2024 Term 3, Week 2 Newsletter

Principals Report - Mrs Janine Butlin

Next week is Catholic Education Week. This year the theme is, ‘Communities of Faith, Hope and Love’. Each year during Catholic Education week, communities are invited to nominate members of their communities who have made an outstanding contribution to Catholic Education in Queensland.  

This year, Fiona Drew was nominated by members of our staff for the Spirit of Catholic Education Award for her contribution to the education of students at St Stephen’s School. Fiona joined our staff in 2019 and since then has worked tirelessly for students, staff, and parents in our community. Fiona is also a finalist for one of the 2024 Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Awards. Excellence is the standard we set for ourselves in everything we do. Fiona contributes to the attainment of this standard in many different ways every day. On Thursday 25th July, Fiona will be recognised at a dinner alongside other finalists for her outstanding leadership.  

We are fortunate to have Fiona in our school, for she is one of the keys to our success.  

Congratulations Fiona. We are grateful to you for sharing your gifts with us. May you continue to find joy in your work as we walk alongside you to enrich our communities of faith, hope and love. 

Spirit of Catholic Education Award 

Fiona’s dedication knows no bounds. She works relentlessly to provide the students at St. Stephen’s with the best opportunities and outcomes. Whether organising school events, facilitating extra training sessions for school carnivals, or creating a positive and supportive atmosphere for staff and students, Fiona’s impact is immeasurable. Her leadership and passion for education is evident, advocating for others to attend professional development, ensuring continuous growth within our educational community. 

Fiona willingly shares her expertise in the teaching of Religious Education. She models explicit lessons in classrooms, collaborates with teachers, and provides invaluable support in planning and implementing effective strategies for learning. Her passion for faith formation resonates with both students and educators. This is reflected in school masses, liturgies, and prayer celebrations as she continuously guides and nurtures the religious life of the school. 

Fiona doesn’t just lead; she empowers others. Whether she is mentoring teachers, encouraging student leaders, or involving parents in school initiatives, Fiona recognises the value of collective effort. Her ability to inspire and uplift those around her contributes significantly to the growth and success of the St. Stephen’s School community. 

Beyond the school gates, Fiona remains deeply committed to her local community. She actively engages in the Parish, volunteers at Parkrun, provides meaningful contributions to sporting clubs and selflessly gives her time to support older members of the community. Her dedication, integrity, and tireless efforts set a remarkable effort for everyone around her. Fiona truly is a living witness to the Catholic faith. 

My New Gallery

APRE Report - Mrs Fiona Drew

Welcome back to school! We hope all our families had an enjoyable holiday and have started Term Three feeling refreshed and ready to tackle this busy term!

Term 3 Mary MacKillop Quote

This term, our MacKillop club will focus on ‘Make room in your heart for all’ and they will be speaking to each of the classes as to how this can be shown in our daily lives at school and home.

NAIDOC Week 2024

NAIDOC Week is an Australian observance lasting from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday. The acronym NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.

NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The week is celebrated not just in the Indigenous Australian communities but also in increasing numbers of government agencies, schools, local councils, and workplaces.

Thank you to Year 6 for leading us in our NAIDOC liturgy in our Indigenous Garden this week. 

Catholic Education Week – Week 3

We will celebrate Catholic Education Week in week 3 and as part of this, we will have our Grandparent's Mass on Wednesday 24^th July at 9 am, at St Stephen’s Church. All Grandparents are welcome to join us for this mass, then come back to school for morning tea and classroom visits.

Families are invited to send a photo of their grandparents to fiona.drew@twb.catholic.edu.au by Friday 19^th July.

Sacramental Program 2024

We keep our Sacramental Candidates in our prayers at this time as they complete their Sacramental journey this term. These students have received the Sacrament of Confirmation last Friday and will celebrate their First Holy Communion on Sunday 21^st July.

Family Mass will also be held on Sunday 21^st July, and all members of the St Stephen’s school community are invited to join us for mass at 8:30 am at St Stephen’s Church.

