Issue 19 - 21 November 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

PRINCIPAL’S PEN

Dear Parents and Carers,

A highlight of the school year in primary school is Year 6 Graduation. At St Rita’s, this very special event will be held on Thursday evening in the church and at school. As community is one of our school values, graduation involves the whole school community; students, staff, parishioners, parents, families and friends. After Mass in St Rita’s Church, a supper followed by a presentation ceremony will be enjoyed by all who join us for this very special event. I am especially looking forward to the evening!

Just to ‘round out’ a busy term, our annual Swimming Carnival will be held on Friday morning, 24th November, beginning at 8:45am. The carnival will once again have a non-competitive focus, with the children showcasing their swimming skills in individual swims and team relay events. Families and friends are most welcome to join us at the Babinda Pool. We thank Mrs Maryjane Masina, our coach, who has prepared the morning’s program of swimming and novelty events for the children to enjoy participating in.

Staff has worked tirelessly with Coordinator Mrs Jago to prepare for the annual Christmas Concert evening on Wednesday 29th November. We very much enjoy showcasing the talents of our students in music, drama and public speaking. We ask that you please bring a plate to contribute to the shared supper which will follow the performance. Tea and coffee will be served, and cold soft drinks will be for sale through the tuckshop. See you there!

In the past fortnight, we have completed the recruitment of a classroom teacher following a lengthy process of advertising, interviewing and inducting. I am most pleased to say that we had a large pool of interested applicants, with the successful applicant being Mrs Mollie Harbour. Mollie comes to us from Mundoo State School where she has taught multi-level classes and completed professional development in Visible Learning and Explicit Instruction pedagogies. I extend a warm welcome to Mollie on behalf of St Rita’s School community.

It gives me pleasure to announce classroom teachers for 2018 are as follows:

Prep/Year 1: Mrs Maryjane Masina
Year 2/3/4: Mrs Maureen Gaul & Mrs Vicki Jago
Year 5/6: Mrs Mollie Harbour

Classroom support will continue to be provided by School Officers, Mrs Donna Lauridsen, Mrs Lisa Calcagno, Mrs Jenni Stone and Miss Alannah Dewis.

Book Lists for 2018 have been compiled and these will be sent home with Reports on Thursday 30th November. It probably seems like a long way off until school starts in January, but those parents who like to be organised before the beginning of year rush, most of your child’s requirements for next year can be purchased at your leisure. Roddo’s Newsagency has been given copies of the St Rita’s book lists if you choose to source your school supplies locally.

Next Friday marks the close of another busy and exciting year at St Rita’s School. It has been a professional and personal joy to lead our school for another year and be involved in the many successes that have been part of this journey. I am privileged to work with an exceptionally dedicated staff who work enthusiastically to ensure maximum learning outcomes are achieved for all students in our school. Well done St Rita’s Staff!

It has also been a pleasure to work once again with an active parent group that strives hard to contribute to student learning through the purchase of additional resources and funding curriculum activities such as ‘Dance Fever’ and school camps. On behalf of St Rita’s, we acknowledge the wonderful work of this year’s P & F Executive; Mrs Shane Wiles, Mrs Julie Schep, Mrs Loretta Musumeci and Mrs Jenni Stone. Mrs Jacinta Lansdown, a busy working mum of three, is to be congratulated for working successfully as our Tuckshop Coordinator this year. A huge thank you from us all Jacinta!

I would like to offer my heartfelt gratitude to all members of our school community who have contributed to another successful school year. Without you it would not have been possible! I hope you enjoy the beautiful End of the School Year Prayer that follows. I wish you a happy and safe holiday break with family and friends.

Regards and blessings,

Judy Billiau

Prayer for the end of the school year

APRE THOUGHTS

ST VINCENT DE PAUL’S CHRISTMAS HAMPER APPEAL

For most Australians, Christmas is a time of great joy and celebration. For those in need though, Christmas is an especially difficult time. We are invited to put our Christian faith into action by contributing to the annual St Vincent de Paul Society’s Christmas Hamper Appeal and support those in our local community who are experiencing difficult life circumstances.

