18 February 2021

Newsletter Articles

IMPORTANT DATES

Cross Country Training - Thursdays & Fridays 7:45am-8:00am
Thursday 18th February - Lunch with family - 10.30am-11.15am
Monday 1st March - Clean up Australia Day
Thursday 4th March - Open classroom - 8.20 - 8.45am
Friday 5th March - Beginning of Year Mass (Good Shepherd Catholic Church) - 8:20am
Friday 5th March - St Kieran's Feast Day
Thursday 11th March – School Photos
Monday 15th - Wednesday 17th March - Swimming Lessons
Friday 19th March – Cross Country – 8:30am – 11:00am
Monday 22nd - Wednesday 24th March - Swimming Lessons
Thursday 25th March - Lunch with family - 10.30am-11.15am
Thursday 25th March – Swimming Carnival
Thursday 1st April - Last day of term one

PRAYER / SPECIAL MESSAGE

The Francis Factor (Reflecting on the Words & Wisdom of Pope Francis)

A Scandal

Faith in Jesus Christ is not a joke; it is something very serious. It is a scandal that God came to be one

of us. It is a scandal that he died on a cross. It is a scandal: the scandal of the Cross. The Cross continues

to provoke scandal. But it is the one sure path, the path of the Cross, the path of Jesus, the path of the

Incarnation of Jesus. Please do not water down your faith in Jesus Christ. We dilute fruit drinks - apple,

orange, or banana juice, but please do not drink a diluted form of faith.

(Pope Francis, Address, World Youth Day, 25 July 2013)

Reflection

In what ways do you water down your faith in Jesus?

Meditate on the Cross to help you strengthen your commitment to him.

PRINCIPALS REPORT

Dear Parents, Grandparents, Carers and Friends,

As we settle into the first term, it has been great to see our students begin the year so positively. It takes a bit of time to adjust back into normal school routines but this is now well underway. We are well and truly into the term now and the students are settling into routines and procedures in a positive and responsible manner. I am very happy how things are going but wanted to let you know of a few routines that have been introduced or reinforced by myself so that we are all on the same page.

St Kieran's is a Sun Smart school as are most schools in Queensland. Our climate and conditions warrant some initiatives and rules that protect and guard your children against the harm caused by exposure to the sun. To enable our school to continue as a Sun Smart school, I must ensure that students are wearing hats while at school.

I have indicated to all students that they must wear a hat, at EACH break. This is so important on many levels. Even with our ideal climate, we can still be burnt and damage our skin which can cause skin cancers later in life. Please ensure that your children have their hats in their bags if they have taken them home and enforce that they may wear their hat to school in the morning. If your child does not have a hat, please organise to get one as soon as possible. I thank you for your support on this important issue.

The other due to our heat, please make sure that your child/ren have water bottles as water is very important for him/her.

We were also visited this last week by the new service team from Townsville Catholic Education. Mrs Stephanie Giorcelli (Education Consultant), Mrs Megan Wuersching (Curriculum Adviser), Mrs Janelle Knack (Indigenous Education Adviser) and Mrs Lee-Ann Burton (Religious Education Adviser) joined us to familiarise themselves with our school, our plans and our context. It was a pleasure to show them around the school and introduce them to the students. We look forward to working with them this year.

Remember that we are a team. We need you to join us on your child's educational journey. We can't do it alone. Together we can ensure that your child will experience high quality learning in a supportive, encouraging, and safe environment. We are on the same team. Let's ensure that we act that way by being positive, encouraging and supportive of one another. Let's be Jesus people who will make a difference.

Enjoy your two weeks,
God Bless
Claudine Dank

RELIGIOUS LIFE OF OUR SCHOOL

Why did we have Pancakes??

Shrove Tuesday, is the night before Ash Wednesday when the season of Lent begins, is celebrated in a variety of ways. ‘Shrove’ is an old English word meaning ‘to confess’ or ‘to repent’. As people prepared for the solemn season of Lent where they would eat fewer rich foods, spend more time in prayer, they found it necessary to clean out their cupboards and rid their kitchens of rich foods like butter, milk and eggs. In many parts of the world, feasts were held to eat all these foods before Lent began. Pancakes became a favourite food because they used up many of the forbidden ingredients.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. We call it Ash Wednesday because many, many Christians around the world receive a cross of ashes on their foreheads. God’s people have used this sign for hundreds of years. This cross of ashes tells friends and neighbours that we are not perfect and that we know we are not perfect. It also reminds us that we are followers of Jesus and our main job is to serve others just as he did. With God’s help we can try to reach out to others with more love and kindness especially in our own families, our school and in our world and think about how we can be servants to God’s people.