St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal

Many thanks to everyone who wore pyjamas and donated items of food to the MacKillop Club Winter Appeal last term. These donations and money raised from the hot chocolate and popcorn sales will be given to the Pittsworth branch of St Vincent de Paul. Your generosity will make a difference to many families during Winter this year.

Celebrations

All parents are welcome to attend our celebrations. They will be held in MacKillop Hall from 2.15 pm. For each Celebration, there is a theme for Student of the Week, and students from each class, who have been following this theme are selected to receive a ribbon to acknowledge their wonderful behaviour and learning!

The following classes will lead Celebrations for Term Three

Year 5 – Wednesday 31^st July

Year 3 – Wednesday 14^th August

Year 1 – Wednesday 28^th August

Date Claimers –

St Mary MacKillop Feast Day Mass – 8^th August

Father’s Day Liturgy – 29^th August

End of Term Liturgy – 13^th September

ICAS Tests 2024

Information has been sent to parents about the ICAS testing that is available for students in Years 2 to 6 to participate. These assessments will take place during the school day. Sitting dates may be subject to change.  If you would like your child to participate in any of the subjects listed below, please visit the online Parent Payment System to make a direct payment to UNSW Global by Friday 2^nd August.

Middle Leader Report - Mrs Danni Conway

Enhancing Spelling and Literacy Skills in Years 3-6 with PLD 

We are excited to inform you about our school’s new initiative to enhance spelling and literacy skills for students in Years 3-6 using the PLD (Promoting Literacy Development) program. This evidence-based approach is designed to improve literacy outcomes by focusing on structured and sequential learning strategies.  

What is PLD? 

PLD is a literacy program that integrates research-based practices to develop core language skills essential for reading and writing. The program is tailored to cater to the specific developmental stages of children, ensuring they receive the appropriate level of instruction and support. 

Key Components of PLD: 

1. Phonemic awareness: This foundational skill helps children understand and manipulate sounds in words, which is crucial for effective spelling and reading. PLD activities are designed to enhance students’ ability to identify and work with phonemes.  

1. Phonics: PLD systematically teaches the relationship between letters and sounds, enabling students to decode new words and improve their reading fluency. 

1. Spelling: Through structured lessons, students learn spelling rules and patterns, which help them spell words correctly and understand their meanings. PLD emphasises regular practice and revision to consolidate these skills. 

1. Vocabulary development: Expanding a child’s vocabulary is essential for reading comprehension and overall literacy. PLD incorporates vocabulary-building exercises that expose students to a wide range of words in various contexts.  

Benefits of PLD: 

• Tailored instruction: PLD allows teachers to assess individual student needs and provide targeted instruction that addresses specific areas for improvement.  

• Engaging activities: The program includes a variety of interactive and enjoyable activities that keep students motivated and interested in learning. 

• Consistent progress monitoring: Regular assessments help track student progress and ensure they are meeting their literacy goals. 

How you can support at home: 

• Encourage reading: Provide a range of reading materials at home and set aside time for daily reading.  

• Practice spelling: Use fun activities like games and puzzles to reinforce spelling skills. 

• Discuss new words: Introduce new vocabulary in everyday conversations and encourage your child to use these words in sentences.  

We believe that the PLD program will significantly enhance our students’ spelling and literacy skills, setting a strong foundation for their future academic success. Thank you for your support and partnership in this important initiative.  

 Digital Reading Options available for St Stephen’s Students 

Students are able to access quality online texts and decodable books through our school’s online library program AccessIT. They will need their school email PITusername@twb.catholic.edu.au and school password and can access this through the following link – https://au.accessit.online/STS01  

From here, students can log in to the Wheelers ePlatform where they can loan digital books through their devices. This online library offers novels, picture books and decodable readers appropriate for early readers.  

AccessIT also enables students to access Britannica which is an online encyclopaedia appropriate for primary school students. They can search topics of interest and find appropriate texts at adjustable reading levels. This is a very handy research tool available at https://school.eb.com.au/  

Happy learning!  

