Newsletter - 16 March 2023
From our Principal
Dear Parents,
As parents we are always searching for ways to assist our children to continue to make improvements at school. Parents are a vital factor in children’s educational progress. Here are a few ideas to support your child along the way.
1. Let your child see you making mistakes.
Parents are their child’s first teacher and their lifetime teacher. Part of being a teacher is teaching your child how to deal with making mistakes. Let them see that you can make mistakes and deal with it so they will understand it’s not a big deal and they can cope when they trip up.
2. Keep in touch.
E-mail is a great way to reach your child’s teacher without having to play phone tag. Teachers then have a record of a conversation or can print information out to put in a student’s file as a reminder. If you hear what your children are struggling in, please feel comfortable talking to the teacher about it. We want to know that they need help. Communication needn’t be limited to when there’s a problem.
3. Don’t tell your child that you weren’t good at Maths.
Some parents might feel intimidated by the thought of helping children with their Maths homework, especially in the upper classes but Maths is here to serve you, not to trip you up. Maths should make life easier, and mastery can start at home with parents showing that they’re not frightened by numbers.
One way to make Math more accessible is to relate it to daily activities. Capitalise on examples where Maths is useful, especially the kinds of calculations adults do daily like measuring ingredients, managing sums of money, working out distances. This way, children see how what they’re learning matters in life.
4. Check their homework, and then have them explain it to you.
It’s not enough to just get the answers right. To make sure your children aren’t guessing, sometimes ask them to explain what they did and why. This lets you know that the child has completed the task and for the child to actually explain their work helps their learning.
5. Don’t compare your child with others.
Don’t put pressure on children to be just like others. There’s no such thing as the child that’s like every other child. They are all different. They all have strengths and weaknesses, they all have “talents and challenges.”
6. Help your child make connections to literature.
To help your child get the most out of books, focus on problem-solving, social skills and life experience. Teach them to ask an adult for help if they lose something (problem-solving) or to hold the door for others (social skills). With skills like these, children will be able to relate their own life experiences to those of book characters, improving their comprehension. If they don’t have these life experiences, when they are asked to make deeper connections to reading material, it’s hard for them.
7. Don’t do everything for your child.
Sometimes it’s faster to do things yourself than wait for your children to complete a task. But having everything done for them means they don’t learn to take care of themselves. Empower your children to think for themselves and be more responsible for themselves.
8. Ask about your child’s day.
Stay involved in your child’s education, beyond helping with homework. Even small things, like asking a child what happened at school, can be the difference between a child who unplugs at the end of the day and one who continues thinking about what they learned. Give them the kind of feedback that acknowledges and respects their feelings so they know you are really hearing them.
Wishing you every blessing for the coming week.
Geraldine Rostirolla
Principal
RE Matters
THE ALPHABET PRAYER – A REFLECTION
A shepherd boy was watching his sheep one Sunday morning when he heard the bells of a nearby church ringing. As he watched the people making their way to Mass, he thought to himself, "I would like to talk to God too, but, what do I say?"
He had never learned to pray and did not know a single prayer. So, on bended knee, he began to recite the alphabet. He repeated this ‘prayer’ several times. A man passing by heard the boy's voice and saw him kneeling with his hands joined and his eyes closed.
He interrupted the boy. "What are you doing, young man?" he asked.
The boy replied, "I am praying sir."
The man seemed surprised and said, "But why are you saying the alphabet?"
The boy explained, "I don't know any prayers, sir, but I want God to take care of me, and to help me care for my sheep……and so I thought, if I said the alphabet, He could put the letters together into words, and He would know all that I need, want and should say!"
The man smiled and said, "Yes! You are right! God certainly will!" and he went on to church knowing full well that he had heard the finest homily he could possibly hear that day.
(Author Unknown)
PRAYING THIS LENT
Prayer is a dialogue. It can be talking to God, listening to God, praising God, or thanking God. It can be silent, spoken, sung, confessed, or written. Prayer is being with God, being aware of God, sitting in the presence of God. It develops our relationship with the God who calls us to relationship. Prayer is a gift from God.
Pope Francis tells us that praying does not have to be difficult, that you can pray anytime, anywhere and everywhere. Why not try his Five Finger Prayer? It is a simple and thoughtful way to pray each day. Using the fingers on your hand, start with the thumb and pray these intentions:
1. Thumb is the closest to you, so pray for those who are closest to you. They are the people you know the best and are easiest to remember.
2. Pointer (index) finger is next. Pray for those who teach you, instruct you and heal you. They need the support and wisdom to show direction to others.
3. Tallest finger follows. It reminds us to pray for our leaders, those in government and those who have authority. They need God's guidance.
4. Ring finger is our weakest finger. It should remind us to pray for the poor, the hungry, the sick and suffering. They need your prayers.
