11 Perry Street Alstonville NSW 2477 ( PO Box 265 ) Phone: 02 6628 1009 Fax: 02 6628 1508 www.alstplism.catholic.edu.au Email: alstp@lism.catholic.edu.au

Week 3

2018

WEDNESDAY is BANKING DAY

Wednesday 14 February—Ash Wednesday Liturgy 9.30 am in school hall

Friday 16 February: Awards Assembly

Wednesday 21 February—Bunnings help to finish the Sensory Garden VOLUNTEERS!!

Wednesday 28 February—first Reconciliation Information Evening 6 pm in staffroom

Sunday 4 March -Saturday 10 March— CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

Wednesday 21 March—Confirmation Information Evening 6 pm in staffroom

Friday 30 March - Good Friday

Sunday 1 April - Easter Sunday

Tuesday 15—Thursday 17 May—NAPLAN for Yrs 3 & 5

Friday 24 May - Confirmation 6 pm in Our Lady of the Rosary Church

Wednesday 27 June - First Eucharist Information Evening 6 pm in Staffroom

Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to Week 3 of school for 2018. This week we begin Lent, a time of consideration in the lead up to Easter. Lent is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting, special prayer and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. The name "Lent" is from the Middle English Lenten and Anglo-Saxon Lenten, meaning spring; its more primitive ecclesiastical name was the "forty days," tessaracoste in Greek. The number "forty" is first noted in the Canons of Nicaea (A.D. 325), likely in imitation of Jesus' fast in the desert before His public ministry (with Old Testament precedent in Moses and Elijah). By the fourth century, in most of the West, it referred to six days' fast every week leading up to Easter (Sundays were excluded); in the seventh century the days from Ash Wednesday through the First Sunday were added to make the number forty. We mark the arrival of Lent with Shrove Tuesday- today! This was traditionally the time the food was used in preparation for the fasting time. It was really the final celebration day for 6 weeks. Then Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. On this day we all attend a Mass or Liturgy where we are marked with ash on our forehead. This reminds us of our beginnings and refocuses us for Lent. All our students will receive the ashes at the Liturgy on Wednesday. Fasting and abstinence are also Church penitential practices that deny us food and drink during certain seasons and on certain days. These acts of self-denial are meant to free us from worldly distractions, to express our longing for Jesus, to somehow imitate his suffering. Abstinence traditionally has meant not eating meat. Many may recall the calendar hanging in the kitchen that included a fish symbol on each Friday of the month. Catholics never have been compelled to eat fish on days of abstinence, but rather, to avoid meat. While abstinence refers to the kind or quality of food we eat, fasting refers to the amount or quantity of food consumed. It is contrary to the spirit of abstinence and fasting if we avoid steak but pile our plate high with fish. Children are not included in the fasting or abstinence so we try to encourage them to prepare for Easter by giving up something or trying hard to improve in something.

Please join us for our Ash Wednesday liturgy at 9.30am in the Hall. Therese Seymour Medical Updates Please be mindful of informing the school of any diagnosis or change in medical conditions for your child so that the school plans and records are current and accurate. This is especially important for those students with Asthma, Anaphylaxis, Diabetes and other medical illnesses. The update of information forms are being sent home today for any information you may need to update. Please return ALL forms promptly. Frequently asked questions- it might make life easier at school to know this information…. SchoolWorx If your child arrives after the 9:05am bell they will be marked absent. To change this to present, they must arrive through the Front Office to have the office staff mark them present. The same needs to happen if they are being picked up early. For small absences during the day they are to

BOOKCLUB ORDERS due no later than FRI-DAY 16 FEBRUARY.

Accompanying newsletter:

Info Update (mauve page) & Student Verification Report

Staff photo page

AFL Auskick registration form

Student Banking Application forms (Kinder)

Parish weekend newsletter (S3)

