School Newsletter

Choir News – Sing Out 2024! 

Date Claimer: Thursday 6 June, Sing Out Twilight Concert, Empire Theatre 

The St Saviour’s Primary School Choir, involving interested students in Years 3 – 6, rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:45am – 8:25am. We are learning a number of songs to perform next term at Sing Out, an exciting choral event at the Empire Theatre. 

Our SSPS Choir will participate in Sing Out on Thursday 6 June. This will involve a daytime choral workshop and an evening concert, working with Mrs Jenny Moon, a guest conductor from Brisbane. 

The Sing Out Twilight Concert will be given by choirs from about 12 primary schools, who will combine to perform in a massed choir of about 500 young singers. Further information, including permission forms, will be sent out closer to the event.  

I trust that everyone in our SSPS community enjoys a blessed Easter and I look forward to making music with all our students in Term 2. 

Kathryn Stewart (Music Teacher)  

Happy Easter and happy holiday reading from the library team!

Don't forget to get your copy of "The Magic Hour" by David Wolstencroft to read as a family over the break and into Term 2. We will set a date mid term to come together to chat about this fast paced, quite magical story which is Book 1 in a planned series!

Gratitude goes to our volunteer coverers as always! Thank you to the Harlen family, the Enders family, Tarsha Scotts, Merryl Nunn and Andrea Nunn for their covering work and beautiful bookmarks this term.

We are excited to be planning our move into the new library space. As well as this momentous time in our school, we will celebrate stories, books and the work of amazing authors with "Step into Stories", National Simultaneous Storytime and Regional Readers' Cup in Term 2. Stay tuned for more on all these fabulous events!

Anne Anderson

Teacher Librarian

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What a term of chess we have had!  With over 30 children participating in chess club this term, it has been a hive of activity in 5M each Friday morning.   

Congratulations to the sixteen children who competed in the Individual Chess Competition at Toowoomba Anglican School on Tuesday 5th March 2023.   

There were close to 400 children competing, with 25 schools represented.  It was wonderful to see a high representation of girls, with over 100 girls there. 

Holly Coffison, Jivanthy Francis, Maddie and Maeley Skerman and Randuli Wijayaratne (Year 3) and Alfie Benvenuti, Ollie Duke, Quinn Croft and Faye Campbell (Year 2) competed in the Novice Section in a pool of 123 children from different schools.  This was their first time competing in an individual competition and they did themselves and their school proud.  

Randuli did especially well, coming fourth overall and receiving a trophy for ‘Outstanding Female Achievement’.  Well done! 

In the Open Section, there were 258 competitors.  In this section, we had our Year 6 boys Liam McHugh, Hari Vinod and Chevy Bennett and our Year 4s – Sam Hardy, Jaishan Francis, Levi Nash and Thea Campbell .  The children secured some wins, some draws and some losses.  The students’ behaviour was exemplary, representing St Saviour’s well and they reported having an enjoyable day of chess, handball, cards, footy and socialising. 

We have had several beginners start chess club this term, and hopefully they will continue and have the opportunity to also represent St Saviour’s in the future. 

Sara McHugh 

Over the last couple of weeks the leadership team have been meeting with new families who are looking to send their child to Prep at St Saviour’s next year. Having the opportunity to explain how our school brings to life its mission of ‘stiving in faith, learning and life’ has given me pause to reflect upon the abundance of ways our community wraps around our students with purpose and determination for all children to succeed. It is also a reminder of the privilege it is that families chose our school to guide their children in their learning journey and the importance of both parents and teachers working collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes for our students.   

As the term ends, I would like to thank all of you for working collaboratively with us this term.  Thank you to all those parents who participated in Parent Teacher Interviews last week.  I’m sure you can also appreciate the time and effort teachers place on providing this time for you and I thank all our teaching staff for their extra efforts not only last week, but across the term.

It has been a pleasure meeting and speaking with many different parents this term, often in difficult circumstances.  These interactions have reinforced for me the strong culture at St Saviour’s of developing respectful and productive partnerships between the school and parents.

