ISSUE NO 201509 - 24 March 2015

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Hello to all in the St Brigid's community.

Week 9 Term 1

This Sunday is Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.

The final Sunday of Lent prepares us for the events of next weekend, the Easter Triduum.

This Year we listen to Mark’s account of the arrest, trial, torture, crucification and death of Jesus.

In the First Reading, from Isaiah, we are reminded of the suffering servant who seems to suffer a persecution

similar to that experienced by Jesus. In the Second Reading from St Paul’s Letter to the Philippians Paul

summarises our faith in short sharp sentences, going beyond the execution and death, as recorded in the

Gospel, to proclaim the resurrection and exultation of the Christ.

If you are making plans for Easter you need to include this Sunday in your plans so you can truly be ready to

celebrate the magnificent ceremonies of the Easter weekend.

What’s on over the following week

Staff from Aquinas College will be visiting on this Wednesday morning to talk to our Years 5 & 6 students about

learning at Aquinas College.

Parent/Teacher Conferences and interviews will be taking place for various classes over the next week. Please

ensure you know your appointment time.

End of Term MASS will be celebrated on Friday morning commencing at 9:15 am in St Brigid’s Church.

Live GOLD FM Buddy Bench promotion 8:30am this Friday morning at St Brigid’s.

Staff from the BCEC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Study Centre, Ngutana-lui, will be visiting St Brigid’s on

Tuesday March 31st to work with our Years 3 and 4 students.

Assembly Prayer this week was led by the 3B Class whilst 3C will lead next week’s.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)

This week we will be expanding on Rule #3: respect for property in the classroom. Topics covered and

behaviours expected include; looking after one’s own equipment, sitting on chairs safely, keeping my space clean

and tidy, packing up when finished, looking after school resources, using equipment correctly and returning it

carefully to where it belongs so others can use it.

Mr Gudgeon

Brisbane Catholic Education has been invited by the Australian Government to provide educational support for

Nauruan, refugee and asylum-seeker students on the island of Nauru.

Teachers in all BCE schools were invited to volunteer to work for a term on Nauru. Following an extensive

selection process conducted by staff from the Brisbane Catholic Education office, I am pleased to announce that

Mr Gudgeon has been invited to participate in a one term deployment to Nauru, commencing on 18th

April.

This is a unique opportunity for Mr Gudgeon to demonstrate his flexible approach to teaching and learning and to

work patiently and compassionately with people from other cultures in a spirit of Christian humility and

collaboration.

We wish Mr Gudgeon all the best as he engages in this challenging yet I am sure rewarding deployment to Nauru

and look forward to the insights he can share with us when he returns.

Arrangements have been put in place to ensure that there is no disruption to the learning program in Mr

Gudgeon’s classes while he is in Nauru. Mrs Bronwyn Messenger will fill the Physical Education teacher role in

Mr Gudgeon’s absence.

Gold FM's Buddy Bench

Mrs McCarthy, one of our Prep Aides, nominated St Brigid’s for the Gold FM Buddy Bench promotion. I have

been advised today that a Buddy Bench will be installed at St Brigid’s later this week and officially handed over

live on Gold FM at 8:30am on this Friday morning. The Buddy Bench is an idea, initiated by a nine-year-old boy

in Cairns, to encourage empathy and friendships amongst school-aged children. The bench is a place where a

child, who is feeling lonely and/or harassed, will sit and if another child sees him or her sitting there they are

urged to invite them to play, walk or talk with them. Follow this link to read more about the Gold FM promotion.

Thanks to Mrs McCarthy for nominating St Brigid’s and to Gold FM for their anti-bullying promotion.

Vandalism

On the weekend we suffered another vandal attack with numerous glass louvers being smashed in the Multi

Purpose Area. As well as being annoying and disturbing for the children the incident disrupts the weekend family

time of numerous staff and emergency workers and creates an unnecessary expense for the school. Could I ask

all in our community, if you live locally, to please keep an eye on our school during out-of-school hours and to

report any suspicious activity immediately to the Nerang Police on 5503 8999 or 000 if the situation requires such

action.

