11 November 2021

Newsletter Articles

IMPORTANT DATES

Wednesday 17th November - Family Lunch
Friday 5th November - Show coming to school- “Bits and Pieces”
Thursday 25th November - St Kieran’s End of Year Mass
Monday 29th November - Yr 6 Graduation Dinner
Tuesday 30th November - St Kieran’s has Talent Show
Wednesday 1st December - Wet Wednesday
Thursday 2nd December - Year 1 Nativity Play
Friday 3rd December - Last Day of School @ 12pm

St Kieran’s Community Gatherings Term 4

PRAYER / SPECIAL MESSAGE

Prayer / Special Message

The Francis Factor (Reflecting on the Words & Wisdom of Pope Francis) Devotions, But No Jesus

Today we encounter many Christians without Christ. For example, those like the Pharisees, Christians who put their faith, their religiosity, their Christianity, in laws: I must do this, I must do that. They are Christians out of habit ... They seek out only devotions, but no Jesus. There is something really missing, my friends! Jesus is missing. If your devotions lead you to Jesus, then they are all good. But if they leave you where you are, then something is wrong. (Pope Francis, homily, 7 September 2013)

Reflection

Ask yourself: “Is my faith primarily a matter of laws and habit? What can I do to more decisively put Jesus at the centre of my devotions?” Consciously re-centre all of your activities on Jesus.

The Sunday Connection (Connecting Sunday Mass with Daily Life for Families)

ATTENTION ALL PARENTS

We are giving away $ MONEY $, but there is a catch. If you are able to recommend our school for an outside family particularly in the Prep to Year 3 levels for 2022 and the family accepts the position. Then you will receive a $100 gift voucher from Kmart.

PRINCIPALS REPORT

Dear Parents, Grandparents, Carers and Friends,

Our Prep Parent Information Session was very successful last Thursday afternoon. I would like to thank Miss Kate Andrews for organising a very informative and inclusive presentation. The parents are very excited, and their children can't wait to join the St Kieran’s school family! With our Transitioning Day on Monday the students were super excited with going up into the next year level. The teachers enjoyed it as well. I have heard many stories and excitement, which I would love to bottle up and let the lid off next year for the excitement to continue.

As the year progresses and is starting to come to an end, it will be time for us to say goodbye to some of our staff.

• Mrs Sam Dolzan who has been connected with the school for the last 8 years has decided that she would like to work with teenage students. Sam is now currently at GSCC and working in the hospitality unit. She loves cooking and can not wait to start with the students to guide them through their cooking steps.
• Mrs Karlene Rodriguez and her family are making the move over to Townsville. Karlene has been a school officer for the last 3 years and I know that year 3 and 5 will miss having her around.
• Miss Tahnee McCahon who has been with us for a year has decided to go back to Townsville to be closer to her family. She has secured a job at Marian next year.
• Mrs Tarni Keily who has worked at the school for the last 3 years is moving to Brisbane with Matt, while he is finishing off his university degree. It is also exciting for them as they are having their baby next year.

During Mass I will be acknowledging these lovely ladies with the work that they have contributed at St Kieran’s.

Classes are in the middle of final assessments, and it is important that students are at school. I realise that there are times when this is not possible, but I ask you to contact your classroom teacher and let them know your circumstances. This information will make life easy when marking and setting up end of year reports. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. There should be no surprises when these reports go home at the end of the year. Open communication should be happening, and any problems should have been discussed by now. If you are unsure, I encourage you to make contact with your class teacher to ensure all is good.

We are still accepting enrolments across all Year levels for 2022. If you know of any family considering enrolling in 2022, please get them to contact the school as soon as possible. Places are filling up fast. This will also help us in organising classes for next year.

Enjoy the week ahead

RELIGIOUS LIFE OF OUR SCHOOL

The Word

Jesus said, “In the last days the sun will darken, the moon will not shine, stars will fall from heaven and the powers of space will be driven to chaos. Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. He will send the angels out to all corners of the earth to gather God’s chosen people.” (Mark 13:24-32)

BE READY! “No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come.” The Gospels tell us that our earthly life will pass to make room for the Kingdom of God will one day be brought to completion with the second coming of Christ. We cannot know when, but we can prepare ourselves for it.

Lord God,
Your plans for usare peace and joy with you for eternity.
Help us to be ready for your coming.
Amen

Mini Vinnies Social Justice Evening 2021

This term, St Kieran's students from years 2 - 6 have the opportunity to participate in a Mini Vinnies Social Justice Evening. The Mini Vinnies Social Justice Evening will help raise awareness about what it means to be homeless and the types of homelessness experienced by both adults, young people and children. Students will be engaged in a range of activities to help give them a sense of what it is like to be homeless and an understanding of how life circumstances can change. The evening also discusses with the students how we can help in regards to fundraising, volunteering and being an advocate for those in need. Putting together the packages will formulate the Social Justice Action part of the evening. All St Kieran's students can contribute and be involved in preparation for this evening. Please fill out the permission form and return to the office.

