School Newsletter

Alessandra Ocampo took part in the Starbound Eisteddfod in Gold Coast during the school holidays. She did an incredible job and received a medal in every category she entered. Alessandra achieved 1st place and won a Gold Medal in the 10-year Country Song Vocal category, 2nd place and a Silver Medal in the 10-year Popular Vocal category, and another 2nd place and Silver Medal in the 10-year musical theatre category, where she played the role of Little Red Riding Hood.

Her outstanding performance allowed her to qualify for the "winner of winners" event, which includes contestants who secured 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place across all age groups from 8 years old and up. Alessandra achieved an impressive 3rd place in this highly competitive competition, earning herself a trophy and an Encouragement award.

Well done, Alessandra!

Welcome back everyone for term 2. Here is the roster for tuck shop for this term. All volunteers are welcome to join in supporting our tuck-shop. If you are available to help on a Friday, even if it just for a couple of hours, your efforts would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Renee on on 0417797854 or via email at renee.kilpatrick@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Week 1 Friday 19th April  -Public holiday

Week 2 Friday 26th April  - Prep

Week 3 Friday 3rd May - Year 1

Week 4 Friday 10th May - Year 2

Week 5 Friday 17th May - Year 3

Week 6 Friday 24th May -Year 4

Week7 Friday 31st May - Year 5

Week 8 Friday 7th June - Year 6

Week 9 Friday 14th June - Athletics Carnival

Week 10 Friday 21st June -  Anyone Available

Policy updates

A number of the policies that we implement as a school have recently been reviewed. These policies are a part of the enrolment agreement we have with you as parents/legal guardians and are available on the school’s website and from the links below. If you have any questions about these policies please contact the Principal.

• School renewal and improvement policy
• Student behaviour support policy
• School fees policy
• Teaching and learning policy
• ICT in Catholic schools policy
• Student diversity in Catholic school policy
• Enrolment in Catholic schools policy
• TCS Privacy policy

 Kind regards

Dr Patrick Coughlan

Executive Director: Catholic Schools

Diocese of Toowoomba 

Congratulations to our Awards winners

Weeks 1 & 2

….experiencing FAITH in the Mercy Tradition

Welcome back to Term 2! I trust you had a safe and blessed Easter break with your family and friends.

In the Church’s year, we continue in the Easter season and continue to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The Easter season lasts 50 days ending on Pentecost Sunday. It is a time to reflect on the significance of Christ’s victory over death. It’s a time of renewal and spiritual growth for Christians, emphasizing the hope and new life found in the Resurrection. We pray for those Yr 4 students who continue their Sacramental journey and look forward to celebrating with them as they receive the sacraments of Confirmation (Tuesday 14^th May) and First Eucharist (15^th/16^th June)

Last week, on the student free day, the whole staff participated in professional development at Laurel Bank for our Spirituality day where we focused on the question, “How do our relationships affect our wellbeing?” Firstly, we looked at our relationships in amongst our staff, those with our God and those with our students. Virtually, we listened to Fr Damien Price speak about coming as guest into others’ lives and the importance of being present when in the company with those around us. It is in those relationships and interactions where we feel the Holy Spirit working and enact our Mercy values of compassion and being of service to others.

Our first day of term, the Yr 6 students attended their weekly Mass along with special guests from Catholic Missions. Sue and Martin joined the Service Learning team to share with them, in more detail, the work that they do and in particular, how the Catholic Social Teachings can be use to strengthen our outreach to others in our community. We look forward to working with Catholic Missions and the Service Learning team to drive our fundraiser in October

Our elected Captains attended the Mayoral Morning tea at Highfields last week. It was a great opportunity to hear about what other school leaders believe is important to them when leading their school community. Mayor McDonald also shared his and the TRC’s values and how they are guided by these values to make decisions. Mayor McDonald also left the students pondering the question, “What will be our legacy when we leave SSPS?”

On Wednesday this week, we came together as a whole school for our ANZAC Day Liturgy. Thank you to Mrs McHugh and the students of Yr 5M who organized and presented our assembly.