The Parent Engagement Network ‘Life’ committee met this week and have finalised plans for our first community event for the year.  On Wednesday 24th of April we will be holding a Disco and BBQ.  This is the day before ANZAC day holiday in Week 2 of Term 2.  SAVE THE DATE!  Further information will be sent out early next term.  We also plan to have our new library open by that date and are hoping to offer tours of the new facility on this night.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a safe and refreshing break over Easter. When retelling the Easter story sometimes children, and maybe even adults, can feel like it is a sad, somewhat violent story of Jesus’ demise.  On Good Friday we reflect upon the day that Jesus was crucified, however if we focus only on that part of the story, we are missing the true message of Easter, which is one of hope.  Easter Sunday when the tomb was found empty is the culmination of the story of hope, love and renewal.   We can draw strength from the Easter story knowing that even when bad times happen in our lives, we can have hope that good things are still to come. There is always opportunities for new beginnings when we open to God’s love in our lives.  

Enjoy the holidays!

Katie Hauser

Dear Parents, 

STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics!

STEM at St Saviour's is integrated into the curriculum in all classes to provide opportunities for students to think, plan, design, reflect and evaluate using 21st Century skills.  STEM helps develop a problem solving mineset and also requires students to use our St Saviour's Learner Qualities - determination/creativity/collaboration/thinker.  Next Term our before school STEM clubs will begin, which will give students extra opportunities develop their skills in STEM. 

Our Junior STEM Accademy will begin in Week 2 Term 2, starting at 7:45am - 8:15am. This Club will run out of the Prep H classroom and will be supported by Mrs Hawkins, Mrs Laing and Miss K.  Our Junior STEM Accademy will focus on the science and enginerring part of STEM, where students will be required to make prototypes to test, evaluate and redesign, often in small groups.  In week one of next term, a note will go out on Sentral and only 20 students will be able to be accepted.

Students in Years 4/5/6 can joing the Senior STEM Academy for an exhilarating journey into the world of coding and gamification using MicroBits! Years 4 to 6 students who are curious about technology and eager to dive into the realm of programming should come along and trial our STEM Academy. In our STEM Academy sessions, students will have the opportunity to unlock the secrets of coding while creating fun and interactive games with MicroBits and SPHEROS. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced coder, there's something for everyone. Let's unleash our creativity, problem-solving skills, and passion for STEM together! Senior STEM will run out of the 4H Classroom, Thursday mornings from 8am to 8:30am – Starting Term 2, Week 1!  Students who come along will need to bring their school devices.

We hope to have many of you at our STEM Clubs in Term 2.

Enjoy your holidays and a well earnt rest with family.

Kind regards, 

Bec Thomas

Dear St Saviour's Primary School Community,

As we come to the end of Term 1, I would like to take this opportunity to say a few thank yous and reflect on the past ten weeks. 

A Heartfelt Thank You

To our dedicated teachers, school officers and service staff, who pour their hearts into every lesson, thank you for igniting curiosity, sparking creativity, shaping young minds and building positive relationships. Your passion and commitment are the bedrock of our students’ success.

To the office staff, with your warm smiles and tireless efforts, you make our school feel like home. Your kindness and efficiency keep our administrative wheels turning smoothly.

And to our parents, you are the unsung heroes behind the scenes. Your involvement, support, and encouragement uplift our entire community. Whether it’s volunteering at events, attending parent-teacher meetings, or cheering from the sidelines, your contributions matter more than you know and make St Saviour's Primary the fantastic community that it is.

Moments to Treasure

As we look back on this term, we cherish the memories created. From the laughter in the classrooms to the camaraderie during school events, each moment has woven a beautiful tapestry of shared experiences.

In particular, I would like to mention all of the new students and families to St Saviour's Primary this year and wish you continued success as we enter into Term 2.

A Community of Kindness and Compassion

A distinctively, contemporary, Catholic school isn’t just about academics; it’s about fostering empathy, respect, compassion and educting the whole child. We’ve witnessed acts of kindness—big and small—within our community. Whether it’s a helping hand, a thoughtful gesture, or a friendly smile, these moments define us.

So, let’s continue into the remainder of the year to Strive in Faith, Learning and Life!

Have a happy and holy Easter.

Sam Hannant

….experiencing FAITH in the Mercy Tradition

As Term 1 draws to a close and we look toward the Easter break and holidays, it’s a good time to stop, look back and reflect. Ask yourself and your child/ren - Have I been a good memory for someone this term? Did I share my talents as often as I could? Did I share a kind word or thought with someone who maybe going through a challenging time? Lent is a time for thinking about how we can be the best people we can be and how we can continue to stay conscious of that in the coming days, weeks and months ahead.

