Issue 3 – 1 March 2017

Newsletter Articles

VISION STATEMENT

St Rita’s School will be a compassionate and supportive community built on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, specifically incorporating the Mercy Values which are lived out. We will be a values-based community reaching out to and welcoming the wider community. Our strong school spirit will shine. St Rita’s will be a school in which every member is respectful of self and others

APRE THOUGHTS

Bon Voyage Mrs Billiau

Congratulations to Mrs Judy Billiau who was selected as a delegate for Cairns Catholic Education Services to attend the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, in California. The ‘LA RECongress’ is for Catholic educators and the largest annual gathering of its kind with up to 40,000 participants! Whilst in LA, Mrs Billiau will also tour local Catholic schools and universities, and visit cathedrals in the area. We wish Mrs Billiau safe travels as she takes a little part of Babinda with her to the world stage and look forward to her return next week.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday signals the beginning of Lent. Lent challenges us to turn away from sin and bring ourselves into closer relationship with God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. During Lent, purple is the main liturgical colour, representing sorrow and repentance. As such, the church is draped in purple cloths and decorations are minimal. A reflective mood is created for us to contemplate Jesus’ suffering and death.

The signing of the cross on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday derives from the custom of people of faith marking themselves with blessed ashes as a sign of repentance. The ashes are prepared from the burnt, blessed palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday services. Use of ashes is symbolic for Catholics, representing death, mortality and sorrow for sin, and reminds us that, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, our sins are forgiven.

“Remember you are dust and to dust you will return”

This Wednesday, Ash Wednesday Mass will be celebrated at St Rita’s Parish Church at 9:00am and 6:00pm. You are warmly invited to attend either service.

Project Compassion

Running through the six weeks of Lent each year, Project Compassion seeks to raise funds and deliver support to vulnerable communities, working towards creating a more just and peaceful world. Last year, through Project Compassion 2016, over $11 million was raised to help the world's poorest communities.

The theme for Project Compassion 2017 is “Love your neighbour”. This year, through Project Compassion, inspiring stories from the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Australia, Vietnam and Fiji will be shared with the students, highlighting the importance of working hand in hand with communities around the world.

St Rita’s fundraising efforts this Lenten season will be forwarded to Caritas’ Project Compassion. We would like to take an opportunity to thank families in advance, in anticipation of your support for this worthy cause.

Caritas: Project Compassion – Pancake Tuesday

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program has flipped! Pancakes, that is, to raise money towards the Caritas Project Compassion initiatives. The fundraiser was generously supported by St Rita’s staff and the school community, and thanks to some empty tummies, we have raised in excess of $40 already! Many thanks to all involved in making our first Lenten fundraiser such a success!

St Rita’s Community Carers and Just Leadership Day

A number of senior students have expressed an interest in ministering through St Rita’s Community Carers Group. This motivated band of children aim to occasionally meet together during their lunch breaks to discuss how they can make a difference to their local community through various ventures, with the support of teaching staff. The children from the Community Carers Groups have been invited to attend a Caritas ‘Just Leadership Day’ on Tuesday 7th March at St John’s School Silkwood with an emphasis on the importance of building a better, more just world. Congratulations to Andy, Georgina, Harper, Jack, Jamie, Melina and Roisin who are willing to commit their time and energy in service in the community.

Pet-Pep Parade

Students from St Rita’s were most fortunate to have representatives from the Cairns Regional Council and Tropical Veterinary Services visiting last Wednesday, to present two very informative ‘Pet-Pep’ talks. Discussions centred on pet health, responsible pet ownership and appropriate safety precautions that can be taken around unfamiliar dogs. The children were delighted to meet and pet the special guest pets - Roxy the dog and two one-week-old chickens - and were provided with many hints and tips on how to care for and treat animals correctly, and remain safe. Complimentary take-home goodie bags from both providers caused much excitement among the children! Our thanks extend to our presenters: Cameron and Anne-Maree, Kati and Donella for sharing their time and expert knowledge with us!

