Issue 15 - 26 November 2020

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,

It is with sadness that I write to you for the last time as principal of St Rita’s School Babinda. I have always enjoyed keeping in touch with the parent community through this platform, and aimed for our school newsletters to be purposefully informative and interesting. For those parents who do not receive our fortnightly newsletters via the email link from ‘Schoolzine’, a hard copy is sent home if requested. I urge you to continue keeping up-to-date with what’s happening at St Rita’s by reading the fortnightly newsletter, on-line Edsmart ‘Parent Slips’, classroom notes and social media.

I have been having weekly zoom meetings with your new principal, Mr Michael Rowe, as he was unable to meet us in person due to the travel restrictions currently in place in Queensland. Michael and his family are presently in Horsham, Victoria, and they are looking forward to moving to Babinda and meeting staff and parents early in the new year. St Rita’s warmly welcomes Michael to our school community and wishes him future happiness and success as principal of this wonderful school. I know our parent community will continue to support new staff members who are fortunate to be joining the St Rita’s school community.

There is so much happening in schools in the last fortnight, we had decided to hold off this final newsletter until this week. A highlight of the school year will always be Year 6 Graduation, and this very special event will be held on Thursday evening 26th November. Due to the restrictions of our COVID-Safe Plan, exact numbers of attendees are required. However, I do encourage all senior students, in particular, to join us to celebrate this very significant event in the educational journey of St Rita’s students.

Another personal highlight of the year has always been the staging of our annual Christmas Play. Next Tuesday evening, beginning at 7:00pm, families and friends are invited to join us for this special event in our school calendar. Once again, our COVID-Safe Plan requires that we practise social distancing, register individual attendees and adhere to the service of food restrictions. Sadly therefore, the enormous buffet, which is the highlight of the evening for the children, will not be possible. Families are welcome to BYO food and drink, to share between own family members, following the performance.

This Friday marks the close of another busy and exciting year at St Rita’s School. It has been a privilege to lead our school for another year and be involved in the many successes, despite the pandemic, that have been part of this journey.

I acknowledge the efforts and achievements of our students; the young people who continue to make us proud of their eagerness to learn and grow through a well-rounded curriculum. We have witnessed their enthusiasm and skills at athletics and swimming carnivals, in dance and concert performances, and I have admired their respectfulness at public ceremonies and liturgical celebrations. I know that we all have been very proud of our students on so many occasions throughout this year. Excellent work St Rita’s students!

Once again, our parent community has been truly generous in the support and assistance it has provided throughout the year. Parents have happily volunteered in the classrooms, participated in the mowing roster, and provided transport for excursions. I sincerely thank you for being authentic partners in your children’s education. Your valuable support has undoubtedly contributed to another successful year for St Rita’s. Many thanks!

I especially thank Parish Priests, Fr Kerry Crowley and Fr Mathew Kochuveettil for their ongoing support and involvement in our school. I also acknowledge our P & F Executive Committee, Chloe Donahue, Maryjane Masina, Chelsey Hansen and James Larkham, and sincerely thank them for their support of the school. Due to the pandemic, our meetings were scarce, planned guest presenters became unavailable and fund-raising ventures had to be ‘put on hold’. However, next Monday afternoon, 30th November, we will have the last meeting of the group and celebrate with light refreshments.

I say a heartfelt thank you to the highly regarded staff of St Rita’s who I appreciate and admire every day of the school year. I am privileged to works with an exceptionally dedicated staff who works enthusiastically to ensure maximum learning outcomes are achieved for all students in our school. We are ‘one big family’ at St Rita’s, and the success of the whole school events that were organised this year is testament to how well we work together as a staff team. We celebrated another successful year together with our staff Christmas party in Cairns last weekend. A fun night was had by all!

Book Lists for 2021 have been compiled and these will be sent home with the children on Thursday, 3rd December. 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 professionally and personally rewarding to lead our school for another year and to be involved in the many successes that have been part of this journey. To those families who are leaving St Rita’s this year, I wish you all the best in your new schools and I hope you have made many happy memories during your time with us. Thank you for being part of our wonderful school community!

May the joy and blessings of the Christmas season be with your family. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday, and a well-earned rest from the morning rush of school days. And if you are travelling, do stay safe on the roads. We look forward to welcoming you back to St Rita’s on Wednesday, 27th January 2021.

Regards & Blessings,

Judy Billiau
Principal

HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING

St Rita’s School Babinda recognises that every day of attendance in the classroom contributes to maximising student learning outcomes for children. I will continue to emphasise the extreme importance of your child coming to school each day, and this is not simply because we have a legal responsibility, in the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006, to record student attendance. St Rita’s wants all students to achieve his or her maximum potential and being present in the classroom is the first way we can achieve this goal.

