T1 W3 Newsletter 2022

From The Principal

“Every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

(Chinese Proverb)

I’m not sure about a single step …. but we are off and running.  The students have settled in exceptionally well (a few tears every now and then perhaps!) and all seems to be running smoothly!

2022 is full of promise and is shaping up to be a great year!  Already, as I look over the events that lay ahead of us this term, it seems quite full and busy.  Perhaps there will be no time left for dreaming!  But everyone must have a dream to follow.  As adults we have dreams and hopes, children have dreams and hopes ….. as a school community we must dream.  We still need the determination, commitment and courage to follow them and see them through to fruition - even if it means we have to sometimes stand-alone as we profess our dreams.  A poster I once saw read -

“Pursue your dream with courage;

prepare your heart with determination.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

(Phillippians 4:13)

It is my faith and my belief in God that gives me the strength and courage I need to follow my dreams to help make them a reality.

I extend a warm welcome to all of you - new or old - and invite you to take an active part in our school community through working together to provide for our children the best possible Catholic Education.  I invite you to share your dreams and hopes with us!

Principal's Messages

THE WHIRLPOOL  |  The Whirlpool is a beautiful story about feeling sad and happy, lonely and loved, small and big.  This gentle tale will help children navigate their way through the ups and downs of life.

Special thanks to Mrs Grimmond who has donated this book, signed by the author, to our school.  The author, Emily Larkin is a, soon to be, relative of Mrs Grimmond's extended family..

Thank you Mrs Grimmond for your kindness in donating this book to us.  We are sure to get many hours of pleasure from it as we assist students navigating the sometimes rocky path of emotions.

COVID SAFE MEASURES  |  Please remember to adhere to the following when entering our school grounds:

• Masks are to be worn 
• Physical distancing of 1.5m at all times
• Use hand sanitizer when entering any of our buildings
• If you are displaying unwell symptoms please do not enter the school grounds

Many thanks to you all for the way you have embraced the new school year and for adhering to these guidelines.  You have been absolutely brilliant.  Thank you again for helping us to keep our students all safe.  They are always at the heart of what we do and we thank you for your support in this endeavour.  

VOLUNTEERS  |  We love our volunteer workforce and definitely can't operate without it.  Our volunteers mean the world to us.  It is now mandated that all volunteers must be double vaxxed to continue with this important ministry.  If you are wishing to volunteer at STA you must now present your certificate of vaccination to the principal.

Change Of Date For Bishop's Inservice Pupil Free Day to 1st April

The Bishop's Inservice Pupil Free Day has changed from 18th February to the 1st April, which is the last day of Term One.  Students are now to attend school on the 18th February and finish the term on Thursday 31st March. 

Crossing Supervisor Position

CASUAL POSITION VACANT

Alternating Weeks in Term time

A casual position exists for a School Crossing Supervisor at St Anne’s School.

The School Crossing Supervisor may be required to work five days per week in all weather conditions. The hours of work for School Crossing Supervisors are 1 hour a day and usually comprise of 40 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon Commencement date to be advised a Pay Rate of $30.34 per hour.

The successful applicants will be dependent on:

• The suitable outcome of a health assessment carried out by a GP of your choice according to the guidelines in the “Notes for Medical Practitioner” on the School Crossing Supervisor Scheme – Health Assessment Form; (this is paid by the Department)
• A Positive  Blue Card Notice (This is also paid by the Department and means you do not need to have a blue card to apply for the position)

If you are interested in the position please collect an application form from the School administration or contact Karen Cantoni (Road Safety officer) on 49 518331.

The School Crossing Supervisors Application is to be returned to School for the school principals' recommendation.

Student Protection News

Across The Curriculum

PE DAYS  |  Below is a listing of when students have PE:

Tuesdays: Prep, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3

Wednesdays:  Year 4, Year 5 and both Year 6 classes

On these days, students wear their sports uniform (except prep as they wear the same uniform each day).

Students in years 1 to 6 then also wear their sports uniform on Fridays.

REGIONAL INDIGENOUS EDUCATION LIAISON OFFICER  |  My name is Karlie Tatchell, and I am your Regional Indigenous Education Liaison Officer. I am a proud Wakaja woman from the Northern Territory but grew up around North West Qld.  My role is to provide support both academic, cultural, and pastoral support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This support is further extended to our families and teachers to ensure our rich history and culture is shared and acknowledged within all schools and colleges.

I will be attending St Anne’s Catholic Primary School on Thursdays after COVID restrictions ease. In the meantime, I will still be supporting students, either through zoom or via teachers, when I can and can easily be contacted via mobile or email if you wanted to share ideas on how to best support your child.

I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you in person as the year progresses.

The Good News

Welcome to St Anne's for 2022! I extend a warm welcome to our new families, thank you for choosing St Anne's Catholic Primary School. We welcome you to our St Anne's family, a loving caring community with Jesus as our light. Welcome also to our returning families, may we continue to journey together in faith.

In this section of our school newsletter each week, it is a chance to share Sunday's Gospel reflection and how we can be followers of Christ in all we say and do. As a Catholic school community, we are inspired by the example of St Anne and Catherine McAuley to be a respectful, kind, loving and compassionate school community. 

I am continually amazed how our staff, students, families and wider community continue to go above and beyond in the support for Catholic Missions. Every donation, no matter how big or small, goes a long way to helping people in need. Throughout the year, we will have special appeals in support of our Catholic charities. In our school office, there is a kindness box where families can donate items like food, books, pencils and money. 

We extend our congratulations to our Principal, Mr John Ballinger-Oches for 40 years of service to Catholic Education. John’s pastoral leadership of others is foundational to his contribution to Catholic Education. He is recognised and acknowledged for his compassion and understanding to all he encounters. John strives to make all decisions in the best interest of students and to ensure that outcomes reflect Gospel values. He is a man of deep faith who strives to build positive relationships with all in his community. Thank you, John.

Have an enjoyable week. God's love, peace and blessings,

Stuart.

Mr Stuart Presley

Assistant Principal - Religious Education

stuart_presley@rok.catholic.edu.au 

Today’s reading from Luke’s Gospel relates Jesus’ preaching and teaching from a boat. When Jesus wants to go fishing, Simon tries to talk him out of it after having caught little during the day. Simon is in for a surprise when the nets come back full of fish. Jesus calls disciples from every way and walk of life, with the particular gifts and skills that we might also have, even though we might not think our gifts and skills are so great.

This imagery of fishing with Jesus is a great way to understand discipleship. Just as fishing without Jesus results in empty nets, trying to live and work without being a disciple of Jesus leaves us empty.

Like Isaiah and Peter, each and every one of us is called. It may not happen through Jesus stepping into our boat, but when we quieten our minds and our hearts enough to really listen, we become aware that God truly is calling to each and every one of us.

The call comes to us through our friends; our experiences; our hopes and our fears. Sometimes we are so afraid of hearing the call that we fill our lives with noise and distractions. We fear that the call will involve hardship, or at the very least: unpopularity. But that’s no excuse!

(c) Catholic Kids Media 2022. Video used with permission. 

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