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“Walk In The Light” Principal: Mrs Rita Petersen

Email: principal.mareeba@cns.catholic.edu.au Assistant to the Principal Administration (Acting): Mrs Leonie McCormack

Assistant to the Principal Religious Education: Mrs Kathy Fleming

Parish Priest: Fr Michael Belonio OSA: Telephone 07 40921 077 Email: stthomas@ledanet.com.au

5th November 2013

St Thomas of Villanova Parish School 63 Constance Street, Mareeba Qld 4880

Phone: 4092 1570 Fax: 4092 2935 Tuckshop: 4092 4371 Email secretary.mareeba@cns.catholic.edu.au

Website www.stthomasmareeba.qld.edu.au

From the Principal…… There can be no doubt that the events in parts of New South Wales and Victoria have in some way touched each of us in a profound way. Through the eyes of the media we have been made acutely aware of something of the reality that is being faced by many families and individuals as they either play the waiting game or in fact face the devastation and the clean up that comes in the wake of the terrible fires.

Sometimes it can be very difficult for us to comprehend the gravity of such events. It is in the face of such moments, in the darkest hours of people's need, however, that the true light and goodness of the human spirit comes to the fore. The enormous outpouring of prayer, solidarity and goodwill is already being witnessed and will no doubt become increasingly evident in the coming weeks. It is a heartening sign of true hope and a recognition that we are people who are created in goodness and in love.

With last week being World Mission Week, such events remind us of the need to keep our eyes close to the needs of those who live in our own backyard as well as to those needs which are experienced further abroad. They provide each of us with opportunities to reach out and to be the presence of Jesus through our generosity and to respond in a spirit of love and Christian kindness.

LEADERSHIP 2014: In 2015, Queensland Primary Schools will no longer host Year 7 classes. This means that next year our Year 7 and Year 6 students will both be in their final year of primary schooling. This change presents an exciting opportunity for schools to review current student leadership models in order to allow all students in their final year of Primary School to access the opportunity to be a school leader. Here at St Thomas’s and indeed within the Diocese of Cairns, the conversations about how schools might manage this change next year and beyond, commenced earlier in the year, and as a staff along with some input from parents and students, we explored a variety of options. We settled on a model which we believe will be a fair one for all students and allow representation of both year levels.

SCHOOL CAPTAINS 2014: Congratulations to Kyrah Johnston & Jake Priestly (Yr 7) and Jasmine Manning & Arosh Heenkenda (Yr 6) who were voted in as our 2014 School Captains. I am confident that they will fulfil their positions as leaders of St Thomas’s with a genuine sense of responsibility and commitment – supported by all our Year Seven and Six students and the entire school community. Best wishes in your role ahead.

SPORTS CAPTAINS 2014: Congratulations to the following students who were voted in as our 2014 House Captains.

O’Connor: Megan Crane & Shaun Stephens (Yr 7) and Jessi Dalip & Eryk Legaspi (Yr 6) Phelan: Shenika McDowall & Liam Pozzebon (Yr 7) and Claudia Cater & Morrison Boden (Yr 6)

Mills: Shakayla Pedrola & Logan Acha (Yr 7) and Skyla Sue & Rylan Scurr (Yr 6)

Power: Alexis Ford & Parmjot Mally (Yr 7) and Jada Fittock & Deane Alterio (Yr 6)

Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it - Anon

LOOKING AHEAD

Thursday, 7 Nov: Swimming Prep-Year 3

Monday, 11 Nov: Bravehearts visiting Prep – Year 3

Tues 12 Nov: Yr 1 Class Mass @ 9.00am

Thursday, 14 Nov: - NAPLAN Analysis Day - Swimming Prep-Yr 3

Friday, 15 Nov: Year 7 Excursion to Tinaroo Dam

Monday, 18 Nov: Prep Transition Morning (9:00-11:00am)

Tuesday, 19 Nov: - Prep Transition Morning (9:00 – 11:00am) - P&F Meeting @ 6:30pm