On the eMinerva school administration system that we use in Cairns Catholic Education, student attendance is recorded twice daily, at 9:00am and 2:00pm, and absences are recorded as either ‘Explained’ or ‘Unexplained’. We ask that parents notify the School Office of instances, such as professional appointments, that impact on your ability to bring your child to school. If we don’t have notification of an absence, the teacher will record the absence as being ‘Unexplained’.

Similarly to most primary schools in the diocese, St Rita’s Attendance Records could be improved. This year, Cairns Catholic Education is targeting 95% student attendance as being the goal for all schools, both primary and secondary, in the diocese. It doesn’t sound too difficult does it? However, 5% of a twenty-week semester equates to a child missing ONE WEEK of school each semester of the academic year. It puts the ‘occasional day off’ into perspective doesn’t it!

Judy Billiau
Principal

APRE THOUGHTS

PRAYER HIGHLIGHTS

Some significant prayer events have been held over the last weeks, for which I would like to express my gratitude to staff and students of St Rita’s. In the first instance, we prayed for children affected by disability or illness in Cambodia, and were able to fundraise $125.00 for World Mission. Following this, were our Remembrance Day and NAIDOC Day prayer liturgies. All events were celebrated on a smaller scale than usual, especially Remembrance Day since the senior class was away on camp. Students engaged in a variety of relevant activities to commemorate each of these occasions.

FAREWELL MASSES

Our attentions are now turning to preparations for the end-of-year formalities concerning end-of-year Farewells. Graduation Mass 2020 will be celebrated at St Rita’s Parish Church on Thursday 26th November at 6:00pm, followed by Graduation Evening on the school muti-purpose court. For this occasion, all families of St Rita’s students are warmly invited to attend.

As for our final 2020 liturgy, on Wednesday 2nd December at 11:15am, we will host Judy’s Farewell Mass. This is an opportunity for the whole school community to give thanks to Judy for her commitment and devotion to St Rita’s. RSVPs will be essential for this and can be made through the school office.

On a personal note, I can attest to Judy’s great pride and love for our friendly small school, and tremendous advocacy for the well-being of students within her care, and staff too. Judy has great patience for children, and prioritises the value of family - in fact, families and students are always at the forefront of any decisions made by Judy, such is her level of care and support for them. Through the good times, and the more difficult too, Judy always upholds strong principles and acts in a dignified manner. She adheres to social mores and insists on good etiquette. On behalf of our staff, we wish Judy every success in her forthcoming adventures. Judy holds a special place in all our hearts and leaves us each with a fun memory and story. We hope that she continues to find happiness in her passion as an educator!

ST VINCENT DE PAUL’S CHRISTMAS HAMPER APPEAL

Within the Catholic Church, the celebration of Christmas is a much anticipated and joyous event celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is a meant to be a time of hope, peace, joy and love. But this year, millions of Australian families will be spending Christmas in poverty, with many additional facing hardship due to the impact of the pandemic. Vinnies assists families who are in need by providing food hampers, emotional support and help with essentials.

St Rita’s Primary School is out to make a difference and is proud to support the work of our local St Vincent de Paul Society through the 2020 Christmas Hamper Appeal. Families are invited to donate goods, such as non-perishable food items and Christmas fare, and spread the Christmas cheer to members of our local community who may be experiencing difficulties. For ideas on suitable items to donate, please refer to the flyer that has been sent home with students. Thank you kindly in anticipation of your generous donations for this food drive.

PRAYER TO END A SCHOOL YEAR

As we move into the final weeks of our 2020 school year, may I take this opportunity to thank all staff, students, and 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.

God of Wisdom, we thank you for all the gifts you have given us throughout this school year. We praise you for giving us life, for saving us in Christ, and for choosing us to be your people.

As we come to the end of this school year, we voice our gratitude for the good things you have done in us, and we praise you for all who have shared in the work of this school.

We ask you to bless them in your love and give them refreshment and peace. We praise you, God, through Jesus Christ,

Our Lord, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Source: Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers (Revise Edition) USCCB

Blessings,
Maureen Gaul

GET SET FOR PREP 2021 PROGRAM

Last week Australia celebrated NAIDOC Day, so today, on our sixth day at Pre-Prep our literature focus was ‘My Country’ by Ezekiel Kwaymullina. We talked about what we liked to do on Country. Mrs Gaul talked about walking in the rain and making mud pies, walking through the bush and swimming in the rivers, as these were things that she loved to do when she was little. The children shared ideas like watching rainbows, feeding animals, and catching fish. We drew pictures and wrote about our ideas.

