St Joseph's School, Tara eNewsletter

Our Vision & Mission Statements

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to 2023. We have started the year with 48 students and three classrooms. I hope that over the Christmas holidays you were able to find moments of peace, joy, hope and love despite the recent challenging events in our community. I wish everyone the very best for the new year.

School Renewal and Improvement

A sincere thank you everyone who accepted the invitation to participate in this week's School Renewal and Improvement (SRI) Process. Your responses have been heard. Paul Murphy and Madonna Sleba will identify the common themes in an SRI report. Over the following terms, a new St. Joseph's Strategic Plan will be developed to guide school improvement for the next four years.

Staffing 2023

I am pleased to announce that Prep students will be taught by the 'not so retired', Mr Greg Smith, on Monday to Thursday and Mrs Fraser on Fridays, for the first part of the term. Sadly Miss Aptroot was unable to continue due to health reasons. We wish her health and happiness. St. Joseph's is fortunate to have such wonderful teachers helping out with the Prep class while the Prep teacher position is being advertised. Last week the Prep students taught me the 'b' and 'm' sounds and read every word of their Pets reading book.

Mrs Tammy Ash is the Year 1-2 teacher and I know many of the parents caught up with her at the Meet the Teacher meeting in the first week of term. Mrs Ann Smith will continue to teach Year 3-6 four days a week. Mrs Katie Davis is our new learning support teacher (LST), P-6 music, drama and Language teacher and Year 3-6 teacher one day a week. Mrs Marg Bowman continues in the library.

With three classes, a majority of our 2023 school budget has been reallocated to providing a school officer in each classroom for uninterrupted learning in English and Maths blocks. Our school officers assisting learning include Dorene Warwick, Leeanne Carden-Smith, Peta Harwood and Anne Furniss.

In the office you will find Miss Monica Moran every day and Mrs Suzanne Whelan most Tuesdays.

Principal on Leave

I will be taking medical leave from 6 February. Mrs Kylie Williams who visited last year, to learn about being a principal, as part of the Outback Principals Squad, will be Acting Principal for six weeks in my absence. Like me Kylie is an APRE and Middle leader so Kylie will be able to support experienced and beginning teachers and school officers with student learning and wellbeing.

2023 School Leaders soon to be announced

Well done to all students who prepared and presented their leadership speeches this week. We were very proud of you all. We will be announcing the School Leaders early next week. We look forward to you sharing your gifts for student wellbeing and learning throughout 2023.

MUSIC and LOTE

MUSIC and DRAMA and LANGUAGE (Barunggam & Auslan) lessons occur on Mondays and Wednesdays.

NAPLAN

2023 NAPLAN has changed:

The NAPLAN tests have moved to Term 1.
The NAPLAN test window is between Wednesday 15 March to Monday 27 March.
Yr 3 & 5 student will continue to participate in National Literacy and Numeracy tests between 15 -27 March.
Mrs Smith will coordinate NAPLAN with Mrs Williams during my leave.

Change to LIBRARY day

Tuesday is Library Day. Please return your books to the blue box on arrival at school each Tuesday morning.

Swimming

Congratulations go to Leon Riddiford who will represent our school and the Small Schools at the Tara & District Swimming Carnival being held in Chinchilla on Wednesday 8^th of February. Leon has been in training and ready to go. We wish him a great carnival.

Free Prep Vision Checks

Free PREP Vision checks will be conducted on 15th February. Please return the forms for administration to input as soon as possible or complete the application online yourself. If you need a new form please see Miss Monica.

Uniform Vouchers & Christmas Hampers

What a compassionate and generous Tara community we have! Belinda Gay, on behalf of Tara Community Christmas Tree Group, recently purchased four uniform vouchers. Each voucher entitles four lucky St. Joseph's recipients to receive a shirt, a skort/shorts & a bucket hat from St. Joseph's School. These vouchers have been given to four students in need.

WonderKarma who conducted our photoshoot has also generously donated money towards uniforms this year. This will be allocated to families who were not given a uniform from the group above.

Audiology

At the end of the year, St. Joseph's School funded the twenty-two free audiometric hearing and hearing health check with Audiologist Dendra Cole on Tuesday 22 November. Please follow up on any hearing recommendations on your child's report to ensure your child's hearing health and management. Poor hearing health directly impacts learning.

Concessions

If you are struggling financially, please apply for a concession on your fees. Please reach out to me, Monica or Suzanne in the office.

First Aid

If you would like to do your First Aid and CPR at St. Joseph's on Saturday 11th February please see the flyer in this newsletter. You will need your USI number.