5. Little finger, the smallest of all reminds you to pray for yourself.
Check out the fabulous free app Laudate. It is an amazing prayer resource, with Daily Readings and Saints of the Day, Order of the Mass, Traditional Prayers, Meditation, Catechism, Psalms, Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Vatican Documents and much more.
SCHOOL MASS
Please join us at St Joseph’s Church on Friday 24 March at 9.15am to celebrate our first Mass of the 2023 school year. We are really excited to be gathering at the church for this celebration. In recent years all of our Masses have been in the Marist Centre or in the Fr Bucas Centre at Holy Spirit College. All welcome.
Students need to wear blue day uniform. Girls to wear dresses please. We will travel to and from the church by bus.
Seating has been reserved for parents on the side of the Baptismal Font. The school office will be closed from 9.00am - 11.00am as all staff will be attending the Mass.
Parents are asked not to park in the bus bays directly in front of the church. This is a safety issue.
ST PATRICK
Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day. For some it is about Irish dancing, potatoes and green beer, but for me it is all about the shamrock. I remember being intrigued as a child by the life of St Patrick and how he used a shamrock to describe God. He explained that ‘like the shamrock which has three parts, but is one leaf, our God is a triune God - Father, Son and Spirit’ or as we discussed in Year 3HD – Creator, Saviour and Always with us.
St Patrick is one of the patron saints of Ireland and his feast day is celebrated around the world on 17 March each year. Like St Patrick who shared Christianity with Ireland, the early Irish settlers and convicts brought Christianity to Australia. On this day, I wish you every blessing, love and laughter and the luck of the Irish.
THE SOLEMNITY OF ST JOSEPH
St Joseph was the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus. Although he came from King David’s noble lineage, St. Joseph lived a life of great humility and devotion to his Holy Family. He was a simple carpenter who protected Mary and Jesus. Matthew’s gospel describes him as a “just man” (1:19). He is the patron saint of the Universal Church, and people invoke his aid for workers, families, home buyers and sellers, and the grace of a happy death.
As a school in the St Joseph’s parish and in a diocese dedicated to St Joseph, this day has particular significance for us at Emmanuel. A special devotional candle can be found in the sacred space in all classrooms.
Although the Solemnity of St Joseph is usually commemorated on 19 March each year, in 2023 we will celebrate on Monday 20 March. This is because St Joseph’s Day falls on a Sunday in Lent, which has precedence over all Feasts of the Lord and over all Solemnities.
I invite all families to petition St Joseph to pray for the Church, families around the world, workers and all of us on Monday. St Joseph pray for us.
HARMONY WEEK – ‘EVERYONE BELONGS’
Harmony Week celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. Harmony Week is an opportunity to appreciate the multi-cultural nature of our society, from the oldest continuous cultures of our first Australians to the cultures of our newest arrivals from around the world, and to value the diverse contributions of all who call Australia home.
At Emmanuel we will be celebrating Harmony Week with a number of activities.
Students are invited to wear something orange (t-shirt, socks, shoelaces, ribbons) with their school uniform on Tuesday 21 March.
It is not a free dress day. No donation is required for participation.
For more information about Harmony Week go to: https://www.harmony.gov.au/
LENTEN CHALLENGE
FARMITAS continues to be lots of fun. Students are excited to buy tokens and parents are happy to report that their children have been doing lots of jobs at home to earn the money to buy them.
To date, students have bought 316 chicks, 249 seeds, 52 goats, 57 pigs and 46 cows, raising $1262 towards the cost of buying these animals and seeds. Keep up the great work everyone. You are contributing to family life and making a difference in the lives of people you don’t even know.
The class that buys the most tokens will lead the school in a special dance at Assembly in Week Ten.
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/
RAFFLE
Students are encouraged to buy tickets in our Easter themed raffle. This is a multi-draw raffle with several prizes. All money raised will be forwarded to the missions. Our Year Six leaders will be selling the tickets before school and at lunchtime each day. Tickets are 50 cents each or three for $1.00. The raffle will be drawn in the last week of school.
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.
VIRTUE OF THE FORTNIGHT – GENEROSITY
Generosity is one of the best ways to show love and friendship. You share freely, not with the idea of receiving something in return. Someone showing generosity is happy to give time, money, food, or kindness to people in need. When you are generous, you put others before yourself. When you're forgiving, kind and gentle to people, you show generosity of spirit.
“For it is in giving that we receive.” (St Francis of Assisi)
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: Change of time to Original Timetable for Tuesday 21/03/2023 Conventions of Language Tests in Year 3 and Year 5.
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
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Janine Refalo
Assistant Principal Curriculum
APA News
ONLINE SAFETY AND ADDICTION PRESENTATION - TONIGHT
Does your child/ren play games or watch clips online? Then this community presentation is for you!
If you want to learn how to keep your child/ren safe online, about digital addiction and issues associated with the use of technology, join us to hear international speaker and author Brad Huddleston and Mackay’s Senior Sergeant Nigel Dalton at one of their community presentations. They will be at Emmanuel Catholic Primary School tonight Thursday 16 March beginning at 6:00pm.
