How to be a saint like Mother Teresa without leaving home.

I knew two people who had met Mother (now Saint) Teresa and both gave interesting insights into her

sanctity. The first was an Australian nun, travelling in India. By happenstance, she was seated on a

train with a nun in the habit of the Missionaries of Charity. The Australian said both had a pleasant

time and she felt her companion was so interested in what she had to say that she ‘had made this

woman’s day’. Only afterwards, when the woman left, did she realise she had been speaking with

Mother Teresa and that it was the quality of her attentiveness that made the time so special.

The other, a friend, spent time working in her order and her experience was that St Teresa was not

necessarily soft and kind. She had a vision of what was needed for the poor and helpless, and those

who were there to help could be treated with a real tough love in order for them to learn how to serve.

True loving care of children requires both those qualities. As parents, teachers, guardians we need to

give our children a level of attentiveness that often is difficult and self-effacing but true care will never

take place without it. It is not enough to be around children. We need to stop, listen to the stories or

the reading, watch their reactions and just be with them. We have to go out of ourselves. As we get to

know them well, we come to realise where the ‘tough love’ needs to be applied. We are not our

children’s friends and, at times, for their good we have to make decisions, say things, take a stand in

ways our children will not like. Often, we will feel that we need to be a saint to rear with our

child/ren. And indeed you do …they are God’s way of making you a saint. May St Teresa pray for you

and for all parents who serve God with love when they serve their children in love.

Loving Father, thank you for the gift of my child/ren. May my care of them be the way you make a

saint of me. I ask this in Jesus’ name and through the intercession of St Teresa of Calcutta.

Sr Kym Harris osb

From the Principal

St Theresa of Calcutta – Over the weekend, Pope Francis declared Mother Theresa of Calcutta a saint.

Father Raj delivered a wonderful homily to celebrate this momentous occasion at Mass on Sunday, and

with his permission I include parts of this with this week’s newsletter:

“As an Indian, I am most grateful to Bishop Michael for asking me to preach on this great occasion of the Canonisation of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. ‘None of you can be my disciple, unless you give up all your possessions.’ These are strong words! Words which cause most of us to feel uncomfortable. How many of us have given up all our possessions? But as discomfiting as it is, there is also something attractive about this call to radical poverty. So many saints have imitated Jesus’ poverty down through the ages. St. Francis is one and Mother Teresa, who is going to be canonised as a saint by Pope Francis in Rome today, is another. Their poverty invariably stirred something in their contemporaries. Mother Teresa’s Canonisation today is a ‘Great Joy’ for all of India ‘For the world today, she has become the face of Christ’. The Year of Mercy seems like the perfect time for canonising Blessed Mother Teresa because of her major works of mercy. According to the calendar for the Jubilee of Mercy, September 4, 2016, is the “Jubilee for Workers and Volunteers of Mercy,” which would be one day before the anniversary of her