DATE CLAIMER Year 7 Farewell, Thanksgiving, Awards & BBQ commencing @ 6:00pm

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ROTARY DINNER: Our school leaders were the guests of Rotary at a recent dinner. As always Travis and Fillippa represented our school well and joined other students in Mareeba at the dinner. Such an opportunity allows our students to see a local organisation they would not ordinarily be exposed to. FINAL P&F ASSOCIATION MEETING: The final meeting of the P&F for 2013 will be held on Tuesday, 19 November commencing at 6:30pm. This will be primarily an opportunity to celebrate all that has been achieved over the year and to thank parents and friends of our school community who have contributed to the life of our school over the course of the year. STAFF NEWS: It gives me great pleasure in announcing Mrs Michelle Brammer & Mrs Nola Nunes will be joining the staff of St Thomas’s in 2014. I welcome them both to St Thomas’s School community and I have no doubt that they’ll enjoy their time with us and will come to experience something of the warmth and school spirit, which is unique to St Thomas’s. 2014 will also see the return of Mrs Maggie Beare and Mrs Noelene Lep (Term One) and Mrs Jayarani Salerno (Term Two). In this week’s newsletter, I also have the difficult task of informing the school community that Ms Liz Evans leaves us to return to the Northern Territory in 2014. We thank Liz for the hard work and time she has given and we wish her and her daughter, Eilis well in their endeavours, and hope that their association with St Thomas’s community has been a rich and rewarding one.

CLASSROOM TEACHING STAFF 2014: Teaching Staff Prep Mrs Venessa Garozzo & Mrs Leah Joubert Year 1 Miss Kyra Terkelsen & Ms Elaine DeLai Year 2 Miss Stacey Vohland & Mrs Maggie Beare Year2/3 Mrs Colleen Sheppard Year 3 Mrs Lyndel Lacey & Mrs Debbie Filippelli Year 4 Mr Stephen Bonnett (Sem 1)/Ms Sigita Ulanas (Sem 2)

Ms Karen Rolfe Mrs Nola Nunes (4 days)/Mrs Pearsall (1 day)

Year 5 Miss Megan Jackson & Miss Bethany Knights Year 6 Ms Morgan Ah Gum & Mrs Michelle Brammer Year 7 Mrs Tracey Eaton & Mrs Noelene Lep (Term 1)

Mrs Jayarani Salerno/Mrs Noelene Lep (Term 2-4)

MORE Staff News: Due to his outstanding skills, Mr Michael Raso has been selected to play in yet another cricket tournament overseas and hence will be away from Friday, 8th November. Fortunately for us, he returns to spend the last week (WK 9) with us. I’m sure you’ll join me in congratulating Michael on his selection, and wish him well on his trip. In his absence, we are fortunate to have Mrs Michelle Brammer take on the role of PE Teacher for the three weeks. Michelle commences on Monday, 11th November. BRAVEHEARTS – ‘Personal Safety Education Program’: On Monday, 11th November students from Prep – Year 3 will have the opportunity to experience the personal safety program presented by ‘Bravehearts’ here at school. The 35 min performance is titled, “The Ditto Show” and consists of:

• your body’s warning signs

• yes and no feelings

• private parts (general discussion, includes private body parts song)

• scared and yucky feelings

• what to do if someone tells you a bad secret

• it’s okay to say NO if you don’t feel safe

• good and bad secrets

• when it is okay for a grownup to touch private parts

Parents are encouraged to come along. Should you have any questions about the program, please don’t hesitate to contact ‘Bravehearts’ Cairns Office on 40547311. SECOND-HAND CLOTHING POOL: We ask that families who have uniforms that have been outgrown (shirts, skorts, shorts, hats, sports shorts & shirts) to consider adding them to our second hand clothing pool. Thanking you for your continued support. DATE CLAIMERS: Friday 15 Nov: Yr 7 excursion to Tinaroo Dam Monday, 18 Nov: Prep Transition:- 9-11:00am Tuesday, 19 Nov: Prep Transition:- 9-11:00am Wednesday, 27 Nov: Prep Transition:- 9-11:00am Wednesday, 27 Nov: Year 7 Trip to Green Island Friday, 29 Nov: Prep Transition:- 9-11:00am Tuesday, 3 Dec: Year 7 Farewell Liturgy, Awards & BBQ Friday, 6 Dec: Final Day of Term. School concludes @ 12 noon