Please note: These presentations are not just for the parents of older students and teenagers, the information shared is relevant to all parents. If your child is online (most are), you are strongly encouraged to attend one of these sessions.
Please spread the word to all family, friends and community members. Everyone is welcome and strongly encouraged to attend.
Unfortunately Brad is unable to work with our students during this visit to Mackay, but Nigel will return to Emmanuel later in the year to share cyber safety messages and reminders about online gaming.
Amanda McDonald
Assistant Principal Administration
Strategic Priorities 2023
COVID Update
Sporting News
SPORTS NOMINATION FORMS
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
F E E L- An Anxiety Strategy
Fearful and anxious behaviour is common in children. Most children learn to cope with a normal range of fears and worries; however, for some children this anxiety can have a detrimental effect to their social, emotional, and academic development. Research estimates that one in ten children in Australia have some form of anxiety.
Anxiety can be presented in a number of ways. At home, they may complain of headaches and stomach aches when they must do something unfamiliar. They may also have sleep difficulties, including trouble falling asleep, nightmares and difficulty sleeping on their own. At school, their anxiety might be seen through dissatisfaction with their work, reluctance to ask for help, or even asking too often for help. They may also be afraid to join in on class discussions or take part in school activities.
If your child is in a heightened state of anxiety, try the following FEEL method:
- FREEZE – pause and take some deep breaths
- EMPATHISE – let your child know that you get what is happening
- EVALUATE – once they are calm, figure out some possible solutions
- LET GO – let go of your guilt by trying to give your child the tools to manage
For further information on this topic go to School TV
Kindly,
Sharon Martin BVA, GDLT, MEd
School Counsellor
STEM
Greetings from the wonderful world of STEM,
This year has seen the commencement of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) as a specialist subject at Emmanuel. We have been working hard discovering solutions for problems in the area of Science and have been learning how the world around us works. Many of the projects that the students tackle in STEM require materials for us to complete. A large focus of the subject also looks at recycling and reusing household items to improve our sustainability and minimise waste. Due to this focus, I would like to put out the call to families that if you have any of the below items around the house that you would normally dispose of, could they please be donated to the school for us to use as part of our lessons.
- shoe boxes
- large pieces of cardboard
- Empty 2L or 1.25L bottles
- Straws
- plastic or paper cups
- Paper or plastic plates
If you have any of these products that you would be willing to donate, it would be greatly appreciated. Items can be dropped off at the office.
Dylan Steel
STEM TEACHER
Around the School
SCHOOL DISCO
We are having a disco on Friday 24 March 6:00-7:30pm. The theme is EASTER and everyone is invited to dress up and join the fun. Admission is $2.00. The P&F will be cooking and selling sausages on bread. Please preorder for catering purposes via the TryBooking link below. CASH payment is to be made on the night.
Awards
Congratulations to the students below who received a Virtue Voucher in Week 7.
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.
Lost Property
If your child/ren is missing any of the items pictured below, please have them check the Lost Property Box located in front of the Office by the end of Term 1.
Notices
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 Monday 17 April. 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.
FULL-TIME POSITION VACANT - SCHOOL CROSSING SUPERVISOR
We are wanting to fill a full-time position for a School Crossing Supervisor at Emmanuel Catholic Primary School.
The position School Crossing Supervisor will be required to work five days per week 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, 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.
Share your thoughts on Catholic Education
The Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) is conducting an important survey with parents and carers about the Catholic education system in Queensland. QCEC would appreciate your feedback via a short online survey to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence families in choosing a Catholic school. QCEC are working with Market & Communications Research and the Online Research Unit to compile feedback. You can complete the survey online by clicking on the link below.
All responses are anonymous.
Thank you for your contribution. The survey will be open for two weeks, closing COB Monday 20 March 2023, unless our target number is reached before then. We therefore encourage participation at the earliest convenience.
Job Opportunity: Caritas Australia Diocesan Director for Rockhampton
Caritas Australia is seeking a passionate Diocesan Director for the Rockhampton Diocese. This paid role is appointed by Caritas Australia in conjunction with the Bishop of Rockhampton and promotes the work of Caritas Australia through fundraising, advocacy and relationships with schools and parishes.
The role is flexible, working 1 day/7.6 hours per week on average across the year and involves engaging with communities across the Rockhampton Diocese, supporting Caritas Australia appeals and coordinating volunteers.
Duties include:
- Coordinating Project Compassion including the Diocesan Project Compassion Launch
- Providing a communications pathway between Caritas and the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton parishes and schools
- General administration tasks
For more information, including a copy of the role description and overview, contact the HR Manager on 48873090. To apply for the position, submit your resume and cover letter to hr@rok.catholic.net.au. Diocesan employees are encouraged to apply.
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