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Dear Parents & Carers
This week our school leadership team has been very fortunate to be engaged in professional learning around transformative collaboration and what it means to be a professional learning community (PLC). This professional learning, along with other professional readings we are undertaking, are helping us in our foundational purpose to ensure high levels of learning for all our students. Over the next semester the staff will work on having a shared understanding and agreement about the purpose of PLCs and how these can be used to continuously improve teaching and learning here at St. Joseph’s.
Thank you
Thank you to all those families who have sent in their hands and feet with ideas for what to maintain and what directions to take in the future here at St Joseph’s. We will share with you a summary of these thoughts once we have finished collating them.
Thank you also for the support you are providing the staff at afternoon pick up time in Farquhar Street and Union Street. The number of parents who are remembering to place their names in the front of their cars as they pull up and who are remaining in their cars while the children quickly get in is making afternoon collection time run a lot smoother. If you did not receive laminated name cards earlier this term please contact the office so these can be sent home to you or if you need additional name cards please let us know.
Playground Update
A number of parents have put their hand up to be part of a playground subcommittee. They will be assisting with the acquisition of finances, including grant applications, and with professional advice in relation to aspects of the playground upgrade. This committee will then help with taking ideas forward to the greater parent community and we look forward to your ideas and input at this stage.
Kindergarten Enrolments
At the end of this term we will be sending out our offers for Kinder places for 2020. If you have a child that you wish to enrol in Kinder 2020 and have not yet done so, please contact the office as soon as possible. If you have friends who have children ready to start school next year please encourage them to come along, collect an enrolment pack and book a tour of the school.
Important Dates
25 June | Pyjama Day - Mini Vinnies Appeal | |
27 June | Year 2 Grade Sharing | 2.15pm School Hall |
28 June | Kindergarten Participating in Mass | 10.15am St Joseph's Church |
28 June | Year 4 Excursion to Sydney | |
1 July | NAIDOC Liturgy | 8.50am COLA |
1 July | P&F Meeting | 7.00pm Library |
2 July | Central Region Athletics Carnival | |
3 July | Parent Teacher Interview Evening | Classrooms |
4 July | Launch of Indigenous Sacred Space area | |
5 July | Feast of St Benedict Mass | 12.00pm Sacred Heart Cathedral |
5 July | Last Day of Term 2 | |
22 July | School Returns | Term 3 commences |
Congratulations to this fortnight's Principal Awards recipients Juliette Seysener, Christopher Mooney, Grace Connors, Dearbhla Corcoran, Isabella Yau, Joshua Hillard, Spencer Smith, Sasha Maytom, Meera Sinha, Charisse Watters-Cowan, Jayson Hall and Alexander Mulley
Curriculum Corner - Renata Powell
Semester One Progress Reports
On Friday, 28 June you will receive your child’s Semester One Progress Report. Following from last year, the reports will once again be loaded onto your child’s Compass account where you will be able to access them. Further information regarding reports has been distributed to all families.
Reading your child's school report together
We encourage you to read the report with your child. In preparation, below is a guide to assist with the shared reading of the report.
School reports are a great tool to help you understand how your child is going at school – and they can be used to start a conversation with your child about their learning. Here are some tips to you help you analyse and discuss school reports with your child.
Stay positive
When reading your child’s report card, try to emphasise the positive. Praise your child for their improvement and achievements – and try to be specific with your praise. For example, “I’m really pleased with your progress in science. You have been working so hard and have improved so much”.
Focus on effort, not grades
Try not to focus too much on the grades your child receives. When children are too focussed on their marks they can develop a ‘grade orientation’ rather than a ‘learning orientation’ – and can become less likely to enjoy learning and to challenge themselves. Recognise your child’s hard work even if it is not reflected in their marks. The teacher’s comments can often tell you more about the effort your child is making at school than the results. For example, “Your teacher says you have really been concentrating in Maths this term. I’m proud of you.”
