Diary Dates. TICKETS ON SALE NOW in the School Office SHOW TIMES: David Hutton- Executive Director of Brisbane Catholic Education

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1 Jubilation 34 Manra Way, Pacific Pines 4211 PO Box 486 Helensvale 4212 Ph: Fax: The voice of Jubilee Primary School 1 November 2011 Website: Jubilee Values, our Christian Values David Hutton, the Executive Director of Brisbane Catholic Education, the big boss of a school like Jubilee, wrote the following regarding Catholic schools. I see this applying to any school that calls itself a Church school, or as we call ourselves, an ecumenical Christian school. It is a core question that school staff and Administrators, church people and parents need to consider. Is there such a thing as Catholic values? Sometimes we speak about Catholic values in our schools. There is a presumption that we know what this means. We might name compassion, courage, justice, forgiveness, patience, perseverance as Christian values and in some sense this is correct. However, values are the second order of things for us. As Christians working out what we value starts with what we believe. At the heart of being Christian is belief in the person and message of Jesus. But Jesus is not merely an historical figure who did and said some good things in the past. We believe that he revealed the face of God to us in human form, taught us how to live by his life and sent the Holy Spirit to be his ongoing connection with us in our everyday lives. So Christian faith is primarily a relationship with a living God through prayer, worship, relationships and action. It s not some abstract set of principles from the past. Of course we do look to the past in that we work out how to be Christians today by reading the scriptures especially the New Testament and reflecting and learning from the formal teachings of the Church. The witness and writings of holy women and men down the centuries also inspire us. There is a danger in our Catholic schools that we secularize values or virtues and disconnect them from a living faith. It can be an easy way to make our faith more palatable to people in an age when believing in a transcendent being is not so fashionable. Let s not mention God lest we offend! Christian values are enriched and given their particular perspective in drawing on our faith both past and present. Recently I heard a speaker wonder at a school where, under the statue of Mary, was a sign saying do your best as though somehow Mary had endorsed this as a Catholic value. Of course, doing your best is a good thing to do, but it lacks any real Christian content. Diary Dates Thursday 3rd November Hub Market Day Wednesday 9th November Conundrum Matinee 11.30am Thursday 10th November Conundrum Evening Show 6.30pm Friday 11th November Yrs 5/6/7 Interschool Sports Friday 11th November Conundrum Gala Show 6.30pm Friday 18th November Yrs 5/6/7 Interschool Sports Friday 25th November Yrs 5/6/7 Interschool Sports Friday 25th November Christmas Concert Wednesday 30th November Yrs 6/7 Wet n Wild Thursday 1st December Year 7 Graduation Dinner Friday 2nd December School finishes 12pm For instance, the value of justice in the Christian tradition is quite different to a secular understanding that focuses on legal entitlements and rights. A Christian understanding goes beyond the legal to encompass compassion, commitment to the poor and marginalized and forgiveness of the offender amongst others. These can be gleaned from the life of Jesus in the gospels, but are only grounded for each of us through personal prayer and reflection on the present. So let s be careful not to dumb down our understanding of the Christian life by reducing it to a list of secular values that lack the richness of our tradition. Our students need to know that we believe in a living God, not a dead one like the dinosaurs they can see in a museum. That s why we teach our students how to pray, to understand the scriptures and teachings of the church, to be inspired by the lives of holy people, and to discern where the Holy Spirit is guiding them in their thoughts and actions. Only then will our values will be truly Christian values. David Hutton- Executive Director of Brisbane Catholic Education TICKETS ON SALE NOW in the School Office SHOW TIMES: *Wednesday 11.30am *Thursday 6.30pm * Friday 6.30pm Tickets $5 each or family of 4 $15

