WEEK 9, TERM 4, 2019
Dear Parents, Staff and Students,
Well that's a wrap for 2019!
Our community festivities are nearly finished for 2019 with our Leaders celebrating their graduation from Primary School happening tomorrow morning. A special acknowledgment must be extended to the parents for your incredible support of the school during your time with us. To all those who have journeyed and created memories with the children leaving us this year, on behalf of all involved, I thank you. These faces of the future will continue to create their own stories and we are blessed to have spent time with you. Best wishes for the adventures ahead.
It is full credit to our Leaders of 2019 for the way in which they have consistently conducted themselves in a most commendable manner. They have served our community well this year by being exemplary leaders and positive role models to all students.
I extend further acknowledgement of others who leave the St Saviour's Primary School community to take up residence in new schools and new cities. To the longstanding families who leave us with their youngest moving on, I say thank you for your support and engagement in the life of our school. To the staff leaving for various reasons: Mrs Elizabeth Poulton, Mrs Lesley Jarrett, Mrs Sara McHugh, Mrs Emma Daniells and Miss Matilda Hose I wish all the best in your next journey ahead.
Christmas is coming, the season of Advent is here. A time when we begin to prepare and celebrate for the birth of Jesus Christ and all the special family traditions that happen around Christmas. The end of the school year has come and this brings excitement and joy for all as we head off to holidays.
What a wonderful year it has been for our school.
Well Done SSPS Teachers, Students and Families for an incredible array of 2019 ACHIEVEMENTS:
- 2019 Academic Excellence Awards
- 2019 Effort Awards
- 2019 Adopt a Cop Awards
- 2019 Cornerstone Awards
- 2019 Swimming Champions
- 2019 Cross Country Champions
- 2019 Athletics Champions
- Catholic Touch & Netball Carnival - Years 5 & 6
- Year 4 T-ball and Touch Carnival
- Interschool Sport Term 3
- Year 6 Leadership Program
- Buddies Program
- Maintaining our High results in NAPLAN in all areas
- School Renewal and Improvement Process in Term 1
- Association with STEMpunks company
- STEM showcase day
- STEM conference - It Takes a Spark
- Introduction of the Surface Go devices in Year 4
- Service and outreach to communities - Brodribb and Salem Nursing Home, Rosies, Families in drought stricken areas
- Mini Vinnie’s program
- Sacramental Program
- Book Week
- Reader’s Cup
- Colour Fun Run, Trivia Night, Dance Fever Night, Mango Drive
- Record breaking tuckshop orders for Term 4!
- Combined School and College Musical
- Speech & Drama Performances
- Chess Club
- Japanese immersion program
- School Choir Performances
- Year 5 and Year 6 Camps
- Various excursions across year levels
- Reaching our school target of 90% of students reaching Reading benchmarks for their year level
- Prep playground refurbishment
- Planning for PREP classroom refurbishment in readiness for 2020.
- Increase in enrolment from January 2019 at 368 students to finishing the school year on a current enrolment of 404 students.
This list is only a snapshot of what we collectively together have achieved. We are truly blessed because of the extraordinary contribution of the work and commitment of so many. The dedication of our staff, parents and parish advances the mission of Catholic Education here at St Saviour's Primary School. Thank you for your selflessness of time and talents shared in our community. I hope that you can take the time to reflect on the significance of your work in this busy time and look back on the positive impact you have had on the lives of our students. I hope this realisation provides for you a deep appreciation for all that you have done for the St Saviour's Primary Community.
I pray that the upcoming Christmas holidays is a time to be holy, refreshed and rejuvenated. Have a safe and Holy Christmas and I look forward to working with you all in 2020.
SCHOOL UPDATES FOR 2020:
Class Placements 2020:
The time frame for class placement requests has now well and truly passed. No further requests will be considered as all classes for next year have been finalised. All needs and requests have been given due consideration.
Reports
Having recently read all of the student reports for this semester, I am extremely grateful to the teachers for their time and commitment to providing quality reports to parents. It is clearly evident to me that the teachers really know and understand the children they have been working with throughout the year and have succinctly and effectively communicated each child’s achievements and potential areas for future focus. It is an enormous task to bring together all of the information, assessment, observations and notes that teachers collect on an ongoing basis, to then collate this and report it to you in its current format. I hope in your own special way, you will have the opportunity to say thanks to your child’s class teacher, not just for the report card, but for being that very influential person in your child’s life during 2019. The role of the teacher should never be underestimated and the fruits of their labour are sometimes not evident until years down the track.
Starting Dates for next year
Please note the following dates for the beginning of the school year:
- Teachers return Monday 20th January for a week of Professional Development.
- All children return to school on Tuesday 28th January, 2020
- Book Drop Off before school starts is on THURSDAY 23rd January 8a.m. - 9a.m.
- Reminder 27th January, Monday is a public holiday celebrating Australia Day.
