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Dear Parents and Carers,
The celebration of Mass is an important part of our Catholic Faith and Traditions. It is a time for us to come together to listen to the Gospel and give thanks to God. Last week we celebrated our Beginning Year Mass and induction of our Year 6 students into their leadership roles. Father Kevin spoke to us during his Homily about giving thanks for the things we sometimes take for granted, a valuable lesson for us all. Our Year 6 leaders took part in the ministries of the mass, including reading, prayers of the faithful, the offertory procession and the reflection song at the conclusion of Mass. Thank you to Mrs Lapi-an, Mrs Cleaver and Mr Buchtmann for their preparation of a beautiful celebration.
Building Works Update
The school continues to be bustling with builders on site every day working on improvements to our school.
Over the weekend we moved the final pieces of furniture into our classrooms and the finishing touches are being done.
Last week the shade sail went up over the playground equipment, meaning that our students can use the equipment on hot and sunny days in a sun safe manner.
Today the construction of the roof over the outdoor learning area began and we are looking forward to being able to use this space in all weather conditions.
Tomorrow the installation of our new LED wall in the hall will also begin.
We are extremely excited to share our new spaces with you in the near future.
Enrolments for 2026 now open
Kindergarten Enrolments for 2026 are now open! You can easily complete your enrolment applications online through our school website.
Join us on March 20th for an informative session and a tour of our school. We encourage anyone considering St Joseph’s to attend this event.
Additionally, Year 7 enrolments for 2026 at St Clare’s are also open and can be completed online.
We look forward to welcoming new families to our community!
2025 Pupil Free Days
The Pupil Free Days for 2025 are as follows:
Term 1 Friday 11th April
Term 2 Monday 28th April Friday 4th July
Term 3 Monday 21st July Friday 26th September
Term 4 Thursday 18th December Friday 19th December
This week we will spend some time in classrooms raising awareness of online safety. 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.
Please join me in a prayer for our staff as they walk alongside your children this year.
Lord, we pray for the staff at St Joseph’s. That they teach with wisdom, truth, vision, and love. Help them to nurture the unique children they teach each day so that they can thrive in an environment that is safe and respectful and encourages every child to be the best they can be.
Amen
God Bless
Mel Hunt
RE Focus: What is Prayer?
Our school Religious Education curriculum has different definitions of the word prayer, that develop with the student’s knowledge and understanding.
In infants, prayer is defined as ‘talking to God.’ In infants, students learn that prayer is those things we do when we are talking to God. Students learn about important elements of prayer such as making the sign of the cross and the word ‘amen’ (which essentially means I agree.)
For stage 2, prayer is further defined as ‘communicating with God.’ In years 3 and 4, students develop their understanding of prayer to see that prayer is a two-way conversation between themselves and God, not only talking to God but also listening to God, through his stories in the bible and in so many other ways.
For stage 3, prayer is defined as ‘expressing a relationship with God.’ In years 5 and 6, students develop their understanding of prayer to see that prayer can take on many other forms and doesn’t always require talking with God or communicating with God. Prayer can be silent and contemplative and students learn that prayer is something intrinsic and personal.
No matter what stage of their faith journey our students are at, prayer is an important part of our daily school routine. Our school has three common prayers that we recite each day, in the morning, at lunchtime and in the afternoon.
Our morning and afternoon prayers end with the line ‘and may we live Jesus in our hearts, forever.’ This line, taken originally from the Christian Brothers, a religious order of teaching brothers from Ireland, is a reminder for us to make Jesus real each and every day but trying to live just like Jesus did and being kind and loving to everyone we met.
RE Focus: The 2025 Sacramental Program
Parents or Carers of children turning 8 or older this year who are baptised and would like their children to be Confirmed, receive their first Eucharist and first Reconciliation this year, are invited to attend THE INTRODUCTION TO SACRAMENTS session being held at school in the hall on Thursday 13th March 2025, beginning at 3:30pm. This session will outline the commitment for families for the sacramental program as well as give a brief introduction to each sacrament. Following from this, the session dates for 2025 are listed below:
Information and registration afternoon – Thursday 13/3 @ 3:30pm in the school hall.
Reconciliation preparation – Sunday 30/3 @ 3:00pm in the school hall (Followed by mass @ 4:45pm).
Sacrament of Reconciliation – Tuesday 8/4 @ 5:30pm - OLOR Taree.
Confirmation preparation – Sunday 18/5 @ 3:00pm in the hall (Followed by mass @ 4:45pm).
Confirmation practice – Friday 23/5 @ 5:30pm - OLOR Taree.
Sacrament of Confirmation – Sunday 25/5 @ 9:30am - OLOR Taree.
First communion preparation – Sunday 14/9 @3:00pm in the hall (Followed by mass @ 4:45pm).
Sacrament of First Communion – Sunday 21/9 @ 4:45pm mass – OLPH Wingham.
Parents or Carers of children who are not baptised and are interested in having their children baptised in the church, this sacrament can be done throughout the year and arranged by contact the Parish Office on 0436 312 222 Tuesday – Friday between 9:00am – 3:00pm.
If you have any questions regarding this or would like more information, please contact Mr Buchtmann or Mrs Hunt at school.
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 goes to Savannah Hagarty (Week 4) & Matilda Ryan (Week 5)
MJR Awards
As part of our MJR system ,we acknowledge that the following students; Luxie Mateer - 50 Gotchas. Alice Raison & Zoe Gaudron - 100 Gotchas Well Done!
Behaviour Management at St. Joseph's – PB4L and MJR
As mentioned in our previous newsletter, our school is committed to creating a positive environment where all students are able to learn. We use the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) and Making Jesus Real (MJR) systems because they involve a range of positive behaviour supports for all students within the school, implemented in both classroom and non-classroom settings.
In the instance of a student failing to meet the set expectations of being safe, respectful learners, the incident is recorded on a “Yellow Form”. This is an in-school referral system that assists us with tracking and monitorning student behaviour. We also use this data to inform our future focus areas at the beginning of each term.
If a student has three incidents referred via “Yellow Forms” in the space of a term, or is involved in a moderate or major incident, parents will be notified via a blue parent form (“Blue Form”). This process allows for opportunities to discuss behaviour expectations with the student, and to reinforce and support positive behaviour, whilst monitoring and recording any problem behaviour.
Dear Parents and Carers,
I am excited to introduce myself as the new Gifted Education Mentor Project Officer working with St Joseph’s Wingham. In this role, I will be supporting teachers, students, and families to enhance learning opportunities for High Potential and Gifted (HPG) students, ensuring they are challenged, engaged, and able to reach their full potential.
In this role, I will work closely with teachers, students, and families to help identify and support students with high potential, including those in the Virtual Academy. I will ensure that Virtual Academy students receive personalised support, resources, and strategies to thrive in their online learning environment, while also providing enrichment opportunities that challenge their abilities. Whether learning in the classroom or virtually, the goal is to create engaging experiences that are tailored to each student's strengths and needs.
I am passionate about ensuring that all HPG students—including those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds—have access to the support and opportunities they need to thrive. I also value strong partnerships between schools and families, as working together is key to fostering student success.
I look forward to getting to know the St Joseph’s, Wingham community and working with you to support our High Potential and Gifted students. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to learn more about the programs available.
Looking forward to an exciting year ahead!
Yours sincerely,
Terri Cornish-Allen
Terri Cornish-Allen
Gifted Education Mentor Project Officer