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LAST DAY OF SCHOOL 2013: Our program is as follows: - 8:40am School day commences – class

activities and final clean-up! - 10:30am Morning Tea/ Final clean-up of

school grounds. - 11:00am Thanksgiving & Farewell Mass - 12:00pm Children to go home. NAPLAN 2014: The NAPLAN test dates for 2014 are Tuesday 13 May, Wednesday 14 May and Thursday 15 May. To assist in the administration of NAPLAN parents/carers asked to keep these dates free from interruptions to the normal school routine. KiK- SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE: Although spoken about this in an earlier newsletter, I am aware that many of our children are using the social networking app “KiK”. Social media is an incredible tool when used safely in the hands of those with the developmental ability to discern its proper use. When an app is given a recommended user age of 17+ there are legitimate reasons for this. The following is an excerpt from a Leonie Smith’s (Social Media/Cyber Safety consultant she is also known as “The Cyber Safety Lady”) website. http://thecybersafetylady.com.au/2013/07/why-kik-messenger-is-unsafe-for-kids/ Kik Messenger is an incredibly popular messaging app for kids. Previously Kik Messenger was rated 13+ on the app stores, but it has recently been put up to an age limit of 17+ because Kik has introduced what are known as ‘cards’ or apps within the app. Primary schools are reporting that more and more children under the recommended age of 17+ are signing up to use this app. Unfortunately police and teachers are also reporting increased incidents of kids being approached by adults, bullying and other worrying activities through Kik Messenger. Kik Messenger is no longer JUST a messaging app. It is now a platform for social media type activities and a platform for hosting other apps, much like Facebook does. These so called ‘cards’ are essentially built in apps available within the Kik Messenger app that can be activated within Kik Messenger. None of the apps or ‘cards’ within Kik Messenger are verified or rated for age appropriateness. I have provided this information to assist you in ensuring that your children access the internet safely and responsibly.

IMPORTANT CHANGE: Child Care Benefit for Registered Care Our school has been registered as a care provider with the Department of Human Services. This has allowed families with children attending the Preparatory year to claim Child Care Benefit for registered care as this year level was not considered to be a compulsory school level. From 1 January 2014, this will change as the Preparatory year will be considered to be compulsory schooling in Queensland. As a result, our school will not be able to provide a registered care service for Child Care Benefit purposes for the Preparatory year on or after 1 January 2014. Our service will continue to issue receipts for registered care provided to you up to and including 31 December 2013. What this means for you:

• Your family will only be able to claim Child Care Benefit for the Preparatory year up to and including 31 December 2013,

• You need to complete and lodge a claim form (FA018) with valid receipts (for this care) within 12 months of the care being provided with the Department of Human Services, and

• Your family will not be able to claim Child Care Benefit for any schooling provided during the Preparatory year on or after 1 January 2014.

This means, for example, your family can lodge a claim (with valid receipts) for Child Care Benefit for registered care that includes care provided between 2 July 2013 and 31 December 2013, providing that the claim is lodged with the Department of Human Services by 1 July 2014. Should you have any questions or concerns please discuss with us or phone the Department of Human Services on 13 61 50. FINALLY……… As the end of the year is closing in on us and time is of the essence in staying focused on our goals for learning in 2013 I will share with you some words of wisdom from Michael Grose on parenting principles – www.parentingideas.com.au From my own experience as a parent I think they are so true, and as I read them, I not only reflect on but rate my own skills as a parent but thank God (which I often do) for the wonderful parents I was blessed with.

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ACHIEVE Working with your child’s teacher

Know what your teacher is trying to achieve Keep your expectations reasonable and positive

Support your teacher’s expectations and activities at home.

Send kids to school ready to learn and on time each day.

Inform us early of your child’s challenges and changes.

Skill children to work with others. Respectfully seek joint solutions to problems

and difficulties. Participate fully in class and school activities

Trust your teacher’s knowledge, professionalism and experience. Talk up what happens at school.