Prep 2016 enrolments

We have commenced our enrolment interviews for next year’s Prep cohort. If you have a younger child eligible to

start Prep next year or have friends or relatives with children eligible to start Prep in 2016 please submit an

enrolment application and/or advise your friends or relatives to do so over the next fortnight. Enrolment

applications are available from the office or available to be downloaded from our website www.sb.qld.edu.au

Children are required to turn 5 by 30th

June 2016 to be eligible to enrol in Prep for next year.

Police Advice

Queensland Police have advised that they will be conducting a Traffic Operation early in term two to target traffic

offences in and around St Brigid’s. The operation will be conducted in stages over four weeks involving;

Information, Education, Enforcement and Publication of the operation.

Helping your teenagers do well!

When children reach adolescence, just when it may feel like your children are beginning to pull away, your

involvement and support matter profoundly.

Parenting practices in early adolescence predict educational achievement, especially parents helping teens set

goals and explore interests.

Helping young teens develop aspirations is essential to helping them engage with, and succeed in, school.

Three parenting practices become more important during adolescence, as young people assume greater control

over their own development:

1. Autonomy support - providing opportunities for young people to make choices, make decisions, and

develop solutions to problems independently.

2. Monitoring - providing clear and consistent guidelines and knowing where young people are, what

they’re doing, and who their friends are.

3. Warmth - a supportive relationship between parent and child.

These parenting practices have both short term positive associations with aspiration, exam results and school

engagement and long-term effects on further education.

Aspirations are the key to engagement; when connected to aspirations, engagement in school becomes self-

motivating. This connection is also important for students who are already high achievers.

Parents remain a significant influence through adolescence and early adulthood by promoting aspirations,

helping their children find meaning and purpose in their schoolwork and showing them how their current

endeavours fit into their longer-term goals and identities.

Parental warmth, including trust and connectedness, provides the emotional security and foundation young

people need to explore their ideas and interests. It enables parents to both affirm and shape who adolescents will

become.

Acknowledgement: Professor Nancy E. Hill whose Harvard research is re-conceptualising parenting for academic

success and identifying strategies for families and schools to work together to support adolescents' emerging

aspirations, achievement, and future success.

Parish News

Easter Triduum Mass Times at St Brigid’s

Holy Thursday -Thursday 2nd April Mass of the Lords Supper 7.00pm. Adoration till 9.00pm

Good Friday - Friday 3rd April Stations of the Cross 10.00am. Liturgy of the Lords Passion 3.00pm

Easter Sunday Saturday 4th April Easter Vigil 6.30pm

Sunday 5th April Mass 8.30am – St Brigid’s. Mass at Beechmont 10.30am

Please click here to read this week's Parish Newsletter.

Kevin Bianchi

Principal

APA News

Student Protection Training for School Volunteers 2015

Student Protection is everyone’s responsibility. Prior to volunteering in classrooms we ask that you complete the

student protection training (annually) as outlined below:

Volunteers who are parents or guardians of students at St Brigid’s must read the following documents & sign the

‘School Volunteer Register Sheet’:

Volunteer Student Protection Handbook

Volunteer Code of Conduct

These documents are available to read and sign in the front office as required or on the Parent Portal.

Volunteers other than Parents or Guardians of students will be required to provide either of the following

documents:

Positive Notice Blue Card Registration number

Exemption card registration number

Please note that these cards will need to be presented to office staff for copying.

The final step is to complete and sign the ‘School Volunteer Register’ sheet before handing in to front office staff.

Please consult a member of the schools leadership team should you have any questions about the volunteer

registration process.

Medical Meetings

In coming weeks I will be making contact with parents of students who are impacted by serious medical

conditions such as anaphylaxis, epilepsy and other intolerances. A medical action plan will be created in

consultation with parents and shared with school staff. Please be mindful that:

Students should not bring nuts or foods containing nut products to school.

