Term 1, Week 8 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

One of the key priorities for St Saviour's Primary in 2025 is the creation of a new master plan.  Having an up-to-date master plan in essential so we can plan for the future of the school.  It means we can plan in advance for any improvements to buildings and facilities that the community would like to see.

An important step in creating a master plan is community collaboration.  Therefore, over the next six to eight weeks, I will be seeking feedback from all stakeholders who are part of St Saviour's Primary including parish, parent engagement network, staff, students and parents.

Please click below and complete the very brief survey to have your say.

They are very simple questions such as:

What are the best and worst facilities?

What new facilities would you like to see or existing facilities upgraded?

Do the current facilities promote health and wellbeing?

Would you like to see an attribute such as a kindy incorporated into a future master plan?

You are welcome to answer one question or all of them.

Your feedback is appreciated. 

TUCKSHOP

Next term, tuckshop will move from 2 days to 3 days per week, meaning that it will be available to all families on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  This will commence on the first day back next term (Wednesday April 23). 

Regards,

Sam Hannant

….experiencing FAITH in the Mercy Tradition

Dear families

We are in the 2^nd week of Lent - The 2nd Sunday of Lent Year C brings us St. Paul’s message to live as citizens of heaven. He urges us to follow his example. This reminds us to focus on our heavenly home and not just on earthly things.

Living as citizens of heaven means prioritizing our spiritual life. We should seek to grow closer to God each day. Our actions and decisions should reflect our faith. We are called to live in a way that honors God and shows our hope in His promises.

We are challenged to evaluate our priorities. Are we more focused on earthly success or on our relationship with God? St. Paul’s message encourages us to shift our focus. 

In practical terms, this means making choices that reflect our faith. It means being kind, loving, and generous. It means staying close to God through prayer and the sacraments. As we move closer towards Easter, let us renew our commitment to live as citizens of heaven.

This Lent, Caritas Australia's Project Compassion invites us to Unite Against Poverty and take action to make a lasting difference. Our classes are taking part in Project Compassion – it is our key focus and fundraiser for Term 1. Each class has been given their own Project Compassion box into which any cash donations can be made right up until the end of term. There’ll be a class prize for the students who raise the most money. Which class will it be?

We pray this Lent for a deeper trust in God’s plan.

May our commitment to prayer, fasting and almsgiving, awaken within us a hunger for justice and compassion.

May the Jubilee year remind us of our need for a fresh start.

May our work for Project Compassion help us to Unite Against Poverty. Amen

Local First Nations Artist Kim Walmsley will be here at school on Thursday 20th March from 1pm to work with students to design and paint our yarning circle.  We want to hear your voice so that we can collaborate on ideas as to how we can best have this space reflect who we are as a community and in particular, those students who are First Australians. Email your thoughts and suggestions to ann-maree.ward@twb.catholic.edu.au  Thank you for giving this your time and consideration.

Week 9 – Colour run! Thursday 27^th March – Keep the online donations rolling in! Don’t forget to fundraise with Monty the Monstar and collect some of the unique items up for grabs!

*Monty Handball: Collect all of Monty’s online virtual badges.

*Champions Medallion: The highest fundraising student in our school.

*Online Golden Coins – complete online tasks to redeem up to an extra $75 towards your prize credit.

As it stands today, the fundraising leader board at the moment looks something like this: 1^st Neki 2C; 2^nd Beau 6L; 3rd Hunter 3H and 4th Rylee 3BH – these could change depending on how much you raise so keep going! Amazing prizes to be won!

Register now at www.myprofilepage.com.au and start fundraising today!

Volunteers needed (please call the office to let us know of your availability) to help organise our Colour run please – putting out obstacles, spraying colour and cleaning up! We’d love to see you involved in what will be such a great afternoon of laughter and community spirit. All in the name of raising funds for Momentum Health. Thank you!

