4 June 2024 (Week 6 Term 2 2024)
Dear St Joseph’s Community
Last Wednesday, our staff joined around 800 staff members from our Richmond Cluster of schools for Proclaim 2024 at Xavier Catholic College, Skennars Head.
The day was a mixture of praise and worship with the Wildfire Band, Mass celebrated by Fr Peter Slack from Casino and two guest speakers in Dr Maeve Heaney from Australian Catholic University and Roby Curtis. Dr Heaney is renowned for her expertise in theological. Roby is the Director of Emmanuel City Mission in Brisbane and brings a wealth of experience in advocating for the homeless and the marginalised. These days have been run periodically in our Diocese since 2014 and are designed to support our schools to deepen our faith formation and recommit to our shared mission of Catholic Education. On the day, Bishop Greg challenged us by reminding us all that our presence in Catholic Education is not an accident. We have been called by God into this vocation.
I see evidence of this calling each day in each and every one of our staff members. It is no accident that any of them have been called into service at St Joseph’s to make a difference in the lives of your children. I see it when our staff are here at school two hours before the start of the day and remain back into the evening to plan, provide feedback to students and communicate with parents. I see the many hours they work over the weekends and in the term breaks. I see their calling in how compassionate they are for the students in their care, loving them all equally. I see it in the way they seek to make Jesus known to our students.
In the midst of a crisis in the teaching profession, where educators and those who support them are not always valued in the broader community, I am so proud of the work of our staff and appreciative of the support of our parents and carers. Our school is a special place, not defined merely by the playground and learning spaces, but an expression of the love and deep commitment of our staff members who have been called to serve in our community to make a difference each day.
Next Friday, leading up to the long weekend, we have a curriculum-focused staff development pupil-free day. These days have been instrumental in the smooth rollout of the new curriculum these past two years. We look forward to welcoming students back to school on Tuesday, June 11, after the King’s Birthday long weekend.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
This Sunday, we celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi. This is where, as Catholics, we acknowledge that in the Sacrament of Communion, Jesus becomes truly present for us. This is best thought about as a reciprocal action: God sends his only divine Son to become human, and through the Sacrament of Communion, we human beings are able to share in some small way in God’s divinity. This an act of grace - Christ’s own life shared abundantly, which we are then asked to share with others. This feast encourages us to foster a sense of gratitude and reverence for the gifts we have been given. As educators, parents, and students, let’s embrace the spirit of the Eucharist by living in love and service to one another, just as Christ has shown us.
You are invited to listen to Bishop Greg’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass.
NATIONALLY CONSISTENT COLLECTION OF DATA ON SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY (NCCD)
Please see the letter below regarding the NCCD collection of data.
WRITE ON 2024 - WRITING COMPETITION
Entries are now open for students to write a short, imaginative text of up to 500 words using the artwork here as inspiration. The annual WriteOn competition allows students to develop their writing skills and if their entry is selected for inclusion, become a published author. Students are welcome to work on these at home and bring to Mr Crosby for feedback. Entries are due to the school on 24th June.
To find out more and to enter visit nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/awards-and-events/writeon-competition.
NSW STUDENT LEARNING LIBRARY
The NSW Student Learning Library is a suite of learning resources accessible for teachers, parents, carers, and students to be used in class or at home. The library currently contains K-2 English and Mathematics learning resources. There is a range to explore that aligns with what your child is learning at school Below are just a few examples.
Kindergarten
Phonics - Learn to identify letters (grapheme) and say the correct sound (phoneme). For example, see the letter 'd' and say the /d/ sound. This helps students prepare to read and spell simple words.
Kindergarten
Punctuation - Learn about basic punctuation. Practise using capital letters and full stops.
Year 1
Punctuation - Learn how punctuation is used in reading and writing. Explore question marks, exclamation marks, commas and apostrophes.
Year 1
Read Words - Practise reading (decoding) words. For example: beach. Know that 'ea' makes the /ee/ sound in this word.
Year 2
Homophones and Homonyms - Learn about words that look or sound the same, but have different spelling or different meanings. For example: pear, pair
Year 2
Sentences - Learn about types of sentences. Practise using different conjunctions to join clauses together. For example: I made a sandwich because I was hungry.
FIRST EUCHARIST PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT
Our First Eucharist information night will be held on June 26th at 5.30pm in the staff room. All students who have made their Confirmation and First Reconciliation can receive this Sacrament. Please come along and learn more about this sacrament, how to help prepare your child and logistics details.
