Issue 8 - 23 May 2017

Newsletter Articles

MISSION STATEMENT

St Rita’s School mission is to create a community which inspires a love of holistic, life-long learning grounded in the Catholic Christian faith. Childhood is celebrated and nurtured by caring adults. A student’s capacity for their best future is realised in the context of our small rural community. We provide a safe and supportive environment, characterised by strong, life-giving and respectful relationships with students, staff, families, parish and the wider community. The school strives to ensure we are living out the Mercy values.

PRINCIPAL’S PEN

Dear Parents and Carers,

Once again, St Rita’s celebrated Mother’s Day with great gusto, with the annual Mother’s Day Pampering Afternoon being such a successful event. It was heartening to see the children excitedly ‘pampering’ their precious mothers, grandmothers, aunties and lady friends. This year, we decided to have a short performance to end the afternoon with poems, songs and ukulele playing by the students. To all our special guests, thank you for coming along and being part of our Pampering Afternoon. It is one of my favourites events of the school year!

To begin a new week, we celebrated St Rita’s Feast Day yesterday with a Mass, morning tea and rotational activities in the afternoon session. The Mass, organised by our APRE Mrs Maureen Gaul, was a wonderful celebration of our parish school. I am always especially pleased that a good number of families and parishioners join us for whole school events such as this.

Although May is ‘Australia's Biggest Morning Tea’ month, you can host an event anytime throughout May or June. Last year, the Cancer Council raised an amazing $11.9 million by ABMT to fund research and to provide prevention and support services to those affected by cancer. St Rita’s School will once again host a ‘Biggest Morning Tea’ event, organised by Mrs Debbie Kurucz, and we will be looking for support from our school and parish communities to contribute to this national fundraising goal. Please mark your calendar, Tuesday 30th May, to come for morning tea at St Rita’s!

In the coming weeks, we will be getting down to the business of Assessment and Reporting. Classroom teachers will begin testing, observing and evaluating your child’s progress for Semester One. For some students, undertaking even short in-class tests can be a time of stress and anxiety. Doubting one’s ability to complete an assessment task and having poor self-confidence can impact significantly on the results achieved.

Here at St Rita’s, we fully appreciate the critical importance of developing confidence in young children. It is self-doubt, anxiety, and having a lack of confidence that most interferes with a young child’s learning and growth. Michael Grose proposes, “You can send kids to the best school available but they won’t be happy and achieve unless they feel confident in their abilities”.

However building a child’s self-confidence is equally as challenging for parents and teachers. Developing this skill does not necessarily happen as children become competent learners, as even bright students can be anxious and have poor confidence. Also being positive and optimistic does not necessarily mean that your child will take risks when faced with a new challenge.

Grose stresses that teachers and parents need to work with self-confidence on several fronts - what a child THINKS, how a child FEELS and what a child DOES.

• Accepting myself means that I will not think badly of myself when I make a mistake
• Taking risks involves thinking that it is still good to try new things even though I might not be able to do them
• Being independent happens when I understand that it is important to I try new things even when others think that I am being silly

Using the same language that we use here at St Rita’s would be extremely beneficial for your child. Congratulate him or her often for being confident, accepting of oneself, taking risks and being independent.

Training for our upcoming Athletics Carnival is in full swing! Mrs Masina has been teaching Track & Field skills lessons in P.E. this term as well as organising Thursday afternoon training sessions to supplement this program. The children should be wearing their house sports polo and navy sports shorts every Thursday for these sessions. Everyone is looking very smart in the new coloured house polos that are available for purchase through the school office.

Last Friday Ms Myree Sam, ILO Education Officer from Cairns, visited school to finalise the employment of a new Indigenous Liaison Officer. As you know, Miss Tua moved interstate at the beginning of term, so leaving a vacancy in this important position of support for our indigenous families. I would like to congratulate Miss Alannah Dewis who successfully applied for the ILO position and make her most welcome when she begins at St Rita’s this week.