Changes in the delivery of Japanese classes for 2020
A change in circumstances has seen us retain Mrs Jayne Greenhalgh in the role of Japanese teacher at SSPS for 2020. Jayne currently teaches in four of our Diocesan Schools which comprises of over 1200 students. This is a huge workload for Jayne. In 2020, she is available to continue teaching Japanese to our Year 4, 5 and 6 students. We are extremely grateful to Jayne for accommodating us in her very busy schedule across four schools. Thus, we will not be farwelling Jayne as previously advised.
Phone Service to the School
Thank you for your patience during the recent phone issues we have been experiencing lately. Although the issue was not at our end, we will be changing our phone system in early 2020 to avoid any further issues as at this point in time I have been advised that the issue cannot be solved by our provider. Further details will be published about our new system in early 2020.
School Uniform 2020
The two-year transition period from the ‘old’ to the ‘new’ uniform is coming to an end at the end of the year. As of January 2020, all students will be required to wear the new uniforms. Please refer to the link following for uniform requirements. You will note that there are some additional options for all students in the line of shorts and shirts to align with new uniform legislation. These items will be available in the new year.
The new dress for students will be available in two styles to accommodate all shapes and sizes by early January.
At St Saviour’s Primary School, students are expected to maintain a high standard of dress and grooming which:
- supports a positive atmosphere where study and learning can flourish.
- promotes school unity and pride.
- presents an appropriate image of our school to the broader community and to each other.
The school uniform is available from www.skooldays.com.au. Please refer to opening hours published via schoolzine app last week for further details of opening hours.
Year 6 Leaders 2020
Congratulations to all our 2020 Year 6 Leaders.
School Captains: Grace Taylor and Lachlan Ottobrino
Vice Captains: Grace Gleeson and Leon Smith
To all our Sports Captains and Counsellors and the student leaders of 2020. I look foward to working with you in 2020.
Many blessings,
Madonna Sleba
Congratulations Year 6 Leaders:
Dear Parents and Carers,
Again a very busy end to a busy year. To all of you I say "thank you" for your support throughout the year which has been evdient in a wide variety of forms. With the majority of our parents working, we do appreciate the precious time you take to attend the many and varied activities throughout the year, across the school. Just in the last week we have had the Final Leadership/ Farewell Mass at which our current Year 5s were all given their Leadership Badge and also our elected Leadership Positions for 2020 were announced. Congratulations to all Year 5 students.
AWARDS: This week, at our Final Awards Assembly, Talia Kirstenfeldt was awarded the Spirit of Catherine McAuley Award. Mrs Harkins recalled that throughout Talia's education at St Saviour's Primary School she has, exemplified the Mercy values that Catherine McAuley portrayed and set as the foundation of of the our Mercy schools. Talia is a fine example of the Spirit of Catherine McAuley through her words, action and presence.
Our other Award Recipients were:
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM for 2020: Enrolment Forms have been distributed to students going into Year 4, 2020. Ideally these forms are to be returned to the school or parish office prior to Tuesday February 11, 2020, which is when the 1st Parent Information Session is to be held.
FUNDS for DROUGHT: On the weekend, I had a conversation with Natalie Lancuba (Year 1 Teacher) whose extended family are longterm residents of Stanthorpe. What I didn't know was that Nat's family (amongst other things) have a water-carting business. Nat told me that her dad and uncle had expressed concerns about local families they were aware of who had no access to town or bore water but for a variety of reasons, had no money to buy water either.
I found out from Nat that $160 buys 7000 litres of water, which, if used carefully should last about a month. With Nat and her family offering to cover the petrol costs of carting water, I proposed that of the $1000 raised from the School Disco, that $250 goes to Drought Angels and $750 will be transferred to the Lancuba family to provide 5 loads of water to families that they have identified as being in need.
Some staff have also expressed a willingness to donate to the carting of water, instead of buying "Kris Kringle" type gifts for the end of year, staff festivities. Families are welcome to contribute as well if they wish.
For all our familes, I wish you a happy and holy Christmas with your loved ones. I encourage you to pray that sometime soon, life-giving rain falls on our parched earth, to renew out farms, fields and gardens and also to lift our spirits.
Happy Christmas to all,
Judy
Final STEMPunks visit
Last Thursday Natalie from STEMPunks visited the school for the last time in 2019. Natalie ran an entrepreneurship program with four students from every class who participated in STEMPunks. As they have during the year, the students used the design thinking approach to solve a problem based around the Toy Story movie. They then presented these solutions to their classmates via a digital presentation.
It was fantastic to see all of the creative inventions that the students managed to come up with in their small groups.
Cybersafety visit
Supporting young people to be safe, responsible and positive online is a key challenge for educators and parents alike. Recently the team from the Optus Digital Thumbprint program were in the classroom with our Year 5 & 6 students taking them through the fun and interactive workshops that cover a range of important issues such as cybersecurity, cyberbullying, digital discernment, digital balance, and digital identity.
