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Dear Parents,
Parent School Expenditure Survey
Each year, St Joseph’s identifies a set of school priorities to ensure our resources are used wisely and effectively to support student learning, wellbeing, and the smooth operation of the school. Over recent years, these priorities have included:
- Installing interactive screens in every classroom to enhance modern learning practices.
- Introducing The MAT Life Skills Project to support students’ social and emotional wellbeing.
- Refurbishing classrooms with contemporary, flexible furniture that encourages both independent and collaborative learning.
As valued partners in our school community, we warmly invite you to complete a short survey to provide feedback on what matters most to you. Your input will help inform our priorities for 2026 and ensure that St Joseph’s continues to provide an excellent learning environment for all students.
Complete the Survey Here
Principal’s Awards Celebration
Monday’s Principal’s Awards party was a highlight of the term! One of my favourite parts of the term is celebrating the students who have received a Principal’s Award – it’s wonderful to congratulate them, treat them, and take the time to get to know them better.
A big well done to all our Term 3 recipients! I look forward to recognising our next group of students who are applying themselves with dedication and enthusiasm to their learning.
Play and Stay Morning – Teddy Bears Picnic
On Wednesday we held our final Play and Stay morning for the term with a delightful Teddy Bears Picnic theme! Children and their teddies filled the space with laughter and fun as they decorated biscuits with icing, created and wore their very own teddy bear ears, and enjoyed playtime with new friends.
This initiative has been a wonderful success, and it has been fantastic to see such high levels of engagement from so many families. We thank everyone who joined us and helped make these mornings so special – the joy and connection have truly been heartwarming!
Staff Update
Today we farewell Mrs Gabriele Hawthorne as she begins her maternity leave to welcome her second child. We wish Gab and her family all the very best during this exciting time. For the remainder of the year, Miss Hannah Butler and Mrs Carolyn Delore will be teaching 2 Gold, ensuring continuity and support for the students.
Staff Development Day
Our first day back in Term 3, Monday 13th October, will be a Staff Development Day. Our teachers will focus on the new HSIE syllabus, preparing to implement it in 2026 with engaging and effective learning experiences for all students. Please contact OOSH if you require care for your children on the day.
Library and Quad Building Project Update
Exciting progress is happening around our school! The roof on the new Quad shelter is nearing completion, providing a wonderful new space for students to gather and learn. Inside the Library, lino is being installed in the Resource Room and toilet areas, and new bookshelves and window seats are being crafted to create inviting and functional learning spaces.
Planning for flexible and contemporary furniture is also underway, ensuring that both the Library and the Quad will be modern, welcoming, and adaptable spaces for students to explore, collaborate, and enjoy. We look forward to sharing these improvements with our school community very soon!
We wish all our families a safe and relaxing holiday and look forward to seeing everyone back next term!
Karen
Safe Bike Riding Reminder
We’ve recently received feedback from members of the public expressing concern about student safety, particularly regarding unsafe bike riding by some St Joseph’s students. With the school holidays approaching, it’s a timely reminder to speak with your child/ren about safe riding practices when travelling to and from school. Ensuring helmets are worn, road rules are followed, and bikes are ridden responsibly helps keep everyone safe.
To support these conversations at home, you may find the following resources helpful:
Safety Town – Families
NSW Transport – Safe Riding
Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L)
Our students are continuing to be rewarded for their positive behaviours, both in the classroom and on the playground, with our Dash tokens. The four focus areas covered this term were
Act Safely: Move safely at all times
Be Respectful: Listen well and follow instructions
Care for All: Care for yourself and others
Do Your Best: Be prepared
All four Colour Houses achieved very high counts and we are excited to share the results below.
| 724 | 648 | 811 | 767 |
Congratulations to the Green House on their win. The Green House will vote on their prize in Week 1 of Term 4.
Week 10 PBL Awards
Congratulations to the following students for their PBL Award - Do Your Best! Vince K (KB), Arlo F (KG), Otis R (1B), Camilla FT (1G), Nixon S (2B), Bonnie W (2G), Toby W (3B), Harriet R (3G), Lachlan M (4B), Duke S (4G), Marcus Y (5B), Sam G (5G), Vinnie M (6B), Chris M (6G).
