Newsletter - 02 March 2023
From our Principal
Dear Parents,
One of my favourite prayers is the Serenity Prayer however it was only quite by accident that I only recently learnt of its historical origins. The prayer has worked its way into so many cultural outlets that many non-Christians know it, or at least the beginning. The prayer is commonly attributed to Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, who composed it in the 1940s. According to its website, Alcoholics Anonymous adopted the Serenity Prayer and began including it in AA materials in 1942, which may have done more to canonize it than any other cultural use of the prayer. The language of the prayer is humble, its lessons simple and its history not particularly romantic. But its messages are both personal and universal; easy to understand yet difficult to execute.
The prayer reveals five timeless truths (and no doubt more!) that challenge us to re-imagine what serenity really is:
1. Acceptance is not laziness.
When we devote inordinate attention to the things we cannot change, we expend physical, emotional and mental energy that could be directed elsewhere. Accepting that there are some things we cannot change does not make us complacent. It constitutes a leap of faith -- an ability to trust, as the prayer goes on to say, “that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will.” We thus make the choice to let go and have faith in the outcome.
2. We must have courage to change ourselves.
One of life's greatest challenges is imagining how our lives could be different than they are now. Often, our deeply-ingrained habits are our own worst enemies, and simply identifying them is half the battle. Since habits gain power through repetition, it takes real focus and perspective to take a look at ourselves and our habits and ask, "Is this how I really want to live?" As the prayer states, this act of self-investigation is nothing less than an act of "courage." As Alexander Solzhenitsyn asked in The First Circle: "If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?"
3. Hardship can be good for you.
As the prayer states, we must accept "hardships as the pathway to peace." Every person confronts obstacles in the course of his or her life. When we view these obstacles not just as frustrations or failures, but as opportunities for growth and learning, we can transcend our circumstances.
4. Surrendering requires courage, too.
The word "surrender" has mostly negative connotations; we associate it with resignation, failure and weakness. But the Serenity Prayer reframes the notion of surrender as an act of faith and trust. The wisdom of the prayer lies in exchanging a life of endless "what ifs" for a life of trust in powers beyond ourselves.
5. Happiness is attainable -- now and in the future.
The prayer's ending has something very profound to say about happiness: if we follow the prayer's advice, we may be "reasonably happy in this life." Just reasonably? At a time when our culture measures happiness and success mostly in terms of money and power, that word "reasonably" stands out as an appealingly modest definition of a successful life. Rather than wondering why we aren't happier, or picking through every minute aspect of our lives, the prayer asks us to focus on the present, "Living one day at a time" and "enjoying one moment at a time." Whether or not you believe in God or an afterlife, and whether or not the prayer's ending -- a vision of being "supremely happy with Him forever in the next" -- appeals to you or not, there's something universal in the prayer's quiet celebration of understanding our own potential, our own limits, and our capacity for transcendence.
(The Huff Post – The Third Metric, Aug 16 2015)
Wishing you every blessing for the coming week,
Geraldine Rostirolla
Principal
RE Matters
PUT ON LOVE – A PRAYER
In our busy world, Lent provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon our choices, to pray more deeply, to experience sorrow for what we've done and failed to do, to become aware of the needs of others, to be generous in our support of those around us and to love one another as God loves us.
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, meekness and patience.
Bear with one another and,
If anyone has a complaint against another,
Forgive each other;
Just as God has forgiven you, so you must also forgive.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love,
Which binds everything together in utmost harmony.
(Colossians 3:12-14)
God, You gave us your son, Jesus, the perfect model of a loving life.
Teach us to see the world through his eyes;
To reach out to one another with his hands;
And to walk the path of justice with his feet.
Amen
LENTEN CHALLENGE
Buy a chick, a goat, a pig, a cow or a bag of seeds and help a family you don’t even know.
Be grateful for all you have.
Our ‘FARMITAS’ campaign is off to a great start. Lots of students have already bought FARMITAS tokens - chicks, goats, pigs, seeds and cows - and they have been added to the sacred space in their classrooms.
Buying these tokens will help to provide a welcome source of food and income for needy families in different parts of the world.
Students who buy seeds will also receive a seed kit to take home. It will be fun to watch the seeds grow throughout LENT – just as we grow in love and our small contributions grow together to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.
The class that buys the most chicks, goats, seeds and cows will lead the school in a special dance at Assembly in Week Ten.
40 ACTS IN 40 DAYS
This Lent I invite you to join me in undertaking a challenge to enrich your life and the lives of others.
“Aspire not to have more, but to be more." (St Oscar Romero)
CARITAS - PROJECT COMPASSION
‘For All Future Generations’ is the theme of Project Compassion 2023.
It reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues.
For more information, about the work of CARITAS and projects that the 2023 Project Compassion Appeal will support, check out the Caritas Australia website @ https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/
SAVE THE DATE
SUPPORTING OTHERS
Our Parish of North Mackay and Farleigh has a monthly Eucharistic Celebration to administer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick to those who are unwell and/or elderly in the community. Each parish school/college participates several times a year in this ministry by providing students to assist in a variety of ways: reading, singing, offertory, welcoming, serving the parishioners with morning tea after the Mass.