Later we made a clay rainbow serpent and collaged an Australian Aboriginal flag using scrunched pieces of crepe paper. This was fun to work together and talk while we worked.

Our guest speaker Joelene from VPG came today to talk with parents about transitioning to school. She shared great ideas such as establishing clear school morning routines, and how to have supportive conversations with your child before they go to school, and again afterwards, when they come home.

Once again, it was a great day today, though we spent much of it indoors as it was so hot outside! We are hoping for some much-needed rain to cool down the playground area and sandpit!

Mrs Gaul
Prep/Year 1 Teacher

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Suggestions for parents and carers

Learning to make good decisions helps children become more independent and responsible.

A good decision is one that, on balance, is most likely to lead to a positive outcome for everyone concerned. Learning to consider the situation carefully and weigh up the options before coming to a decision helps children make better decisions. It also helps them to understand and take into account others’ views when making decisions that affect them.

How you can help:

• Allow children to practise making choices. Giving children opportunities to make choices helps to build their sense of responsibility as well as their decision making skills. It is important that the choice really is theirs, so provide options that you will be happy with no matter which they choose. Showing interest in their choice helps to reinforce that you see their decisions as important.
• Talk about everyday decisions. Involve children in your own decision making. For example, you might say, “I’m trying to decide whether to take up a sport to get fit or go to a dance class. Which do you think I should do?” Talk through the advantages and disadvantages of each suggestion so your child can learn how to thoughtfully evaluate different options.
• Support children to use decision making steps. As children develop their skills for thinking through decisions, teach them the steps of decision making and show them how to use them effectively. Decision making steps:1) Identify the decision to be made, 2) Think of options, 3) Evaluate the options and choose the best one, and 4) Put your choice into action and check how it works.
• Ask questions that promote thoughtful decisions. “What do you like about that?” “What makes this the best option?” “How would this work?” “Can you think of any reasons why…?” Asking questions that prompt children to think through their reasons for choosing a particular option helps them learn how to evaluate options and think through consequences.

• Encourage children to set achievable goals. Setting their own goals to work towards encourages children to plan and think ahead. It helps them understand the link between making decisions and taking action. Appropriate goals for children to choose include developing a new skill (e.g., learning to play chess, learning to swim), improving performance in school work or in an area of particular interest (e.g., learning to play a particular piece of music or to master a difficult skill in sport), or earning pocket money to save for something special. It is important that the goals set are achievable and motivating for the child. In addition, the steps needed to reach goals need to be definite, clear and small enough for the child to manage. Providing praise and acknowledgment for small steps of progress supports children to meet their goals.
• When children make poor decisions…
• Check your expectations. Are the decisions you want them to make appropriate for their age and ability? Do children understand what they need to think about to make an effective decision? Are the options clear? If not, then you may be expecting too much and need to make the task simpler or take charge of the decision yourself.
• Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Allowing children to experience the consequences of their decisions can provide useful lessons in responsibility. It is easier for children to accept difficult or disappointing consequences when they feel supported and cared for as they learn to correct their mistakes.
• Talk through good and poor decisions. Children learn best when they are calmly helped to think through the outcomes of their decisions and supported in making a better choice next time. Helping them to accept responsibility for mistakes and plan how to improve the situation teaches skills for more effective decision making.

Excerpt: www.kidsmatter.edu.au/resources/information-resources

PARENT PORTAL

St Rita’s School has a Parent Portal for the purpose of engaging with the parent community. Access to this portal is restricted to parents and guardians of students at our school, so an individual logon is required. An account has been created for you using the email address you have provided the school, and the details on creating a password are outlined in the attached set-up document.

The Parent Portal will enable easy access to information about happenings in the school, permission slips that need authorising, contact details for staff, forms, documents and much more. There is also a special section to allow you to check the details we have recorded in our enrolment system about your children, and if necessary, advise us of any changes. You can also check on information about your child’s Attendance, academic Student Reports, teachers, timetables, and NAPLAN performance (if applicable).

We will be making increasing use of the Parent Portal to provide a range of information to parents in the future. The initial login requires you to verify your identity and create a password. The attached document will lead you through the process. Please follow the steps carefully and enjoy using the St Rita’s Parent Portal in the future!

For Semester 2 Student Reports, please note that these will be uploaded onto the Parent Portal by Friday 4th December 2020. Please contact the school if you experience difficulty accessing your child’s Report.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Once again, St Rita’s was fortunate to engage the services of photographic company NQ School Photography last week. Class and individual student photos of all children were taken by the photographers last Tuesday 27th October.

NQ Photographers have had a low level of response to the online ordering of students’ class and individual photos, and we are concerned that parents have missed this method of ordering photos they have wished to purchase.

