22 July 2021

Newsletter Articles

IMPORTANT DATES

Saturday 24th July - Catholic Ball

Sunday 25th - Friday 30th July - Catholic Education Week
Friday 30th July - National Tree Day
Wednesday 4th August - Gala Touch Football
Wednesday 4th August - 8.20 - 8.40am - Open Classroom
Wednesday 11th August - 10.30am - 11.15am - Family Lunch
Friday 13th August - RODEO Day - NO School
Monday 16th August - Gala Soccer Day
Wednesday 25th August - Book Week Dress Up
Monday - Wednesday - 30th - 1st September - Parent Teacher Interviews
Wednesday 1st September - 8.20 - 8.40am - Open Classroom
Wednesday 8th September - 10.30am - 11.15am - Family Lunch
Friday 17th September - Last Day of School

PRAYER / SPECIAL MESSAGE

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

Bigger Than the World Cup!

Jesus offers us something bigger than the World Cup! Jesus offers us the possibility of a fruitful life, a life of happiness; he also offers us a future with him, an endless future, in eternal life. This is what Jesus offers. But he asks us to pay admission, and the cost of admission is that we train ourselves “to get in shape,” so that we can face every situation in life undaunted, bearing witness to our faith.
(Pope Francis, World Youth Day, 27 July 2013)
Reflection
What’s your “World Cup”? What competes with Jesus in your life?
Where do you need to “get in shape”?

PRINCIPALS REPORT

Dear Parents, Grandparents, Carers and Friends,

Welcome back to Term 3.

I hope your June holidays were relaxing and restful and you were able to create some time with family and friends.

This term looks like being another busy and productive time at St Kieran’s. I will keep you all updated as we continue to make this school the best in Mount Isa in offering the best education for your children.

The toilet block has continued to develop and has now completed the foundation. I sincerely thank Jay Morris and his team for the work that is being placed into this project.

Prep enrolments continue to grow for 2022. We still have some spaces available. If you have friends that are considering Prep next year, please get them to contact the school for an appointment. They really won't be disappointed. Enrolment interviews will take place in week 3.

On Monday night the School Board approved the updates of Attendance Policy and Procedure. There is a section in this procedure now which is very important. If a parent has authorised an alternative carer during school hours, they must notify the school in advance, and the carer will need to show identification when picking up the child/ren from the office. This is very important due to student protection and for the school to make sure that we know that those children are safe.

There is a letter attached to this newsletter in regards to the upcoming Census and the Privacy Act.

As we begin another term, let us continue to work with one another and support each other in your children's education journey. Remember that we can accomplish anything when we are united together.

Enjoy your next few weeks

Claudine Dank

RELIGIOUS LIFE OF OUR SCHOOL

The Word - Sunday July 25/Ordinary Time 17

A large crowd followed Jesus. He asked Phillip, “Where can we buy enough food to feed these people?” Phillip answered, “It would take more than two hundred silver coins to buy enough bread.” Then Andrew said, “THere is a boy here who has five loaves and two fish, but it will not be enough.” Jesus took the bread and fish, gave thanks to God and gave it to them. When they were all full, the disciples gathered the scraps and filled twelve baskets. John 6:1-15

When God promises to provide, he provides in lavish abundance until we are fully satisfied. But we have to trust him. This can be difficult as it takes great faith. Yet faith in God’s providence brings true freedom to take risks and follow in his footsteps.

Monday the 26th of July is the feast day of St Joachim and St Anne (Jesus’s Grandparents). They were people of great faith who taught Mary how to care for others and be a compassionate and generous person. In turn, Mary taught this to Jesus who was a person of great understanding and kindness. Grandparents are very special people and have a major impact on the lives of their grandchildren.

Loving God, who is like a mother and father to us, you have given us people in our lives who care for us and show us how to care for others. Help us to listen to our grandparents, to serve them as they have served others, and to value and respect their wisdom and understanding.

PARISH INFORMATION

The Good Shepherd Parish is seeking volunteers to help out at the Rodeo Ball serving food.
Times required are 5:30pm to 10:00pm.
Kids age 13 years and above are welcome to help.
Please contact the Parish office to register your name if able to help

DIOCESAN BASED INFORMATION

Plenary Council Prayer Campaign

Fan the Flame Prayer Campaign towards Plenary Assembly One October 2021.

‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’
Mark 6:30-34

Our Aboriginal culture has taught us to be still and to wait… We wait for the rain to fill our rivers and water the thirsty earth… We wait on God, too. We don’t worry. We know that in time and in the spirit of dadirri (that deep listening and quiet stillness) his way will be clear.(Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr, “Dadirri: Inner Deep Listening and Quiet Still Awareness”, Miriam-Roes Foundation, accessed 23 April 2021, https://www.miriamrosefoundation.org.au/about-dadirri.)

World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly

Pope Francis has proclaimed the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July each year – July 25 this year. It is marked near the feast of Sts Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. Parishes, schools, aged care facilities and other ministries are encouraged to find creative ways to celebrate the contribution of older people to their families and communities. Access resources at the link below.

Charismatic Renewal Conference

Yona Shalom Townsville will be holding a three day workshop call Given2bGiven between the 16th & 18th of July.