passing from this life to the next. Millions of people around the World believed Mother Teresa was “a living saint”. Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, in what is Macedonia today, Mother Teresa came to eastern India’s Kolkata city, in 1929, as a missionary nun. Christ had said to Mother Teresa in a vision: “Go into the houses, I cannot go alone, you be my face.” Indeed, “for the world today she has become the face of Christ,” Affectionately known as the “saint of the gutter” for her unconditional love for the poor and the abandoned, she founded her Missionaries of Charity congregation in 1950. She earned numerous national as well as international honours for her works of mercy, including the Nobel peace prize in 1979. She died on September 5, 1997 at the age of 87 and on October 19, 2003, Mother Teresa was beatified after Pope St. John Paul II recognized her intercession in the miraculous healing of an Indian woman with a tumour in her abdomen. And On December 17, 2015, Pope Francis recognized the miraculous healing from the late sister’s intercession of a Brazilian man with multiple brain abscesses. And now Pope Francis will declare her a saint. My mother often tells me that Mother Teresa is a “transformative saint” who “emanated the personification of Christ.” “She taught the world a lesson: Jesus lives in the hearts of the poor. We shall find His face in them”. Hindus in India are also convinced that she was a saint. “Some Hindus wonder why the Church needs to go through a canonisation process. They say, ‘Mother Teresa was a saint anyway. But if the Church needs these formalities, then so be it.’” Hindus also understand that “service to the poor is service to God.” Mother Teresa trusted in the power of the Eucharist, she started each day with Mass then went out, rosary in hand, to find and serve the Lord amongst "the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for." Once she was cleansing the wounds of a man dying of leprosy. A journalist kept his distance because of the stench. "I wouldn't do that for a million dollars," he said. Mother Teresa replied, "Neither would I." She was a woman passionately in love with Jesus. “We can do no great things – only small things with great love.”- said Mother Theresa. Like St Mary of the Cross the first Australian saint, St Teresa of Kolkata had great compassion for vulnerable children. Both of these saintly women had a passion for the children’s education and welfare. In 1986 Pope John Paul II visited Mother Teresa’s Home for the Poor in Calcutta. Mother Teresa later called it the happiest day of her life. In an address following the visit, the Holy Father called the home a place that bears witness to the primacy of love. In spite of increasingly severe health problems towards the end of her life, Mother Teresa continued to govern her Society and respond to the needs of the poor and the Church. By 1997, Mother Teresa's Sisters numbered nearly 4,000, they had established 610 foundations in 120 countries; today the order is present in 139 nations and the number of sisters has increased from 4000 to 5161. I think Australia is blessed to have 85 Missionaries of Charity sisters working in the country. When Mother Teresa's earthly life came to an end she was given the honour of a state funeral by the Government of India and her body was buried in the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity. Her tomb quickly became a place of pilgrimage and prayer for people of all faiths, rich and poor alike. When Our Bishop Michael and Fr Don White travelled to India earlier this year to visit our superiors, Bishop Michael celebrated Mass at the tomb of Blessed Mother Teresa to pray for our diocesan family. And Bishop Michael often says Mother Teresa is “an icon of Mercy”. St Mother Teresa and her sisters continue to be a prophetic witness to the Gospel and sign of God’s love among us. Today, I wish all fathers present here a Happy father’s day. I invite you all to meditate upon the graciousness and mercy of God our Father, and thank Him for giving us generous and kind fathers who dedicate and sacrifice their time and energy to make us strong, wonderful and responsible citizens in the world. Let us thank God for fathers who raise strong and faith-filled children and who dedicate their lives to their family. May God bless all fathers. May St Teresa of Kolkata help you and guide you. St Teresa of Calcutta pray for us” Father Raj

Where’s Kellie? This week I am in Toowoomba for the state conference of the Queensland Primary

Principals’ Association. Please direct any queries to Mr Robertson in my absence.

Touch Football Sponsorship Our touch football jerseys are not only quite aged now, but with our

growing numbers, we are running short of jerseys to disperse. Please take note of the P and F’s request

for sponsors. Thank you in advance for your support!

Father’s Day – I hope that all of our dads and grandads had a very

enjoyable Father’s Day on Sunday. Thank you to everyone who

supported our Father’s Day breakfast and stall. We raised $468

from the breakfast which goes towards the graduation costs of

our Year 6 students, and $1152.55 which will be presented to the

P and F to spend on resources for our students. A great effort by

our school community!

Congratulations – to Sarah Wadsworth who has won the Morning Bulletin’s Young Writers’

primary school award for August, with her short story, “Lucidity in Dreaming.” We are very

proud of you Sarah!

Welder Needed – We are hoping that someone clever in our school community will be able to build/weld

some sort of trolley to help store and move the tables that we use for functions and events such as the

High Tea. These tables are very heavy, and it is a big job to move them from one place in the school to

another! If anyone has any ideas or would like to volunteer their services, please see the school office.

Change to school fees 2017 – Please note the information included with today’s newsletter regarding

some changes to 2017 Fees and Levies, in particular fee discounts and the introduction of a means tested

Concession Card discount initiative. Kathy Fishburn or I are only too happy to answer any queries about

this that you may have.

Parking Notes – I have been made aware of the fact that some people parking in the church car park

have received ‘reminder notes’ on their cars. Please note that these flyers are not from the school or

parish. Out of consideration for our neighbours’ requests, we do encourage people not to reverse park

against the boundary to the house in the church car park.

Reminders:

Year 2 excursion – Next Monday, 12th September, our Year 2 classes are exploring some heritage

listed buildings in Rockhampton. Please ensure the excursion fee is paid to the office before this

date

Debating – Round 3 of the Debating Competition will be held here next Tuesday, 13th September.

Whole School Mass – To celebrate the end of term, please join us for a whole school mass in the

hall on Wednesday 14th September at 9am.

Now that Friday afternoon sport has concluded, Years 3-6 are to wear their formal uniforms on PE

day (Monday) only.

Good Luck – To the SJW staff touch football team who will be seeking fame and glory in the Catholic

Schools’ Staff Touch Football competition this weekend. We are hoping to go one further than our

second place from last year. Go team!