I look forward to seeing you around the school in the days ahead. Well done Prep and Year 1 mums who are valuable helpers in the home reading program in their classroom. Thank you!

Happy St Rita’s Day to everyone in our school community.

Regards and blessings,
Judy Billiau

APRE THOUGHTS

St Rita’s Feast Day Celebrations

These were the opening lines to our Entrance song, proclaimed in joyous voice by those who gathered together at St Rita’s Feast Day Mass on Monday. They are a salient reminder of the revered qualities of our school’s Patron, Saint Rita, that we aspire to: peaceful, compassionate, merciful and loving, and above all gifted with faith in Jesus as her Lord and Saviour.

Remarkably, St Rita found joy and forgiveness, even though she endured years of suffering in an unhappy marriage with a man who was noted for his cruelty. She beseeched her sons and husband’s family members to reconcile with the persons responsible for her husband’s death, and was devoted to the Passion of Christ, hence the stigmata on her forehead. Nearing the end of her life and inflicted with tuberculosis, she found delight in receiving a single red rose from her family’s lands and felt graced by God, secure in her faith that she would come to share in eternal life.

A model disciple, St Rita’s example clearly shows to us the attributes of a life changed by Jesus Christ that Paul the Apostle spoke of in his Letter to the Galatians (5:22-23): “… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” As a Catholic Christian school, we place particular importance on the spiritual gifts shown by our Patrons, and try to emulate their values. At St Rita’s, we are encouraged to be people of peace and forgiveness, and show tender love and compassion to those around us, particularly when we may perceive personal hurt and suffering. When we allow the grace of the Holy Spirit to be effective in us, we can live with joy in the love of God!

Many thanks to Father Kerry for presiding over our whole school Mass, and to the staff and students for a fun-filled day of activities to celebrate the life and influence of St Rita.

National Reconciliation Week

An Australian annual event, held from 27th May – 3rd June, National Reconciliation Week marks two milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey: The 1967 referendum and the historic Mabo decision. Significantly, 2017 is the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum, which saw the amendment of the constitution to include Aboriginal people in the census and allow the Commonwealth to create laws for them, and the 25th anniversary of the Mabo decision, where Torres Strait Islander Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo challenged the courts and fought for legal recognition of land rights for Indigenous Peoples.

St Rita’s students have joined with other members of the Diocese to write messages of reconciliation and contribute towards a display of a ‘Sea of Hands’. This display can be seen on the lawn in front of the Bishop’s House this week as a symbol of reconciliation and respect. Published below are some of the thoughtful and moving messages written by the children.

We pray for the broken hearts. We pray for forgiving hearts. (Prep/Year 1)
We ask for this land to be healed. (Teelah Year 1)
My prayer for you is to be happy and at peace. (Rhya Year 3)
We respect your customs and culture that you have shared with others. (Jamie Year 5)
May we respect and remember your stories and I thank you for taking care of the country. (Snowball Year 6)

Thank you to all of our children for their contributions and let us pray for continued healing to the First and Second Peoples of our Nation.

For Our Land and Its People

Loving Parent, whose likeness we share, bless our people.
Bless Indigenous Australians and the most recent migrants.
Bless the descendants of European settlers and convicts, the Asians, Pacific Islanders, and new refugees arriving from far lands.

Loving Parent of us all, forgive any intolerance,
Enable us to treasure every face and race, to redress injustices, and to seek the common good for one and all.

Bruce Prewer

(Prayer extract ‘For Our Land and Its People’)

Maureen Gaul
Assistant Principal (Religious Education)

CASTING THE NET

Mary, our help

The first Catholic Cathedral in Australia was built on a rubbish dump. In the early colony, giving that land to the Catholics was intended as an insult. Not that you would notice it today. St Mary’s Cathedral looks, to the tourist and casual observer today, like it is on prime real estate while the Churches of the other denominations who received land in that early distribution are crowded beneath the skyscrapers of the city. A similar thing happened in Melbourne.