Thank you for donating to our Project Compassion fundraiser! Each class had a collection box and the total of those was $548.80 and along with the online funds (Thanks for Nina & Penny Lucas, Asher Williams, Randuli Wijayaratne and Estelle Harlen for your online donations) of $140, our total was $688.80! We reached our goal! Thank you!!

The winning class with a total of $78.90 is Yr 4H! Congratulations and thank you!

Congratulations to Evee (Yr 3B), William and Imogen (Yr 3BH) on your beginning your Sacramental journey by celebrating your Baptisms in the last couple of weeks. Thank you to Fr Michael for making these special events so personal and meaningful. We pray for Ivana (Yr 2F) who will be Baptised on Easter Sunday!

In our classrooms during this week, students have been exploring and discussing child protective behaviours as we lead into the holidays. Some resources available include the Daniel Morcombe program and the Real Talk program provided by TCSO. Teachers will be reminding students as to who our Student protection officers are here at St Saviour’s and highlighting the importance of safe behaviours, particularly online. There are a number of parent resources which you can access at home to help support you with these discussions.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

A very user friendly resource is the eSafety Guide – Want to know more about the latest apps, games and social media that your child is using? The eSafety Guide includes important advice about their safety features, including how to use the settings to report online abuse and protect personal information.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/esafety-guide

Congratulations to our award winners for Term 1. The following students were acknowledged for demonstrating our Mercy values and also recognising their efforts by being awarded the Encouragement award.

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Term 2 Mini Vinnies Winter Appeal - Over the holidays, we'd appreciate it if you could start to put aside any warm clothing, bedding or any winter woollies that you can go with out, in preparation for our Winter Appeal beginning in Term 2. Your donations are very much appreciated!

Date claimers:

Thursday 28th Holy Thursday : 6pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St Patrick’s Cathedral

Friday 29th – Good Friday : 10am Stations of the Cross & 3pm Celebration of the Passion at St Patrick’s Cathedral

Saturday 30th – Easter Saturday : 7pm Vigil Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral

Sunday 31st  – Easter Sunday Mass : 7am, 9am & 5.30m at St Patrick’s Cathedral

I wish you a safe and blessed Easter holiday. We look forward to another busy term beginning Monday 15th April (Student free day) for our staff and the students returning to school on Tuesday 16th April.

Also, during that first week of Term 2 the Toowoomba Show holiday will be held on Friday 19th April.

Thanks for reading,

Ann-Maree

St Saviour's Primary Junior Swimming Carnival 2024 

St Saviour’s Primary Junior Swimming Carnival was held on the 25th of March at Glennie Aquatic Centre. Students from Prep to Year Two participated in this carnival. It was a fantastic carnival with students gaining water confidence but most importantly having lots of fun (photos attached). 

School Sport 

Congratulations to Joe Black who made the Darling Downs Cricket team, Samuel Abot and Akeer Adol who made the Darling Downs team for Basketball and Sienna Grice who made the Darling Downs AFL team. They will all now compete in the State Championships later in the year. Mahaylie Weribone, Aya Doherty, Lily Brookman, Joe Black and Liam McHugh also made the Toowoomba Team for Touch Football and Darcy Phillips made the Toowoomba team for Rugby League. They will all attend Darling Downs trials to try and make the Darling Downs team. Good luck and we look forward to hearing all about your fantastic experience. 

Weekly Sport Stars 

Congratulations to Rose Stead and Emily Carrigan who competed at the Queensland Athletics Championships over the weekend. Emily competed up an age group as an U13 and won the shot put (3kg) with a put of 9.20m. She also came third in the Discus (750g) with a throw of 29.77m. Rose Stead did a 15 second PB running 5.01 in the 1500m at the QLD Athletics State Champs coming third qualifying for the Queensland team for the first time. Both girls are off to nationals in April. Fantastic effort girls.

Zone and Darling Downs Trials 

All Zone and Darling Downs trials will be placed on Parent Portal. Please check Parent Portal regularly or set up notifications on your phone if you wish for your child to be eligible to trial for Zone and Darling Downs sporting teams as you will be required to obtain paperwork from myself. I am unable to nominate students after the closing date so please make sure you do keep an eye on Parent Portal. Any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

Have a safe and happy Easter break and look forward to seeing everyone in Term Two. 