HARMONY Week celebrations are held annually and this year it is held from 17 -23^rd March and SSP are celebrating Harmony DAY on FRIDAY 21^st March. Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging. The message of Harmony Week is everyone belongs and here at St Saviour’s Everyone does belong in our community.

Did you know?

• More than half (51.5 per cent) of Australian residents were born overseas or have at least one parent who was.
• Since 1945, more than 7.6 million people have migrated to Australia.
• Nearly every single country from around the world was represented in Australia's population in 2020.
• More than 150 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages are spoken in Australia
• Apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Punjabi.
• We identify with over 300 ancestries.

This information has been taken from ABS 2021 Census Data. Check out the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.

Sacramental program We have a number of students who have continued their Sacramental program by participating in and learning about Reconciliation. Over the weekend of 28th/29^th March, these students will be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation at St Patrick’s Cathedral. We pray for those students, that they will experience the boundless love and mercy of God through reconciliation and that they will become an echo of God’s mercy in our world. Amen.

Have a peace and grace filled week. Be sure to do one thing that fills your cup and brings you joy.

Thanks for reading,

Ann-Maree Ward (Assistant Principal – Mission & Identity)

Dear Parents / Guardians

At St Saviour’s our four school expectations, be safe, be a learner, be responsible and be respectful, guide our study body. This week we have been focusing on the ‘Be Safe’ expectation.  As we progress deep into Term One it is common that students’ frustration tolerance levels are collectively low.  Frustration tolerance refers to a person’s ability to withstand and manage feelings of frustration without becoming distressed.  Low frustration tolerance can lead to impulsive reactions to situations, which often look like a student lashing out at other students.  Being safe at school includes the expectation that students keep their hands, feet and objects to themselves.  We also expect that students will tell an adult when they see or hear of a situation that makes them feel unsafe or they see something that is unsafe.  A mantra that is constantly used at school is that “we don’t solve problems by putting our hands on others, it just makes our problems bigger!” 

Having strategies to implement when there is a ‘problem’ is imperative for students when their frustration tolerance is low.  Collectively as a school we have focussed learning this term in our PEEC curriculum on how to identify our emotions and recognize when our body is telling us that our emotions are outside of the window of tolerance, for example we are frustrated, angry, annoyed, sad, etc. Students have all learnt the importance of breath to our brain function and a simple strategy to implement when we recognize our body clues is to take some deep breaths first!  You may have heard your children use the expression ‘box breathing’ at home, which is a way of encouraging deep breathing.  Students then can choose a strategy that will assist them with their problem, for example in the playground they should 1) tell a teacher 2) get a drink 3) move away 4) find another game/friend. Equally if a student sees or hears about a problem, they need to apply the same strategies to help in the situation.  Placing themselves in the problem and choosing to use their hands in some way, regardless of how well intended it is, does not help the problem get smaller! 

Something that also helps students to re-fill their tolerance levels is to have time doing the things they love, connecting with people that they love! I hope this weekend might be just the time to do that as we head towards the last couple of weeks of term. 

Mrs Katie Hauser

Catholic Schools Year Four T-Ball Gala Day 

The 2025 Catholic Schools Year Four T-Ball Gala Day will take place on Tuesday 1st of April 2025.  Please see the related information below: 

DATE: 1st April 2025 

TIME: 9am – 1:00pm 

VENUE: Kearney Springs Touch Fields 

WHO FOR: Students in Year Four 

TRANSPORT: The children will catch a bus from St Saviour’s to Kearney Springs at 8.45am and return to school after the gala day.  Children can then be picked up at the normal time of 3pm. 

FOOD: The children will need to bring their own morning tea, lunch, and water as there will not be a canteen operating on the day. 

UNIFORM: Students will need to wear their sports uniform for the gala day.  

Parents are more than welcome to attend. Looking forward to a fantastic gala day and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Junior Swimming Carnival 2025 (Prep - Year 2) 

The 2025 junior swimming carnival will take place on Monday, 31st of March 2025. Please see the below information. 

