St Joseph's, Tara - Term 4 Week 6 2023 Newsletter!

Our Vision & Mission Statements

From the Acting Principal

Welcome to the Week 6 Newsletter!

2024 Prep Transition Day

What a wonderful way to start our Week 6 with a 2024 Prep Transition Day. All the smiling and excited faces we saw come through our gates was so refreshing to see. The new Preppies joined the current Preppies to make our 2024 class of Prep/1. These days are so important to prepare the students for school life. For them to understand the classroom expectations and some of the routines they will experience in the following year is extremely important for a quick settling in period at the beginning of the new school year. I know we had a lot of tired little people walking out the school gate at 1pm.

Thank you to Miss Heather Sheppard and Mrs Doreen Warwick for their constant enthusiasm and professionalism they always display in helping our students settle into their new environment. 

Thank you also to Mrs Annette Murdoch, School Inclusion Coach, and Mrs Rachel Crooke, Senior Advisor Occupational Therapist, for travelling out from the Toowoomba Catholic Schools office to support us with this transition day and ensuring that we know our learners even before they begin their formal schooling with us. 

Our final 2024 Prep Transition Day is on Tuesday 28 November. This is a full day from 8.30am to 2.50pm and we cannot wait. 

Behaviour

As we make our way through what has certainly been an interesting and already busy Term 4, we are seeing an escalation in not acceptable behaviour choices. At this time every year, students begin to know and feel that the end is near, excitement for the long holiday break begins and a few nerves start to set in for those leaving us, often after 7 years of being at the same school, for further studies elsewhere. It is now that the staff, with the support of parents, need to provide constant and consistent reminders about the school expectations for behaviour and that we need to continue to be kind and caring to those in our community. 

I spoke to the whole school on Monday morning at assembly about Jesus' "golden rule" from Matthew's gospel - “Do for other people the same things you want them to do for you." (Mtt 7:12). Before we say or do something to another person we need to stop and think of the Golden Rule. If I wouldn't like this said or done to me should I be saying or doing it to another person. This was revisited in the Year 3-6 class on Tuesday and we expanded on the idea that it is so important to think about how my words and actions will affect the other person, either physically or emotionally. 

2024 Enrolments - all year levels

As we move closer to the end of 2023 and preparations begin for the 2024 school year, can I please ask that families communicate to the school via an email your intentions. This will certainly help us be prepared for the needs of students in each class. 

We are still taking enrolments for 2024 in all year levels and we would certainly appreciate your support in spreading the word to the community of the wonderful school we are. If you know of anyone who is interested in enroling their child at St Joseph's for 2024 and would like more information please tell them to make contact with the school office or find our enrolment information and forms on the school website. The flyer below has been placed on the school's Facebook page. Please feel free to share to your friends and the wider community and tell them how great St Joseph's is. 

God bless,

Kylie Williams

"A little patience will in the end be rewarded." ~ Mary MacKillop.

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." John 15:12

From the APRE

Remembrance Day!

This Saturday is Remembrance Day. This day falls on the 11th of November each year.  On the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, a minutes’ silence is observed and dedicated to those soldiers who died fighting to protect the nation.    

11 November is universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the First World War. This conflict had mobilised over 70 million people and left between nine and 13 million dead and as many as one third of these with no grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead. 

At 11 am on 11 November 1918, the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. 

In November, the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted the allied terms of unconditional surrender. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years and became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. 

https://www.army.gov.au/our-heritage/traditions/remembrance-day 

Today we commemorated Remembrance Day at St Joseph’s in the form of a liturgy. During this time, we remembered all those servicemen and women who fought and served in different wars. 

Tomorrow, our school and house captains will attend the Tara Remembrance Day Service and will represent the school by reading 'In Flanders Field' and laying poppies. The service begins at 10.30am at the Tara Bowls Club. All are welcome to attend. Students attending are asked to wear their school uniform. 

LEST WE FORGET!

Learning at St Joeys

From the  Prep classroom..............

English

This term students are exploring fairytales. They are learning to understand that the purpose of a narrative is to entertain and convey cultural norms across time and distance. Students are investigating the narrative structure and identifying the characters, events, settings, problem and solution. They are continuing to develop their skills to read and write high frequency words and constant-vowel-constant words and using these skills to create sentences. Students are learning to comprehend more complex texts through predicting, decoding unfamiliar words, segmenting words and identifying sound patterns within words. They have been developing their reading fluency skills through daily reading practice, including independent reading.

