“Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Wearing ashes on our foreheads is a tradition of repentance that comes from the Old Testament. There are several stories that mention ashes, but one that is easy for children to understand is the story of Jonah. When Jonah preached repentance to Nineveh, the king covered himself in sackcloth and ashes and ordered the people to do the same (Jonah 3:6–9). Ashes and scratchy clothes were a way for people to be humble before God and show that they were willing to make a big change in their lives. We are marked with ashes for the same reason: to show that we are willing to change. The physical symbol—ashes—is for our benefit. God knows what is in our hearts; the ashes remind us to turn our hearts toward God.

The Church gives us Lent as a time to change, to become a better version of ourselves, and to become more like Jesus. The ashes we receive on Ash Wednesday remind us of our call to repent and believe in the Gospel. The disciplines of Lent—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—help us prepare for Christ’s victory on Easter.

https://catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com/2017/02/explaining-ash-wednesday-to-children/

It was truly wonderful to see over 50 parishioners join us for our Ash Wednesday Mass. Many were grandparents of current students. It was also a joy to listen to the singing of our students, a truly active way of being part of the Mass.

Teaching students to be successful readers

There are many different strategies involved in teaching a student to read. As with most things a holistic approach (where everyone participates) works best. Research shows that from a very early age (1 or 2 years) a child who is regularly read to (5 times a week) by someone who enjoys the task, is given the best possible start to learning to read. From the very dawn of time, we were story tellers. We told stories to entertain, to inform and to persuade and in listening to these stories we were able to interpret, identify and relate to our world. Not surprisingly these are the three focus areas of the Australian Curriculum, English.

If you have read to your child 5 nights a week since they were very young then you have given them a great start, but your job isn’t finished. If you haven’t then it is never too late. I know of a father who sat at the end of the bed of his 16 year old, just before lights out and he read Harry Potter or JRR Tolkien. This is the next step to teaching students how to be successful readers, role model it. If your children don’t see that you think reading is important then they are less likely to believe it.

As a parent, you are the first teacher of your child, however that does not mean that you have to teach them everything. Just like most professions, there are specific strategies which have been modified and adapted and are best used by experts. I once had someone say to me, I can teach my child that, I went to school. To which I responded, I have travelled many times on an aeroplane but taking on the role of the pilot is a different matter.

Another strategy to support your child, is to listen to them read. Be flexible, if they are tired or irritable then you might alternate a page, or they may read silently and then tell you about what they read. Every student’s needs are different. If you are unsure then ask the expert, their teacher. We teach students that letters make sounds and when we combine letters they make different sounds. The letter A’s in AUSTRALIA both sound differently. Our InitialLit and Sharp Reading programmes give students strategies to decode and interpret.

There are some strategies that we use at school which can be transferable to home, however overuse can lead to boredom and ineffective results. In our most recent NAPLAN results for Year 5 our student’s level of comprehension was very good. In what is traditionally an area where generally boys either demonstrate lack of interest or struggle, our boys performed exceptionally well.  Three  years ago we began implementing Initial Lit in K-2, this year we are introducing Sharp Reading in 3-6. Sharp Reading has a significant focus on decoding and comprehension. You may have heard your child say I think that means which is a key strategy to interpreting. We teach them to have a go and then help them clarify meaning as required.

There will be times where your child attaches themselves to a particular series and this is great. However, it is just as important for them to read widely. Books, magazines, comics, newspapers, reading material from the internet and even things from the world around us, such as street signs and maps. Balancing fiction and non-fiction also broadens their understanding. Being a good reader often enables a student to better at writing and speaking.

As a parent you have a vital role in helping your child manage their time.  This does not mean timetabling every minute, it means keeping an eye on it and getting involved when you need to. They need to have unstructured play time, physical activity, rest and relaxation from a very early age. From the minute they are born you become a parent. You choose the role you play in their life and as a result they evolve into the adult of the future.

School Car Parks

I mentioned to the students on Wednesday morning at our assembly, that I was very proud of the way they behaved during what was a very frightening storm during Tuesday afternoon dismissal. Thank you also to all who travelled through our school car parks. In what was already very unsafe, drivers displayed great caution.

Year 6 Assembly

This Friday, our Year 6 students will host our afternoon assembly. It begins at 2pm. All welcome!

Community Council AGM and General Meeting

The minutes for both of these meetings have been placed on the school website. If you notice anything which may be incorrect, please inform the front office.

Painting in the main car park

You will have seen that the lines in the main car park have recently been repainted. We have also added some blue lines so that the students can play hand ball. These have been an immediate success.

E Safety

Our year 5 and 6 students have an incursion today which focusses on E Safety. As a school we are guided by CE, however, we also refer to other applicable outside agencies such as the safety commissioner. They offer great webinars for parents. They can be accessed via https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Thank you for your ongoing support, it is hard to believe we are nearly half way through the term.

Cameron

Ash Wednesday 

Yesterday we celebrated Ash Wednesday together with the parish community. It was not only a wonderful opportunity to be together as a school, but a solemn way to begin our Lenten journey. Thank you to our year 6 Prayer and Service group who prepared and led the Mass as well as organising and recording an Ash Wednesday video for the classes. 

This year our Prayer and Service group are:

Peyton

Emily

Minna

Paige

Nia

Abigail T

Ava

Eloise

Beatrice

Sedra

Nina

Owen

Arizona

Lenten Rice Day - 28 March

To bring real meaning to the season of Lent where we reflect on the needs of others and show our support for Project Compassion, we would like to once again, celebrate a ‘Project Compassion Day’ with a Rice Day on Tuesday 28 March. On this day students will participate in a special lunch where students will be given a bowl of rice. The rice will be cooked at school in our canteen and the students will eat together. We ask that students provide their own bowl and cutlery to use on the day. 