Cheers 

Brendan Luck 

HPE Teacher 

brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au 

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Office Hours - Easter Break:

The office will be open from 9-1pm throughout the holiday period.

Term 2:

The first day of Term 2 is Tuesday 16 April.  Monday is a Pupil Free Day.

Parking:

Parents please be considerate when parking around the school at 3.00pm.

We understand that car parking spots are difficult to find, but it is really important to be mindful of where you are parking of an afternoon.  We appreciate that finding a park can be difficult especially with the building works in progress, however we have had reports from families, who unfortunately have been blocked or parked in and unable to leave of an afternoon due to this happening.  Thank you for your understanding.

School Uniform Shop:

The Uniform Shop will be closed throughout the holidays however it will be open on Tuesday 16 April - normal opening hours. 

School Crossing Supervisor:

We officially welcome Susie Dart to the St Saviour's Primary School Crossing Supervisor team.  Please make sure you say hello and welcome to Susie beginning Term 2.

Dear Parents,

Parent teacher interviews will begin next week, starting Monday.  Bookings are now open via Sentral and any concerns can be directed to your child’s classroom teacher.  

Parent teacher interviews are a valuable opportunity for parents and teachers to come together to discuss a student’s progress and wellbeing.  These meetings provide an opportunity for both parties to share insights, address concerns and collaborate on ways to support a student’s learning journey. 

We encourage all parents to actively participate in Parent teacher interviews and to take advantage of this opportunity to engage with their child’s education.  Together, we hope to work towards ensuring success and wellbeing for every student.

Interviews that are booked for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday either before or after school will be held in your child’s classroom.  Any interviews held on Thursday from 1:30 pm will be held in our Mercy Centre.

Thank-you for all your continued support and partnerships in your child’s education.  We cannot do what we do, without you!

Our teachers look forward to meeting with you all next week,

Bec Thomas

Middle Leader 

After eight weeks of the school year already completed, I am feeling like I am settling into St Saviour’s and am more relaxed and comfortable in my role.  Similarly, I have a sense that students and teachers are feeling settled into their classroom environment and have made connections that build a sense of belonging and a sense of a shared purpose.  It is often this time of the year when relationships can start to fray or be tested.  We become ‘used to’ each other and we have a sense of how things work, which personalities we are going to work well with or may need to try harder with and who may impact us either positively or negatively in different spaces.  At the core of a school is the relationships that exist between all members of the community. The quality of those relationships have a direct impact on the collective wellbeing of our community.  

We are investing in building our collective skills to enhance student wellbeing and research would suggest that prioritising building and sustaining relationships is an important factor.  Our Wellbeing consultant, Sue Chandler from Transformative Schools visited us last week.  Sue spent time with members of the Wellbeing committee to begin work on framing our whole school wellbeing approach, as well as model one of the strategies that will sit in our framework ‘circle time’.  Sue modelled this style of lesson in all year levels across the school.  Circle time is an approach which gets its name from how it is facilitated, in a circle.  Using circle time as an approach with a consistent structure and purpose is an authentic method of facilitating the development of positive relationships and developing social and emotional capabilities.  The mere formation of a circle creates a sense of openness, inclusivity and belonging.  Building strong connections between teachers and students and student to student is fundamental to building the capacity to have a restorative lens when relationships are harmed.  Teachers will continue to develop and hone this strategy as the year progresses. 

I am looking forward to the last few busy weeks of this term and navigating relationship building and repair. Everyday every member of our community has an opportunity to cement a connection and strengthen a relationship.  There is also however opportunities to damage a relationship.  On assembly this week I spoke around the need for all students to speak up if there are things happening for them that are causing them concern.  Relationships are at the core of our work but if we do not know how relationships have broken down, we can have all the preventative measures operating successfully, but are still unable to assist.  I also encourage you as parents that if you have any concerns around your child’s wellbeing at school and the quality of their relationships, to please reach out to their teacher or myself so that we can assist students in navigating their problems and restoring their relationships.  

Katie Hauser

APA

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you have all had a great week and welcome to our Week 8 newsletter.  This week I would like to cover a few operational matters with regards to staffing and the school building project.

Firstly, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel Kelly to St Saviour’s Primary School. Rachel will teach Year 3K for the remainder of the year.