Students are not to swap or share foods whilst at school.

Students who are considered to be affected by asthma are required to provide the classroom teacher

with an asthma management plan. These can be obtained through visiting a Doctor or the following

website: http://www.asthmaaustralia.org.au/

Your child’s written Asthma Action Plan outlines:

1. What medication to take every day (even when you are feeling well).

2. How to tell if your asthma is getting worse.

3. What you should do if your symptoms are getting worse.

4. What to do if you have an asthma attack.

Having a written asthma action plan can help to:

o Reduce your chance of needing to go to hospital, or for an urgent doctor visit

o Improve your lung function

o Reduce the number of days off school due to asthma

Sometimes plans are based on your symptoms, while others are based on your peak flow score. You and your

doctor or nurse can decide together what will work best for you.

Through having current and accurate documentation on student’s medical conditions teachers are better able to

meet their needs and ensure they remain happy and healthy.

Chris Clurey

APA

APRE NEWS

Seeds for Change

Buy a small packet of sunflower seeds for 50c.

All money raised is for Caritas.

Available this week only from your classroom.

Project Compassion

Please have your children bring their Project Compassion boxes in this week. The final day for collection will be

next Monday. Thanks once again for supporting this appeal.

End of Term Mass this Friday

After a very busy start to the year, we look forward to giving thanks and reflecting on Term 1 at our whole school

Mass this Friday. Mass will begin at 9.15am. The families of our St Brigid’s students are always welcome to

attend.

Assembly Prayer – Feast of the Annunciation of our Lord ~ March 25

Thanks to Mrs Purdon and the students of 3B for leading prayer this week which included many messages in

response to the story of the Annunciation.

The feast of the Annunciation of the Lord celebrates the angel Gabriel’s appearance to the Virgin Mary (Luke

1:26-38), his announcement that the Blessed Virgin had been chosen to be the Mother of Our Lord and Mary’s

willing acceptance of God’s holy plan.

Holy Week

3C will be leading a special Holy Week prayer at assembly next Monday 30 March.

Prayer Walk

All classes will also be participating in a special Holy Week prayer walk which parents are welcome to join if you

have an hour to spare. On this walk the children will be putting themselves in Jesus’ shoes by experiencing

some real life events that they have learnt about in the lead up to Easter. The Prep classes will do this in and

around the Prep area on Wednesday at 2pm. Years 1-3 and Years 4-6 will be visiting four areas around the

school on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

Each year level will stagger their starting times:

Wednesday 1 April 9.00am Year 1 begins. Thursday 2 April 9.00am Year 4 begins

9.15am year 2 begins 9.15am Year 5 begins

9.30am Year 3 begins 9.30am Year 6 begins

The children will begin by lighting the class candle then reading the story of Palm Sunday and meditation in their

classroom. (15mins)

Moving quietly into the MPA the children will experience how Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. They will

begin by reading the story, having their hands washed by their teacher, listening to a reflective song and saying a

prayer together. (15mins)

From the MPA they will move to the library to view the story of the Last Supper and lead an echo mime prayer.

(15mins)

The prayer walk will end by gathering on the oval in a specially marked out area where they will reflect on the

stations of the cross, read a story and finish with a prayer. (15mins)

ANZAC DAY 2015 – 100th Anniversary

ANZAC Day this year is shaping up to be a wonderful educational experience and a memorable time for our

students. As we approach ANZAC day in Term 2, the children will be getting involved a range of activities and

events (listed in last week’s newsletter).

Remember to ask your children what their class has been doing in library time this week!

If you have any connections to the military and would like to be involved in our ANZAC day liturgy (Friday 24

April 9.15am MPA) please email me bkingston@bne.catholic.edu.au.