World Day of Prayer

Friends of St Rita’s School and Parish are invited to attend the 2017 World Day of Prayer, which will commence at 9:30am on Friday 3rd March at St Rita’s Church in Babinda. The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement which brings Christians of many traditions together to observe a common day of prayer each year. The motto of the World Day of Prayer movement is ‘Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action’ and is in response to issues of concern around the world. This year the focus is on the Philippines and the theme, prepared by women is ‘Am I Being Unfair to You?’. Following the service a shared morning tea will be held in the Parish Room.

Senior Camp Date

After some careful consideration and in consultation with members of St Rita’s P & F, the camp dates have been re-negotiated and senior camp will now take place on 30th August until 1st September.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Bullying. No way!

At St Rita’s, we aim to create a safe and supportive school community for everyone.

Sometimes, it can be difficult for parents or carers to know what to do when their child talks to them about bullying. You are an important part of our work to prevent bullying and to respond effectively if it happens. Stopping bullying involves everyone.

If your child talks to you about bullying:

1. Listen calmly and get the full story. Your calm response is important to allow your child to tell you all about the situation. After they’ve told you their story, ask questions to get more details if you need to: who, what, where, when. Although you may feel some strong emotions about your child’s experience, try to keep calm to avoid more distress to your child.
2. Reassure your child they are not to blame. Many children blame themselves and this may make them feel even worse. You could say things like, ‘That sounds really hard to deal with. No one should have to put up with that!’ or, ‘I’m so glad you told me. You should be able to feel safe at school; that’s not fair at all’.
3. Ask your child what they want to do. A critical part of your response is to avoid jumping in to solve the problem. While it is natural to want to protect your child, helping them to find their own solution is a better option. It helps them feel they have some power in the situation.
4. Visit www.bullyingnoway.gov.au to find some strategies. The website has tips and ideas for different bullying situations. One idea is to practise strategies at home to help your child feel more confident.
5. Contact the school. Your child may be reluctant for you to do this, so discuss the idea and reassure them that the school would want to know and is able to help. Make an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher and, if you need to, ask to talk with the principal. Contact the school immediately if you have a concern about your child’s safety.
6. Check in regularly with your child. Keep the conversation going. It can take time to resolve issues, so check in regularly with your child about their experiences and their feelings. Your ongoing support is important.

If you are looking for support for yourself to deal with a bullying situation, you will find ideas on the Bullying. No Way! Website for parents. As well, please contact the school if you would like to discuss any aspect of our approach to preventing bullying.

Thank you for your support to make our school a great school for everyone!

Maureen Gaul
Assistant Principal (Religious Education)

CASTING THE NET

In praise of ‘Feel Good’.

Last week I went to my nephew’s wedding. It was simply wonderful. He and his bride were very happy, very relaxed with each other. As they pronounced their commitment to each other, it brought back the time I made my own commitment as a nun. Yes, in many ways different to theirs but the same in the giving of oneself in love.

I think many in that church were ruminating, as I was, on our commitments and the ways things have turned out.

All of us would have had good times and bad times and some serious challenges – as this young couple will - but the glow of that day inspired me, as it would have others, to recommitment. The goodness and hope flowing out of these two transformed the lives of those around them.

Since then I have pondered on the choices we can make about what influences us – especially in our moods. To some degree we can choose how we act by what we choose to focus on. One could have been cynical at the wedding, focussing on the challenges ahead, or one could enter into their joy, focussing on the love they had for each other. One could have focussed on some family difficulties that were swirling that day or one could focus on the happiness there. Made in God’s image, we are made for goodness and happiness. God doesn’t force these upon us – rather we are given the opportunity to freely enter into them. The ‘Feel Good’ moments that come our way have an important role to play in our lives for a lot of the time when we feel good, it is so much easier to go out and be good. May you relish the good moments that come your way this week.

