 November 2015

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s News

Dear Parents and Carers

The Fete (the first in over a decade) was a great success. Most significantly, it was an event which was very family-friendly, and it was nice to see so many of our families together on the day enjoying everything that was on offer. I know that you appreciate that this was a huge undertaking, and the committed members of the Fete Committee were meeting for this event across 8 months, and the planning was worth it. At this stage we know we will raise some funds from this event, but we will not know the final numbers until all expenses have been accounted for.

As with any event, particularly fundraisers, there are always ways we can improve to ensure our efforts realise the best rewards. So, to this end, we invite all families to provide feedback at the P&F Meeting on Tuesday 24 November starting at 6pm. It would be very useful to receive feedback on the areas which worked well, and those that need to be addressed (possibly for next year?). I look forward to seeing you there.

For the first time, we held our annual Awards Night on-site at the Bathersby Centre. The Awards Night is the most formal way we recognise student excellence across a number of areas of school life. Of particular note, was the announcement of the School Dux, which was awarded (for the first time) to three students: Zoe Kay, Annica Putzolu and Thomas Jensen; as well as the Student Leaders for 2016: School Captains Daniel Sims and Lillian Manahan, and Prefects Samuel Miles, Sarah Saxby, Caitlyn Debnam and Shannon Bourke. Congratulations to all students who were recognised on the night. For those who were unable to attend, I have included my address at as an attachment to this newsletter. Continue to look out on our Facebook page and YouTube site for the videos used on the night.

From the School’s point of view, the Bathersby Centre is a convenient and cost effective location for the Awards Night. We have the new stage, access to catering facilities, and all the necessary furniture to make it workable, but I am very interested in what parents and carers think. Please complete the quick survey (see below) and let us know your thoughts.

Dr Michael McCarthy
Principal

2015 Awards
Awards	Winner
PRIMARY
McAuley Award-Year 3	Jack O'Brien, Dustin Alldridge, Sarah Tripp, Jessica McErvale
McAuley Award -Year 4	Taylah Organ, Taryn McCosker, Jack Spencer, Christopher Gasparin
McAuley Award -Year 5	Caitlyn Hennoste, Lucas Wren, Grace Gibb, Georgette Forbes
McAuley Award -Year 6	Charlotte Widderick, Shaylah Daniels, Brayden Spiller, Isabella Rossiter
SPORTS AWARDS
Crisps Primary Sports Star	Ky Rashleigh
Crisps Secondary Sports Star	Hannah Reeves
COMMUNITY/CULTURAL PURSUITS
The St Vincent De Paul Recognition of Service	Presented to President-Matthew Biddulph
LEO's Recognition of Service	Presented to President- Lillian Manahan
LEADERSHIP
The Young Winemakers Award	Megan Berlese and Katie Yates
SBA Award	Helena Humble
Caltex All Rounder	Alison Hernandez
The Mayor's Medal	Thomas Jensen
USQ Year 10 Excellence Award	Asbjorn Gaskell
USQ Year 11 Excellence Award	Lillian Manahan
ADF Leadership Awards-Year 10	BJ Perrett
ADF Leadership Awards-Year 12	Alyssa Murphy
Principal's Recognition - Prefects	Ingrid Sibley, Kai Robertson, Thomas Jensen, Eloise Biggin
Principal's Recognition - Captains	Alyssa Murphy & Zoe Kay
ACADEMIC AWARDS
The Fr. Valente Award-Year 3	Lily Giesemann
The Fr. Valente Award - Year 4	Eliza Telfer
The Fr. Valente Award - Year 5	Thomas Gleeson
The Fr. Valente Award - Year 6	Travis Murphy
Year 7 Awards-Distinction	James Humble, Bridgette Kay, Eliza Lange, Lachlan Mahoney, Danielle Musumeci, Melissa Petroccitto
Year 7 Awards-Excellence	Tiana Bray, Rory McDonagh
Bruce Scott-Top Achiever Year 7	Tiana Bray
Year 8 Awards-Distinction	Weylin Aldridge, Lara-Jane Biggin, Hannah Debnam, Georgia Harris, Benjamin Manahan, Sonya Perrett, Hannah Thomas, Hannah Reeves
Bruce Scott-Top Achiever Year 8	Hannah Debnam
Year 9 Awards-Distinction	Holli Brunkhorst, Lachlan Green, Kate Saxby, Hayley Scuderi
Year 9 Awards-Excellence	Spencer Jensen, Ann-Mary Vincnt
Bruce Scott-Top Achiever Year 9	Ann-Mary Vincent
Year 10 Awards-Distinction	Justin Carter, Eve Perrett, Abbie Reeves, Alex Mattiazzi
Year 10 Awards-Excellence	Asbjorn Gaskell, BJ Perrett, Katie Yates
Bruce Scott-Top Achiever Year 10	Asbjorn Gaskell
Year 11 Awards -Distinction	Georgia Philip, Arwen Reeves, Sarah Saxby, Daniel Sims
Year 11 Awards-Excellence	Lillian Manahan, Daniel Sims
Highest Achievement Year 11 Male (Paul Heaton)	Daniel Sims
Highest Achievement Year 11 Female (Kerry McCarthy)	Lillian Manahan
Bruce Scott-Top Achiever Year 11	Lillian Manahan
Year 12 Awards-Distinction	Eloise Biggin, Harry Donnelly, Mikaela Grayling, Eli Lacey, Brodie Matthews, Brendan Munson, David Musumeci, Danika Newman, Kai Robertson, Chris Schnitzerling, Shania Scuderi, Tyler Sweeney,
Year 12 Awards-Excellence	Lucinda Gregg, Zoe Kay, Annica Putzolu, Alyssa Murphy, Thomas Jensen
Highest Academic Achievement Year 12 Male	Thomas Jensen
Highest Academic Achievememt Year 12 Female	Annica Putzolu
Bruce Scott-Top Achiever Year 12	Annica Putzolu, Thomas Jensen & Zoe Kay
SPECIAL AWARDS
Excellence in Catholic Education (Parish & RE/SOR)	Bridgette Kay, Sonya Perrett, Benjamin Manahan, BJ Perrett
USQ Year 12 Excellence Award	Annica Putzolu
The Betty Yap Excellence Award	Zoe Kay
St Joseph's Alumni Award-Dux	Thomas Jensen, Annica Putzolu & Zoe Kay

