Issue 2 - 22 February 2022

Newsletter Articles

VISION STATEMENT

PRINCIPAL’S PEN

Dear Families,

It has been an exciting and inspiring start to the school year. ‘Connection before Correction’ has been our staff theme as we have strived to spend the first two weeks getting to know our students and setting up our classroom expectations for the school year.

All students across the school have been looking into community, rights, and laws which have led to some interesting discussions. I witnessed our Year 3/4 cohort last week debate ways they could make Babinda safer and more enjoyable for its’ citizens. There were some great ideas discussed including more sports clubs, making the Babinda Boulders safer, and a better playground at Anzac Park. I’m confident this next wave of leaders will go on to make a positive difference in our world.

Our children are also enjoying having three specialist lessons to look forward to each week. Science and Art with Mrs Jago has been very interactive with high engagement, as have our PE lessons. Last week while sitting in on a science lesson I learned about worms and how they make compost. I hope your children are bringing home their new learnings as well.

Last week we celebrated the beginning of the 2022 school year with a prayer liturgy. We usually start our year with a Mass however due to the current restrictions we held a liturgy in the Years 5/6 classroom. Fr Kerry led the prayer with assistance from our students and presented our 2022 leaders with their badges. Congratulations to Latoya, Evie, Katara, and Zoe for being elected and I wish them the very best for the year ahead.

An important part of my role this year is to lead the Religious Life of the school. While we have some baptised Catholic students, we have many others who belong to different or no faith backgrounds at all, which is normal in a contemporary Catholic school. People who are baptised Catholic, however, get the opportunity to receive the Catholic sacraments throughout their life. There are 7 sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church, they are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick.

When Baptised Catholics reach a certain age they are given the opportunity to make their Confirmation, Reconciliation and First Eucharist. For the students in our Parish, the minimum age for this is Year 4. So, if your child is a Baptised Catholic and you’re interested in them receiving these sacraments, please get in touch with me ASAP so I can get you an enrollment form for the program.

Also, if you’re interested in getting your children Baptised, or would like to become Catholic yourself, please get in touch and I’ll be able to assist you out.

This Friday, we will be hosting our first school Assembly for the year at 2:00 pm. For those of you who are new, our assembly is run by our student leaders, we pray together, celebrate birthdays, share school news and announce our ‘Students of the Week.’ Like last year, your child’s teacher will send a message to you if your child is getting an award, just in case you can make it, we certainly understand if you can’t.

I’m hoping restrictions are eased again soon and we can come together as a community again for social events. Also, Parent/Teacher interviews and information nights are on the agenda once they are permitted.

Blessings for the week ahead,

Michael Rowe
Principal

St Rita’s Babinda Sacramental Program 2022

St Rita’s will commence our Sacramental Program shortly, which prepares candidates to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist. If your child is in Year 4 or above, is baptised (or is to be baptised) and you would like them to participate in the program, please contact the school office on 4065 9580 to organise an enrolment form.

Once enrolments have been finalised, an information session will occur, with further details regarding the sessions along with significant dates. Should you be aware of others in our community who would benefit from this information, we would be grateful if you would kindly refer them to contact our school.

Michael Rowe
Sacramental Programs Coordinator.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Parents and Carers,

Last week you would have noticed your child come home with readers and a brochure outlining ‘The Reading Process’. This year we have decided that reading each night is a priority for our children. Reading is a complex but ever rewarding process. As well as understanding the text, the reader is constantly questioning, processing, responding and thinking, and sometimes creating new ideas and understandings.

As teachers we see many benefits when reading to our students.

• They Develop a positive attitude to reading
• Become aware of a range of text type and forms
• Extend their Extend their imagination and generate new ideas
• Develop a sense of how texts work
• Learn about different authors, illustrators and their styles
• Make personal connections to texts
• Listen actively
• They gain a deeper understanding of when, how and why particular strategies are used.

It is our hope that as students read more, they will become critical thinkers, able to confidently take on the world. When reading each night, be sure to encourage, note and compliment your child’s effort and progress. A reminder that Teachers will be checking diaries regularly to ensure parents are signing off on their child’s readers. Above all, enjoy this time with your children.

Kind regards,

Samantha Benvenuti
Deputy Principal – Leader of Learning and Teaching

COUNSELLOR CORNER

Importance of Sleep

A lack of sleep can feel like torture. I am sure those of us who had a colicky newborn can attest to this. Poor sleep will impact on our children’s general wellbeing and ability to focus while at school. Research tells us that good-quality sleep helps with concentration, memory, regulating emotions, and behaving well. This all contributes to your child learning well. (Raising Children Network).

QLD Health recommend good sleep habits that include:

• Have a regular sleep pattern. The 24-hour body clock that controls sleepiness and wakefulness works best if there is a regular sleep routine.
• Have a consistent pre-bedtime routine. This will help your child settle and prepare for sleep. It may include reading quietly, a warm bath or a warm milk drink.
• Limit access to electronic devices. Light from electronic devices can reduce the evening levels of the sleep promoting hormone, melatonin, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
• Ensure the sleeping environment is quiet, dark and comfortable. Children sleep best in their own bed. If a night light is required, a red light is preferred. Some relax to soothing, gentle music.
• Daytime exercise and natural light exposure may improve sleep at night. Children who are inactive through the day and/or are not exposed to natural sunlight, particularly early in the morning, may have difficulty falling asleep at night.
• Self-settling. Children wake at night partly because they’re worried about being separated from their parents. This is normal. Children may need help to overcome this worry as a step towards becoming more independent sleepers. Praising your child in the morning for staying in bed at night can help reinforce the good behaviour.

Every child is different and will have different sleep habits and responses. If you are finding your primary school aged child is not getting their recommended 9-11 hours, welcome to contact myself for direction, research the below links or please consult your GP.

Warm regards,

Miss Jo
School Counsellor

MUSIC TUITION

Mrs Jenny Marks will be delaying commencement of her keyboard, guitar and singing lessons. Lesson days will be Wednesday’s as per last year.

We will keep you informed when Jenny will be returning or you can phone her on 4067 6157 for any enquiries and information regarding your child’s participation in this Music program.

DATE CLAIMERS

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

MUNRO THEATRE

Well Women’s Clinic – Babinda Hospital

(This clinic is available to Medicare eligible clients)

Tuesday 8th March 2022.
All services are provided by a specially trained Women’s Health Nurse.
For appointments phone 4067 8200

BABINDA STATE SCHOOL OSHC PROGRAM

P&F NEWS

Dear Parents and friends,

On Monday 7th March at 3:00pm, you are warmly invited to join us for the first meeting and AGM of St Rita’s P & F.

At this meeting, the P&F President and Treasurer of the 2021 Executive Committee will present their reports on what was achieved in the past year. Also, a Committee is elected to continue supporting the school throughout 2022. Please consider the importance of attending these ‘short and sharp’ parent group meetings. You will learn so much about our school, collaborate with staff, contribute to planning of whole school events for the year, and most importantly, meet other parents.

We hope to see you there!

Maryjane Masina
P&F Secretary