Term 1 week 7

What's on at St Joey's

Principal's Messages

Dear Parents and Carers, 

As we enter week 7, I feel very grateful for the wonderful start to the year we have had. When I walk around the school, I am so impressed with the classes working so well together and engaging in quality learning in beautifully refurbished classrooms and playing in our expansive and natural play environment. The children greet me with happy faces and beautiful manners which is always so gratifying.  

We have high expectations of our students' behaviours and promote positive behaviours through our PBL policy and procedures. At times things don’t always go smoothly with children’s interactions and it is our responsibility as teachers and parents to help them navigate relationships, communication and resolutions to issues. They are children after all, and we are the adults here to model the behaviours we want to see in them and to support them as they learn and grow. Please keep in contact with your class teachers throughout the year and together we can support your children. This week we will open the Compass Online Booking form for you to book in a time to meet with your child’s teachers to discuss progress so far. We will come from 2 stars and a wish approach – 2 things going well and a goal to work on. These are great to discuss with your child and to encourage them to achieve their best. 

Scroll down to meet our Stage 2 teaching team. 

Last week, Mrs Norley and our Year 6 Councillors attended the Launch of Project Compassion. The theme of Project Compassion 2023 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good we do today extends to impact the lives of generations to come. Each class has a Project Compassion box for coin donations, and we will hold a school fundraiser later in the term. By donating to Project Compassion, Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, can work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. 

SCHOOL PHOTOS TOMORROW – Please see the order form in COMPASS under your child’s profile.  All children need to be in full summer uniform with correct footwear. 

FAMILY BBQ – Thank you to our P&F committee for hosting our BBQ last week. It was so lovely to see so many families enjoying our school grounds and the extra activities organised by the school. The face painters, balloon creator and reptile encounters were a hit as too the new slide. 

Award - Most Outstanding All Round Primary School Performance - Congratulations to Lily Merrel, Year 6 student 2022 awarded First Place in the 2022 Diocesan Religious Literacy test at an awards ceremony at the CSO last week. It was wonderful to congratulate Lily on her outstanding results. 

SOCCER GALA day –Stage 2 and 3 students attended this fun event, for all to experience sport without the competitive layer that weekend sports involves. Our students reported enjoying the day and playing for fun with their friends. Thank you to all the parent helpers who volunteered to look after teams on the day. This was our first paperless permission note with online consent available to parents. This worked well and will be the way we continue to ask for parent permission for future events. 

SCHOOL FEES -The annual school fee statement was emailed last week. When you receive your statement, please arrange for a regular Bpay, Direct Debit or an annual payment. Cash payments can be accepted at the administration office between 8.00am-3.30pm Monday to Friday or credit card payments can be taken over the phone on 4943 5414. You will find a direct debit form attached to the newsletter for your convenience. If you have a health care card (HCC), please complete the attached HCC discount form, and return it along with a copy of your HCC to admin@charlestown.catholic.edu.au
Please avoid using the Compass pay option as this attracts large fees to the school.
Additionally, any family experiencing financial difficulty is entitled to fee assistance and will be appropriately and confidentially supported to assess what is affordable for their family. Please email kate.drake@mn.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations to Lillian and Aurora and mum Rachel on the birth of a baby sister, Bianca. We wish you and your family much love and happiness with your new arrival.

Deepest sympathy to the Paff family on the loss of Clare's father-in-law. We keep you all in our thoughts and prayers at this sad time.

God Bless,

Kate Drake

News from the Assistant Principal

Term 1 is well and truly underway with lots of learning happening in every classroom and many fun extra curricular events. During the week ahead Year 3 & 5 students will participate in NAPLAN assessments. I ask that during this time wherever possible students are at school and on time so we can administer all tests with ease.

Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the Stage 2 & 3 Soccer Gala day at Tenambit. The feedback from our students was overwhelming positive. I wish to thank the students for the tenacity and team sprit they displayed on the field. More importantly thanks to all the teachers for their planning and to our 20 parent volunteers. A shout out “thank you” to the mums and dads who helped make this day happen; without you we cannot attend big events like these. The smiles on our kids faces were well worth our effort and time.

