W e e k l y Newsletter - roma.catholic.edu.auroma.catholic.edu.au/2017 Newsletters/Term 4/Term 4...
Transcript of W e e k l y Newsletter - roma.catholic.edu.auroma.catholic.edu.au/2017 Newsletters/Term 4/Term 4...
NewsletterWeekly
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November 14th 2017 / Term 4 Week 7 www.roma.catholic.edu.au
Principal’s NewsDear Parents and Friends of St
John’s School,
This week, we farewell our Year
Twelve students. We ask God’s
blessing on these young men and
women who, for some, have been
here close to 12 years of their life.
We hope that they will make us all
proud and continue in their lives
to espouse the ‘Spirit of St John’s’ as they move into their
chosen fields of work, study or a gap year.
We are very quickly moving towards the end of year with
much happening here in preparation for 2018. As next year
will be my second year and I have had time to observe and
reflect on 2017, there will be a number of focus areas on
which our school goals will centre in 2018. I will share these
with you in the coming two weeks. Let us make sure that
our students continue to attend and work to the best of
Events in this month
Monday, November 13th - 15thYear 12 Retreat
Thursday, November 15thPrep Information Night 6pm
Thursday, November 16thYear 12 Graduation Dinner 6pm
Friday, November 17thYear 12 Final Assembly and Clap Out 9.30am
Tuesday, November 28thPrep - Year 9, Last day of Term
their ability. Even though assessments and exams may have
finished, important learning continues. Have a great week
and God Bless.
Donaugh
Primary Teachers for 2018 Prep - Miss Arsmstrong, Mrs McPake, Ms Moore
Year One - Mrs Brennan, Mr Brennan, Miss Repetto
Year Two - Miss Boehmer, Miss Collett
Year Three - Mrs Sheilds, Miss Van Slobbe, Mrs Orchison
Year Four - Mrs Moore, Miss Berry
Year Five - Mrs Angus, Mrs Wehl, Miss Parkes Moller
Year Six - Mrs Purssell, Miss Chinnery, Mr Dabrota
Secondary NewMiss Baker – Year 7
Mr Brady – HPE Humanities
Miss Cooper - English (Returning)
Senior Maths teacher YTA
Thank you to those parents who spoke to me about class
allocations. The date for this closed over a week ago and
the classes have been allocated so no changes can be made.
This is quite a difficult and important process and we rely on
the expertise of our staff and leadership to ensure we have
the best mix. Sometimes it does not always work out but we
need to teach our students resilaince and the ability to get on
with others. I am thrilled at the expertise and quality of the
new staff joining us in 2018 and I wish those staff who are
leaving us all the best.
Changes in School NewsletterThe school newsletter will be a fortnightly publication next
year. We are looking very hard at pruning some of the
activities and events to ensure that our focus is on teaching
and learning. While a balanced education for the whole
person is what we seek, we need to be very careful that we
do not fill our school year with activities that take us away
from our core business of teaching and learning.
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News
Christmas ConcertChange of Date
This year’s Christmas Concert will
be held in the P & F Multi - Purpose
Centre on Tuesday 28th November at
11.15am. All are welcome to come and
celebrate the end of the year with us.
Roma Music FestWell done to all the Instrumental
Music students who performed at the
Roma Music Fest 2017. Primary and
Secondary students who have been
learning string, woodwind, brass and
percussion instruments through the
school instrumental music program at
school this year were given a fantastic
performance opportunity to end the
year. Students from Roma, Wallumbilla,
Yuleba, Surat, Mitchell and Injune all
came to perform in the concert. St
John’s Junior Band played ‘One To Go’,
the Senior Band played ‘Senior Piece’
and the string ensemble played ‘Secret
Agent 440’ and ‘Theme from Brahms
Symphony 1’. Many thanks to teachers
Miss Sam Barnes and Mr Sam Muller for
their dedication, commitment, patience
and enthusiasm this year! Music Fest
was held on the evening of Saturday
4th November, after Presentation Night
and the Moonlight Fair.