Catholics had a hard time in the early colony. Their faith was illegal. For the first forty years they rarely saw a priest and then only under strict supervision of the authorities. But many did ‘keep their faith’. They kept alive in their hearts the belief that God was with them even in those difficult circumstances. Love of Mary expressed though praying the rosary sustained and supported this belief so when they were finally allowed to publicly practise their faith they expressed their thanks to her by dedicating the first Cathedral in her honour and then later making her the patron of Australia under the title Mary, Help of Christians. They knew that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was their support in the hard and difficult times they faced.

This Wednesday, the 24th May, is the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians. Just as she helped the early Australian Church, she helps us as well…so what type of help do you want? We all have times and situations so difficult we feel we are in the rubbish dump – both personally and as a community.Most likely, with God’s help and with Mary’s, we will not be taken out of our rubbish dumps but will be given the grace and opportunity to turn them into prime real estate. This week offer your difficult challenges to Mary and imagine what she, with her mother’s heart, could do for you.

Loving God, thank you for the gift of Mary, Help of Christians.
You know I could do with all the help I could get,
so let your Spirit guide me in turning to her and receiving what I need.
I ask this in Jesus’ name confident that you will hear me.

Sr Kym Harris osb

NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME

National Simultaneous Storytime is an annual campaign that aims to encourage more young Australians to read and enjoy books. Now in its 17th successful year, NSS is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy using an Australian children's book that explores age appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the Australian Curriculum for primary schools.

Organised annually by the Australian Library and Information Association, the event is centred around a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, being read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

By facilitating National Simultaneous Storytime, we aim to:

• promote the value of reading and literacy;
• promote the value and fun of books;
• promote an Australian writer and publisher;
• promote storytime activities in public libraries and communities around the country;
• provide opportunities to involve parents, grandparents, the media and others to participate in and enjoy the occasion.

NSS receives positive media coverage, generates a great deal of community interest and is held annually as part of Library and Information Week. On Wednesday 24th May, St Rita’s children will be part of this important national event by enjoying the picture book, ‘The Cow Tripped over the Moon’ written by Tony Wilson and Laura Wood. Share this wonderful story together in your home too!

UNDER EIGHTS’ WEEK 2017

The Queensland Branch of Early Childhood Australia proudly initiates the annual Under Eights’ Week national event each year. It has been running for over sixty years across all areas of Queensland. This year’s theme, ‘Children are playing Country to Coast – Inspiring learning in the early years through play’, will be the highlight of a week’s celebrations from 20th - 27th May 2017.

This week, our Prep - Year 2s will participate in the local celebration of Under 8s’ Day at Babinda State School. St Rita’s will join other primary schools, Babinda Kindergarten, the day care centre and playgroup for a morning of fun-filled events for children under eight years of age. We are in need of parents to help supervise our children, so please leave your name at the office if you can spare a few hours on Thursday 25th May 2017.

CURRICULUM

ICAS TESTING: UNSW Global Educational Assessment Australia

If you are interested in your child sitting the ICAS English and Mathematics tests this year, registrations are now open for the testing which is scheduled to take place on 1st August and 15th August 2017. The cost per test is $9.90. Please contact the Office by the 9th June if you wish to register your child for ICAS Testing next term.

PARENT ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP

AROUND THE CLASSROOMS

Recount Writing in Year 2/3/4

Mother’s Day Pampering Afternoon

“It is that time again….wake up Mum! I have to get to school! It’s Mother’s Day Pampering Afternoon, today. I don’t want to be late on Friday the 12th of May!” I exclaimed.

We started at 1:15pm and I went outside the Prep/One room to wait for the first activity to do with my nan. Firstly, we massaged our mum’s hands and gave them delicious treats like chocolate slice, jam drops and mouth-watering fruit slice.

Next, we went to the library to read and colour in. I read books to my nan while my sister coloured in for her. Then Rhya read to both mum and nan.