A smiling community at St Joey's

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We also had a HUGE turnout for our Welcome BBQ. It was terrific to have an informal catch up and touch base with new and existing families. I particularly had a great time meeting some of our future Kinder students. I felt blessed to be part of a great community here at St Joey’s. I am sure it was also a great chance to check out the progress to the re-furbished classrooms and additions to our playground facilities.

Next week commencing on the 13^th March you will have the chance to visit your child’s classroom with them and engage in a conference with your child about their learning, learning behaviours and dispositions.

I invite you to take up this opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and book your interview in via Compass. Bookings will go live tomorrow afternoon, a reminder alert will be sent also.

Have a wonderful fortnight ahead,

with every best wish,

Nikki Norley

Assistant Principal

How to Book a Parent Teacher Meeting via Compass-

Bookings open tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon.

Harmony Week Celebrations

Why orange?

Orange has been the Harmony Week colour since the first event was held in 1999.

Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations.

By wearing orange, people show their support for all cultures that make up Australia. Harmony Day celebrates this diversity, aiming to foster inclusiveness, mutual respect and the idea that people of all different cultures can make a valuable contribution to society.

By wearing something orange during Harmony Week we show our support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia.

What is Harmony Week?

Harmony Week is an opportunity for all Australians to embrace cultural diversity and to share what we have in common.

Our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. An integrated multicultural Australia is an integral part of our nation's history and character. As with all things we value and treasure, it is important to nurture and strengthen this.

The message of Harmony Week is everyone belongs.

On Tuesday 21st  March we will celebrate at school with a focused activities in each classroom on the importance of treating everyone with respect. Our children do this very well most of the time, however occasionally there are words which some use to tease and disrespect others. They may hear these words and phrases on TV, social media or older children and adults, and think it is ok to use them. At school we deal with these incidents when they arise and contact parents so that we can all reinforce the importance of speaking and acting respectfully to all.

The classroom teachers will lead the children in discussion, share age-appropriate film clips about teasing, bullying and racism, and explore how we can be upstanders by calling out disrespectful behaviour, and not be bystanders.

Thank you for your support of our upcoming Harmony Day celebration at school, and continuing to speak with your children about how important it is to treat everyone with respect.

News from the Religious Coordinator

Lent

We are now in this beautiful preparation time where are hearts and minds get ready to realise the presence and wonder of God in a new way.  Through Jesus we learn that the way to God is love. Below are a range of ways of living a life of love more fully this Lent.

St. Joey’s Caring Group

The St. Joseph’s Caring group invites new members willing to make a meal from time to time for families in our community. We all experience hard times through illness, loss of a loved one and other life challenges from time to time. We are committed as Christians to reach out and ease the load. If you think you could assist our community in this way, please contact clare.paff@mn.catholic.edu.au. Thank you.

Celebrating St.Joseph’s Day

St. Joseph’s Day  (March 19^th)  this year falls on the weekend, because of this we will celebrate on the closest Friday which also happens to be St. Patrick’s Day.  We will therefore have a double Saint celebration. Remembering,  our School’s Patron Saint and honouring the St. Patrick’s tradition.

Please join us for a liturgy led by year 4 at 10am on the 17^th March followed by the announcement of our St. Joseph’s Day art winners and family picnic. We hope you can join us.

Project Compasssion  

Almsgiving is the practice of giving to those in need and Christians focus on this more during Lent. Caritas, the helping hand of the Church,  reaches out to the poor, vulnerable and excluded, regardless of race or religion, to build a world based on justice and love.  Caritas  have a Lenten fundraiser called Project Compassion.  The theme of Project Compassion 2023 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good we do today extends to impact the lives of generations to come.

Students at SJC are encouraged to give what they can at school and give to the Project Compassion box in their class room.

