Issue 10 - 19 June 2018

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

What a fantastic disco we had last Friday night! The children had such a tremendous time dancing, playing games and socialising. Mrs Masina, who is our accomplished Prep/Year One teacher, was outstanding on the night as our ‘Disco Diva’, by keeping the dancing at full swing and organising so many fun games for everyone. She was assisted by Mrs Harbour, our senior class teacher, and we must say a very big thank you to both these staff members for staging such a wonderfully successful whole school event. Other staff helped both before and during the disco to also contribute to its success. Well done St Rita’s!

Also, last Friday a group of our students participated in the Combined Schools Track & Field sports carnival held at the Babinda State School. I give special thanks to Mrs Maryjane Masina, Mrs Vicki Jago and Mrs Julie Schep who prepared, trained, organised and supervised the St Rita’s team for this competition. The children performed at their very best and displayed the good sportsmanship and team spirit of which we are most proud at St Rita’s. We especially acknowledge Max Schep who won first placings in High Jump, Long Jump and Shot Put, and ran second in the 100m and 200m track events. Congratulations on an outstanding effort Max!

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.

St Rita’s has grown in all these aspects, and it has been made possible by the contributions of 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 ‘Seven Steps to Writing Success’, Positive Partnerships, Moderation of Assessment, Athletics Coaching and CPR Training. Teachers continue to be supported by a dedicated group of school 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 filling the tuckshop roster, transporting children on excursions, being an appreciative audience at performances and carnivals, attending parent meetings, and organising and helping run the disco last Friday. Offers of assistance are always forthcoming at our school. Thank you! 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.

We are fortunate to have been offered the services of Police Liaison Officer, Stacey Kneubuhler, to be our guest speaker at our next P & F meeting in July. Please find detailed information about this session included in a flyer inserted in this newsletter. PLO Stacey last visited our school in Term 1 for National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, when he presented a similar session to the senior students. I recommend marking the date on your calendar now; Monday 25th July.

I hope you have a happy and safe holiday beginning on Friday 29th June. Put away those lunch boxes, library bags and uniforms, and encourage your children to play outside and have fun in the great outdoors. The June/July school holidays are perfect holiday weather in FNQ! I am looking forward to a holiday with my family relaxing for a week in beautiful Vanuatu. It will be so good to spend time at the beach with our four grandchildren under three.

School resumes on Monday, 16th July with a short week due to the Cairns Show Holiday being on the first Friday of term. If you are driving these holidays, please take care on the roads. Happy holidays to all St Rita’s families!

Regards,
Judy Billiau

PRIVACY POLICY

Changes to our Privacy Policy Statement

Following advice from the National Catholic Education Commission we have made a minor change to our Privacy Policy Statement to clarify that the school may disclose personal information and store information with “providers of specialist advisory services and assistance to the school, including in the area of Human Resources, child protection and students with additional needs”. This is in addition to the existing list of other agencies, departments and service providers the school already may disclose information to.

This is a relatively minor change but we provide this advice to our school communities in line with our duty of disclosure and accountability. The full text of our policy and policy statement with this new text highlighted in yellow can be accessed at the link below.

These changes were endorsed by the Board of Governance on 11 June and take immediate effect.

CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK

29 July – 4 August 2018

‘DISCOVERING NEW HORIZONS’

The theme for Catholic Education Week this year has been aligned with the official Year of Youth theme for 2018 and is derived from a speech given by Pope Francis at World Youth Day 2016 where he called young people and the Church to ‘open new horizons for spreading joy’:

My friends, Jesus is the Lord of risk, he is the Lord of the eternal “more”. Jesus is not the Lord of comfort, security and ease. Following Jesus demands a good dose of courage, a readiness to trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and uncharted paths. To blaze trails that open up new horizons capable of spreading joy, born of God’s love and wells up in your hearts with every act of mercy.

This theme will allow schools to easily integrate Catholic Education Week activities and materials with Year of Youth programs.