Year One ReligionThis week in Religion, Year
One students will continue to
investigate the Christmas story
as we move closer to the season
of Advent. During this time, we
will be focusing on the different
characters who feature in the story
of the birth of Christ; the Wise
Men, the shepherds, Jesus, Mary
and Joseph. The students will
learn the importance of the birth
of Jesus as being central in our
Christian faith and that the season
of Advent focuses on giving rather
This term, Year Five students
have been studying the unit,
‘Light fantastic’. Students have
had opportunities to explore
where light comes from, how it is
used, how light travels and how
it helps us to see. Students have
had fun with a number of hands-
on activities. They investigated
than receiving.
During the next two weeks
students will continue to reflect
on how we can live the Advent
theme and will be encouraged to
donate nonperishable items for
the Vinnies Christmas Hampers
appeal. These items will be
distributed to those in need in our
community.
Angela and Mark BrennanYear One Teachers
how the height of a shadow can
change when we move the object
closer or further away from a light
source. Students are planning
and designing shadow puppets
to perform in front of their
classmates.
Lisa KynochYear Five Teacher
Year Five Science
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CurrentNEWS!
Senior Drama
The audience were treated to a highly
emotive performance by the Senior
Drama students when they performed
the Greek Tragedy, ‘Trojan Women’ by
the ancient playwright Euripides.
Students adapted the ancient play into
a 30 minute production which revolved
around the female survivors of the
embattled Troy. The Greeks leave a
horse, which the Trojans mistake as a
gift from the gods. Once night falls, the
Greeks come out of hiding from inside
the horse and overpower Troy and the
Ten year war finally comes to an end.
The play opens with the god, Poseidon,
reminiscing about the city Troy once
was. The women have suffered, with
their husbands and sons killed in battle
and their homes and lives never to be
the same again. They await their fate in
trepidation and fear, knowing they will be
taken as slaves by the Greeks.
The students brilliantly portrayed the
mix of characters and managed to
give a highly polished and engaging
performance. The Drama Room was
transformed for the evening to replicate
a mini amphitheatre and our audience of
parents and friends were impressed with
the talent displayed.
Sarah NervaDrama Teacher
Senior StemLast Friday, STEM students
from Years Eight to Ten had the
opportunity to participate in a
spatial real world workshop.
Throughout the day, they worked
through many different activities,
involving self-driving tractors,
online mapping tools and flying
drones. The activities opened
students up to new technologies
including spatial information and
how it is applied in the real world.
After watching a demonstration of
the self-driving tractor, students
were able to look inside and see
the system that uses GPS in order
to drive.
Mark ShieldsSecondary Teacher
It’s that time of the year again when the library is preparing for its ANNUAL STOCKTAKE!
Could you please assist us by checking current Library Borrowings with your students and returning ALL LIBRARY BOOKS by the end of this week.
Our STOCKTAKE schedule requires the following books returned as follows:
YEAR Twelve Text Books……………by the end of Week 6 (10th November) OR after their exams ALL Secondary Text Books…..by Thursday Week 8 (23rd November) OR after their exams
Thank you in advance for your cooperation in ensuring ALL Library Books are returned.
Library Book Returns
Jenny Eeles Teacher Librarian
Our Year Nine Mathematics
students have been learning
about the relationships
between graphs and equations,
simplifying a range of algebraic
expressions, explaining the use of
relative frequencies to estimate
probabilities and the trigonometric
ratios for right-angle triangles.
They have just completed their
first semester exam for Maths. For
the remainder of the school term,
they are working on consolidating
their knowledge to best prepare
them for Year Ten in 2018.
Mark ShieldsSecondary Teacher
Year Nine Maths
4Prep Transition 2017Throughout Terms Three and Four, we
have been running the St John’s Prep
Transition Program, where our 2018 Prep
students and their families have visited
the school to become familiar with Prep
routines and the learning environment
in which they will be a part of next year.
