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4 November | Pupil Free Day |
7 November | Concert Band & Choir Performance |
10-11 November | Year 6 Retreat |
11 November | Remembrance Day Liturgy |
14 November | Year 4 Sydney excursion |
17 November | Kinder Transition Day 3 |
18 November | Pupil Free Day |
8 December | Family Christmas Picnic & Concert |
13 December | Swimming Carnival Yrs 1-5 |
14 December | Year 6 Graduation Mass |
16 December | Last day of school for students |
Dear Parents,
This is a great week of celebration. We celebrate our marvellous spellers and mathematicians along with our budding engineers. On Thursday, we were very honoured to have four of our students, Harriet, Joe, Eleanor and Haakon, represent us at the diocesan wide Spelling and Maths Bees. They were presented with some challenging words to spell and maths algorithms to solve, but they all did brilliantly. Both Harriet in Kindergarten and Eleanor in Year 6, in the words of Harriet, “did good, I did really, really good.” They did so good, that they both came first in their stages. Joe also had a terrific result, coming in second across the diocese for Stage 2. Later in the afternoon, Haakon participated in the Maths bee and came third for his stage, just narrowly missing out on that second place. We are incredibly proud of the way that these four students represented our school, bravely standing up in front of an unfamiliar crowd and displaying a growth mindset in giving something challenging a go.
We celebrate the budding engineers in our Year 4 classes. They have been learning about bridges and were tasked with constructing their own. They did such a brilliant job that we showcased them on Monday morning and many parents came to see what has been taking place in Year 4. The bridges not only looked great, but they also had to be purposeful. Some of these bridges managed to hold the weight of a toddler, and even a Year 4 student, without breaking. It is wonderful to see such great thinking, problem-solving and positive attitude to take on challenges with a fabulous mindset. Well done, Year 4.
World Teachers’ Day
Last Friday we acknowledged World Teachers’ Day by offering the teachers some sweet treats as a small way of saying we thank you, we appreciate you and we value you. We have an incredible team here at St Joseph’s that all work together to educate your children, not just academically, but also socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I would like to share with you, what Eleanor and Harry, two of our Year 6 leaders, shared with the teachers last week. I feel they sum it up brilliantly.
Good Morning, we are here today on World Teacher's Day to thank all of you. You have shaped our lives and the lives of many others in the this amazing school community.
You have taught us so much, academically, physically and spiritually to make all of us the best version of ourselves.
We really want to express our appreciation of all the effort you have put into every lesson, every activity and every fun day.
Once again, thank you for being our guides and our very special teachers and staff.
Kinder Orientation
On Thursday morning, we held our second Kinder orientation morning, and how blessed were we, with a beautiful blue sky and sunshine. Our Year 5 buddies, very responsibly, helped our incoming Kinders settle in for the morning, engaged with them in a variety of play activities which encouraged conversational skills and making connections with new people. The highlight of the morning was what has now become our annual scavenger hunt. This involves the children walking around with a buddy and a school passport, and as they follow the passport to go to different places around the school they collect an item that represents what happens in that area. The children get to experience asking for something at the canteen, receiving a book to take home with them from the library and from the Music room, a fabulous brightly coloured noisy, musical instrument that I’m sure the parents love! It’s a great way to orientate the children with their new learning environment. We can’t wait to have them back again in two weeks’ time for their final morning with us before they start school next year.
Class Parents
We would like our class parent network to be up and running as soon as we get back to school next year. So, we wish to recruit now for our 2023 class parents! Please take a look at the types of things a class parent could do on the Class Parent Expression of Interest Form and if you would like to try your hand at this role please complete the form by Friday 18th November and we will be in touch. You will be supported in the role, you will work with a team and it is not an overly time consuming role (unless you want it to be). It's a great way to connect with people but to also make a difference in our community.
If any current class parents would be available at our next Kinder orientation, Thursday 17th November, for about an hour to talk to our incoming parents at our expo style morning could you please be in touch with the office. It just requires sharing with the new families what the class parent network is all about and the types of things that you do. If you are unable to spare an hour even half an hour would be helpful.
Volunteers
As many of you know, it takes a considerable amount of time to have to be cleared as a registered volunteer. If you feel that at some stage in your child’s time, here at St Joseph’s, you may wish to help at a carnival, on an excursion, at the canteen, at a disco…then we strongly encourage you to begin the process now. For some of our parents, it has taken a term for the process to complete, so we would really appreciate it if you get the ball rolling now so that for the start of next year you are ready to help out in the various ways that are available to you. It is very disappointing for us to have to say that we are unable to accept your offers of help and involvement with your children due to not having the clearance.
The Volunteer Registration Form, which includes a police check form can be located a here.
You are also required to read the Diocesan Volunteer Policy and Code of Conduct. A Working with Children check is not necessary.
