Filter Content
| 25 May | Year 2 Tocal Excursion |
| 9 June | Regional Athletics Carnival |
| 15 June | School Disco |
| 30 June | Last Day of Term 2 |
Dear Parents,
It has been my pleasure to be involved in three wonderful Catholic school events in the past two weeks.
Canberra
Last week I accompanied our Year 6 students to Canberra. For me, each year, this is a special time. To be able to get to spend three days with our senior students before they leave primary school is a wonderful opportunity to connect with them and to enjoy their company and get to know them even more, away from the regular school environment. These three days were jam packed with activities and each day started very early in the morning and went through to quite late at night.
Over the course of the time in Canberra students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programmes with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy. We visited Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, the National Electoral Education Centre, the Museum of Australian Democracy (Old Parliament House), the National Museum of Australia, the Dinosaur Museum, Government House, the National Capital Authority, Mt Ainslie, Questacon, the Australian Institute of Sport, the National Arboretum and an embassy tour and a lunch time visit to a fellow St Joseph’s school in O’Connor. I’m sure as you read this list you can see how full an itinerary this is but such a diverse one. The students gain so much from such an excursion – not just academically but personally, emotionally and socially. It truly is a right of passage for them, and I hope an experience that they will never forget and of which they will have fond memories.
We are very appreciative of the fact that the Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of the Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families and schools in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government contributes $30.00 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards these costs. The rebate is paid directly to our school upon completion of the excursion.
I can’t thank the staff enough, who came along with us, for basically working around the clock for three days, giving up their time with their families and their personal commitments and going above and beyond in caring for our students. It certainly is a labour of love, and I am so very grateful to Leah Temple, Zoe Parish, Shannon Bailey, Alison Collins and Isaac Fogarty for making this trip the success it was. I would particularly like to offer our thanks to Mr Paul Dan, who is the Year 7 Wellbeing Co-ordinator for SFX. Paul came along on this excursion as part of our combined transition program that we are implementing to better assist the students in their move to SFX next year. The students got to connect with Paul, begin to form relationships with him and he got to know them as individuals. We feel this will put them in great stead for a relatively smooth transition across to SFX next year, where it will be their first year of having Year 7 students.
Mother’s Day Celebrations
The second wonderful event was our Mother’s Day celebrations on Monday morning. There was a fabulous turnout of parents, children, grandparents and family and friends for breakfast, which catered for the tastes of all. This was followed by our annual Mother’s Day raffle which had a terrific bank of prizes, many of which were donated by families within our school community. And then we spent time in prayer, acknowledging the uniqueness of mothers’, and mother-like carers’, love, care and dedication to their children. We thank Madeleine McKell for her open and honest reflection on what it means to be a mother and for our Year 1 students and teachers, who led our liturgy. The singing was especially touching and there were many people present who had glistening eyes as they listened to the words, and or reflected on their own mothers and themselves as mothers. To all the mums out there and to those who take on a mum’s role, we say thank you for everything you do.
We also say thank you to the wonderful group of parents who organised the food, decorations, camera, set up and clean up in the hall and all the ‘behind-the-scenes stuff’ that goes into making these occasions so special.
Principal’s Conference
The third special event that I have been a part of this past fortnight has been the Association of Catholic School Principals’ State Conference. Initially it was a little disappointing that it coincided with Catholic Schools Week, which meant we have been away from our schools for much of this week, however on reflection, what better time is there for us all to get together and reassess what we do and why, and how to move forward in our mission? The theme of the conference has been ‘New Hope, New Growth’ and it has been revitalising and centring to be in community with other like-minded, committed and passionate faith-filled and hope-filled Catholic school leaders. Three things that have particularly resonated with me, and that I feel has relevance for all educators and parents, are:
- You cannot have hope without faith.
- Children need to know that the creation of the world is not ‘done’; but rather that they are co-creating with God.
- We need to keep the head and the heart open long enough to keep the mind open to new encounters and ideas.