Classroom Learning Updates
This week, families will have received a class learning update, highlighting the wonderful learning happening across our classrooms. These updates showcase the variety of engaging activities and resources our students are exploring. It’s inspiring to see the creativity and enthusiasm in each class! We encourage you to take a moment to read through the update with your child/ren. It’s a great way to celebrate their learning and spark conversations about what they’ve enjoyed or discovered. Thank you for your continued support in your child’s learning journey.
Diocesan Public Speaking
On Monday, two of our talented students proudly represented St Joseph’s at the Diocesan Public Speaking Competition. Sienna (Year 2) and Lula (Year 6) spoke with confidence, enthusiasm and passion. Reaching this level is a remarkable achievement, as students compete against top speakers from over 45 schools across the diocese.
Sienna delivered a thoughtful speech on Generosity, while Lula impressed with her prepared speech on Integrity and an impromptu speech on Leadership.
We’re thrilled to share that Lula won the Stage 3 competition—an outstanding accomplishment!
Congratulations to both Sienna and Lula for their dedication and courage. You’ve made our school community very proud!
Renata Rozenfeld
Assistant Principal
St Joseph’s Social Justice
We sincerely thank all our families and the wider school community for your wonderful support of The Mission to Seafarers and Mum’s Cottage. Your generous donations were gratefully received and will be used well to provide care, comfort, and practical help to those in need. Together, we are living out our call to serve others with love and compassion.
Thank you to Ms Rozenfeld and our student representatives Lexie, Aimee, Harriet and Sienna who attended the Socktober launch at St Joseph’s East Maitland last week. Socktober is Catholic Mission’s annual campaign which invites students to engage with mission through fun activities, such as wearing colourful or crazy socks, while raising awareness and funds to support vulnerable children around the world.
We look forward to officially launching Socktober at St Joseph’s in Term 4, when our school community will come together to learn, pray, and act in support of this important cause.
For more information click here: https://www.socktober.org.au/about/how-socktober-works
Parish Bulletin: https://www.newcastlecatholic.org.au/weekly-bulletins/
Leanne Skinner
Religious Education Coordinator
Little Joeys Merewether Play and Stay
As our Little Joeys Merewether Play and Stay sessions wrap up for the term, we want to send a big thank you to all the families, staff and semester two Student Wellbeing Teams who have made the sessions so special. Thank you for venturing out no matter the weather and making the most of our time together. It has been an absolute joy to welcome so many little ones and their families to play, learn, and grow together in our school environment.
We’ve loved every moment of sharing stories, songs, and playtime with your children and seeing new friendships blossom. Your enthusiasm and support have made our Play and Stay a wonderful experience for everyone involved and we are stoked that it was such a raging success.
RUOk Day
We came together in Week 8 to recognise RUOK Day at St Joseph’s. This year's theme was Ask R U OK? Any Day, I'm Here to Hear.
The day drew attention to having meaningful conversations about mental health, not just on the official RUOK? Day, but every day of the year. The day saw us acknowledging the importance of regular, genuine check-ins with friends, family, and colleagues to build connections and support those who may be struggling.
Please follow up with conversations at home about how a conversation can change a life, the importance of listening, and following up with others.
Ask
Listen
Encourage Action
Check In
Chloe Coe
Wellbeing Coordinator
Polding Athletics Carnival
On Friday 12th September, our athletic stars took to the track and field at the Hunter Sports Centre, Glendale. They competed against hundreds of the best athletes from around our northern state, showing their speed, strength and agility. We congratulate Oliver S on his 1st place in the 100m and 200m - setting a new polding record for the 100m, Ava K on her 6th place in the 800m, Luca O on his 4th place in the 1500m, Thomas P on his 11th place in the discus and the senior boys relay team – Thomas P, Hudson S, Otis Z and Oliver S, on their 8th place. We recognise all of our amazing competitors and wish Oliver all the best as he moves on to State Championships.