It is sometimes difficult for children to understand what Christmas is really about – giving and sharing - especially in a time of fervent marketing and the pressures of mass media. It is in giving that children have the opportunity to experience the true meaning of Christmas, so we are asking families to please give generously to this appeal and make the festive season a happier time for those in need.

Suitable hamper items for donation include those food products that are non-perishable pantry goods, in cans or sealed jars/bottles, or Christmas fare such as Christmas cakes, nuts and other Christmas treats. It would be appreciated if you were able to ensure that the ‘use by date’ extends until well after the 2017 Christmas period and also, that packaging seals are intact before sending please.

Our collection will last for the duration of the final two weeks of term. Donated goods can be placed within the boxes in the front office area, or in your child/children’s classrooms. Thank you kindly in anticipation of your generous support of the appeal.

END OF YEAR MASS

St Rita’s 2017 End-of-School-Year Thanksgiving Mass will be celebrated on Friday 1st December commencing at 11:00am. Families are invited to come together on this day, to thank God for the year gone by and to ask for God’s guidance to prepare for the Christmas season. It will be a time to remember with happiness and sadness, and a time to look to the future with hope, as God wants us to.

We will have the opportunity to remember all those who have been a part of our lives this year: our families and friends, our schoolmates and teachers, and the people in our wider community, and farewell those who will be leaving our school this year. We welcome Father Nathan Mackay, who will be presiding at our Thanksgiving Mass, to conclude the 2017 school year with a whole school prayer celebration.

ADVENT

Currently, we are in the final weeks of the Catholic Church’s Liturgical Calendar, and nearing the end of Ordinary Time. On Sunday, 3rd December, the Church will begin a new liturgical year with a four-week season of Advent. It is a time of hope, focusing on the coming of our Lord, with the joyous expectation of the season culminating in the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

In Catholic Churches, each Sunday during Advent, a candle is lit as a sign of longing for the light of Christ to come into our world and into our daily lives. Scripture readings during this season reflect fruitfulness at the end of difficult times, healing and the realisation of promises to God’s people, for example, the birth of Jesus to a young virgin mother, Mary. Advent challenges us to be watchful for the coming of our Saviour, and to be fully alive to the presence of God around us, amidst our human struggles. It is a time to celebrate Christ - both human and divine - who came into our world in the most humble of circumstances, as God among us.

As we move into the final weeks of our 2017 school year, may I take this opportunity to thank all staff, students, parents who have contributed to the success of our school in so many different ways. Through your commitment and energies, you have enriched our school community and contributed immensely to the vibrancy and life of St Rita’s. Thank you sincerely for your efforts. My wish for you all is to enjoy a happy, holy and safe Christmas season.

Blessings at Year's End

HOWARD THURMAN

Blessings,

Maureen Gaul
Assistant Principal (Religious Education)

CASTING THE NET

It was like a text from Jesus…

When I read this line early last week, it set me thinking. If I received a text from Jesus what would it say? I haven’t yet worked out what he would say in a pithy manner but I know there would be things in it that I truly need. It would definitely include support. I know I beat myself up too much for not meeting unrealistic expectations. Which leads me to ask what are these expectations and are they really what God wants of me? Quite often not. I think Jesus would tell me to be myself – the unique person he wants to dance with in the crazy music of life. I think he would tell me to dampen the negative voices, enter into myself, be the person he wants me to be … and love and serve others as that person.

And what would I send in reply? It has to be ‘Thank you!’ in one of the myriad of ways in which ‘thank you’ can be said. But what else would I say? I think ‘joy’ should be in there and maybe a commitment to be creative with the person he calls me to be.

And, you know what, unique as I may be, I think the things he would say to me would not be much different to what he would say to most of you. God wants to delight in the person he has made and who is making in you. When we realise that, a lot of the rubbish in our lives can be dealt with, even falls away, and we have the capacity to say ‘Thank You’ and let joy loose in our lives. So what text would you like to receive and how would you reply?