A prayer for ANZAC Day

God of peace and justice, we remember the brave men and women who served our country with courage and sacrifice.

On this ANZAC Day, we honour their commitment to freedom, their selflessness, and their unwavering dedication. We pray for all those who have served, for those who have fallen, and for those who continue to serve today.

Grant them your strength, comfort and peace.

May we never forget their sacrifice, and may we strive to build a world where peace reigns and justice prevails.

Amen

Date claimers:

Whole School Mass on Friday 3^rd May @ 9am

School/Parish Family Mass on Sunday 26^th May @ 9am

Have a great week and thanks for reading!

Ann-Maree Ward

We are thrilled to be moving into our brand new library space this week! It will take time to settle in and establish routines but we are very pleased and grateful to have such a beautiful place to enjoy books and reading and to participate in lessons and other learning activities.

Our staff have given practical support but I wish to especially thank Mr Logan and the Year 6 students for their help relocating resources and our parent helpers, Donna Enders, Fiona Case and Katie Boyd Pratt for their generous support during the move this week.

Monday morning

Monday afternoon

Overdue Notices

Overdue emails are sent automatically from our library software once books have been on loan for 4 weeks. The Easter holiday period and interrupted library routines may mean you receive an overdue notice. Please treat this as a reminder only and please be assured that if loans have been returned they will be processed. Thank you for your patience at this extremely busy time for library staff.

Anne Anderson

The Year 6 students have been the first year level to enjoy our beautiful new Library space, with a reading time session in the tiered space on Monday. The year level moved into their new classrooms adjacent to the main Library earlier this week, with other classes scheduled to walk through the lovely new facility in the following days.  Parents also had the opportunity to inspect the Library during Wednesday's welcome BBQ and Disco event. 

A reminder that the Uniform Shop cannot accept EFTPOS payments at this stage, due to the upgrade of our 3G network.

Items can only be purchased using cash. Alternatively, please go online to The School Locker website - choose St Saviour's Primary School, then "collect from store or deliver to school".

Normal Uniform Shop hours are Mondays from 730am to 10am and Thursdays from 2pm to 4.30pm.  The Uniform shop is closed during public holidays.

Biggest Morning Tea - in the afternoon!

We will be holding a fundraiser on Friday 31st May from 2:30pm - 3:30pm and welcome parents to come along, have a cuppa and a biscuit and donate to the Cancer Council. The service learning group will be serving inside or outside The Mercy Centre.  Cancer affects us all, with one in two Queenslanders diagnosed by the age of  85. The Cancer Council navigate cancer with Queenslanders, working to reduce risk, improve early detection and provide much-needed practical and emotional support for anyone affected by a cancer diagnosis. We encourage you to get your parents to read this week's school newsletter so they can join us on the day or by donating via our special link Australia's Biggest Morning Tea - Natalie O'Brien.

 Minni Vinnies Winter Appeal

 As winter is fast approaching, we are launching the Winter Appeal now, so that when the weather truly cools in towards the end of the term, we can donate the goods to Minni Vinnies in readiness to support those less fortunate than us. We launched this initiative at assembly, with our students standing with bags we have collected from our homes, to show we are leading by example. Donation points will be put onto our posters that will be out across the school by the end of this week. Please when you get the chance, look in your wardrobes at your winter clothes and consider donating suitable items that may no longer fit your family, in addition to any spare blankets, etc. Even if it is just one item, that is one item that someone wouldn't have if it wasn't for you.

Natalie O'Brien - Year 6 Teacher

Date Claimer: Thursday 6 June, Sing Out Twilight Concert, Empire Theatre 

On Thursday 6 June, our St Saviour’s Primary School Choir will participate in Sing Out, an exciting choral event at the Empire Theatre. This will involve a daytime choral workshop and an evening concert, working with Mrs Jenny Moon, a guest conductor from Brisbane. The Sing Out Twilight Concert will be given by choirs from about 12 primary schools, who will combine to perform in a massed choir of about 500 young singers. 