The success of the day and the understanding your children gain from it will depend largely on your support.  We ask you to consider not sending in extra food on the day so the children can truly experience what it means to live in poverty. As well as this, during Lent we are invited to fast as a means of renewing our relationship with Jesus, and this day presents a great opportunity to do this.

We are aware and mindful that some children have allergies and special dietary requirements and ask you to liaise with your child’s teacher as to what might work best for them. If you are able to assist in cooking rice in the canteen for an hour or so on Tuesday, or you have a rice cooker that we could use, please let us know by contacting nicole.gibson@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Congratulations to our new Youth Ministry Team

These year 6 students have nominated to be part of the St Jude's Youth Ministry Team. They will meet with Olivia Brown each week, participating in prayer, assemblies and Mini Vinnies, as well as preparing mini retreats for younger students, later in the year. We look forward to seeing how you form your faith and others.

Miah 

Madison D 

Julius 

Finn 

Milla 

Tom W

Sophie P 

James 

Emily 

Gregory 

Alice 

Heidi 

Samara 

Chelsea 

Audrey 

Amalia 

Olivia 

Sam 

Peyton 

Ava 

Eloise 

Beatrice 

Nia 

Ari 

Johnny 

Annabelle 

Gabby

Hamish 

Ell 

Alexis 

Addison 

Ben L 

Hanna 

Sari 

Minna 

Charlotte

Happy Birthday to Charlie N and Elizabeth S

This week we are learning about the season of Lent. On Shrove Tuesday each class made pancakes to share.  On Ash Wednesday we visited the church and Fr Michael placed a cross on our heads with ashes.  Throughout Lent, we will be learning about the importance of prayer, of doing kind things for others and we will be participating in Project Compassion to help people living in poverty. 

Fruit Shop

Next Wednesday our ELC ‘Fruit Shop’ will be open for business. You will no longer need to pack a fruit snack on Wednesdays. If you have fruits or vegetables growing in your gardens at home and would like to share, please do. Alternatively, if you see strange and exotic fruits or vegetables in the shops please let us know.

St Jude’s Fete

The St Jude’s Fete will be on Saturday 18 March.  This is a great fun day to meet other families and raise some funds for the school. This year the ELC will be hosting the hairspray stall.  Many hands make light work, so we’d love for you to get involved.  More information on how to volunteer will come soon.

Mufti Day 

Mufti Day (non-uniform day) is on Friday 3 March (week 5) for Turtles and Lobsters and Monday 6 March (week 6) for Stingrays.  The aim is to collect supplies and donations for our fete stall.  Children are invited to wear plain clothes and we ask that you donate a can of coloured hairspray and a gold coin.

Car park

The carpark in front of the school is designated for ELC families. Please do not use this carpark at drop-off or pick-up times if you do not have a child in the ELC. ELC families will be issued with a sign to display on the dashboard and any vehicles not displaying the sign will receive a notice to inform them of the car park expectations.

Natball Gala Day

A netball gala day will be held on Thursday 2 March for year 5 and 6 students. If your child would like to participate please return their form by Friday 24 February.

Swimming Carnival - Thursday 9 March

Athletics Carnival - Thursday 30 March

Canteen Volunteers – Week 5

Wednesday 1 March - J. Long, N. Berthelot & R. Tanner

Thursday 2 March - L. Gardiner, R. Buckley and one more volunteer please

Friday 3 March - G. Cabot, E. Eyles, T. Hinge & S Monges  

The Canteen is still looking for more volunteers - if you would like to volunteer in the Canteen, I would LOVE to hear from you, email katrina.howden@cg.catholic.edu.au

Mulleyduds will be OPEN THIS FRIDAY 24 February from 8am - 9.30am. It is hoped these extended trading hours will cater to those families and carers who drop off early.

If you cannot attend, please continue to place orders for new items via Qkr!, or secondhand items via the uniform shop email: uniform.stjudes@gmail.com

Orders will be picked, packed and delivered to your child's class - so no need to worry if you cannot visit in person.

We also have EFTPOS available on site, for speedy purchasing without needing to access Qkr!

The Mulleyduds Team

You will be starting to see a lot more correspondence with regards to the upcoming fete. Please keep an eye out for our online volunteer signup sheet. There are lots of opportunities to help out on the day, so if you have an hour or two free please consider signing up.

The minutes for the AGM and General Meeting will be available on the school website by the end of this week for review. If you have any feedback please email this through by Friday 3 March.

The next Community Council Meeting will be in week 8.

Many thanks,

Gemma Cabot

Stjudes.scc@gmail.com

Hello Parents and Carers

We are excited to announce that the St Jude’s Primary School Fete will be taking place on Saturday 18 March! This annual event is a great opportunity for the school community to come together and have fun, while raising funds for the school. As we get closer to the fete, we will be sending out regular updates and reminders to keep you informed about the event.

Please save the date and plan to join us for a day of fun and entertainment.

Some of the activities planned for the fete include:

• Rides and games,
• Food and drinks,
• Raffles,
• Trash and treasure,
• Performances by the school choir and local sports clubs,

And much more!

A Mufti Day will be held on Friday 3 March to seek donations for fete supplies and our stall holders will start looking for volunteers three weeks out from the fete.

We look forward to seeing you all at the fete on 18 March!

The St Jude's Fete Team

stjudespsfete@gmail.com