Belinda Kingston

APRE

DATE CLAIMERS

Wednesday 25 March 2015 Aquinas College Presentation to Yr 5/6

Friday 27 March 2015 Gold FM Buddy Bench arrival 8:30 am

Friday 27 March 2015 End of Term Mass (9:15am)

Tuesday 31 March 2015 Ngutana-lui Visit Years 3 and 4

Wednesday 1 April 2015 Prayer Walk Years 1,2 and 3 and Prep

Thursday 2 April 2015 Prayer Walk Years 4,5 and 6

Thursday 2 April 2015 Last day of Term 1 - 2015

Monday 20 April 2015 First day of Term 2 - 2015

Please refer also to the Calendar on the Parent Portal for dates relevant to St Brigid's.

Term Dates

Please refer to the Brisbane Catholic Education website for term dates for 2015 and 2016.

http://www.bne.catholic.edu.au/students-parents/Pages/TermDates.aspx

LIBRARY NEWS

Is Your Child Borrowing Every Week???

We have a number of students who do not borrow library books simply because they cannot remember to return

their overdue books and bring their library bag. Whilst we very much encourage our students to be independent

and take responsibility for themselves and their belongings, they are still children and in the process of learning

this skill. They need parental guidance and modelling to establish good habits so please take the time to ask,

what do you need to take to school today? Is it Library day?

The usual Library Class times

Tuesday……….3A, 3B, 3C, 1C, 1A, 4A.

Wednesday…....4C, 1B, 4B.

Thursday……...Years 5, Years 6.

Friday…………Prep years, Years 2.

Please provide your child with a clean library bag (with a plastic supermarket bag inside it).

Thankyou.

Take Home Readers ….We have a large number of Take Home Readers still overdue from last year. If

you have any St Brigid’s readers or books at home, please return them to the library.

Preparing for ANZAC Day...

In library we have been learning about Anzac Day, the ANZACS, the landing at Gallipoli and the gratitude and

respect we have for those who have served in the Defence Forces and made sacrifices whilst protecting our

country & other countries. We have discussed world peace and the importance of our military forces today in their

peacekeeping role.

Jan Knowles Teacher Librarian

PASTORAL CARE

Enjoy some adventure in your life!

“Do not go where

the path may lead,

go instead where

there is no path

and leave a trail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is good to take a break from the routines we have built up over the years.

Sr Brigid Frawley

GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR NEWS

Today with electronics so easily accessible and making our lives so much easier, it is easy to fall into the trap of

leaving our children to be educated and entertained by the tablet, computer or television. Also, it is easy to forget

that our children require and seek our time and attention, outside of our electronic use. So many children

comment on how their mother or father is always on their phone or computer, on social media and too busy to

help them or spend time with them. This week’s article by Michael Grose, parenting expert, discussing five ways

to put the electronics down and to spend quality time with your children. These tips are about quality time and

educating your children about the world outside of electronics.

“Time is free but it’s priceless. You can’t own it but you can use it. You can’t keep it but you can spend it. Once

you’ve lost it, you can never get it back" – Harvey Mackay

Debbie Thurlow

Guidance Counsellor

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to those children who celebrate their birthdays this week:

Patrik G, Aliyah R, Eva B, Ayla M, Gabriella N, Isabella S, Roman C, Benjamin C, Taylah W, Isabelle W,

Catherine P.

P B 4 L

Robo's Rule of the Week

Respect for Property in the Classroom.

Robo Awards

Tianni M 4A, Taylah 4A, Kobe K 5A, Declan M 5A, Jack P 4C, Talon 3A, Grace 0B, Kelsie 0A, Cody A 3C,

Annabelle 3A.

Class Awards

0A Kelsie, Riley

0B Noah, Amelie

0C Aaliyah, Lauchlan

1A Sienna G, Nicholas

1B Monique, Isabella

1C Chelsea, Joe

2A Hayley, Corbin

2B Nathaniel, Kyra

2C Mia, Cheyenne

3A Bethany, Jesse

3B Lucy, Mitchell

3C Patrik, Aalliyah

4A Cliodhna, Liam

4B Zaria, Izak

4C Zak, Isabelle, Jack and Jai

5A Declan

6B Mercadies, Cruise

M(usic)M(edia)A(rt)D(rama)D(ance) (MMADD for Arts)

Instrumental Music Lessons (Piano, Guitar and Percussion) have begun. New

students can obtain information from the office.

