7 May 2024 (Week 2 Term 2 2024)
Dear St Joseph’s Community
We have had an excellent beginning to Term 2. Our students have returned ready to get straight back into our learning and our staff have loved having our students back after the break.
We look forward to celebrating Mother’s Day with our Mother’s Day Prayer Service and Assembly this Friday. Mothers and mother figures are instrumental in our lives and pausing to celebrate these remarkable women is so important. Please note that this commences earlier at 2:00 pm. Our students have been busy working in Mother’s Day craft but will also have a small Mother’s Day stall that students can choose to attend at Lunchtime on Friday. Most gifts are $5 and below.
Congratulations to the students who attended Polding Winter Sports Trials in Tamworth: Lulu Barnes (Netball), Zeke Kubils (Rugby League), Sullivan Mitchell (Soccer), Tyler Webster (Hockey), Harry Hoskings (Hockey) and Emma Quinlan (Hockey). More details below!
This week, we begin our engagement with Trudi Roberts as a part of our Arts Grant initiative for this year. Trudi will be leading our students through indigenous storytelling, aligned with our goal of working with Trudy Roberts and Oral Roberts and our indigenous students and our amazing student writers to compose a children’s book and to develop an indigenous mural. We are very excited to be working with Trudi and Oral on this initiative and a huge thank you to Ms Kingsford and Mr Murgha for their work on this project.
Wishing you a great week!
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
This week's Gospel from John 15:9-17 emphasises Jesus' command to love each other as He has loved us. He describes His followers as friends, not servants, and highlights that true love involves sacrifice - the ultimate example being His own life.
In our school, this message encourages us to cultivate a culture of genuine care and selflessness. It serves as a reminder of the deep connections we should strive to foster among students, staff, and families, mirroring the loving and sacrificial friendship that Jesus exemplifies. Let us use this teaching to reinforce the importance of looking out for one another and being willing to go the extra mile in support of our community. May we all strive to be not just classmates, colleagues, or acquaintances but true friends bound by respect, kindness, and care.
You are invited to listen to Bishop Greg’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass.
TELL THEM FROM ME PARENT SURVEY OPENS TODAY
In the coming weeks we will be inviting students, teachers and parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. The surveys are an important part of our whole-school evaluation and planning process.
We would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey, which opens today. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Joseph’s. The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and will be open from Tuesday 7 May (Week 2, Term 2) through to Friday 24 May (end of Week 4, Term 2). The survey has been shared via Compass.
CANTEEN REMINDER
A reminder that the canteen will only be open on Friday this week, with Ms Thrum on leave. A huge thank you to Kelly Towns for taking on the Canteen role on Fridays these two weeks. Thanks also to Carolyn Buchanan for her amazing support of Kellie last Friday!
MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATION
We look forward to seeing our mothers and mother figures at our special liturgy and assembly this Friday at 2 p.m. We will begin with our class, Gold, and Quota Kindness awards before beginning our Mother’s Day celebration.
THE YARNERS - INTERGENERATIONAL GROUP
We are back this Thursday at 10:55 a.m. All are welcome to join our knitting group for the next six weeks! We look forward to joining our squares to make beautiful blankets for the Vinnies winter appeal and to wrapping someone in need with love this winter.
ST JOEY’S BIGGEST AFTERNOON TEA - HELPERS NEEDED
We are delighted to host a ‘Biggest Morning Tea’ to raise much-needed funds for the Cancer Council. Every dollar raised makes an incredible difference to those impacted by cancer. We will host afternoon tea for all our students on Monday, May 27th, at 1:20 p.m.
We are asking for any donations of baked goods or afternoon tea treats for our students to purchase at our fundraiser. We would also love some parent helpers who can come and help sell the afternoon tea treats. Please email kathryn.jones@lism.catholic.edu.au if you can help set up and sell the afternoon tea treats. It will be lots of fun and your help is greatly appreciated!
UNDERSTANDING THE K-6 STUDENT REPORT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
See below for the report information document for parents. It explains the content and structure of the report, gives examples and explains the language used to describe student achievement and areas for growth. It breaks down what has been assessed for each focus area within English and Mathematics. If you have any questions regarding student reports please make contact with your classroom teacher.
SIMPLE, COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES
We have done a lot of learning about sentences and sentence structure since the release of the new K-6 syllabus. When you are reading with your child, see if you can recognise which sentences are simple, compound or complex. This resource explains each type of sentence and provides some simple activities you could try at home. We also explore sentences by their meaning. The poster below gives a description of each type.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB
Bookclub catalogues for Issue 3 went home with students last week. If your student missed out please they can collect one from their classroom. Online orders are quick and simple, go to LOOP to place your orders. All orders must be received by 9am Thursday 16 May.
