Term 2, Week 6, 2025

Dear parents,

As we enter the second half of term 2, we have many things to be grateful for and to look forward to within our school community.  Our amazing students are doing great things in the classroom, on the playground, in sport, music, chess, drama, library, STEM and the list goes on.  

However, traditionally, this part of the term can present challenges for our students as well.  Report cards will come home in the final week of term and therfore children may be very focussed on their studies at this point of the term.  Many are playing weekend sports in winter and training during the week, which is great, but may also leave less down time at home.  I know as a working parent, there is always something to do - check emails, make dinner, washing, making time to play etc etc.  The point being that our children have a lot to think about at this time of year.

Due to the above, we at St Saviour's Primary, believe that students will do well if they can.  Which means everyone at school has a part to play in establishing a positive atmostphere where your child/ren can be happy and can learn.

One aspect of this that we are working very hard on at the moment is reducing students' cognitive load by establishing really clear guidelines relating to behaviour and what all children are expected to do in different parts of the school and at different times during the day.

We have started with before school where all students are not expected to arrive prior to 8am (unless at OSHC).  Between 8am and 8.30am they are to sit outside the Mercy Centre until a teacher is on duty at 8.10am where they can then move to their play spaces.  This time before 8.10am is for safety reasons as there is no supervision.  The children are now very aware of this expectation and they have a choice.  They can sit and wait or they can choose to play before 8.10am.  However, if they choose the wrong option there is a consequence of which they are also aware, in the hope that they won't choose this option in the future.  Very explicit expectations help take the "thinking" out of it for the students.

Our next step is to work on the movement around the school in class groups and during transition times.  Again, there will be some very clear expectations for students as we continue to create a structured and orderly learning environment where students can Strive in Faith, Learning and Life.

Have a great weekend!

Sam Hannant

….experiencing FAITH in the Mercy Tradition

Dear families

This week we recognise National Sorry Day, Monday 26 May and the beginning of Reconciliation Week, Tuesday 27 May – June 3^rd with this year’s focus being on the them of “Bridging Now to Next”. This theme reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future. This week is a time for all Australians to learn about shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each individual can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Chase, Oliver, Lola and Madeline joined me at the Reconciliation Breakfast hosted by St Saviour's College - it was a priveledge to join with them to hear stories of how we can work together work together towards a future of peace, healing and collaboration with the First Nation's peoples of Australia who are recognised as the world's oldest living culture. 

Our yarning circle has been evolving and coming to life with the beautiful images and colours created by the very talented local First Nations artist, Kim Walmsley. Kim will continue to work with our students so they can add their designs to the totem poles and together they will tell a shared story of what the designs mean to our community. We’re thrilled with this space and we are very grateful to have been able to engage Kim to drive this project to it’s completion.

This week I attended a Professional learning day at TCS, for the launch of Respectful Relationships Education. This diocesan curriculum is designed to teach our students about how to build healthy, respectful and equitable relationships. It is a preventative approach aimed at promoting gender equality, personal and social awareness, respectful relationships and protective behaviours. In Semester Two, students will be taught this program and further details about the content for each year level will be sent home to families for your information. 

Bishop Ken will be joining us next Friday 6 June to visit classes and spend time with students and staff. We look forward to having Bishop Ken say Mass with us all at our Term 2 Parish/Family Mass to which all are welcome to join. This Sunday 1^st June at 9am in St Patrick’s Cathedral we will be celebrating the Ascension of Our Lord with Mrs Kelly, our choir and instrumental groups singing and playing for us. We hope you can be there to support them and celebrate Mass with Bishop Ken and Fr Michael.  

World Environment Day is on June 5 this year. Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet—even in our bodies in the form of microplastics. World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution.

By drawing inspiration from nature and showcasing real-world solutions, the campaign will encourage individuals, organizations, industries, and governments to adopt sustainable practices that drive systemic change. This year’s World Environment Day comes exactly two months before countries meet again to continue negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution.

Join the #BeatPlasticPollution movement—because together we can create a healthier future.  

Profession Schindler Primary School in PNG book donations - To continue this whole school Service activity to our friends in PNG, we are accepting donations of reading books for the school. All types of reading books are gratefully accepted - Fiction and Non-Fiction books for all ages, from toddler to young adult. They are in need of quality texts. If you’ve ANY readers at home that are no longer being used, please drop them into the Primary school office at any time. This will be an ongoing need and the donations will be transported to PNG in September. Thank you for your support.

Have a peace filled week. Be sure to do one thing that fills your cup and brings you joy.

