St Joseph's, Tara - Term 1 Week 4 2024 Newsletter!

Our Vision & Mission Statements

From the Principal

Welcome to the Term 1 Week 4 Newsletter!

School Student Protection Committee

This week myself, Tara Fisher and Jacinta Jensen attended the Toowoomba Catholic Schools School Student Protection Contact (SSPC) training. This was a great day of learning on how best we can help our students feel safe. The role of an SSPC is a safe person within the school for students to talk to about any safety concerns they may have with either themselves or others.  

Students will be advised as to who the SSPCs are and what their role is next week. Posters are also visible around the school reminding them who they can talk to.  

2024 School Leaders

It was a very proud moment for many staff, parents and students last Friday as our new school captains, vice captains and MacKillop Club leaders were commissioned into their new roles. We are certain that this group of young people will fully commit themselves to the role that they were voted for by peers and staff to undertake for 2024. A further announcement of the MacKillop Club roles will follow next week. 

Breakfast 

We are noticing a number of students are coming to school without having had breakfast. Research tells us that breakfast is one of the most important meals to fuel our body and minds ready for the busyness of the day. We understand that mornings and the morning routine of families can be somewhat busy and stressful; however, we ask that parents and carers ensure their child has a healthy, nutritious breakfast before they come to school.  

Right to disconnect

As part of the latest enterprise bargaining agreement between Catholic employers and employees, a Right to Disconnect entitlement was agreed upon. This entitlement is seen as an important inclusion in the agreement to relieve workload and improve teacher well-being. The protocols of this agreement for St Joseph’s, Tara staff can be seen in the document below. In short, staff are entitled to disconnect from work-related electronic communications between the hours of 7.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday, unless the matter is of an urgent nature.  

Therefore, for parents and carers, this may mean that staff may not respond to electronic communications outside these hours. We thank everyone for this understanding and support in this important area of ensuring our staff’s well-being is cared for.  

PLD Phonics and Spelling Program

As part of the school’s commitment to improving reading and writing for all students, we have begun to adopt the Promoting Literacy Development (PLD) program. PLD is an Australian, evidence-based approach to structured synthetic phonics (SSP) for primary schools. It is a program which is aligned to the Science of Reading and is an approach which extends from the junior primary years through to upper primary years; therefore, facilitating a whole school approach to phonics and spelling.  

Staff have been attending online training on how best to implement this new school wide phonics and spelling program, with School Officers also working to support students through implementing a phonics intervention program which is run 4-days a week.  

Research tells us that consistency and routine is imperative for information to move from short-term to long-term memory. Providing a structured phonics and spelling program such as PLD on a daily basis creates the automaticity required to develop fluency in reading and supports writing skills.  

God bless,

Kylie Williams

"Always remember to help and be of service to others." ~ Mary MacKillop.

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

From the APRE

SHROVE (PANCAKE) TUESDAY 

Tuesday was Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Tuesday) and students were lucky to enjoy some pancakes which were provided by staff or parents. Shrove Tuesday is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent. It was a time when Christians confessed their sins and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins). This day was also the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten “fasting” period and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients. This is how it became known as Pancake Tuesday.  

ASH WEDNESDAY 

On Wednesday, the students participated in an Ash Wednesday Liturgy. Ash Wednesday is a very important day in our Catholic Church as it signifies the beginning of our Lent season. The Lenten season is a time of solemnity and self-reflection. A time to resolve to live a life more like Jesus and his teachings. It lasts for just over six weeks leading up to Easter. Traditionally Lent was a time of fasting from certain foods such as eggs, meat, fish and fats. In more recent times, people might give up a luxury food or item – such as chocolate, social media, technology. Almsgiving (giving to those less fortunate than yourself) has also become a focus during the Lenten season.  