Loving God, my life gets cluttered with all sorts of unrealistic expectations. Give me the wisdom to listen to what you truly want to say to me and the insight and courage to respond from the depths of my heart. I ask this in Jesus’ name confident that you will hear me.

Sr Kym Harris osb

CURRICULUM CORNER

Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum

The Department of Education and Training, in partnership with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, has developed the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum for Queensland students. The Curriculum consists of classroom lessons across three phases of learning: Prep-Year 2, Years 3-6 and Years 7-9.

The Curriculum is aligned with the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (Version 8.1) and is available to all Australian teachers through password-protected websites. It aims to teach children about personal safety and awareness, including cybersafety and phone safety, by focusing on three key safety messages: Recognise, React and Report.

The Curriculum was developed by the Department of Education and Training in consultation with Bruce and Denise Morcombe, the (former) Commissioner for Children and Young People and Child Guardian, representatives from the Queensland Police Service and the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services, and experts in child safety education.

AROUND THE CLASSROOMS

SCHOOL CAMP

On the thirteenth of November 2017, I went on school camp to the Daradgee Environmental Centre with my friends in year 4. I made a lot of friends there including my new best friend, a girl named Thalia.

For dinner, we made delicious pizzas. Mine was a vego pizza with scrumptious toppings, including pineapple, grated carrot, olives and yummy cheese. Later that night, we played games and my favourite was the balloon game. Everyone chose a balloon and tied string to it, and then we taped the balloon to our legs. The aim of the game was to pop everyone else's balloons and the last person with a balloon still tied to their leg, was the winner! I went to bed at 9:30pm, two and a half hours after my normal bedtime! I slept in cabin 14 with Hallie and 2 other girls. We had bunk beds to choose from and I made sure I ran fast to get the bottom bunk.

It was a 6:30am start for breakfast the next day. First, I munched on a bowl of cornflakes and a bowl of rice bubbles. Then I enjoyed a glass of cold, tropical juice. An egg, marmalade toast and baked beans finished off a filling breakfast. Later, we were treated to a boat ride on the Johnstone River. We didn't get to see a crocodile, but we did come across a 'croc' shoe! During our Low Ropes Course, I was chosen to be the 'crash test dummy' and while I was demonstrating, I fell over a few times. I didn't give up though and kept going! I loved playing with the farm animals because they were SO cute! There were turkeys, ducks and geese, but my favourites were the piggies with their funny snuffling sounds. I also had to chase two chickens back into their coop when they got loose!

Overall, I had a fantastic time at our Daradgee camp and I am really looking forward to our next school camp. I wonder where it will be?

By Saffron Ripps

DATE CLAIMERS

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

St Rita’s School congratulates those students who were awarded ‘Student of the Week’ at Assembly on Friday 17th November 2017.

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

We congratulate Kaelan Maxwell who successfully contributed to the Cairns Post ‘Inspire’ feature on Tuesday 14th November 2017. Kaelan wrote an interesting article about his experiences at the recent Harvest Festival. Congratulations and well done Kaelan!

MAGIC 100 WORDS

The Prep/Year 1 class has been busy learning M100W high frequency words throughout the year. Hannah Lansdown and Charlie Whitling were especially proud to be awarded several certificates for learning so many new words this term. A super effort Hannah and Charlie!

BIRTHDAY CONGRATULATIONS

St Rita’s wishes Roisin Stager and Eva Masina all the very best for their recent birthdays. We hope you had a wonderful birthday celebration. Congratulations Roisin and Eva!

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

COMMUNITY NEWS

Well Women’s Clinic – Babinda Hospital

(This clinic is available to Medicare eligible clients)

Wednesday 6th December 2017

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

For appointments phone 4067 8200

BABINDA GROUP FITNESS

STATE ELECTION 2017