Sport News - Mrs Jodie Ferguson

Inner Downs Trials 

There will be Inner Downs Trials held throughout the year. If you are born 2014, 2013 or 2012 and interested in attending any of the trials, please fill in the Representative Sports Nomination form 2024 which was emailed out to all eligible students. Please email Mrs Ferguson at jodie.ferguson@twb.catholic.edu.au if you are interested in trialing. When the nominations become available closer to the trial Mrs Ferguson will send home the necessary paperwork. The medical/permission consent form needs to be filled in and returned to the schools for principal approved absence. Then it is the responsibility of the child to take this paperwork and pay any fee required to trials prior to the due date. NO PAYMENT = NO TRIAL and NO FORM = NO TRIAL. Please keep your eye out in the school calendar newsletter for nominations, trial dates and further information.  

Queensland Polocrosse Representative – Heath Johnson 

During the school holidays Heath competed at the Australian Polocrosse National Championships held at Chinchilla in the under 12 division, with his team winning two of their games. Congratulations and well done Heath. Making the Queensland team is certainly a wonderful achievement. 

Darling Downs Cross Country Representative – Faith Sharp 

Congratulations to Faith who just recently competed in Brisbane at the Schools’ Cross Country State Championships.  She did so well to finish in midfield out of about 70 runners. Making Darling Downs is a great achievement. Well done, Faith, we at St. Stephen's are very proud of you. 

Catholic School's Athletics - Friday 12th July   

Congratulations to all students who represented St. Stephen’s at the Catholic Schools Athletics Carnival last week.  It was a wonderful opportunity for students to experience a carnival atmosphere and interact with other students from other Catholic schools around the diocese. The weather was fantastic, and it was a great day enjoyed by all involved. Thank you to all students who have purchased State of Origin Cupcakes and our Free Dress – Blue or Maroon Gold Coin Donation Day, along with the generous donation from Amanda Burchmann to help cover the cost of the bus. We are very thankful for the opportunity to attend sporting days like these. 

Catholic School’s Netball and Touch Football – Thursday 25th July 

All Year 5 and 6 Students will be attending this event. They will travel by bus to and from these carnivals in Toowoomba. The Netball will be held at Nell-E-Robinson Park and the Touch Football at Kearney Springs. Please arrive promptly at the Weale Street bus shelter by 7:50am. Students will borrow the school’s sports uniform’s and these need to be washed and returned by Monday the 29th  July. Sports uniform, hat, water bottle, a packed morning tea and lunch, some money may be included in case a canteen is available. 

 Student Sporting Achievements 

Please feel free to send through any photos of students and their sporting achievements if you wish for them to be included in the school newsletter, attention to Mrs Ferguson. jodie.ferguson@twb.catholic.edu.au 

My New Gallery

Road Safety Reminders

Again, we have been contacted by several concerned motorists, bus companies, and neighbours regarding the safety of children on and near the roads at drop-off and pick-up times. Illegal parking in driveways and unmarked areas especially on corners is not to occur. We ask all parents to please take care when bringing their children to and from school.

Before and after school is particularly busy. A couple of things to note: -

1. Supervise children and ensure they aren’t playing near the road. This includes playing with balls and chasing each other near the road.
2. Drop off and collect children on the eastern side of the bus shelter. We have seven buses dropping and collecting children in the bus zone and it isn’t safe to have students/parents waiting near the bus zone.
3. Talk to your children about the use of the crossing. Make sure they stop and check both ways before crossing the road.
4. If your child rides a bike or a scooter, they must walk the bike/scooter in and out of the school grounds and around the entrances.
5. There is a lollipop person before and after school at the Murray Street crossing. However, from time to time this crossing may be unsupervised due to sickness etc.
6. The speed limit around schools is 40 km per hour before and after school.
7. No children should be playing on any of the play equipment before or after school. This includes the Weale Street oval. Please note, a staff member is on playground duty from 8.30 am before school, in the quad and Prep area. The bus shelter is supervised after school until the last bus leaves. All children not collected at this time will be taken to the front office, and parents will be notified.