Do you know you are called by name?
Do you know you are loved and gifted by God?
Do you know your gifts are given to be given?
Join in the interactive weekend which will lead you on a journey of self-discovery.
For more information and to register contact Trudy on 0418 726 109

PREP ENROLMENTS 2022

IS YOUR CHILD STARTING PREP IN 2022?

Families seeking enrolment of their child into Prep for 2022 are invited to complete an Application for Enrolment, available on our website or alternatively collect an application package from the School Office.

As we are anticipating that there will continue to be strong demand for placements within our Prep groups for 2022, it is important that applications are received by the school as soon as possible.

Please note that if you have a sibling of a current St Kieran’s student you will also need to complete an enrolment application for your child for Prep 2022. Students enrolled at St Joseph’s Kindergarten or St Mary Mackillop Early Learning Centre are also required to complete an application form.

St Kieran’s Catholic School works in partnership with St Joseph’s Catholic School and Good Shepherd Parish to coordinate the Prep enrolment process so that the best opportunity is afforded to all.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Each fortnight we will profile a section of our Annual School Improvement Plan for 2021. This is the document that guides our plans and priorities for the year. We prepare this document based on initiatives set by the Townsville Catholic Education Office and through consultation with our school stakeholders: parents, staff and students.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

At Saint Kieran’s we are big believers in the power of reading. This is why our homework expectation is for our students to read each night at home. Here is a great article that explains why reading is so important.

10 Benefits of Reading (and Why Children and Adults Should Read Often)

1. Kids who read often and widely get better at it - This is pretty much just common sense. After all, practice makes perfect in almost everything we humans do and reading is no different from anything else

2. Reading exercises our brains - Reading is a much more complex task for the human brain than, say, watching TV is. Reading strengthens brain connections and actually builds new connections.

3. Reading improves concentration - Again, this is a bit of a no-brainer. Children have to sit still and quietly so they can focus on the story when they’re reading. If they read regularly, they develop the ability to do this for longer periods.

4. Reading teaches children about the world around them - Through reading, children learn about people, places and events outside their own experience. They are exposed to ways of life, ideas and beliefs about the world which may be different from those which surround them. This learning is important for its own sake however it also builds a store of background knowledge which helps younger children learn to read confidently and well.

5. Reading improves a child’s vocabulary and leads to more highly-developed language skills - This is because children learn new words as they read but also because they unconsciously absorb information as they read about things like how to structure sentences and how to use words and language effectively.

6. Reading develops a child’s imagination - This is because when we read our brains translate the descriptions we read of people, places and things into pictures. When we’re engaged in a story, we’re also imagining how the characters are feeling. We use our own experiences to imagine how we would feel in the same situation.

7. Reading helps kids develop empathy - This is something I’ve only recently realised but it makes sense. As my fifteen-year-old son said to me when we were discussing it: ‘Of course it does because you’re identifying with the character in the story so you’re feeling what he’s feeling.’

8. Children who read do better at school - And they don’t just do better at subjects like reading, English and history. They do better at all subjects and they do better all the way through school.

9. Reading is a great form of entertainment - A paperback book or an e-reader like the Amazon Kindle doesn’t take up much space so you can take it anywhere and you’ll never be lonely or bored if you have a book in your bag. You can read while waiting in a queue, while waiting for a friend who’s running late or during a flight delay at an airport.

10. Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind - This is an important point because these days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent. The constant movement, flashing lights and noise which bombard our senses when we’re watching TV, looking at a computer or playing an electronic game are actually quite stressful for our brains. When we read, we read in silence and the black print on a white page is much less stressful for our eyes and brains.

Source: http://www.best-books-for-kids.com/benefits-of-reading.html

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

I am happy to inform the St Kieran’s school community that I am now a Delivery Team member for Positive Partnerships.

Positive Partnerships is funded through the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, as part of the Australian Government’s Helping Children with Autism initiative. Positive Partnerships delivers Professional Learning for teachers and school staff, and Parent/Carer workshops for parents and carers of school-aged students on the autism spectrum. We also run webinars, online workshops and have an extensive online learning hub.

In addition to our work with schools and families, Positive Partnerships is committed to:

• Working in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through our workshops and our Reconciliation Action Plan
• Supporting communities that are diverse in terms of their language and culture (DC)
• Working in partnership with our Autistic Advisory Group. Members of this group are autistic adults who guide our work through their authentic lived experience
• Online learning opportunities and web based resources

Positive Partnerships is delivered nationally by state/territory delivery teams. All workshops are delivered by skilled facilitators from the fields of education, disability, health, or community services.

Thank you

Peta Laffin

LIBRARY

There are some exciting things happening this term including Book Week, some new displays, a Book Wish Box and lots of new books to borrow.

Book Week is coming soon where we will be celebrating children’s books and Australian authors and illustrators. The CBCA 2021 Book of the Year Awards include 3 categories: Younger Reader, Early Childhood and Picture book of the Year and most of these books are available for students to borrow.