Yesterday students from Year 4S and Year 4M attended the March Mass, the first of 2023, and participated in these ministries. They read and sang beautifully and had a lovely chat with some of the parishioners at the morning tea which followed the Mass.
A big thank you to Fr Stephen who lead the celebration and made it so special for our students and all who participated.
VIRTUE OF THE FORTNIGHT – COMPASSION
Compassion is noticing when someone is hurt or in need of a friend. It is feeling empathy for the pain of others. When you reach out to those in need or refrain from judging, you practise compassion. Our compassionate presence helps others to know that they are not alone, that they are valued and understood.
“Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the lives of others.” (St Teresa of Calcutta)
For weekly Gospel readings, reflections and meditations go to http://www.prayasyoucan.com.au/
Download this week’s parish bulletin @ https://rok.catholic.net.au/parish/mackay-st-josephs/#
For Parish News, updates and to book for weekend Masses go to the Catholic Parishes of North Mackay and Farleigh Facebook page.
Noeleen Kliese
Assistant Principal Religious Education
Curriculum Corner
NAPLAN ONLINE DATES
Please see below the dates and times during which Year 3 and Year 5 students will be participating in NAPLAN Online:
Please Note: Year 3 WRITING remains a paper based test.
NAPLAN tests the sorts of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life, such as reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. It is important to remember that NAPLAN tests are not pass/fail tests. At the classroom level, it is one of a number of important tools used by teachers to measure student progress.
In preparation for NAPLAN Online, students across all year levels are engaged in technology lessons and are exposed to the knowledge and skills required for successful participation in each of the components of NAPLAN, Writing; Numeracy; Reading and Grammar.
This year a Public Demonstration Site is available and will continue to be updated so as parents can assist their children to prepare for NAPLAN Online at home. The site includes FAQ’s; Parent Information and Practice Tests. If you are interested in looking at this site please follow the link provided.
https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site
DRA AND READING
Twice a year (Terms 1 and 3) students are asked to complete a Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA). The purpose of this assessment is to:
- Help identify students’ skills and plan for timely instruction in reading engagement, fluency, accuracy and comprehension.
- Monitor student growth on a variety of crucial skills and strategies that successful readers utilize.
- Prepare students to be successful at meeting today’s classroom and testing expectations.
- Provide data to inform all stakeholders about the student’s reading strengths and weaknesses.
All students at Emmanuel read at least once every day. We have continued our routine of ‘read to self’ in all classrooms at the beginning of each day. As part of our “Daily 5” reading framework all classrooms aim to develop consistent routines and a common language in relation to reading development. Across the Daily 5 routines children participate in several daily reading routines in small group; with a partner; teacher conferencing and whole group focus lessons. All of this teaching is reflective of students individual reading goals and informed by the Diagnostic Reading Assessment.
We aim to have all of our student’s DRA’s completed by the end of Week 6, and look forward to updating the “Whole School DRA Data Wall”. This wall allows us to look at the reading growth and development of all of our learners. By putting faces on the data, the data becomes very real and our reaction is more responsive to ensuring all our students continue to improve. This wall creates a collective responsibility for all of our students and changes our language from “my students” within an individual class to “our students” across the whole school. The staff at Emmanuel regularly reflect on this data at Curriculum and planning meetings to ensure their teaching is responsive to where children are at in their reading learning journey.
Helpful Hints to Support Reading @ Home
Independent Reading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bnLid-zmL8
Difficult Texts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4NbincN3Qg
Before, During and After:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXKZmGtbLX4
Reading Prompts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPlqQoF6QSw
Janine Refalo
Assistant Principal Curriculum
APA News
BULLYING BOX
The Bullying Box (pictured right) is located on the bench in the library and is available for students to report bullying issues if they are not comfortable speaking with their teacher.
Listed below is information about what bullying is and isn’t.
An episode of bullying has identifying characteristics:
- An imbalance of power, an intent to hurt, embarrass, or humiliate,
- Repeated behaviour.
Bullying behaviour has many forms.
Physical Bullying may include hitting, poking, tripping, pushing or damaging someone’s belongings.
Verbal Bullying may include name calling, insults, putting someone down and threatening to harm.
Social Bullying may include lying, spreading rumours, playing a nasty joke, embarrassing someone in public and deliberately excluding someone.
Cyber Bullying may include using technology (such as email, mobile phones, chat rooms, social networking sites, etc.) to send hurtful messages, pictures and comments.
It is also important to define what is NOT considered bullying behaviour. Bullying behaviour is not:
- Arguments and disagreements
- Disliking someone
- Single-episode acts of nastiness or spite
In such circumstances, the behaviour will be addressed within the School’s Behaviour Management Policy and Procedures.
Preventing bullying involves everyone talking together openly and respectfully.
Bullying can have a lasting impact on everyone involved, including those who witness it, so it is important to work together to create safe school communities for everyone.
Download the https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheets-for-families if you wish to read more about this important issue.
