14 November 2023 (Term 4 Week 6)
Principal's News
Dear St Joseph’s Community
On Saturday, some of our senior students represented us at local Remembrance Day services. Noah, Eve and Ella lay a wreath at the Alstonville ceremony, with Sophia and Penny doing the same at the Ballina War Memorial. These are important moments for our students to pause and consider the sacrifices made by so many for the freedoms we enjoy as Australians today. I thank these students and their families for giving up their time to represent our school on Saturday.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
In this Sunday's Gospel, the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, Jesus shares a story about being prepared. The wise bridesmaids bring extra oil for their lamps, while the foolish ones do not. When the bridegroom arrives, only the prepared are ready to join the feast. This parable is a beautiful metaphor for readiness in our faith and daily lives. It encourages us, especially our young learners, to be prepared not just in our tasks and studies but also in our hearts and minds. Being prepared in a deeper sense means cultivating virtues like patience and perseverance so we are ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges life presents. Let us teach our children the importance of being prepared, both practically and spiritually. Let’s encourage them to approach each day with a readiness to learn, to help others, and to grow in their faith.
TEACHERS FOR 2024
We are very pleased to announce which teachers will take each grade for 2024. We are blessed to have such a depth and breadth of experience with our teaching staff.
- Kindergarten - Ms Jenna Gauci (soon to be Mrs Jenna Wraight)
- Year 1 - Mrs Ros McElligott
- Year 2 - Mrs Tammy Bakeberg
- Year 3 - Miss Linsey MacDonald
- Year 4 - Mrs Carissa McCall
- Year 5 - Miss Holly Clark
- Year 6 - Mrs Georgie Miller
- Intervention - Mrs Emma Keough and Mrs Liana Daley
- STEM - Mrs Anna Moloney and Mrs Dana Crosby
Mr Victor Murgha continues in his role as our Aboriginal Education Worker and will also work two days as an Enrichment Tutor. Mrs Natalie Graveson, Mr Liam Seymour and Mr Justin Pearson will also rejoin us next year as Enrichment Tutors.
We are all looking forward to supporting your children as they learn and grow next year.
PARISH SCHOOL FORUM (PSF) EVENING TERM 4
The PSF evening, on 15 November at 6:40 pm, will be facilitated by Janita Thomson from the Catholic Schools Office and will be focused on discerning the new model for parent engagement going forward. This continues the conversation that began last term. You can share your thoughts on the two models which are presented in the image below. More information can be accessed about the two models below. Parents and carers are invited to indicate their preference for the new model via this survey link.
Please indicate your intention to join us for either or both of these nights by completing this Google Form.
STRATEGIC PLAN FINALISED
We have recently completed our 3-year Strategic Plan for 2024-2026 after considerable data analysis, whole-staff discernment, and engagement with the evidence and the recommendations from our school review. This was shared at last week’s Parish School Form evening, and we had positive responses from the parents present. Below is a summary of the 5 Domains of the plan, their respective goals and the priority areas. We are currently examining what we can move forward from this Strategic plan for our Annual School Improvement Plan for 2024.
School Mission Statement:
Enabling students to achieve the fullness of life. (John 10:10)
School Vision Statement:
At St Joseph's Alstonville, our mission is to instil a love of learning and to promote academic excellence so every child becomes a compassionate, engaged member of our community. Here, all are welcomed, and all belong as we deepen our relationship with Jesus, grow through love, and seek lives of purpose, service and faith.
School Values:
- Safety
- Effort
- Respect
- Self-responsibility
Mission Goal
By 2026, our aspiration is to be a well-formed Catholic community where every member experiences growth through love.
- Priority 1 - Develop engaging Religious Education units that inspire a deep relationship with God.
- Priority 2 - Model and explicitly teach the connections between what we do within our school community and why we do it as a part of our Catholic tradition.
Catholic Leadership Goal
By 2026, our aspiration is to be a deeply formed Catholic community, characterised by high expectations, ongoing professional growth and feedback.
- Priority 1 - Develop an authentic Catholic community led and staffed by those formed in Mission.
- Priority 2 - Develop a culture of ongoing mentoring, feedback and collaboration, aligned to Learning and Teaching and Pastoral Care goals.
Pastoral Care Goal
By 2026, our aspiration is to be a school community where every person feels they are known and belong.
- Priority 1 - Review and refine current structures and practices that promote meaningful connection, belonging, and engagement in learning
- Priority 2 - Develop a whole-school approach to pro-social behaviour and behaviour management aligned with our school values
Learning and Teaching Goal
By 2026 we will embed evidence-based practice to maximise student engagement and to promote academic rigour.
- Priority 1 - Develop and implement an evidence-based whole-school pedagogical framework.
- Priority 2 - Develop and implement an evidence-based whole-school curriculum framework.
