Issue 10 – 21 June 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,

Semester One is drawing to a close. Although it has been especially busy at St Rita’s, students and staff are happy with the highs and lows that we have experienced during this second term. As your school leader, I appreciate that one of the criteria of school success is measured by what has been achieved; the success of students in their learning journey, the professional skills developed by staff, and building of positive relationships in the school community.

In all these aspects, I believe that we have had a successful first semester, made possible by staff, students and parents. I especially thank the wonderful teaching staff who has continued to provide a rich and meaningful learning environment for our students. A rigorous professional development schedule ensures that teachers at St Rita’s are also learners. Throughout the semester, staff has participated in professional development sessions on Explicit Instruction, Visible Learning, Breakthrough Coaching, Apply First Aid, Athletics Coaching, Inspiring Students to Write and Building Language and Communication Skills. The teachers continue to be supported by a dedicated group of school and administration officers who work together to make a happy and cohesive team.

The generosity of spirit and the willingness to help others is evident in our school community. Thank you to parent volunteers who have assisted in so many ways during first semester; helping in classrooms and the tuckshop, transporting children on excursions, being an appreciative audience at performances and carnivals, toiling in the grounds roster and attending parent meetings. Your involvement is very much appreciated at St Rita’s!

If you are new to our school this year or have recently changed your work commitments, I encourage all parents who have not yet found a way, their ‘place’, to volunteer at St Rita’s to do so for the next half of the year. By doing so, you will not only feel good but your help will ensure our school stays a vibrant and happy community which benefits everyone. You will be nurturing a spirit of belonging and true community for all!

The Combined Schools Track & Field sports carnival was held at the Babinda State School last Friday. I give special thanks to Mrs Maryjane Masina, Mrs Debbie Kurucz and Mrs Alicia McEwan who prepared, trained, organised and supervised the St Rita’s team for this inter-school sporting event. The children performed at their best and displayed the good sportsmanship and team spirit which is a part of being a St Rita’s competitor.

Last Friday evening, our school community enjoyed a fun social event when the P & F hosted the end-of-term Disco. There are too many willing workers to individually thank, with set-up helpers, theme decorators, music providers, games coordinators, BBQ chefs, canteen servers to name a few. Once again, a huge team effort made the evening a success, and the staff was proud to be able to contribute to this special school community event. We’re already looking forward to next term’s disco!

I hope you have a happy and safe holiday beginning on Friday 23rd June. Put away those lunch boxes, library bags and uniforms, and encourage your children to play outside and have fun in the great outdoors. School resumes on Monday, 10th July with a short week due to the Cairns Show Holiday on the second Friday. If you are driving these holidays, please take care on the roads.

Happy holidays!

Regards,
Judy Billiau

STUDENT REPORTING

Over the past weeks, teachers have been extremely busy preparing Semester One Reports for the students at St Rita’s School. This Wednesday 21st June, these formal written reports will be distributed by teachers and sent home with students. I encourage you to review your child’s Report thoroughly and to contact your classroom teacher for an interview if you have any concerns or queries.

For your information, I am including an excerpt from the Cairns Catholic Education Services Guideline on Student Reporting document, which provides instruction to schools for complying with Australian Government and Diocesan requirements for reporting student achievement:

Rationale and expectations:

In Catholic schools, student achievement is recognised and celebrated in many ways throughout the school year; at informal meetings, through awards at school assembly, parent/student/teacher interviews, through class work that is sent home, through class oral presentations and through written reports.

Reporting communicates information that has been obtained from a variety of assessment processes and involves a professional judgment made on a body of evidence about a student’s progress and achievement against a set of clearly articulated standards. In Catholic schools in the Diocese of Cairns the key principles of reporting are:

• Teacher professional judgment is at the heart of reporting student achievement.
• Teachers’ knowledge and observation of the students’ progress contributes to this professional judgment.
• Teacher professional judgment is informed by assessment data and referenced to the curriculum framework.
• The teacher develops assessment tasks and identifies the criteria which inform judgments about the child’s achievement.
• Teachers utilise the evidence from a body of work to make a judgment against standards at a point in time.
• Teachers should keep a folio of the evidence of a student’s work.