We have conducted afternoon sessions
where children have attended the
Prep classrooms and participated in
activities while their parents attended
information sessions. These sessions
included; ‘An Introduction to St John’s’,
‘Student Support Services and Positive
Education’ and ‘Hearing, Vision, and
Nutrition in the Early Years’ (presented
by Allied and Community Health).
Last week, we held our popular school
tour where children and their parents
were given a guided tour of the school
and were given the opportunity to
participate in some specialist lessons such
as PE and Performing Arts. This was a
great way for children to become familiar
with some of the curriculum subjects that
are taught by specialist teachers at the
school across year levels. Our visitors
also had the chance to listen to a story
in the Library and have some fun on our
playground equipment.
The final session of our program will
be held this week with our 2018 Prep
students being invited to come to Prep
for the morning and experience routines
such as lunch break and pick up and drop
off, which will further prepare them for a
smooth transition next year.
An evening parent information session
will follow on Wednesday 15th at 6pm;
all future Prep families are welcome to
attend.
I would like to thank all of the staff at
St John’s and the Community Services
team involved in delivering a wonderful
opportunity for future students and
their families to experience St John’s and
become more familiar and confident as
they prepare to begin their first formal
year of schooling. It has been wonderful
for us to meet our new Preppies and
share the enthusiasm and interest they
have shown during their visits.
We look forward to continuing the
transition journey with our 2018 Prep
students in the new school year.
Natalie BeattieEarly Years Co-ordinator
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Social Justice Thank You Morning TeaLast Thursday, we recognised the wonderful efforts of over 30 students who have supported our social
justice activities on a weekly basis. Students have attended Pinaroo, Endeavour and the Big Breakfast at
the St Vincent de Paul Vincentian Village.
At each activity, students have engaged with people who may otherwise be marginalised from society.
At times, this can be challenging for students but the
wonderful depth of character shown by our students
ensures that these visits are successful. It is also so pleasing
to witness the giving nature of the students as they interact
with the people at each activity. As a school, we are very
proud of their efforts.
A huge thank you must also go to the teachers who
accompany these students each week of the school year.
Miss Kaylene Keleher and Miss Lindsay Botten have
supported the Big Breakfast all year, a huge accomplishment
on the freezing cold mornings in winter. Mrs Maria Purssell and Mrs Kate Row have continued to
accompany our students to Pinaroo and a mention must be made of Miss Jenn Fuller, who supported
Endeavour so well in the first three terms of the year.
We are looking forward to another successful year in 2018 and welcoming new students to Social Justice!
Remembrance DayOn Friday, we commemorated Remembrance Day with a full
school prayer assembly, remembering the sacrifices that were
made for us and offering prayers of thanksgiving for the
peaceful nation that we live in today. On Saturday, Claudia Thom
and Kate Barsby represented St John’s School at the Roma
Remembrance Day ceremony, laying a wreath in memory of all
who lost their lives in conflict.
Trisha ParkerActing Assistant Principal Faith and Mission
St Vincent de Paul Christmas AppealIn Term Four, we are focusing on the gift of giving and are currently running an appeal for the donation
of goods for St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hampers. So far, so many students have made extremely
generous donations but we want to make our hampers even better!
We still need donations of non-perishable food items, toiletries and
toys. These can be brought into classes and placed in the donation
boxes in Years P-6. In Years 7-12, students can donate on Fridays,
when goods are collected at House assemblies.
Please contact me at school if you require any further information
or would like to make a donation. All are welcome!
APFM News
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The year has entered into the final weeks of Term Four for everyone and the Christmas break is a glimpse away. This excitement for holidays has not faltered despite the many events which have occurred in these weeks. Only a couple of weeks ago, we saw the successful Presentation Night/Morning and the Moonlight Fair. A huge congratulations to all award winners and anyone who participated in the ceremonies. As for Moonlight Fair, it was splendid to see all the happy faces and involvement in stalls from young to old. This year, we were also given a bright moon to shine down upon us!
