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Dear Parents,
We’re delighted to welcome everyone back for what promises to be another exciting and enriching term at our school! Alongside our engaging teaching and learning experiences, we’re looking forward to a range of special events that bring our school community together. Highlights this term include First Communion, the Diocesan Athletics Carnival, Book Week, ICAS and Newcastle Permanent Maths Competitions, and our beautiful Feast Day celebrations for St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and the Assumption of Our Lady.
Our Year 5 students are preparing for the much-anticipated Great Aussie Bush Camp, while other grades will enjoy excursions to Tocal and the Zoo. We’re also excited to welcome student teachers to several of our classes and visiting teachers from SFX into our Year 6 space. Another lovely new initiative this term is our ‘Stay and Play’ sessions, giving families the chance to connect and be part of our learning journey. There’s so much to look forward to!
Building Project Update
Over the holidays, significant progress was made on our building project. The COLA in the Quad and the old stairwell have been removed, and footings are now being laid for the exciting new structure. Inside, the Library has been stripped out in preparation for its transformation. At the moment, the Quad is filled with light and space—it’s truly inspiring to see the changes happening before our eyes each day. The possibilities for poi to come are energising for the students and staff alike!
Grandparents’ Day
Last week we celebrated a truly memorable Grandparents’ Day. We had a wonderful turnout for our liturgy and morning tea, followed by a very special reading session in the sunshine. Grandparents and grandchildren shared stories and smiles, and the atmosphere was filled with warmth and love.
Besides the touching songs the Kinder children sang about grandparents in the liturgy, a particularly moving moment came when Lucy’s great-grandfather spoke so beautifully about the bond between grandparents and grandchildren—many were moved to tears. Some words he shared with the children were to “… love your grandparents. Know that we are happy just for you to be you. We will celebrate your successes, help you through disappointments and we will always, always love you.”
100 Days of Kindergarten
On Monday, our Kindergarten students marked a big milestone—100 Days of Kinder! The celebrations were full of joy and laughter, with an impressive display of grey hair, pearls, glasses, and bowties! With the help of their Year 6 buddies, our youngest learners had an absolute blast celebrating how far they’ve come since the start of the year. It was a fun-filled day of games, learning, and community spirit!
ASPIRE
We are incredibly proud of two of our talented students, Ava and Hugo, who have been taking part in the 2025 Aspire production "The Rise of Bozz' for Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle. Their dedication, creativity, and outstanding performances showcased their gifts and commitment to the arts. Representing our school with pride, they demonstrated confidence, collaboration, and a love of performing.
Our Years 5 and 6 students were lucky enough to attend the show on Thursday and absolutely loved being part of the experience. They were inspired by the performance and thoroughly enjoyed cheering on Ava and Hugo from the audience. Congratulations to them both on this wonderful achievement!
Tickets for the Friday and Saturday night shows are still available at https://civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/what-s-on/all-shows/the-rise-of-bozz if you can make it, get along and support our amazing talents!
Funding of Schools
Recently there has been much public discussion around the Australian Government's model of funding schools. Catholic Schools NSW have put together some data to explain how government funding for non-government schools—such as Catholic and
Independent schools— supports your right to choose the best educational environment for your child while also reducing costs for Australian taxpayers.
Using the most recent data, the report outlines how funding these schools through a mixed education model reduces pressure on public education resources, with savings of up to $6.88 billion annually. The report highlights how school choice benefits families and the broader community alike. To read more, find the report here:
Let us continue this term with joy, connection, and a shared commitment to nurturing and inspiring every child.
Karen
Principal
NAPLAN
We are very proud of our Years 3 and 5 students for their performance in the 2025 NAPLAN assessments. Their results reflect a strong culture of learning, dedicated teaching, and the ongoing support of families. Growth was evident across all tested areas, highlighting our commitment to academic excellence and student wellbeing. Congratulations to our learners for their focus and determination—we celebrate their achievements and look forward to continued success in the future.