Expressions Of Interest- Instrumental Band Lessons

I am exploring several options for establishing and building a strong and ongoing instrumental program here at St

Brigid's and I am very keen to hear from any parents who are interested in their child participating in band

lessons - ie learning a concert band instrument such as flute, clarinet, trumpet saxophone etc.

Please send your details and any comment via email to msandstrom@bne.catholic.edu.au.

This is not a commitment - but a gauge of the support among the school community.

Thank you.

Mrs Maryanne Sandstrom

MR GUDGEON'S SPORTS REPORT

Interschool Sport

Interschool sport kicked off last Friday and was a huge success despite the sweltering conditions.

There was a buzz around the school as St Brigid's students prepared to compete in various sports against other

schools on the Gold Coast.

The year 5 rugby league team were successful in defeating William Duncan 22-0. A great team effort.

The year 5 girls netball team had a 9-2 win thanks to the accuracy of sharp shooter Kate Edrich.

The year 6 girls netball team were defeated 3-1 despite a strong effort from all the girls.

The year 5 Oz-tag were very competitive despite being beaten in the dying minutes by St Augustine's. A great

effort from an inexperienced team playing in the 'A' division. Well done girls.

The year 5 boys soccer team won against William Duncan State School 3:1. Well done boys.

The year 6 boys soccer team also beat Wiliam Duncan State School 2:1 whilst the Year 6 girls soccer team lost

by 1 to Robina.

Rec Club were very lucky to spend their afternoon enjoying the beautiful walk along Burleigh Heads.

Please refer to the newsletter each week for game times and venues.

We wish our teams the best of luck this Friday.

Our girls Oz-tag team.

This week's games are as follows:

Soccer - Italo Aust Club 12:40 pm 6 B Boys

1:35 pm 5 B Boys

1:35 pm 6 B Girls

Girl's Oztag - Mallawa Dr 1:35 pm 5A Girls

Netball - Firth Park Yr 6 12:45 pm

Yr 5 1:30 pm

Rugby - Glennon Park Yr 5 1:30 pm

Please click on the following links for the timetables.

Netball_Roster_2015.docx

oztag_week_1.docx

Rugby_League_Draw_2015_1.doc

Simon Gudgeon

PE Teacher & Sports Coordinator

ACTIVE SCHOOL TRAVEL

Thank you to the families who have been able to actively travel to school. We hope to award the next class at

next week’s assembly.

We have some exciting events planned for next term, including our next breakfast, Week 2 next term, Tuesday

April 28th

.

Hope to see a good turnout again.

Watch this space for more news!

WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY NEWS

Visitors' Register

The Visitors' Register is located at Reception and all parents and visitors are required to sign in and out.

This is an essential document that keeps the school informed of all visitors and contractors who may be on site at

any particular point in time.

be SAFE be WELL

P & F ASSOCIATION

THE EASTER RAFFLE IS COMING!!!!!!

The P & F are seeking your help.

We are looking for donations of Easter items such as Easter eggs, chocolates, baskets etc. for our Easter Raffle.

All items can be left at the office by this Wednesday, 26 March.

Raffle tickets have been handed out to each family costing $1.00 each (book of 10) for sale and are to be

returned to school by Wed 26 March.

Raffle to be drawn and results of prizes to be announced at Assembly on Monday 31 March.

Helene Fahey P&F President

TUCKSHOP

Slush puppies are now available for $2, they are all natural flavours based on fruit.

The tuckshop is now open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday!

Please click here to access the 2015 Menu.