Rachel comes to St Saviour’s after a short stint at Our Lady of Good Counsel Primary School in Gatton as a Year 1 teacher and prior to that several teaching appointments in the Rockhampton Diocese.  She has taught in primary and secondary schools and has experience as a head of year, head of house and school welfare co-ordinator. Rachel has a passion for music and has taught music in multiple schools during her extensive career.  She looks forward to integrating music into her teaching at SSPS.

I am also pleased to announce that Jodie McLachlan has accepted a promotion to work at Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office as a personal assistant to the Director of Education Services. 

This was an extremely difficult decision for Jodie, however one that I fully support at this point in her career.  

Of course, Jodie will be very much missed at St Saviour’s Primary with her last official working day being Tuesday 19th March (even though she will be back and forth after this date).  As you are all aware, Jodie has made an enormous contribution to the school since taking over the finance role from long serving employee Christine Cosgrove. A recruitment process is currently underway to replace Jodie in the role of Finance Officer.

The school building project is in full swing with the library expected to be completed early in Term 2.  This is very welcome news and will open up more spaces for the children to learn and play. 

Our stop-drop-go area on Lawrence Street is also going to commence next week.  Essentially, this space will be in the 'u' shaped driveway.  This work is expected to commence next week and will not affect the current access to the primary school, however you will see a part of the driveway blocked off.  During the holidays, current access will change and the carparks on the street will be blocked off as well.  It will be fantastic to have this space open early in Term 2 to provide a safer and more efficient way for parents to pick up and drop off their children.  The classrooms, stage 3 of the playground and the lift area will be finished during Term 2.

Finally, a reminder of our school student protection contacts. These four contacts are people that students can trust and people who will listen if a student is feeling unsafe for any reason.  This could be if they feel unsafe with a friend, a relative, staff member or someone they don't know.

Sam Hannant

Principal

Health and Physical Education (Term One) 

It has been a busy and exciting first term for Health and Physical Education. Below is an overview of what students in different age groups have been doing. Year Three to Year Six participate in health in Term One and Three and Prep to Year Two participate in health in Term Two and Four. 

Physical Education (Prep) 

Students have been participating in modified games working individually, in pairs and groups teaching them to cooperate with their peers, participate in games with and without equipment and identify and describe how their body moves in relation to effort, space, time, objects and people. Students have also been engaging in locomotive and gross motor activities. These activities focus on increasing their ability in throwing, catching, passing, as well as locomotive skills. 

Physical Education (Year One and Year Two) 

Year One and Two students have been engaged in modified games working individually, in pairs and groups teaching them to cooperate with their peers and perform fundamental movement skills in a variety of movement sequences and situations. Students have also been engaging in locomotive and gross motor activities. These activities focus on increasing their ability in throwing, catching, passing, as well as locomotive skills. 

Physical Education (Year Three and Year Four) 

Students in Year Three and Four completed a T-Ball unit working individually, in pairs and groups teaching the students to cooperate with their peers, practise and refine fundamental movement skills in a variety of movement sequences and situations and apply basic rules and scoring systems, and demonstrate fair play when participating in physical activities. This unit focused on increasing the student’s knowledge of T-Ball through various games and activities in preparation for their T-Ball Gala Day in Week Ten (Year Four).  

Physical Education (Year Five and Year Six) 

Year Five and Six participated in a Fitness unit working individually, in pairs and groups teaching the students to cooperate with their peers and participate in physical activities designed to enhance fitness, and discuss the impact regular participation can have on health and wellbeing. This unit focused on increasing the student’s fitness level through various fitness games and activities in the lead up to the school cross country in Week Ten. 

Health (Year Three) 

In this unit students explored the impact of positive social interaction on self-identity. They investigated different types of friendships, examining the qualities they look for in a friend, as well as their roles and responsibilities. Students also learnt how to communicate respectfully with friends to resolve conflict and challenging issues in friendships. Students also reflected on why friendships change over time and investigated strategies to assist them in establishing and maintaining respectful friendships. Finally, they explored risk-taking behaviours, their rights and responsibilities and decision-making strategies to help keep them safe. 

Health (Year Four) 

Students identified strategies to keep healthy and improve fitness. They explored the Australian guide to healthy eating and the five food groups, gaining an understand of the importance of a balanced diet and how health messages influence food choices, creating meal plans that reflect health messages. Students also participated in partner and group activities to explore the communication skills of respect and empathy and how they support positive interactions, investigating how heritage and culture contribute to identity. 

