T4 W1 Newsletter 2023

From The Principal

Quite often throughout the Bible, reference is made to the image of the shepherd:

There are certain similarities between the role of the shepherd and that of parents and teachers who are entrusted with the care of children.  The demands placed on parents and teachers, because of the nature of the society in which we live make it imperative that we give serious thought to the responsibilities of our roles.

To tend his flock, the shepherd needs to be strong, aware and caring; by his steady presence he gives a certain unity to the flock.  Perhaps this steady presence can be understood as time given to children, we all know how much sacrifice is sometimes entailed for this to happen.  To make ourselves available is a sure way that words cannot express.  Our steady presence to children is a sense of great encouragement to them and can do much more than money or material wealth can ever hope to achieve.

In us are the values, attitudes, behaviours and dreams that we hold dear and would wish our children to have. There is no way that children will be part of these, unless we are very present in their lives.

There is no doubt that if we are not dedicated to instilling Christian values into our children, the void will soon be filled by the shallow values that are pumped out daily through many videos and television shows and significant other influences.

It takes time for a loving relationship to grow and deepen. It might even be said that the love that develops between parents and children develops and matures to the degree to which they can reach out to each other and discover each other as fellow human beings.  Fellow human beings who have much to share and whose differences in age, talents and interests are much less important than their common humanity.

'Lord God, thank you for allowing us to share in Your story of creation.  As we continue our term four journey, please enlighten us as to how we can share the Christian values of our life with the children around us. Amen

Principal's Messages

STUDENT LEADERS 2024  |  All Year 5 students will soon be involved in leadership preparation activities to develop their understanding of the role of a leader.  They will draw on experiences from their Year 5 camp where leadership was displayed. 

The process of election will be sent home shortly to year 5 families, and you are asked to carefully go through this with your child.

All student leaders are expected to accept and follow a code of conduct which embodies the qualities of a School Leader at St Anne’s:

• Follows St Anne’s Pastoral Care Policies and expected code of behaviour,
• Witnesses to our Catholic ethos,
• Lives by our Mission Statement,
• Enacts our school motto, “Faith & Knowledge”,
• Is an excellent role model for all students,
• Enacts our virtues – respect, responsibility, kindness and compassion,
• Shows respect to all members of the school community,
• Wears the school uniform properly to school and school functions,
• Attends school events which will sometimes be out of school time eg ANZAC Day,
• Assists students, staff and parents through the diligent performance of duties,
• Fulfils their obligations in a responsible and courteous manner.

Information will come home shortly via your child in the next couple of weeks.

PREP 2024 TRANSITION  |  This term we will be welcoming our Prep 2024 Cohort as they prepare for coming to ‘Big School’.  When you see kindy kids over the next few weeks, please make them feel welcome.  Transition commences week three of this term.

THE INTERNET  |  Young people might use the internet to search for answers, browse content, download or share files and while searching online, they might not be aware of the terms and conditions they’ve agreed to when signing up for sites or apps. They might see content that is not age appropriate or be exposed to new concepts.

Browsing

The internet allows us all to share content more than ever before. Children and young people often ‘browse’ or ‘search’ the internet to pass time. This might be through browsing videos (such as on YouTube), using search engines (such as ‘Google’) or searching social media (such as Facebook and Instagram).

Children and young people might use the internet to answer questions they might have, especially questions they may not feel comfortable asking someone face-to-face. Teenagers might also access websites to learn more about the changes happening to their bodies, as well as information about sex, sexuality and relationships. 

Anyone can post anything on the online, so it’s really important that young people learn to question the reliability of what they see online and the source.

TOP TIPS!

• Don't believe everything you read online – talk find out who wrote it, what their intentions may be and if you can back up the information from another source.
• Make sure your child knows which health and wellbeing sites are trustworthy so that they receive advice from appropriate sources.
• Reinforce with your child that illegal activities conducted online can be traced by police and they may be held criminally responsible for their actions if they are over the age of 10.
• Help your child to develop digital literacy skills important for assessing the reliability of sources online.
• Provide your child with a list of mental health and wellbeing support services which they can access online, including headspace.org.au and www.reachout.com.au.

