St Finbarr’s Student Protection Contacts

Genny McNair

Miss Ellie Charlton

Counsellor-Mike Thomason

St Finbarr’s Parish School

Jabiru Street, P.O. Box 34 Quilpie, QLD, 4480

Phone: (07) 46561412—Fax: (07) 4656 1306

Email: Quilpie@twb.catholic.edu.au

Attachments

•2020 Low risk activi-

ty permission form

•Expression of Inter-

est Dance Class Form

•School Fee State-

ment

Important Dates

•23rd Beginning of

Year Leadership Mass

TBC26th

•Ash Wednesday

Service

•28th Regional Swim-ming Charleville

March

•3rd JRL Coaching

Training 6-8 pm at St

Finbarr’s

•17th Ken Avenell visit

– TCS Director For-

mation and Identity 9-

12

•18th Feast of St Jo-

seph and St Patrick

Liturgy 8.45 am (3-6

class)

•23rd Harmony Day

Liturgy

April

•2nd Easter Story

Liturgy 8.45 am (P-3

class

•2nd Last Day Term 1

•3rd Pupil Free Day

(TCSO Teacher PD - S)

Volume: 9

Issue: 2

Date: 12th Feb 2020

Dear Parents and Friends

Last week Mr Jim Midgley, Director of Teaching and Learning visited the school to meet with teachers

and students. It has been largely due to the work of Jim and the staff of the Teaching and Learning Direc-

torate that all of the Toowoomba Catholic schools have achieved excellent results in reading. Another ini-

tiative of the team has been the Phonics to Spelling project and a focus on implementing strategies to fur-

ther enhance writing in our schools. Jim took a writing lesson with the year 3-6 class to trial some of these

strategies. The students thoroughly enjoyed his lesson , he commented on the level of engagement and

quality of the work from the students. Jim thoroughly enjoys his visits to Quilpie as he spent much of his

childhood and early teaching days in central western Qld. The smell of rain on the gidgee was very wel-

coming for him.

During Jim’s visit we also developed plans for the Principals Forum to be held in Quilpie from 10th to 14th

August. During this week principals from the 32 schools of the Toowoomba diocese as well as the leader-

ship team and staff of the Toowoomba Catholic School’s Office will descend on the town. These Forums,

which are held each term, are set in regional centres during Term 2 and 3 to enable all principals and staff

to become familiar with the whole diocese and to also promote our regional and remote communities.

Preparations for the forum will be discussed during the P&F/Board meetings.

Congratulations to Bella for competing in the Charleville and District Swimming Carnival last Friday. Bella

placed first in the 12 year old 50 m breast stroke, breaking the record with a time of 50.12 seconds. She

also placed 2nd in backstroke and 3rd in freestyle and has been selected in the district team to swim at the

regional trials in Charleville later this month in backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. Congratulations

also to Zoe from the Quilpie College for breaking the record in the 50 m backstroke and on her selection in

the Charleville and District team.

The P&F AGM will be held tomorrow evening. It will begin with a BBQ at 6.30 pm. The P&F AGM will be

a brief meeting to select committee members. Following this the teachers and I will share information

about the upcoming year at the Parent Information Session. We encourage everyone to please come

along to get the latest information to set our children up for the year ahead.

The dates for the Quilpie and District Sporting Carnivals have now been set with Cross Country being held

at the Quilpie Golf Club on Thursday, 23rd April and being hosted by St Finbarr’s. The Athletics Carnival has

been set for 24th July and the swimming carnival for 27th November. Training will begin a little later this

term for Cross Country,

The Beginning of Year Leadership Mass will be held on Sunday, 23rd February at the St Finbarr’s Church.

This is one of the two school masses held on Sunday evening to enable families to attend. During this ser-

vice we will celebrate the beginning of the school year and welcome our new students and staff and induct

our school leaders. Everyone is welcome and indeed encouraged to come along. A light supper and re-

freshments will be served at the school afterwards.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the P&F BBQ tomorrow evening.

Warm regards

Genny

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela

TERM DATES 2020

TERM 1: 28th January - 3rd April

TERM 2: 20th April - 26th June

TERM 3: 13th July - 18th September

TERM 4: 6th October - 4th December

SNACK ATTACK Michelle will be providing fruit for snack attack in her role as the Council Health Promotions Officer. Fruit will be provided to all

students in the school at 10 am each Monday throughout Term 1 beginning on Monday 17th February. Therefore Fruit for Snack Attack does not need to be provided by parents running tuck-

shop for the remainder of the school term.

School Swimming Every Friday

1.30pm-3.00pm

Please remember to send Swim bags and

goggles to school each Friday

TUCKSHOP

Thanks to Robina and Sarah for Mondays Tuck-shop, pictured with some happy and healthy

customers

Introducing Instrumental Music teacher

- Nicholas Whatling

After finishing my studies in Music Educa-

tion at the University of Queensland in Bris-

bane, I decided to come out West to get out

of my comfort zone to recreate the amazing

experience I had during my schooling years.

