Newsletter Term 1 Week 8
Principal's Report
Dear Community,
What a fantastic few weeks we have had. It was wonderful to walk around the Millmerran Show and see all the excellent work our students had created and the creativity that was evident. It was also amazing to see that our school had done so well in the school work section, taking out many of the prizes. What a credit to our students and our staff here at St Joseph's. I was also lucky enough to take a number of Year 6 students out the the show to be of assistance to the Stewards. These students learnt about what goes on behind the scenes in the Pavillion as well as be of service to the stewards by helping to hang artworks and set displays. Our students were complimented on the way they interacted with the stewards and their willingness to learn and engage in the process.
This week's gospel reading from John talks about putting others before ourselves. If we live our lives only to please ourselves, we lose out in the end. This is because being of service to others, putting the happiness of others at the forefront of our minds, contributes to our own happiness. I have seen this happening in many ways over the past couple of weeks. Our students participated in Clean Up Australia Day. The conversations that were had while this was happening were amazing and their attitudes of wanting to do their little bit to help were outstanding, even in the terrible heat that day! Our Mini Vinnies Club is doing an incredible job in organising fundraising activities to help support our Project Compassion Campaign. Their desire to get to the $1000 mark so they can provide education and training for 3 health workers in the Philippines to give care to their communities is admirable. Each and every student in the school is doing their bit to contribute to this also, by bringing in their money each week to participate. What wonderful examples of service these students are showing, connecting to our learning behaviour of 'Welcoming Wagtail.'
This week and next week our Year 3 and 5 students will be sitting NAPLAN. NAPLAN is used by governments, education authorities and schools to determine whether young Australians are meeting important goals in literacy and numeracy. NAPLAN gives a snapshot of how children are performing in reading, writing, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and numeracy. It complements other effective classroom assessment and reporting practices. We wish our students all the best as they complete these tests and know that they will do their best.
Just a reminder about pick up in the afternoons. If you are picking up from George St, please note that it is illegal to park right on the corner of the intersection. You must be 10m from the curb to be parked legally. If you are not, this is very dangerous for cars turning into George St off Walpole St. I have included a diagram for your information below.
God Bless,
Michelle
From the APRE
Next week we will celebrate St Joseph's Day. St Joseph's is the patron saint of our school and a wonderful role model for us and our students. St Joseph lived a life of service; to Mary and to God, as he became the father of Jesus. We will share in a Mass next Wednesday at 9:00am, which will be led by our 3/4 students. All are welcome to come along and attend.
During Project Compassion, we share stories of people around the world who have faced poverty and other challenges but have made their life and the life of their community better by participating in a Caritas Australia supported program. Our Mini Vinnies Group is currently running a campaign to help support these people.
Don't forget we are also looking for donations for our Easter Raffle. If you can donate something, please drop it to the school office.
As we near the end of the term, we also prepare for the Easter season and the events of Holy Week. Our school will share in the story of Holy Week with a liturgy on Thursday 28th March. This liturgy will be held in the hall and will involve students from every year level. We invite everyone to come along and attend.
Week 8 – Friday 15th March | Oreo/Fun Food Challenges = $2 to participate |
Week 9 – Friday 22nd March | Treasure Hunt = $2 to participate |
Week 10 – Thursday 28th March | Easter raffle = Tickets 50c each or 3 for $1 Colouring Competition = $2 to participate |
Year 5/6 News
This term so far…
This term we have gone with a Harry Potter theme for our class. Students have been sorted into their Hogwarts houses using a sorting hat quiz. Since being sorted in one of the four houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin), students have commenced a friendly competition to see which group can earn the most points by the end of the term. Points are earned from knowledge, classroom engagement, excellent work, showing initiative, and generally being good students who follow school rules and who look out for one another.
In Religion, we’ve learnt about and had many discussions around abstract concepts such as Faith. The students did some group work and tried to figure out their own personal definitions of what faith is. For this activity, students would discuss their ideas with their elbow-buddies, then they would add their ideas to the board for all to see. Once their answers were on the board, students volunteered to explain their definitions.