Choir rehearsals are held Wednesdays from 7:45am – 8:25am. This term, its important that students arrive on time and attend all rehearsals as we are prepare for our upcoming Sing Out performance at the Empire Theatre. 

Please refer to Sentral for further information regarding Sing Out, including permission forms, to indicate your child’s intentions and ensure they are able to participate.   

Kathryn Stewart (Music Teacher)  

Dear Parents and Carers,

AEDC Data Collection:

From May 2024, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).  The AEDC is a teacher-completed census which provides a comprehensive picture of how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.  Children don’t miss any class time while the AEDC is completed, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information.  The data collected through the AEDC is used by schools, communities, and governments to better understand children and families’ needs, and identify the services, resources and support they need.

Participation in the AEDC is voluntary, however the AEDC relies on all schools with children in their first year of full-time school participating in the collection. Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.  To find out more about the AEDC and how it is being used to help children and families you can visit: www.aedc.gov.au.  If you have any questions, you can contact Bec Thomas – Rebecca.thomas@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Senior and Junior STEM Club

We had lots of interest in our Junior STEM Club for this Term.  Unfortunately due to space and resources we are only able to take a limited number of students.  If your child is interested in Junior STEM, please keep an eye out for our TERM 3 information. Student’s in Years 4-6 who are still keen to join our Senior STEM Club, are welcome to come along a on Thursday morning to Mrs Harlen’s room. For further information, please contact myself or Rachel Harlen.

Decodable Reading Journey

As you will be aware our school has taken a synthetic approach to phonics to align with Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum.  This has seen SSPS using Decodable Readers Australia to support our teaching of phonics and reading. The process of rolling out decodable readers and a synthetic approach to phonics will occur over the next 3 years as we spend time updating our resources and investing time in training staff and parents on how to best support children.  Our first parent information session will be for our Prep parents on Wednesday 1^st May – 3:00pm – 3:30pm.  During this time Prep parents will hear from our Prep Teachers on how to best support their child.  Prep children will be supervised in the Prep Playground by a member of leadership during this time.

Enjoy your week, 

Bec Thomas 

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to our first newsletter for Term 2. I do hope that your routines are back in place and your children are settling back in.  It was fantastic to see so many students and families at the BBQ and Disco on Wednesday evening and great to hear the positive comments relating to the new library.  I would like to thank the Parent Engagement Network for organising the event and for engaging parents in learning at St Saviour's Primary School.

Parent engagement is so important and a working partnership between the school and parents is key to fullfilling our mission for our students to Strive in Faith, Learning and Life. To help guide us in the right direction, I find it useful to reflect on the Toowoomba Catholic Schools' Parent Engagement Charter that is attached below:

Below is an extract for the document that can help with some tips for engaging with your child's learning:

While parents strive to be involved in school-based activities the opportunities to do not always balance with many other demands of work and family. Parents have a powerful influence on their child’s educational outcomes through what happens at home.
Parents are highly influential when they:
- have high expectations for their children’s conduct and courtesy, punctuality, sense
of responsibility and involvement in family activities
- show interest in their children’s learning by helping them relate what they are
learning in school to the world beyond school
- are supportive of the work of teachers
- model the behaviours of successful learners
- talk to children about things that interest them and provide opportunities for children
- to extend their engagement in these areas discuss their children’s educational and career aspirations and encourage children to set goals for their progress.

Again, I emphasise the importance of a partnership between home and school and certainly appreciate the influence that our St Saviour's parents and families have on our students' learning.

Sam Hannant

SSPS Cross Country 2024 

On the 17th of April, St Saviour’s Primary Cross Country was held. It was a fantastic day with many students competing, earning points for their house. Xavier was the overall winner on the day taking out the shield winning by only ten points. Listed below are the top three places in each age group (photos attached). 