I've performed across various ensembles on the Trombone

and Voice and I'm excited to be working with the many stu-

dents in Quilpie across St Finbarr’s and Quilpie State College

on Woodwind, Brass and Percussion.

I look forward to watching the Music program and the stu-

dents grow throughout the year and cannot wait to see what

students from Quilpie are capable of.”

Instrumental music lessons will be held each Wednesday for

students in Years 4-6

School Uniform Thank you to everyone for ensuring your children are dressed in the appropriate school uniform this week.

Our uniform policy outlines the rules for dress and uniform at the school. A uni-form dress code reinforces in students a pride in their own appearance. It instils a sense of belonging in the school community and assists in developing pride in repre-senting the school.

A uniform also means students don’t have to worry about peer pressure when it comes to their clothes and appearance. When everyone is dressed the same, worry-ing about what you look like isn’t so important and there is no competition about having the latest trends.

The wearing of school uniform and the clean tidy presentation of our students helps to maintain and enhance the positive image our school has in the community and supports our students to be respectful and disciplined throughout their school life.

The Uniform Policy as well as other school policies are available for viewing on the school website.

St Finbarr’s NAB Banking Details

BSB : 084829

A/C: 5088 67 529

School Fees have been sent home today

Due 9th March

BOOK CLUB

Don’t forget to return any orders to the school by

Monday 17th February

Virtual Dance Lesson

Jess Gilby is looking into hosting Virtual Dance classes in Quilpie in conjunction

with a dance teacher from Sydney ,an Expression of interest form is attached to

newsletter . Please return forms to Jess and for any further information please

also contact Jess Gilby, admin@gilbyandtonkin.com

Ph 0457 033 900

News from Miss C and the 3-6 Classroom

Welcome to a brand-new year in the 3-6 class! We have welcomed two new students to the class this year, as well as having the Year 4’s move up and two Year 3 students move up as well. It is wonderful to see the encouragement and support the older students have provided to the new students, making them feel welcome and comfortable in their new environment. The students have already been hard at work over the last few weeks, settling in to their new environment and getting or-ganised for the term ahead. Over the past few weeks, we have begun reading the novel “Wonder” by R.J. Pallacio in English. This book will be the basis of a novel study the students will undertake. Throughout English, we have been discussing the message within the book, relating to the characters and have done some background research on the author and her motivation for writing the book. The students are enjoying the book so far. In Maths this term, we have begun investigating Place Value, Partitioning and 2D/3D shapes. The year 6 students have also been looking at Square and Triangular numbers, their patterns and the relationship between them. Over the coming weeks, we will be looking at angles and decimals. In Health and PE, the students have begun looking at safe and unsafe situations and how the media presents health messag-es. They have also begun the swim and survive course with Alina Graham from the Quilpie Shire Pool. The students have been extremely interested in viewing advertisements they see on TV and looking at the various strategies advertisers have used to support the message they are trying to get across. In Religion we have begun looking at how people live their faith. This has included researching other belief systems and identifying similarities and differences between them and our school belief system. We are looking forward to a term full of fun and learning within the 3-6 class. Welcome back everyone! -Miss Charlton

APRE

Ash Wednesday, opens Lent, a season of fasting and pray-

er. It takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday. Ash

Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of

penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of

ashes on the forehead which have been made from

blessed palm branches, taken from the previous year's

Palm Sunday Mass.

The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us and are to remind us that God is gracious and merciful. During lent we are called on to be merciful to others – to help others, to think of those who have less than we do, to do penance (to live simply and go without things such as foods we don’t need) and to support others through Project Compassion. By living like this even for a short time we may come to better understand the lives of others who are less fortunate than ourselves. The Ash Wednesday service will be held at St Finbarr’s Church on Wednesday 25th February at 10.30 am. Everyone is welcome to attend.

P&F AGM and BBQ

The P&F AGM and Parent Infor-

mation evening will be held to-morrow evening with a BBQ at

6.30 pm. Nominations for P&F committee

positions can be taken at the meeting

Congratulations to Bella for her success at the District

Swimming Carnival last Friday, she will now be heading off to the

Regional Trails later this month in Charleville.

The reading bug has hit

St Finbarr’s, even those

who love motorbike rid-

ing even more!

STUDENT AWARDS

Congratulations to our student achiever's so far this term Tully Darcy Kailen

Hayden

&

Georgina

We offer Janell our deepest condolences with the

passing of her mother Joan on the weekend.

Joan’s funeral will be held at St Finbarr’s Church on

Saturday, 15th February at 10 am.

Followed by a private family service at the Cemetry

Please keep Janell and her family in your thoughts and prayers during this time of sorrow.

Eternal rest grant to her O Lord and let perpetual

light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen.

Quilpie and District Sport Dates

Cross Country 23rd April

Athletics Carnival 24th July

Swimming Carnival 27th Nov