The preferred method for ordering tuckshop is online through Flexischools. Please click on the following link to

register your child and order tuckshop.

https://www.flexischools.com.au/FM/FM.aspx?p=Registration&RegID=5f1lmr6LHB.

Miss Mel Tuckshop Convenor

UNIFORM SHOP

Hours

Opening hours - Tuesday and Friday 8:30am - 9:30am

Help needed! If you have a spare hour on a Tuesday or Friday morning from 8.30 - 9.30am. your help serving

would be greatly appreciated. If available to help out, please give me a call or drop in to the Uniform Shop.

Deb Laurie - 0431 151 903

CLASS NEWS

Prep News

The Jolly Phonics letter/sound for this week is Kk. Please keep revising all of the sounds and letters that we have

covered during the last seven weeks. These revised sounds are Ss, Aa, Tt, Ii, Pp, Nn and Cc. Please keep

encouraging your child to know all the sounds and words that we have focussed on so far this term, as it is

necessary for the early stages of reading and writing. We are continuing to explore ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar'

story. Our own hairy caterpillars have been a great success. The children have enjoyed observing and discussing

their continued growth and changes. We hope that they continue to grow when they come home!!

We are onto our 6th colour of the rainbow to represent this week of our Lenten journey. During the next two

weeks we will be focussing on the true meaning of Easter, the Story of the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus.

We are revising numbers from 0-10. The children need to know the correct formation of the number and

recognise the name of each number. We are playing games to reinforce the recognition of numbers and one to

one correspondence. We are counting forwards and backwards from 0-10.

Year 1 News

Last Friday was “Harmony Day”. On this day and every day, Grade One children are encouraged to be friendly,

helpful and co-operative students. Sometimes children tell parents about the behaviour of another student and

the things that student does throughout the day. It is natural for young children to talk about other people in their

class, however it is important to note that you are getting a version of events from a child who is limited in his or

her social-emotional development. Social development will range between students depending upon many

factors such as age, gender, personality, background, social skills, language development, family values and

experience. All children are encouraged to ‘get-along’ with others, to show respect for adults and peers and to

show tolerance towards others. If a child has difficulty with Maths or English he or she is provided with more

assistance and opportunity to develop knowledge and skills. The same should be considered for children who

require more time to develop organizational skills and general behaviour.

Year 2 News

Welcome to Week 9.

Parent/Teacher Conferences are in progress this week. It has been a good opportunity to speak to parents about

their child's progress.

This term our Science focus has been on "What is a Mixture?" We have been identifying and discussing

components that make up various mixtures. The students were presented with an unknown mixture and made

predictions about what they thought it would be. They then completed individual investigations separating and

labelling the components. The students were successful in their predictions.

A reminder to return Project Compassion boxes as soon as possible before the end of the term.

Have a Good Week !!!

Year 3 News

Welcome to Week 9.

Another jam packed week. The children are working hard and deserve a break very soon. (As do the teachers!)

We have finished our narratives and will now move onto persuasive writing.

There have been several cases of lice, please check your child’s hair regularly.

Final mass for the term will be this Friday March 27th

9:15, all welcome.

Please enjoy our comments from the week.

“I enjoyed the adjectives test because I know my adjectives.” Ella L 3A

“This week 3B are doing assembly and it’s all about Jesus and Mary the Mother of God.” Mitchell 3B

“We have been doing science experiments and they have been interesting.” Keenan 3C

A different twist to “How was your day?” Instead why not try, “Did you say something nice to someone today?”

We wish you a terrific week!

Year 4 News

Thankyou to all parents for their quick response in returning the parent teacher notes to their class teachers. We

look forward to meeting with you and discussing your child’s progress for Term 1, 2015.

Tablet Update:

Please congratulate your children on continuing their tablet transportation. They have been quite vigilant

at bringing their tablets into the correct classrooms before school, and very few have been caught

trying to use them at the wrong time (before school and after school while waiting to be picked up).