DATE: 31st March 2025 

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 2025’ 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 confidence and 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, Grandparents and Family Members 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 2025 

The SSPS Cross Country will be held on Friday 4th of April 2025. The cross country will be on the primary school oval this year. 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 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 2020 - 2 laps of Primary School 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 2019 - 3 laps of Primary School 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 2013 - 1 lap of Primary School Oval, 3 laps of school, 1 lap of Primary School Oval 

1. Boys and Girls born 2014 - 1 lap of Primary School Oval, 3 laps of school, 1 lap of Primary School Oval 

1. Boys and Girls born 2015 - 1 lap of Primary School Oval, 2 laps of school, 1 lap of Primary School Oval 

1. Boys and Girls born 2016 - 1 lap of Primary School Oval, 2 laps of school, 1 lap of Primary School Oval 

1. Boys and Girls born 2018 - 2 laps of Primary Oval, out of school and down to Ruthven Street, back up the stairs near Prep and finish on Primary Oval. 

1. Boys and Girls born 2017 - 2 laps of Primary Oval, out of school and down to Ruthven Street, back up the stairs near Prep and finish on Primary 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 2020 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 2025 

School Sport 

Congratulations to Darcy Phillips, Drew Densley and George Gainey who made the Toowoomba Rugby League Team. All three boys 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. 

Zone and Darling Downs Trials 

All information regarding Zone and Darling Downs trials will be posted on Parent Portal. To ensure your child is eligible to trial for these sporting teams, please check the Parent Portal regularly or set up notifications on your phone. You will need to obtain the necessary paperwork from myself. 

Please be aware that I am unable to nominate students after the closing date, so it is crucial to monitor the Parent Portal. If you have any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

Upcoming Events (Term One) 

• Prep – Year 2 Swimming Carnival – Monday 31st March 2025 (9am-12:30pm) 

• Catholic Schools T-Ball Gala Day (Year 4) – Tuesday 1st April 2025 (9am-2pm) 

• SSPS Cross Country – Friday 4th April 2025 (8:30am – 1pm) 

Cheers 

Brendan Luck 

HPE Teacher 

brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au 

"Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve and contribute to improving our quality of life" 

Sidney Sheldon  

Family Reading Week – Week 10 

We give importance to reading together as a family in week 10 when reading is the only homework! Enjoy your students’ library books or an old favourite from your shelves and send your class teacher a photo of what and where you are reading together. 

Squiz Kids Podcasts and Quizzes 

Check out this great, age-appropriate resource for 8-12 year olds at home and start some real-world conversations based on reliable information.  

Squiz Kids: A News Podcast For Kids | Homepage - Squiz Kids 

Covering Help Needed 

Our new Year 3 home readers are ready for covering so please call into the library to collect a bundle if you can give some time to this task at home.  

 TERM 2 EVENTS  

Step into Stories Author Visits with Award Winning Authors Sue Whiting and Cristy Burne May 14th 

Years 3 and 4 will spend an hour with Sue Whiting exploring “What could go wrong?” as Sue takes our students on a wild, trouble-filled story adventure trekking across Antarctica. This adventure led to Sue writing her Pearly and Pig stories. 

Cristy Burne, STEM writer and author with 20 years experience will share stories from her books and her life to show Year 5 and 6 students that it is incredibly rewarding to do hard things. Cristy will challenge the students to think how we can live more creatively and courageously. 

National Simultaneous Storytime 

This year’s book to be shared across Australia on Wednesday 21st May is “The Truck Cat” 

 Family Book Club 

Our next book to read together at home is “Wilder than Midnight” written by Cerrie Burnell 

Silverthorne is a place of secrets. A forest of twisting paths and tangled thorns. A castle with locked towers and whispers of tragedy. A village trapped between terrors known and unknown. But something is stirring in the leaves . . . 
 