We then went to make bracelets and I made a pattern with coloured beads. I tried to tie a knot but it broke, and I didn’t get to finish on time.

Finally, Rhya and I went to the nail polish room. I coloured nan’s nails gold, skin-colour, blue, purple and green. Rhya did the same but in a different order. Then we went to the Prep/Year 1 classroom to say some poems, before going home.

It was the best day ever!

By Kaelan Maxwell

Pampering My Mum

We had a special afternoon last Friday for mums from 1:15pm – 2:55pm. We beaded colourful bracelets in the Prep/Year 1 room. I put silvery ‘Game of Throne’ beads on mine and did a soft, relaxing massage on mum’s hands. And that was only the first activity!

Next we went to the nail bar in my classroom and painted gold nail polish on mum’s fingers. I put gold nail polish on my fingers too and then washed it off with nail polish remover.

Then we went to afternoon tea on the Prep/Year 1 verandah. While the mums ate biscuits and strawberry cake, and drank tea or coffee, the children were giving them back massages.

Lastly, we went to the library and watched a slideshow with every child’s photos in it. On the little boards we were holding there were different messages. On the back wall it said, ‘I love my mum because ……’ and then it continued with writing on the chalkboard why we love them. While we were colouring and decorating pretty pictures in the library we could watch the slideshow.

While I was in the library, I read ‘The Runaway Hug’ story with my mum. It was about a little girl hugging her mum and dad, the two naughty brothers and her dog. Her dog ran all around the house. At the end of the story, the sister caught the dog and hugged her mum again.

At the end of the day we all went into the Prep/Year 1 classroom to do a presentation. The little children sang a song about loving their mothers and a song about a cat and dog. My class said two poems to the visitors, they were about mums too. One of the poems was about how mums give all the light to our days. Then the senior class played the ukuleles and sang the song, ‘You are my Sunshine’.

We finished by giving our mums presents that we made from scratch. They were pencil holders. We painted the tins first on Tuesday, decorated the pencils on Wednesday and wrapped them with a little tag on Friday during the middle session. Before we went home my mum hugged me. She had really enjoyed herself. My mother LOVED Mother’s Day Pampering!

By Jack Clarke

DATE CLAIMERS

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

St Rita’s School congratulates those students who were awarded ‘Student of the Week’ at Assembly on Friday 19th May 2017.

BIRTHDAY CONGRATULATIONS

St Rita’s wishes Rhya Maxwell, Leon Schep and Havana Postic all the very best for their recent birthdays. We hope you had a wonderful birthday celebration. Congratulations Rhya, Leon and Havana!

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

PARENTS & FRIENDS NEWS

Dear Parents,

What a great couple of weeks it has been for fundraising!

Parents, staff and friends from the community joined together on ANZAC Day to help raise much need funds for the up and coming school camps, class excursions and educational programs and resources. A very big thank you to all the parents who donated items towards the hamper for the Mother's Day raffle, purchased/sold raffle tickets or donated their time or baked goods towards our cupcake stall. An astonishing $760 was raised from the sale of raffle tickets. A further $200 was raised from two 100’s board and $325 from the cupcake stall down town last weekend.

We would like to congratulate the following winners:

100s Board – Mother's Day #1: Maureen Gaul
100s Board – Mother's Day #2: Karen Lacey

Mother's Day Raffle: -

1st Prize: Jenny Ripps
2nd Prize: Stone Family
3rd Prize: Latoya Ambrum

Our next planned fund raising event will be a car wash near Cootharinga on Saturday 10th June from 8:00am. It would be greatly appreciated if we could get as many children helping with the fundraising at this event. It will be fun!

We would love to see some new parents involved in our fundraising events. We know parents have busy lives, but so do the P & F committee members and our usual helpers. Your support would be appreciated in our continued effort to raise money to assist with the costs of Dance Fever, SAKG, camps, excursions, educational programs and additional resources for the school.

Regards,
Shane Wiles
President
St Rita’s P & F Executive

Cool Kids

COMMUNITY NEWS