Term 3 Week 7

What's on at St Joey's

Principal's Messages

Welcome to the Week 6 Newsletter. What a great promise of spring and the upcoming summer we are experiencing this week. Even though we are privy to it dropping back to the mid -teens and some chilly winds next week, I can't help noticing a spring in our community's collective step this week.

I want to reiterate the COMPASS notice that I posted last Saturday that indicated that we are now in the transition period for uniform expectations. This means parents now have discretion to select the appropriate uniform (winter or summer) for the anticipated weather each day- Sports Days remain the same. What I will say is that we are in what my Nanna called onion weather (long before Shrek pointed it out) in that students will likely be wearing and then removing their jackets - more so than they do in the winter and earlier and earlier each day. The best of intentions of placing them near where they are playing to collect later do not always mean it happens.  Please ensure the names are clearly written on all removable items (or onion layers) so they can be returned to owner.

Over the past few months, there have been several nasty viruses around our wider community. In our school community, we have had confirmed cases of whopping cough (communicated to all families via Compass), walking pneumonia, influenza A & B and human metapneumovirus. Please be assured, we are following all procedures, and taking all precautions to maintain high hygiene standards at St. Jospeh's ensuring our community remains safe and well.  We have a cleaner onsite twice a day who cleans all common areas and toilets daily, including those in OOSH spaces. All classrooms and common areas have sanitisers and students, and staff are encouraged to use these before and after each break. Let’s continue to work together to keep our community as safe and clean as possible and hope with the warmer weather here these illnesses become less and less!

Father's Day

Each year we celebrate Father’s Day, it is a special occasion dedicated to honouring the vital role that fathers play within families. It’s a day to express our love, gratitude, and appreciation for their unwavering support and protection.

The relationship between Christ (the Son) and God the Father is often displayed to us and the importance is something we can reflect on. Jesus often acknowledged his Father, highlighting their unity and shared purpose. Jesus consistently followed his Father’s vision, portraying their morals and actions. While we celebrate Father’s Day and honour our fathers, we also reflect on the gratitude Jesus expressed to His Heavenly Father and the example Jesus set. 

"The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him." (Proverbs 23:24) Fathers take great pride in seeing their children grow in perception and righteousness. This verse highlights the delight that comes from Fathers watching the successes and development of their children.

Father’s Day serves as a heartfelt tribute to the tireless dedication, initiatives, and invaluable contributions of all fathers and father-like figures. It symbolises the deep bonds of kinship, affection, guidance, and patience that exist between fathers and their families.

Last Friday, St Joseph’s Charlestown was buzzing with activity thanks to the dads, grandads and families that joined us for our Father’s Day afternoon. Dads were treated to some lunch and a relax in the sunshine before engaging in some fun-filled games with their kids including paper-plane competitions, card and board games, novelty events, basketball shoot outs, Lego building, trivia and standup comedy! Thank you to all the families that joined us and we wish you a very special Father’s Day on Sunday!

Thank you once again to our amazing staff and canteen coordinator Kelly, for their extra effort and dedication to make such a great afternoon. 

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Annie the musical

Congratulations to our Year 3 student Billie Umeh-Nicholas for her entertaining performance as orphan Molly in the musical 'Annie'. The staff and students who attend the performance last week really enjoyed your stage presence, clever dance routines and New York accent! The show is sold out, but we wish Billie and her cast mates all the best in the shows over the next two weeks! ✨💃🙌

Polding Soccer

A huge congratulations to Sophie Whale who was away last week in Tamworth at PSSA Polding soccer competition. It was a week full of games and the unseasonably warmer weather was a shock to the system.  Sophie's Polding team came 10th in competition overall. We couldn’t be prouder of your achievements!  

Cookie Father's Day Fundraiser

Thank you to our P&F for organising and successfully executing the Father's Day cookie fundraiser. Special thanks to Katie Turnbull and Kim Smith for their preparation and ordering of the cookies and to our new volunteers for helping during the morning- Clare Drelincourt, Bec Nesbitt and Natasha Basista.

Compass

An important reminder to please check your child's compass account regularly. With lots of events and fun things happening please keep an eye out. It is important that you use this app as it is a critical part of our school communication.

• Our staff use this app to contact parents, upload school reports, mark rolls and much more.
• Parents are able to submit attendance notifications on the app, check reports, and review, pay and download fee statements.
• Please ensure you add an attendance note if your child is off school. This will avoid any unexplained absences. 