Additionally, on  the 22 March we will have a cake stall to raise money for those in need like Laxmi, a 16-year-old girl living in a remote district in Nepal where almost half of the population live below the poverty line. Tragedy struck when Laxmi was ten and her father passed away. Her father worked hard to pay for his children's education and, after losing him, Laxmi was at risk of falling further into extreme poverty.

With the support of Caritas Australia’s partner, Caritas Nepal, Laxmi joined a child's club at her school. She developed the skills and confidence to become a leader, advocating for clean water taps at her school.

Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer. She continues to be involved in the child's club, mentoring the next generation of young leaders at her old school.

Watch Laxmi’s story here: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/laxmi-story-video

🙌 Support Project Compassion today: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion.

News from the Primary Coordinator

Improving Writing Through the Use Of VCOP:

Throughout the school, the children are involved in activities that help them to gain more knowledge about how to improve their own writing. As well as focusing on the genre-specific writing features, they are encouraged to always focus on four core targets - Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers and Punctuation (V.C.O.P) – as a way of improving all of the writing they do.

Connectives

Connective is the name for any word that links clauses or sentences together. There are two main groups of connectives: Conjunctions and Connecting Adverbs

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that are used to link clauses within a sentence. There are two main kinds: Co-ordinating conjunctions – link two main clauses to make compound sentences. e.g. and, but, or, so, for, nor, yet I was angry but I didn’t say anything.

Subordinating conjunctions - go at the start of a subordinate clause. They work to link the subordinating clause to the main clause. e.g. when, while, before, after, since, until, if, because, although, that We were hungry when we got home. When we got home, we were hungry. (Commas are used when the subordinating clause is first).

Connecting adverbs

Connecting adverbs link the ideas in two sentences together but the two sentences still remain separate. e.g. also, furthermore, moreover, however, nevertheless, on the other hand, besides, anyway, after all, for example, in other words, that is to say, first of all, finally, therefore, consequently, as a result, just then, meanwhile, later

Commas are often used to mark off connecting adverbs. I was angry. However, I didn’t say anything.

How can you help?

• Try to search for connectives in the stories you read at home. Use a highlighter pen to highlight connectives in old newspapers/magazines.
• Give your child a connective and ask them to use it in a sentence.
• Think about connectives that have a similar meaning. For example, which connectives could be used instead of ‘but’? (however)
• Try rearranging sentences with the connectives at the start. E.g. The little boy shivered, despite it being warm in the cave. Despite it being warm in the cave, the little boy shivered.

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PBL at SJC!  

   Our “JOEYS” positive reward system aims to “CATCH THE STUDENTS BEING GOOD!” 

Children receive a Joey for demonstrating behaviours that align with our school values. It compliments other forms of positive reinforcement such as verbal praise/feedback, stickers, notes home etc. Each class will have a system where the number of Joey’s are tracked for each student e.g., a grid.

In response to inappropriate behaviours the staff will be enforcing a consistent system of prompting, redirecting, reteaching and applying of suitable consequences.  

This will include: 

• Correcting behaviour calmly and in a manner that demonstrates that the student is safe and supported at school 
• Viewing inappropriate behaviour as an instructional opportunity
• Reteaching expectations and allow the student to practise expected behaviour 
• Using consequences that promote student self-reflection: What harm was caused? What can be done to correct the harm? Why did the student do what they did? What could they have done differently? What help does the student need and from whom to do something differently next time? 

Some inappropriate behaviours will be classified as either a MINOR or MAJOR behavior and will require different responses. 

Please see the examples below for each category. These are not an exhaustive list and the issuing of a Minor or a Major is subject to the context. As a Catholic school, we strive to be inclusive to all students, compassionate and just in all cases.  

Our ‘Minors’ and “Majors’ are designed to address specific behaviours in relation to our School Values.  

Students who receive a MINOR will complete a consequence such as ‘time out’ from the activity, time out in a partner classroom, or playground community service. An orange MINOR slip will be sent home to alert parents. Parents are asked to sign and return the orange slip.  