Photos provided by The Stanthorpe Border Post

Leader’s News

At Awards Night last Thursday our students were formally recognised for their commitment and diligence to their studies, the school community and the parish and wider community. For the first time the event was held in the Bathersby Stadium. Even in poor weather conditions the stadium was an excellent location and many parents who attended commented on this aspect of the night. Academy photographers were in attendance and snapped the award winners and an email has been sent to parents with instructions as to how the photos can be ordered.

Dr McCarthy thanked the current School Captains, Zoe Kay and Alyssa Murphy, and Prefects, Ingrid Sibley, Thomas Jensen, Eloise Biggin and Kai Robertson, for their service to and representation of the school. They each reflected on the mercy value that they had taken on board during the year and it is always amazing to sit and listen to the expanse of activities, both in school and extracurricular that our students are fortunate enough to engage in. Sports captains, Alison Hernandez, Joshua Mouws, Danika Newman and David Musumeci also acknowledged the sporting events that had been attended during as well as the many successes that had been achieved by our sportsmen and women.

Our Year 12 students only have seven days of their senior schooling remaining. It is at this time that I must say that over the past five years this cohort have grown to become extremely fine young women and men. As the Assistant Principal – Secondary and as one of their teachers I have been in stitches of laughter at times and tears. Extracurricular events such as curriculum excursions to the glitter strip, ski trip in 2014 to Perisher and QISSN to Redcliffe have all enabled a relationship that goes beyond the walls of the classroom. From the meals prepared together, the teas shared together and late night the pranks on Geography excursion, it is with fond memories that I pray for God’s blessings upon all of our graduating class and may their future journey in life be rich and rewarding.

I take this opportunity to wish all a merry Christmas and a safe and relaxing holiday period.

Mrs Linda Perrett APA Secondary

School News

Year 3 News

This week Year 3 attended their first retreat and it was great. The session started with the class arranging themselves into teams with peers they don’t normally socialize with, to work together on a variety of challenges. One challenge required students to pair together famous and notable couples. Some of the pairs turned out to be difficult for Year 3 to discover- Dorothy and Toto had a lot of students stumped, as did light and house. Students enjoyed learning new things about other students in their grade.

Another challenging exercise was the attempt the students made at sitting on the next person’s lap, one after the other. Unfortunately both groups fell without everyone being able to sit down – very tricky indeed!

Students learnt that we are the best gift we can give anyone by just being ourselves and giving our best. Students finished with an activity about Rainbows – and how they, like the colours in the rainbow, are all very special, and by respecting and helping each other we make the world a calmer, brighter place.

Jordan – “The best part was the sitting on each other’s lap activity”

Brigid – “My favourite part was how we all had to walk together.”