- Priority 3 - Implement the revised NSW curriculum with rigour and fidelity.
Family, School and Community Partnerships Goal
By 2026, our aspiration is to be a connected and engaged school, family and parish community.
- Priority 1 - Develop communications with families and the parish which are inclusive, informative and empowering to encourage positive partnerships.
- Priority 2 - Develop and implement a process for consultation, voice and influence for parents and families.
COMPASS UPDATE - ADD ATTENDANCE NOTE SHORTCUT REINSTATED
We have been successful in having the attendance note shortcut reinstated for our Parents & Carers Compass accounts. You should all have the shortcut added to your + button at the bottom of your Compass homepage. This shortcut is a real value add (time saver!) and we are sure you will all appreciate having this available to you again.
FEE REMINDER
Term 4 accounts were invoiced in Week 1 and are due for payment by October 31. Bringing your attention to this and additionally, that our school fee schedule states all fees are to be paid in full by November 30, 2023. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please make urgent contact with Mr Challinor to arrange a meeting to discuss.
CAR PARK REMINDER
A reminder the boom gate at the school carpark closes from 8:30am to 9:15am and 3:00pm to 3:45pm every day. This forms part of our Traffic Management Plan and is to ensure the safety of our students. We advise parents and visitors to park on the street if arriving at these times. The boom gate can not be opened to let cars out.
Learning & Teaching News
REPORTS - SEMESTER 2 CHANGES
Please see the following information for some changes to the semester two reports
MATHS TIPS FOR STARTING SCHOOL
For those parents who have children starting school in 2024, here are some useful tips for engaging your child with Mathematics and promoting a positive mindset in this learning area.
- Be Positive about Maths. Research has shown that a parent's level of achievement in maths has nothing to do with your child's potential for achievement. If you struggled with maths - it was most likely because of the way it was taught - not because you are not a ‘maths person’. In fact, there is actually no such thing as a ‘maths person’- it is just a person who does maths!! So, if you do nothing else, let go of those negative feelings you feel towards fractions or the fear you have for times tables, and for the benefit of your child, pretend you LOVED maths and it was your favourite subject at school! Banish all those “I was never good at maths” sayings and replace them with “Ooh I love maths, it is so interesting”! It will make a BIG difference, I promise!
- Look out for maths. Maths is everywhere. You find maths in art, in sport, in cooking, in shopping, in gardening - pretty much everything you love in your life will involve some maths. So tune into these authentic applications of maths and share them with your child. Say things like “look at that footy score, they have 5 goals and the other team has 2, how many more goals do they have?” Allow your child to see maths is MUCH more than they learn at school, it is something they will use every day of their lives.
- Play Board/Card Games. There is maths in EVERY game we play. Dice games provide an extra bonus as children get to learn the dice patterns. One thing we recommend working on before children start school is being able to recognise dice patterns. This develops a special mathematical skill called subitising and makes life so much easier when they play (and they will) dice games at school!
- Count, Count, Count! Counting provides an important foundation for early mathematical understanding. Count plates for dinner, birds in the park, ducks on the pond, flowers on a plant - anything. Sometimes you can model counting for them, sometimes count things together, and sometimes invite them to count on their own. It doesn’t matter if they make mistakes… it is the exposure to the counting process, patterns and structure that makes a difference. Most children need to hear things over 400 times to understand them, so make sure they are hearing that counting sequence over and over and seeing the contexts in which counting is useful.
Mission News
VINNIES CHRISTMAS APPEAL
At our Monday morning assembly this week, we launched the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. The Christmas Appeal is an opportunity for our students to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas to share love and hope with others. Students are invited to bring in any non-perishable food and drink items to place in the hampers.
Creation Prayer
Flowers turning to face the sun,
providing hope for everyone.
It's not my imagination,
that this is God's creation.
Everybody enjoys this place,
so go out there to see nature's grace.
All of the sights you can see,
provide joy for you and me.
So if you love this beautiful space,
you can give praise to the creator of this place.
He worked hard for seven days,
so you should always give him praise.
~ Eloise Watson, Year 3 ~
Stage News
STAGE 1 - RELIGION
In Religion, Stage 1 has been learning about Creation. Last week we wrote some Psalms of Praise. These are some examples of our work.
Praise the Lord for the rainbows that shine beautifully in the sky.
Praise the Lord for the nice and colourful flowers.
Praise the Lord for the wonderful trees.
Praise the Lord for the shining stars
Praise the Lord for the clear water.
Praise the Lord for the animals that walk slowly.
Praise the Lord for the blue waterfalls.
Praise the Lord for the bright sun.
Praise the Lord for the flying birds.
Praise the Lord for the lovely ocean.
Praise the Lord!
~ Charlotte D ~
Praise the Lord for the apple trees.