And so…….My prayer is that these final weeks will remain productive and be a time of genuine closure so that we can look back on the year knowing that we have made it the best year it could possibly have been. We ask the Holy Spirit to guide our process as we make these decisions.

Rita Petersen

On Friday 18th October, families were treated to a fantastic display of talent from a large number of students.

St Thomas’ Got Talent kicked off with the Combined School Band then the audience was spoilt with a selection of talent from children of all ages. The talent included singing solos, duets and groups as well as dancing, instrumental solos and even a magic show!

It is always amazing to see the children shine with talents that are often hidden in a school setting. Performing in front of a large audience is very daunting but the thrill of accomplishment you get afterwards is very rewarding. It is a great way to build confidence and to get experience.

Thank you to the children who took the time to practice and your performances were amazing! I would love to list you all but the list is very long! Thank you to students, families and staff for your help and support for this valuable event.

Ms Annalisa Savaglio

Tuckshop Notice Board • Limited Stocks on Monday Multicultural

Day Menu. Your child will be offered an alternative choice if we have sold out.

• Those choosing to place an order through the classroom tuckshop boxes, could you please put the money in an envelope with the child’s name & amount on it and place into the brown bag.

• Please note the correct change is preferred as currently the change is being taped to their brown bags and may be lost.

• NO TUCKSHOP – Last Day of School – Friday 6th December SCHOOL LEADERS 2014

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Guidance & Counselling Information Friendship Problems.

The following article has been derived from Kids Helpline, www.kidshelp.com.au, which has an abundance of information topics related to issues concerning young people of all ages and is well worth having a browse through. Basically, children want to have friends and be a friend to others ….. friends are fun to be around and valuable lessons can be learned from friendship, such as;

How to share. How to get on with others. How to be kind and caring. How to be a leader and a follower. What it means to give and take.

Sometimes, however, things don’t quite work out right and friends fight and argue with each other. Fights might only last for a short time but at the other end of the scale, things may get so bad that they decide not to be friends any more. When our young people are having friendship problems it usually causes a significant amount of distress for all concerned. 1. Feelings about fights. People experience a whole range of feelings when they are in conflict with their friends ….. they may feel;

Sad or hurt. Angry or frustrated. Misunderstood. Confused. Worthless or under-valued.

Unless these feelings are communicated to someone they trust, it can lead to further complications like not wanting to come to school, isolation and eating/sleeping disturbances. 2. What causes fights? There are many reasons why fights occur between friends …. It might happen because someone is tired and cranky and takes it out on a friend or it may be due to serious matters such as sharing a personal secret with another person. Some of the things we hear kids say that has caused fights include; “My friend laughed at me when I couldn’t make it over the high jump bar”. “I was feeling sick and didn’t feel like playing and my friend didn’t think I liked her anymore”. “My friend wouldn’t share”.

“I lent my friend my Ipod and it got lost”. “My friend was talking about me behind my back”. “My friend wants me all to herself and gets angry if I play with other kids”. 3. How can we sort things out? Patching things up between friends can take time and in some cases things just don’t get sorted out ….. some helpful ways in which friendships might be repaired include;

Thinking about what happened …. How did the fight start? What really happened? Did anything make it worse? What is happening now to keep it going?

Looking at feelings ….. Are you angry/sad about fighting with your friend? Is the thing you are fighting about really worth all the bad stuff that is happening right now?

Talking it out with your friend ……. This is best done in private and away from others who may take sides; stay calm and avoid blaming each other; let your friend know how you feel about fighting with them and let them have their say as well; be respectful; you might wish to have the help of a trusted adult like a school counsellor or your teacher to when you are talking things through.

What might need to be changed? ….. you might need to negotiate with your friend about things like sharing friends or possessions and about respecting each other and listening to each other if there is an issue.

Saying sorry ….. offering a sincere apology goes miles in getting a friendship back on track ….. even if you think you didn’t do anything wrong you could say “I’m sorry we are fighting and I miss playing with you” or “I’m sorry this fight has gone on too long”.