WHAT IS BULLYING?
Understanding bullying helps students and parents distinguish between regular conflicts and actual bullying. This helps avoid confusion and ensures that the right help is given when needed. It can also empower you as parents to engage in prevention efforts proactively. By teaching your children about respectful behaviour, empathy, dignity, courage, and inclusion, parents can help prevent bullying from occurring in the first place. Bullying refers to the unwanted, repeated and intentional use of words or actions against a student or a group of students to cause distress and risk to their wellbeing.
Bullying means behaviour that has three (3) key features:
- It involves the intentional misuse of power in a relationship;
- It is ongoing and repeated; and
- It involves behaviours that can cause harm.
A student can acquire power through advantage, such as social status, popularity, an advantage in size and strength, number of allies, age, skill, or membership in a socially defined dominant group, which could be based, for example, on wealth or gender.
Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include:
- Mutual arguments and disagreements;
- Not liking someone or a single act of social rejection;
- A single episode of hurtful words or actions;
- Isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation and/or violence.
Indirect bullying (also known as covert bullying) is not always immediately observable and acknowledged as bullying. Indirect bullying can be discreet and anonymous, and the person experiencing the bullying behaviour may not realise it until after it has occurred.
Examples of indirect bullying include:
- Spreading rumours: Sharing false or harmful information about someone to tarnish their reputation.
- Gossiping: Engaging in negative discussions about a person without their knowledge.
- Social manipulation: Encouraging others to exclude or reject a person from social groups.
- Cyberbullying: Using digital platforms to harass, intimidate, or spread harmful content about a person.
- Stealing: Discreetly and repeatedly stealing personal belongings.
When parents understand what bullying entails, they can effectively communicate with their child about their experiences at school, in the community and online. By using the correct terminology and understanding the dynamics of bullying, parents can encourage open dialogue and provide the necessary support.
To understand more about bullying watch these videos:
Watch Bullying and Conflict with your child.
ZONE CROSS COUNTRY
We wish all of our students competing in the Zone Cross Country today the very best of luck!
A reminder that zone singlets are due back this week. We ask that they please be washed as soon as possible to avoid any staining.
WINTER SPORTS TRIALS
Congratulations to our students who attended Polding Winter Sports Trials in Tamworth last Friday: Lulu Barnes (Netball), Zeke Kubils (Rugby League), Sully Mitchell (Soccer), Tyler Webster (Hockey), Harry Hoskings (Hockey) and Emma Quinlan (Hockey). We are very proud of the effort you have put into your chosen sports.
These children competed against strong sportspeople from other Diocese in the state for a chance to progress to the next level, PSSA. Sully Mitchell was successfully selected in the football (soccer) team, and Harry Hosking was successfully selected in the hockey team. Well done!
TITANS HALFTIME PLAYER
Congratulations to Jack Kubils who played on the Titans fields at half time on Saturday!
ON-TIME TO SCHOOL MEANS YOUR CHILD IS ON TRACK TO UNLEASH THEIR POTENTIAL.
Arriving on time to school is a fundamental aspect of a child's educational experience and plays a crucial role in unlocking their full potential. Here are several reasons why being on time to school is important for a child's academic and personal development:
Consistent Learning Opportunities. Being on time ensures that your child doesn't miss the beginning of lessons, announcements, or important information shared at the start of the school day. This consistency in attendance provides a steady flow of learning opportunities.
Establishing a Routine. Timely arrival helps children establish a morning routine, promoting organisation and time management skills. Consistent routines contribute to a sense of stability and preparedness for the day's activities.
Reduced Disruptions. Arriving on time minimises disruptions for both the child and the class. Late arrivals can interrupt the flow of lessons and can be distracting for the child and their peers.
Building Respect for Punctuality. Punctuality is a valuable life skill. By consistently arriving on time to school, children develop a sense of responsibility.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word – Sunday 12th May 2024
Leader on the day will be Mrs Jenna Wraight. Children’s Liturgy helps your child/children grow in their faith and love of Jesus. We encourage you to bring your family to the 8.30am Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Alstonville Church on Sunday 12th May. The children accompany their family in the church at the beginning of Mass, and then when the Liturgy of the Word commences, the children leave to go to the hall to hear the Word at a level that they can understand. It is designed for children aged from 3 – 12. The activity sheet that follows the Gospel of the day, is age appropriate. All of the Children’s Liturgy Leaders have undergone Safeguarding Training and have been verified under the Working with Children Check process. Please feel free to contact the parish office on 6628 3047 should you have any queries.