Every child is different
Try not to compare your child’s report to that of an older sibling or friends. Your child is unique and shines in their own areas. Boost your child’s self-esteem by concentrating on the things they have excelled in, where they have tried hardest and where they have shown the most improvement.
Talk about it
It is a good opportunity to use your child’s report card to talk to your child about how they are feeling about school. Ask your child what they think about school, their subjects and their report card. If your child raises any concerns, offer your support to help make a plan to address them. For instance, if your child wants to improve their Maths skills, you can help them to set realistic weekly goals, like setting aside 10 minutes a day to focus on Maths revision.
Valuable learning tool
Your child’s report card is a great indicator of academic areas your child is excelling at and where they can improve. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s report or their progress at school, or if there are any areas where your child needs some support, contact their teacher – they can tell you what they can do at school to support your child’s learning and how you can help at home.
Diosounds
Year 6 went to DioSounds to watch High School students from Year 7 to Year 12 perform in a variety of songs. The themes ranged from the 1980’s to modern music we know today. Each song fitted so well to the theme OPEN TO CHANGE. The students performed many crowd pleasers such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Stairway to Heaven, Elvis Presley and a more recent song by Little Mix. Everyone in the theatre was cheering and screaming in joy as each school took the stage for their performance. We were all very impressive!
St Pius X was the last school to take the stage with the very popular song ‘Let’s Get Loud’ by Jenifer Lopez. Everyone lived up to the name by dancing and singing along with the talented St Pius X musicians.
By Mia and Lucas (6 Blue)
Year 6 enjoyed all the aspects of DioSounds. From the engaging sounds, voices and amazing dances to the entertaining commentary between acts. The theme Open to Change was very well thought out and was creatively placed in each of the acts. The vast spectrum of genres and eras of songs entertained everybody, there was a song for everyone. From Elvis and Queen to Vance Joy and Little mix. We listened, watched and danced through the evolution of music. DioSounds was a fun and interactive experience for everyone (even the teachers).
We hope to see future Stage 3 students attending DioSounds and enjoying the amazing production we did. We hope to see you there possibly watching ex-St Joseph's students performing in this production? It was planned for months and they trained for weeks, the hard work definitely paid off. The experience made us excited to be possibly involved in this production throughout our high school years. The finale was extraordinary featuring all the students from every school that was involved. It was a very inclusive and enjoyable event.
By Phoebe and Hannah (6 Gold)
ICAS
Please refer to the PDF below regarding 2019 ICAS. Online payment will close on 31st July and NO late entries can be accepted
Celebrating our Faith - Stephanie Colvin
Prayer
Gracious God, you came upon the disciples to give them the gifts they needed to spread your Word. You also come to us and give us the gifts we need to help us live as faithful Christians. We pray that your Spirit enriches our lives so that we may be open in heart and mind to live and act with justice, compassion and love. We ask that we are renewed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit during this season of Pentecost:
- May the Spirit’s gifts of understanding, knowledge and courage transform you this day and every day
- May the Spirit’s gifts of right judgement and wisdom fill your mind and heart
- May the Spirit’s gifts of reverence and wonder and awe empower you to live faithfully.
We ask this prayer in joy and peace so that, guided by the Spirit, we may love and serve the Lord. Amen.
Pentecost Liturgy
The Church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost fifty days after Easter Sunday. Pentecost Sunday ends the season of Easter. Before He returned to His Father in Heaven, the risen Jesus visited his disciples and promised to send the Holy Spirit to help them. We read in Scripture that one morning, when the disciples were gathered together with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and some other women, they suddenly heard a noise like a strong wind. Then they saw what looked to be flames of fire over each of them. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts of the Apostles, 2:4)
The Holy Spirit filled the disciples with courage and faith, empowering them to share the Good News with others. They began to tell others about Jesus, and that he died for us and rose to new life. On this day, the gift of the Spirit allowed the disciples to communicate even with those who spoke different languages.