Date Claimers
- Thursday 14th March - Prep Vision Screening
- 13th-25th March - NAPLAN
- Tuesday 19th March - St Joseph's Day Mass 9:00am
- Wednesday 20th March - Cross Country
- Monday 25th March - Whole school Reconciliation
- Monday-Tuesday 25th-26th March - Parent Teacher Interviews
- Thursday 28th March - Easter Liturgy/Last day Term 1
Students of the Week
Congratulations to our Enthusiastic Learner's from Week 7.
Learning Behaviours
Congatualations to our Respectful Rosella's from Week 7.
PPF News
Dear Families,
As the year is full steam ahead our fundraising events are going well.
Last month we supplied the Year 1/2 room with a new fridge and purchased a water chiller system to be installed on the bubblers for the children to have access to cold water. This money was raised by our hard-working team.
We have had our Annual Millmerran Show at the start of the month where we ran the main canteen over the weekend with the Catholic church. We have received great feedback on how well this event was run and we couldn’t be prouder of the teamwork that occurred over the weekend.
Thank you to all the amazing volunteers for all your hard work over the weekend. It was very much appreciated.
Our next event coming up is our Mother’s Day social evening that will be held on the 10th of May. This event is a great opportunity to come along and meet new families and have a catch up with everyone. Over the last few years, we have held this event, and the kids really enjoy seeing their mates after school for a play and to watch a movie in the Hall.
We will also be running a Mother’s Day Raffle this year that will be drawn on the night alongside our main raffle, which is the Thermomix. We would really appreciate donations towards a hamper of goodies to be part of our raffle prize. As this is a Mother’s Day raffle, anything that you think Mums would like to receive would be amazing. If you have a donation, can you please bring it to the school office before Tuesday the 7th May.
There will be more information to come about the social evening.
Please don’t forget to let family and friends know about the Thermomix raffle as this is a great way for us to make money and give the children more access to new resources.
Also, just a reminder with Bottles/cans, we still accept them as they are a great money maker for the PPF, so if anyone in your family is wanting to donated them, please bring them into the school and place them in the bottle/can bins. If you can’t find one of those bins, please ask at the school office.
The next PPF meeting in on the 13/03/2024 in the school Hall at 5:30PM.
All welcome.
Thank you again and we look forward to seeing you all at our social evening.
Kind regards,
St Joseph’s PPF.
Tuckshop News
Paediatric Potentials Occupational Therapy
Upcoming OT Clinic - 10-12 April 2024 at St Joseph’s School, Millmerran
This April, the team from Paediatric Potentials are thrilled to bring our specialised Occupational Therapy services to Millmerran again, hosting a clinic at St Joseph's School from the 10th to the 12th. With the gracious accommodation by Principal, Mrs Michelle Sanders, we're able to make our services more accessible to families in the community.
Bespoke Support Tailored to Rural Needs
Understanding the challenges that come with rural living, our clinic is designed to offer intensive, bespoke therapy sessions right in your community during each school holidays. With a combination of 2-3 individualised sessions over the three days and the provision of a Home Program or School Tip Sheet, we aim to ensure that every child can continue their development with consistent support, bridging the time until our next visit.
What We Offer:
- Focused Therapy Sessions: Direct, one-on-one sessions aimed at addressing each child’s unique developmental requirements, supplemented by actionable strategies for support at home or in the classroom.
- Comprehensive Assessments: Thorough OT assessments and specialised evaluations like ADOS and Functional Capacity Assessments.
Acknowledging the Space at St Joseph's School
We appreciate the opportunity to use the facilities at St Joseph's School, providing a familiar and comfortable setting for our sessions. This allows families easy access to our specialised Occupational Therapy services, right on your doorstep.
Secure Your Spot This April
Don't delay in securing your spot, as spaces are quickly being booked. If you're interested in this opportunity for your child, we recommend getting in touch with us at your earliest convenience.
For more information and to book, visit: www.paediatricpotentials.com.au/millmerran