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be signed out and back in at the office. (However we would like to avoid absences during learning time). If your child is going to be absent from school you can either ring the office on 66281009 after 8:30am OR SMS to 0439837083 (no calls to this number). Doing either of these choices means you will not need to send in a note. You can email the school (alstp@lism.catholic.edu.au) but our preference for ease of access is SMS. After the rolls are marked, and if we have not heard from you, then you will receive an SMS inquiring about your child’s absence (usually between 9:30 and 10 am). A response to this will also negate the need for a note. ABSENCES Holidays during school time are not necessarily granted. This message comes from the Minister for Education, “If the Principal does not believe the absence is in the student’s best interests and does not accept the application then the absence will be recorded as A.” “If the absence is in excess of 50 days the student may need to transfer to distance education”. “If a student’s absence is due to sickness the Principal may require a doctors certificate, particularly if there is a history of unsatisfactory attendance”. Whatever the outcome, all these days missing from school are totalled and will be under investigation if they are high. Please go to our school webpage and look under Parent Information. There you will find ‘Application for Leave’. If you wish to take your child out of school for more than 10 straight days then this form needs to be lodged at school PRIOR to this occurring. PEOPLE IN OUR SCHOOL Everyone who works in our school is important, but as a new parent there are some people you will be more likely to see or need to speak to. Communication is the most important aspect of a school and your class teachers should always be the first point of call for issues related to your child. You have been informed of your child’s PASTORAL TEACHER. This is the go-to teacher for your child’s Stage. If you need information about an event, want to let a teacher know about a change or just catch up, then this is the teacher you contact. This teacher will also be the one you book into for Parent/ Teacher/student Conferences on www.schoolinterviews.com.au. These groups of children (their Pastoral groups) will be used on release days as they experience a variety of activities related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths). Just remember, schools are busy places so if you need to speak to your child’s teachers in detail make an appointment to see them so they can allocate a time and give you their full attention. You can also communicate with your class teachers through notes, phone calls and email. If wishing to email, you generally need to use the teacher’s first initial and surname followed by @lism.catholic.edu.au (e.g. If you were wanting to contact Therese Seymour then you would email tseymour@lism.catholic.edu.au .) All Teachers will be in contact with you this week through a note home. WHAT THINGS DO I NEED TO TELL THE PASTORAL TEACHER? Communication is the key to a great year for you and your child. The best way for the class teachers to teach your child is if they know your child. If your child has any specific issues, e.g. they have a problem with going to the toilet or the way in which they are going home each day (bus, car pick up), the class teachers can help if they are aware. Let your class teachers know if your child will be away and why; if your child has a medical condition; if there are changes to family circumstances that may affect your child; afternoon pick up arrangements if you will not be picking them up; if your child has had Head Lice or anything else you may feel they need to know. Good communication means less stress all round.

SIGNING IN AND OUT It is a legal requirement that visitors to the school sign in and out at the Front Office. If you are coming in to help in a classroom, attending a meeting, coming to assembly or working in the Canteen please remember to sign in and attach a name sticker. This allows us to know who is in the school and make sure everyone is accounted for in the case of a fire or evacuation. Please do not just pop into school to give your child a forgotten lunch or book. Enter through the office at all times. SCHOOL TIMES Mornings School starts at 9:00am. There will be a teacher on duty from 8:30am. Before this time children are required to sit on the silver seats around the basketball court. If your child needs to be at school before this time please contact the school. (Before school care is available- 6:45am—8:45am and from 3.00pm—6:00pm. Enrolments forms are available from the school office) There is NO school supervision until 8.30am Afternoons School finishes at 3:20pm. A bell will ring at 3:15pm to allow classes to pack up and be ready for the second bell at 3:20pm. If you are coming into the school to pick up your child please wait out of their view in the undercover area until the bell rings. Parents are not encouraged to wait outside classrooms please. CRUNCH & SIP Crunch & Sip is held round 10am daily for 5-10 minutes This break is a short break during the morning session where students go outside to have a drink and a piece of fruit or vegetable. Parents are encouraged to cut up fruit for younger children if they are not able to manage a whole fruit on their own. Fruit break MUST be FRESH fruit or vegetables or dried fruit. Fruit straps etc. will not be allowed during this time. If your child is having a lunch order you MUST still send in fruit break. LUNCH Lunch: 11:50am – 12:40pm Children all come out together and sit under cover for lunch. Students are required to sit and eat their lunch until the teacher on duty lets them go off to play. Please pack your child a healthy lunch as they will need this energy to help them get through the remainder of the day. If your child is having a lunch order, please see the Canteen List for more details. AFTERNOON TEA Afternoon Tea: 2:00pm – 2:20pm Afternoon tea is time for the students to have a snack and a short play. Please ensure your child has a snack for this time. If you are putting in yoghurt or other items that need to stay cold, it is a good idea to freeze items or put in ice bricks. Don’t forget to include a spoon if needed. If your child is having a lunch order please include afternoon tea for them, unless you are ordering this as well. Canteen is open at afternoon tea time this term. Children are given time at the end of each break to go to the toilet, have a drink and wash their hands before going into class. Please remind your child of this and remind them that if they need to go to the toilet during class time they need to see their class teacher. GETTING TO AND FROM SCHOOL There are several options for getting your child to and from school: Drop off in car pick up, walking and buses. The area around our school is very busy at this time and safety is of the utmost importance. Please follow the procedures in place for the safety of all our children and Staff.