2 Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of Jubilee, Resilient children are affected by setbacks and experience the usual feelings of frustration, anger, disappointment etc, but they are able to bounce back and get on with their lives. They have learned how to bungee jump through life. Resilient children do not always act independently. They understand the need for support from others and are effective in seeking it out. The development of resilience is closely linked to a number of family factors. Resilient families exhibit numerous competency factors including cohesion, adaptability, effective communication, time and activities shared, the maintenance of family rituals, commitment and sound management practices. Other factors that are important include the following: The presence of a secure relationship with (at least one) caring parent. Consistent and firm parenting structured, high, but reasonable, expectations. Connections to extended family networks. An absence of criticism. The child s role in the family is clearly defined eg has responsibility for chores. Parental involvement, interest and support for the child s education encouragement of the child s self-direction in the overall learning process. Bonding with pro-social adults, mentors in school, clubs or the neighborhood. The child has practice coping with small setbacks feels successful. The child is prepared for challenges has some idea of what might happen and how she might respond appropriately. There is gradual and measured exposure to risk at a developmentally appropriate level. Resilience results from satisfying social relationships and success in accomplishing tasks. Children have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities and take on roles of responsibility. Play is critical to children learning social skills of sharing, establishing friendships and achieving win-win situations. Sense of humour is important resilient young people are able to create comic relief to smooth over troubled situations; find alternative ways of perceiving situations. Interestingly, Werner (1989) contends that maternal employment (and the accompanying child coping behaviour, independence, need to do chores etc) can be resiliency enhancing. The establishment of solid and productive relationships in childhood is critical. The existence of at least one emotionally available (and able) adult provides a substantial protective buffer against risk and vulnerability. [ adapted from the work of Bernard(1997); Dyer and McGuiness (1996); Stewart, Reid and Mangham (1997); Werner (1989) and Wicks-Nelson and Israel (2000)] THOUGHT for YOUR WEEK: We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill Giving is Fun By Kenneth Irving Brown If you believe in something, you support it. If you support something, the time comes when good wishes and cordial words are not enough and your hand reaches for your pocketbook. Then the fun begins. For giving is fun. If you refuse to give, your support is wavering; and if your support is wavering, it can't be that you believe in that something in any strong way. Maybe our account books, after all, offer the honest list of those things in which we really believe. God bless you and best wishes for the week ahead. David Sewell PRINCIPAL

3 G day from the APA G day everyone! Welcome to the middle week of Term 4! It s great to be back in the Jubilee community once again and it s great to see that things are humming along nicely at present. First up, I d like to take the opportunity to thank and congratulate our Resource Centre Co-ordinator, Michael Ball for the great job he did as Acting APA while I was away on long service leave this past four weeks. Long Service Leave: Speaking of my leave Jambo! (Greetings!) What an amazing experience I had during our African Adventure, travelling with my lovely wife Janice and two long-term friends, Louise and Ted. After a brief stay in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), we travelled through Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa, with a brief stay in Singapore on our way home. During that time we went on four different game spotting safaris, getting up close and personal with giraffes, elephants, lions, (see pic) leopards, ostriches, zebras, wildebeasts, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs, gazelles, antelopes and many more wildlife in their natural habitats. We visited two Tanzanian schools and a schoolhouse in a Maasai village. (see pic.)these visits mad e us appreciate just how well resourced we are here in Australia n schools such as Jubilee. We saw the power and majesty of Victoria Falls and the challenging life styles of those living in massive slums on the outskirts of several major cities. We visited Robben Island in Cape Town and saw the tiny jail cell occupied as a political prisoner for 18 yrs by Nelson Mandela. It was an amazing, exciting, humbling and thought-provoking experience and one that we ll remember forever but it s nice to be home! Special School Focus: At yesterday s assembly, Yr 1F led us beautifully in a reflection on the virtue of responsibility. With that in mind, our special school focus for this fortnight is: I m responsible and you are too When we do the things that we should do. This includes safe choices about activities around the home, travel to and from school, play and free time at school, activities in the classroom, safe movement around the school. access to and use of electronic devices, media and internet etc. Have a great Week 5 everyone! Hakuna Matata! (No worries!) Regards, Brian Mason. (Assistant Principal, Administration.)