Design Technology News - Mrs Kellie Craft

Wrapping up Term 2 Design Technology News and Looking Forward to Library in Term Three

During Term Two, all classes participated in Design Technology lessons.  So much learning was had along the way.

In the lower grades, students chose and created Pet Rocks. Their design task was to then build a house for their pet rock with a checklist of features/items to be included…quite challenging! The students then set to planning their design. The children created these from reusable materials and made their rocks right at home with lots of innovative features!  The excitement and joy the children gained from this task was awesome, they absolutely loved it!

Years 3 and 4, were given the design task of a Pinball Machine.  This explored the learning areas of forces, gravity and how their design could impact upon the forces within their pinball machine. The students were given the option to work with a partner to create their pinball machine. So many different ideas were planned, generated and created.  They used reusable items to also create their designs. The students were then able to test each others out and learn from what others had created.  I hope you were able to test them out at home and see what the students had created. So much fun!

In Years 5 and 6, we tackled Design in quite a different way and something that I certainly learnt lots from. The students created Chocolate Moulds using our 3D printed software.  They came up with three different design options, chose their favourite and then set to creating.  This posed a few challenges, but we worked through them. We then printed their designs using the 3D printer and were able to test them with melted chocolate. Amidst lots of trying we couldn’t get the chocolate out of the moulds, but that is certainly how we learn. Few things to change for next time but what a great learning experience!

I also just wanted to thank YOU - the parents for supporting your children in their learning. Thank you for gathering materials and sending them along for use. Honestly, the kids absolutely loved it, were enthusiastic about their learning and gained so much, so Thank you!

Library Lessons will recommence for Term Three, we will be exploring the Olympics and the shortlisted books for Book Week and having lots of fun along the way.  Book Week is scheduled for Week 7, start chatting about that costume choice, have fun! 

Thanks again

Mrs Craft 😊

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Music & Indonesian News - Mrs Suellen Dennis

Opera Queensland Visit 

On Friday this week, Queensland Opera will be visiting St Stephen’s for a performance of Hansel and Gretel. We are all excited for the opportunity to be entertained by these amazing performers. 

Indonesian 

This term, we begin Indonesian lessons for this year. All students will continue learning (in the case of Preps begin learning) Bahasa Indonesia which is the Indonesian language. Each class will have a specific topic that will be the focus of their language learning. They will be encouraged to speak as much as possible in Indonesian to assist with learning basic greetings and simple conversation. Exploring the Indonesian culture will also form part of their lessons, discovering similarities and differences to Australia. 

Piano Lessons with Mrs Ruth Shepherd

If you are interested in your child learning piano from a fully qualified teacher with 30 years of experience, contact Mrs Ruth Shepherd on 0427 910 303 for more information. 

It is essential that students have a piano/keyboard at home on which to do their practice.  Music is fun!

PEN (Parent Engagement Network) News

Outside Hours School Care News

Sentral Parent Portal

Reminder to all parents to access the Parent Portal.

The Parent Portal is used for absentees, newsletters, parent teacher interview bookings, report cards, NAPLAN results, calendar of events, notices and letters to parents.

If you are having difficulty with the Parent Portal please contact the School Office for assistance. The Parent Portal is the communication method used for the day to day running of the school.

Flexischools - Online Ordering System

Flexischools is an online ordering system that the school uses for the ordering of Tuckshop, Event Catering and Special  Fundraising Food Days.

Tuckshop is open one day a week. Special Canteen days are also held sometimes throughtout the year. This is makes it easier for families and school staff.

Queensland Public Health Notices

Please see the below flyers provided by the Queensland Public Health and Scientific Services.

The Darling Downs has seen an increase in respiratory infections including but not limited to Influenza, covid-19, RSV virus, Whooping cough and Mycoplasma Pneuomia. 

If your child is unwell, please keep them home until they are well enough to return. Even if the illness is not contagious, please keep them at home until they are well.

Community News