ASPIRE Finalist
We are so very proud of Ava K, who was a finalist, for the second year in a row, in this year’s ASPIRE song writing competition. Over a hundred applications were received and Ava was selected to perform live, last Thursday evening at The Factory at St Pius. Not only did Ava sing her own song in front of a wide audience but she also performed solo, playing the piano at the same time as she sang. It was a nerve racking experience for her to take on this challenge but she did herself, her family and our school proud. Congratulations, Ava, we can’t wait for when we all hear your fabulous song.
Baby News
Look who has a
rrived! Congratulations and our very best wishes go to Phoebe Parker and her partner Jackson, who welcomed Baby Mae Dotti into their family last Thursday afternoon at 2:22pm. Let’s hope there are many more of these peaceful, sleeping moments for both Phoebe and Jackson.
Thank you for your commitment to Catholic School education and being in partnership with us where together we nurture your children.
Karen
Positive Behaviours for Learning (PBL)
Be Respectful: Use kind words and actions
In class and on the playground, our PBL focus for this fortnight is to use kind words and actions. Students are reflecting on the impact, on others and ourselves, when we use kind/unkind words. They will be identifying what these actions look like, sound like and feel like. Students will be looking at an example of a kindness grid, as shown below, and seeing if they can be creative and think of their own ways to show kindness towards others. Please keep this conversation going at home.
Students are enjoying taking their class tokens to the colour house boxes and watching the numbers rise. Special thanks to our dedicated Sports Captains for counting our tokens. The end of Week 5 will mark the next time we announce who the mid-term winning colour house will be.
Safeguarding
National Sorry Day 26 May
Every year on 26 May, National Sorry Day remembers and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’.
National Sorry Day is a day to acknowledge the strength of Stolen Generations Survivors and reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and nation. While this date carries great significance for the Stolen Generations and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it is also commemorated by Australians right around the country.
This date precedes National Reconciliation Week which will run between May 27 to June 3. During this week students will participate in a variety of activities led by our Aboriginal Education teacher, Mrs Temple.
National Volunteers Week
We would like to take the opportunity to thank all those parents, carers and grandparents who volunteer in our school community. From the canteen and the classroom to sports marshalls and coaches, all of your efforts are so greatly appreciated, and we could not deliver these services/events without your support. Please know that you are all highly regarded by the staff.
This week celebrates the eighth anniversary of Laudato Si. Laudato Si week began as a way to celebrate the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ papal encyclical letter, “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home.” Since then, the annual celebration has become a way for all Catholics to unite and rejoice in the progress we’ve made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life and to commit ourselves to further prayer and action for our common home. This year’s theme is Hope for The Earth, Hope for Humanity deals with many environmental issues including the damage being inflicted on the Earth by humans and calls on ‘every person living on this planet’ to make urgent changes to our lifestyles and how we consume energy in order to protect the planet. I encourage us all, as a community, to do our part and care for the planet we all live in.
Sacramental Program
Today students taking part in this year’s parish based sacramental program, attended a retreat at Sacred Heart Cathedral in preparation to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Wednesday 24 May at 6:30pm. The students engaged with the story of Pentecost and connected with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. These are not edible fruits but spiritual fruits, they are the qualities or actions we want to be as a person and there are special gifts given to us when we are confirmed by the Bishop.
Writing is an essential skill that not only plays a role in academic success but also serves as a powerful tool for self-expression and communication. At St. Joseph’s we use the Gradual Release of Responsibility model for writing instruction. The gradual release of responsibility is a proven method that empowers children to become more self-reliant writers while receiving the support they need.
Our writing instruction consists of four steps: explicit instruction, collaborative talk/oral rehearsal, guided practice, and independent application. Each of these stages supports students writing development.
Explicit Instruction:
- Teachers provide direct instruction and explain the writing process step by step. It involves setting clear expectations, demonstrating writing strategies, and providing explicit guidance on grammar, vocabulary, and organisation. By breaking down the writing process into manageable tasks, children gain a solid foundation and understanding of the key concepts.
Collaborative Talk/Oral Rehearsal:
- Collaborative talk involves engaging in dialogue with others, actively listening and building upon ideas. It encourages students to work together, use their knowledge to construct meaning.
