12 September 2024

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Hello St Patrick’s families, I hope you are all well! 

How will you spend your holidays? 

It’s week 10 and I’ve got to say, the holidays are here just in time! 

We all need it from time to time; a solid break to rejuvenate our bodies and clear our minds. But it’s so easy to get to the end of a break and think, “I’m just as tired now as I was at the start of the break,” or “I didn’t get done any of the things I wanted to this break.” It’s not always easy to get the balance right between relaxation and responsibility. How you spend your break is up to you, but maybe take some time this week to talk with loved ones and think about what’s really important to you this holiday. Be realistic and recognize the things that must be done, and those things that can wait a little, to free up time to relax. For me, the key will be some fishing in the NT, being good to my very patient wife and not getting caught in front of the idiot box (that’ll be a lot easier once finals footy is over!) Whatever you choose to do, have a great holiday, I look forward to catching up with you all in Term 4. 

Term 4 Start Date – Monday 30^th September 

Please be aware that Term 4 starts on Monday 30^th September. In Terms 1, 2 and 3 the first Monday is a student free day but, in Term 4, this is a regular school day. See you then!  

Term 4 Conclude Date – Wednesday 4^th December

Please be aware also that Term 4 concludes on Wednesday 04^th December of week 10. In previous years we finished school midway through week 9 of term 4.

Colour Run – Thankyou St Pat’s P&F! 

I think it very appropriate that I finish the term with a big thankyou to our P&F for a GREAT colour fun run on Wednesday. It was an enjoyable way for our students to let their hair down and have some fun to celebrate the end of the term. A very big thankyou goes out from the school to Laura, Gina, Courtney, Sam, all the parents who helped and our friends at the emergency services – The St George Police, Ambulance and Fire Brigade – for organising a great time. Thankyou! 

Stay safe and have a relaxing holiday, 

Jim Wren
Principal

PARENT PORTAL

Download & Use the App Now!

St Patrick’s Parent Portal is now up and running for more streamlined communication with parents. The transition took place on Monday 5^th February, so if you haven’t already, make sure you follow the instructions below on how to register. If you are having issues registering, please contact the school office so we can help with the process.

Warm Regards,
Jim Wren

APRE News

It’s so hard to believe that we have come to the end of term three already.

During term three I have learned so much from this community in terms of resilience and compassion.

Caring for your children each day really is something that we take very seriously.  We are entrusted with God ‘s gifts and what a blessing they are. Even on days that have been tough, I am guaranteed that there are little faces who are ready with a joke or a lovely chat.

Toowoomba will be celebrating Carnival of Flowers over the next couple of weeks. If you are in Toowoomba over the weekend, please make sure you stop in at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral on James Street. Our community have made contribution to the floral display. The pot has been painted by our St Patrick’s school community and the plant was donated by the Balonne parish community. 

My prayer for you over the holidays is that wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, that you and your family are safe. May God hold you in the palm of his hand until we meet again in term four.

Mrs Anna Chandler
(Assistant Principal Religious Education & Learning Support)

OUR PRAYERS…

Let us support each other in Prayer, especially for the Sick and the Deceased and those who are suffering Hardships, in our Parish and School.

MASS TIMES

St George-Dirranbandi Parish

Priest Administrator: Fr Anthony Samy 0409 278 968 Email: balonneparish@bigpond.com

MLCC News

What makes a fluent reader? 

We typically think of a fluent reader as someone who can read quickly with no mistakes. Research has shown that this is not the case. Fluency may be defined as “reasonably accurate reading, at an appropriate rate, with suitable expression, that leads to accurate and deep comprehension and motivation to read” (Hasbrouck and Glaser, 2012). The three elements of accuracy, rate and expression are all critical to becoming a fluent reader. 

Accuracy is the first and foremost element of fluent reading. When accurate word identification and meaning happen straight away and at the same time, reading becomes automatic. 

Rate technically refers only to speed. A common misconception about rate is that “faster is better,” but speed alone does not lead to comprehension. In fact, fast readers may not be reading accurately or reading too quickly to think about what they are reading. 

Expression is the component that includes pitch, tone, volume, emphasis and rhythm. This element needs to be explicitly taught and modelled for students. It includes the ability to “chunk” words together into phrases. Expression can change the meaning of a text. 