Health (Year Five) 

In this unit students reviewed the information they know about establishing and keeping friendships and relationships. Students discussed the factors that influence theirs and others’ behaviours through discussion and brainstorming activities, investigating how feelings, emotions and mood can affect their own and others’ behaviours and responses. They developed an understanding of different points of view and how differing opinions can influence relationships and friendships. Finally, students explored the concepts of health and wellbeing and the importance of healthy habits as a preventative measure, identifying good habits and how they contribute to overall health and wellbeing. 

Health (Year Six) 

Students explored how important people in their lives, and the media, can influence health behaviour, examining how membership of different groups and personal qualities shape identity. They examined influences on health behaviour and constructed a health message for their peers. Students also investigated how physical activity creates opportunities for different groups to work together and how physical activity contributes to individual and community wellbeing.  

Junior Swimming Carnival 2024 (Prep - Year 2) 

The 2024 junior swimming carnival will take place on Monday, 25th of March 2024. Please see the below information. 

DATE: 25th March 2024 

TIME: Prep - 9am – 10am 

Year 1 – 10:15am – 11:15am 

Year 2 – 11:30am – 12:30am 

VENUE: Glennie Aquatic Centre 

WHO FOR: Students in Prep – Year 2 

TRANSPORT: The Prep students will catch a bus from St Saviour’s to Glennie at 8:45am, Year One at 10am and Year Two at 11:15am. Children can then be picked up at the normal time of 3pm. 

PLEASE BRING: togs (Prep students to wear to school under uniform), towel, goggles, swimming cap (from Glennie swimming lessons, supplied by Glennie), swimming bag and water. 

COST: The cost of the swimming carnival has been covered by your child’s school fees. 

PERMISSION: Permission has already been granted through ‘Physical Education Activities/Carnivals 2024’ on Parent Portal. 

UNIFORM: The children can wear their sport uniform. Thongs are fine to wear to and from the pool. No zinc, face paint or hairspray is allowed in the pool. 

EVENTS: Your child’s events are listed below (All events are subject to time) 

Prep 

  1. 25m Freestyle/Pool Noodle or Kick Board 
  1. 25m Pool Noodle Horse Ride

Year 1 – Year 2 

  1. 25m Freestyle/Pool Noodle or Kick Board 
  1. 25m Backstroke/Kick Board 
  1. 25m Pool Noodle Horse Ride

PURPOSE: No ribbons will be awarded at this carnival as this is purely a non-competitive carnival to encourage fun in the water.  

Extra Information: I understand that all students are at different levels and this carnival has been designed to accommodate that. Each lane will have a swimming instructor in it to assist the students as needed. All students will also have access to a flotation device (kick board or pool noodle) if needed. Students do not have to use these if they can swim and are welcome to do freestyle or backstroke in the pool noodle/kickboard events. We encourage all students to attend regardless of their swimming ability. Having an instructor with the students and novelty races ensure that this is a memorable day, whilst building confidence in the water prior to joining the more competitive races at the Year Three to Year Six swimming carnival in years to come.  

Parents and Grandparents are more than welcome to attend. 

Thanks very much and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

SSPS Cross Country 2024 

As you might be aware the SSPS Cross Country will be held on Thursday 28th of March 2024. The cross country will be on the college oval again this year. Due to the construction the layout/track for the day will be slightly adjusted. Please find all information regarding the day and if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me Brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

  • There will be teachers situated outside the school grounds on the course to help students around the track. 
  • Spectators are more than welcome at the cross country. 
  • We ask that spectators do not enter the middle of the oval and spectate from the outside of the track. 
  • The prep driveway will be used as part of the track and will be closed and unable to be used on the day of the cross country. Please park on Lawrence Street or the Cathedral Centre.