Knights 9’s Rugby League Gala Day
On Tuesday, under clear blue skies, our Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed taking part in the Rugby League Gala Day at St John’s Oval, Charlestown. The day was filled with lots of laughs, fun, length of the field tries and tough tackles. Our mixed teams showed outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork, and enthusiasm. They demonstrated great skill and determination on the field, supporting each other and showing respect towards their opponents, shaking hands at the end of each game. We finished the day with many wins, a single loss and huge smiles on faces. A big thanks goes out to Aaron Watts and Peter Maxwell for coaching the students, alongside numerous other parents who supported the students throughout the day. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!
NSWPSSA Football Championships
On the 26th-29th of August, Alex B travelled to Ballina to represent Polding at the NSW PSSA Championships for soccer. Alex showed some impressive skills and talent throughout the week, even managing to score a goal for his team. The Polding team delivered a series of strong performances over the 3-day tournament, culminating in a commendable 9th place finish overall. Congratulations, Alex—your hard work and commitment truly shone through!
Summer Sports Trials
We are currently asking for nominations for the Summer Pathway Sports (PSSA). The Regional trials will take place in Term 4. The sports on offer are Tennis, Basketball and Cricket.
These trials will be open to children in the current (2025) Year 4 and Year 5 classes who are competitive level players or have previous competitive, representative level experience. They are held to select children who display outstanding talent in a particular sport.
If your child plays one of the summer sports on offer at the appropriate level and you would like them to be considered for selection, please collect a Summer Sports Trial nomination form from the school office or download it below.
There is a separate form for both basketball, tennis and cricket, so please select the appropriate form to complete.
These nomination forms must be completed and returned to school before Friday, 3rd October 2025.
No late nominations will be accepted.
Reminders
Touch Football Gala Day
- Year 3/4 Tuesday 21st October, Newcastle Touch Fields, Broadmeadow
- Year 5/6 Wednesday 29th October, Newcastle Touch Fields, Broadmeadow
Central Region Tennis Trials – Wednesday 29th October
Central Region Basketball Trials – Monday 3rd November
Shannon Bailey
Sports Coordinator
Our P&F meeting this week highlighted the new library build and proposals for the interior fit-outs.
The vision is really coming to life, and it’s evident how much thought has gone into creating a welcoming and functional space. A huge thanks to the school community, which has worked hard for many years, fundraising to make these bits and pieces possible. It's going to be an amazing learning space for many years.
We also discussed our transition to a Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Forum. All P&Fs in the Maitland Newcastle Diocese need to make the switch by 31 December 2025.
This means the P&F at St Joey's as we know it will no longer exist. BUT, this doesn't mean the end of our wonderful community. There are still plenty of opportunities for enthusiastic parents to come together and host the events we all enjoy.
One important note: with the end of P&F, the canteen won't have the financial support it used to. It needs to be self-sufficient.
Volunteering at the canteen is one of the easiest ways to keep it running smoothly and affordably. We understand everyone is busy, but if the canteen is important to you and your family, please consider volunteering.
The Diocese approves volunteer applications generally within a week. The tasks are straightforward—just show up, and Donna and Kristy will guide you. In summer, recess duty is mostly about cutting the tops off ice blocks!
We'll keep you updated throughout the transition next term. Thanks for your ongoing support and commitment to our school community. If you have any questions or want to know more, please send us an email.
Term Planner
OOSH News
St Nicholas Early Education and St Nicholas OOSH are now accepting new enrolments for 2026.
St Nicholas Early Education provides high-quality early education for children aged eight weeks to 5 years, while St Nicholas OOSH offers engaging before school, after school, and vacation care programs for primary-aged children.
Families can learn more and submit an enrolment enquiry via:
- OOSH – stnicks.org.au/oosh
- Early Education – stnicks.org.au/early-education
All families that are currently enrolled at St Nicholas OOSH, are asked to confirm their places for next year as soon as possible.
Unless otherwise stated, the advertisements placed in this newsletter are placed by independent third parties who have no legal relationship with the Diocese. The activities or services of the advertisers are not supervised or controlled in any way by the Diocese. The Diocese is not in a position to endorse the advertisers or the services provided and makes no representation about those matters. Accordingly, the Diocese cannot accept any responsibility for the advertisers or the activities or services that are the subject of these advertisements.