Saffy is a good girl, tired of being told to stick to the forest paths, and always follow the rules. 
Aurelia is a hidden girl, locked in a castle tower, dreaming of escaping the fate she's told awaits her. 
Wild Rose is a fierce girl, raised by wolves, full of spells and fearlessness and cunning.  

 Together, they will change life in Silverthorne forever. 

Good Reads (online) 2025 Wilder than Midnight by Cerrie Burnell | Goodreads 
            

We will meet to chat about the book on Monday afternoon 26th May in Week 6 which gives families plenty of time to be reading together. Students who have read the book with an adult are welcome at the book chat without their family member if this time is unsuitable due to other commitments. 

 Regional Readers’ Cup Competition – Tuesday 10th June 

Our volunteer readers will start their journey next week when they begin to read the 5 set novels chosen for the competition. Thank you for setting this challenge for yourselves students, I hope you love the stories! 

 Happy Reading Everyone!

Anne Anderson

Teacher Librarian

Dear Parents & Caregivers

Term 1 Fees Invoice due: 28 February 2025 – Overdue

Overdue Fee process:

In fairness to families who pay their school fees regularly and on time, our school will follow up all overdue accounts. If you do not have a current direct debit or regular payment set up and have an outstanding balance due on your account, the collection process will commence – as per below.

• An account of full fees and levies will be issued by the school at the beginning of the year. School fees are due for payment at the end of Week 5 in Terms 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
• A reminder SMS will be sent, followed by an email to any family with an outstanding account past the due date of the relevant term account. It is the responsibility of the fee payer to advise the school if they have not received emails for their fees.
• Should any arrangements to vary the conditions for payment need to be made please contact the school office so this can be organised.
• Parents/carers with accounts outstanding at the end of Term will be contacted by the Finance Secretary, Principal or their representatives.
• Should the account remain outstanding, the school will contact the parent/carer to organise a meeting with the Principal, at a mutually agreeable time. The meeting will include a discussion of the issues surrounding fee payment and to reach an agreement on payment conditions.
• If the parent/carer does not communicate with the school office or the Principal about the outstanding account, the Principal will decide the necessary action, which may include referral to a debt recovery agency.

Where a parent/carer finds themselves in financial difficulty due to changed financial circumstances, an Application for Fee Concession can be made, please contact the school office for further information.

If you have any questions about school fees or your account, please contact me on 07 4637 1700 or email accounts@sspstwb.catholic.edu.au

All the best.

Alyce Webster

Finance Officer

accounts@sspstwb.catholic.edu.au

On Tuesday 11 March we had 21 fierce competitors vying for the capture of the King and becoming master of the board, competing against 24 other primary school students in the district.

We had a fabulous day and all the students played a great game, whether it was a win or not. Randuli did us very proud by achieving 6 points out of 8, which resulted in a 21st placing.

Thank you to Samantha Buckley for the coordination of the Toowoomba Primary Schools Chess Tournament, Mr Les Lord for his expertise in our coaching, and the Toowoomba Anglican School, with Mr Jason Locke, for hosting.

328 students from across the Downs had a successful day, showing commendable sportsmanship and fair play.

Our behaviour representing St Saviour's was exceptional. I couldn't have been more proud of our students. Great work team.

Mrs Harkins.

The students were recognised for their efforts at Monday's school assembly, with certificates for participating in the championship.

Simply go to www.myprofilepage.com.au and click onto the register button to create a cybersafe, online profile page. 

Raise $10 to receive your first incentive prize, there are 15 unique prizes on offer! 

• Monty Handball: Collect all of Monty’s online virtual badges. 

• Champions Medallion: The highest fundraising student in our school. 

• Online Golden Coins – complete online tasks to redeem up to an extra $75 towards your prize credit. 

Become a Fundraising Monstar and receive a Monty Handball by completing all your online virtual badges! Can you receive them all? 

You can even earn free bonus donations!