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Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to the 2022 school year. We have had a wonderful start to the term and our students have settled beautifully into their new classes. It simply amazes me how quickly the students have got on with their new learning and how quiet the school is during learning times; you can almost hear the thinking!
I would like to welcome all Miss Rachael Long who will be our Aboriginal Education Teacher while Mrs Fraser is on maternity leave. Miss Long will also be taking on the Covid Intensive Learning Support role. Mrs Downie will be on leave for the first 9 weeks of term and Ms Michele Cooling will cover her Learning Support Role and Ms Tori Hardes will cover her Pastoral Care role. Ms Monkley will also be on leave for the first 9 weeks and Mr Greg Haire will be covering her leave.
I would also like to welcome our new families and students in Kinder as well as Olivia and Peter in Year 2, Bella in Year 3, Sophie in Year 4, Charlie and Kohen in Year 5 and Ozzy in Year 6.
COVID Update
Thank you for your continued support in helping us to make sure we are following the COVID mandates. We have many plans in place to keep our children and school community as safe as possible. Even though we have many plans in place, we are doing our very best to ensure that life for our students is as normal as it can be for the time being. If you have not received your RAHT testing kits, can you please contact the office to organise collection.
https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2022/02/01/mid-north-coast-students-head-back-to-the-classroom/
Did you see us on the news this week? You can click on the link above to see the news reel. Thanks to our parents and students who participated!
Parent Teacher Meet and Greet
We will be holding our parent teacher meet and greet during the week of the 22nd of February. Due to current Covid restrictions this will be done over the phone. This will be a chance for you to book in for a 10-minute meeting with your child’s teacher to get to know each other and talk about any concerns or questions as well as discuss learning goals for your child. You will be able to book in a time slot on Compass from the 14th of February and bookings will close on the 18th of February at 3pm. If you are unable to book through Compass, please contact Mary in the office for assistance.
How do I know what is going on?
We do our best to keep you informed of what is happening in the school. Information is sent out via different means depending on what it is.
Paper notes – Sometimes we need to send a paper note home, so keep an eye out in your child’s bag.
Compass- This is our main form of communication. If you haven’t already done so, download the Compass App. As you create your account, please check that your email is correct; if it isn’t change it yourself or contact the school office. Make sure Notifications are turned on. Please make sure you have signed up and have a log in. If you can’t remember your log in or need a log in, please contact Mary in the office. School Reports are available on Compass, so this is important.
Facebook – We will often share photos, videos and reminders on Facebook, like and follow our page; St Joseph’s Primary School, Wingham.
Email - Our newsletters are emailed and these come out every second week on a Friday.
This year canteen will be open most Mondays for Meal Deals, our meal deals will start from the 14th of February. The canteen will also be opened by our Year 6 leaders on Wednesday for students to buy a snack. If you are able to volunteer for any of these days we would love your help. Without volunteers we can’t open, so any help is much appreciated.
Breakfast club is open every morning and for a gold coin donation children are able to get two pieces of toast with their choice of butter, vegemite and cheese and have a glass of milk, milo or juice.
Road Safety
With many parents picking their children up and dropping them off at school Farquhar Street is very busy at school drop off and pick up time. Many parents are holding hands to cross the road which is wonderful to see, but I am concerned that there could be an accident. It is so important that we teach our children about road safety and how to cross the road safely. I encourage you to use the pedestrian crossing out the front of the museum when crossing the road.
Safeguarding Matters
At St Joseph’s we take the safeguarding of children very seriously. I am the Safeguarding Promoter in the school and during the year I will be providing information that will help us all to keep our children safe.
Safer Internet Day
Next Tuesday is Safer Internet Day. We all play a role in keeping our children safe when they are online. There are some fantastic resources for parents available at these links.
Kids: https://www.esafety.gov.au/kids
Young people: https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people
Parents/carers: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
Parent/carer webinars: https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-11/2022%20Parent%20series%20-%20Schedule%20V2%20DONE.pdf
School Fees
Your annual fee statement will be issued next week with a covering letter and explanation.
We are really looking forward to a wonderful year, with many exciting opportunities planned for our students and entire school community.
Please join me in saying a prayer for all students who started at school this week, that they feel safe, secure and a sense of belonging.
God Bless
Making Jesus Real - Values of the Week
Week 3 - I move to the music
Week 4 - I eat on the seats and put my rubbish in the correct bin
Regional Swimming Trials
Swimming trials for the regional team were held today. Students from Yrs 3-6 who nominated to swim, attended Wingham Memorial Pool and competed in various swim events. Whilst this was not our traditional school swim carnival it was great to have the students who nominated back down at the pool. The trials were held in good spirits and all students demonstrated wonderful behaviour. It was also great to see outstanding sportsmanship by all our swimmers.
A big thank you to our parent volunteers, pool staff and all St Joseph's staff members who helped make this even happen.
Students who progress to our regional carnival will be notified shortly. Our regional carnival will be held on Thursday 10 February at Gloucester.
Mark Knoke
Sports Coordinator
New baby...............
Congratulations to Shaun and Sarah on the safe arrival of "Foxx Barbour-Williams", born 20th January. A baby brother for Hunter, Tenisha, Delilah (Yr 3) and Axl (Yr 1).
Allergy Aware
Please be advised that some students in our school have allergies to peanuts and or tree nuts and are at risk of anaphylaxis to these foods. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction. All classrooms are Nut-Free Zones and students are asked not to bring nut products to school for lunch or recess.
Please DO NOT send peanuts, tree nuts or products that contain these foods. These include foods such as: Peanut butter, Whole nuts or nut bars, Nutella and Home-made baked goods containing nuts.