Order of Events: 

The order of events this year will be: 

  1. Boys and Girls born 2019 - 2 laps of College Oval (Year six students to form a wall around the inside and outside of the oval track to help cheer the younger students on for this race - not running with them or chasing them). 
  1. Boys and Girls born 2018 - 3 laps of College Oval (Year six students to form a wall around the inside and outside of the oval track to help cheer the younger students on for this race not running with them or chasing them). 
  1. Boys and Girls born 2012 - 2 laps of College Oval, 3 laps of school, 1 lap of College Oval 
  1. Boys and Girls born 2013 - 2 laps of College Oval, 3 laps of school, 1 lap of College Oval 
  1. Boys and Girls born 2014 - 2 laps of College Oval, 2 laps of school, 1 lap of College Oval 
  1. Boys and Girls born 2015 - 2 laps of College Oval, 2 laps of school, 1 lap of College Oval 
  1. Boys and Girls born 2017 - Start on college oval, out of college and down Perth Street, to Ruthven Street. Follow Ruthven Street to Prep driveway and up Prep driveway. Back up Perth Street and finish on college oval. 
  1. Boys and Girls born 2016 - Start on college oval, out of college and down Perth Street, to Ruthven Street. Follow Ruthven Street to Prep driveway and up Prep driveway. Back up Perth Street and finish on college oval. 

This order is so the older students, who are running the most distance will be running in the cooler part of the day. 

Starting Time: 

The event for children born in 2019 will start at 9am and will follow in the order below. All races will take place with the boys first, followed by the girls. No races will begin before the times listed below. Please keep in mind, races may start after the start time if races run behind.  

Cross Country 2024 

School Sport 

Congratulations to Samuel Abot who made the Toowoomba Basketball Team. Samuel will now attend Darling Downs trials to try and make the Darling Downs team. Good luck and we look forward to hearing all about your fantastic experience. 

Twisters Touch Football 

Congratulations to George Gainey, Georgie Hedge, Mahaylie Weribone and Ruby Land on making Toowoomba Twister teams for touch football. Best of luck and we are all cheering for you. 

Fitness Club 

Fitness club is a fun way for your child to work on their fitness with their peers in preparation for the SSPS Cross Country in the last week of Term One. These sessions are offered to students in Year Three to Year Six. Fitness Club runs every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 7:15am - 8am running till Thursday 21st of March 2024. Your child is welcome to attend all sessions, once a week or whatever suits your family schedule. Thank you to Mrs McHugh, Mrs Wagner, Mrs Harris and Mr Logan for helping with running these sessions. If you have any questions, please email me via Brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

Zone and Darling Downs Trials 

All Zone and Darling Downs trials will be placed on Parent Portal. Please check Parent Portal regularly or set up notifications on your phone if you wish for your child to be eligible to trial for Zone and Darling Downs sporting teams as you will be required to obtain paperwork from myself. I am unable to nominate students after the closing date so please make sure you do keep an eye on Parent Portal. Any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

Upcoming Events (Term One) 

  • SSPS Junior Swimming Carnival (Prep – Year 2) Monday, 25th March (9am – 12:30pm). 
  • T-Ball Gala Day (Year Four) Tuesday 26th March. 
  • SSPS Cross Country (Prep – Year 6) Thursday, 28th March. 
  • Fitness Club – 6th February to 21st March (every Tuesday and Thursday).

Cheers 

Brendan Luck 

HPE Teacher 

brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au 

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A very special photo for the Black Family (Jack, Harry and Joseph) who recently got to meet Australian Cricket player Ricky Ponting.

The boys were so excited and I am sure Dad was too.

….experiencing FAITH in the Mercy Tradition

Dear families

Congratulations to Evee McLoughlin (Yr 3B) on beginning her Sacramental journey! Evee is being  Baptised on 15th March with her family and class mates there to celebrate. Congratulations Evee! We look forward to supporting you in your special journey. We also welcome Imogen Williams-Donaldson (Yr 3BH) and William Freier (Yr 3BH) into the Catholic faith community as they will also be baptised next Friday on 25th March and Ivana Haines (Yr 2F) will be Baptised on Easter Sunday! Congratulations to these students and their families as they begin their Sacramental journey.

We are in the Fourth week of Lent and I wanted to share with you one of the reflections that made me think.

There are no shortcuts

It is not easy to show others real mercy without having experienced mercy ourselves. Without the experience of mercy, our attempts to be merciful can become confused with other things we instinctively do – putting up with others, acting kindly but keeping our honest thoughts to ourselves, and being nice to people even though we cannot stand them. The list goes on. None of these is mercy.

The person who has confronted their weakness and inadequacy calls out to God from their heart. The person who receives God’s mercy knows how to show it to others. There are no shortcuts. The season of Lent calls us to confront the reality of our need so that we can truly reach out to the One who is merciful and, from there, learn to be genuinely merciful to others.

