Issue 2, Term 1, 16th February 2024

Principals Report

Dear Parents, families, and friends,

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to all of the staff, students, teachers and parents. The first month of school has been incredibly inspiring and I am really excited for the rest of the school year. 
Leadership Forum 
I will be away next week in Toowoomba for Leadership Forum. Mrs. Mary Rutledge has been kind enough to accept to be the Deputiser while I am away. We are very grateful for Mrs. Rutledge and hopes she enjoys her time here next week.
Beginning of Year Mass 
Our Beginning of Year Leadership and Badge giving Mass will be held at the school not the church this year, on Wednesday 28th February at 6pm. Preps will be receiving their school badges and leaders will be given their leadership badges.
Cross Country Training
Cross Country training will start next week on Monday. Training will be Monday – Thursdays from 8.15am.
NAPLAN 
Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN will be on Wednesday 13th March, Thursday 14th March and Monday 18th March. A make-up day is scheduled for Tuesday 19th March.

Until next time 
Mrs Marsh

Ash Wednesday

APRE -Project Compassion Boxes

Support Project Compassion 2024, each year we send home Caritas boxes  to each family for students to donate any spare change. Below is a link if you would like any more information.

Boxes are to be returned at the end of Term 1. 

Caritas Australia | Donate to Caritas Australia

Beginning of Year Mass

Student of the Week & Gotcha Winners Term 1

Gotcha tickets are given out each week when students are seen to be following our school rules and values.  Actions may include caring for each other, greeting other students, staff and parents warmly or showing respect and responsibility.                                                                                                                                           Actions may also be following the words of Mary Mackillop -  'Never see a need without doing something about it'.                                                                                                                                                                                                            All the Gotcha  tickets a placed in the 'Gotcha box' and two names are drawn out each week, the remaining names stay in the box and are added to each week.

Prep-2 Class

The weeks are flying by. Thank you for the warm welcome to St Finbarr’s. It is hard to believe we are nearly halfway through the term already. 1-2s have loved having the Prep’s join us in the afternoons for HASS, Science, Religion, Art and shared reading experiences.  

Year 1-2 are working in their reading groups passionately each morning. Our 1-2 Writing unit, ‘The building blocks of sentences’, students are enjoying developing their sentences. We have been looking at picture books with farmyard themes. Our students love listening to these stories and get involved in reading each book.  

HASS (History and Social Sciences) in the afternoons has been a time of getting to know each other. It has been wonderful to investigate families and discover how students have changed from the past to now. Students will continue to investigate their family of origin and how history is important.  

Throughout Religion this term students have begun looking at Who Mary MacKillop is. We have discussed the symbols and objects that are important in our school. Over the remainder of the term, we will be focussing on ‘What is Special about Jesus?’ Students will dive into the gifts and talents that God has given them personally and learn who Jesus is.  

Science has been a favourite in the afternoons for our ‘Watch it Grow’ unit. Students have been able to observe and ask questions about real life minibeasts. We are now looking at the lifecycles of animals and plants. This week P-2 had the opportunity to observe and begin an experiment of growing beans in our classroom. Students are investigating what conditions/environments plants grow best in.  

It has been a busy start to the year and our students are thriving with opportunities to show their talents in arts and crafts.  

Thank you for partnering with us for your child’s education. It is a blessing to nurture each child daily. I am excited for all the new opportunities this year brings for all our families here at St Finbarr’s.  

Kind Regards  

Miss Derry  

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, this past fortnight to Rosie 

Cross Country Training

Dont forget that the Quilpie and District Cross Country Carnival will be held the 25th March, as spoken about this morning at assembly, training at school will commence this coming Monday 19th at 8.15am, please only send students that are willing to train as we cannot cater for spectators unless accompanied by a parent. It is also suggested that students do as much training as possible at home and on the weekends.

Good Luck and GO PEGLER!!!!

Quilpie & District Swimming Presentations

Due to flooding in the Quilpie Shire last year during our Annual Swimming Carnival, Eromanga State School were unable to attend the carnival, so  the end of day  presentations were postponed . Presentations will now be made  after the conculsion of the Quilpie and District Cross Country carnival 2024

Term 1 Whole School Swim Lessons

This term our swimming lessons at All About Aquatics is fosusing on Life saving skills. 

Dont forget lessons are every Friday at 11.30am-1pm 

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Tuck-Shop 2024

Tuck shop has returned for 2024, please make sure you read the  Operating Procedures in the Tuck shop to familiarize  yourself with how it runs, always ask Office questions if your not sure.                                            10am Please supply 3 small fruit/veg platters - snack attack                                                                                                11am  Fruit/veg option and  homebake  - morning tea                                                                                                     1pm   Lunch and dessert   

Please note : Please dont send PEANUT related snacks to school. Peanuts only are not permitted other nuts are fine.                                                                                                                                                                                     A link to the Operating Procedures can be found below.                                                        

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Assembly

Dont forget each Friday we have assembly in the Mary Mackillop room, where student awards are presented and School notices are shared with students and familiies present , at 8.45am when the bell rings take the Mary Mackillop room 

PPF 2024

Thank you to all those families who attended this year’s PPF AGM and General meeting that followed, our committee for 2024 consists of :

President -Mr. Sam Bartlett
Vice president-Mr. Dan Hoch
Treasurer - Mrs. Amy Kuhn
Secretary – Ms. Kerri Thompson
Fundraising C0-Ordinator - Mrs. Lousie Hoch

The next scheduled meeting is the 14th of March 5pm 

District & Regional Sport

Below is a copy of the Regional sport calendar for those students 10years and over.

School Website & Calendar

Please make youself familiar with our School Website, below is the Website link and a direct link to the school online calendar which has future dates on it that may not have been included in the Term planner, such as AGM and Fete dates.

Below shows you in 4 steps on how to subscribe the school online  calendar onto your phone's calendar, when reading school newsletter on your phone 

 St Finbarr's School, Quilpie, Calendar 

 St Finbarr's School, Quilpie Website

2024 Term Planner

Please find the Term Planner for T1 and T2, some errors were made in the Planner that went home please check and alter any dates that may have changed. A paper copy has also been sent home.

School Yard access

School Absences

School Bell Times

Term Dates 2024

St Finbarr's Student Protection Contacts

It is a legislative requirement that all non-state schools have at least two nominated staff members to whom a student can report the behaviour of another staff member that the student considers inappropriate.  We call these specially trained staff members School Student Protection Contacts, or SSPCs.  Each SSPC has been nominated by the principal in recognition of their integrity, approachability and knowledge in the area of student protection.  Whilst students are encouraged to speak up to any trusted adult in the school community, it is important that they know they can access these specific staff members at any time should they have worries, queries or concerns. You will have noticed posters throughout the school depicting our current SSPCs.  The SSPCs are also published on our school website along with information about our student protection processes.  In everything we do at St Finbarr's student safety is our highest priority, therefore the SSPCs at our school are key personnel in our overall safeguarding processes.  Please see the poster depicting our current SSPC team.