Amanda McDonald
Assistant Principal Administration
Strategic Priorities 2023
COVID Update
Sporting News
In 2023, there are a large number of sports which students will be able to nominate for and compete in. Please discuss the following list of events with your child. It will be crucial students collect and return permission notes before closing dates to ensure they do not miss out on their opportunity. Students will be notified via the morning bulletin when notes become available for collection. These notes will be available from Mr Dodson each day during lunch eating periods.
Once again, this year, students are offered the opportunity to prepare and qualify for the Emmanuel Cross Country Team. Qualifying students will compete in the Northern Suburbs Cross Country competition on Tuesday 28 March. Upon completing our school trials, I will provide further information regarding Northern Suburbs to qualifying athletes. Emmanuel's trial will take place on Thursday 23 March.
Term One also offers students the opportunity to participate in a Wednesday Afternoon Touch Football competition held at the Norris Road touch football fields. The competition is an opportunity for students to play against other schools in the region alongside their peers. Games commence Wednesday 15 February and conclude Wednesday 29 March.
If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me on my school email: luke_dodson@rok.catholic.edu.au
Luke Dodson
HPE Co-Ordinator
From our Counsellor
Simple ways to help lift your child’s self-esteem
One of the greatest gifts that you can give your child is a positive sense of self. Children with high self-esteem grow into happy and confident people. Building your child’s confidence is not a hard task, in fact, you are most probably already doing a great deal to help your child feel comfortable and happy within themselves.
1. Think positively
The way a child sees themselves is developed through how they feel others see them. Do you express a positive or negative image of your child? Let them know that you enjoy spending time with them and value their opinion. Focus more on what they are doing well, than what they are not.
2. Spend time with them
This lets them know that they are valuable and worthy of your time. Make it quality time and let your child choose the activity. I know that sounds risky, but you might just enjoy a good tea party or a kick of the soccer ball and forget about all those grown-up things for a while.
3. Give your children responsibilities
Giving your children age appropriate jobs around the house increases their feelings of competence and helps them feel valued within the family. Also, encourage your children do things for themselves. The more they are introduced to new challenges, the greater their ability to problem solve.
4. Be involved in their school life
Taking an interest in what happens at school during the day will help to show support and encourage good behaviour and effort throughout their schooling. This relationship will help the child feel more confident in school.
On School TV you will find a booklet called, ‘The Power of Positive Parenting’ with some great tips on how to stay connected with your child.
Kindly,
Sharon Martin BVA, GDLT, MEd
School Counsellor
Regional Indigenous Education Liaison Officer
Around the School
YEAR 6 BOWLS
Last week, Emmanuel Year 6 students were fortunate to participate in a Sporting Schools Grant for Lawn Bowls. The session took place at Mackay Bowls Club (Goosies) where students were mentored by skilled bowlers. A big thank you to Tristan's Grandparents and other volunteers, for teaching your tricks of the bowling trade!
PREP - SILLY SOCK DAY
On Monday our Prep students had a “Sensational Silly Sock “ day after learning all about the letter S. We had crazy, odd, colourful and all kinds of socks. Great fun was had by all.
Awards
Congratulations to the students below who received an award in Week 5, and we welcomed two new students.
School Choir
Tuckshop News
Please Note: It is imperative that volunteers DO NOT attend tuckshop if they are unwell or have anyone at home who is unwell.
Finance
TERM 1 SCHOOL FEES - OVERDUE
Term 1 School Fees are now overdue. We would like to thank those families who have paid their account. However, if you have not paid, it would be appreciated if you could do so immediately. (This does not apply to those families who have a Direct Debit authority/payment plan in place). If you have not set up a direct debit authority with us and wish to do so, or if you are experiencing difficulties, please contact the Finance Office immediately.
CONCESSION CARD DISCOUNTS
Do you hold a current means tested Health Care Card? If so you may be eligible to receive a concession on your Tuition Levy. Please click on the link for the information sheet regarding Concession Card Discounts.
Notices
CASUAL POSITION VACANT - SCHOOL CROSSING SUPERVISOR
We are wanting to fill a casual and relief position for a School Crossing Supervisor at Emmanuel Catholic Primary School.
The Casual School Crossing Supervisor will be required to work five days per week and the relief Supervisor will be called for shifts as needed, both Supervisors are required to work in all weather conditions. The hours of work for School Crossing Supervisors are 1 hour and 30 minutes a day and usually comprise of 1 hour in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon on alternant weeks, Commencement date (to be advised) with 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 the School for the school Principal’s recommendation.
Prep enrolment details for 2024 are NOW required from our existing families. If you have a child due to commence Prep next year - born between July 1 2018 and June 30 2019 – you are asked to complete an ONLINE enrolment form available from the school website – https://enrol.enmrok.catholic.edu.au/primary-school-enrolment/start by Friday 31 March. It is essential that we have our current families accounted for so as to determine how many positions may be offered to new families seeking enrolment. If you have any queries or concerns in regards to this process, we ask that you contact the office. ALL ENROLMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED ONLINE. Once enrolment applications have been received and processed by our Administration staff, you will be notified of an interview time around Term 3.
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