School Hats – We have noticed of late, a resurgence in our students wearing alternate hats instead of the

approved school uniform hat. We take pride in our uniform and the school hat is as compulsory as the

shirts. Please note your children will neither play or participate in PE without their school hat as per our

school’s uniform policy.

Please name your child’s hat clearly so that if lost, it can be returned to them immediately! There are

currently thirteen (yes thirteen!) unnamed winter jumpers in the lost property box.

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Have a great week everyone,

Kellie

APRE News

PRAYER CORNER

“Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love,”

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE ARE OFTEN THE BIG IMPORTANT THINGS Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays and Christmas are great times of giving and receiving. We plan to pick the perfect gift that the person will be impressed with and will appreciate. These are four days in the year that we make a special effort. If we had the choice of having four big presents a year and encouragement for the remaining days of the year, or a daily life of smiles, friendly welcoming, greetings, thank yous, encouraging words, phone calls, emails etc and no big presents, the choice amongst most people would be the latter. We can become givers of compliments, smiles, thank yous, sorries, winks, nods etc – it makes our home life and school life so much easier. These are great people skills to practice – everyone likes the cheerful giver. It is a WIN WIN situation as the giver of smiles, compliments and thanks is happy and so is the receiver. © Catholic Education Office Hobart

PRAYER ASSEMBLY with Prep L Please join Prep L, Mrs Lidster and Mrs Kerrisk for their Prayer Assembly on practising Prayer. Assembly will be held at the Hall at 8.35am this Friday.

PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENTS OF CONFIRMATION AND EUCHARIST (First Holy Communion) for primary-aged children who have been baptised will soon begin in the Catholic Parish of Rockhampton South. It is not too late to register your child/children in this process. Registrations for this years’ preparation for Sacraments will close on 16 September. Please contact the Cathedral Centre 49276744 if you still wish to register your child/children Also a reminder that the first step to our Sacramental Journey begins with Ritual of Remembering Baptism. Ritual of Remembering Baptism

Sat 10 September Sun 11 September

Ritual of Remembering Baptism (during Mass) (Registration forms to be handed in during the Ritual)

St Mary’s Church St Joseph’s Cathedral (for St Paul’s, St Joseph’s Wandal and St Peter’s)

Vigil Mass at 6.00 pm Mass at 10.00am

CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD A reminder that Children’s Liturgy is held most Sundays at St Peter’s Church 9am and St Joseph’s Cathedral 10am during the school term. It is wonderful to see our students attend. If any parishioners would like to assist in the leading of Children’s Liturgy, please feel free to contact me at school.

Father’s Day Breakfast

Thank you to our Year Six parents for

being great chefs and parents for

supporting this fundraising event.

Convict Day

During the term, Year Four students have read and researched

many records and historical documents about the First Fleet and

last Tuesday, they had the opportunity to spend the day in

character as a Convict from the 18th Century.

To begin their day they

were children attending

school in England,

learning what life was

like for a privileged child

to go to school. During

this session the children

discovered that many

children at their age

would have been working

as chimney sweepers, as

miners, in warehouses or even be in jail. You could not attend high

school unless you sat and passed an exam and life at school was

much harsher than our schooling now. We were very grateful to Mr

Ken Stewart (Sir) for giving up his time to provide us with rich

knowledge about our history.

Later in the day, students were exposed to the living conditions,

daily routines and transcripts of convicts aboard the First Fleet. As

convicts in 1787, they committed ‘crimes’ wrote their very own

conviction notice ready for Captain Phillips. Following this, it was

time to board the ship the class had built earlier in the day. Each

student was given a designated living space similar to that of the

convicts on board this method of transportation. Rations of food

were provided for the students to experience and this is where they

spent the remainder of the day. A students completed a journal

entry about their eight month journey, before making landfall on

Botany Bay in 1788.

Year Three Excursion:

On Monday the Year Three students travelled to the

Dreamtime Centre

to further their

History work into

Australia's first

people. The

students went to

the Torres Strait

Islander Hut

where Grace spoke to them about how her ancestors lived off

the land. They listened to a story about how the Milky Way was

formed and how to keep your children safe. While they were

there they learnt how to make a variety of noises on the

didgerdoo and how to throw a boomerang. All of the students had an enjoyable time and learnt more

about the history of Australia.

Year Four Excursion:

On Monday the Year Four students went

to the Rockhampton Botanical

Gardens. Ranger Mark took us around the

gardens and spoke to the students about

plants. He shared with us about the life-

cycle of a plant, showed us ways that

seeds are dispersed by different plants,

how plants reproduce and how fruits are formed by plants. He also took us to the

rain forest, desert and tropical plant areas. After our time with Ranger Mark we

went for a walk around the Zoo.

