Term 2, Week 9 - 15th June, 2023
From the Principal
Dear families,
It is Week 9 and the last newsletter of Term 2!
Semester 1 report cards will be sent via the Sentral for Parents app on the last day of term. Please contact the office if you would like a printed copy. If you would like a follow up meeting with your child's teacher after the report cards have been distributed, please contact the school office to schedule an appointment after the holiday break.
Arts Festival
The Toowoomba Catholic Schools inaugural Arts Fest will showcase the talents of students from across its 31 schools. St Maria Goretti is participating in the Sing for Joy sacred choral concert, followed by Mass on Thursday next week. Information was sent home a couple of weeks ago outlining transport arrangements, etc. We will send a reminder home at the beginning of next week.
We're very excited about this opportunity and we're sure that it will be a very special experience for our students.
Parents are welcome to attend to watch and support our students. Bookings are essential.
St Patrick's Cathedral, James Street, Toowoomba
10.30am-11.45am Concert | Book here
12.00pm-1.00pm Mass | Book here
Term 2 MacKillop Way
CONGRATULATIONS to our MacKillop Way award recipients for Term 2!
| P/1 class | Lila Kiehne (Prep) |
| 2/3/4 class | Jazmen Cooper (Year 3) |
| 5/6 class | Collette Cover (Year 6) |
These students consistently strive to achieve their personal best, live out Gospel values and continue the good works of the Sisters of St Joseph and Mary MacKillop, Australia's first saint.
The focus for Term 2 was "We must teach more by example than by word." (Mary MacKillop, 1867) One student from each class was selected by their teacher and awarded with a special prayer card and certificate on assembly.
Well done and keep leading by example!
Next term, the focus will be “Find happiness in making others happy” (Mary MacKillop 1889).
Jazmen (Year 3), Lila (Prep), Collette (Year 6)
Friendology Program - Parent Information
Our Year 5 and 6 students are currently participating in the Friendology by URSTRONG program as part of their Health lessons this term.
What is a Friendship Fire?: In this podcast interview, learn all about why friendship skills are important and how we’re supporting kids through URSTRONG’s Friendology curriculum to put out their Friendship Fires®.
Think of Yourself as a “Friendship Coach”: The Founder of URSTRONG was interviewed by the Sydney Morning Herald who asked her, “Should parents get involved in their kids’ friendships?” Here are some Dos & Don’ts to coach your child from the sidelines (follow the link above).
Please contact our school counsellor Mr Paul Fomiatti or Miss Key for more information.
© 2023 - URSTRONG
Winter Uniform reminder
Please ensure that students are coming to school in the correct winter school uniform. Students must be wearing the school jumper or school jacket. Please provide a note to the classroom teacher, or a message via the Sentral app if your child is coming to school with a different jumper.
I would also like to remind parents and students that jewellery (apart from a wristwatch, studs or sleepers, or a religious necklace) is not permitted at school. Hair ties and ribbons must be in school colours.
Please come and see Mandy in the school office if you would like to make a purchase from our uniform shop.
Upcoming Term 2 dates
16th June - Small Schools athletics carnival (Goondiwindi)
21st June - PEN meeting
22nd June - TCS Arts Fest in Toowoomba
23rd June - Last day of Term 2!
10th July - Pupil Free Day
11th July - First day of Term 3!
Yours in education,
Casey Robinson
Principal
"Try at least to excuse what you cannot understand and bear in mind that you have only to answer for your own faults." (Mary MacKillop 1877)
Library News
Holiday Reading
Students had the opportunity to borrow extra books today for their holiday reading and Term 3 book talks. Please encourage them to enjoy their chosen titles and keep them in a safe place ready for return on Thursday in Week 1 Term 3.