Friendship issues are quite a common occurrence in schools and staff and indeed parents, spend a significant amount of time in attempting to problem solve with children. It is important to work with young people around these issues at it provides them with an essential life skill that is a must for healthy adult relationships. If you have concerns about your son/daughter in terms of friendship problems or any other emotional concern, please don’t hesitate to contact either myself, on bschofield@cns.catholic.edu.au or the school office on 4092 1570. I wish you a safe and happy week. Bryan Schofield Guidance Counsellor

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Religion News

St Vincent De Paul Annual Christmas Appeal

Our annual St Vincent De Paul Christmas Hamper Appeal will being next week and continue right up until until the end of our school term. Xmas gifts of non-perishable items can be placed in the baskets in the school office. Your generous donations will be delivered to our local branch of St. Vincent de Paul for them to distribute to help out local elderly men and women and families who may be alone or struggling this

Christmas. Ideas for our baskets: TINNED BEETROOT, HAM, TURKEY, CORN, JELLY, FRUIT MINCE PIES,

LONG LIFE CUSTARD OR CREAM, MILO, TEA, COFFEE, SOFT LOLLIES, PUDDINGS, LONG LIFE MILK.

Sacramental Program 2014 Catholic students in Year 4 in 2014 will be eligible to enrol in the Parish Sacramental Program. Children will receive the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation. Enrolment details will be sent home with these students today. All enquiries to Monica in the Parish Office ph: 4092 1077. RE Diary Dates – Term 4

† 12 Nov – 9am – Year 1 Class Mass † 14 Nov – 9 am – Yr 4 & 5 Class Reconciliation † 21 Nov – 9am – Yr 6 & 7 Class Reconciliation † 3 Dec – 6pm – Year 7 Farewell & Thanksgiving & Family BBQ

† 6 Dec – 11am – End of Year Mass

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Kids Matter Survey – You are invited to participate. All parents and carers are invited to participate in the following survey. The survey asks parents and carers for their perspectives on their child’s school and what they think is important for schools to consider in better supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing.

The answers provided by parents and carers are completely anonymous and are stored securely by KidsMatter Primary and the school. Only summarised results that align to the four components are used for the purposes of informing school planning. We encourage all parents and carers to complete the survey so that we can obtain a wide perspective of parent and carers opinions and views. Please log in at the following URL to complete the survey: http://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary/other-resources/school-surveys/parent-survey If you would like a hard copy of the survey you can collect one from the front office. If you have any questions please contact Leonie McCormack at the school.

Thank you for your participation.

Balance for Busy Families What’s the right balance of after-school activities? Parents start with the best of intentions, but it doesn’t take much to turn those intentions into afternoons and evenings of shuttling weary kids from place to place. Homework takes up the rest of the evening, leaving little time for your child to unwind—or for your family to connect.

If you feel like your family is overloaded, you can ease some of the pressure by finding ways to simplify your routines, whether it’s cutting back on activities or getting more organized at home. And remember that “more” doesn’t always mean better. If your son is on the track team to boost his extra curriculars for college but his grades suffer because of the commitment, it might be better in the long run to scale back and choose some less-demanding activities.

We have resources to help you decide the right balance for your family. “Finding Balance for Busy Families” is a popular article with great information on paring things down, and “Choosing After-School Activities” gives advice on how to help find meaningful activities that won’t put the whole family into overdrive. Source: School Family Website - Your go to guide for school success. URL: schoolfamily.com

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Sports News

National School Futsal Championships 2013

On the second week of the school holidays Milan, Daniel, Logan, Deane, and I were chosen along with 4 other boys from Cairns, to represent the Far North Qld U10’s team in the National School Futsal Championships that were held in Sydney. The week consisted of playing 7 games of 20 minute halves against teams such as Qld Country, Qld City, Victoria Country, Victoria City, NSW Hunter and 3 U11 teams. It was a great experience, I had heaps of fun with the team and I would definitely go again next year if I get the opportunity. After the week, I went on to find out that both Milan and I had been chosen to represent Australia in the U11 futsal team to travel to America to compete in the US National Titles in July 2014. The trip will involve playing in a tournament against the best American teams and attending several training camps to improve our skills and fitness. - Damian Avolio 5SU