16 NOVEMBER Dear Parents,

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1 16 NOVEMBER 2017 Dear Parents, Where has the year gone to? Only a few weeks of the school term remaining! However, when you look into faces you can see from the lines of weariness that a year has gone by and it will be great to have a break from the usual daily routine. I suppose the quick passing of a year illustrates in some way how brief the measure of our own life really is; the author of Psalm 102 further illustrates that a couple of thousand years haven t made much difference to the way in which people have their ups and downs: Good Lord where are you? If you really do exist, why don t you come out of hiding and do something about this creature in distress. I am physically weary, I am mentally depressed, I am spiritually defeated. I can t eat, can t sleep. I feel like discarded refuse in the back alley; like yesterday s rubbish shuffled around by the wind. If you re feeling as bad as the psalmist seems to be, then thank heavens for holidays. They allow for a change in routine and if you re lucky, a change in scenery. Also, they allow some time for peace and quiet. In times of serenity when the hustle and bustle is far away, it is possible to answer the question Good lord, where are you? and maybe like the psalmist you can experience the answer. Hopefully, the remaining weeks of the school year will be a time of enjoyment and cooperation so that the rewards of a year s fine effort can be experienced by everyone to the very last day. During these final weeks of school it is important that we all continue to support each other in a positive way that allows everyone to stay settled and calm. It is also essential that we continue to maintain the high standards that we have set for ourselves and the children. Thank you for your ongoing help and support with the children to ensure that we all continue to support and respect each other, follow school policies and keep our communication channels open. Wishing you every blessing for the coming week, Geraldine Rostirolla (Principal)

2 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION WHAT S IMPORTANT? A REFLECTION While on holiday in Poland, an American tourist paid a visit to a renowned rabbi. He was astonished to see that the rabbi s house was only a simple room filled with books, a table and a single bench. Rabbi, asked the tourist, Where is your furniture? Where is yours? replied the rabbi. Mine? asked the puzzled American, but I am only a visitor here. I m only a visitor passing through. So am I said the rabbi. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul (Matthew 16:26) Money can buy a house, but not a home; A bed but not sleep; Status and fame, but not inner confidence and lasting security; Comfort, but not peace. All our possessions are useless at the moment of our death. All that we take to eternity is the love that we have sowed and the life we lived before our God and neighbours. (Unknown) ADVENT Advent begins on Sunday 3 December. It is the liturgical season of anticipation and hope that begins the Liturgical Year and prepares us for the celebration of Christmas. Sadly Advent is often forgotten in all the excitement of Christmas. Please find below some fabulous resources that explain the season and support its celebration. Find out more about Advent Videos, Prayers and Reflections Watch the short animation What is Advent =128 The Xt3 Advent Calendar 2017 app features a daily reflection, bible quote and multimedia item. YEAR SIX GRADUATION Our Year Six Graduation Mass will take place at St Joseph s Church on Tuesday 21 November at 6pm. Parents are asked to bring a plate of food for a light supper which will be held in the Parish Centre on conclusion of the Mass. A celebratory cake will also be cut by our School Captains. Please deliver your supper plates to the Parish Centre prior to the commencement of our Liturgical celebration. All Year Six students are expected to attend this celebration. Students are to wear blue day uniform. THANKSGIVING MASS Emmanuel has a tradition of celebrating the end of the school year with a Thanksgiving Mass. It is always a special time for memories and reflection. We farewell students and staff who are leaving Emmanuel and present hampers of Christmas food (collected by the students) to the St Vincent De Paul Society for distribution to needy families. This year s mass will take place at St Joseph s Church on Thursday 30 November at 9:30am. Please mark this date on your family calendar and join with us to celebrate our year together. MASSES AND LITURGIES Please find listed below upcoming Liturgies and Masses. Fr Stephen will be here to celebrate year level Masses at 9am on the dates indicated. Parents and families welcome. Thursday 23 November Year Five Mass SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMS Please pray for the students who recently received the Sacrament of Penance for the first time. Their sacramental journey will continue next year with Confirmation and First Holy Communion.

3 CHRISTMAS HAMPERS Each year our school supports The St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal in assisting needy families in the Mackay region. In our current economic climate it is more important than ever that we recognise the needs of those families in our community who are under financial and emotional stress. Our support allows them a little relief during this joyous time of the year. Each class will make up a hamper of non-perishable food items that will be presented to the parish St Vincent de Paul Society at our Thanksgiving Mass. Your generosity will be much appreciated. Suitable hamper items include: Tinned ham Boxed Christmas cake Christmas fruit mince pies Tinned fruit Tinned vegetables Assorted biscuits Packets of jelly crystals Bottles of softdrink Large fruit juice poppers Cordial Large packets of lollies Nuts Christmas decorations THANK YOU to all families who have already contributed Christmas goodies to these hampers. They will be very much appreciated by those who receive them. VIRTUE OF THE FORTNIGHT THANKFULNESS Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it. (Unknown) Thankfulness is being grateful for what we have. It is an attitude of gratitude for learning, loving and being. Appreciate the little things that happen around you and within you every day. Think positively. Thankfulness brings contentment. It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy (Unknown Mrs Noeleen Kliese (Assistant Principal Religious Education) CAROLS EVENING An invitation is extended to all Emmanuel families to join us on Monday evening 27 November at 6:00pm sharp for a Christmas carols sing-a-long on the lawn area outside the music room. Please bring your chairs or a blanket to sit on and lend your voices to the children as we sing some well-known (and not so well known) Christmas carols. During the evening the Year Six students will take the hat around to ask for monetary donations for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal which will be presented at our end of year Thanksgiving Mass. Our school choir and each individual year level will lead us in singing a carol in what should be an entertaining night. Don t forget to wear your Christmas hats and bring along your singing voice. YEAR FIVE CAMP The key areas of our camp are Leadership, Teamwork, Challenge and Resilience. We take the students away to challenge themselves and to step out of their comfort zone so they can share the leadership skills they possess inside themselves. What a wonderful group of students we have prepared to lead our school next year. The lead up to camp was full of anticipation of what the famous G-Swing was like and again it was the most talked about part of the camp. As we drove into the camp grounds, talk soon filled the bus. Students finally came face to face with the mighty challenge. That doesn t look high Mrs Beardmore! No way am I going on that! Cool, when can we go on that? filtered down the bus. We met Mez our camp coordinator and she explained how we will all face some of our fears while there. For many it was height, others being away from home, others was being away from their creature comforts like air con and technology. When you put fear in perspective, it really is False Evidence Appearing Real. (Even the teachers and helpers feared not being able to function on only a couple of hours sleep!) But with coffee and a positive attitude, we all got through. Though the High Ropes were not as high as the G-Swing, it