- Oral rehearsal focuses on the practice of articulating thoughts, ideas, and arguments aloud before writing them. Through oral rehearsal, students refine their communication skills, clarify their thinking, and gain confidence in expressing their thoughts.
Guided Practice:
- Students work in small groups with the teacher. In these small groups students work on achieving learning goals and refining their writing skills.
Independent Application:
- The ultimate goal of the gradual release of responsibility model is to equip our students with the skills and confidence to independently apply what they have learned.
By implementing the gradual release of responsibility model, we can support your child/children as writers while promoting independence, confidence, and a lifelong love for writing. The writing journey is unique for every child, and progress may take time.
This week all our students from Kinder to Year 6 wrote a narrative using the image below as a stimulus. Students were presented with the image and asked to write a story/narrative. All our teachers were very proud of the work that the children produced and what they have achieved so far this year.
Leanne Skinner
Primary Co-Ordinator and Pedagogical Mentor
Year 6 Canberra Excursion
Cross Country
The Maitland Newcastle Diocese Cross Country was held at Maitland Park on Wednesday 10 May 2023. We were all very chilly in the morning, but the sun was shining brightly, and the forecasted rain stayed away- thank goodness!
Congratulations to the St Joseph’s Team - Chloe M, Ylva M, Eve D, Alexander B, Hugo S, Ava K, Maya V, Lula K, Vincent M, Riley B, Oliver S, Adelaide M, Heidi M, Archie D and Jack R.
The 8-10 years students ran 2 km, and the students 11-12 years ran 3km. Thank you to the students who showed great courage and determination as they ran the track. We are proud that two of our students will progress to Polding Cross Country. On 13 June 2023 Ava K will run 2km and Archie D will run 3km at the Sydney Equestrian Centre. We wish them well at this next event.
It was a privilege and pleasure to be the team manager for the cross country. The students displayed great sportsmanship and supported each other. Well done team!
A special thank you to all the parents and grandparents who came to support the team.
Anne-Maree Mantach
Futsal
Futsal Fever was aplenty on Wednesday with 29 students across three teams competing in the Newcastle Regional Futsal Gala Day. Our Under 10 Boys were undefeated in the group stage progressing them straight to the semi final where they unfortunately were knocked out in a very close 3-2 game against St James Kotara. The Under 12 Girls finished second in their group to compete in their semi final where they were knocked out 4-1 against a strong Tanilba Bay side. Under 12 Boys went undefeated throughout the whole tournament and topped their age bracket with a 5-1 win over St James Kotara in the grand final. All three teams played exceptionally well and should be congratulated on their abilities and teamwork that was displayed throughout. Thanks to their grand final victory, our Under 12 Boys will now play in the State Championships at Maitland in June. Best of luck boys and well done everyone!
Alison Collins
Congratulations
PSSA Dio Rugby Union Trials
Congratulations to Sidney M and Max L who have been selected to trial in the PSSA Rugby Union Dio trials which will be held at Marcellin Park in Lorn on Wednesday, 24 May (Week 5). Both of these boys have great experience in the sport and have been very successful in past years. Knowing the skills and determination of these two boys, I am sure they will give it their all and make us extremely proud. Good luck!
PSSA AFL Championships
Callum VH and Jacob F attended the PSSA AFL Championships this week in Batemans Bay. They made it all the way to the state championships, playing and representing the Catholic Diocese for Polding. I am not at all surprised these two boys made it to state, seeing firsthand their impeccable skills on the AFL field.
They won their first game 76-6 and then backed it up by winning their 2nd game 63-7.
On Thursday, at that stage they were undefeated and had a great win over McKillop, which was an achievement in itself as Polding have never won against McKillop in this competition.
Today, the boys played Riverina in the semifinals, vying for a spot in the final but unfortunately went down. They then played on for the Bronze Medal, coming away with the win!
The experience both of these boys had, in their chosen sport, in their last year of primary school, will be cemented in their memory bank for many years to come. To spend time away with their families, the comradery and mastership of being part of a team, along with the special bond and friendship Callum and Jacob have, is a wonderful opportunity.
Thank you for making our school community proud, by carrying yourself with dignity, respect and sheer determination.
2024 Enrolments
