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Monday 21st October - Pupil Free Day
Friday 18th October - P-3 Swimming Lessons @ Townsville Grammar School Campus North Ward - Concluding Friday 29th November
Tuesday 22nd October - Final Book Club for the year due back
Welcome back to Term 4! It is hard to believe that we are at this time of the year again. There is a lot happening over the next 8 and a bit weeks so please keep an eye out for these important dates.
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This feast became very special a long time ago when people began to pray to God through Mary when they really needed God’s help.
The Rosary is a traditional Catholic devotional prayer that honours Mary and at its centre focuses on the life of Jesus Christ. The Mysteries of the Rosary—the Joyful, Luminous, Glorious, and Sorrowful—invite us to meditate on key occasions in Jesus’ life. The Joyful Mysteries recall Jesus’ Incarnation; the Glorious Mysteries recall his Resurrection, and the Sorrowful Mysteries recall his suffering and death. The Luminous Mysteries recall major events from Jesus’ public ministry, starting with his Baptism.
The Rosary is closely connected to the Gospels as most of the events recalled in the Mysteries of the Rosary are found in the Gospels as are the primary prayers prayed in the Rosary - The Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Apostle’s Creed and the Hail, Holy Queen.
Praying the Rosary not only draws us closer to Mary, whom the Rosary honours, but also brings us closer to Jesus Christ as we contemplate his life, suffering, death and resurrection. The Rosary as a devotional prayer is a beautifully simple way to connect with Jesus and his Mother.
https://www.smp.org/search/?s=resources&q=rosary&x=0&y=0
In the month of October, each of our classes will be attending the Church with Fr Siby to say the Rosary. We would like to invite you to join us. Classes will be attending on the following days from 8:45am - 9:15am
- Wednesday 9th October - Year 6
- Thursday 10th October - Prep
- Monday 14th October - Year 2
- Tuesday 15th October - Year 3
- Wednesday 16th October - Year 1
- Thursday 17th October - Year 4
- Tuesday 22nd October - Year 5
Pope Francis has called for an Extraordinary Missionary Month this October. It will be a worldwide occasion of prayer, sharing stories of mission, formation and charity.
Pope Francis has chosen the theme 'Baptised and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World'. The Extraordinary Missionary Month is an invitation for all to join in and do something extraordinary for mission.
This year, students across Australia are encouraged to learn about how the Church in Ghana is taking a lead in providing life-saving care to children with a disability and fostering their personal development for a brighter future. In Ghana there are many children who go to school, hang out with friends and family, and do fun things like sport. Distressingly, some children, especially those with a disability, struggle to have their basic met, such as nutritious food and clean water, healthcare, education and safety.
At St Joseph’s for this Extraordinary Missionary Month we will be celebrating with a Mission Week Liturgy in Week 2 (Wednesday 16th October) which will be led by 3JF. We would like to invite all of our families and friends to come along and join us in Prayer.
Throughout Week 3 there will be several activities happening. There will be a guess the number of lollies in the jar contest and a colouring in contest. Both of these will cost 50c to enter. On Friday 25th October we will be having Mission Week stalls which have been organised by our Year 6 Faith and Services groups and will be run by all our Year 6 students. There will be a garage sale with books, games etc for sale, icy cups for sale and other fun activities so make sure you send some money with your child on this day. Socktober invites children to engage with developing world issues through the language they understand best – play! Children are challenged to ‘Sock it to Poverty’ using the international game of soccer. Shooting goals with their own hand-made recycled ‘Sockball’, students will experience how soccer is played in the countries supported by Catholic Mission. We will also be having Crazy Sock Day where students are invited to wear their craziest socks with their school shoes for a gold coin donation.
Pope Francis' Prayer for October 2019
Heavenly Father,
when your only begotten Son Jesus Christ
rose from the dead,
he commissioned his followers
to “go and make disciples of all nations”
and you remind us that through our Baptism
we are made sharers in the mission of the Church.
Empower us by the gifts of the Holy Spirit
to be courageous and zealous
in bearing witness to the Gospel,
so that the mission entrusted to the Church,
which is still very far from completion,
may find new and efficacious expressions
that bring life and light to the world.
Help us make it possible for all peoples
to experience the saving love
and mercy of Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Sunday’s Gospel
Luke 17:5-10 - Jesus teaches the apostles the importance of faith and service to God.
In Sunday's Gospel, we heard Jesus teach about faith and service to God. The context is a continuing dialogue between Jesus and his followers about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Jesus has just finished an instruction on sin and forgiveness. There are two related teachings that Jesus offers to his disciples when they cry out for an increase in faith. The first is the familiar reminder that faith, even just a little, will enable the followers of Jesus to do wondrous things. But this uplifting and inspiring teaching is quickly followed by the second teaching, a caution about knowing one's place in God's plans. The disciples of Jesus are to understand themselves as servants to God and his plans. Even when God works wonders through us, with our mustard seed-sized faith, we must not seek praise. Our participation in God's plans is God's grace to us—nothing more, nothing less. When we are graced enough to cooperate with God, the work we do is nothing more than our obligation to God as faithful stewards. And yet, our faith enables us to believe that what we have offered in service to God, as his servants, can be made to produce a hundredfold.
There is much in today's Gospel that resonates in family life. In our daily attempts as parents to live up to the confidence and trust that our children place in us, we come to know the wonders that God can do with just a little faith. In family life, we also learn about obligations that are their own rewards. The daily tasks that family members do for one another and for the household are simply the manifestations of our responsibilities to one another.
Take a turn with each member of the family and identify some of the little things that each family member does that make a big difference in your family life.
Read the Gospel, Luke 17:5-10. Talk about how each person is called upon by God to believe that God can work miracles in our lives, that God can use us to make a difference in our world.
https://www.pray.com.au/month/october-2019/
Have a wonderful week.
Take care and God Bless
Amanda
Term 4 Swimming P-3
As part of our schools HPE program, the students in years P-3 will begin swimming lessons next week. Lessons will be conducted with qualified instructors from Tobruk Pool and will be held at Townsville Grammar School campus - North Ward (due to the closure of Tobruk Pool). Lessons will be undertaken every Friday, commencing next Friday 18/10 (week 2) and concluding Friday 29/11 (week 8). Classes will be transported by bus to their lessons each week. It would be greatly appreciated if some parents were able to assist at the pool by attending the lesson (own transport is required). Please contact your child's classroom teacher if you are able to attend. The cost of the lessons will be included in Term 4 school fees. We trust that our swimming lessons will be an enjoyable and worthwhile experience for everyone involved. We thank Luc Senent from Tobruk Pool and TGS for ensuring our students are afforded this wonderful opportunity. The timetable for lessons will be in our school newsletter next week.
Townsville Red Ball Gala Day
Our champion Year 4 students have just attended the Townsville Inaugural Red Ball Tennis Gala Day. The challenge is designed to encourage participation, providing a fun, social playing experience while offering students an opportunity to represent St. Joseph’s in a team environment. The tournament was held at the Kalynda Chase Regional Tennis Centre and the event was a huge success. Well done to Mrs. Lalor, Mrs Sloan and Miss Lisa on all of their efforts on the day.
If anyone is interested in this Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) then please contact the School Office via email or phone. It is in working condition.