12-Year-Old Boys – Joe Black, Hari Vinod, Olly Goodland 

12-Year-Old Girls – Rose Stead, Aya Doherty, Akeer Adol 

11-Year-Old Boys – Lachlan Giuffrida, Liam McHugh, William Prust 

11-Year-Old Girls – Georgie Hedge, Mia Aylward, Deborah Thomas 

10-Year-Old Boys – Harry Black, George Gainey, Darcy Phillips 

10-Year-Old Girls – Nina Lucas, Letti Stephenson, Akech Adol 

9-Year-Old Boys – Levi Nash, Xavier Adams, Frederick Mooketsi 

9-Year-Old Girls – Jemma McHugh, Randuli Wijayaratne, Jailei Moy 

8-Year-Old Boys – Jack Black, Alfie Ruhle, Mach Adol 

8-Year-Old Girls – Kaiya Jeffrey, Alice Prust, Annabelle Johnson 

7-Year-Old Boys – Knox Witt, Wyatt Goodsell, Ollie Duke 

7-Year-Old Girls – Havana Hilton-Russ, Winnie Duce, Nariah Monagle 

6-Year-Old Boys – Cash Hubbard, Kuch Adol, Nathaniel Katuna 

6-Year-Old Girls – Ivy Ferguson, Pia Brown, Ellanor Adams 

5-Year-Old Boys – Maverick Wilson, Hugo House, Beau Densley 

5-Year-Old Girls – Mia Gale, Neve Welsh, Molly Cryle/Indie Quinlan 

School Sport 

Congratulations to William Prust and Mia Aylward who made the Toowoomba team for soccer. Ella Maddison also made the Toowoomba team for hockey. They will all attend Darling Downs trials to try and make the Darling Downs team. Good luck and we look forward to hearing all about your fantastic experience. 

Zone and Darling Downs Trials 

All Zone and Darling Downs trials will be placed on Parent Portal. Please check Parent Portal regularly or set up notifications on your phone if you wish for your child to be eligible to trial for Zone and Darling Downs sporting teams as you will be required to obtain paperwork from myself. I am unable to nominate students after the closing date so please make sure you do keep an eye on Parent Portal. Any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

Cheers 

Brendan Luck 

HPE Teacher 

Choir News – Sing Out 2024! 

Date Claimer: Thursday 6 June, Sing Out Twilight Concert, Empire Theatre 

The St Saviour’s Primary School Choir, involving interested students in Years 3 – 6, rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:45am – 8:25am. We are learning a number of songs to perform next term at Sing Out, an exciting choral event at the Empire Theatre. 

Our SSPS Choir will participate in Sing Out on Thursday 6 June. This will involve a daytime choral workshop and an evening concert, working with Mrs Jenny Moon, a guest conductor from Brisbane. 

The Sing Out Twilight Concert will be given by choirs from about 12 primary schools, who will combine to perform in a massed choir of about 500 young singers. Further information, including permission forms, will be sent out closer to the event.  

I trust that everyone in our SSPS community enjoys a blessed Easter and I look forward to making music with all our students in Term 2. 

Kathryn Stewart (Music Teacher)  

Happy Easter and happy holiday reading from the library team!

Don't forget to get your copy of "The Magic Hour" by David Wolstencroft to read as a family over the break and into Term 2. We will set a date mid term to come together to chat about this fast paced, quite magical story which is Book 1 in a planned series!

Gratitude goes to our volunteer coverers as always! Thank you to the Harlen family, the Enders family, Tarsha Scotts, Merryl Nunn and Andrea Nunn for their covering work and beautiful bookmarks this term.

We are excited to be planning our move into the new library space. As well as this momentous time in our school, we will celebrate stories, books and the work of amazing authors with "Step into Stories", National Simultaneous Storytime and Regional Readers' Cup in Term 2. Stay tuned for more on all these fabulous events!

Anne Anderson

Teacher Librarian

.

What a term of chess we have had!  With over 30 children participating in chess club this term, it has been a hive of activity in 5M each Friday morning.   

Congratulations to the sixteen children who competed in the Individual Chess Competition at Toowoomba Anglican School on Tuesday 5th March 2023.   

There were close to 400 children competing, with 25 schools represented.  It was wonderful to see a high representation of girls, with over 100 girls there. 