Lent is a time to prepare your heart and mind for Easter. It is the 40 days (period of time from Ash Wednesday to Easter, excluding Sundays) of fasting and prayer to think about all that Jesus gave up for us on the cross – his life. Historically, people choose to ‘give up’ something that is personally important to them for the period of Lent (make a personal sacrifice) which is a reminder of what Jesus gave up for us.

Project Compassion 2021

This year, Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion theme is ‘Be More’. It challenges us to venture into a new experience of compassion, and is taken from the invitation of St Oscar Romero, to“Aspire not to have more, but to BE For more than 50 years, Caritas Australia has been privileged to work together with our neighbours our most vulnerable sisters and brothers around the world. With our support and by working with partner agencies in those communities, Caritas Australia continues to combat poverty, promote justice and uphold the dignity of every person.

Throughout Project Compassion 2021, inspiring stories from Bangladesh, Solomon Islands,

Tanzania and Indonesia will be shared, highlighting the importance of working hand in hand with communities around the world. Our challenge to ‘Be More’ takes us beyond ourselves.

We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. Each family will receive a Project Compassion box and/or a set of envelopes for their donations or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: lent.caritas.org.au

Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project

As part of the school verification we are in the need for parents to fill out the Catholic Identity Survey. This survey will take at least half an hour of your time.

Date of commencement: 8 February 2021
Date of Completion: 1 April 2021

All surveys must be completed by April or sooner.

Website: at the link below:

School: St Kieran’s Catholic School, Mount Isa
Password: Ghj654
Survey Access Code: u73614

Thank you very much for making time to participate in the Enhancing Catholic School Identity project. The purpose of this survey research is to gain meaningful insights into how your son or daughter’s school views its Catholic identity today and how such identity might be shaped for tomorrow.

Everyone’s input is important.

Your participation should take about 55 minutes. It’s best to finish the survey in one shot, without having to come back later.

Your responses are anonymous and your personal data is treated confidentially in accordance with ethical and legal guidelines.

Only you will be able to view your individual results and this can be done once you’ve completed the questionnaires.

PARISH INFORMATION

Casual Staff for MMCNQ Centres

We are currently recruiting for casual staff to work in either our early learning centre, Kindergarten or out of school hours care services. Be supported by experienced early childhood teachers and educators, gain practical work experience and work in a fun and active work environment.

Interested in finding out more about our casual work opportunities in Mt Isa?

Contact our Area Coordinator, Nadia Russo on 0429 918 722

DIOCESAN BASED INFORMATION

Mass Livestream

Sunday Mass from the Sacred Heart Cathedral will continue to be Live Streamed for the community. You can find the stream here

Prayer resources and other important information can be found

Becoming New in Christ – Parish Renewal

This year our Parish will join Parishes across the Diocese will commence a renewal journey called Becoming New in Christ.

The journey is being led at Diocesan level by Bishop Tim and in our Parish by our Priest and Pastoral Council.

Bishop Tim sets the scene for the Becoming New in Christ journey and asks us to get ready for the first step time - a period of consultation and conversation in our parish and all parishes.

You can view the video on YouTube -

Hospital Admission

Dedicated priests and trained volunteers visit as many of our sick parishioners as possible in all our hospitals. If you are admitted to hospital remember to ask staff to mark your religion as 'Catholic' if you would like the ministry of a priest or Catholic hospital visitor.

LEARNING & TEACHING

Clubs and Extra Activities at Saint Kieran’s

Learning does not just happen inside the classroom here at Saint Kieran’s. Our staff provide multiple opportunities for kids to learn and connect during lunchtimes, before and after school. This term our Eco Warriors are back in action continuing with our composting recycling and gardening initiatives. Every Monday and Thursday at second break Knitting and Chess Clubs are held in the library. At Chess Club our experienced players took the time to teach beginners whilst they played and our knitters worked with our new members to help get them started. Other lunch opportunities this semester include board games in the library, activities and games run throughout HPE week and a Coding Club. Mrs Lloyd is also organising for our kids to practice their running in the mornings.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Helping children grow into their best selves

by Michael Grose

During a recent radio interview, the presenter asked “What’s the job of a parent?”