After considerable staff analysis of the results, below are some important notes to celebrate:
Year 3 results
- School average is above national average in each area
- There was notable strength across the four aspects of Literacy
- More than 20% of the cohort were ‘exceeding’ for Numeracy
Year 5 results
- The implementation of a targeted approach to Spelling has seen 86% of the cohort achieving in the ‘strong’ or ‘exceeding’ category
- 93% of the cohort are either in the ‘strong’ or ‘exceeding’ category for Writing
- The cohort is achieving the national average for Numeracy
St Joseph’s Student Council
During Week 1, each class reflected on the qualities of leadership as they voted for their Semester 2 Student Council Representatives. We wish to congratulate the following students:
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Semester Two Student Representative Council |
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Year 2 Blue |
Fred B and Sienna S |
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Year 2 Gold |
Thomas P and Penelope W |
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Year 3 Blue |
Alexander F and Matilda M |
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Year 3 Gold |
Finn S and Harriet R |
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Year 4 Blue |
Charlie W and Aurelia M |
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Year 4 Gold |
Tully M and Zoe P |
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Year 5 Blue |
Adrian F and Millie K |
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Year 5 Gold |
Hugo S and Indiana W |
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Year 6 Blue |
Guitar T and Emeriss A |
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Year 6 Gold |
Thomas P and Lila K |
These students will receive their Student Council badges next week. We look forward to a great semester working on a variety of initiatives together.
Thank you again to all our Semester One council members who represented both their class and St Joseph’s with great maturity, leadership and pride.
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)
Our PBL focus this fortnight is Act Safely – Moving safely. In light of the current renovations, this is a big focus area as quite often children are reminded to be aware of their surroundings and how they move within them. In class, students are identifying ways we move safely (and unsafely) as they analyse different scenarios and how they can be most safe. On the playground teachers will be keeping a close eye on students who are walking on the concrete and playing safely on equipment. Hopefully many tokens will be given out!
Lost Property
Lost property continues to be a daily issue at St Joseph’s, with countless unnamed items left behind in classrooms, playgrounds, and common areas. Each day, jackets, lunchboxes, and water bottles pile up in the lost property box—many never reunited with their owners. The lack of clear labelling makes it difficult to return items, causing an unnecessary expense for families. To help reduce this problem, we encourage all students to ensure their belongings are clearly and permanently marked with their full names. A simple label can make all the difference in keeping our school tidy and organised and be less of a drain and family finances.
Bullying No Way: National week of action
Bullying No Way Week is Australia's key bullying prevention initiative for schools. It provides an opportunity for schools to create a shared understanding about bullying behaviours and share their bullying prevention strategies.
The national week of action unites government, Catholic and independent schools and their communities across the country. Together, we can foster practical approaches to prevent bullying in Australian schools.
2025 theme
The theme for 2025 is 'Be bold. Be kind. Speak up.'
To acknowledge and support Bullying No Way Week students from K-6 at St Joseph’s will engage with the Backflips against Bullying incursion (Monday 11 August). Topics that will be covered are;
- Empowering the bystander - Having the power to stand up for one another.
- Exit strategies - After a big acrobatic demonstration of bullying, we ask the students what could be done differently, and rewind and replay scenarios with their ideas to show what strategies can work to help the situation.
- Retaliation – demonstration of how retaliating gives ‘the bully’ exactly what they want; and you will get into trouble as well.
- Resilience - Stay calm and be kind; if you do these two things you can shut down verbal harassment straight away.
For more information about different signs of bullying, please read the attached information sheet.
Renata Rozenfeld
Assistant Principal
Curriculum Spotlight
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Kindergarten: Knowing God the Holy Spirit |
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This module introduces students to God the Holy Spirit as the third way of knowing God. The Holy Spirit is presented as an equal part of the Trinity with God the Father and the Son. Students will pose and respond to questions about the presence of the Holy Spirit in their own lives. They will learn about the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles at the time of Pentecost and ways that the Spirit is God’s presence in the world today. Students will also be introduced to symbols and signs of the Holy Spirit and the special gifts of the Holy Spirit that help to strengthen people’s relationship with God. |
Questionnaire for Community Input to Vision and Mission Refresh
Thank you so much for sharing your insights into our school’s Vision and Mission. We appreciate your partnership!