The Children’s Book Council of Australia’s (CBCA) Book Week is from 21st to 27th August 2021. This year’s theme is “Old Worlds, New Worlds and Other Worlds”. Our Book Week Dress Up Day will be held on Wednesday, 25th August, 2021 (Week 7). Students can dress up* as a character from the theme (“Old Worlds” eg ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, dinosaur, viking or “New Worlds” eg astronaut, alien or “Other Worlds” eg fairy, unicorn, monster, wizard, dragon) or as a character from their favourite book. There will also be prizes up for grabs. This is a great opportunity to not only be creative but to also highlight the importance of reading.

*Please note students will need to be Sunsmart and wear their school shoes

There are some new displays to check out and a new Book Wish Box can be found on the Library desk. Write the name of the book you would like to see added to our library onto a piece of paper, pop it into the Book Wish Box and we will do our best to get it! We also have lots of new books arriving so remember to bring your library bags to school.

Finally, a BIG thank you to those who have returned overdue library books and home readers, greatly appreciated.

HPE

Important dates for sports as follows:

Saints Carnival – Thursday 29 July
Touch Football Gala – Wednesday 4 August
Soccer Gala – Monday 16 August

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION

Last term we came together as a school to celebrate NAIDOC week with a full day of activities based around the theme 'Heal Country'. Throughout the day the children worked in our garden, learned about the significance of totems, painted pictures of places they felt connected to as well as learning about and practicing Dadirri which is an inner silence, listening to the land, being in rhythm with it. The children also had fun listening to Dreaming stories, playing indigenous games, making clay necklaces and learning the significance of various symbols and language. A special thank you to Ms Laylee Armstrong for her help preparing all of the activities for the day.

YOU CAN DO IT

I am continuing on with teaching Getting Along in Prep and introducing this topic in the other lower primary classes. Here are other things you can do to teach children Getting Along:

• Hold a private - rather than a public - meeting with the child who is not getting along.
• Help your child identify his/her inappropriate behaviours and/or behaviour patterns and appropriate behaviours to replace them.
• Arrange for your child to assume some important responsibility (e.g. tutor a younger sibling).

• Identify strong negative consequences/penalties that your child will work to avoid, and strong positive consequences/rewards that he or she will work to earn by behaving well.
• Be consistent and firm in implementing negative consequences. Do not argue with your child. Use the broken record technique (e.g. “You chose to _____ ; therefore, you have chosen the consequence of ____.”).
• Ask the school to employ a daily school-home report card on which teachers rate your child’s behaviour and the quality of his/her class work and homework. Have your child bring the card home to show you every night. Sign the card and have your child show it to the teacher the next day.
• Establish a behavioural contract together with your child. Spell out in written form negative behaviours to decrease and positive behaviours to increase, along with rewards and penalties.
• Do not use sarcasm with your child, put him/her down, communicate with a negative tone of voice, or become furious when he/she misbehaves.
• Do not boss your child (e.g. tell the child he/she needs to do something because you said so and you are the parent). Do not engage in a power struggle with your child (e.g. ‘take the wind out of his/her sails’).
• Communicate to your child that even though you strongly dislike his/her behaviour, you still accept and love him/her.
• Focus discussion of your child’s misbehaviour on the behaviour and not his/her character.
• Discuss with family members ways to support the child so that he/she doesn’t feel separated from the family.
• Offer your child opportunities to demonstrate what he/she knows and does well in front of family members. Focus on a special interest, skill, or talent.
• Encourage your child to spend time with peers who have an achievement and getting along direction.
• Identify an older student or adult mentor who can take an active interest in your child’s progress and to whom your child can report on a regular basis.
• Teach your child that it is okay to be angry, but it is not okay to hurt others, be mean, or destroy property.
• When your child appears very angry, use reflective listening. Validate the child’s feelings and assist him/her in developing choices of how to resolve the problem.

ECO WARRIORS

Our garden continues to grow every week. We have recently planted more flowers and potatoes!! This term we will harvest our cherry tomatoes, beans, zucchinis, beetroot and carrots. We were impressed that our bok choy looked EXACTLY like the ones in the shop.

This year we continue our partnership with Catholic Earthcare and were excited to be asked to showcase our schools environmental projects in their latest newsletter as well as be part of a Zoom Q&A where we tell other schools about our journey over the past 2 years. Watch this space!!

ESMART (CYBER SAFETY)

Remember that these settings are not foolproof as the safe settings can be disabled by a curious and capable person!

For far more comprehensive parental controls, I strongly encourage you to explore:

For Apple Devices: Parental Controls 
For Android Devices: Parental Controls

PRINCIPAL AWARDS

Sponsored by Mount Isa Coffee Club

Congratulations to:

Talei-Rose Henley
Lilly-Mae Marshall
Tariq Jacobs
James Flood
Meleka Sopoaga
Ben Laffin
Ezekiel Smith
David Laffin
Alexis Clarke
Samson Prior
Xavier Veach

These students have worked so hard with their learning and the effort they have placed in their work. We are all super proud of them.

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 3 Meal Deals

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

So far this term we have played dress ups which lead to constructing a broom to go with a witch’s outfit. It is always exciting helping the children explore their own ideas and creativity.

COMMUNITY NOTICES