St Peter’s Rochedale P&F Newsletter

WELCOME

Next week the P&F hold its AGM for 2017. As we embark on a new year of P&F we

thought we would highlight why St Peter’s have a P&F.

We believe it is important to build a community around our school to ensure that we

can all assist in the education of our children. We try to ensure that during the year

many of the events are focused on bringing people together, fun for children and

sometimes raising a bit of valuable funds to go towards resources and facilities for the

school.

Over the last few years, numbers attending our meetings have dwindled, volunteers to

help at events have dropped, and it has become the same few families doing a lot

around the school. After a conversation with a fellow parent recently, it highlighted to

us that there may be a misconception in our school community about why we as P&F

exist and why we are always asking for help. One parent made the comment, "we pay

our school fees, why do we need to raise more money?"

It is important to understand that without our fundraising the school, and most

importantly our children, will suffer.

Impacts of P&F Events & Fundraising:

• Significant contribution to school ICT program - provision of updated ICT tech for our kids, ipads, etc.

• Fete & Raffle - major community event and key fundraisers • Discos & BBQs - community event to bring families together • Working Bees - paddock carpark, playgrounds and gardens become rundown and

dangerous, therefore inaccessible to us & our kids • Likely an increase in the P&F Levy which forms part of our school fees.

At this point in time, there is a real possibility that we may not have a P&F Executive

next year, and several of the current executives are unable to continue in their roles.

Which as a worst case scenario could result in no P&F for 2018, and therefore won’t be

able to run these events including our biannual fete. This is our major fundraiser, and if

we don’t have parent support, and support of our local community through donations

and sponsorship, we won’t be able to hold a successful event.

EMAIL

stpetersparentsandfriends@gmail.com

Find us on Facebook

St Peter’s Rochedale P&F

Meeting: Second Monday of Month, 7:00pm in Library Meeting Room All parents, teachers, and members of the community are welcome to attend the monthly

meeting and have your opportunity to continue to make St Peter’s a great place for education of our children. All Parents are members of the St Peter’s P&F and are encouraged

to attend and support where possible.

P&F Meetings

The P&F meets on the second

Monday of the months at 7pm

in the Library. We are

normally finished between

8:15 and 8:30. Everyone is

welcome to attend, and get

involved in ensuring St Peter’s

stays a great community.

We all understand that many families now have both parents working and there are so many after school

commitments in evenings and on weekends, the parents on the P&F Executive have the same challenges. However,

please attend a meeting, offer to help with events, working bees etc, if every family helped just once a year it will

spread the workload and help continue to support our wonderful school and our kids.

If you have any feedback, thoughts or suggestions we would love to hear from you via our email address, or better yet,

come along to our AGM and Meeting on Monday 6.30pm on 13th November.

Thank you

Michael, Christian, Mark & Daniella

P&F Executive 2017

Working Bee

Thanks to the hard work of those that have attended working bees during 2017. We have made some great

improvements to school, and made improvements to safety along the way.

This year we have:

- Constructed the new pine tree grove gardens, with 88 Sandstone blocks used to construct a retaining wall, 550

natives planted to provide habitat for birdlife, privacy from neighbours, and help filter rainwater runoff.

- Construct a Labyrinth in pine tree grove, this has created a paved area for younger students to play, as well as

reflection area that classes can use. This took 100m2 of pavers!

- Constructed a new concrete sleeper retaining wall at the senior playground, replacing the rotten timber wall that

was going to collapse.

- Mulched gardens

- Paddock Carpark Maintenance - This entails regular mowing, pruning, fence maintenance, entry and exit

maintenance.

AGM & P&F General meetings

We need a new executive for 2018, please come along if you are interested in helping make St Peter’s a great place for

our children. Monday 13th November at the special time of 6:30pm.

Do you have great ideas? Want to make some sort of difference in our community? Want to see what goes on in our

meetings, or even just want to meet more parents? Come to our meetings on the second Monday of each month from

7pm.

Quick notes from School…..

This week we welcomed our new Prep families for 2018. Both the evening and morning sessions were shared with

great spirit and happiness and we look forward to them all joining in 2018.

Remarkable Moments Learning Journey...

This Friday the school will have a morning celebrating all students learning. We have open classrooms from 8.35am

and a special assembly at 9.10am. We welcome special BCE (Brisbane Catholic Education) guest Mrs Mary

Tsouranakis to our morning. At assembly, we will also be presenting our annual awards. As was discussed in

previous newsletters there will be three categories and each class has selected one student for each.

The St Peter Award

The St Mary MacKillop Award

The Nano Nagle Learning Growth

Award

Awarded to a student for living out the Christian values of St Peters School – Faith, Peace and Learning.

Awarded to a student for consistently achieving and maintaining academic success in all areas of the curriculum.

Awarded to a student for showing commitment, persistence and diligence to studies and striving to grow in learning.

Dates to Remember

• 10 November - Remarkable Moments Celebrating Learning Morning

• 13 November - Launch of St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal

• 17 November - Parent Volunteers Assembly

• 24 November - Christmas Concert

• 29 November - Report Cards sent home

• 1 December - School Mass & 12pm End of 2017 School Year

Have a peaceful week,

The Admin Team

Nano Nagle Library News

s Last week for Library Borrowing

Next week, Week 7 beginning Mon 15th of November will be the last week of borrowing for 2017. Borrowing will

resume Week 2 of school 2018. Please ensure that all resources are returned to school the following week. Overdue

notices will be handed out end of week 8, 17th November.

We require all resources to be returned to school so that we can account for our school resources, make any repairs

and or cull old copies and set up for the new year. There will be no borrowing over the Christmas break. Please

encourage and help your child/children to locate any outstanding books and if they cannot be found please contact

the library so we can work out a replacement cost, as per our school policy.

May I also take this opportunity to thank all those who have helped in any way in the library this year. May and I really

appreciate the help we get to cover and shelve books. I’d also like to acknowledge the members of the Library Care

Group who have helped at various events throughout the year. Thank you.

Happy Reading

Merrill and May

A Message from the Guidance Counsellor

With our Grade 6 students making the exciting transition to high school, parents are busy preparing them for this milestone - purchasing uniforms, attending orientation events and familiarising them with transport arrangements.

Attached to this newsletter is a helpful document from the Queensland Government to assist parents in making their child's move to secondary school as smooth as possible - 'Preparing Your Child for High School'. We hope parents of Grade 6 students find this document beneficial.

Kathy Casley

Guidance Counsellor

Calling all Shepherds and Angels….

All children are invited to be a part of this year’s Nativity Story at the Christmas Eve Children’s Mass on 24 December at 6.30pm. There will be a rehearsal at 10am on 23 December.

If you wish to be a part of the Christmas pageant please phone Jo Cullen on 0419 733 878.

Uniform Shop Update

Sports Shirts

A reminder that next year, your child will need the newest version of the sports shirt with the new logo. Please check

your shirts and make sure you are prepared for next year. The new logo is pictured above.

Save time and order online

• Uniforms are delivered directly to the students.

• Returns and exchanges are available if you are unsure of sizing.

Special Uniform Requirements – LAST CHANCE FOR SPECIAL ORDERS

If your child does not fit into the standard sizes of uniforms we stock at the shop, please see me this FRIDAY to order

items for your specific needs and have them delivered in time for the start of 2018.

Year 6 Leader shirts

A friendly reminder to all current year 5 students to get their order in for next year’s leader shirts. No late orders will

be accepted. Final date is Friday 17th of November.

Kind regards

Janine Hancock

Uniform Shop Convenor