**3 Minors in 3 weeks is classified as repeat negative behavior and will then be classified as MAJOR. Parents will be informed with a RED slip and phone call or email, followed by a parent interview with the teacher and an executive member. A specific behavior management plan may be enacted. ** 

When MAJOR INCIDENTS occur parents will be contacted and a RED notification slip sent home to parents to be signed and returned. The student will also receive time out in the “Reflection Room” during lunchtime (30 minutes). The teacher on this duty will encourage the student to reflect on their behaviours and how these have impacted on others involved. They will also complete the reflection sheet during this time and this will also be sent home for parents to sign.  

Further Major incidents will lead to parent teacher meetings with a member of the executive and the possible implementation of an individual behavior management plan to support the student.  

** MAJOR INCIDENT in a Term will result in exclusion from end of Term rewards. Where student safety and behavior are a concern, exclusion from school excursions may also occur, at the discretion of the school.** 

Just as we teach academic skills through instructional strategies our PBL framework at St Joseph’s supports the nurturing of our students through meaningful teaching and learning opportunities to improve social and emotional skills. It aims to support students recognise and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships and handle challenging situations in a constructive way. 

Gifted Education Mentor

Last week students in years 2 completed the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). This week students in Year 4 will complete this assessment.

This test measures students’ reasoning abilities in three areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal. The verbal battery measures how well the student is able to learn and solve problems related to words. The quantitative battery measures your child’s ability to apply numerical concepts. The nonverbal battery assesses skills in using figures and pictures to solve problems. Like any standardised test, the CogAT measures only some of your child’s skills, and the results represent ability on the day the test was given. Therefore, these scores form one point of reference to measure a student’s potential. Test scores should never be used alone to make decisions about services or supports, but they can be helpful when interpreted in conjunction with other information and metrics. In the Maitland – Newcastle Catholic Schools Diocese, CogAT results are used as one of several measures to inform classroom differentiation, supports, enrichments, and extensions.

If you have questions, please contact Georgie Cairns, Gifted Education Mentor at Georgina.cairns@mn.catholic.edu.au ; or the Gifted Education Officers, Maree Karaka maree.karaka@mn.catholic.edu.au or Cathy Curk catherine.curk@mn.catholic.edu.au

St Mary's College Gateshead Enrolment & Orientation Timeline

Happy Birthday to the following students

We wish the following students are very happy birthday for the month of August.

Sports News

Diocesan Sports Trials 14th March - Congratulations to the following studnets who have advanced to the Diocesan trials in various sports;

Netball - Olivia B and Alice D.

Soccer - Harry S, Flynn L, Sophie A, Sophie W, Ruby L

Touch Football - Olive W.

Rugby League - Kobe W, Tanner T, Urban B

Hockey - Will F.

Congratulations to Maisie D who attended the state Oztag championships at Coffs Harbour. Maisie represented Lake Macquarie. She did a great job as Captain of the 12’s and was awarded ‘the players player’ by her team mates. A tremendous effort and we are very proud of the sportsmanship she displayed on the field. 

Library News

Hub News

Office of Safeguarding

Canteen News

Kelly our new Canteen Officer would love to see you if you have a spare couple of hours to assist in the canteen. Volunteers need to be registered with our CSO, by following this link: https://www.mn.catholic.org.au/people/volunteer/

Once cleared please sign up for a shift. The children love to see you here!

https://signup.zone/ZYkfNzsbws83p9yHM

P & F - Easter Raffle Donations required

Uniform Shop

All enquiries to email:

chl.uniformshop@mn.catholic.edu.au

ORDER via the QKR App

Healthy Eating Snippets

OOSH

The before and after school care at St Joseph’s is provided by St Nicholas OOSH, Diocese of Maitland Newcastle.  Open form 7am-8:30am and 3:00pm-6:00pm. 

Please contact Taylor for further information.  

TAYLOR CEFAI  
NOMINATED SUPERVISOR | ST NICHOLAS OOSH    
P 0429 435 571     M  0429 435 571   
Email taylor.cefai@stnicholasoosh.org.au Visit us online www.stnicholasoosh.org.au