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BUSES If your child is to catch a bus they will need to have a Bus Pass. A new process is involved. To apply for free travel for the first time complete the online application form at www.transportnsw.info/school-students. The online facility then asks us to sign off on this application. If you don’t have internet access you should phone 131500 for assistance with your application. If your child is new to catching the bus and they do not know anyone else catching the bus, please let the school know and we can arrange a bus buddy for them. Infants children are walked up to the bus each afternoon by a teacher. Please make sure the Pastoral Teacher is aware of your child’s bus and routine so they are where they should be. LAST MINUTE CHANGES please call the office to alert the school. WALKING Walking is an option if children live close enough to walk to and from school. Please talk to your child about road safety and crossing at the appropriate crossings. Children under the age of 8 have not developed their peripheral vision yet and should always cross the road with adult supervision. It is a good idea for your child to walk home with a trusted adult or older sibling until they can cross the road safely. If students are riding bikes or skateboards, we insist they wear a helmet. PARENT PICK UP If you are coming into the school to pick your child up, please park at the side of the school. Parents are asked to wait at the Basketball court (undercover area) until the second bell has rung. All students that are not catching the bus will be sitting on the seats on the road side of the Kinder rooms. Please walk around there to pick your child up. CAR PICK UP AND DROP OFF Behind the back of the school near the Kindergarten rooms is a car pick up area. This is supervised by several teachers (afternoon only) and is an easy and effective way of picking up and dropping off your child. Please note that you are not allowed to park or get out of your car in this area during the pick up and drop off times. Children will wait on the silver seats until they see your car and then they will be instructed to walk down to you. Children should be able to get into the car by themselves and put on their own seatbelt. Please note that the car pick up line can be long but moves very quickly and efficiently when people work together and if it is raining this is a good option. Please do not block the entry to the Police Station while waiting. CANTEEN The Canteen is run by Emma Thrum and is open Wednesdays and Fridays for lunch and afternoon tea. The Canteen is at the back of the School Hall. Lunch orders MUST be taken to the canteen before school starts on these mornings. A updated Canteen List will come home shortly, and will be available on the website, and you will find weekly specials on the back page of the newsletter each week. You can order lunches and afternoon tea. CANTEEN VOLUNTEERS The Canteen can only run if we have parents that volunteer to help Emma. If you are able to help in the Canteen for a day during the term or on a more regular basis please contact Emma. Volunteers are always welcomed and it is a good way to help out the school. HEAD LICE Something you will come in contact with at school is Head Lice. If your child gets Head Lice they will not be alone and they must be treated. Children with Head Lice are not allowed into the school until they have been treated and all eggs have been

removed. If your child is found to have lice at school they will be sent home to have it treated and will need to return to the school via the Front Office to have their hair checked before they are allowed back in class. There are several treatments out there to treat Head Lice but the main issue is to remove all the eggs and re check your child’s hair every couple of days for the next week to make sure no new eggs have hatched. You will need a fine tooth comb and some conditioner to check your child’s hair. It is a good idea to wash hats and pillow cases and check the whole family. To help prevent Head Lice (nits) encourage your child not to play with other people’s hair; do not share hats, keep hair tied back and neat, use gel or hairspray as this can help stop lice gripping to hair, spray hair with a combination of water, conditioner and tea tree oil; check your child’s hair regularly. We have already received notification of a head lice infestation occurring in Stage 2. Be on the look out. WHAT IS A MUFTI DAY? Occasionally throughout the year the school will have a mufti day. Usually mufti days are a social justice or fun event and students are allowed to wear plain casual clothes for the day. (These are no uniform days) in exchange for a gold coin donation. Sometimes these days will have a theme e.g. bandanna day or red nose day. Information will be in the school newsletter when these days are coming up. When dressing children for these days they need to have covered shoulders, covered shoes and a hat, no midriff tops etc. please. DO YOU HAVE A SCHOOL COUNSELLOR? Each year we receive funding from the Catholic Schools Office in Lismore to support student wellbeing. In previous years we have employed a counsellor for half a day a week to support students who may be experiencing behaviour difficulties, be new to school and having trouble settling in, have had changed family circumstances and require some support or are having friendship issues. This year after a trial in 2017 we have Mrs Lyn Rowling as our Chaplain here at school. She already works in this wellbeing area. We have utilised our CSO funding to supplement her work which will enable her to work in school in this area of wellbeing for 3 days a week. Her role will include lunchtime support for students, social stories work, the Seasons program and other student support work. Mr Peter Slattery is also working in this area 2 afternoons a week. They will not be counselling students, rather supporting them to manage the difficulty or putting in place structures to support them. Should a staff member identify a student who might need extra support they will bring this to the attention of the Principal and Assistant Principal. Next, contact will be made with the child’s parents and a letter of consent signed by the parents. Then Lyn will work with the student or a program can be put in place that best supports the student’s needs. If a parent chooses not to consent then the school may ask the parent to seek outside support. If the school believes the problem being experienced is too big for us to manage effectively we will ask parents to seek support. Methods for doing this can be explained as needed. WHAT IF MY CHILD IS LATE TO SCHOOL? If your child is late to school for any reason you are to take them to the office and sign them in. Your child will need to wait for a Late Slip to take to class with them. The office can be busy at this time so please be patient. Please do not drop your child at car pick up / drop off if they are arriving late. WHAT IF I NEED TO PICK MY CHILD UP EARLY? If your child needs to picked up early or if they have an appointment in the middle of the day and will be returning to school after this you will need to go to the Front Office and sign them out. Please do not just go to your child’s classroom