Some children are still returning their tablets with little or no charge, especially after a weekend. It is the

responsibility of your child (perhaps with your gentle reminders) to have them charged ready for the

next school day. Children whose tablets are uncharged will not be able to do so at school unless there

have been exceptional circumstances which prevented doing so at home.

Students are able to access Literacy Planet (with your permission of course) at home, completing any

tasks that have been set.

LENT

The fifth week of Lent has arrived. Each week we learn a little more about how people in other countries

live, what their living conditions are like and how they learn to help themselves become self-sustaining.

This means we are getting close to the end of Lent and into the Easter Week events.

We have a School Mass on Friday. Please join us if you can. On Thursday next week, we will be having

a Prayer walk based on the Easter story.

Upcoming Events

Next week, on Tuesday March 31st, the people from Ngutana-Lui Cultural Centre at Inala are coming to our

school to share their culture with our students. It will be for most of the day and should be a great experience for

everyone.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Year 5 News

This week Year 5 will have a visit from Aquinas College staff and students outlining the variety of subjects and

activities that are offered by the College if students wish to apply to attend Aquinas College for High School. Also,

the Year 5 students are completing a number of assessment items prior to the end of this term and so we

encourage you to continue to keep your children focussed on the need for diligence and determination when

completing these assessment items.

Last Friday was the beginning of Interschool Sport and all teams performed very well. Mr Bianchi congratulated

all students in Year 5 for how well they conducted themselves as representatives of our school. We hope that this

behaviour continues as Interschool Sport continues throughout the rest of this term and into Term 2.

Year 6 News

Last week we celebrated St Patrick's Day with a brief look at his life and what made him so special to the Irish

community. We discovered many misconceptions such as St Patrick was in fact born in Scotland and the original

colour of the day was blue. We finished off with a "beginner's" tutorial on Irish dancing which was slightly more

challenging than it looked! The preparation for our Reader's Cup competition is rounding up with the class

winning team to be decided on Thursday. Mrs Daley has encouraged the teams to dress up or bring props

for the event. Each class winning team will then challenge one another to find out the year level champion. Good

luck teams!

OSHC

St Brigid's OSHC is managed by Centacare Child Care Services for and on behalf of Catholic Parishes at Parish

Schools and in agreement with Brisbane Catholic Education at Archdiocesan Schools.

We are an approved child care service and receive Child Care Benefit funding through the Department of

Education, Employment and Work Place Relations.

The service provides care for school-aged children attending the program for before and after school and during

school holidays.

Please click here for details of our Easter School Holiday Program.

OFFICE NEWS

Have you changed your Contact Details?

As we may need to contact you urgently at any time due to illness, accident or just to keep you informed of what

is happening in your child's life at school, it is most important we have your current contact details. If you have

moved residence, changed your workplace, email address or phone numbers recently please call in to the office

to complete a Change of Address/Contacts form or click here to print one off at home.

Fees

There are various payment methods available which include Direct Debit, Credit Card, Bpay or Cash. Application

forms for Direct Debit, Credit Card and Concession are available on the Parent Portal or can be collected from

the Office.

Parent Portal Access

Please contact the office if you have any problems accessing the Parent Portal.

Student Banking

Student banking is every Wednesday at St Brigid's. Please complete your deposit slip each week, including the

student number. The bank will not accept cheques through the school banking system, so please only send in

cash. Thankyou.

Student Absences

When leaving a message on the School Absences Line - please clearly state the following:

Student's Name

Class

Reason for Absence - VERY IMPORTANT

Administration of Medication

Please note - a NEW Medication Request Form must be completed for 2015 for any students requiring

medication to be administered during school hours. This form can be found on the Parent Portal or

collected from the office or accessed by clicking here.

At times medication needs to be administered to a child at school ie, antibiotics, ear drops etc. If you need us to

administer medication to your child during school hours, you must complete a Student Medication Request form.

Medication is to be provided in the original pharmacy labelled container/box to the school.

Please ensure medication is not out of date and has an original pharmacy label stating the student's

name, dosage and time to be taken.