Thanks for reading,

Ann-Maree Ward (Assistant Principal – Mission & Identity)

Dear Parents

Mid-term is upon us, and the cooler weather is setting in!  As predictable as the change of seasons is the general shift in attitude in the school community.  The halfway point marks a continuous stretch of learning and impending assessment to gauge where students are in their learning journey.  The excitement of a new term is fading, and holidays seem like a mirage.  It is a often a time when the routines of school can begin to feel more challenging for many students, yet the wonderful thing about schools made up of messy humans is that there are many positives to be found!

I often speak to students who have had a bad moment, a bad day or sometimes a bad week.  During these conversations, that at times require the student to accept accountability for their actions and determine how they are going to repair what has been broken, I am always mindful of a child’s wellbeing.  More often than not, once a student accepts and understands the role they have played and how their actions have impacted those around them, they are in a vulnerable place in terms of how they feel about themselves.  Many students will fall into the trap of thinking that they are ‘bad’ or everything in their life is ‘bad’ because of single incidents that happen.  This unhelpful thinking is an example of ‘all or nothing’ thinking or black and white thoughts where there are no shades of grey.  I assume that many parents may face the same difficulties when speaking with their own children around things that happen to them during the day.  The real danger with these thought patterns is that they then can lead to negative feelings that overshadow any potential positive experiences the child is having and an inability to shift their frame of mind.  A cue that your children maybe engaging in this type of thinking is when they speak in absolutes such as, everything goes wrong all the time, school is ‘terrible’, no one ever likes me, the teacher always picks on me, what’s the point!?

A great conversation prompt for conversations that could help a child attend to all aspects of their day could be a ‘roses and thorns’ reflection.  Asking children to identify and describe a rose from their day ( something that was good) and a thorn (something that didn’t go well or was upsetting) is a great way to encourage students to look for positives rather than just magnify things that were challenging.  

When a child shares their feelings with you, it is always an indicator of their level of trust and connection with you.  Parents’ role is to support their child and be their advocate when they are experiencing distress or in a distressing situation, however it is also important to help build children’s resilience in the everyday ups and downs of childhood.  The idea that we can focus on both aspects of a day is a great way to display that things are normally not all bad or all good.  For older students adding a bud (a challenge) is another great way to normalise the spectrum of experiences that all humans navigate daily.

We are fortunate at SSPS to have Mrs Anne Woodcroft-Brown as our school counsellor. She works in the wellbeing space to support students who need more focused and individualised interventions.  Anne is also a qualified Triple P Positive Parenting Program presenter.  Anne will be presenting a seminar on Thursday the 12^th of June from 2-3pm titled ‘Helping Children Build Resilience’. This will be a valuable and informative session for all parents who want to know more about how they can support their children in this space.  Please follow the link below to register your attendance.  You can also choose on the form to elect to join the session virtually in real time.   We will also be recording the session for later viewing.

Wishing you a relaxing weekend where the positives are easily spotted!

Mrs Katie Hauser

St Saviour’s Primary School Athletics Carnival 2025 

As you might be aware the 2025 athletics carnival will take place on Friday, 20th June 2025. Due to the success of last year’s athletics carnival, we will keep the same format this year. This format is to benefit our students and to give the students the best opportunity to display their athletic ability in a safe and fun environment. Below is an outline of how qualifying and the carnival will run: 

• All students will compete in Long Jump at O’Quinn Street (no qualifying at school). As there will be more students competing in Long Jump at O’Quinn Street, we will have two long jump pits and we will only measure jumps that are past a nominated mark. All students will still get three jumps and all students who compete will gain a point for their house. 

• We will have qualifying in PE lessons for Discus, Shotput and High Jump. To align with Catholic and Zone carnivals, only 10-12 Years will compete in discus and shot put and we will only measure throws that are past a nominated mark.  

• The High Jump finals will be on Wednesday the 18th of June at St Saviour’s Primary and not at O’Quinn Street Oval. 

• There will be no finals for 80m/100m and 200m races. All heats will be timed, and we will use the top times from all the heats to determine who we will send to Catholic/Zone Athletics Carnival. 

We ask parents to be mindful that all events may not run to schedule, and changes may need to be made on the day of the carnival. We thank you for your understanding with this.  

Field Event Qualifying 

All students from Year Three to Year Six will participate in High Jump. Only 10 to 12 Years will participate in Shotput and Discus. Students will throw and jump to determine the top eight in each age group (boys and girls) who will compete in High Jump at St Saviour’s Primary on Wednesday 18th of June and Shot Put and Discuss at O’Quinn Street Oval on Friday 20th of June.  I will work out 1st, 2nd and 3rd for 8 Year Olds High Jump in Year Three from qualifying and they will be presented with a ribbon at the athletics carnival. Qualifying will happen in PE lessons as the feedback from students is that it is a much more relaxed and fun experience. 