and take them. If your child is returning to school please sign them in again on their return. WHAT IF MY CHILD IS SICK? As inconvenient as it may be, if your child is sick please do not send them to school. Sick children spread germs that in turn make more people sick. If you are unsure if your child is too sick to come to school use these tips: do they have a temperature? are they coughing uncontrollably? do they have green or yellow mucus coming from their nose? are they tired, lethargic and grumpy? have they been vomiting or had diarrhoea in the past 24 hours? has anyone else in your family been sick in the past few days? do they have an unidentified rash? are they on antibiotics and are still unwell? Please make sure you let the school know if your child is sick by sending an SMS or responding to our SMS. If your child has an illness that is contagious or they are off for a prolonged period of time due to illness please notify the school immediately. A doctor’s certificate may be required. WHAT IF MY CHILD IS ON MEDICATION? Sometimes children need to take medication at school. This may be something as simple as cough lozenges (strepsils) or it may be ongoing regular medication e.g. asthma puffer. Whatever the case, all medication must be sent to the office with a note and in most cases a form outlining the dosage and time it needs to be taken etc. If you need more details about this please contact the Front Office. WHAT IF MY CHILD HAS A MEDICAL CONDITION? It is important that the school and class teacher are aware of any medical condition your child may have, especially if this condition requires regular medication, staff training, student monitoring or impacts your child’s everyday life in anyway. Kinds of conditions that schools need to know about are: Asthma, Epilepsy, Diabetes, Anaphylaxis, allergies – food (eggs, nuts, seafood etc.), bees, other bites etc.; ADHD, ODD, Autism, Intolerances or allergies to gluten. If you have any concerns please contact the school. WHAT ARE SPORTS HOUSES? When your child enters the school they are given a sports house and each house is represented by a colour. St Joseph’s has three houses represented by the colours red (McCarthy), green (Cawley) and yellow (Dara). Your child will be able to wear a coloured shirt representing their house on sports carnival days. If you are unsure what colour house your child is in please ask the pastoral teacher. WHAT ARE SPORTS CARNIVAL DAYS? St Joseph’s has three main school carnivals – swimming, cross country and athletics. The swimming carnival is held in December each year and all students are involved. For this year, due to the recent pool construction we will be having a FUN carnival later in Term 1 for students in Years 1-6 only. Students under 8 years, compete in water games and activities in an infants carnival, this is a fun event and non competitive. Students over 8 years can elect to swim in a number of different events. This section of the carnival is competitive and students who do well can then go onto higher levels representing the school and diocese. Cross Country is a long distance running carnival which is held at school. The infants complete a fun run on the school playground. Older students compete in a more structured long distance run and may go on to represent the school or diocese. The Athletics carnival is usually held in term 2 and all students compete in a range of athletic events including running, shot put, long jump and high jump. Students 8years and over may be selected to represent the school or diocese.

HOW CAN I HELP IN THE SCHOOL? What are the benefits of being involved? - Students enjoy having you involved with the class and in their learning. They can show you their skill. - Teachers appreciate having you involved with the class and assisting them. Many hands make the load easier at times. - You get to know other children and their parents, forming friendships and building school community. - You enjoy the satisfaction of being part of the team and school improvement. - You only need do what you can realistically fit in to your life. Whatever you can do will contribute to making our school a better place. And we all want to keep improving! Schools always welcome volunteers and parents in whatever capacity they are able to assist. There are many opportunities in which you can help the school, some of these are: Parish School Forum, Class Parent Representative, Parent Assembly, Canteen. In the Classroom: guided r eading, changing home readers, listening to kids read, working with small groups), Art volunteers, Helping at sports carnivals, Assisting on excursions, Become a member of group or committee, LAP tutor – these are people who come and work one-on-one with students for around one hour a week (see LAP). These are just a few ways you can help. Your assistance helps your child.... Please don’t ever feel that we don’t value you volunteering- we are in constant need of all sorts of help! WHAT IS PARISH SCHOOL FORUM OR PSF? The Parish School Forum is a group of parents, teachers and parish representative that comes together approximately once a month to discuss issues within the school and help the leadership team make decisions about the direction the school is heading. It is open to all parents who wish to attend and it is a great way to find out more about how the school is run. There are several smaller groups and committees within the school who have representatives that come along and present to the forum when they have events coming up so that the forum can assist them if needed. In the past the PSF has assisted in rewriting policy within the school, taken part in the school review and development process and had input into the development of the five year school plan, discussed various ways we can encourage more parent involvement in the school, helped organise events such as Family Day, discussed fundraising ideas and develop education programs for parents with help of the Parent Assembly. This is an excellent way to be part of the school and work together with staff to create a great learning environment for your child. To find out more come along to a PSF meeting. First meeting is Tuesday 27 February at 7pm in the staffroom. WHAT ARE CLASS PARENT REPS? Each stage has at least one Parent Representative. This parent volunteers to support the class, teacher and parents in developing a positive working relationship. It is designed to help welcome parents into the class and school and develop friendships and a social network for families. Some of the ways in which Parent Reps assist teachers is to welcome and assist new families in to the class or to help farewell a student who is leaving. Parent Reps normally organise social gatherings for class parents and families like cake, coffee and play dates at the park, or nights out for the Mum’s or Dad’s, they may also organise a card or gift for a specific family event – new baby or passing of a family member. WHAT IS PARENT ASSEMBLY? Parent Assembly was set up by the Diocese of Lismore to give parents of all our schools a voice in the education of their children. It is an excellent way for parents and schools to work together to provide the best educational opportunities for all. Our school currently has 2 Parent Assembly Representatives,