Praise the Lord for the grass.
Praise the Lord for the fruit.
Praise the Lord for the seas.
Praise the Lord for all the people.
Praise the Lord for the sun.
Praise the Lord for the rainbows.
Praise the Lord for the earth.
Praise the Lord for the moon.
Praise the Lord for the world.
Praise the Lord!
~ Zareef ~
Praise the Lord for the glorious animals that are alive.
Praise the Lord for all the magnificent flowers that smell like perfume.
Praise the Lord for all the trees that grow delicious fruits.
Praise the Lord for the sun and moon that keep us warm or cool.
Praise the Lord for day and night and the sky and ground.
Praise the Lord for the planet we live on and the ocean with lots of animals.
Praise the Lord for the sparkling beaches that shells can wash up on.
Praise the Lord for the storm and rain and all the majestic things you made.
Praise the Lord for the water that we drink and falls from the sky.
Praise the Lord for the ground we stand on.
Praise the Lord for the colourful rosellas and all the extraordinary birds.
Praise the Lord for the green grass that grows quickly.
Praise the Lord for the mountains that are so tall.
Praise the Lord!
~ Henry V ~
Praise the Lord for the magnificent animals.
Praise the Lord for the shining stars way up high.
Praise the Lord for the nature that makes the world wonderful.
Praise the Lord for the world that we live in.
Praise the Lord for the sparkling,shimmering and clean water.
Praise the Lord for my family and friends.
Praise the Lord for the magnificent rainbows after the rain has stopped.
Praise the Lord for the big, bright sun that makes the beach sand hot.
Praise the Lord for the waters that fall from the dark grey clouds.
Praise the Lord for the ground and grass.
Praise the Lord for day and night, for the sun, moon and stars.
Praise the Lord for all the sea monsters in the deep.
Praise the Lord for the peace that you bring us.
Praise the Lord!
~ Andrea ~
Wellbeing News
OUR WEEKLY SCHOOL VALUE FOCUS
This week we return to the value of respect. We have been incredibly impressed with how students continue to demonstrate the practical suggestions from our Monday morning assemblies each week.
Students and staff gather every Monday morning for assembly to prepare for the week.
SEASONS FOR GROWTH CELEBRATION SESSION
We are delighted to share that our Celebration session will be on Thursday, 7th December from 8 - 8.45am. BBQ bacon and egg rolls will be supplied. Please feel free to bring a plate to share! We look forward to celebrating all the learning of our Seasons participants from this term.
Library News
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB ISSUE 8
The final Book Club catalogues for 2023 were sent home last week with students. All orders must be received by 9am Thursday 23 November. We recommend ordering through Scholastic LOOP. This is a great way to purchase books as Christmas gifts, as the school library receives rewards for every purchase. Scholastic offers the option for ”Gift Orders”, simply tick the “Gift Order” box on the left of the screen and your order will be held at administration for collection, not sent home with students. Thank you to the families who have supported Book Club throughout 2023.
STORY BOX FREE TRIAL
The Catholic Schools Office has arranged for a free trial access for all staff and families for Story Box. See the link below for Story Box. This online collection contains a variety of books read by outstanding Australian’s, suitable for all ages. You can search using themes, year level, title, author, duration, storyteller and much more. It will be a great addition to literacy. Think of the Story Box Library as an online 'reading room'. It’s a place where the wonderful world of Children’s Literature is on permanent exhibit and children can connect, engage and be inspired when they watch a range of celebrated stories read aloud by wonderfully engaging storytellers. Story Box Library provides a vibrant, interactive experience via a diverse range of everyday storytellers - actors, comedians, sports people, musicians, artists, authors, children - with varying accents and from different cultures, each sharing past and present book titles. The result is meaningful, entertaining readings that focus on both teller and tale. I encourage you to get in and have a look and use it!
The login information for Story Box was sent out via Compass today to all families. If you have any questions or can provide any feedback please contact me at rosalind.kingsford@lism.catholic.edu.au
Around the School
Our younger students have been enjoying a new play space at Lunch and Recess break times.
Coming Events
Use the link above to see all of the coming events for Joeys!
For catering purposes please complete the form below before Monday 27th November.
Celebrations
Happy birthday to these students who have celebrated their birthday since the last newsletter:
- Bailey Thorpe
- Brodie O'Connor
- Sophia Birkwood
Parish News
Community News
FREE UNIFORM REPAIR CAFE
2nd December 2023 9am-noon at Alstonville Baptist Church (108 Wardell RoadAlstonville). Bring your uniforms that need repairing and we will do our best. Zippers may be too tricky to replace at this event, apologies in advance. Free hot drinks while you wait. Even if you don't need the uniform we are happy to fix them and donate them to a local Op Shop for resale at a low cost for other families.