It was wonderful to gather as a school community on Tuesday 11th June, to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. It was an opportunity to reflect on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how they can help us live more faith-filled lives. Thank you to the Year 4 students who led the liturgy for us, and the Year 4 teachers, Mrs Charnock, Mrs Matheson, Mrs Parkes and Mrs McMillan, for your support with the liturgy preparation. We would also like to thank Helene O’Neill for joining us, sharing her thoughts about the Gospel and giving us real life examples to live and be guided by the gifts of the Holy Spirit we have received.
Last weekend the Church celebrated The Most Holy Trinity on Sunday and we are looking for to The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ this coming Sunday.
Sacramental Program
Last Sunday 16th June, the students and families in Year 3 and Year 4 participating in the Sacramental Program took part in a mini-retreat preparing for their first Eucharist. Fr Andrew and Dr Anne presented a comparison between the Mass and Meal. The children were given the opportunity to practise receiving their First Holy Communion which was very exciting. We are in preparation for the next two weekends in our Parish where these children will be making the Sacrament of Holy Communion. It would be wonderful to see many families coming to celebrate at these special Masses to support these children on their faith journey, receiving their first Holy Communion.
The first Holy Communion Mass times are:
- Saturday 22nd June – 5pm Vigil at SHC
- Sunday 23rd June – 9am St Joseph’s + Morning Tea
- Saturday 29th June - 5pm Vigil at SHC
- Sunday 30th June – 9am St Joseph’s + Palms Morning Tea
Mini Vinnies
On Tuesday 25th June, Week 9, Mini Vinnies and the Student Council will be hosting a Pyjama Day at school in support of the 2019 St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal. This year St Vincent De Paul Society has requested this year that they prefer donations of blankets, money and personal messages. The students may wear their pyjamas and bring a donation for out of uniform, which will be collected in class on the Tuesday morning. At Recess, “warm” hot chocolates with marshmallows will be sold for $2 at the Canteen. We would like to invite any parent volunteers to support with the preparing and service of the hot chocolates at Recess. The volunteer times would be 12:30-2pm.
NAIDOC Week
On Monday, 1st July at 8:50am our school community will gather under the COLA to celebrate NAIDOC Week. NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal Islander Day Observance Celebration. It is a week when the country celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Officially,
We warmly invite parents and grandparents to join us for this liturgy.
Feast of St Benedict
On Friday, 5th July, the last day of term, St Joseph’s as a whole school community will be travelling to Sacred Heart Cathedral to celebrate the Feast of St Benedict, our Inner Newcastle Parish Patron Saint. We will travel by bus to Sacred Heart Cathedral to join the parish and Holy Family Primary School, Merewether Beach, in celebrating Mass. Mass will begin at 12 noon and the children will return to school at recess and celebrate the day with a whole school cake.
Upcoming Events
- Sacrament of First Holy Communion. See times above
- Tuesday 25th June - Mini Vinnies Mufti and Marshmallow Pyjama Day
- Monday 1st July – NAIDOC Week Liturgy, COLA 8:50am
- Thursday 4th July - Indigenous Sacred Space launch
- Friday 5th July (Last day of Term 2) – Whole School will celebrate the Feast day of St Benedict at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 12 noon
Palms Morning Tea
All families are invited to the Palms Australia fundraising morning tea to be held after Mass at St Joseph’s on Sunday 30th June. Many Year 4 students from St Joseph’s and Holy Family will be attending Mass at St Joseph’s Church for their First Holy Communion. The morning tea in the parish center will be an opportunity for the parish to welcome the families after Mass, play a few games and chat together, and raise money for Palms Australia. Families are welcome to bring a plate to share.
Thank you to Cheree Flanagan for the organisation with this fundraiser.
Palms Australia is an international aid and development agency that sends skilled volunteers to share their skills with communities around the world. Palms Australia has placed volunteers with communities and organisations in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, South America and in Indigenous communities in Australia. Palms Australia supports community development by sending volunteers at the request of the receiving communities, to work alongside local people and receive an equivalent living wage.