I replied, “The main task for parents is to help their children grow into the best version of themselves.”

This response can be challenging for parents who want to raise their kids in their own image. Sure, parents want to share the best parts of themselves with their children but that doesn’t mean they should raise them in our own image.

If excellence is a strong value, then in all probability this is a value you may like your child to share. That makes sense. However, if sport is your strength and your child doesn’t share that interest it’s wise to assist your child to develop their own strengths and interests rather than push them down a path of your making.

The following ideas will guide you to help your child grow into the best version of themselves both socially and academically.

Encourage exploration

Young children are great explorers of territory, ideas and behaviour. Their curiosity shows no bounds and can lead them into trouble. The socialisation process that we undertake as parents is designed to keep kids social and safe. But that shouldn’t mean that we discourage the curious spirit that children possess.

As kids move through primary school into the identity formation years of adolescence, stimulate their curiosity and exploratory activities and interests, discuss a variety of ideas and topics and form relationships with different children and diverse generations.

Require self-control

Does your child react or respond to a difficult situation? Can your child wait a few minutes with food in front of them until others join them or do they eat immediately because they are hungry? Does your child spend all their pocket-money on themselves or are they encouraged to save some of their allowance for later? Lack of emotional control and an inability to delay gratification until later will generally hold most kids back from reaching their full potential. Self-control is like a muscle that gets stronger with practice, so encourage your child or young person to take a breath when angry, be patient and wait, and look forward to receiving gifts at special times of the year rather than getting them on demand.

Model empathy

The ability for children to empathise with others in difficult circumstances is an underestimated skill. Sensitive children generally have empathy in spades, while bullies lack the ability or willingness to put themselves in the shoes of others. Parents, grandparents and carers are well placed to model empathy. When a child comes to you with a problem or worry, validate their concerns with a response such as, “Ah, I see you’re really worried by this.” Such a response teaches a child the empathetic language they can use when siblings and peers experience difficulty.

Convey compassion

Compassion and caring are encouraged in education and parenting circles as prime values to instil in children and young people. Perhaps this comes as a result of greater community awareness as a response to COVID-19. By developing compassion and caring in kids we lay the foundation for not only a strong sense of community but also for individual happiness that comes from contributing to something bigger than the individual.

Embed wellbeing

If there is a lasting legacy that schools are making to the current generation, it’s their recent focus on children’s wellbeing practices and principles. As a community we are just coming to grips with the fact that good mental health and wellbeing is central to a person’s long-term happiness, work and relationship success. You can assist by embedding wellbeing habits of healthy eating, exercise, sleep, relaxation techniques, regular time in nature, gratitude and mindfulness into family-life.

In closing

Helping kids grow into the best versions of themselves requires parents to focus on character development, capacity building and personal wellbeing. A broad focus with a solid understanding of what it takes to look after their mental health will help kids become productive and community-minded young people.

LIBRARY

Why read

This infographic is one of my favourite as it demonstrates the power of daily reading. Gently encourage a reading time before bed. This could be the new school time routine for 2021.

Encouraging middle primary readers

It is an exciting milestone when your child is independently reading. The next hurdle is ensuring that we keep them moving on to new and exciting authors to keep them interested. Many children get stuck on a series and aren’t willing to take a risk and try something new. If you are a Facebook user there is a wonderful group of teacher librarians and authors here to help you. Join the group ‘Your kid’s next read growing readers and writers’ for ongoing tips and suggestions.

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION

Last Friday we acknowledged National Sorry Day at our assembly. This is a special day of remembrance and commemoration held to highlight the impact of past policies of forcible removal on the Stolen Generations, their families, and their communities. The day is an opportunity for all Australians to remember past mistakes and build stronger bridges for a richer, stronger future together. Well done to our Indigenous students who led us throughout our assembly.

YOU CAN DO IT

In our You Can Do It lessons, we have been looking at Core values and Social values.