It is very important to be aware of these topics so that your child is prepared and supported to thrive in the digital world. There is a range of free, downloadable Digital Thumbprint Parent Conversation Guides for parents and care-givers that support you to have effective conversations around what young people should and shouldn’t share online, cyberbullying, and how digital technology can support effective study practices.
Please visit: www.digitalthumbprint.com.au/parent-resources
How to encourage reading over the summer holidays....
With the holidays coming up, it is a great opportunity for children to spend some time reading. This is also very important for their learning moving forward. Below are some examples of how you can do this. If you find any of this interesting and would like more information, you can click on the link as well. Enjoy!!
https://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/shanahan-literacy/how-encourage-summer-reading-parents-guide
1. Go to the library and borrow some books
2. Pick out a good chapter book and read it with your child.
3. Celebrate the completion of a book.
4. Write a letter to your child and drop it in the mail.
5. Start a diary.
6. Schedule a daily reading time.
7. Subscribe to a magazine.
8. Encourage book clubbing.
9. Encourage your child to read and use 'to do' books.
10. Family reading time.
2020 Sport Dates
9-12 Year Old Swimming Carnival - Tuesday 4 February: 9am-12pm @ Glennie Aquatic Centre
Prep - 8 year old Swimming Carnival - Wednesday 25 March: 1pm-2.30pm @ Glennie
P-6 Swimming Lessons - 16-20 March at Glennie Aquatic Centre
P-6 Cross Country - Thursday 2 April: 9am onwards on Primary School Oval
9-12 year olds 200m&800m Athletics 1/2 day at O'Quinn St Oval - 18 June: 9am -12pm
Prep - 6 Whole School Athletics Carnival - 19 June: All Day
Summer Reading
Our most enthusiastic borrowers for the Summer Reading Program were students from Years 1, 2 and 3. Parents, please share in the reading of their book choices and organise a visit to the Toowoomba City Library during the holidays to restock! Our school subscription to Storybox Library is also available to you from home, here are the details;
Username: ssps
Password:stories
There are a few ideas on this page to sustain literacy skills over the long Summer holiday;https://storyboxlibrary.com.au/blog/top-ten-tips-for-summer-holidays
Afternoon tea in the Library
We celebrated our last book club get together and the wonderful work of our library volunteers with afternoon tea last week. Mrs Powers wrote some very challenging book trivia questions and Mrs Poulton was declared the winner.
Our Volunteers
Our library service owes a huge thank you to Kerri Rowlings, Merryl Nunn, Claire Zull and Michelle Standing (Book Club organiser) for their hours of volunteer work this year. The school community benefits from your generosity and our library team is very appreciative of your dedication and the high standard of your work.
Christmas Blessings and best wishes for 2020 from the library team
These Christmas items have been donated to the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal and will reach families in our local area over the next few weeks. Thank you so very much for your very generous support of this appeal.
May your Christmas be blessed with the joy of knowing this small action brings alive Christ's command to love our neighbour.
Office Hours:
The office will be open next week from 8am - 4pm. The office will reopen on Monday 20th January, 2019.
Choir thank you:
Thank you to the 20 or so children who came to choir practice on Wednesday morning. It was much appreciated.
Miss Cosgrove
Chess Club
Thank you to all our Chess Club participants this year. They showed up each Friday and enthusiastically played chess, putting into practice new moves taught by our chess expert, Mr Les Lord.
In Term 4 each year, Mr Lord holds a chess competition. This year was a tight competition, with a few upsets along the way. Congratulations to this year’s winners – Kye McHugh (1st), Dominic Seaby (2nd) and Olaya Santonja (3rd). We look forward to seeing old and new faces at Chess Club in 2020.
Sara McHugh and Siobhan Grundon
Uniform Shop Hours:
The uniform shop will be open the following days in 2020.
MONDAY 13th January: 1.00pm - 6.00pm
Monday 20th January - Friday 24th: 1pm - 6pm
Thursday 23rd January - BOOK DROP OFF - 8.00am - 10.00am
Tuesday 28th January (FIRST DAYOF SCHOOL) 8.00am - 9.30am and 2.30pm - 5.00pm
Year 4 2020:
Parents of Year 4 2020 are reminded to return their Surface Go forms no later than next Friday 13th December. Forms can be emailed directly to the school or dropped off to the office. Thank you.
Direct Debit Forms:
Direct Debit forms for 2020 can still be sent into the office. We do need all forms in by next Friday. The forms can be emailed directly to the office at ssps@twb.catholic.edu.au
Prep
Our gifts are ready for delivery to St Vincent's Aged Care and $150.00, the balance of our fund raising in 2019, has been donated to the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal.
Thank you to our school families for supporting our efforts this year