APRE THOUGHTS

Catherine Mc Auley: Our Inspiration for Mercy Values

Experiencing hardship and poverty early in life was perhaps the catalyst for Catherine Mc Auley to establish schools and shelters for girls and young women in Ireland in the early 1800s. Born in Dublin in 1778, Catherine lost her father at the age of five and her mother at the age of 20. Alone and destitute, Catherine survived on the mercy of others. Catherine felt that she survived on the mercy of God.

In 1803 she found employment in managing a household for a wealthy, childless, Protestant couple, and what began as a position of carer for an elderly couple, became a role as a trusted companion. Catherine’s fortunes changed when Mr and Mrs William Callaghan bequeathed their house, estate and some savings to Catherine, leaving her considerably wealthy.

Her inheritance was used to build a large house on Baggot Street in Dublin in 1824, which served as a school for poor girls and a shelter for homeless girls and women. She employed co-workers to assist her with continuing her ‘works of mercy’, though was criticised for tending to the needs of the poor, uneducated and sick outside the realm of a religious order.

Not to be deterred, Catherine set about founding the congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, professing her vows alongside her two co-workers in 1831. As a result of her tireless work, the order expanded rapidly and responded to the need to service the poor. Catherine herself endured emotional burden, losing many of her family members to consumption, and suffered ill health too with a severe cough. She chose to embrace her suffering as the ‘Cross of Christ’.

In 1841, fatigued and bed-ridden, she passed away – just six months after receiving approval for the Sisters of Mercy’s ‘Rule and Constitutions’ by Pope Gregory XVI. Upon her deathbed, she made a request to the community to “get a good cup of tea … when I am gone and to comfort one another”. She had faith that they would be comforted by God.

Out of the life story of the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, and based on her faith in God who is mercy, the Mercy Values were borne: Compassion, Justice, Respect, Hospitality, Service and Courage. And, as a Mercy School, these are the values that we also aspire to.

Sacramental Program

Our five candidates for the Sacramental Program have now completed their catechesis (religious instruction) in preparation for Sacrament of Confirmation, which will take place on Thursday 21st June at St Rita’s Church from 6pm. Confirmation is viewed as a completion of Baptism, and signifies a deepening of Christian identify.

During the Rite of Confirmation, the bishop performs symbolic gestures of the ‘laying on of hands’ and anointing the candidates with the Holy Oil of Chrism. It is the Holy Spirit that strengthens and inspires those who are confirmed to live more authentically in witness to Jesus Christ, through the agency of the bishop.

The bishop invokes the Holy Spirit to ‘pour out’ the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and awe and wonder of the Lord, and through these gifts, those confirmed are able to bear the ‘Fruits of the Spirit’. Thus, each time we show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in us.

Families and friends of St Rita’s School and Parish are warmly invited to attend this service, and continue to pray for our five candidates: Daniel, Katerina, Jade, Anthony and Ryan.

Community Carers

On the final day of term, merry members from St Rita’s Community Carers Group are planning a visit to the residents of Cootharinga Gardens, formerly known as Abbeyfield, in a gesture of goodwill by engaging with members of the local community. Together, staff and students will plan engaging 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.

Blessings,
Maureen Gaul
Assistant Principal (Religious Education)

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Social skills that promote friendship

Children who are good at making and keeping friends use positive social skills. Parents, carers and teaching staff help children learn positive social skills by guiding them as young children, being positive examples for children to follow, and providing opportunities for play where children can practise their skills. Key social skills that help with friendships include cooperation, communication, empathy, emotional control and responsibility.

All children go through relationship conflicts. Even usually popular children experience rejection sometimes. When this happens children’s confidence may be affected. They may blame themselves or others. Beliefs about the reasons for the friendship problems they experience affect the ways that children react.

Source: Kids Matter; Australian Primary Schools Mental Health Initiative: ‘Component 2 Social and Emotional Learning for Students’.

CASTING THE NET

Choosing Happiness

‘Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be.’ (Abraham Lincoln) Most of us would have heard this quote. I had…and I have worked on changing my outlook. I needed to. By nature, I not only tend to see that the glass is half full, I want to know the reasons and then question why it is that my glass is half full. Yes, you got it right – I overwork the situation. Yes, I have worked on changing my attitude and to a large extent I think it has changed me. But this week, I read something that made me realise that it needn’t be so hard.