St Kieran’s End of Year Mass

All students are to be dropped at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church (Stanley Street) between 8am - 8.20am on Thursday the 25th of November. Students will return to school via a bus. If you will be transporting your own child/ren back to school please advise their classroom teacher.

Remembrance Day 2021

Thursday, November 11th marked the end of World War 1 over a hundred years ago. Although it was a long time ago, today is an opportunity to remember all those who have died in wars and conflicts since then. We pray that we value the freedoms that we enjoy today and commit ourselves to creating peace in our world by recognising that peace begins in our own families, classrooms, schools and communities, and it begins with us. Each one of us can make a peaceful world.

God of Peace,
Your Son taught us that dying leads us into new life. On this day, we remember especially all the courageous men and women who willingly sacrificed their lives in wartime so that our lives today would be full and free. Their bravery brought us liberation and peace. Set free the ones who suffer oppression in war-torn nations throughout the world today. We ask this prayer in the name of Jesus whose death brought life to the world.
Amen.

PARISH INFORMATION

Mass for You at Home

Did you know Catholic Mass is broadcast on free-to-air television each Sunday morning? Mass for You at Home is broadcast at 6am on Channel 10. Let family and friends know that they can pray along at home if they are unable to attend their local parish. Find out more at the link below.

DIOCESAN BASED INFORMATION

Catholic Mission

We would like to thank you again for your generosity, whether it be through prayer, a one-off gift or through your commitment as a Mission Partner, through the recent Catholic Mission Appeal.

Your kindness helps to ensure that many vulnerable women like Churai* will continue to receive care and support through the Mother and Babies Home in Bangkok, so that they can then build a brighter future for themselves and their precious babies.

To learn more about the impact of your support, visit the link below, where you can also sign-up for our regular newsletter.

Synod on Synodality

This Sunday in Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bishop Tim will launch our diocesan involvement in the Synod of Bishop’s to be held in Rome in 2023. Pope Francis invites the entire Church to reflect on a theme that is decisive for its life and mission: “It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium. This journey, which follows in the wake of the Church’s ‘renewal’ proposed by the Second Vatican Council, is both a gift and a task.”

As a Diocese we will continue the conversation that commenced with the Plenary Council and continued with our 'Becoming New in Christ' renewal journey. Mass will be livestreamed. Information on how you can be involved can be found at the link below.

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 below 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

We love reciprocal reading at St Kieran’s! Reciprocal reading is a structured method of guiding reading where students take on the group roles of predictor, clarifier, questioner and summariser to explore and find meaning in texts. To celebrate our students' love of reciprocal reading, we have purchased lots of new books this semester! In particular, books suitable for our students in Year 4-6. So far, the favourite new purchase seems to be the ‘Pick Your Own Quest’ series by Connor Hoover.

Don’t forget to continue fostering your child’s love of reading at home! You can help by reading daily with your child for at least 10 minutes for younger learners and 20 minutes for older learners, providing your child with opportunities to read by going to the library for example, allowing your child to re-read books for confidence and fluency and most importantly, by making reading fun!

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Many people, not just those on the autism spectrum, respond better to transition and change when it is supported by a planning process with involvement from parents/carers, teachers, allied health professionals and the students themselves. Many schools provide ‘orientation’ opportunities where new students and their families may visit the new school and meet with staff and become familiar with the physical environment. Transition plans are a more detailed plan of how the student will be supported to change environments and when and who will implement this plan.  What is a transition plan? A transition plan (TP) is a critical document in supporting anticipated changes in a student’s environment. It focuses on gaining a shared understanding of needs by all those involved to ensure individual student requirements are met successfully. TPs can be succinct or extensive, depending on the level of forewarning and planning around change required by each individual, as this may vary greatly. You may wish to complete the Supporting Successful Transitions and Change module in the Online Learning Hub on the Positive Partnerships Website. The module contains some great downloadable templates and information to support different types of transition.

LIBRARY

Book Fair has wrapped up for another year and what a week it was! Our goal was to get the kids excited about reading and that’s exactly what happened! We received lots of positive responses from the many families who came in to experience our reading oasis.

A huge thank you to everyone who made purchases, this has allowed us to earn lots of points to spend on school resources. Also, a huge thank you to all the staff who helped out, behind the scenes, before and after school and during lunchtimes. Greatly appreciated!