Staff Professional Development
This Thursday and Friday staff participated in a Maths PD with Dr Angela Rogers and Dr Bernadette Long from Simply Maths. Throughout these two sessions staff covered various aspects of teaching Numeracy as well as developing their understanding of the importance of Place Value and Problem Solving. All staff look forward to implementing these knew learnings, strategies and games in the classroom with their students over the coming weeks.
Student Leadership 2023
The process of selecting our Student Leaders for 2023 will begin on Monday 14th November. Please see the proposed timeline below:
Monday 14 November
- Year 5 complete Leadership Reflection sheet
- Leadership parent letter & student nomination form sent home
Thursday 17 November
- Nominations need to be returned
- Absent students to email their nomination form
Monday 21 November
- Year 5 students vote and determine 10 girls and 10 boys
Tuesday 22 - Friday 25 November
- Staff vote to narrow 20 children to 10 - 5 boys and 5 girls – the Student Leadership Team of 2023
Monday 28 November
- Student Leadership Team for 2023 announced
- Nominees for Sports House Captain to complete speech at House Team Meeting
- Students 2-6 vote for Sport House Captains
Tuesday 29 November
- Sports House Captains announced
Thursday 1 December
- Student Leadership Team will write a short speech at school
- Speeches presented to the whole school
- Year 2-6 vote
- Captains and Vice Captains and their parents are informed
- Captains and Vice Captains for 2023 announced
Wednesday 14 December
- Passing of light between 2022 Leadership Team and 2023 Leadership Team at the End of Year Mass.
Road Safety Management Plan
Please take the time to read the following three documents outlining the school’s Road Safety Management Plan, procedures for Arriving and Departing Safely and the Bicycle Policy.
Each of these documents will help to promote and ensure the safety of our students each day.
Positive Behaviours for Learning (PBL)
Students have been busy collecting tokens for these positive behaviours. Our current token tally count is as follows:
Blue House – 234
Red House – 269
Gold House – 230
Green House – 235
There is still another week left for students to receive tokens before our first half of Term 4 winner is announced.
We continue to focus on Caring for our Belongings and the Place we are in. We are very proud of each class's efforts to minimise their lost property. As a result, all classes will be awarded extra playtime at Recess next Wednesday 9th November.
Our PBL focus this coming fortnight is Be Respectful – Be Honest. During PBL lessons, students are identifying:
- What is meant by truthfulness and honesty?
- Why is being honest important?
- How can we be honest at school?
The following Power Point may be a conversation starter for you and your child/ren.
Below you will also find another resource which reinforces this concept. Hopefully they are useful too.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures;He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths For His Name's sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;
For you are with me;
Your rod and Your staff - they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord My whole life long.
The Feast of All Souls and of All Saints
On The Feast of All Saints (1st of November) we remember those people, who through the way they lived, made a difference to others and to the world. Through their lives, these special people teach us to trust God and to show our love for God. We look to them as examples of how we too, can make a difference in the world.
The Feast of All Souls (2nd of November) is a time when we remember those who have died, and we thank God for loving each and every person. Those we have loved stay close to us in our hearts and we give thanks because we can firmly believe they are safe and loved in God’s care.
Year 6 Retreat
Year 6 will be attending Retreat on Thursday and Friday 10th and 11th November at Glenrock Scout Centre. This is a very special time where students reflect on their time here at St Joseph’s and begin to look forward towards their transition to high school. Please keep our students and teachers in your prayers.
Classroom News
It was wonderful to visit Year 1 today and see the students engaged and involved in learning about our parish. Their task was to create a poster identifying their local Catholic parish. The students were asked to include the name of the church, the suburbs and some information about the patron saint and important information about the parish. Well done Year 1. You included great detail and information in your posters. We can all learn so much from you.
Socktober
A big thank you to our students and families for such fabulous support of Catholic Mission fundraising. We had so much fun on Tuesday with Crazy Sock Day. Everyone looked great in their crazy socks. So far we have raised over $450. The link for donations will remain open for another week.
Remembrance Day
In Week 5 we will recognise Remembrance Day, November 11th. This marked the end of World War 1 over a hundred years ago. This is an opportunity to remember all those who have died in wars and conflicts since then. We pray that we value the freedoms that we enjoy today and commit ourselves to creating peace in our world by recognising that peace begins in our own families, classrooms, schools and communities, and it begins with us. Each one of us can make a peaceful world. We thank Year 3 for leading us in prayer.
Swimming Carnival
Please note the change to the swimming carnival venue and date. Due to construction work at Lambton pool, we have had to relocate to The Forum and therefore change the date. Please take note of the new date and venue for St. Joseph’s Swimming Carnival.
Entries close November 11. Details regarding how to enter are on Compass.