When reading your child’s Report and reviewing their Student Work Folio, please keep in mind that these are only two sources of feedback about student progress. Throughout the year, there are opportunities for parent-teacher interviews to provide parents with comprehensive feedback on individual student progress. This includes feedback on your child’s behaviour in class and discussion of potential learning goals that the teacher has targeted for the individual student.

CURRICULUM CORNER

Last Thursday evening saw the culmination of this term’s ‘Dance Fever’ program with the children participating in the Showcase performance. During the course of the term, the instructors taught the students various dance routines, such as the Hip Hop, Jive and Tango, in active and engaging dance lessons. Dance is an integral part of the Australian Curriculum in The Arts, and we look forward to the Dance Fever Multi Sport Company coming to St Rita’s each year to deliver its outstanding dance program.

Although the costs of the program are budgeted in the Curriculum Levy that parents pay each term, the financial support provided by the P & F contributes to fifty percent of the total costs. On behalf of the students, I thank St Rita’s P & F for organising a range of successful fundraising ventures which provide this invaluable support. Well done!

APRE THOUGHTS

NAIDOC Week 2017 - Our Languages Matter

The importance, resilience and richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages will be the focus of national celebrations marking NAIDOC Week 2017. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920’s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians.

NAIDOC Week is held in the first full week of July. It is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and is an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our society. All Australians are encouraged to participate in the celebrations and activities that take place across the nation during NAIDOC Week.

The 2017 theme - Our Languages Matter - aims to emphasise and celebrate the unique and essential role that Indigenous languages play in cultural identity, linking people to their land and water and in the transmission of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, spirituality and rites, through story and song.

Some 250 distinct Indigenous language groups covered the continent at first (significant) European contact in the late eighteenth century. Most of these languages would have had several dialects, so that the total number of named varieties would have run to many hundreds. Today only around 120 of those languages are still spoken and many are at risk of being lost as Elders pass on.

Source: http://www.naidoc.org.au/2017

St Rita’s will celebrate the rich cultural heritage of our First peoples on Thursday 20th July. Our NAIDOC Day celebrations will commence with a prayer liturgy, and then follow with an afternoon of traditional and educational activities. Parents are most welcome to join us!

Community Carers Visit

Members from St Rita’s Community Carers Group are planning a visit to the residents of Abbeyfield House this Thursday 22nd June. The purpose of this activity is to offer staff and students an opportunity to promote strong relationships and common good by engaging with members of the local community. Together, staff and students will collaborate to plan suitable activities for sharing with the residents, and coordinate the resources they need for the visit. It is indeed heartening to witness the children’s willingness to commit their time and energy in service of the community! Thank you to this little band of dedicated children whose small acts of kindness will surely make a big difference to the lives of others.

Seniors Mass Celebration

On Friday 23rd June, St Rita’s senior school students will gather to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our mass will commence at 12:00pm in our parish church. Parents and friends of St Rita’s School and Parish are warmly invited to join us for the occasion. On this day, Father Kerry will also celebrate Reconciliation with students who have received this Sacrament, and visit each class.

As we approach the final days of school before the mid-year holidays, may I wish all families a safe and happy time together! Many thanks for all of the kind smiles, caring words and thoughtful actions that you have all shared within our school community to make our days brighter! We hope your break is both rejuvenating and refreshing.

Blessings,

Maureen Gaul
Assistant Principal (Religious Education)

CASTING THE NET

Think Twice

‘I tell my children and I try to do it myself: “Think twice about what you are doing and going to do. You can even use it in learning people’s names”.’ So said a neighbour while chatting recently. They are wise words, words to live by. Children can drift through situations, not noticing what is happening and then explode, overt react or get into trouble when things move beyond their control. But a little thought along the way, a little mindfulness can make their lives and ours a richer, better experience.

Jesus tried to provoke such thoughtfulness. His whole way of teaching wasn’t a series of straightforward, black and white rules. Rather his parables, his short sayings, some of which seem to contradict each other, are meant to challenge us to ask ourselves, ‘What does God want me to be, to do in this situation?’ We need to use thought and prayer to discern what to do in changing circumstances. Our brains are not there just to keep out ears apart. Along with our heart, we are meant to use this precious gift so that we can live as humanly as possible in the varying events of life.

Loving Father, send us your Spirit that we may know how to apply the teachings of Jesus to our lives. Filled with his Spirit may we have loving thoughts and wise hearts. We ask this in his name, confident that you will hear us.