Eucharist
During August and September, many families in our school community are preparing for their children to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist and celebrate their First Holy Communion. If you’d like to register your child(ren), please contact the parish office to begin the preparation process on 4979 1101.
Mission to Seafarers Art Competition
We have two school entries in the competition, plus several students participating individually. The opening night is this evening, Friday, 1 August 2025 at 6:00 pm.
Figure 1https://mtsnewcastle.org.au/art-exhibition-2025/
Term 3
Week 3 - Friday 8th August
St Mary of the Cross Feast Day – Whole School Liturgy Year 5 leading in the COLA (weather permitting). In the event of rain we will hold the liturgy in St. Joseph’s Church.
Week 4 - Friday 15th August
Mass at 10:15 The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – whole school – all welcome to join us for this Holy Day of Obligation.
Week 7 - Friday 5th September
Father’s Day Liturgy 9:00 am in the COLA
Parish Bulletin: https://www.newcastlecatholic.org.au/weekly-bulletins/
Leanne Skinner
Religious Education Coordinator
Little Joeys Play and Stay
We are excited to share that our very first Little Joeys Merewether Play and Stay session was held this week, and what a beautiful morning it was! Our Play and Stay is designed for 3, 4 and 5-year-old children and their families and offers a relaxed and welcoming space to play, explore and connect.
It was so wonderful to see the potential future Joeys families and children build friendships and connections with existing Joeys families, feel part of our school community, and ease into the transition to school life. Thank you to those who were able to join us and we hope to see you again at our next Play and Stay.
If you are interested in registering for any of the remaining Play and Stay sessions this term, please see registration details below.
Semester 2 Student Wellbeing Team
We are excited to welcome in our Semester 2 Student Wellbeing Team for Terms 3 and 4. We look forward to seeing their contributions in the wellbeing space for the remainder of the year.
SchoolTV
Please click here to view SchoolTVs special edition report on supporting healthy sibling relationships.
Chloe Coe
Wellbeing Coordinator
NSW PSSA Cross Country Championships
On Wednesday 23rd July, Alice K proudly represented the Polding region at the NSW PSSA Cross Country Championships in Sydney. Competing against a highly competitive field of 79 runners from across the state, Alice displayed incredible grit and determination as she raced to a new personal best—shaving an impressive 18 seconds off her previous time to finish 22nd overall. We are extremely proud of Alice’s outstanding achievement and the perseverance she showed throughout the event. Her dedication and never-give-up attitude are truly inspiring. Well done, Alice!
Polding Rugby Union
Congratulations to Vinnie M who has been selected in the Polding rugby union team to play at Ernie Callan fields next week. We know he will give his absolute all and we wish him the best of luck.
AFL Paul Kelly Cup Regional Finals
On Monday, in cold and blustery conditions the St Joseph’s girls’ team took to the fields for the regional finals of the AFL Paul Kelly Cup. The girls took on a range of opponents throughout the day, proving to be a formidable force and growing in confidence throughout the day. They faced down St Catherine’s in the final, coming in as the underdogs and as the wind picked up, so did the efforts of St Joeys. Some of the girls who may have been a little tentative with tackling, in other games, really stepped up. Their defense was strong, and the kicking game was spot on for the girls to come away victorious and head to Sydney on Wednesday to contest the state finals at Blacktown. Win, lose, trophy or no trophy the team from St Joeys is a team of champions.
Big congratulations to all our regional champions and special mention to Andie L, awarded player of the final! What an amazing achievement.
Special thanks to Grant Vickery, team coach and his trusty whiteboard that clearly showed the team how to execute the game plan, along with his coaching expertise and calm and caring nature he modelled throughout the day. The support from parents, grandparents and all our squad were a feature of the day as they cheered on the team and kept the WhatsApp conversation going for those who couldn’t make the games. A big thank you also to Emma Cook and Helene O’Neill for all your hard work and support leading up to the event and organising behind the scenes. These days don’t happen without all your help.