Venue: The Forum, Newcastle
Date: Tuesday 13 December (Week 10)
Emma Cook
Sport Coordinator
Year 5B
Great Aussie Bush Camp
As we head towards the end of the year we reflect on all the fun times we’ve had recently, especially school camp. During Week 10 Year 5 travelled to Great Aussie Bush Camp where we stayed for 2 nights, 3 days. We endured rain, sunshine, pools of water and mud, lots of mud!
- I enjoyed spending two nights away with my friends. Canoeing, the mud run, and the giant swing were my favourite activities. I drank my weight in cordial and Harrison drank more than me! - Hugh S
- One of the highlights of camp was having all the fun trivia and movie nights with my friends. I really enjoyed the big swing, mud run and rock climbing. I was super glad that I got put in a cabin with all of my friends. We had lots of fun times together and created funny memories. - Hannah W
- I enjoyed staying in the cabins with all of my friends and doing fun activities that I thought I could not do. I loved winning the challenge against the boys when we made a stretcher to carry Andy. - Olive M
Thank goodness that it was holidays as soon as we returned to school because we all needed a week of sleep!
Buddies
This term is going to be really busy for 5 Blue. We have Kinder Orientation on Thursdays, and we are all working towards becoming a good buddy for next year.
Maths Incursion
On Monday, Week 2 of this term we attended a Maths Incursion where we learnt new ways to solve problems.
- I really enjoyed the maths problems. One of the activities that I had to solve was called Trees. We were on this activity for most of the time, but eventually we figured out what to do. - Violet L
- I really liked solving the challenges especially the activity where we had to make 5 shapes on a cube. It took us nearly half of the time to complete. We pushed through and finally finished which made us proud of ourselves. - Chloe W
Van Gogh Exhibit
- On Tuesday in Week 2 we all walked to the Foreshore to see the Van Gogh Exhibition. I really liked the exhibition because it was really different and the paintings were abstract. It showed the paintings in a timeline of his artistic life. My favourite artwork was the volcano artwork. - Max S
Aboriginal Education
Term 4 is certainly proving very busy and exciting at St Joseph’s. It’s always wonderful working with our students.
I recently had the pleasure of working with our Year 6 students learning how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have sustainably managed the land for 85 000 years. Linking with the Year 6 Science unit and the production of sustainable food and fibre, we explored how as ‘custodians’ of their Aboriginal Country- men and women expertly gathered materials and resources they needed from the environment to make their tools / weapons / shelters / bush medicine and bush tucker without impacting the environment.
It was also great fun working with our Kindergarten classes recently. Children loved learning about Awabakal people’s connection to Country- especially through Dreaming stories like the Kangaroo that lives inside Nobby’s Headland. Did you know that when the kangaroo inside Nobby’s gets angry – he jumps around and bangs his tail. This makes the earth shake….. a reference to the seismic activity around Newcastle
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council Conference
During Week 10 of last term, I had the incredible pleasure of attending the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council Conference in Townsville. Joining me were our Catholic Schools Office Aboriginal Education Officers as well as other education officers, principals, and educators from our Diocese. Meeting amazing First Nations Australians from across the country was a huge highlight and sharing in their incredible stories of trauma and healing was both inspiring and a privilege.
These experiences have allowed me to build my own awareness of First Nations histories peoples and cultures and I have loved sharing this knowledge and stories with staff and students at our school.
26th October - Uluru returned
Uluru is returned to traditional owners, the Anangu people in 1985. Click here to learn more about this significant event
28th October - Battle of Pinjara
The Battle of Pinjarra happens in 1834 in Western Australia. Click here to learn more about this very sad event in Australia’s history.
30 October - Racial Discrimination Act
The Racial Discrimination Act took effect on the 30th October in 1975. Click here to learn more about this significant legislation
Danielle Shaw
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teacher
School Fees
School Fee Statements have been distributed and we remind you that all outstanding accounts need to be finalised by 30 November.
2023 Classes
Joey's Mum's Christmas Soiree
Sunday 20 November is the date to put in your calendar for the Joey's Mum's Christmas Soiree. After a long break, this tradition at St Joseph's is making a resurgence, it is an opportunity for all mums from Kindy to Year 6 to come together at the end of year.
We encourage you to come along and get to know mums from grades as well as catch up with mums you already know, in a relaxed setting.
The event will be held at The Junction Hotel from 4.00pm, your ticket includes a glass of bubbles on arrival & 5 courses of canapes.
Tickets are $60 and available now on Qkr, the final cut-off date will be Wednesday 9 November. This is not a fundraising event and all those attending must have a pre-purchased a ticket.
If you have any dietary requirements, please advise on QKR when purchasing your ticket.
Please be advised that this is not a school event and it is being organised by the Year 6 Class Parent representatives.