4 posed others challenges for us. The G-Swing allowed you to sit in a harness and be pulled up the 20m and release the cord, but the High Ropes needed you to climb the 10m and then step out onto a wire with the trust of those below keeping you safe. Whatever the FEAR was, we all took one step further then we thought we could. At the dam, there were a few rafts not considered sea worthy, but the fun of doing something with others was the winner. Again we could not have gotten through without the help of Mr Geoff Baguley, Mr Brenden Craig, Mr Mark Crofts, Mrs Tim Desbois, Mr Mark McGrath and Mr Larry Owens. A wonderful group of patient, enthusiastic and supportive fathers. Thank you for joining us. Thank you also to the Emmanuel staff members who accompanied us on the Year Five camp. Mrs Angela Beardmore MUSIC NEWS School Choir will again be held in the music room at 8:45am next Thursday, 23 November. This will be our final rehearsal for the year before our ice-cream party break up! If there are any choir students who would like to join us at year 6 Graduation Mass, that would be wonderful. The mass will be held at St Joseph s church on Tuesday 21 November at 6pm. Students are asked to be there by 5:45pm wearing something smart casual. It would be great to have a strong group of singing voices to help lead the hymns alongside myself and Mrs Whelan. Students in grades 2-5 were treated to a fantastic instrumental showcase yesterday by Josh and the team from Musicorp. If your child has been inspired by the demonstration and wishes to learn a woodwind, brass or percussion instrument, please see Mrs Maunder at the office for more information. We also have Mr Jim who offers guitar lessons and Mrs Jansen for strings. Preparations are well under way for our Emmanuel Carols night. Each year level will be performing a beautiful, traditional Christmas Carol and we will finish the night with some of the more commercial type carols all together. It s going to be a wonderful night of song and celebration. Hope to see you all there! Yours in Music, Mrs Dale SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR AWARDS This year for the annual Mackay and District Schools 12 Years & Under Sportsperson of the Year presentation, Emmanuel has five of its sporting stars nominated. Congratulations to the following students: Conor Mezzen (Swimming), Jake Bryan (Rugby League), Cooper Spencer (Hockey), Kalen Morris (Cricket) and Flynn Battaia (Rugby League) The presentation will be held on Tuesday, November 21 at Sky s Function Centre, Magpies Sporting Complex. Good luck to all! SCHOOL BANKING Please note next Thursday, 23 November will be the last day for school banking for We would like to thank Mrs Michelle Vella, Ms Renae Borg and Ms Lisa Finnigan for kindly volunteering your time. Your help throughout the year has been greatly appreciated.

5 VACATION CARE - OSHC Emmanuel Outside School Hours Care is currently taking enrolments for vacation care over the December/January school holiday period. We wish to advise families and caregivers that we will be closed from Monday 25 December 2017 and will re-open on Monday 8 January If you would like to enrol your child, or have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us TUCKSHOP ROSTER TERM 4 WEEK 8 COMMENCING MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER Monday 20 November Tuesday 21 November Wednesday 22 November Thursday 23 November Friday 24 November Nicole Murray Amanda Webber Alice Symons Jason Wheeler Kelsey Wallace Donna Ellis Marie Schembri TUCKSHOP NEWS Please note, our tuckshop ceases operations for the year on Wednesday 29 November. Keep in mind some menu items will become unavailable as this date approaches. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful parent volunteers who have assisted in the tuckshop this year. We wish you a safe, happy and Holy Christmas. We look forward to seeing you in Mrs Angie McGowan (Tuckshop Convenor) WEEK 7 Fri 17 Nov Assembly 9.00am Swimming Year 2W/3J WEEK 8 Mon 20 Nov Swimming - Prep J/Prep P Tue 21 Nov Swimming - Prep J/Prep P Year Six Graduation Mass Wed 22 Nov Swimming - Prep S/1M Thur 23 Nov Swimming - Prep S/1M Year 5 Mass Fri 24 Nov Swimming - 1G/1W WEEK 9 Mon 27 Nov Year 6 Orientation Day HSC Christmas Carols Tue 28 Nov Swimming - 1G/1W Wed 29 Nov Swimming - 3C/3P Thur 30 Nov Thanksgiving Mass Fri 01 Dec Last Day of School BOOKPACK COLLECTION The dates and times for bookpack collections is as follows: Tuesday Wednesday 21 November pm 3.30pm 22 November am 9.00am pm 3.30pm Please note all bookspacks MUST be collected by an adult.

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