Compass is also used for all our school events and permission must be done in order for your child to attend. 

Assistant Principal

St Joey’s- School Improvement Goal: Numeracy

Peter Sullivan, a prominent figure in mathematics education, is known for his work on effective teaching practices, particularly questioning techniques that enhance students' mathematical thinking. When pedagogical mentors work with teachers using Sullivan's approach, they often focus on the following key aspects:

1. Open-Ended Questions:

• Encourage the use of questions that have multiple correct answers or approaches, which allows students to explore different mathematical strategies.
• Example: "Can you think of different ways to solve this problem?"

1. Promoting Mathematical Reasoning:

• Questions should push students to explain their thinking, justify their answers, and reflect on the process they used.
• Example: "Why do you think this method works? Can you prove it?"

1. Encouraging Exploration:
   • Mentors guide teachers to use questions that prompt students to explore patterns, relationships, and generalizations in mathematics.
   • Example: "What happens if we change this number? How does it affect the result?"
   1. Scaffolding Student Learning:
   • Provide questions that support students in building on their prior knowledge and gradually move them towards more complex ideas.
   • Example: "What do you already know that can help you solve this problem?"
   1. Fostering a Growth Mindset:
   • Use questions that encourage persistence and a willingness to take risks in learning.
   • Example: "What can you learn from your mistakes? How can you approach this problem differently?"
   1. Differentiating Questions:
   • Tailor questions to meet the diverse needs of students, ensuring that all learners are challenged at their appropriate level.
   • Example: "How can you solve this problem using a different strategy that works for you?"
   1. Reflection and Metacognition:
   • Encourage students to reflect on their learning process and understand how they learn best through questioning.
   • Example: "What strategies helped you today? How can you apply this to future problems?"

     Mentors working with teachers on Sullivan’s questioning techniques focus on embedding these practices in daily instruction to improve student engagement, understanding, and confidence in mathematics. This approach not only enhances students' mathematical skills but also nurtures their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

St Joey’s- Professional Learning on Differentiation

 and Extension

At St Joey's, our teachers are deeply committed to meeting the diverse needs of every student, ensuring that each child can reach their fullest potential. Recently, our staff engaged in a professional learning session focused on differentiation, a critical strategy that allows educators to tailor their instruction to accommodate the varying abilities, interests, and learning styles within the classroom. This training emphasized not only the importance of supporting struggling learners but also highlighted the need to extend and challenge our top-tier students.

Differentiation is more than just a buzzword; it is a dynamic approach that requires teachers to be flexible in their teaching methods, assessment strategies, and learning materials. The professional learning session provided our teachers with practical tools and strategies to design lessons that stretch the abilities of our highest achievers. By incorporating higher-order thinking tasks, problem-solving activities, and opportunities for independent exploration, teachers are better equipped to foster a learning environment where advanced students are continually challenged and engaged.

Moreover, this training underscored the belief that every child has the potential to succeed. It encouraged teachers to look beyond traditional measures of ability and to recognize the unique strengths and talents of each student. By differentiating instruction, St Joey's teachers can nurture these strengths, ensuring that all students, regardless of their starting point, have the opportunity to excel. This commitment to differentiation reflects our dedication to fostering a learning community where every child is empowered to achieve their best.

Flo's Day Fundraiser- This Sunday! We hope to see you there.

Lachie's Head Shave- Let's get behind Lachie!!

Please support Lachie (Year 5) who is generously shaving his head at Flo’s fundraiser (8th Sept.) for Run DIPG! You can donate via QKR in other school activities or via this link

https://www.mycause.com.au/.../flos-day-charity...

We hope to see you at the event!!Tickets are limited and can be purchased using the following link:

https://events.humanitix.com/flo-d-day-charity.../tickets...

Raffle Tickets are also available on QKR under Other School Activities: $5 for one ticket or $10 for 3 tickets. There are amazing prizes up for grabs and the prize list continues to grow! More information about the prizes to coming soon.

Office of Safeguarding

News from the Religious Coordinator

First Holy Communion

The date for First Holy Communion has been changed until later in the year.  The Pastoral Coordinator,  Leanne Hamilton  recently contacted candidates to alert them to the change . The new date for Holy Communion is   Sunday 10^th November 9:30am.  There will  be a rehearsal Thursday 7^th November 6pm. Both of these events will be at St Mary Immaculate Church, Charlestown. In the meantime candidates are to consider materials sent from the Parish Office and we will check in on understanding later in the term at school.