The student needs to have previously received a dose at home without any ill effects.

The medication must be collected when it is no longer required at school.

A new form must be completed if the student is prescribed a change.

NB: Where possible, medication should be administered to your child at home at times other than during school

hours.

Lost Property

Please ask your children to check the lost property box regularly. There are currently a lot of items there which

will be on display for your collection next Monday outside the Admin office. Please take a look.

It doesn't seem to take long before we accumulate a large pile of lost property at the office. If you have labelled

your children's items and they turn up in lost property, we will send them back to the classroom. It is therefore

very important to label every single item.

DENTAL VAN

Gold Coast Oral Health Services are offering free dental check-ups to children in all Year levels at St

Brigids, including new 2015 Prep students.

This service will be provided at St Brigid's by Mobile Dental Clinic 148A. Hours of operation for this clinic are

Tuesday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

To arrange an appointment for your child telephone:

The Oral Health Client Service Centre - 1300 300 850

Monday – Friday 8.00 am – 4.30 pm Excluding Public Holidays

Child Dental Benefit Schedule Vouchers are accepted. When your child’s $1000 cap is reached, there will be no

out-of-pocket expenses provided your child meets *eligibility criteria.

* Eligibility – All Queensland resident children aged four years or older who have not completed year 10 of

secondary school.

Further information on public funded oral health services can be accessed via URL:

http://www.health.qld.gov.au/goldcoasthealth/html/services/oralhealth.asp

Leanne Evert

Dental Therapist, Mobile Dental Clinic MDC 148A

Child & Adolescent Oral Health Service / Specialty and Procedural Services (SAPS)

Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service / Queensland Health

leanne.evert@health.qld.gov.qu

COMMUNITY NEWS

Discover the Meaning of Easter…

There is more to Easter than chocolate eggs and bunnies.

Bring the whole family to experience The Iona Passion Play at

Aquinas College, Ashmore on Sunday March 29th

with a performance at 7pm.

Tickets: Early Bird: $12 At the Door: Adults $18 Seniors/Students $15

Children aged 6-14: $5 (age 5 & under FREE) Group discounts available.

Bookings: (07)3333 1993 or online atwww.passionplay.org.au

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

A weekend away for married couples in peaceful, picturesque surroundings – away from the distractions of

everyday living. Take time out of your busy schedule, to invest in your most precious asset . . . your

Marriage! This is a unique opportunity to recharge your relationship batteries, refocus on each other and fall in

love all over again!

Weekend date: 15th – 17

th May 2015

Venue: Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre, Ormiston QLD (on Brisbane’s bayside)

For bookings/details contact: Maria and David Murphy, ph (07) 3342 1456,

dandmmurphy@optusnet.com.au Information website:

www.wwme.org.au

Soccer X Training T-Shirts are available for $20. If you would like one please click

here for the order form.

Information Display for parents:

Cheap and Free Activities, Goods and Services

Family Connections staff will be on hand to answer any questions = information will be available for you to take

with you

Tuesday 24th March

Drop in any time between 9.30am til 11.30am

Gilston Family Central

2 Kokomo Court Gilston

Look out for the yellow balloons

(off Silvereye Circuit - please see map for details)

No cost - morning tea provided

“Where can I get assistance with food?”

“My fridge has broken - can anyone help?”

“I need a specialised table for my child...”

“Is there any help with transport?”

“I can’t afford to pay for my child to see a psychologist..”

These are just some of the questions we are asked, so we are collecting information to share with you about

subsidised and affordable (some free) options as well as the eligibility criteria for each.

We hope that you will leave with a better understanding of what is out there for you and your family.

Everyone is welcome

For more information contact : FSG Australia

Ph: (07) 55194129 / 55029797

or email familyresourcing@fsg.org.au

www.fsg.org.au

Advertise Your Business

Advertise your Business on the Electronic School Newsletter with a link into your website

If you are interested please call Lorelle Davidson 0419 655 230