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Sarah Moore & Karen Freebody. These ladies are PSF members and attend meetings in Lismore once a term to feedback on how things are going at St Joseph’s, ways in which Parent Assembly may be able to support the school and ideas on how to involve families and parents in their child’s education. Parent Assembly also has a Parent Library which is located in the teacher resource section of the school library. All parents are welcome to come and borrow items from here and can come and see Ms Ros Kingsford if they need assistance. This section contains books, DVD’s and other resources on a range of topics. Parent Assembly also organises a range of events throughout the year to assist parents and families in educating themselves about relevant issues. In the diocese have a variety of guest speakers and programs that run free of charge to the parents of all diocesan schools as well as an annual conference that includes four guest speakers usually experts in the field of children, family and parent education. Look out for posters around the school and in the newsletter for upcoming events. Finally, the Parent Assembly also has a family faith gathering every year. It is a weekend away for families of children attending diocesan schools and is provided free of charge for families who wish to attend. It is a great opportunity for families to come together, meet new people and build on their faith. WHAT IS LEARNING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OR LAP? LAP was set up to allow students to engage in one-on-one time with an adult in the school setting. LAP was designed to support students who may need some extra support for a variety of reasons and would benefit from the positive and regular interaction with a caring volunteer. Students participating in LAP may be involved in a range of activities that relate to their interests and that of the volunteer. For some students it is an opportunity to have someone to talk to, for others it is having someone assist and support their learning one-on-one and for others it allows them to develop social confidence. Whatever the reason, if you would like to become a LAP tutor or you feel your child would benefit from this program please contact the school. This is co-ordinated by Mrs Lyn Rowling in 2018. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY CHILD IS UPSET WHEN I PICK THEM UP AFTER SCHOOL? Try not to interrogate your child immediately. Have afternoon tea, do your normal after school activities and then after dinner sit down and talk through the situation or problem. As the Principal I receive many 3:35pm phone calls from worried parents. Often it turns out to be the child has had a few things go wrong during the day and they just need time to process this. Sometimes it is just a case of a tired student. But if it is a problem that the school needs to assist with a phone call or note or email next morning will get our help. Please do not go phoning other parents. This places them in a difficult situation and you may not have the whole story. If it is a school related problem please allow us to sort it for you. LIBRARY The library is run by Ms Ros Kingsford. Classes visit the library once a week as a group to borrow and return library books. Many students use the library at lunch times to read, play games and catch up with friends. It is important your child has a library bag as they will not be able to borrow without one. Make sure they are responsible for their library books and return them each week. Lost books will incur a book replacement fee. The library also has a great parent library which you are welcome to use anytime. RELEASE FROM FACE TO FACE This is a requirement for all teachers. If they hold a fulltime workload they must be given at least 2 hours release per week. Staff holding positions of responsibility e.g. Leader of