Simply it was the advice to choose happiness in every situation, even when we are suffering. How to do this? Simply by looking at what delights us and enjoying those things. As I write this I have a favourite mug alongside me. I love its green, the pattern on it, the style of the cup but nearly always I just don’t notice. But if I do it gives me a little frisson of delight. It is those little moments of delight that, when added together, shape our hearts into happiness.

We are made for happiness and can tend to question why God doesn’t give us the things that we think would make us so. But too often we are crying for the moon, when we already have a lovely flower, sunlight, a meal or a joking word just before us. Maybe God can’t give us the ‘big things’ because we haven’t learnt to delight in the little joys that are constantly coming our way. So here’s a joy in front of me that I want to delight in: writing these pieces. I wouldn’t do these except that I have you, the reader, giving them time in the newsletter. Your interest draws out of me things I didn’t know were there…and that gives me a frisson of happiness. Thank you.

Loving God,
Open my eyes and heart to see the many things that could delight me this day.
Let me enjoy the smile of my child, the word of a friend, sunlight on a leaf.
Let me join with your Holy Spirit in delighting in creation.
I ask this in Jesus’ name confident that you will hear me.

Sr Kym Harris osb

AROUND THE CLASSROOMS

78-STOREY TREEHOUSE PERFORMANCE

Wow! What a fun excursion! On Tuesday 5th June, the Year 2/3/4 students from St Rita’s School in Babinda travelled to Cairns Tanks Arts Centre in our teachers’ cars on an excursion. We were all very excited to be going to see the 78-Storey Treehouse performance. We could not wait to see our two favourite characters, Andy and Terry, from the Treehouse series written by Andy Griffiths and illustrated by Terry Denton.

In the book, which we have been reading in class, a movie is going to be made about the 78-Storey Treehouse. Andy is the narrator in the book but Mr Bigshot, the director does not need a narrator for the movie. He thinks narrators are BORING! Terry will be the star of the movie instead. Andy does not like being left out. And that’s when their friendship starts to breakdown because they are arguing with each other.

We laughed a lot during the performance. The characters were very silly. My favourite part was when Mr Bigshot tried to sit on his director’s chair. He tried to fit in between the arms of his chair but his bottom was too wide. Finally he did fit in his chair, but he was stuck! He got up to walk away but the chair stayed stuck on his bottom. We all laughed at how funny he looked. The finale was amazing. All the characters came on stage together and sang songs. They became friends again and apologised to each other.

After the performance we sat on picnic rugs on the grassy hill and enjoyed our morning tea. We even saw some scrub hens which were feeding in the gardens. Then we got back into the cars and travelled back to school. We all had a great morning away from school.

By Tony Pham
Year 2

LESSONS IN THE LIBRARY

Prep/Year 1

Which make the better pets? Cats or dogs? The Prep/Year 1 children have been busy developing persuasive arguments on whether canine companions or feline friends are the best pets. Using the ‘Draw and Tell’ app by Duck Duck Moose, the students have been using a combination of pictures, drawings and audio recordings to create dynamic slideshow presentations. Mrs Masina and I have been very impressed with the work they have completed in Information Technology this term.

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2018

The 2018 Premier’s Reading Challenge is underway! Letters have been sent home with details on how to participate. It would be fabulous to see as many students as possible participating in this reading initiative. School reader record forms are due back to the library by Friday 24 August. Happy reading St Rita’s!

Michelle van Dugteren
District Librarian & Resource Teacher

PARENT EDUCATION

DATE CLAIMERS

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

St Rita’s School congratulates those students who were awarded ‘Student of the Week’ at Assembly on Monday 18th June 2018.

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

We congratulate Katara Ambrum who successfully contributed to the Cairns Post ‘Inspire’ on Tuesday 12th June 2018. Katara wrote an article about our schools’ Mother’s Day Pampering afternoon. Katara was very excited to write about all her family coming together for this special occasion. Well done Katara!

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

COMMUNITY NEWS

BABINDA UMBRELLA BALL

FR FRANK’S ORDINATION INVITATION