Book Talks in Term 3
*Years 2 - 6 will be giving informal book talks, based on a fiction or non-fiction title from the library
*Year 5 and 6 students will be expected to choose a book that will challenge their reading and responses
*All students must be ready to give their talk by Week 2 Term 3 as names will be randomly selected each Thursday
*Students will be supported to prepare their talk in Week 1 of Term 3
*Students must have read a library book of their choice over the next 4 weeks and be prepared to;
FICTION
- give a brief account of the beginning, middle and end of the story
-read aloud a favourite paragraph or section of the story
- choose a favourite thing about the story (for example, characters, action, setting, message) and explain why they chose it
NON-FICTION
- explain 3 new pieces of information they learnt on the topic
- read aloud a paragraph or section they found most fascinating
- explain what new learning they would like to investigate further
Week 7 and 8 in the Library
Happy Holiday Reading Everyone!
Anne Anderson
Teacher Librarian
Colonial Letter - Written by Collette Cover (Year 6)
The 5/6 class were required to write a letter from the perspective of a person who was affected by colonial Australia in the 1800s. Students reflected on the thoughts and feelings of a particular group, and presented a piece in their perspective. Collette Cover (Year 6) chose to write a letter from the perspective of a convict. Well done, Collette!
Dear Mother and Father,
I wish I had not taken that bread in Britain, but you needed it. I travelled on a long journey on a ship full of seasick convicts of crying children and I try to comfort some of the children. We landed in the place they call New Holland all I could see was beautiful, lush, bright green vegetation and as I gazed in awe into the plants I saw a person, but not of our culture, and they did not wear clothes and held spears. I hear they're called aboriginals. I saw a lot of farms full of sheep, crops, horses and cows. I also saw different things that jump really high ang fast and birds that cackle. Today I started work in this beautiful cottage. It had lots of candles and ornaments and pictures. I helped with the cooking and cleaning and sometimes helped in the crops. We stayed in these tiny miserable huts and at night we are all freezing and I was petrified that one of the rebels were going to attack us. My clothes were all ripped up and I had to patch them up with any spear rags we got. It’s a new day and I’m starving all we got to eat for the past two days was a loaf of bread and we did not get a lot of water. I talked to a lot of children my age. I made a friend called Mary and we talked about the Indigenous and how they were mistreated. I mean we came to their land but luckily they're not all being mistreated. There are some that are helping the police, tracking escaped convicts. Today we were walking to work when an Indigenous child came up to us and tried to talk to us but we could not understand her language then she sprinted off and we never saw her again. New Holland would be so much better if you were here and if I was not a convict. I wish that the British would treat the Aboriginals more fairly because this is their land. I wish I could see you again.
Love from your daughter, Charlotte.
BY COLLETTE COVER
Students of the Week - Week 8
Poppy (Prep), Jazmen (Year 3), Angus (Year 6)
Students of the Week - Week 9
Addy (Year 2), Ellie (Year 1), Werner (Prep), Tayla (Year 1), Riley (Year 6), Collette (Year 6)
Sight Word Certificates
Well done!
Uniform Award
Pride in school uniform awarded to Levi Sheridan!
Staff Award
Mrs Robinson even received an award on assembly this morning!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Charlie and Connor!
Parent Engagement Network
Our next PEN meeting is the 21st of June, 3:30pm in the school library.
Please contact Casey, Melissa or Corinne to add an item to the agenda.
All parents are very welcome to attend the PEN meeting as a rewarding way to get involved with the school community and keep up to date with school events, policies and projects.
- Thank you... to our wonderful parents and teachers for their support and help on disco night last Friday. The students had a great time and danced up a storm!
- Thank you... to Alycia, Crystal and Tianna for cooking the delicious lunch special this week.
- Thank you... to the Smith family and Johnstone Concrete and Quarries for donating sand for our extended sand pit and soil for our garden beds.
- Thank you... to the Groves, McPhersons, Perrins, Robinsons, and Meads for their help with installing the football posts on our back oval. These football posts were purchased through a successful grant application written by our principal, Mrs Robinson.
- Planning for the playground upgrade is well underway and Mrs Robinson has received some quotes and concept drawings. Please come to our next PEN meeting to find out more!
Notices
Our Lady of the Southern Cross Parish - Mass Times
Sunday 18th June - 9am Lay Lead Liturgy
Sunday 25th June - 9am Mass
Sunday 2nd July - 9am Lay Lead Liturgy