Qualifying has been designed so all students get a chance to participate in each event in a fun environment regardless of ability. The top eight in each event (age group, boy and girl) then compete at the school carnival in a fun, but more competitive level. It is important to note that whilst all students are not doing all events at the athletics carnival, all students have participated in an event during PE sessions which is a part of the athletics carnival and have gained points for their house. Qualifying for High Jump, Discus and Shot Put will start Monday 12th of May and continue throughout Term Two. If your child is away during any of the qualifying sessions, a make-up session will happen during lunch time. These make up sessions will be posted on Parent Portal. 

Wednesday 18th June 2025 (St Saviour’s Primary School) 

DATE: 18th June 2025 

TIME: 8:30am – 3pm 

VENUE: St Saviour’s Primary School Oval 

EVENTS: High Jump 

WHO FOR: 9-12 Year Olds 

NOMINATIONS: The qualifying eight from PE sessions will compete in the high jump finals. 

This is a guide only. Whist we will try to stay as close as possible to these times, events may run ahead or behind schedule. 

Thursday 19th June 2025 (St Saviour’s Primary School) 

DATE: 19th June 2025 

TIME: 11:15am – 12:45pm 

VENUE: St Saviour’s Primary School Oval 

EVENTS: Ball Games 

WHO FOR: Year 3 – Year 6 

NOMINATIONS: All students in Year 3 to Year 6 will participate in this event. 

This is a guide only. Whist we will try to stay as close as possible to these times, events may run ahead or behind schedule. 

Friday 20th of June 2025 (O’Quinn Street) 

DATE: 20th June 2025 

TIME: 8:00am – 12:30pm – Prep to Year Two (Students will need to be dropped off by 8:00am, but transport provided back to school). Please respond to Mrs Katie Hauser about whether your child/ren require transport (https://forms.office.com/r/RHQtkUTNke). 

8:00am – 3pm – Year Three to Year Six (Students will need to be dropped off by 8:00am, but transport provided back to school if required). Please respond to Mrs Katie Hauser about whether your child/ren require transport (https://forms.office.com/r/RHQtkUTNke). 

VENUE: O’Quinn Street Oval, 16 - 44 O’Quinn Street, Toowoomba. 

EVENTS: Shotput, Discus, Long Jump, 60m/80m/100m Sprints, 200m, 800m, Relays, Prep – Year 2 Rotations 

WHO FOR: Prep – Year Six Students 

TRANSPORT: Prep to Year Two (Students will need to be dropped off by 8:00am, but transport provided back to school). Please respond to Mrs Katie Hauser about whether your child/ren require transport (https://forms.office.com/r/RHQtkUTNke). 

Year Three to Year Six (Students will need to be dropped off by 8:00am, but transport provided back to school if required). Please respond to Mrs Katie Hauser about whether your child/ren require transport (https://forms.office.com/r/YLwGL709PK). 

FOOD: The children will need to bring their own morning tea, lunch, and water.  

There will be no canteen operating on the day. 

SPECTATORS: We encourage as many parents as possible to come and support your child/ren at the St Saviour’s Primary Athletics Carnival. We ask that all spectators remember to keep their encouragement positive and to respect the officials’ decisions on the day. The main purpose behind this carnival is for the students to have fun, whist showing their school spirt gaining points for their house. 

COST: This carnival and transport are all inclusive in your child/ren school fees. 

UNIFORM:  Students are welcome to dress up and can wear clothing of their house colour. Hair spray and zinc are also allowed. If your child/ren does not wish to wear their house colours, can they please attend in their sports uniform. Please ensure your child wears shoes suitable for running. 

NOMINATIONS: All students will run in either a 60m, 80m or 100m race and year level relay. Students in Prep to Year Two will participate in modified athletics activities to gain points for their house. Students in Year Three to Year Six will also compete in Long Jump, 200m and 800m races. The qualifying eight from PE sessions will compete in shotput and discus finals. 

PERMISSION:  Permission has already been granted through ‘Physical Education Activities/Carnivals 2025’ on Parent Portal. 

St Saviour’s Primary School Athletics Carnival (Prep – Year 2) 

Friday 20th June 2025 

This is a guide only. Whist we will try to stay as close as possible to these times, events may run ahead or behind schedule. 

St Saviour’s Primary School Athletics Carnival (Year 3 – Year 6) 

Friday 20th June 2025 

This is a guide only. Whist we will try to stay as close as possible to these times, events may run ahead or behind schedule. 

*** 8-Year-Old (Year 3) winners for High Jump will be announced throughout the carnival *** 

Athletics Carnival Dates 

• Wednesday 18th June 2025 (High Jump Final) St Saviour’s Primary School Oval 

• Thursday 19th June 2025 (Ball Games – Year 3 to 6) St Saviour’s Primary School Oval 

• Friday 20th June 2025 (SSPS Athletics Carnival) O’Quinn Street Oval 

School Sport 

We extend our congratulations to William Prust for his selection to the Toowoomba Football team. William will now participate in the Darling Downs trials as he strives for a position on the regional team. We wish him the very best and look forward to hearing about his experiences. Best of luck! 