P & F News

“Are you a local business? Would you like some fantastic exposure for your business? Well we have a deal

for you.

St Joseph’s P & F wish to invite local businesses within our school community, an opportunity for

sponsorship too good to miss. We are about to provide our Junior Touch Football teams with new playing

shirts and would like to offer you some advertising, with great exposure. You don’t need to be involved

in Junior Touch Football in Rockhampton to know just how popular it is. You just need to drive by Cyril

Connell Fields on a Saturday morning to see for yourself!

The amount a sponsor may contribute is flexible. You could assist us through one of the following

options:

$300 – Your name, and logo to appear on the front and back of our team shirts

$150 – Your logo to appear on the sleeves of our team shirts

We are looking for at least 6 major sponsors, as we are aiming for 6 new sets of playing shirts.

If you are interested in sponsoring St Joseph’s Wandal Junior Touch Football or would like some more

information, please advise the office by close of business this Friday 9th September 2016 so that we can

get the ordering process underway. Thank you very much for your time.”

P & F Committee

The Importance of Writing

W riting is such an important

part of your child’s

education. It is a process that begins

even before the first day of school and

continues throughout their lives. The

Australian Curriculum: English aims to

create confident communicators,

imaginative thinkers and informed

citizens.

.

this issue

In this issue… The Importance of Writing The Six Traits Model The Benefits of the Six Traits How can you help? The Writing Process

Writing Guide for Parents

September 2016 St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Wandal

The Six Traits of Writing

This brochure contains information to

help you support your student writers

at home. We use the Six Traits Model of

writing and school, and you can use the

same language and approach to support

your writers at home.

The six traits of writing provide a

language for describing the qualities

that are the basis of good writing.

What are the Six Traits?

The six traits are a way of teaching and

assessing that improves written expression

by focussing on quality examples of

literature and identifying the key building

blocks of writing that are necessary for

effective communication.

Writing at St Joseph’s Wandal

provides opportunities for our

learners to be creative and

competent communicators

through engaging with the

Australian Curriculum, using

the Six Traits Model of Writing.

The desire to write grows with writing.—Erasmus

The Six Traits Model

in Summary

Organisation is the framework of the writing. It is what holds the ideas together to convey meaning.

Word Choice is choosing

exactly the right words to

get the message across to

the reader.

Sentence Fluency is about

sentences making sense.

Sentences need to be easy

to read, vary in length and

structure and be easy to

read aloud.

Conventions are the

mechanics of writing.

Conventions are spelling,

grammar, paragraphing

and capitalization.

A trait is a specific characteristic

of a successful performance.

The traits a successful musician

might need would include a sense of

rhythm, a love for the music,

technical skill, and dedication to their

craft. The traits of good writing are

Ideas, Organisation, Voice, Word

Choice, Sentence Fluency, and

Conventions.

Ideas are the main message. They are the thoughts, the content, or the main story line of the piece.

Voice is when writing becomes unique and personal. Writing should be individual in ideas, tone, and style.

What are the Benefits?

1. It gives teachers, parents and

students a common language to

talk about writing.

2. It breaks down the complex process

of writing into easier to manage

‘bits’.

3. Students know what quality writing

is.

4. Teachers (and parents) have a way

to respond to student writing.

5. It establishes consistency from year

to year and teacher to teacher.

6. It gives a framework for editing.

7. It allows students to become more

responsible for their own writing.

8. Teachers have a framework for

providing feedback.

9. It moves away from the ‘lock-step’

approach of teaching text types in

isolation, and moves towards a

more integrated approach of teach-

ing writing.

Editing

Revising

Pre-Writing

Evaluating

Publishing

The Writing Process

Thinking, brainstorming

and planning

Drafting Putting thoughts on

paper

Rewriting to

improve ideas,

sentence fluency

and organisation

Revising to improve

conventions

Student and teacher

assessment of

writing

Share your writing with

others

How can you help?

Encourage your writer to share their writing

aloud.

Encourage—writing is tricky and takes time

to get right.

Coach—don’t write for your child. Question,

listen and suggest. Don’t rewrite whole sec-

tions for your child.

Let them see you write.

Focus on ideas and content first—conventions

are not the most important part of writing.

Read, read and read with your child.

Provide a suitable place to write.

Create a climate for writing. Share emails

with family, write plans for events and write

about things done as a family.