Catechesis, are also entitled to extra release. In 2018 we will again be releasing class teachers on a fortnightly basis for a whole day. I will explain this by looking at Stage 2 as an example: Stage 2 teachers Mrs Spash & Miss Fitness will be released in the odd numbered weeks on Thursdays (Weeks 3,5,7,9). During their release Mrs Moloney & Mrs Wagner will be responsible for their classes. Kinder release will occur on Wednesdays in even weeks. Stage 3 release occurs on Wednesdays in odd weeks. Stage 1 release occurs on Thursdays in even weeks. To allow the learning to occur at all levels the teachers may decide to group like ability students for this task to ensure great learning occurs. The Leader of Pedagogy ensures that the teachers are working in the best possible way to support your children. The whole Stage group of staff including Enrichment Tutors meets each week to plan for these experiences, change practice that may be impeding learning and to develop strategies. This is the Professional Learning Team (PLT). WHAT ARE ENRICHMENT TUTORS? We have several Enrichment Tutors in our school who assist a variety of students in the classroom setting. (In other schools they are called Teacher Aides.) Enrichment Tutors are vital members of our school community and work hard alongside the classroom teacher to bring out the best in all our students. Their knowledge and skills are invaluable and they provide a wealth of opportunities to the classrooms they work in. WHAT IS BEST START? Prior to Kindergarten students beginning formal school they all sit a Literacy & Numeracy Assessment with their teacher. They do this in one hour pre-booked timeslots. The results of this assessment give the school and their teacher an understanding of their starting point at school and how both the school and families and support them. The formal reporting of these results occurs during Term 1. (Week 5) HOW DO THE STAGES WORK? In Years 1-6 at our school the students are divided into Stages : Kinder is Early Stage 1, Years 1 & 2 are Stage 1, Years 3 & 4 are Stage 2 and Years 5 & 6 are Stage 3. This continues in High school where the curriculum is studied in stages also. The NSW Curriculum is actually planned out in stages with students given two years to cover the concepts. We place the students in stages for their learning. This year we are again working in more ‘open’ flexible spaces where the students will spend time in dynamic classrooms with all the teachers involved in their learning. This will ensure we can meet the needs of individual students at all ends of the learning spectrum as their needs become clear, e.g. Students are studying subtraction in Stage 2. A traditional class means a teacher may be trying to teach a student working at:- the level of Stage 1, for instance, the difference between 7 and 4 is 3. the level of Stage 2, e.g. 2,456 minus 1,385 OR the level of Stage 3, e.g. I have $40,000 to buy a new car. The basic model costs $36,118 and I have added tinted windows for $860, Bluetooth for $1,376. How much will I have left over? WHAT IS A LITURGY? A liturgy is a religious service that is held in the church the hall or the classroom. It is less formal than a Mass, will usually not include the priest and will not offer communion. The school has several big liturgies throughout the year including: Ash Wednesday, NAIDOC week (Aboriginal and Indigenous Australians) and Family Day. All classes will usually have a liturgy at some point throughout the year. Families are always

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welcome and encouraged to attend these events. Please remember if you are attending an event in the school sign in at the Front Office first. WHAT IS MASS? Mass is the formal religious service, usually held in the church. Sometimes Mass will be moved to the hall to accommodate for larger numbers. All children attend Mass both as a whole school and in class or stage groups. Mass is different to liturgy in that it is more structured, it is longer and communion is celebrated. Families are encouraged to come and join in the school and class Mass and there is usually a morning tea organised after class Masses. The School and Parish also encourage and welcome families along to Mass every weekend. Saturday night Mass is at 6pm. Sunday Mass is at 8:30am with Children’s Liturgy during school terms. Please visit the parish website (alstonvillecatholicchurch.org.au) to view the seven minute video which explains what the children and leaders do at Children’s Liturgy. St Joseph’s is well known for its large numbers of altar servers which are made up from our students from years 4-6 and high school students. There is also a Sunday Mass at Wardell at 5:30pm (Daylight Saving Time) and 5:00pm (EST). Look in the Newsletter for special Masses INTERVENTION In simple terms a stage Professional Learning Team (PLT) identifies the area where they would like to make the most difference in students learning on a short term basis eg three weeks focus in Stage 2 on multiplication facts and processes. They get the intervention team to come in at that time to add even more staff to the learning focus. Members of the team may include our Leader of Pedagogy Mr Maslen, Mrs Rowling, Mrs Seymour, Miss Kingsford, Mrs Lidbetter, Mrs Wagner, etc. This is timetabled at PLT meetings to ensure fairness and equity and is always designed to support our students. Breaking that down: The Stage Teachers identify the area of need, the team goes in on several mornings a fortnight. Conceivably a class ratio could be in a “normal” class – one staff member to about 26 students. In Stage 1 on a normal morning would be 2 teachers and an Enrichment Tutor with 50 students. At Intervention morning time this could become 6 staff with 50 students focused on one area of learning. Imagine the learning that can occur and support all our students... The worth of this intervention working within our flexible learning spaces is gaining great results for all our students. THE SCHOOL WEBPAGE/ SKOOLBAG & FACEBOOK The school webpage can be found at http://www.alstplism.catholic.edu.au. Important information, notes, newsletters are all placed here. Download Skoolbag from the app or google play store to your phone. We place messages and alerts here for your convenience. Search for and like the school Facebook page St Joseph’s Alstonville. We place photos and other relevant information here. Links to Skoolbag and Facebook can be found on our webpage. STUDENTS’ PERSONAL DEVICES Please ask your child, if they bring a phone or other device to school, to bring it to the office in the morning and collect at the end of day. No device is to be left in a school bag or on a student. These will be confiscated if found. School cannot accept any responsibility if these devices are broken or stolen. SCHOOL FEES This year you will notice a different format on your School Fees Statement when we send them out. The statement lists- the Parish Levy component, Tuition Fees, Technology Levy

and Fundraising levy. The method of payment is entirely up to you but please ensure fees are paid on time. If you have difficulty paying your fees you will need to talk to the Principal immediately to sort a payment plan. All families must pay the Parish levy, Technology fee and Fundraising levy entirely. Consideration can only be given to support of the Tuition fee component. A footnote: We are sure there will be many questions you might have regarding aspects of school. Please email the school on alstp@lism.catholic.edu.au or ring during office hours if you need to know any other information.