Loving God, life can feel so overwhelming at times. Open my hearts to see the good moments that come, give me the freedom of heart to enjoy them and then let the goodness flow out to those around me. I ask this in Jesus’ name, confident that you will hear me.

Sr Kym Harris osb

LIBRARY LINKS

Fighter pilot, spy, writer and inventor…..the amazing Roald Dahl is a weaver of dreams and a librarian’s delight!

To coincide with the release of The Cairns Post’s Roald Dahl collection, the students of St Rita’s Babinda have been rediscovering the incredible characters to be found within the pages of these outstanding books.

The delightful Matilda Wormwood, who travelled to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling; who travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.

Willy Wonka, the extraordinary chocolate making genius, who relishes nonsense and inspires us to relish it along with him!

The fantastic Mr Fox, who, while being very clever and cunning, is sometimes caught out!

The stories of Roald Dahl are truly exceptional fun. They thrill, amaze and inspire new generations, and to quote the great man himself, A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.

Lisa Calcagno
Library Assistant

COUNSELLOR’S CORNER

Why is Social and Emotional Wellbeing Important?

A child is more likely to learn, be happy and succeed in the school environment when they have developed skills in managing their emotions. Emotional intelligence is when a person is self-aware, is able to be emotionally regulated and expressive, and has the ability to understand and empathise with other people’s emotions. Having these skills helps a child to problem-solve and become more resilient in dealing with life's stressors.

St. Rita's School values student wellbeing and it is taught as part of the curriculum through the Social and Emotional Learning program. This involves fair ways to play, how to calm down, skills for learning, empathy and problem-solving steps. Additionally the School Counsellor is also facilitating Circle Time, which focuses on social and emotional skill development in groups. This is currently being offered to years two, three and four.

References:

www.kidsmatter.edu.au

www.mindtools.com

Yours in counselling,
Nicole Wannenburg

AROUND THE CLASSROOMS

NETBALL

“Hands in the middle…GO NETBALL!” says Miss Jennie our netball coach, who is also the head coach of the Sharks Netball Club in Cairns.

Students from years five and six have been upgrading their game skills through some challenging, but exhilarating training exercises. They have been learning court positions, correct passing techniques and essential defence skills to improve their game. The children have also learnt that to be an effective netball player, they need to show good sportsmanship and work together as a team.

A variety of training games, such as ball tag and donkey have been played by all, to hone in on key netball skills and strategies. Run! Pass! Shoot! Goal for St Rita’s!

By Year 5/6 Class

DATE CLAIMERS

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

St Rita’s School congratulates those students who were awarded ‘Student of the Week’ at Assembly on Friday 24th February 2017.

BIRTHDAY CONGRATULATIONS

St Rita’s wishes Latoya Ambrum and Timmy Pham all the very best for their recent birthdays. We hope you had wonderful birthday celebrations. Congratulations Latoya and Timmy!

TRIPLE P – Positive Parenting Program

Queensland parents and carers can now get free parenting support through the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. This initiative is funded by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services.

Depending on where they live and what practitioners are offering in their area (new sessions are added all the time), parents and carers can attend free individual or group parenting support sessions in-person or sign up for Triple P online. Families also have the option of a self-help workbook if Internet access is a problem.

Triple P is an evidence-based parenting program developed by Professor Matt Sanders at The University of Queensland more than 30 years ago. Professor Sanders is also Director of UQ’s Parenting and Family Support Centre and continues to lead Triple P’s extensive and ongoing global research program.

Triple P is proven to encourage positive behaviour in children and significantly improve parent wellbeing, which is why we’re offering all parents and carers the opportunity to access evidence-based support if and when they need it.

If you have any questions I encourage you to visit the link below for more information.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

BABINDA COMMUNITY KINDERGARTEN

MEDIA RELEASE

COMMUNITY NEWS

BASEBALL SIGN-ON