Term 3 Week 1

What's on at St Joey's

Principal's Messages

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to school and to Term 3.

We start this term feeling refreshed from the break and with a sense of excitement for what lays ahead.

Our School Improvement External Review held at the end of last term has affirmed the positive work being done at St Joseph’s by our hard-working staff who are committed to student growth in academics but also ensuring social and emotional wellbeing. We all strive to work in collaboration to achieve the best outcomes for our school community. Thank you to the students, staff and parents who participated in the panel interviews and shared openly their thoughts about our school. Your feedback was greatly appreciated! Our goals moving forward will be in the areas of Religious Education, Data and Differentiation and Co-teaching strategies.

Today all staff in our Lakes Region Schools, attended a valuable professional learning opportunity at NEX, titled Learning for Justice; Empowering through Education. Gershon Nimbalker, Director of the Christian organisation, Common Grace and Noel Pearson, Australian lawyer, academic, land rights activist and founder of the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership, were the Keynote Speakers. Both spoke of the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum which will ask voters to approve an alteration to the Australian Constitution, creating the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to represent Indigenous Australians to the parliament and federal government on matters of Indigenous affairs. Details of the referendum were discussed and shared, highlighting our responsibility to be informed and aware of the facts and encouraging a YES vote for our indigenous Australians. As Christian people we are called to recognise injustice and work together to ensure all people and creation can flourish. 

This term we welcome back Willow and Violet MacNeil from their trip around Australia. We look forward to hearing about their adventures. We also welcome the Halpin family with Luca joining 2 Blue this term. We have some new staff joining St Joseph’s with learning support assistants, Etsuko Brian and Sarah Bernasconi joining the team. We also have a new Gifted Education Mentor in Bek Henshaw who will work Wednesdays supporting staff and students in the area of differentiated teaching and learning. We continue to maintain continuity in 3/4 Blue with Ms Emma Davies filling for Mrs Turner. We also have a university teaching intern, Maisie Duff, working in 3 Red for the term.

Please join me in welcoming all these people to our school community.

We congratulate Ms Kylie Solway, our part time clerical assistant on her new appointment to St Paul’s Gateshead and thank her for her time and efforts at St Joseph’s. Mrs Amale Yi will now be in the office 5 days per week and will be supported by Mrs Kim Ragan each fortnight. Our groundsman Mr Craig Davies has resigned, and I take this opportunity to thank Craig for his hard work and commitment to ensure our grounds were well cared for and maintained. Craig has worked at St Joseph’s for the last 3 years and we wish him all the very best in his new pursuits.

This term has many important events and excursions. Please see the dates above for the first month and keep up to date by checking COMPASS alerts and notifications throughout the term. Please keep in touch with your class teachers if you have any questions or concerns. Teachers are busy in the mornings before school preparing resources and duties so, please email or call the school to make an appointment with your child’s teacher so that the appropriate time can be given.

Thank you to all families who have finalised school fee payments or who are maintaining regular payment arrangements. All stationery resources, excursions sport and incursions have been factored into the annual resource fee to minimise asking for other payments throughout the year. We appreciate your support with this commitment. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please call me to discuss arrangements to support you.

Wishing us all a wonderful Term 3 together.

God Bless,

Kate Drake

News from the Religious Coordinator

Happy Birthday to the following students

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

Hub News

Sports News

Congratulations to our MN Diocesan Athletics team, competing on Wednesday 2nd August.

We are so proud of you all!

Billie Eder    -  Junior Shot put ,  Junior Long Jump 

Eli Smith = Junior 1500m , Junior 800m 

Flynn Larnach - 11yrs 100m, 11yrs 1500m,  11yrs 200m, 11yrs 800m , 11yrs Long Jump 

Frankie Gruschka  - Junior High Jump 

Halle Groenendijk - 11yrs Long Jump 

Harrison Searle  -12yrs 100m, Snr 200m 

Harrison Smith - 11yrs Long Jump 

Isabelle Sawang - 8yrs 100m 

Ivy Wilton - Senior Shot put 

Jake Staddon - Senior Long Jump 

Jesse Whale - Jnr Boys Relay 

Kobe Williams - Jnr Boys Relay 

Leo Mitchell - 9 yrs 100m 

Lochlan O’Brien - Jnr 200m,  Junior 800m, 10yrs 100m, Junior 1500m, Junior High Jump, Junior Long Jump, Jnr Boys Relay  

 Luke Sawang - Senior Long Jump 

Maisie Duane - Senior 1500m 

Olive Wade -  Senior Long Jump 

  Senior High Jump - 12yrs 100m 

Owen Keegan - Jnr Boys Relay 

Ruby Lovett - Senior 200m 

Sophie Abbott - Senior 800m 

Tanner Tindall - Junior Shot put 

Canteen News

Kelly our 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

Aboriginal Education News

Aboriginal Education 

Last term our school had the honour of welcoming Mrs Dannielle Peachey and Belmont High School Student- Rome. Mrs Peachey is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teacher at St Paul’s Gateshead and is not only a very proud Wiradjuri woman but also an extremely talented artist. Rome is also an exceptional artist as well as  dancer and a very proud Wiradjuri man.

Mrs Peachey and Rome helped us paint up our totem poles, which are sometimes called, ‘story poles’. These poles will be placed in our Native Resource Garden which is nearing completion. The design of our Native Resource Garden is influenced by the local Awabakal Dreaming around Belmont Lagoon. So, one of our poles tells the story of ‘When the Moon Cried’ (forming Belmont Lagoon). Another pole tells the story of Awabakal land and people and features the Awabakal totem- Biraban. Our last pole tells the story of our students and their journey at St Joseph’s school.  

The best part about our poles is that they were designed and painted by our Stage 3 students!!! Mrs Peachey, Rome and myself spent some time with Stage 3 explaining the concept for our three poles. Students then chose one concept to focus on and came up with design ideas. Mrs Peachey and Rome used their cultural knowledge and skill to turn these ideas into designs for our poles. Each Stage 3 student then contributed to painting a small part of the poles.

As a special thank you to Mrs Peachey and Rome, we look forward to having them join us as VIP guests for our St Joseph’s NAIDOC day on Tuesday 1^st August.

Below is a sneak peak of our poles getting prepped and painted by Mrs Peachey, Rome and our Stage 3 students. Watch this space to see the final product and the poles placed in our Native Resource Garden!!

First Nations Cultural Events:

1^st July: The Coming of the Light Festival

Missionaries of the London Missionary Society arrive in the Torres Strait at Erub Island in 1871, introducing Christianity to the region. The Coming of the Light festival marks this important day for Torres Strait Islanders, who are mainly of Christian faith. They celebrate the day with cultural and religious activities.

Danielle Shaw

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teacher

Uniform Shop

All enquiries to email:

chl.uniformshop@mn.catholic.edu.au

ORDER via the QKR App

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 Michelle for further information.  

MICHELLE BIRCH 
NOMINATED SUPERVISOR | ST NICHOLAS OOSH    
P 0429 435 571     M  0429 435 571   
Email michelle.birch@stnicholasmn.org.au   Visit us online www.stnicholasoosh.org.au