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Dear Parents and Carers,
This year we have continued on our journey of improving student outcomes and achievement. Our teachers have been undertaking Professional Learning in creating Learning Intentions and Success Criteria to help our students to become more aware of what they are learning and what they need to do to achieve their outcomes.
Part of this process had included the co-construction of Success Criteria with the students. It is so exciting to see students being able to talk about what they need to learn to be successful in achieving their learning goals.
Parent Engagement Group Update
Thank you to all parents who have sent the note back with preferred meeting times and topics they would like to hear about. If you haven’t had a chance we would love to hear from you so we can make our meetings really valuable.
Welcome Back Lachlan
We were so pleased to welcome back Lachlan Blanco and his family to Year 4 this week. It is wonderful to see him back with his classmates, who were very excited to see him.
Scottish Festival
Thank you to all of the families that supported our Scottish Festival Stall. A special thank you to Mrs Lapi-an for everything she did to coordinate our stall. It was so wonderful to see so many people contributing to make the day so successful.
Weekly Storytime
Don’t forget that we have storytime every Friday for children who have not yet started school. If you are a parent who has children at home, please come along for your children to share in a story while you are waiting for school pick up and enjoy a cuppa with some other parents.
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.
Safeguarding in Diocesan Schools
The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has an absolute and abiding commitment to promote the safeguarding of children. In 2019, as a part of that commitment, our bishop, Bill Wright, articulated his expectations of all those who work for the Diocese, “I expect you to place the safety, welfare and wellbeing of every child and vulnerable adult at the centre of everything you do in the name of our church.”
Bishop Wright established the Office of Safeguarding, whose director answers to the Bishop’s Office and is charged to oversee the whole of the Diocese’s safeguarding of children, including the students in our system of schools.
As a parent sending your child to a Diocesan school, you are expected to be an active participant in safeguarding your child’s wellbeing. To do so, it’s important that you have the best information available to you. The Office of Safeguarding website offers comprehensive details of the Diocese’s approach to safeguarding children. You are also encouraged to be an active participant in the life of your school.
As a parent of a diocesan school student, if you are concerned for:
- the safety, welfare or wellbeing of one or more children in the school
- the conduct of a member of staff, a volunteer, contractor or other adult associated with the school
… you are able to:
- discuss your concerns with a teacher, Assistant Principal or Principal
- talk to an investigator at the Office if Safeguarding (Ph. 4979 1390, during office hours)
- report your concerns to the Department of Communities and Justice’s (DCJ) Child Protection Helpline (Ph. 132 111, 24 hrs/7 days) if your concerns constitute a risk of significant harm
- report to NSW Police if you believe a crime has been committed.
Please join me in saying a prayer of thanks for everyone who continues to make St Joseph’s such a wonderful place for our children to grow and learn.
God Bless
Making Jesus Real – Values of the week
Week 9 - I wear my uniform with pride
Week 10 - I use safe hands and safe feet
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 Savannah Jordan Week 8 and Tyceon Xuereb Week 9.
MJR Awards
As part of our MJR system ,we acknowledge that the following students, Caitlyn Lyon and Sienna Lapi-an have reached 100 Gotchas. Well Done!
School Athletics Carnival
Last Tuesday, students in Years 2-6 travelled to Taree Rec grounds to participate in the Annual school athletics carnival. Thank you Mr Wickham for his excellent organisation in preparing for this event. There were some great individual results and lots of team spirit on the day. We appreciate and thank our parent helpers for their assistance also.
Our Athletic Squad of 38 will travel to Tuncurry next Thursday 17th June for the Manning Regional carnival. Good luck team!
Athletics Awards
8yrs boys - Daniel Sutherland
8 yrs girls - Eleanor Healy
9yrs boys - Oliver Barry
9 yrs girls - Monique Sternbeck
10yrs boys - Jaxon Osgood
10yrs girls - Reuby Sheather
11yrs boys - Lewis Downie
11yrs girls - Charlotte Barry
Snr Boys - Jake Guppy
Snr girls - Lacey Hilman
House Champions: Patterson
Kinder and Year 1 Athletics
Our Kinder and Year 1 had a great time during their Athletics Carnival. They began by having a race with their friends, before moving into tabloid sports activities. Lots of laughs were had during the sack races whilst students perfected their jumping technique! As always, the parachute was lots of fun. The egg and spoon race required the most concentration, but our clever students had soon perfected their skills and were able to balance their egg on the spoon whilst walking backwards! Thank you to Mrs Minett, Mrs Bridgeman, Jane and Tori for organising such a great event!
Scottish Festival Fundraising Wrap Up
Thank you to our amazing school community for your generous donations and support for our school stall! We raised $1150 for our school, and this money will benefit our students in many ways.