Parish Mass

Stage 1 students will attend the Parish Mass at 9:30am on Wednesday. Stage 3 and early stage 1 will attend the following Wednesday. Families are welcome to attend.

Save the Date – Community RUN DIPG event  

Many in the community joined us last year to support  the local RUN DIPG event. We are creating a TEAM SJC again. The run/ walk is on  Sunday 22^nd September starting at Liles Oval Redhead.  See- https://rundipg.org/run-4-run-dipg-24/   

When registering  there is a question - Are you participating AS A TEAM? Choose existing team and  Look for Team SJC .  If you have any questions contact clare.paff@mn.catholic.edu.au.  

Primary Coordinator

National Child Protection Week

National Child Protection Week invites all Australians to play their part to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

National Child Protection Week (NCPW) will take place from 1-7 September in 2024. 

This year, the theme is: ‘Every conversation matters’

WHAT PART CAN YOU PLAY?

We can all play a part by creating stronger, safer neighbourhoods. This can be achieved by talking to your neighbours, checking in with friends, being a good role model, supporting and being kind to parents rather than judging or being competitive, offering to assist where possible, and speaking up if you see something that is unsafe.

It is important that we listen to, and value, what children have to say. Where possible, include their voices in decision-making and be advocates for their best interest. 

By speaking regularly with children about their personal safety and how they can protect themselves, as well as “tuning in” to their worries, children are more likely to trust us and feel comfortable to talk with us when something big is going on.

If you would like to explore any further information, resources or webinars, please click on the links below:

FINAL - Official Program Webinars & Events 2024 - NAPCAN

Resources for Parents and Carers - Office of Safeguarding

Choir

Creative Arts News!

Kahibah Village Fair

We are so very proud of our school band and choir who worked hard this week at a school workshop day led by Bryn Kelloway-Wilson our band conductor, Jess Lopez from Aspire and Karyn Savage. They are preparing to perform at the upcoming Kahibah Village Fair on Sunday 15th September.

ASPIRE Auditions for 2025 are approaching. Students in year 5 and 6 next year who are interested in auditioning for dance, singing, drama or the Aspire show band, please speak to Mrs Savage for more information or refer to the recent Compass notification sent to all families.

School Band

Now is a perfect time for students in years 3 and 4 to consider learning an instrument and becoming a valued member of our school band. Concert band instruments available to learnare flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and percussion. Students begin by learning in small groups at school with Mr Bryn Kelloway-Wilson and join the school band when they are ready. See Mrs Savage or the school office for more information.

Hub News

Garden Group

Spring is here! Early!

This week in garden group the weather was really warming up.

This is great news for starting to plant out our spring into summer crops!

We pulled all the carrots and some beetroot, and in their place planted water melon seeds in the hope of growing our very own watermelon.

We are also growing cherry tomatoes, coriander, garden peas and cucumbers.

This week we also had a special hunt for bones in the dinosaur and fairy garden.

Our potted plants are thriving ready for the Living Fair in September.

Our worms are doing well in their new farm and the children are enjoying watching them grow and turn their fruit scraps into fertiliser.

Thank you to all our mini green thumbs for all your hard work!

School Fees

Dear Families,
This is a reminder that all fees must be finalised by November 30th. Thank you to those who have already completed their payments.
For families with children in Year 6 who will be attending St. Mary’s next year, please note that unpaid fees by the deadline may affect your child's entry into the high school.
If you are experiencing difficulties or would like to set up a direct debit, please contact our admin staff for assistance.
 We understand that unforeseen circumstances can arise, and we are here to assist you.
You can contact us at 4943 5414.
Best regards,
Amale Yi

Happy Birthday to the following students

We wish the following students a very happy birthday.

P&F News

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

Uniform Shop

Weareco Update

It is looking like we are on track for the Weareco handover ready for term 4. 

They have the computer system ordered, the back-to-school order finalised and the school shirts arrive at their factory this week.

We are going to offer a day for secondhand sales on Friday 20th Sept 🤭 Also, we will be closing sales via Qkr! for new uniforms at the beginning of Week 10 so if you are wanting to purchase anything before the handover, please get your orders in asap. 

Please note, we are out of size 8 and size 10 blue summer shirts until next term at the earliest. There are some secondhand ones but not a lot. 

All enquiries to email: our volunteers. Shop open Monday and Friday at 8.45- 9.15am

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  

Guitar Lessons

Healthy Lunch

Holiday Option