Sr Kym Harris osb

AROUND THE CLASSROOMS

Look over there! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, the flash of movement is racers pounding along the race track at Babinda’s Bill Wakeham Park. St Rita’s School held its 2017 Interhouse Sports Carnival last Wednesday 7th June, on a glorious winter’s day. Team colours of red and blue were proudly worn in support of St Rita’s Dalrymple and Palmerston teams.

There was an atmosphere of excitement amongst the students as they marched down through the town streets, chanting war cries with good-natured spirit. A pledge was read out by the Sports Captains to ‘compete with pride and integrity, and be humble in our victories’, and this was certainly how the day unfolded! This was followed by the 800m and sprints. As racers crossed the finish line, voices screamed out for their team members to strive harder and faster! Everyone did, and this continued throughout the day as field events, novelties and ball games occurred.

At the end of the day, sports presentations were held and the age champions were awarded with medallions. The tables have turned this year, and Palmerston has tasted victory, winning the overall points for the track and field events after Dalrymple had claimed the trophy for the past three years. Overall, it was a tremendous day filled with happy smiles, encouraging words and great effort, showcasing St Rita’s great spirit.

By Caleb McEwan, Georgina Stone, Leon Schep and Roisin Stager (Sports Captains)

SPORTS UPDATE

This semester has been explosive with sporting achievement from St. Rita children. At the beginning of the year students from years 2-6 participated in a Netball Program hosted by the Sporting Schools initiative. This definitely helped to improved ball skills, defence and spatial awareness as the senior students saw victory by taking out 1st place at the Term 1 Gala Day of ‘European Handball’. The remainder of Term 1 focused on fitness and stamina as children prepared for upcoming Cross-country events.

On Monday 24th April, we began Term 2 with the Combined School Cross Country long distance run at Bill Wakeham Park. This has to one of the hardest races as eligible children participate in either a 2km or 3km long distance run. Many of our students came within the top 10 for their age group. Remaining students didn’t miss out on all the fun as they participated in the annual St Rita’s Fun Run.

On Wednesday 7th June, students participated in the St. Rita’s Interhouse Athletics Carnival. The weather was perfect. What an exciting day for the children. Starting with the March past, led by their captains, the houses ‘Palmerston’ and ‘Dalrymple’ proudly march out of the front gate down towards Wakeham Park. Both teams were equally strong as war cries were heard all over town. Overall, the March Past was a tie with 10 points awarded each. This year we saw the trophies change hands as Palmerston captains, Roisin Stager and Caleb McEwan, led their team to victory. Dalrymple displayed excellent sportsmanship, participation and team spirit as a direct result of their captain’s leadership, Georgina Stone and Leon Schep.

At the conclusion of the carnival, Age Champion medals were awarded to the following competitors:

St Rita’s congratulates the following students who broke Records this year:

• Max Schep (9 years) High jump 1.13m (Previous Record 1.075m Danny Colls)
• Snowball Jnr Snowball (13 years) Shotput 7.63m (Previous record 7.29m Matthew Brand)

Last Friday 16th June, eligible students from years 4-6 represented St. Rita’s at the Combined Schools District Carnival. This was another opportunity to showcase our sporting talent and for children to compete at a district level. Kaelan Maxwell along with Caleb McEwan will be going to the Mulgrave Track and Field Carnival in Term 3 to compete on Friday 14th July.

A huge thank you to parents and family who came along to our sporting events this semester, to support and encourage the children. It is always wonderful to see parents cheering their children on from the side line and getting into the team spirit. This definitely adds to the day’s atmosphere. Thank you to Alicia Mc Ewan and Snowball who were our team managers at Combined Schools Athletics Carnival.

Maryjane Masina
Sports Coordinator

DATE CLAIMERS

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

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

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

We congratulate Eva Masina and Elijah Geary who successfully contributed to the Cairns Post ‘Inspire’ feature on Tuesday 30th May 2017. Eva and Elijah’s article, titled ‘Walking in the rain, a healthy start to the day’ wrote about St Rita’s students very wet ‘Walk Safely to School’ event. We loved your published article Eva and Elijah!

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

COMMUNITY NEWS

Well Women’s Clinic – Babinda Hospital

(This clinic is available to Medicare eligible clients)

Wednesday 19th July 2017

All services are provided by a specially-trained Women’s Health Nurse.

For appointments phone 4067 8200