The final few weeks will see all students complete lots of assessments and exams. As Prefects, we would like to wish everyone well in their academic endeavours and remind everyone that although exams or assessments can seem stressful and scary, it is important to remain calm and clear minded and trust that all the hard work you have put in for the semester will pay off!
While everything has been very positive this term, there is a sadness amidst our school. For our Year 12s, it’s their final week before they enter in the big wide world. We would like to thank all of them for everything they have given to St John’s and the positive role models they have been to all students. From everyone in the Mighty Xaverian House, we wish you the best of luck for wherever life may take you and remind you not to forget the Xaverian House Motto – “Respect All, Fear None!”
We would like to wish everyone in Xaverian House and the wider community of St John’s a very safe and joyous festive season and look forward to seeing everyone again in 2018!
Emma, Sean, Joe and Mr MooreXaverian Leadership Team
Mighty Xaverians!
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Calling All Shepherds – Angels – Kings
Mary & Joseph To take part in the Parish Celebration of the
Christmas Story
Once again this year, the children are invited to take part in the presentation of the Christmas Story during the 6pm Mass on Christmas Eve. If your family will be here for Christmas, and you would like your child to be involved, there will be some rehearsals for them to attend during the days before Christmas. If you would like your child/children to be involved, please return your contact details to the School Office before the end of the school year.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…… I would like ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
to be involved in the presentation of the Christmas Story during 6pm Mass on Christmas Eve. I understand there will be:
A short meeting after 8.30am Mass on Sunday December 17 to cast the children in their roles;
Rehearsals on Friday December 22 and Saturday December 23, at 11am in the Church;
The Christmas Story will then be presented during 6pm Mass on Christmas Eve.
Signed………………………………………………………Contact Number……………………………………
Mrs Angela Brennan Fr Jamie Collins 4622 1842 4622 1075
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TUCKSHOP
Thank you to everyone who has embraced the new Flexischools on line ordering. From our end, we have found it easy to use and it is certainly working as we would have hoped. A few issues have been identified, and we will try and deal with these in the best way we can, however we do need your help as a parent to ensure it runs smoothly.
Firstly the cut off is 8.30 am the morning of tuckshop. If you have missed this deadline, you can ring Flexischools and get a late order through or just ring Anita 0418985276.
If you have just ordered one Break for your children, can you please make sure they know what Break you have ordered? Quite often we have children come up at First Break, saying they should have had tuckshop and they have it ordered for Second Break.
You do not need to print the confirmation, we print the labels and put them on paper bags.
If your primary children come to school with money to buy an ice block etc, they will not be served until all high schoolers and children with bags have been served.
We would like to go 100% Flexischools first term back if possible, so those of you who haven’t registered, please do so over the holidays; it is very easy. The easiest way to find our school is to type in Roma rather than St John’s.
We have had a few reports of the website crashing after an order. This is an issue with Flexischools; if this does happen, please call their helpline. I know that they are trying to improve the process at the moment, so like anything else, please be patient.
Thanks you to all of our tuckshop helpers. Without you, tuckshop would not happen; we are very grateful. Even with the assistance of Flexischools, we still need helpers to make the food and ensure it is delivered to classrooms, so if you are able to spare a few hours throughout a term next year, it would be greatly appreciated.
Last day of tuckshop for the term will be Thursday 23rd November 2017. We will return the first Tuesday back, January 23rd 2018.
Thanks again for your support.
Anita and Deb
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St John’s Prep to Year Nine
Christmas Concert
Tuesday 28th November
11.15 am P&F Multi-purpose Centre
All welcome!