PROJECT COMPASSION 

Every year, countless people turn Lent into a demonstration of faith, love and generosity – almsgiving. St Joseph’s will once again continue to show our support for the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion appeal. The work that Caritas Australia continually do reminds us that there are simple actions we can all take to help improve the dignity of people not only in Australia but around the world. Each week, classes will be involved in organising and running Project Compassion activities which will raise money for St Joseph’s to donate to Caritas Australia. We thank you in advance for your support with fundraising for this special cause. A fundraising calendar will be available to all families soon. Project Compassion money boxes will also be in each classroom (on the prayer tables) for students and families to donate any further money if they so wish.  

Learning at St Joeys

From the Year 2 - 3 classroom

Welcome back everyone for another fabulous year. It has been wonderful seeing all the students’ smiling faces in class. In Year 2/3 this term we have introduced ‘Snack Attack’. This allows students to bring a healthy snack chopped up and ready to go. They can place the snack on their desk during first session and nibble as they like. Please note that only healthy snacks, like the ones listed in the email sent to all Year 2/3 parents, will be allowed into the classroom.  

This term in English we are completing a novel study of Matilda written by Roald Dahl. Throughout the first term it is being used to provide student's an authentic way to explore a variety of literary devices. By the end of the unit, students will have used various sections of the novel to assist them with both sentence level and text level writing. They will also develop their reading comprehension strategies and gain a deeper understanding of the vocabulary used in the novel.  

We have also taken the first steps to introduce a school wide literacy development program into the classroom, to assist students with spelling and reading. The program is being gradually rolled out across the term with new activities being introduced into the daily routine through explicit teaching of each new component.  

Maths has started with a focus on place value. For Year two students, this requires them to understand the place value of numbers to 1000. Year 3 students are required to know numbers from 10, 000 and beyond. To round out the term we will then move into addition and subtraction of two- and three-digit numbers.  

In Religion we are developing our understanding of how we can live in a relationship with God, each other and with creation. We have started by learning the importance of forgiveness and what it means to forgive. We have also learnt the impact that sincerity has on our relationships when we ask for forgiveness.  

Science is all about biology and the characteristics of living, non-living and once living things. We will also compare the differences between the life cycles of plants and animals.  We will examine how data is used to develop scientific explanation and consider how these explanations meet a human need.  Learning to plan questions that will assist us to observe patterns and make predictions based on obligations.  

HaSS in an investigation of places, people and symbols that are important to Australia. We have started the term identifying and discussing the natural and man-made features of the community and as well as the significant people within the community.  We will finish the term learning about the different, emblems, flags and about the Commonwealth Coats of Arms.  

As you can see, we have a significant amount of learning to cover, and attendance has the greatest impact on the success of students conceptual understanding in all subjects.  

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Ash Wednesday

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Swimming lessons W3

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Heathly Harold

Swimming lessons W4

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P & F News

Tara Futures Group - Superhero Disco - St Joseph's P&F are excited to announce that we will be teaming up with the Futures Group and catering at their superhero themed disco on Friday!

If you are able to help with any of the following jobs, even for a short amount of time, could you please contact Monica via the front office or Lesley.

1. Cooking and serving in the kitchen on the night
2. Serving in the drinks area 
3. Cleaning and packing up afterwards – 9:30pm

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

Students Of The Week

Week 3  -  Due to the leadership speeches, no awards were given.

Week 4  - Xander Welldon-Taylor, Jolin Kerr, Saige Vanderkroft, Jaxson deBoeck, Bentley Tucker, Avah McArthur and Braxton McGill

From the Administration Officers

SCHOOL FEES

The first reminders will be distributed this week. We thank you to all who have either paid in full or continued weekly/fortnightly payments. We also appreciate parents/carers who have let us know of alternative arrangements.

Please see below the new fee procedure and guidelines. The new fee list for 2024 was emailed out at the end of Term 4 last year. Please do not hesitate to contact the office if you have any queries or concerns.

If you need any financial assistance, be sure to 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.

*BPoint, at the office or over the phone.

*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

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