Congratulations to all our competition winners for your wonderfully creative and hard work. (Colouring-in: Prep - Marcella, Yr 1 - Blake, Yr 2 - Diaz, Yr 3 - Harlee-Rose, Yr 4 - Nicole, and Yr 5 - Stephanie. Scavenger Hunt: Senior: Stephanie, Jasmine, Charlotte B and Phoebie. Guess how many pages?: Senior: Charlotte B)

Until next year…

Happy reading!

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION

This week Janelle Knack, Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Adviser from TCE met with families to review our school’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and help plan future directions of Indigenous education in our school. We value the input of all families and would love to hear all feedback to help strengthen our commitment to Indigenous Education. Copies of our draft RAP can be found in the office please feel free to get a copy and add suggestions.

YOU CAN DO IT

Continuing on with our classroom lessons on Organisation, here are some other things you, as caregivers, can do to teach children Organisation:

• Provide children with a checklist and instructions regarding how to organise their room, backpack, any electronic devices and notebooks.
• Provide children with a checklist of things to do each day and time when things need to be done (daily checklist: beginning 6:30 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 7:30 a.m. . . . 9:00 p.m. lights out).

• Establish a homework routine and schedule, including a daily/weekly planner and homework folder.
• Help children schedule steps of assignments on weekly and semester/term calendars and/or electronic reminders.
• Establish a routine of filing important school papers in a notebook/school binder/designated folder on the computer.
• Establish a set routine at home for waking up, being dressed and ready for school, homework time, dinner, ready for bedtime, and sleep.
• Establish with times of the day when important things have to be done (out of bed, dressed, ready for school, homework, ready for bed).
• Only provide materials a child needs for current work.
• Help children break down tasks into smaller steps.
• Ensure that a child is ready for instruction (e.g. eye contact, sitting still).
• Teach children strategies to record and remember directions and instructions (e.g. note taking, mnemonics).
• Call a family meeting for what is expected of each child to do in the morning before school, in the afternoon after school, before/after dinner, and before bedtime. Post routines for each child.
• Establish rules for putting things away in their proper place and for doing things on time. Also establish positive/negative consequences for following/breaking these rules.

ECO WARRIORS

Did somebody say scones??

With such an amazing pumpkin crop this year our Eco Warriors decided to make everyone pumpkin scones!!! We made enough pumpkin scones to feed all of our students and staff (some kids coming back for fourths and fifths!!). We had lots of positive feedback from the kids, many who couldn’t believe that there was pumpkin in there. Our scones even made it all the way to Jangawala on Sunday and were a big hit.

ESMART (CYBER SAFETY)

PRINCIPAL AWARDS

Sponsored by Mount Isa Coffee Club

Congratulations to;

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.

1st Principal Award

Talon Flynn
Grace Littlemore
Noah Clarke
Isabella Sodenkamp
Kiana Jacobs
Dekoya De Leon
Jordan Lane
Sophie Brady
Taige Pigliafiori
Christopher Byrnes
Allegra Veach
Christine Horwood-Palmer
Charles Biondi-Webber

2nd Principal Award

Jax Kelly
Boh Baillie
Madison Saunders
Fletcher Choyce
Kimiora Tutai
Elias Smith
Tariq Jacobs
Bianca Hockey
Samson Prior
Elliott Beattie
Seth Tallentine
William Venz
Ava Booth
Dora Arthur
Stevie Coe
Ezekiel Smith

3rd Principal Award

Lilly-Mae Marshall
Lucia Rodriguez
Urijah Riches
Mason Ring

4th Principal Award

Meleka Sopoaga

FATHERING PROJECT

Each fortnight there will be some information for Father’s from the Fathering Project. There will also be future events for dads and kids at the school. The first part is about Fathering Fundamentals. Each newsletter will be a different fundamental.

Fathering Fundamentals

More engaged dads. Improved futures for kids.

Our aim is to build stronger families and communities by giving men the resources, guidance, and support they need to take on the responsibilities of engaged parenting.

Our research team has defined the Fathering Fundamentals as the core elements of fathering. They’re applicable every-father, to every day.

The fundamentals are Connecting, Communicating, Family Values, Learning, Positive Parenting and Wellbeing.

Below is information in regards to Wellbeing

TUCKSHOP

The tuckshop is closed for the remainder of the year. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

PLAYGROUP

Last week at Playgroup we added to our Nature Mural, collecting all sorts of interesting things from our garden. This week we welcomed some new families to Playgroup. We had fun exploring new toys, playing in cubbies and tunnels and meeting new friends. Next week wil will be starting our Christmas countdown with some Christmas craft activities. The following two weeks will be Christmas cooking and our Christmas Party.