Holly Coffison, Jivanthy Francis, Maddie and Maeley Skerman and Randuli Wijayaratne (Year 3) and Alfie Benvenuti, Ollie Duke, Quinn Croft and Faye Campbell (Year 2) competed in the Novice Section in a pool of 123 children from different schools.  This was their first time competing in an individual competition and they did themselves and their school proud.  

Randuli did especially well, coming fourth overall and receiving a trophy for ‘Outstanding Female Achievement’.  Well done! 

In the Open Section, there were 258 competitors.  In this section, we had our Year 6 boys Liam McHugh, Hari Vinod and Chevy Bennett and our Year 4s – Sam Hardy, Jaishan Francis, Levi Nash and Thea Campbell .  The children secured some wins, some draws and some losses.  The students’ behaviour was exemplary, representing St Saviour’s well and they reported having an enjoyable day of chess, handball, cards, footy and socialising. 

We have had several beginners start chess club this term, and hopefully they will continue and have the opportunity to also represent St Saviour’s in the future. 

Sara McHugh 

Over the last couple of weeks the leadership team have been meeting with new families who are looking to send their child to Prep at St Saviour’s next year. Having the opportunity to explain how our school brings to life its mission of ‘stiving in faith, learning and life’ has given me pause to reflect upon the abundance of ways our community wraps around our students with purpose and determination for all children to succeed. It is also a reminder of the privilege it is that families chose our school to guide their children in their learning journey and the importance of both parents and teachers working collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes for our students.   

As the term ends, I would like to thank all of you for working collaboratively with us this term.  Thank you to all those parents who participated in Parent Teacher Interviews last week.  I’m sure you can also appreciate the time and effort teachers place on providing this time for you and I thank all our teaching staff for their extra efforts not only last week, but across the term.

It has been a pleasure meeting and speaking with many different parents this term, often in difficult circumstances.  These interactions have reinforced for me the strong culture at St Saviour’s of developing respectful and productive partnerships between the school and parents.

The Parent Engagement Network ‘Life’ committee met this week and have finalised plans for our first community event for the year.  On Wednesday 24^th of April we will be holding a Disco and BBQ.  This is the day before ANZAC day holiday in Week 2 of Term 2.  SAVE THE DATE!  Further information will be sent out early next term.  We also plan to have our new library open by that date and are hoping to offer tours of the new facility on this night.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a safe and refreshing break over Easter. When retelling the Easter story sometimes children, and maybe even adults, can feel like it is a sad, somewhat violent story of Jesus’ demise.  On Good Friday we reflect upon the day that Jesus was crucified, however if we focus only on that part of the story, we are missing the true message of Easter, which is one of hope.  Easter Sunday when the tomb was found empty is the culmination of the story of hope, love and renewal.   We can draw strength from the Easter story knowing that even when bad times happen in our lives, we can have hope that good things are still to come. There is always opportunities for new beginnings when we open to God’s love in our lives.  

Enjoy the holidays!

Katie Hauser

Dear Parents, 

STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics!

STEM at St Saviour's is integrated into the curriculum in all classes to provide opportunities for students to think, plan, design, reflect and evaluate using 21st Century skills.  STEM helps develop a problem solving mineset and also requires students to use our St Saviour's Learner Qualities - determination/creativity/collaboration/thinker.  Next Term our before school STEM clubs will begin, which will give students extra opportunities develop their skills in STEM. 

Our Junior STEM Accademy will begin in Week 2 Term 2, starting at 7:45am - 8:15am. This Club will run out of the Prep H classroom and will be supported by Mrs Hawkins, Mrs Laing and Miss K.  Our Junior STEM Accademy will focus on the science and enginerring part of STEM, where students will be required to make prototypes to test, evaluate and redesign, often in small groups.  In week one of next term, a note will go out on Sentral and only 20 students will be able to be accepted.