If you are interested in purchasing a memory of your child’s class this year, an individual photo or one of the several packs, we encourage you to review the information provided below for photo ordering. For queries, please contact NQ Photography at Aumuller Street Cairns on 4035 5388 when convenient.

AROUND THE CLASSROOMS

A Cool Time at Camp

Last week we went to the Echo Creek Adventure Centre for our school camp. The drive was long, but it was definitely worth it. After we unpacked and organised our cabins, we piled into a troopy and drove over a very bumpy, rocky track past the cow paddocks. “Mooo,” we sang out to the confused cattle. We arrived at the edge of a rainforest for a short trek through the entangled vines. Leaf litter blanketed the forest floor and a faint smell of damp moss drifted through the air. Wait-a-while hooked into your clothes inviting you to stay longer.

The indigenous people called this clearing the ‘Healing Pond’. This was going to be my first time swimming in a ‘real’ creek. There were a lot of large boulders we could stand on and they were very slippery. Soon time was up and we headed back to camp to have lunch and begin our first activity, raft building.

My favourite activity by far was the Lazer Tag. Running through the bush, shooting the opposition was awesome! The special mode set was the ‘Domination Mode’, which was similar to playing ‘Capture the Flag’. We soon discovered, where we set up our med-kit, was near the domination box for the entire time.

On the last night of camp we had a talent show. The song I sang was, ‘The End of the World Song’, which is currently popular on YouTube. This odd little song highlights to others not their hopes down in these times of Covid19. There were a few puzzled faces but at the end of my song the audience roared.

I learnt from my senior camp that I am capable of doing a lot more than I originally thought, and I survived the notorious Mud Challenge course with the help of my friends.

School camp was fun!

By Jack Clarke
Year 5/6

LIBRARY LINKS

Dear Parents,

Following the children having returned their current library books, any books still outstanding in our library computer system will be listed on individual notes coming home with the children on Thursday. Would you please check for any outstanding books your children may have somewhere at home and return them as soon as possible.

It is hard to believe the school year is almost over…..and Christmas is just around the corner. We have shared some wonderful adventures in the library in 2020. It is always such a pleasure to see children enjoying reading and the many different things libraries can offer.

There are celebrations aplenty at my home over the Christmas period, and my wish for each family is that you are also able to spend some special time together during ‘the most wonderful time of the year’. Wishing a happy and holy Christmas to all.

Lisa Calcagno
Library Assistant

CURRICULUM CORNER

JAPANESE SPEAKING AWARDS

This week our Japanese LOTE teacher Celia Knox presented Kylee Hansen, Eva Masina and Elijah Geary with certificates from ‘Education Perfect – Modern Language Teachers Association of Queensland’. Over 2,000 students entered the competition, and for our students to be speaking Japanese at this level is so outstanding.

We especially congratulate Kylee for achieving a Silver Award in the competition. St Rita’s is once again most proud of our students!

DATE CLAIMERS

STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

St Rita’s School congratulates those students who were awarded ‘Student of the Week’ at Assembly on Thursday 26th November 2020.

BIRTHDAY CONGRATULATIONS

St Rita’s wishes Eva Masina and Tia Thomson all the very best for their recently celebrated birthdays. Braden Hansen will be celebrating his birthday during the school holidays. 

We hope you had wonderful birthday celebrations Eva, Tia and Braden!

ST RITA’S P & F NEWS

Dear Parents,

Thank you for the support and assistance you have given to our parent group throughout the year. Helping at school functions, tuckshop and attending meetings has been very much appreciated. When you enrol at St Rita’s you automatically become a member of the school P & F. Aren’t you lucky!

The level of support our P & F group provides to St Rita’s is very much appreciated by the school staff and students. Unfortunately, due to Covid19 restrictions fundraising has been virtually non-existent this year.

On Monday November 30th we will hold our final meeting for the year from 3:00pm – 4:00pm in the Library. Everyone is welcome to join us for the last time this year, and light refreshments will be enjoyed by us all.

On behalf of the P & F Executive Committee, I wish you a happy holiday season, and look forward to seeing you at the AGM early in the new year.

Kind regards,

Maryjane Masina
P & F Secretary

Turn Your Trash into Cash!

The P & F is contributing to the St Rita’s sustainability initiative by organising the collection of recyclable containers that earn 10c upon return to Cash 4 Containers FNQ.

Please view the poster in this newsletter to show which specific containers will incur the 10c refund. Although it seems like an insignificant amount paid for each container, it ‘all adds up’ if all families start collecting and sending in their containers. We thank you for your interest and support of this fundraising activity! The last bin collection is happening next week, we’d very much appreciate your donations.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

MUNRO THEATRE