Volunteer Induction

We would love you, our parents and carers, to volunteer and get involved in the school. If you would like to volunteer in any way (tuckshop, reading, excursions, swimming, Telehealth etc), please attend the Volunteer Induction on Thursday 9 February at 8.30 a.m. or 2.30 p.m. Induction takes no more than twenty minutes to complete.

P & F AGM

All parents and friends are invited to attend the P & F Annual General Meeting on Friday 3 February at 3 p.m. On behalf of the school I thank Sara Shields (President), Monica Moran (Vice President and Secretary) and Anne Furniss (Treasurer and Tuckshop Convenor) for the wonderful work they did in support of the school and its wellbeing and learning priorities in 2022. The outgoing P & F committee has organised refreshments for the meeting. The 2023 P & F executive committee (President, Vice president, Secretary, Treasurer and Tuckshop Convenor) is to be elected.

Come along and support the school and or be elected to one of the above roles.

Be well.

Regards

Mary Porter

"Be full of forgiveness, hope and love." Mary MacKillop (1873)

"Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34

From the APRE

Healing

The school community hopes that you are recovering from the devastating and sad events that occurred over the holidays. The memorial services were very moving and helped to begin the healing process. If you are not okay, please reach out and we will do all we can to help your child and your family. Counsellor support has been and will continue to be provided to support our school community.

Blessing & Commissioning Liturgy of the Word

Please join us to welcome in the new year, commission our 2023 school leaders and bless each and everyone in our school community on Friday 10th February at 8.45 a.m. All are welcome in this place. Come and celebrate our leaders.

Outreach to those in Need

Each year as part of our social justice activities the students participate in activities to fund raise for the needy in the world, including Australia. Our small part helps and we received a letter from Catholic Mission in appreciation of our small school efforts to "Do our bit".

St Joseph's School
PO Box 42
TARA QLD 4421

15/12/2022

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your generous donation of $626.84 supporting the work of Catholic Mission and giving life to what we do. Your kindness and faithfulness inspire us, and we are ever grateful for you.

Your support makes an incredible difference to the lives of tens of thousands of children, their communities and Church leaders in Australia and around the world who are impacted through Catholic Mission programs and the global work of the Pontifical Mission Societies.

Your school’s gift through Socktober helps to ensure that mission partners like Father Habte in Emdibir, Ethiopia can continue supporting families, like Neela’s, and their communities, being the hands and feet of Jesus and bringing hope to those in need.

We hope that you are inspired by the part you play in this missionary journey and the life-giving work that you help bring to be. To find out more ways to make an impact, visit catholicmission.org.au.

On behalf of missionaries around the world, thank you for your faith in action.

Sincerely,

Fr Brian Lucas

Meet the staff

Photo Time

P & F News

Thank you to all whom have supported the P&F through out 2022. Whether it was purchasing items at our stalls and/or fundraisers, volunteering personal time to help work at events and cooking for various events. We look forward to the support and ideas from our new 2023 families.

P & F Annual General Meeting: Friday 10th of Feburary at 3 pm in the St Joseph's Staff room with nibbles and drinks provided. The executive committee will be elected. Everyone is Welcome!

The next tuckshop day has been postponed until after the AGM, when we will elect the 2023 tuckshop convenor. If you are interested in volunteering in the tuckshop this year please see Monica at the office.

From the Parish

St Mary Of The Angels - Tara
Mass Times

Tara: Friday: 9am
Saturday: 6pm

Moonie: Sunday: 9:30am
on the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Sunday of the Month

Meandarra: Sunday: 7:30am
on the 2nd & 4th Sunday of the Month

Glenmorgan: Sunday: 9am
on the 4th Sunday of the Month

Parish Priest: Fr Jack MacGinley
Presbytery: 4665 3401 (Tara)

St Joseph's Awards

Students Of The Week

Week 2 - Hannah Meyer, Frankie Nystrom, Kaileigh McChrystal, Noah Fraser-Parle, Bentley Tucker, Jason French, Aldrich Imperial and Rubie Warwick.

From the Administration Officers

SCHOOL FEES

A big thank you to those who made regular payments over the school holidays.

Please be advised that 2023 Term 1 school fees will be distrubuted Week 3. If you are having any financial difficulties please come in the office to discuss what we can do to help.

2023 Volunteers! If you are wanting to volunteer in the school please come see myself or Sue in the office for Volunteer forms and information. Volunteers can range from Tuckshop, Classroom, Library, Grounds and Coaching.

HOW TO PAY YOUR SCHOOL FEES:

*Cash / Cheque

*Direct Deposit:
Bank: ADF
Name: St Joseph’s School
BSB: 064-786
ACC: 100025583
Reference: Your Name.

*Centrelink Centrepay Deduction Payments can be made fortnightly or monthly. The School’s CRN: 555075545A

Not Sure how it’s done? Ask at the office for assistance.