Year 5/6 Camp Last week Year 5 and 6 had a fantastic time at camp in Brisbane. After an early start on Wednesday morning the bus was filled with extremely excited travellers. Our first stop was at the beautiful Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha where we were able to enjoy the natural environment and also eat luncheon the beautiful Botanic Gardens. Next port of call was the amazing Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium for the wonderfully exciting and educational show “Cosmic Collisions”. The show left us feeling out of this world! But no there was more, off to the South Bank Parklands we journeyed for afternoon tea and an awesome time on the Wheel of Brisbane which gave us a jaw dropping view of the area. On day two the Sciencentre  filled the morning with fun and exploration. We loved having our photos taken with the dinosaurs and could have spent much more time at the Sciencentre.  After a well deserved lunch at the City Botanic Gardens we took a guided tour with Peter of the Parliament House where we meet the Governor of Queensland and saw democracy in action with a very loud protest outside the front door. Then we headed off to the Museum for a self guided visit.  After an early dinner we walked five minutes to the cinema to see “Through The Looking Glass” on opening night. The movie was fantastic and we were very proud of the fact we had paid for this through our own work in fundraising. The last day saw us at the LEGO Education Learning Centre where we were able to participate in two workshops; Wonder Wheels a design challenge and Space Challenge where we used coding to write a program for our robots to determine their actions and movement.  Then a last lunch at Musgrave Park before heading home to Maclean. Sacrament of Confirmation Last Sunday a group of wonderful students received the Sacrament of Confirmation from the Bishop at a prayerful, holy and spiritual Confirmation Mass held at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church Maclean.  Prior to this sacramental time students were able to meet with the Bishop and spend some time together talking in the school library. This was a time of Grace for these students and their families & we keep them in our prayers over the coming weeks. Students making the Sacrament of Confirmation were:  Taj Angelo, Bowen Barrett, Kai Brossman, William Gallagher, Annabelle Hourigan, Noah Moloney, Rebecca O’Hearn & Olivia Senz School Pick Up Procedures  Just a reminder to be aware of the following guidelines around student pick-up procedure. Upon conclusion of classroom learning finishing time (3:15pm) we ask that all parents collect your child/ren from the Amphi-theatre outside of the Kindergarten room. Whilst we understand that parking can be limited, we have had a couple of students recently making their way off school grounds to be picked up by a parent in a waiting car. Additionally, we ask that the front of the school not be used as an individual Pick Up area, as we have found some students then waiting unsupervised out the front of the school for their parents arrival. It would be appreciated for the safety of all students that they be collected from the designated School Pick Area. Any feedback around this is more than appreciated. Mistake Friendly Classrooms  Neurological research on the brain and mistakes is hugely important for teachers and parents, as it tells us that making a mistake is a very good thing. The brain sparks and grows when we make a mistake, even if we are not aware of it, because it is a time of struggle; the brain is challenged and the challenge results in growth. Understanding the power of mistakes is critical.  At St. Joseph’s, we encourage a supportive climate that encourages students to take risks and know that it is OK to make a mistake. Finding errors in our own and other people’s work whilst giving supportive feedback is valued and encouraged…so if your child fears making mistakes, remind them that this is a time when their brain grows and they get smarter. Award Winners for Week 5  Congratulations to the following students who received awards at this week’s Assembly. Principal Awards  Holly Sangster, Jane Ward, Anna McCarthy Trent Sierakowski, Ruby Nicholas & Emily Upston Kindergarten  Emma Senz, Sophia Moloney & Hugh Bell Stage 1  Bowen Barrett, Grace Johnson, Ella Boon & Rebecca O’Hearn Stage 2  Navah Crofton & Karla Lewis Stage 3  Jackson Kelly, Harry Bailey, Olivia Brown & Layla Black