Zone and Darling Downs Trials 

All information regarding Zone and Darling Downs trials will be posted on Parent Portal. To ensure your child is eligible to trial for these sporting teams, please check the Parent Portal regularly or set up notifications on your phone. You will need to obtain the necessary paperwork from myself. 

Please be aware that I am unable to nominate students after the closing date, so it is crucial to monitor the Parent Portal. If you have any questions, please contact me at brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au. 

Upcoming Events (Term One) 

• High Jump (Finals) Wednesday 18th June 2025 (8:45am – 2:45pm) (9-12 Years) 

• Ball Games 19th June 2025 (11:15am – 1:30pm) (Year 3 – Year 6) 

• SSPS Athletics Carnival Friday 20th June 2025 (8am – 3pm) (Prep – Year 6)  

 Cheers 

Brendan Luck 

HPE Teacher 

brendan.luck@twb.catholic.edu.au 

National Simultaneous Storytime 

Our students and staff celebrated this national event with great spirit and enthusiasm for the story "The Truck Cat" written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell.  

Go to Storybox Hub https://storyboxhub.com/ and sign in with Username: ssps, Password: stories to view The Truck Cat being read by Jacek Koman. 

More from our Author Visits in Week 4 

Students have lined up to borrow the books written by our authors. When Year 4 and 5 students were asked to reflect on the authors' presentations, they shared the following insights; 

*Sue's stories have drama and some come straight from her travel adventures

*The detail in stories help to make them believeable

*Cristy had great energy and made fun of herself

*Stories can come from real life events and the lessons we learn when we persist with a problem

*Don't waste time thinking about hard things, just do it and move on

*Opportunities come when you show others that you are a learner

*Science doesn't always work at first. We need to keep trying with different variables in the hope of getting a result

Regional Readers’ Cup Team 

 Our Readers' Cup students are busy reading the 5 set novels in preparation for the competition in Week 8. They meet on Monday and Wednesday at morning tea to ask one another questions from the books.

Coverers Needed for Early Years Home Readers 

Please offer your time to complete the covering of new home readers for use in Prep-Year 2. Any help will be gratefully received, please contact a library team member or email anne.anderson@twb.catholic.edu.au.

 Happy Reading 

Anne Anderson

Teacher Librarian

Dear Parents & Caregivers

 FEES & STATEMENTS:

Statements will be emailed out early next week and will now be issued monthly. 

These statements will detail all transactions on your account for the preceding months. Please review your statement carefully and notify our Finance department of any discrepancies.

All Term 2 fees and levies are now due. If you do not have a direct debit, direct credit, or an agreed payment plan in place, ensure all fees and levies are promptly settled.

Please contact the office on below details if you have not received your emailed statement by the end of next week as we may need to update your email address.

If you have any other questions about school fees or your account, please contact the office on 07 4637 1700 or email accounts@sspstwb.catholic.edu.au

 Alyce Webster

Finance Officer

accounts@sspstwb.catholic.edu.au

Could the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Interschool, Chess Tournament students please stand tall.

I was so proud to supervise you at Catholic Education Office on Thursday, last week. And, for the children who participated online.

Your sportsmanship and behaviour were exceptional, a credit to you all, your family and our school.

Playing seven rounds, you played with developing skills, being a thinker to solve problems and reflecting on each game to improve your game play.

All of you are to be congratulated on your results with Randuli awarded second place, Jaishan in third and Eli and Aiden Shinoy as year level leaders.

These students along with Sam Hardy, Maddison Skerman, and Jivanthy have been selected to compete in the Toowoomba District Primary School Invitational Chess Championship in June.

Well done team. We look forward to hearing about your next achievements.

- Mrs Harkins

Visit by Registered Nurse for Free Prep Vision Screening

 Good vision is important for a child’s educational, physical and social development. Vision screening checks for common eye conditions that may impact your child’s ability to see and therefore impact their learning and development.

 A Registered Nurse will be visiting the school on Tuesday 3^rd June to conduct vision screening for children in their prep year.

  If you wish to have your prep child participate in this FREE vision screening program, please complete a consent form-

1. Online by 31/05/2025 or
2. Hardcopy returned to school by 02/06/25

Parents do not need to be present for screening, however if you would like to be, please contact the school to arrange this.

 If you have concerns about your child’s eyes at any time, please take your child to see an eye health professional (optometrist/ophthalmologist).  

For further information, please visit the Program website or contact the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program on 1800 687 372.