This is why we strongly encourage repeated reading. Practice, persistence and patience are vital if readers are to become fluent and skilled readers. Why? 

Annette Colley 
Middle Leader/Curriculum Coordinator 

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Students of the Week 

Music News from Miss Hadenfeldt

On Wednesday the 4th and Thursday the 5th of September, 80 Instrumental Music Students from the Shire participated in a two-day musical workshop program with the ensemble members and educational team from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. The students were also lucky enough that two friends of Miss Hadenfeldt’s were also in town and came and sat in the band performance and were respectively from the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra!

The student concert on the Thursday afternoon also included some special guests - our Mayor Samantha O’Toole, the Governor of Queensland Dr Jeannette Young and her husband, Professor Graeme Nimmo. Miss Hadenfeldt spoke with the esteemed guests after the performance and the feedback given was extremely positive and that her Excellency was impressed with the quality of work from the students’ performance, and they especially enjoyed the pirate themed songs, newspaper pirate hats and the student’s energy.

The Instrumental Music Students and Miss Hadenfeldt would like to extend a huge thank you to the parents and caregivers and the school staff for the support of the workshop and are looking forward to future musical events!

We also hope that you all have a safe and happy school holiday break and continue to support the students practicing!

Kind regards,
Miss Nia Hadenfeldt

HEALTH & MUSIC

Welcome to Week 10, 

I hope you all have a very enjoyable holiday with family and friends. We have had a fantastic term starting with Music. For NAIDOC celebrations the students learnt how to play the didgeridoo and clap sticks. Each class has learnt and performed aural skills each lesson to build attentiveness and concentration which are key skills in all areas of life. Aural is about experiencing musical concepts such as beat and melody, and it is only by repetition we can really achieve that echo rhythm, in listening to a rhythm and reproducing it.  Each class has learnt a variety of different cultural songs from around the world.  

In Health, the Students have focused on healthy food, sun safety and sustainability. The students investigated a range of health messages, healthy and unhealthy. They explored how these messages are delivered and practically apply changes they can make to their food choices. The students learnt about the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating – five food groups, nutritional information and the information given about health. They explored how healthy eating, and lifestyle can be a very important component of their lives. The lower school looked at the sun safety campaign and middle school commence the substance safety storing and handling products. We will continue next term with more protective behaviours and strategies that help keep them safe at school and in their community. They will develop help-seeking strategies to keep themselves safe. They will also be able to identify how health information that can be used to make educated choices about their health and to keep them safe. Through discussion and exploration, the students will explore digital safety, including how to act and be safe in a digital environment.  

Enjoy your day! Keep Smiling! 
Mrs Jane Webster

Sport & Library News

LIBRARY

Southwest Story Fest

During week 7 the children were fortunate to attend the Southwest Story Fest.  The Story Fest is a festival celebrating reading and writing and the Balonne Library Hub hosted 6 well-known Australian Authors.

Below are some writing samples from some year 4 students who attended the Joel McKerrow workshop on Wednesday.

I am a bird, flying free looking for food and for someone to play with.  I am looking for someone that will be kind or someone who is small, so I won’t have to always look up to them.  Also, the food I am looking for is very delicious and small I can gulp it down in one bite and not have to chew.

See the birds on the beach, soaring high up
Touch the sand underneath my feet
Hear the seagulls screaming above me
Smell the chips and ice-cream from the shops behind the side rail that leads to the sand
Taste the salt from the gentle waves

I am the bird free in the sky.  I line in the reiver by the oceanside.  The flowers are free and so am I.  The clothes are swaying on the old clothesline.  The farmers have finished their crops and everyone’s out in the streets, playing and laughing so freely in the world.  I feel like I am a tiny speck in the world.  I am so happy to be me.

Also attached are some photos from the week.  After speaking with the children, they thoroughly enjoyed the experience and can’t wait for Storyfest to return next year.

A big thank you to the P & F and the parents for your support with the wonderful opportunity.

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Reading is Power and Knowledge.

Happy borrowing and reading,

Binnie Eley & Julie Pike
(St Patrick’s Library Staff)

COMMUNITY NEWS

St George Swim Club

New Season 2024

Sporting

Horizons Careers Exploration

Exclusion Fencing Outcomes Workshop

23-24 September 2024