Source: Think U Know - What we SEE online - https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/what-we-see-online 

Mackay Eisteddfod

EISTEDDFOD UPDATED INFORMATION

Due to the large number of entries in the Eisteddfod this year, we will need to allow ourselves more time for things like toileting and entering the facility.  Also due to the larger than usual competition, groups will only be staying for their section, not the whole session.  This means our timeslots have changed a little:

Tuesday 10 October

Year 5 - Arrive at 7.45

Wednesday 11 October

Year 4 - Arrive at 7.45

Thursday 12 October

Year 3 - Arrive at 7.45

Year 6 - Arrive at 8.45 (I may not be outside to meet you as I could still be in with the year 3's, but wait for me near the fountain)

Please encourage your students to practice their poems over the holidays.  I will run through their poems during our first week back and if they haven't rehearsed enough by that stage, we will have to withdraw from the competition.  Thanks for your assistance in this. - Ally Grech

COVID Requirements

Student Protection News

Across The Curriculum

Welcome to Term 4!

I hope everyone had a safe and restful break with your children over the holidays.

For the rest of the year, the Curriculum part of the newsletter will focus on Reading. 

Firstly, with the ‘big picture’ of reading discussion prompts, then it will break into weekly targeted comprehension strategies you may wish to discuss with your child, to support them further at home.

The reading prompts below assist us with the things to say that support successful reading habits. Use the memory jogger of ‘to, with and by’ to build confidence about supporting a child’s reading and to approach it in an enjoyable way together. Read to a child for difficult texts, read with a child for parts of the texts, or encourage them to read by themselves for those 'good fit' books. ALL have great benefits!

The Good News

From the Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Erika Milne

Sacrament of Reconciliation

The sacrament of Reconciliation for students in Year 3 or above will begin in the coming weeks.  The program's cost for the three sacraments (Reconciliation in 2023 and Confirmation / Communion in 2024) is $50 which can be paid in the first or second workshop. Copies of Baptism certificates are also required. If you wish to enrol your child in this program, please email Erika_Milne@rok.catholic.edu.au before Thursday 12 October 2023.

St Michael’s Catholic Church, Sarina:

Sunday 15^th October: 9am – enrolment mass- 10am – Workshop 1 (St. Anne’s Library)

Sunday 22^nd October: 10am – Workshop 2 (St. Anne’s Library)

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Sunday 29th October – 10am St. Michael’s Church, Sarina

St Mary’s Catholic Church, Mackay:  

Thursday 12^th October 3:15pm   - Early Years Classrooms

Thursday 26^th October 3:15pm    -  Early Years Classrooms

Reconciliation Sacrament:  9th November 6:30pm

St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Mackay:  

Monday 9^th October 3:15pm Year 4/5/6 St Francis Xavier School

Monday 23^rd October 3:15pm Year 4/5/6 St Francis Xavier School

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Monday 30^th October 6pm St Francis Xavier Church

Finance News

Concession Card Discounts  |  If you have an existing concession card discount,  please be aware that discounts are not automatically applied to new enrolments.  Discounts are applied to each student upon individual application and there is a form that is required to be completed each time.

If you have an existing concession card registered at St Anne’s and have more than one student, please contact Sandra Adams to confirm that discounts have been applied to each student. 

Students Of The Week

Congratulations To Our Students Of The Week  |  Amelia T, Cullan K, Bentley B, Zac Z, Deejay P, Emilie F, Sophia J, Summer K, Sophia C, Memphis-Belle D, Ben B, Zan'eisha M, Jemma M, Charlotte W, Brendan B Montana W, Abby B, Tahliah F, Chris B, Year 3 O, Hadley W, Toby T, Lui B

Birds Of A Feather

Year 4 Recycling

Waste Free Wednesday

Tuckshop Volunteers

The St Anne's Tuckshop is closed until a new convenor is appointed. 

General Information

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Community News