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Newcastle Inner City Catholic Community - Weekend Mass times
Sacred Heart Cathedral – Vigil Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 9:30am and 5:00pm
St Joseph’s, The Junction – Sunday 9:00am
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Tighes Hill – Sunday 8:00am
St Mary’s, Newcastle – Sunday 7:30am
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Sporting Highlights - Nicole Charnock
Athletic Carnival
Our 2019 Athletic Carnival was held Thursday 20th June at the Newcastle Fearnley Dawes Athletics Track. It was a successful day and we were blessed with beautiful weather. The children were well behaved and we are very thankful to all the volunteers who assisted on the day. Results will be published in the next edition of the school newsletter.
Dio Rugby
Congratulations to Darcy Mitchell and Ben Moran, who have been selected for the upcoming Polding Rugby on Monday 1st July. We wish the boys all the very best for their trial and look forward to hearing about their results in coming weeks.
Futsal
On Tuesday 18th June, a Senior and Junior team from St Joseph’s Merewether competed in the NSW Futsal State Titles held in Maitland.
Both Junior and Senior teams played the top teams from Newcastle, Upper Hunter & Lake Macquarie divisions.
A big congratulations to both teams who placed first in their divisions winning the overall state competition!! We are so very proud of your outstanding efforts and wonderful sportsmanship.
Thank you to Paul Langworthy and Albert Papichio for volunteering their time and skills to coach the teams on the day. Your assistance was greatly appreciated.
Well done boys!
Polding Softball
The PSSA/NSW Polding Softball trials will be held this Friday 21st June. We wish Thomas Woods every success at this event as he vies for a place on the NSW team. Best of luck, Thomas.
Upcoming dates:
Central Region Athletics Carnival: Tuesday 2nd July
We are 5 weeks out from the launch of the 2019 FLL Season, which will be announced on August 1st. Senior Robo Recess has been buzzing this year to get ready for another season of FLL after the success of the 2018 Into Orbit Merewether Meteors and Martians teams. We have a FLL school workshop booked in on Wednesday 26th June here at school with Mr Hattam and Mr Newman from Teaching and Learning at the CSO. In the upcoming July school holidays, there are 2 day Robo Camps being offered by Team Bucephalus in Wollongong. This would be an invaluable experience for anyone interested. Please follow the link for more information or see Miss Colvin to discuss this further
Premier's Reading Challenge
Premier’s Reading Challenge. Congratulations to these students who have recently completed their PRC: Harry Simpson, Lewis McKenzie, Luke Craft, Benjamin Duffy, Angus Lane, Jack Simpson, Jack McKenzie, Charlie Radford, Hudson Saville, Jack Jones, Ava Knox, Isabelle Radford, Isabella De Siqueira Mattes, Leila Waddell, Lucy Webber, Grace Waddell, Chloe Webber and Isaac Flanagan. Great work everyone!
Damaged books. Each week there are a few books coming back with varying degrees of damage especially water damage. We realise that accidents do happen but could you ensure that library books are kept in a safe place at home, please?
Happy reading!
Chess Club
Last week saw the start of a Chess Club for Primary students and it was wonderful to see more than 20 enthusiastic players eagerly waiting at the door. The aim of the Chess Club is for students to learn about the game and practise their skills by playing friendly games against other students. Results are not being kept as we want to encourage the students to learn from each other. The Chess Club will run at lunch time on Wednesday's for the remainder of the term.
School Fees
A reminder that your school fees are now due and payable.
P&F News
School Disco will be held in Week 1 of Term 3 on Wednesday 24 July. Note will being sent home with the children this week. Payments can be made on QKR.
Entertainment Book
Uniform Price List
OOSH News
Unless otherwise stated, the advertisements placed in this newsletter are placed by independent thir 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