Students in Years 4/5/6 can joing the Senior STEM Academy for an exhilarating journey into the world of coding and gamification using MicroBits! Years 4 to 6 students who are curious about technology and eager to dive into the realm of programming should come along and trial our STEM Academy. In our STEM Academy sessions, students will have the opportunity to unlock the secrets of coding while creating fun and interactive games with MicroBits and SPHEROS. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced coder, there's something for everyone. Let's unleash our creativity, problem-solving skills, and passion for STEM together! Senior STEM will run out of the 4H Classroom, Thursday mornings from 8am to 8:30am – Starting Term 2, Week 1!  Students who come along will need to bring their school devices.

We hope to have many of you at our STEM Clubs in Term 2.

Enjoy your holidays and a well earnt rest with family.

Kind regards, 

Bec Thomas

Dear St Saviour's Primary School Community,

As we come to the end of Term 1, I would like to take this opportunity to say a few thank yous and reflect on the past ten weeks. 

A Heartfelt Thank You

To our dedicated teachers, school officers and service staff, who pour their hearts into every lesson, thank you for igniting curiosity, sparking creativity, shaping young minds and building positive relationships. Your passion and commitment are the bedrock of our students’ success.

To the office staff, with your warm smiles and tireless efforts, you make our school feel like home. Your kindness and efficiency keep our administrative wheels turning smoothly.

And to our parents, you are the unsung heroes behind the scenes. Your involvement, support, and encouragement uplift our entire community. Whether it’s volunteering at events, attending parent-teacher meetings, or cheering from the sidelines, your contributions matter more than you know and make St Saviour's Primary the fantastic community that it is.

Moments to Treasure

As we look back on this term, we cherish the memories created. From the laughter in the classrooms to the camaraderie during school events, each moment has woven a beautiful tapestry of shared experiences.

In particular, I would like to mention all of the new students and families to St Saviour's Primary this year and wish you continued success as we enter into Term 2.

A Community of Kindness and Compassion

A distinctively, contemporary, Catholic school isn’t just about academics; it’s about fostering empathy, respect, compassion and educting the whole child. We’ve witnessed acts of kindness—big and small—within our community. Whether it’s a helping hand, a thoughtful gesture, or a friendly smile, these moments define us.

So, let’s continue into the remainder of the year to Strive in Faith, Learning and Life!

Have a happy and holy Easter.

Sam Hannant

….experiencing FAITH in the Mercy Tradition

As Term 1 draws to a close and we look toward the Easter break and holidays, it’s a good time to stop, look back and reflect. Ask yourself and your child/ren - Have I been a good memory for someone this term? Did I share my talents as often as I could? Did I share a kind word or thought with someone who maybe going through a challenging time? Lent is a time for thinking about how we can be the best people we can be and how we can continue to stay conscious of that in the coming days, weeks and months ahead.

Thank you for donating to our Project Compassion fundraiser! Each class had a collection box and the total of those was $548.80 and along with the online funds (Thanks for Nina & Penny Lucas, Asher Williams, Randuli Wijayaratne and Estelle Harlen for your online donations) of $140, our total was $688.80! We reached our goal! Thank you!!

The winning class with a total of $78.90 is Yr 4H! Congratulations and thank you!

Congratulations to Evee (Yr 3B), William and Imogen (Yr 3BH) on your beginning your Sacramental journey by celebrating your Baptisms in the last couple of weeks. Thank you to Fr Michael for making these special events so personal and meaningful. We pray for Ivana (Yr 2F) who will be Baptised on Easter Sunday!

In our classrooms during this week, students have been exploring and discussing child protective behaviours as we lead into the holidays. Some resources available include the Daniel Morcombe program and the Real Talk program provided by TCSO. Teachers will be reminding students as to who our Student protection officers are here at St Saviour’s and highlighting the importance of safe behaviours, particularly online. There are a number of parent resources which you can access at home to help support you with these discussions.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

A very user friendly resource is the eSafety Guide – Want to know more about the latest apps, games and social media that your child is using? The eSafety Guide includes important advice about their safety features, including how to use the settings to report online abuse and protect personal information.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/esafety-guide

Congratulations to our award winners for Term 1. The following students were acknowledged for demonstrating our Mercy values and also recognising their efforts by being awarded the Encouragement award.