4 Fundraising Family Portrait In efforts to raise funds for the State School Chaplaincy Service on Saturday 3 rd December from 8am to 4pm Advance Life Photography will be taking family portraits at St. Mary s Catholic Church, 185 Billinghurst Crescent, Upper Coomera. For the price of $15, families will receive a beautifully framed portrait 13 x10 in colour or black and white, a key ring and a valet size photograph to fit in the key ring, all valued at $130. The full amount of $15 is going to the Chaplaincy Service. There is no obligation but there will be an opportunity if anyone wishes to purchase additional portraits. This could be a great Christmas gift that will be a memory for years to come. Rules: Minimum two generations have to appear in portrait One person can t appear in two different $15 deals, except in case of divorced families Portraits have to be picked up by an adult person appearing in the photograph Only 30 bookings are available. Booking and payment of $15 has to be made by 18 th November. To avoid disappointment please book ASAP. For more information and booking please contact Sarafina Zubovic on: szubovic@hotmail.com Dear Parents and students, Reminder For our annual end of year concerts! Our concerts will be this weekend, Sunday 6th November. Venue; The Gold Coast Youth Orchestra Building Community Drive, Ashmore Concert One; Party; ( please bring a plate to share ) Concert Two; Gillian McNamee. A few more thoughts on Halloween G.M. MUSIC. Okay, I m sorry to all the parents whose children were scared by my talk about Halloween. Sometimes I am surprised with how things turn out. My son said to me after school, So Dad you think Halloween is good. (that is not my message) I asked children the next morning while on duty, What did I tell you about on Assembly yesterday? They seemed to have missed the point. Then a Year Oner came through with, We don t need to be frightened because of Jesus. Phew, I connected with one student at least. So I ll set it straight I actually think the street activities of kids going out asking for lollies is not a great idea from a safety point of view (Didn t we just have Walk for Daniel Day on Friday), and it isn t always the children I worry about. They grow up; have you see the gangs of year olds out trick or treating unsupervised and intimidating the neighbourhood? I bet the police just love the street activities on Halloween. Secondly, I think the commercialisation of Halloween has led to the trivialising of true evil. I don t mind the silly nonsense and fun for children let s provide good memories of childhood for them. But it is important to be alert to the work of evil in the world. Some children may be scared of ridiculous masks and the like, but at some stage they do need to be aware of the works that perpetuate evil. Most importantly, I think Halloween is useful only as it provides a reminder that there is no fear of evil and death for those who are Jesus people. Christian saints through the ages have stood in faith in Christ against the works of darkness, we too must build up our communities with what is good and true and right. All Hallow s Day (All Saints) is the Christian celebration that assures children and adults there is hope against evil in this life and their is life with God beyond the death. Celebrating God s Message You are all invited to join the Jubilee Students and Staff at a celebration lead by Archbishop Aspinall, Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane on Wednesday, 23 November at 9.30 am. The school will be celebrating the Bible being in the English language for 400 years. Kind regards, Trevor Sketcher

5 SPEECH AND DRAMA ENROLMENTS 2012 We are now taking enrolments for If you child is currently in classes and you wish to continue next year and have not as yet returned the re-enrolment form at the bottom of your account, or advised me by , please attend to this immediately. As advised previously, we are extending our private classes to include as many students as possible in 2012 and address our current waiting lists. Therefore, enrolment forms for every grade are now available from the school office. These forms will have full details of classes, aims and fee structure. The positions are always limited and fill very fast! I suggest you return the forms immediately if you wish your child/children to join us next year! Please complete this form and leave marked for our attention. The Speech, Drama and Communications programme has been a huge success over the years providing children of all ages with self esteem and confidence. If you have any questions regarding classes, please feel free to send me an . Anita Eldridge Specialist Teacher - aeldridge@bne.catholic.edu.au St. Vincent's Primary School Conundrum is Coming. Tickets are selling fast. Make sure you secure tickets. YOU DON T WANT TO MISS OUT. Cast members, please make sure you are reading over your scripts, know your parts, know your lines and are practicing speaking in a clear and expressive way. As per the letter sent home with students this week we are holding a full dress rehearsal this Saturday 5th November between 11am 2pm, if you are unable to attend please Mr Parry. Shane Parry sparry@bne.catholic.edu.au TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT THE SCHOOL OFFICE Wednesday 9th November am Thursday 10th Novemebr-6.30pm Friday 11th November-6.30pm $5 PER PERSON OR FAMILY OF 4- $15..(Cash only) Tuckshop News This week: Thursday: Anne Nash Friday: Danielle Shaw Tanya Shepard Sushi will now be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, please order via the bag system Heather May hmay@bne.catholic.edu.au Tuckshop Conveyor

6 NAPLAN Review, 2011 The results of the 2011 NAPLAN tests for Jubilee are indicated below. Student results are always translated into scale scores so that they can be compared across year levels. That is the same scale is used from year three to year nine. In this way we can see students progression and compare the scores across the state / nation. We also use band scales (not indicated here but is on individual student reports) to group students to identify overall achievement. In the table below, you will see the Jubilee average scale score, the scale score and the percentage of students at Jubilee who scored at or above the National Minimum Standards (NMS). For the purpose of these statistics, if a student is exempt for any reason, they are deemed NOT to be achieving the NMS, which can significantly impact these scores. Our Response: The NAPLAN results are always best viewed in light of the FULL picture / assessment of a student s achievement. However, at Jubilee, we use this as an important source of data to identify: Individual student achievement: This test (in conjunction with other data) can identify needs for: intervention when a student is NOT achieving the NMS or is scoring well above the state / national score, indicating the need for extension. We have analysed responses to each question and can intervene on specific areas of the curriculum where appropriate. This is useful for patterns of achievement, keeping in mind the tests took place in May and some deficits may already have been addressed. Cohort student achievement: Similar to above, we look for cohorts which are performing either well above or well below the NMS /. This can pinpoint where we need to direct resources, eg intervention in specific areas across cohorts. Overall School Achievement: We use the data to identify areas which may require a whole school response, either investing in that area with resources to enhance it or in the development / reform of whole school programs. Whole school responses generally take a longer term view of results, over a number of years to plan actions which can rectify deficits. Sometimes, results of the action plans are not always evident in the short term but foundations are laid so that improvements can be made and the developments are then tracked. Examples are below: We have noted lower scores in spelling over some years. This year we have adopted the Soundwaves Spelling Program as part of our whole school response. We have also been training teachers and making significant banks of resources for the Words Their Way program in the Early Years. This is a differentiated, developmental spelling program currently being implemented in year one, with the view to taking this from Prep to years two / three next year. We have also invested significant amounts of money (approximately $ over the past three years) in purchasing Maths hands on resources so that each class has an appropriately levelled bank of resources at easily accessible to all teachers / students. Analysis of the school s result for every question on all NAPLAN tests can indicate strengths and weaknesses in the delivery of curriculum / areas where we need to focus on more explicitly. Analysis of trends over a number of years can assist in analysing effectiveness of our school programs and intervention actions.