We had an early start on Saturday, with our wonderful team of volunteers setting up the stall at 7am.
Our stall was very busy with numerous plants, books, dvds and craft being sold to our fellow stall holders as soon as our marquee was set up! The day continued to be successful with many faces painted, boxes of fresh produce sold, and a constant stream of customers right up until pack up time.
Thank you to our reliable and hard-working team who helped on the day; David and Mel Hunt, Ian and Shae Lapi-an, Peter Macmillan, Gabrielle Crocker, Grace Fraser, Mark Knoke, Belinda Burton, Lisa Hagarty, Rulof Van Der Merwe, Michelle Linehan, Kristy Campbell, Mel Watters, Christie Downie and Jane Murray.
We are so grateful for the generous donations of plants, books and more, from the following families; Wickham, Lapi-an, Nash, White, Higgins, Bonser, Bell, Van Der Merwe, Knoke, Downie, O’Toole-Chase, Linehan, Long, Hunt, Murray (Jane), Hagarty, Hillman and Healy. (Apologies if we missed you, some donations were left when the office was unattended). Special thanks also to Ms Monkley who designed, printed and displayed school promotional posters.
Thank you to those who popped into our stall on the day to say hello and make a purchase! It was great to see so many of our students on the day.
We had a great day and enjoyed being part of such a great community event.
Shae Lapi-an
Year 6 Camp to Coffs Harbour
In week 3, the Year 6 students travelled to the Coffs Adventure Centre for their camp. There were many great activities and the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Year 6 camp was the best thing! The food was amazing, and the activities were the best. My three favourite things at camp were the commando course, the zip lining, and the dolphin marine park. Tristian Minns
On the Year six camp there were many fun actives that we got to do like climbing, jumping off a 12-metre pole, running through mud and zooming on a zipline. The food was amazing! Kaylla Lulham
I loved our Year 6 camp because it was fun doing all the activities. My favourite activities were the mega drop and the commando course. I also liked going to Coffs Harbour instead of Sydney. The food prepared for us was delightful. Jake Guppy
We all were so excited on the morning of camp, we quickly hopped on the bus and spent a long 3-hour bus ride to the Dolphin Marine Conservation Park after that we headed over to the Coffs Coast Adventure Centre to do a very muddy commando course. We did lots of more fun activities such as: Sky LIne, Z ball, Mega drop, Minute to win it, and the Botanic Gardens. It was such a fun experience for all the Year 6 students, [Mrs Cleaver and Mr B enjoyed it as well]. Charlotte Barry
Everyone was so excited to go to Camp. We loved all the Activities. It was the best Camp EVER!!! Ava Doherty
Year 6 camp had so many fun things to do. That food was so great. My favourite activities were the Z-Ball, Skywire and fencing. The Dolphin Marine Park was so interesting. Angus Abbott
I had a lot of fun at camp. My favourite activity was the zip line, it was so much fun. My least favourite activate was the commando course because you got muddy. Savannah Jordan
At camp the first thing we did was go to the Dolphin Marine Conservation park. The second thing we did was go to the camp, we did the commando course and it was a lot of fun and then we did the mud mile. Nayte Foley
It was a normal Monday except Year 6 was going to camp in Coffs Harbour. First, we went to the Dolphin Marine Park and saw the turtles and dolphins. Then we went to the camp, got unpacked and went to the commando course where we got all muddy. We went on the mega drop, the zip line and Z-ball (a big inflatable ball that rolls down a hill). We also did fencing, it was so much fun. The meals were great but sadly we had to go. We went to the Botanical Gardens and had some lunch at the jetty. We jumped on the bus and went home. Lacey Hilman
On our Year 6 camp we had a fun time doing the activities. The activities were commando course, z-ball, mega drop, fencing and sky wire. My favourite activities were commando course and z-ball. Ella Bos
Year six camp was great! There were lots of actives to do. One of the actives to do was the sky-wire. I had a lot of fun. Maria Fresen
The 12-metre jump was cool - I jumped off it three times! Nicole Jordan
Year six camp was an exciting time with our friends. The activities at the Coffs Coast Adventure Centre were fun and the food was amazing. Some of the activities were great fun including Z-ball and the Commando Course. On the Z-ball we had to go in giant ball and roll down a hill. Then in the Commando Course we had to run on these huge, muddy hills. On our way back to school, we went to a jetty. We had an amazing time, and all enjoyed it! Georgia Hartley
New Baby..............
Contratulations to Mathew and Shannon Maidens on the safe arrival of "Henry William" born on the 10th May. A little brother for Grace (K) and Catherine.
Zander Knowles turns 7; Tyla Eakin turns 8; Jakayla Minns and Adena Campbell turn 11.