Paul Kelly Cup State Finals – Joeys Girls Make History
On Wednesday, our Joeys girls AFL team travelled to Sydney for the Paul Kelly Cup State Finals — becoming the first girls team from our school to ever reach this stage!
Their place at state was secured just two days earlier at the Regional Finals in Warners Bay, where they defeated top-ranked St Catherine’s in the grand final— a team that had beaten them 15–1 in the beginning rounds. Entering as underdogs, our girls played with unity, heart and grit to prove just how far teamwork and belief can take you.
A huge shoutout to Andie Leach, who was named Best on Ground at regionals — an outstanding achievement and well deserved.
At state, the girls played four games in tough, wet conditions, improving each time and showing incredible resilience and sportsmanship. They made it to the semi-finals, narrowly missing the grand final by just 1 point.
A heartfelt thank you to Mr Grant Vickery, who has supported the girls all the way from the local comp through to state. His time, care and guidance played a big part in the team’s success.
We’re also so grateful to the parents who helped with transport and support — whether cheering from the sidelines or tuning in via livestream.
We are incredibly proud of this group of girls. What a team, what a journey, and what a memory!
Shannon Bailey
Sports Coordinator
Premier’s Reading Challenge
What a wonderful sight to see! We now have over 100 students who have completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge so far. Congratulations to Darcy Mc (K), Corban (K), Matilda D (1), Milla W (1), Leo S (3), Awira (4), Alice B (4), Archie B (4), Sebastian C (4), Oliver D (4), Charli D (4), Isobel D (4), Ruby F (4), James F (4), Lewis K (4), Aurelia M (4), Lachlan M (4), Flynn Mc (4), Archie M (4), Reggie M (4), Charles W (4), Grace H (5), Asha B (6), Madelyn O (6) Isla W (2), Olivia B (K), Ella S (K), Amira B (2), Christian B (3), Isla B (3), Nash D (3), Zoe W (3), George J (2), Harriet H (3), Aurora L (6), Paris M (6), Oliver S (6), Hannah S (6), Digby (6), Jack W (6), Rylan H (3), Noah H (1), Barney B (2), Ray C (2), Sebastian M (2), Ruby O (2), Thomas P (2), Evan C (3), Emeris A (6) Vinnie M (6), Amali M (6), Layla P (6), Tyler T (6), Harrison C (6), Egan P (2), Sienna S (3), Marcus Y (6), Gigi B (K), Luna F (1), Lexie B (5), Tom A (6), Benji S (6).
Congratulations everyone.
Keep reading and recording those books and look out for your name on our honour board.
Book week: Book an Adventure
Book week is sneaking up on us quickly. See below for the exciting activities planned for our celebration of all things books.
Don’t forget to keep sending us photos of you reading in ‘exotic’ locations.
Overdue books
Some students have received reminders recently to find books which were borrowed during Term 1. If the books cannot be returned, for some reason, please let the library staff know and the replacement cost should be paid at the office.
P&F Meeting
Our next P&F meeting will be held on Monday 11 August at 6pm in the Staff Café. We’ll be discussing plans for the upcoming Father’s Day breakfast and our off-site disco. It’s a great chance to hear what’s happening around the school, share your ideas, and contribute to our vibrant school community.
Father's Day Breakfast
Father’s Day Breakfast will be held on Friday 5 September from 7:30–8:30am. To help with catering, please RSVP here
If you're able to donate a raffle prize or lend a hand with planning or running the event, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out via the office admin@merewether.catholic.ed.au or get in touch with the P&F by email sjpandf@gmail.com
Second Hand Uniform Shop - Open Tuesday 5 August from 2.15 - 2.45pm
Access is via entry to the hall off Union Street.
School Photos - 2 September
To pre-order please here
Term Planner
Please note dates and times are subject to change at any time. Any changes will be communicated to families via Compass
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