Filter Content
Dear Parents and Carers,
This week we recognised National Sorry Day and we began National Reconciliation Week. The theme of Reconciliation Week this year is “More than a word. Reconciliation takes action.” We have a responsibility to build respectful relationships with all members of our community that value the history, culture and future of all people.
Aunty Kylie is doing a wonderful job in our school helping us all to grow in our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. I am so proud to hear our Aboriginal children speaking in Gathang and sharing their language proudly in the school.
Our theme for PBS this week was also being a WEST person, being Welcoming and Encouraging and Saying Sorry and Thank you, so it tied in beautifully with Reconciliation week. Below is a wonderful sign that Aunty Kylie and some of our Aboriginal students made to help us recognise Sorry Day this week.
School Support Staff Day
Recently we celebrated and recognised our School Support staff with a beautiful morning tea put on by the teachers. The support staff that we have at St Joseph’s are an amazing and special group of people. Their genuine care and support of all students in our school is superb. Thank you to Mary, Jane, Natasha, Ros, Tori and Aunty Kylie for all they do each and every day to support our staff and students.
Parent Meeting Update
Thank you to all parents who voted for either the P&F model or the Parent Engagement Model. The vote was unanimous and the motion was moved to formally dissolve the P&F. We will now begin to plan our next meeting and a note will come home soon for your to let us know when you would like meetings and what topics you would like us to present to you.
Welcome Back Gabriella
We were so pleased to welcome back Gabriella Blanco and her family to Year 1 this week. It is wonderful to see her smiling face back in our school and her classmates were very welcoming and excited to have her back.
200 Years of Catholic Education
This week marked 200 year of Catholic Education in Australia. As a school we have decided to celebrate this through the offering of service. Every child in the school has made a little prayer card which we will deliver to the local nursing home as well as members of our Parish that are currently unwell. We will also be conducting a food drive during Week 9 and 10 to donate to the Taree Community Kitchen so we can assist in helping others that are less fortunate than ourselves.
Playground Update
Our playground continues to evolve and become a more engaging space for our students. Over the past two weeks our shade structure has been erected over the sandpit, making it an all-weather play space now. The second part of the mud kitchen was also installed. Thanks to Mr and Mrs Bridgeman and Mr Hunt for their work in helping to create such a popular play space for our students.
Wonderful Donation from St Kevin’s in Cardiff
Just after the floods I was contacted by the Mini Vinnies group at St Kevin’s in Cardiff asking if they could help our school community in our recovery. I mentioned to them that we had a number of families who had been impacted by the floods and we would appreciate any help they could offer. This week I was so surprised to hear that they had raised $698 to assist our families that had been impacted by the floods. Their generosity and thoughtfulness is so wonderful, our children watched a short video message from the entire school of St Kevin’s to let us know how and why they raised money for our school. This money will go directly towards school supplies and excursion costs for those families that have been impacted.
Weekly Storytime
Enrolments now open
Our Kinder 2022 enrolments are now open, if you are planning on sending your child to Kinder next year or know someone who is interested in coming to our beautiful school please contact the office for a school tour with Mrs Hunt and an enrolment pack.
Please join me in saying a prayer for those communities that continue to be impacted by COVID-19 that they are able to recover and return to some form of normality soon.
God Bless
Making Jesus Real – Values of the week
Week 7 - I do my best work
Week 8 - I do the right thing
Prime Minister Award
‘ Being a steward of creation’, ‘trying your best’, ‘speaking with kindness’ and ‘ being a responsible learner’ are some of the qualities that teachers consider when awarding ‘Prime Minister’ at our weekly assembly. It is an acknowledgement of the student’s efforts and they have the privilege of wearing the badge with honour, of suggesting a focus the school can work on, award Gotchas to other students at lunch time as well as earning Gotchas for themselves. Congratulations to Sienna Lapi-an, Week 6 and Willow Eijkman, Week 7.
MJR Awards
As part of our MJR system ,we acknowledge that the following students, Sienna White and Jayden Jordan have reached 100 Gotchas, Shaneden Clarke has reached 200 Gotchas, and Charlotte Barry and Lewis Downie have reached 400 Gotchas. Well Done!
Year 5 and 6 – NSW Primary Schools CPR Awareness Program
On Tuesday, students in Year 5 and Year 6 took part in the NSW Primary Schools CPR Awareness Program. This program, funded by the Royal Life Saving Society, helps students learn the vital skills of CPR and have the knowledge to perform effective CPR, both around water and in the general community. The program also ensures all students have a sound understanding and knowledge on how to perform an emergency response plan in a time of need. Our students are part of over 35 000 students to date who have taken part in this program.
As you can see the students had an enjoyable time whilst learning a skill they can have for life…..
Scottish Festival School Fundraising Stall - Saturday 5th June
We are so appreciative of the generous donations of pre-loved books and plants we have recieved so far!
A note has been sent out asking for parent helpers to volunteer for the stall.
If you are unable to help, you can still show your support by bringing the kids along to browse our stall or to have their face painted! It will be a great day out and we look forward to seeing you there!
National Simultaneous Storytime
On Wednesday 19th of May we joined over 1.8 million children from all over Australia and New Zealand for the National Simultaneous Storytime. This year the book Give Me Some Space written by Phillip Bunting was read by astronaut Shannon Walker from the International Space Station.
We sat in the hall, and we were all astonished to see the book floating in space! After that we learnt how to moonwalk...Michael Jackson style! While doing the moon walk, we had so much fun. Thanks to Ms Monkley we were able to do this fun activity.
By Nate Bell
Mackenzie Wilmen turns 8; Harry Gibbins, Shianne Xuereb and Breanna Swierczynski turn 9; Nic Pereira and Tye Galea turn 11.