Our values are statements about how we think we should behave and what we believe is important.

Our values are our moral map, which guide our behaviour and actions. The following values are taught in the Bounce Back! program. Acting on these values can connect your child to others, increase your child’s sense of belonging and help them to be a decent, worthwhile person and to be more resilient.

Key messages to communicate to your child about values:

Your values are easy to talk about but harder to act on.

The real test is whether you still follow your personal values when it is inconvenient for you or when there could be possible unpleasant or uncomfortable outcomes for you. Nobody is perfect, but it’s important to try to live by your values even though you may not always succeed as well as you would like. Keep trying to improve.

Be honest.

Being honest means telling the truth and not stealing; it means giving things back when they belong to someone else and ‘owning up’ when you have done the wrong thing.

Be fair.

Being fair means following the rules and not cheating; it means returning favours and kindnesses, and helping others to get justice and a fair deal.

Be responsible.

Being responsible means not letting people down. It means doing the things that you have to do without being reminded. It also means choosing sensible behaviour instead of foolish or unsafe behaviour.

Be kind and supportive.

Being kind means caring about other people and their wellbeing by doing kind things for others and being supportive and showing thoughtfulness to others.

Accept differences in other people.

Everyone is different in some way and that’s okay. If you accept that other people are different (e.g. where they come from, what they look like, what they like to eat or do, and in their opinions), then you get to know more people (and not just those who are similar to you), you include people who are different from you in activities and conversation, and you don’t tease or exclude them.

Cooperate with others.

Cooperating means working together with someone to achieve something that you both want. It requires sharing ideas and resources, listening, encouraging each other, making sure that both of you have a say, doing your share of the work, and making decisions together that are fair to both of you.

Be friendly and include others.

Being friendly means being kind and welcoming to others and trying to include people (even if they are not your close friends or they are people who are sometimes hard to like). This means looking in their eyes and smiling, saying hello, being kind and inviting them to join in games and conversations. Being friendly towards strangers is not a good idea until you are very sure they are safe people.

Be respectful.

Being respectful means treating others as you would like them to treat you. It means thinking about other people’s feelings and rights, being polite and using good manners, and not insulting or hurting others or their property. If you want people to respect your rights, then you have to respect their rights.

Show self-respect.

Self-respect means looking after yourself and standing up for yourself because you think you matter and should be treated well by others.

ECO WARRIORS

Once again Woolworths is giving away seeds!!! If you are not collecting for yourself please collect them for our Eco Warriors. Donations can be dropped in the plastic tub inside the door of the Parent Engagement Room. Thank you!!

ESMART (CYBER SAFETY)

Over the next few newsletters we will be sharing the 15 steps of Digital Mentor Challenge which has been provided to us by Inform and Empower. Some of these aspects were spoken about on the parent cyber safety night.

Carley briefly explains why these 3 things are so important to tell your kids now (& repeatedly).

TUCKSHOP

All tuckshop orders are to be made online through Flexischools by 9.00am on the day required.

2020 Families - Please remember to change your child's classroom to their 2021 class prior to your first order this year.

In the app go to the profile tab - students - select student - click on the pencil and update the year level first and then class and press save.

Thursday Meal Deals -Term 1

Did you know the tuckshop could make cupcakes for your child’s birthday? $1.00 each, please enquire at the office for an order form.

PLAYGROUP

MOTHER’S DAY FETE

THIS YEAR WE ARE HAVING A FETE!

Next week we will start our coloured clothes days. It is very important for you to please bring in the item needed or if you get really stuck then it is a gold coin donation.

Friday 26th February - Gold Coin Donation
Friday 5th March - Tombola Items (more information closer to the day)
Friday 12th March - Gold Coin Donation
Friday 19th March - Basket Items (more information closer to the day)
Friday 26th March - Chocolates (party size packs)
Friday 23rd April - Trash and Treasure
Friday 30th April – Plants
Friday 7th May - Fill a plate for cake and bake store
Friday 15th May - Free Dress (after school Fete)

We are also going to need as many volunteers as possible. If you are unable to come to a meeting and would like to help, please let the school know.

TIMEOUT POSTER

Please take note of the exclusion times for illnesses as per the Queensland Health Time Out Poster.