Mass from Saturday Congratulations to our families who joined us on Saturday night for the first Family Mass of 2018. Leadership Opportunities Our Year 6 students listened to an explanation of their Leadership opportunities last week and were given a note to take home. They have been asked to respond in writing by either email or written letter to seek a leadership role for 2018. Parental support in their application would be a great help. Kindergarten Parent Interviews for Beststart & MAI Feedback Kinder parents can now go to www.schoolinterviews.com.au and enter the event code v9pht. They will then choose a time and date. Please ensure you choose your child’s Pastoral teacher. Enter your email address to receive confirmation of your interview. Interviews are scheduled for 20 minutes. Dates for Diaries in Newsletter A reminder that our School Newsletter often gives dates in advance. Please take the time to mark these on your calendar at home….. Coming events: CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK Sunday 4 March 4-Saturday 10 March. We will be celebrating here at school. Stay tuned for details. NAPLAN for Years 3 & 5 will be held Tuesday 15–

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The following children have celebrated their birthday since our last Newsletter: Sully Mitchell, Will Gallagher, Zarlia Murgha, William Hensley, Emily Eyre

Happy Birthday from all of us

From Mrs Lyn Rowling - School Chaplain/Wellbeing Welcome to Oliver in S1 who joined us last week. We are really glad you have chosen to join us at St Joseph’s. Welcome Mass Thank you to the families who joined us for our welcome Mass on Saturday evening. It was lovely to witness the coming together of our families and seeing the delight in the children’s faces being able to see each other outside of school time. Thank you to the Fr Max and the parish for dinner and to Mrs Spash for her organisation. Project Compassion Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the commencement of Lent in the lead up to Easter. In the Catholic Church it is traditionally a time of abstinence and sacrifice. At the conclusion of our liturgy I will be explaining to the children that this is a time to give up treats, set aside pocket money, or consider giving up a favourite ‘thing’ for Lent. This may be giving up a lunch box treat or no lollies during Lent. This year we are going to Ignite the Fire for Justice and aim high to fundraise for Caritas, the Catholic organisation who seeks to empower the less fortunate by not only helping out but by giving a hand up. The students will be watching videos about the works of Caritas to bring it to life for them. I encourage you to ask them about what they have seen and discussed in class. This is a fundamental link for your child to learn the skill of empathy, compassion and kindness which is so crucial in today’s world. Students will have a Project Compassion box in their classroom to regularly donate money to. We will also be holding a ‘fun’ day on the 1st March towards our fundraising efforts. Please keep an eye on next week’s newsletter for further information about this day. Class Parent Representatives As you would have heard at last night’s information session you child’s stage is in need of parent reps. This task involves arranging simple social events to ensure that families and children have the opportunity to spend time together. Also, in the past we have had mum’s and dad’s night’s out. If you would like to be involved in this please contact me. It’s not a tricky job but just takes a little planning at times. Coles Sports for Schools Please remember to collect your vouchers from the checkout or at the customer service person at the self service checkouts for your vouchers and make sure they go in the box located at Coles in Alstonville. Also spread the word to relatives and friends who can collect on your behalf. If you can’t make it to Coles Alstonville please send them to school and I will be happy to place them in the box for you (I always seem to be at Coles !! )

Mrs Libby Spash: Leader of School Evangelisation(LoSE)

Incitāre - Year 6 Student Discipleship Retreat Incitāre is a one day retreat experience for Year 6 students from parish primary schools based in regions of the diocese to celebrate their faith at a diocesan level.

The retreat will be a chance to bring students together to meet like-minded peers and to celebrate with other young people who practice their faith. The activities will be a mixture of large and small sharing groups as well as celebrating a liturgy together. The program has been geared to meet the needs of these Year 6 students. The activities and experiences will allow attendees to build relationships with other students from throughout their region of the diocese and allow the students the opportunity to talk about and share their faith journey. What: Incitāre: a retreat experience for nominated Year 6 students from every parish school in each region of the diocese. When: Tuesday 6 March 2017 Where: Tullera Hall Tullera Cost: Nil. All transport and venue booking expenses will be met by the Catholic Schools Office. Transport still to be finalised. Lunch/ Morning Tea: Students to bring own In discerning which students might participate in this retreat experience, the CSO has recommended the following guidelines;

- Core catholic students o Regularly attend Mass o Are involved in some other form of church involvement either

at school or in the parish - Students who are willing to learn more about the Christian Faith. A large number of St Joseph’s students have already expressed an interest in this event. We can, however, only offer four places. Any student who would like to be considered is asked to complete the Student Application Form provided by Mrs Spash or your Year 6 teacher. Nominations should be handed to Mrs Spash no later than Tuesday 20 February. Successful applicants will be issued with further information.