Jack – “I like the Rainbow song”

Rylee – “I liked it when we were blessing each other with the oil at the end.”

Sarah – “I liked the colour game”

YEAR 10 NEWS

With only three more weeks left until the end of their school year, Year 10 is busy completing Term 4 assessment tasks. Writing short crime fiction stories in English, and compiling annotated bibliographies on Australian popular culture in History, are just two of the varied tasks that Year 10 students are currently completing.

Some industrious Year 10 boys are in the process of creating new pieces of furniture, including tyre chairs, trailers, and desks in Technology.

In Drama, students have been practicing how to ‘die’ in physical theatre, and in Art, students are busy sculpture-making.

In Science this term, the students have been studying DNA, genetic disease, and looking at the ethics of genetic modification and gene treatment therapies.

In Mathematics, the students have conducted chance experiments and will deliver a multi-modal presentation of group collected data (the Mintie Challenge – who can tear the longest mintie snake).

Students have also been assisting the school community. Many of the Year 10 girls banded together to cook 300 of the cupcakes up for sale at the recent school fete. These were a huge success on the day. The girls would like to thank Miss Di Mauro and Miss Grabham for the time that they spent icing each and every one of them after school.

It is clear that Year 10 has had a highly productive Term 4. We are sure that they will all put in one last big effort before their well-deserved summer break. We have thoroughly enjoyed mentoring Year 10 this year in our role as Pastoral Care teachers, and thank them for their friendly personalities, and good sense of humour.

Italian Book Bank

The St. Joseph’s Primary LOTE classes are coming on at a rate of knots! We are a creative bunch, and we love to read-even in Italian. But we have a problem: we have read all 5 of our Italian language books to death.

So, we are on the hunt for something new to read. In fact, we are dreaming big. We are going to make a LOTE Book Bank. We are seeking Italian language books in good order, that can be donated to the school for the use of LOTE students in years to come. The books can be for any age group, cover any suitable topic, and be information books, fiction, picture books, dictionaries and the like.

If you think you can help, please leave your donations at the main office. For queries contact the LOTE Department: 4681 5900.

Photos provided by Leah Osborne

Presbytery News

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (29 November) is fast approaching.

St Joseph’s Parish would like to offer ADVENT SESSIONS for ALL children in pre-prep, prep and primary school on the dates below.

We would also like to invite all students in primary or high school to participate in the FAMILY CHRISTMAS EVE MASS at 6PM on 24 December. The rehearsal times to be involved are also below.

ADVENT FUN & FAITH SESSION FOR 2, 3 and 4 year olds:

Any child in this age bracket is welcome to come along for an hour of Advent fun on SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER, from 9AM to 10AM, in the Parish Centre. We will talk about the meaning of Advent and make something special to take home. Cost is a gold coin donation. Parents or other caregivers are asked to remain for the hour.

ADVENT FUN & FAITH SESSION for 5, 6 and 7 year olds:

Any child in this age bracket is welcome to come along for some Advent fun on SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER, from 10.30AM to midday, in the Parish Centre. We will talk about the meaning of Advent and make something special to take home. Cost is a gold coin donation. Parents are welcome to remain or can drop off and pick up their child at the times mentioned.

ADVENT FUN & FAITH SESSION FOR 8 to 11 year olds:

Any child in this age bracket is welcome to attend, from 3.30PM onwards in the Parish Centre, concluding with the 6.30PM Mass on SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER. We will make Advent wreaths to be blessed at Mass. Parents are welcome to remain for the session or can drop off their child and then meet up for Mass. Parents will be asked to bring an afternoon snack. Cost is $5 per student.

CAN’T COME ON SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER? …. A HOLIDAY ADVENT FUN & FAITH SESSION for all primary schoolers (i.e. prep to Year 6) will also be offered on WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER from 9.30AM to Mass at 11.45AM. Parents are welcome to remain for the session or can drop off their child and then meet, before or after Mass, in the Parish Centre at 11.45am. Our Advent craft will be blessed during Mass. Cost is a gold coin donation.

REHEARSALS FOR THE 6PM CHRISTMAS EVE MASS:

ALL primary or secondary students are welcome to join in preparations for this Christmas Eve Mass. The first rehearsal and giving of roles will be after the 8.30AM Mass on SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER, for an hour, in the Church. We will also meet on THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER, 10-11AM and 23 DECEMBER,

10-11am, in the Church.

Please register your child for ANY OF THE ABOVE SESSIONS

via the parish office email at stjosephsparish@halenet.com.au

For more information contact Selina on 4683 5391 or 0409 735 46