Religion

This term students are exploring who Jesus was and the stories he shared with us, especially the Ten Lepers, The Good Samaritan and the story of Jesus’ birth. They will be investigating what life was like at the time of Jesus and analyse the messages he was sharing through his stories. Students will plan, design and create a diorama of the Nativity Scene to display their understanding of Jesus’ birth and why it is an important event in the Christian Church.

Mathematics

Students are continuing to develop their number knowledge and skills. They are identifying and connecting number names, numerals and quantities including zero. Students are learning to understand that when counting objects, they must only be counted once. They are comparing and ordering items of like and unlike characteristics using words like ‘more’, ‘less’, ‘same as’ and ‘not the same as’ and providing reasons for their answers. Students are sorting and classifying familiar objects and explaining the basis for their classifications. They are copying, continuing and creating patterns using objects and drawings. Students are using direct and indirect comparisons to decide which objects are longer, heavier or holds more, and explain their reasoning in everyday language.

Science

In Science, students are learning about motion, movement, and forces. They are developing an understanding of shape and how it affects its movement. Students will create a toy that is capable of movement through either the force of push/pull or by the wind. They will discuss their toy, what materials they used, how it moves and explain why their creation was made the way they chose.

HaSS

This term students are learning about place, through the use and creation of maps. They are learning about how maps use symbols to represent important places and how they can be read and used for practical purposes. Students will create their own map of the school grounds using shapes and images to illustrate where certain features are within the school. They will use their created map to navigate their way around the school to find a hidden prize.

Photo Time

Prep Transition Day

Prep Classroom

Year 1 - 2 Classroom

Year 3 - 6 Classroom

P & F News

Futures Group Disco

The Futures Group Superhero Disco which was scheduled for Friday 24 November has been postponed. We look forward to hearing when the new date will be. 

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

St Joseph's Awards

Silver Award

Charlotte Partridge, Jaxson de Boeck, Angel Ferguson Alexia de Boeck and Tamarah Leis

Bronze Award

Leakella Norford

Students Of The Week

Week 5  - Frankie Nystrom, Charlotte Partridge, Ivy-Grace Andersen, Jason French and Tamarah Leis

Week 6  - Hannah Meyer, Evelyn Allen, Isabella French and Leakella Norford

From the Administration Officers

SCHOOL FEES

Monthly statements were distributed this week via the Parent Portal. Please check over your statements and contact the office if you have any questions or queries. We say a big thank you to those who have been making regular payments either via direct deposit or Centrepay and to those who have finalised their accounts for the end of year. We really appreciate it!

If you do need any financial assistance, come in and see myself or Kylie to see how we can help. It is completely confidential!

HOW TO PAY YOUR SCHOOL FEES:

*Cash / Cheque, at the office.

*Direct Deposit:
Bank: ADF
Name: St Joseph’s School
BSB: 064-786
ACC: 100-025-583
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.

Term Dates

2023

Term 1 2023 – Tue 24 Jan (Public Hol 26 Jan) - Fri 31 Mar

Term 2 2023 –(Student Free Day 17 Apr) Tue 18 Apr - Thur 22 Jun 

(Travel Day Fri 23 Jun)

Term 3 2023 – (Student Free Day 10 Jul) Tue 11 Jul - Friday 15 Sep

Term 4 2023 –(Public Hol 2 Oct) Tue 3 Oct - Thur 30 Nov

(Travel Day Fri 1 Dec)

2024

Term 1 2024 – Tue 23 Jan (Public Hol 26 Jan) - Thur 28 Mar

(Good Friday 29 Mar)

Term 2 2024 –(Student Free Day 15 Apr) Tue 16 Apr - Fri 21 Jun 

Term 3 2023 – (Student Free Day 08 Jul) Tue 09 Jul - Fri 13 Sep

Term 4 2023 –(Kings B'day 07 OCT) Mon 30 Sep - Wed 04 Dec

(Travel Day's Thur 5 Dec & Fri 6 Dec)

Wellbeing Matters

Student Safety

EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE

It is a legislative requirement that all non-state schools have at least two nominated staff members to whom a student can report the behaviour of another staff member that the student considers inappropriate.  We call these specially trained staff members School Student Protection Contacts, or SSPCs.  Each SSPC has been nominated by the principal in recognition of their integrity, approachability and knowledge in the area of student protection.  Whilst students are encouraged to speak up to any trusted adult in the school community, it is important that they know they can access these specific staff members at any time should they have worries, queries or concerns. You will have noticed posters throughout the school depicting our current SSPCs.  The SSPCs are also published on our school website along with information about our student protection processes.  In everything we do at St Joseph's Tara student safety is our highest priority, therefore the SSPCs at our school are key personnel in our overall safeguarding processes.  Please see the poster below depicting our current SSPC team.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT