13 February 2024 (Week 3 Term 1 2024)
Principal's News
Dear St Joseph’s Community
We have had an excellent start to the year. Our teachers have been working hard to build strong relationships with their students so they feel known, loved and appreciated. We have begun implementing the new curriculum for Maths and English across all year levels and are experiencing some terrific early successes here.
One of our parents, Mrs Monica Hodge, has offered to facilitate a weekly parent catch-up for a coffee and a chat at Buckley’s Chance at 10:00 each Friday. This is a lovely opportunity for parents to connect with each other. Check out the flyer below and reach out to Monica if you have any questions.
Thank you to those who were able to join us for the welcome BBQ and information night. These are excellent opportunities to come together as a community to share a meal and to work together to support our young people to grow.
Welcome BBQ
ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Last week I shared an infographic outlining our 3-year Strategic Priorities. This week, I am excited to share our Annual Improvement Plan. Our teachers have worked incredibly hard to actualise this, and we are confident we can make an impact in these three areas. I’ve added both the 3-year Strategic Priorities and our Annual Improvement Overview below.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
In this passage from Mark 1:40-45, we are given a poignant narrative that resonates deeply with the themes of compassion, healing, and the transformative power of kindness—themes that are especially pertinent as we approach the beginning of Lent this Wednesday.
The story unfolds with a man afflicted by leprosy, an ailment that not only harmed him physically but also isolated him from his community. This man, in his vulnerability, approaches Jesus with a profound faith, saying, "If you choose, you can make me clean." Jesus' response, filled with compassion, is to reach out and touch the man, an act of love that transcends societal norms and barriers. Through this gesture, Jesus heals the man, thereby restoring his health and his place within the community. This narrative is a powerful testament to the impact of reaching out with love and kindness to those who are marginalised or in need.
As we reflect on this story, we embark on the season of Lent, a time of preparation, reflection, and growth in our spiritual journey. Lent invites us to draw closer to God and to the essence of our faith through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It's a period for us to contemplate our lives and to identify areas where we can grow in love and service to others. For our children, Lent presents a unique opportunity to learn about sacrifice and giving. Encouraging them to give up something they enjoy, like a favourite snack or screen time, can teach them about discipline and the value of making sacrifices for the benefit of others. It's also a time to encourage acts of kindness and service, mirroring the compassion Jesus showed in our Gospel story. This act of giving something up can be tied to the story's theme by emphasizing that, just as Jesus reached out to heal and include the marginalised, we too can give up something of ourselves—our time, comfort, or resources—to reach out and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Let this Lent be a time where, as families, we focus on growing through love. Just as the healed man was called to show gratitude and reconnect with his faith and community, we are called to deepen our relationships with God and those around us. Let's encourage our children to think about what they can offer up this Lent, not just in terms of giving something up but also in terms of how they can extend their kindness, love, and time to others. In doing so, we not only prepare our hearts for Easter but also instil in our children the values of empathy, self-discipline, and community service—values that reflect the heart of the Gospel and the spirit of Lent. I invite you to watch Bishop Greg’s homily here.
CHANGES TO BELL TIMES
This week, we have been monitoring the changes we have made to our bell times. So far, this is working so much better in teaching our KLAs without teaching across breaks and providing more regular opportunities for students to break and rest their brains.
One challenge has been our lunch orders at the canteen. For the next couple of weeks, we will trial lunch orders coming from the canteen for lunch and students being able to access the canteen for a treat (icy poles, chips, etc) at recess time. This ensures students are eating a nutritious lunch while still having the opportunity to have a special treat. Parents can still order treats while ordering your child’s lunch through Compass, and the students can pick these up at recess time. Students can still go to the canteen at recess and purchase a treat with cash money at recess time.
As this is a new process, we need to sit in this for a little while to see how it works and then we will tweak as and if needed. So far, these changes have been very positive. We will seek student voice in the coming weeks as well.
RECESS FOOD
One thing we have noticed is that a number of students (especially in the older grades) often do not have any food to eat at recess time. We really encourage students and their families to bring something to eat at recess time to provide the needed brain food to ensure our students are ready to learn in the final session of our day.
SEEKING FEEDBACK
In past years, we have held stalls for Mothers Day, Fathers Day and Christmas for students to purchase gifts for their loved ones. This has been a fundraising initiative through the Parish School Forum, supported by our amazing parent volunteers. With the shift away from a fundraising PSF to a School Community Group, this is a good time to seek parent feedback on holding these stalls.
In considering the change, we are mindful of asking parents to spend more money, the environmental impact of the gifts and the opportunities that crafts provide for students to bring something they have made home. We are happy to move forward with what our parents and carers would prefer.
We are wondering whether families would prefer to
- continue with us holding gift stalls for these celebrations, or
- for each grade to spend time making a crafty keepsake to take home to their parents/carers.
We’d love you to complete this form to share your thoughts.
SCHOOL COMMUNITY GROUP FIRST MEETING - SAVE THE DATE
Please save the date for our first School Community Group meeting this term. At this meeting, partly facilitated by the Mrs Janita Thomson from the CSO, we will formally move to the new School Community Group model for parent engagement; this was the consensus from families last year when feedback was sought. At this meeting, we will look to collaboratively plan how this group will work: when we will meet, what the focus will be, etc.
We’d love you to attend this meeting, scheduled for Tuesday 27th of February from 6:30-7:30. Here is a link to a form to RSVP.
RAINBOW REGION KIDS - PUPIL FREE DAYS
I have met with the manager of Rainbow Region Kids this week. I shared our Staff Development Days for 2024 again and have asked that they consider providing vacation care on these days to support our families. The manager, Brooke, said she would do her best with this and would share back what days they are in a position to support by the end of this week. We hope to share these dates in next week’s newsletter.
CLASS PARENTS - EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
We are hoping that there may be some parents who might be interested in becoming a "Class Parent" for their child's class. This role is not an onerous one but is an important one in that it helps to increase communication and inclusion in our school community.
The Class Parent's role is to:
- Liaise between parents and teachers:
- Serve as a point of contact for parents, and assist in promoting communication between parents and the school.
- Assist the teacher in organising parent volunteers for classroom activities and special projects.
- Facilitate and promote parent involvement in school-wide initiatives and fundraisers.
- Promote parental involvement in classroom activities, field trips, and school events.
- Create a welcoming and inclusive environment that encourages all parents to participate.
- Provide support and assistance to the teacher as needed.
- Foster a nurturing and supportive classroom community for both students and teachers.
If you would be interested in filling this role please complete the Expression of Interest form you can access by clicking this link.
2025 ENROLMENT TIMETABLE
It feels very unusual to begin our enrolment process for 2025’s Kindergarten cohort, but we are aligning our timing with other local Catholic schools and our Open Morning with Catholic Schools Week (Week 11).
Please see our enrolment timetable below for those current parents seeking enrolment for their children for kindergarten in 2025. You can access enrolment information on our website.
Our Open Morning will be from 10 am -12 pm on Sunday 7th April. We’d love it if you know interested families and can share this information and timeline with them.
SCHOOL FEE SCHEDULE FOR 2024
The schedule for 2024 school fee payments can be downloaded from the link below.
Learning & Teaching News
BRAINSTORM PRODUCTION
Last Thursday, our students in years 1-6 were able to experience a fantastic live performance from Brainstorm. ‘Zanna & the Lost Code’ inspired and empowered students to be respectful, responsible, assertive and resilient, both online and offline.
When Zanna and Eddie arrive at coding camp, they embark on a magical journey into the Camp Captain's new online game for kids. Through a series of exciting challenges, Zanna and Eddie experience the power of empathy, respect, kindness and assertive communication. They discover that we all have the power to make the internet a safer and more positive place. Our students thoroughly enjoyed this performance, and we thank the Brainstorm team for sharing it with our community.
ONLINE SAFETY FOR EVERY FAMILY
Connect with what your child or young person is doing online. Explore what apps, social media and games they regularly use. Start the conversation about safe online behaviour.
Reflect on your family’s online habits. Is your family's screen time balanced and healthy?
Protect your kids with the tools they need to stay safe online. Learn about the latest games, apps and social media, including how to protect your information and report harmful content by using The eSafety Guide.
Mission News
ASH WEDNESDAY CELEBRATIONS
We warmly invite you to join our Parish Mass at 10am for Ash Wednesday with Years 3 to 6. Kindy to Year 2 will be celebrating Ash Wednesday with a liturgy in their classroom and the distribution of ashes.
This special day marks the beginning of the season of Lent. On this day, a cross is marked on the forehead of those present with ash made from the leaves from Palm Sunday the previous year. This is a prayerful time to reflect on how we grow closer to God during the season of Lent.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION - 12TH MARCH
The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated on Tuesday, 12th March. Students in Year 4 must receive this Sacrament before receiving First Communion later this year. The information session will be held on Wednesday, 21st February at 6pm in the school staffroom.
WEEKLY VALUE: EFFORT
Our school-wide value focus for this week is Effort. Yesterday at our Monday morning assembly, our students heard that effort is like planting seeds in a garden – it's the work we put in to make things grow. When we try our best to learn new things or help others, we're showing effort. We can show effort by carefully editing our writing, or going out of our way to be kind to others in the playground and invite them into our games. We see how learning and relationships thrive when we put effort into them.
Attendance Matters
MAKE GETTING STUDENTS TO SCHOOL ON TIME EVERY DAY A TOP PRIORITY
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves. Ensuring that students arrive at school on time every day is crucial for their academic success and wellbeing. Parents play a crucial role in instilling the importance of punctuality in their children. Here are some strategies for parents to make getting students to school on time every day a top priority:
- Establish a Consistent Routine. Set a daily routine that includes specific times for waking up, getting ready, having breakfast, and leaving for school. Consistency helps children develop good habits.
- Model Punctuality. Children often learn by example. Demonstrate the importance of punctuality by being on time for family events, appointments, and other commitments.
- Limit or Have No Screen Time in the Morning. Minimise distractions such as excessive screen time in the morning. This helps your child stay focused on getting ready for school without unnecessary delays.
Wellbeing News
GET GROWING PILOT SCHOOL
We are delighted to announce that we will be one of the pilot schools for ‘Get Growing’, a program to support the mental health of young people. This term, nominated Year 5 students will be invited to participate in the program commencing on February 21st.
Get Growing provides an early intervention gateway to supporting mental wellbeing using a structured, safe, peer group setting, where students are encouraged to share their stories, challenges, successes and progress with each other, whilst offering mutual support. Get Growing works as it is underpinned by conclusive research which shows that young people are significantly influenced by their peers and that peer to peer support is very effective.
Delivered in small groups of 10 students, this 10-week GET GROWING program, uses specially trained Youth Program Workers to facilitate a series of modules based on the Australian Curriculum. A teacher will be attending the sessions to support continuity of learning when the 10 sessions conclude and partner with parents.
The program covers issues such as:
- Feelings
- Friendship
- Safety
- Personal safety
- Resilience
- Problem solving
- Strengths
- Goals
- Stress
- Anger
- Dealing with crisis
GET GROWING teaches students how to use a toolbox of unique practical skills that they can apply to any situation to help navigate their mental health and well-being. If you would like further information about the program, please contact Mrs Jones kathryn.jones@lism.catholic.edu.au or call the school office.
CONCUSSION
We ask parents to please advise us if your child suffers a concussion outside of school hours (e.g. while participating in community sport). This helps us to ensure we can keep your children safe.
ZONES OF REGULATION AT JOEYS
Throughout 2024 we will be incorporating the "Zones of Regulation" program into our school timetable. This program is designed to empower people with essential self-regulation skills, enabling them to understand and manage their emotions effectively in different situations.
The "Zones of Regulation" framework categorises emotions into four colour-coded zones:
- Blue (sad or tired),
- Green (calm and focused),
- Yellow (excited or anxious),
- Red (angry or upset).
By identifying their current emotional state, students can utilise strategies such as "Mindful Breathing" and "Body Breaks," to shift to a more optimal zone. The curriculum also includes a crucial concept known as the "Size of the Problem," teaching children to differentiate between problems of different magnitudes and how to respond accordingly. We believe that the Zones of Regulation Curriculum will help to equip our students with lifelong skills, fostering emotional intelligence and resilience.
Each Class will work through the Zones of Regulation Curriculum each fortnight and as a school community, we will develop a shared understanding and language. We will share our learning through our school newsletter and encourage you to explore this with your child/ren. Your child will have had their first Lesson around the Zones. In this lesson, the students sorted a range of emotions into different zones. In upcoming lessons, the students will develop a toolkit of strategies to help them to move from one zone to a zone they would prefer.
Library News
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB
The first Scholastic Book Club brochure for 2024 has gone home with students. Please place your orders online through LOOP, instructions on how to use LOOP are in the link below. You can also place orders through the school office if you prefer to use cash. Orders close at 9am on Thursday 15 February. Our library benefits from every sale through bookclub and there are a great variety of books to choose from.
For Your Information
SCHOOL PHOTOS
Our 2024 School Photo Day is scheduled for Tuesday March 26. Order envelopes (cash orders) have been sent home with the eldest child in each family, and if missed or lost can be collected from the office. Sibling order envelopes are also available from the office. Online orders are preferable using the information below, code is FVN BRY PY4.
Celebrations
Happy birthday to all of the students who celebrated a birthday since our last newsletter. We hope you had a wonderful birthday!
- Sully Mitchell
Coming Events
Use the link above to see all of the coming events for Joeys!
Parish News
PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Children who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation are eligible to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is an important step in their faith journey, which began with their Baptism.
Reconciliation will be offered by Fr. Max Gow on Tuesday, 12th March 2024 at 6.00pm.
If you believe that your child is ready to receive this Sacrament please complete the enrolment form (which can be downloaded from the parish website or copies available from St Joseph’s School) and return to the Parish Office by Thursday 29th February.
Parents who wish their child to receive this Sacrament are asked to attend one meeting, which will be held at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Alstonville. Your child is also expected to attend this meeting. This information meeting will take place on Wednesday 21st February 2024 at 6.00pm.
Fr Max Gow
Community News
DO YOU HAVE A YOUNG STORYTELLER??
Join author Zanni Louise for a series of masterclasses where students will learn and experiment with a range of creative writing techniques and genres. Classes are designed to be fun and celebrate the joy of storytelling. Students gain confidence in writing and work towards an end of year story. The groups' stories will be compiled in a printed Anthology. They will receive 1 copy as part of the program. You can also buy additional copies - please note the Anthology will be available at the end of the program in December.
This is a FREE year-long program 5 sessions per term - Registration essential.
Dates: for Term 1 - 2024
- Thursday 15 February
- Thursday 29 February
- Thursday 14 March
- Thursday 28 March
- Thursday 11 April
Time: 5 – 6.30pm - you will receive a reminder email 1 day before classes so you can pop it in the diary.
Suitable For: 8 – 12 years
Lismore Pop-up Library 146 Molesworth St, Lismore NSW 2480