7 Spelling School State % at or above NMS Grammar and Punctuation School State % at or above NMS Writing School State % at or above NMS Reading School State % at or above NMS Numeracy School State % at or above NMS Year 3 Year 5 Year % % Excellent result 5 points below % % % % 11 points below At At Excellent result! 15 points above % % % 6 points above 4 points above 7 points below % % 10 points below % % 3 points above At 3 points above % 4 points below % 11 points below Above State Average At state Average Below State Average I hope this information helps keep you informed, not only how our school achievement compares to state / national levels, but more importantly what we are doing about this information. Our curriculum is currently under review and redevelopment to ensure alignment with the Australian Curriculum. Our performance on NAPLAN also forms part of that review. Deborah Sketcher Curriculum Support Teacher

8 SCHOOL DISCO P&F NEWS The school disco on Friday night was a huge success. It was great to see all of the children and teachers enjoying themselves. We would sincerely like to thank all the wonderful Jubilee staff and our regular bouncer Mr Sewell for giving up their Friday night to help supervise the kids. Thank you to all the parents who also helped the evening run smoothly. Please feel free to forward any suggestions or constructive feedback to help make the next event bigger and better. A final thanks need to go to all the children who attended the night and their parents for bringing them and supporting the Jubilee P & F Association. GRANT COMMITTEE We are calling for people who would like to be part of a grants committee for Jubilee P&F. The P&F have previously obtained funds via grants to supply the school with literacy resources, water tank, solar panels, multipurpose court to name a few. We need people to join together to investigate new grant opportunities and together apply for new grants. Please register your interest by ing the P&F at jubileepandf@yahoo.com Linda Vayro Grant Committee Coordinator Jubilee P&F Executive Team President- Rhonda Verheijen ; Vice-President- Linda Vayro ; Treasurer- Sharon Mart ; Secretary- Sarah Davis SPORTS NEWS Aquathon: The 2011 Catholic Schools Aquathon will be held on Thursday 10th November at Currumbin Alley Beach. All permission forms need to be handed in to Mr Davies by Thursday 3rd of November. School Sport: No formal games this week. Training will take place this Friday instead of games. Gr5 training sessions for all sports pm and Gr 6 and 7 training from pm. Please bring your sports gear. Hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats, hats for P.E.every time. No hat, no P.E. No excuses!!!!!!!!!!!! Your skin is too precious and the sun is too strong once we get to 8.30 am. Thank you in anticipation of ALL students following Jubilee and Queensland School Rules. Yours in H.P.E. and Sport, Alistair Davies addavies@bne.catholic.edu.au LOST PROPERTY As the school year draws to a close we have a large amount of students property, please have your child look in the plastic tubs outside the staffroom for any items lost throughout the year. Please also ensure ALL items are clearly marked with your child's name so they can be returned if not collected. HUB MARKET DAY (Year 6&7) THURSDAY 3RD November Middle session Bring your all your loose change *FOOD STALLS * GAMES * NOVETLY

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10 SERVICE DIRECTORY Helensvale Nerang apb maintenance Professional Maintenance & Carpentry Kevin Hill Fully Insured QBSA Licensed Free Quote Agreed Hourly Rate EMMA CLARKE LOCAL TRADER Cards for all Occasions Coffee & Card Party s. Greeting Cards, Postcards Gift Wrap, Stationary & Accessories. (Party Bookings Available) Budget Prices QUALITY CARDS Phone: REASONS WHY YOU NEED FIT CLUB! Mums Boot Camps Beach Sessions Cooking Classes Outdoor Aerobics Boxing Classes Fit Club is for men also... So come join us if you think your man enough... We % Discount to Jubilee Families