Putting the word into practice - Jesus Christ is the mercy of God incarnate. In Jesus, we see the greatest act of mercy and generosity the world has ever known: the Almighty and Eternal God becomes a human being so that we can encounter God in a comprehensible form. God not only becomes one of us but he takes on the human experience of powerlessness and suffering. In doing so, it reveals that in him, powerlessness and suffering are note the last word. This is mercy in action.

As we contemplate this, we learn that we, too, are to be the mercy of God in the world. Not only must we show mercy because we are the recipients of mercy, but we show mercy because that is who Jesus Christ is. We are to reveal the presence of Jesus Christ in the world.

Let us pray,

Jesus, write your wisdom on my heart and empower me to live the joy of the Gospel in our world.

Amen.

                                                                     Source: Evangelisation Brisbane – Lenten program 2024

 

It is also fourth week of fundraising for Project Compassion. Thank you for your generous donations. Keep them coming! Click on this link https://schools.projectcompassion.org.au/o/st-saviours-primary-school-toowoomba to make a contribution to the lives of those who are most in need and for future generations.

Harmony day – Will be celebrated at SSPS on Thursday 21st March – The theme for this year is “Everyone belongs” – The 21/3/2024 is also the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. At SSPS we celebrate diversity and embrace all cultures, languages and spiritualities. Harmony day is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Mercy values here at SSPS. Let’s celebrate one of our greatest strengths – our cultural diversity.

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Sacramental Program – A number of SSPS students in Yr 4 are currently completing the Sacramental Program and they will begin by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation next week on 22nd & 23rd March. Congratulations to these students as they continue on their journey towards Confirmation and First Eucharist. We send you our prayers of support and guidance.

Date claimers in March  –

Wednesday 27th March :  8.45am End of Term One Awards Assembly & 2.15pm Easter Liturgy

Thursday 28th Holy Thursday : 6pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St Patrick’s Cathedral

Friday 29th – Good Friday : 10am Stations of the Cross & 3pm Celebration of the Passion at St Patrick’s Cathedral

Saturday 30th – Easter Saturday : 7pm Vigil Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral

Sunday 31st  – Easter Sunday Mass : 7am, 9am & 5.30m at St Patrick’s Cathedral

Thanks for reading. Have a great week!

Regards, 

Ann-Maree

APRE

Term 1 School Fees:

Term 1 School Fees are now overdue.  Please ensure your school fee payment is made prior to the end of Term.  

Last day of Term:

The last day of Term will be Thursday 28th March.

Prep 2025:

Prep enrolment interviews have commenced for Prep 2025.  If you are yet to submit your application please do so as soon as possible to avoid missing out on a spot as numbers are filling fast.

Enrolment Application | St Saviour’s Primary School Toowoomba (twb.catholic.edu.au)

Parking:

Just a reminder about parking around our school throughout the Building Project.

St Patrick's Cathedral Staff Carpark (corner of Neil and Lawrence Street)

This carpark is strictly for staff of St Saviour's Primary and St Saviour's College.  Parents are asked to not use this carpark for drop off and pick up.

Lawrence Street Cathedral Carpark

Available for parents to use of a morning and afternoon.  

TCSO Carpark

Available to use for parents morning and afternoon depending on spaces available.  Please be mindful that this carpark is for Toowoomba Catholic Schools staff to use throughout the school day.

Lawrence Street parking:

Angled parking available on Lawrence Street.  Strictly 3 hour limit throughout the day.  Please be mindful of children crossing in Lawrence Street.  Parents please use the crossing to cross safely with your children at all times.  

Perth Street parking:

Limited spaces available due to Buses entering and leaving.  Please cross at the crossing with your children should you choose to park in Perth Street.  No parking across the footpaths of residents or driveways.

Prep Carpark

Throughout the building project this carpark is being used by McNab builders and contractors.  It is advisable to seek alternate parking spots due to the limited spaces available. Please be considerate in the Prep carpark when entering and leaving.  No double parking please.

Registrations for the next Sharks Camp are open and filling up FAST! Sharks Camp is a four-day volleyball camp designed to cater to athletes of all skill levels. With elite development opportunities available and pathways into club and state-level volleyball, this camp has something for everyone!The Dates:9th April | 10th April | 11th April | 12th April4 Days. 300+ athletes. Heaps to learn. Now available in Brisbane and the Gold Coast!Check out our website for more information! www.sharksvolleyball.com/sharks-camp

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