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St John’s Catholic School Roma
The Principal and Staff of St John’s School invite
Parents, Carers & Secondary Students
new to St John’s in 2018
to attend
Transitioning into Secondary Information Night
to be held at
St John’s Catholic School P& F Multi-Purpose Centre
on
Tuesday 21st November, 2017
Commencing at 6.00pm
Please join us for an informative evening about Secondary school life at
St John’s Catholic School. We will be covering many aspects of our school including Pastoral Care, Academic Expectations, Laptop Loan Scheme,
Uniform Requirements and the Religious Life of the School.
NewsletterWeekly
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February 14th 2017 / Term 1 Week 4www.roma.catholic.edu.au
Principal’s NewsDear Parents and Friends of St
John’s,
I now believe I am becoming
totally acclimatised to the south
west. If we can all live through
the heat of the last few days,
then we can do anything. Our
thoughts and prayers are with
those families in the central
coast and western parts of New South Wales who have lost
homes and properties to the terrible fires. We thank God
that so far no lives have been lost. Nature can be beautiful
and destructive as we are all aware, in the bush. On Friday
morning, we had a Prep Parent morning tea after drop off.
This was a wonderful opportunity for myself as well as Mrs
Mulligan, Mrs Beattie and Mrs Densley to meet with parents
and talk about what is happening in Prep. Parents shared
their ideas, experiences and concerns around the first three
weeks. What was discovered was that lots of feelings were
Events in this month
Tuesday, February 14
P&F AGM Meeting - 6 pm
Monday, February 27
Year Seven Immunisations
Wednesday, March 1
Ash Wednesday 10.45 am - P & F Multi-Purpose
Centre
Thursday, March 2
P & F Meet and Greet
Friday, March 10
Grandparents/Relatives Day
shared by most of the parents in Prep. The first year is very
important in establishing good routines, resilience strategies,
friendships and learning skills. I will be in Toowoomba at the
Principals’ meeting towards the end of the week.
Generosity of Staff
Last week, Mr Penrose put together the Extracurricular List
for the staff at St John’s. This is where teachers take on
activities beyond their normal teaching duties. There are
three categories and teachers are expected to choose one
from each. These can range from coaching football / netball
to chess, musical, community service and much much more.
I have never been in a school where teachers give so much
of their time for the overall development of their students.
This is voluntary unpaid work and, as a principal, I am firstly
very proud of them and I thank them for this great effort. It
is things like this that make our school so great and show the
real face of Jesus to others.
Coping Strategies
This week is Week Four leading into Week Five where
students begin to tire. This has been exacerbated by the
very hot weather, which tends to make students very tired.
Be proactive in your approach, speak positively, emphasise
that preplanning for the workload is important and that
approaching tasks with a plan can always help.
BusThere seems to be a little confusion around the bus and the
teacher duty. Teachers will be on duty as follows:
Morning Bus: There will be a teacher on duty at the bus
stop each morning for the next two weeks. As of Week Six,
students will be walking to the Prep room accompanied by
their bus buddy without a teacher on duty. Over the next
couple of weeks, the teacher on duty will ensure that all Prep
students have a buddy to accompany them to the classroom.
Afternoon Bus: Beginning this week, Prep students will
be picked up from the classroom and will walk to the bus
assembly area in small groups with an allocated Year Six
student. Students will then be buddied with either siblings
or bus buddies before going to the bus stop where the bus
teacher will be on duty.
Yours sincerely,
Donaugh Shirley
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In the next issue
Prep - Year SixPrep - Religion
Year Two - Maths
Year Four - HASS
Years Seven - TwelveYears Seven/Eight - Dance
Year Eight - HPE
Year Ten - Hospitality
Year Twelve Farewell
St John’s School
29 Duke StreetRoma, Queensland 4455Phone (07) 46 221 842
www.roma.catholic.edu.au
EditorsJenny Ford
Tracey Leard
Rebecca Lynch
Yenda Emery
EditionTerm 4 Week 7 We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this
land, the Mandandanji people, and show our respect for their ancestors and traditions.