Parish School Mass

Last Saturday evening our schoo l and par ish c o m m u n i t y j o i n e d together to celebrate the start of a new school year. It was wonderful to see so many new famil ies meeting other families over a slice of pizza. We thank all involved for making this an enjoyable community event and one that we hope to repeat in different ways many times throughout the year. Many thanks to Fr Max and the parish for supplying supper. Our families truly felt welcomed! If you couldn’t make it this time, we hope to see you at our next Parish School Mass celebrating Mother’s Day Sunday 13 May. Stay tuned for further details.

ALTAR SERVERS ROSTER Saturday 17 Feb: Tyler & Noah Glavocih, Charlotte & Olivia Voss, Brighton Wilson Sunday 18 Feb: James Penhey, Anna Amy & Holly Prodger Children’s Sunday Liturgy Alstonville 8.30 am Rochelle Penhey Wardell 5.00 pm Kerry Turpin

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JUMPING JOEYS PLAYGROUP 9:30 - 11 AM IN STEM ROOM Looking for something to do on Tuesdays? Come to playgroup and join us for stories, craft, play and songs. All ages. During school Terms only. Bring healthy snacks and water bottles. Thank you to Karen Pilcher and Amanda Starkey for volunteering to host the Playgroup.

LUNCH BOX TIPS Hi! Hope you had a good summer holiday and a break from the normal routine. Welcome to the 2018 school year! I’m Wendy Astone and for the past couple of years, I have been contributing to the school newsletter with hints and tips as well as recipes, highlighting the need to focus on making our lunch boxes healthy, balanced and nutri-tious as well as tasty. I know it’s not always easy to stay motivat-ed and engaged with making lunches particularly towards the end of term but hopefully together we can find some variety in easy to make recipes that really build our lunchboxes into something we not only enjoy making but our children look forward to each day. After all, as parents and carers this is our opportunity right now to set an example and to provide good eating habits for our children to build on in later life. It feels like such a big responsi-bility, doesn’t it?... But you know what? We’ve got this! If you have any suggestions or want to contact me – w_astone@yahoo.co.uk This first recipe uses one of my favourite ingredients… Chia seeds are a flavourless concentrated food containing healthy ome-ga-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fibre, antioxidants and perhaps surprisingly, calcium. They can be used in so many ways… as an egg substitute, baked in breads, used in smoothies, sprinkled on salads, as a schnitzel crumb, made into a pudding (recipe to follow soon)… so many ways. They are awesome little seeds! This recipe is really super easy. It is literally 3 ingredients and a food processor. Great as an afternoon snack or a lunchbox treat, one or two of these give a little energy boost. APRICOT CHIA SEED BLISS BALLS 1 cup dried apricots ½ cup shredded coconut 4 tblsp chia seeds Add to the processor with 1 tblsp water and blend until broken down and combined. Roll tablespoon size drops into a ball and roll in extra shredded coconut. Bliss balls will keep in a container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

STEM has started for 2018!! Kindergarten and Stage One were the first groups to use our beauti-ful, newly refurbished STEM room last week. What a week it was with lots of busy scientists at work! Kindergarten discussed the fact that all living things grow. There was

great excite-ment as they all created their own little greenhouses and planted some seeds. You can see them growing on the win-dows of the STEM room.

Stage One were very ‘egg-cited’ to look closely at some eggs. They were surprised to observe the tiny holes in the shell and looked closely at the membrane inside the egg. We were very grateful for the new lino in the STEM room and how easily it cleans. We are very much looking forward to learning more about eggs after the arrival of an incubator and some fertilised eggs in week 4! Stage One also had a close look at some earthworms. They observed closely the way in which they move and the parts of the worm’s body. The children also had some ideas about the characteristics of living things and what they need to survive. Mrs Wagner and Mrs Moloney would like to invite any parents who are interested in help-ing out during our hands-on STEM activities. We are looking for:-

Kindergarten parents - Wednesdays - Even weeks Stage One Parents - Thursdays - Even Weeks Stage Three Parents - Wednesdays - Odd Weeks Stage Two Parents - Thursdays - Odd Weeks If you are available to help please let us know amoloney@lism.catholic.edu.au nwagner@lism.catholic.edu.au

From “Going Deeper”

What does “School” mean to you and your child? “Many students will attend a Catholic school - often the same school from the time they are very young children until they are nearly adults. It’s only natural that they should come to think of the school as an extension of their own homes, and therefore a ‘school-home’ ought have some of the amenities which can create a pleasant and happy family atmosphere. When this is missing from the home, the school can often do a great deal to make up for it. Students can be made feel at home even when the surroundings are modest, if the climate is humanly and spiritu-ally rich. (The Catholic Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School n.27)” Our students and staff are blessed to have contemporary, comfortable and exciting classrooms, engaging resources and a playground that in-vites exploration! But more importantly, we are part of a community that values each person, seeking to grow and learn within a loving, supportive “family”- it is our home away from home. A reflection on the start of year for our school families. God bless us all, Mrs Nikki Wagner (Leader of Catechesis)