THE YARNERS - INTERGENERATIONAL KNITTING GROUPING
We are delighted to have our parishioners join our students to knit every Thursday at lunch. So far, two beautiful blankets have been made with the squares knitted, and a third is well on its way for the Vinnies Winter Appeal.
Thank you to everyone donating squares! Please feel free to drop any knitted squares into the front office, which will then be passed onto the talented parishioners who will knit or crochet them together. The squares are approximately 30cm x 30cm (between 45 and 50 stitches) on size 5 needles.
ACCENDERE YEAR 4 SLEEPOUT
Accendere is a retreat experience for all Year 4 students in the Diocese of Lismore. This year, St Joey’s is delighted to offer this engaging, faith-filled retreat as an overnight camp-out here at school on Thursday, July 4th. Accendere means to 'switch on' and spark the flame; therefore, this experience aims to immerse students in fun, Christ-centred activities to explore the theme of friendship so that through the guidance of Jesus, students can continue building positive, caring and respectful friendships. This overnight camp-out will also help be a stepping-stone in supporting independence for Stage 3 camp. Mrs McCall has attended Diocesan retreat training to lead this friendship-themed retreat experience for her class. We thank her for all the thoughtful planning she has already put into this retreat.
If you are the parent of a child in Year 4, please complete the online consent form or reach out to Mrs McCall or Mrs Jones if you have any questions.
HOT CHOCOLATES FOR THE VINNIES WINTER APPEAL
Students are invited to enjoy a lovely hot chocolate for a gold coin donation to raise money for the Vinnies Winter Appeal on Thursday, 20th June. Students will learn about the challenges faced by the poor and marginalised during the cold winter months and how our Catholic Social Teaching helps guide our thoughts and actions in caring for those in need. If any parents or grandparents are available to help serve hot chocolates from 1pm on this day, please email me at kathryn.jones@lism.catholic.edu.au or drop by the front office to let me know.
PARISH SCHOOL FAMILY MASS - SATURDAY 22ND JUNE
Please come along and join us for our Parish School Family Mass on Saturday, June 22nd, at 6pm. Stage 2 will be leading some special parts in the Mass. If your Stage 2 child is able to attend, please let us know via this quick Googleform. Miss MacDonald, Mrs McCall and our staff hope to see you there!
GOOD LUCK
We wish Hugo McCall the very best of luck as he participates in Polding Cross Country.
HOCKEY SUCCESS
Last Friday, Harry Hosking and his Polding Team mates were successful in becoming the NSW PSSA Hockey Champions for 2024! We are extremely proud of what Harry has achieved during this Hockey journey, and for how he has represented our school with such pride and sportsmanship. Well done Harry.
BE OPEN AND HONEST IF YOUR CHILD IS RELUCTANT TO ATTEND SCHOOL. CONTACT THE SCHOOL IF YOUR CHILD IS REGULARLY SEEKING TO STAY HOME. WORKING TOGETHER IS THE BEST WAY TO RESOLVE SCHOOL AVOIDANCE.
It is essential to address the issue promptly to understand the underlying reasons and provide necessary support. Start by having an open and non-judgmental conversation with your child. Ask them about their feelings, concerns, or any challenges they may be facing related to school. Ask open-ended questions in a space where they feel comfortable.
Examples of conversation openers include:
- Tell me about how you’ve been feeling lately.
- What are some things you don’t like about being at school?
- You’ve said you feel _______. Can you tell me what that feels like?
- Tell me when you feel happy at school? What do you like to do?
- If you could change two things about school what would they be?
Actively listen to your child's concerns and feelings. It's important to understand their perspective and validate their emotions. Avoid being dismissive or judgmental, and let them know you are there to support them. Move to more specific questions like :
- Is there a specific incident that has made you feel this way with someone at school?
- Is school-work upsetting you?
Make a plan with your child to talk to the school. You can seek advice free from NSW ParentLine 1300 1300 52.
GARDINER CHESS COMPETITION EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
The Gardiner Chess Tournament will be held on Tuesday 18th June, hosted by Alstonville High School. Registration is from 8.30 am to 9.15 am. Start at 9.30 am and finish around 2.30 pm.
This tournament is open to students in Stages 1-3. As this event is local, we can walk students to and from the event.
The cost of the tournament is $24.00. Expressions of interest are due by Friday, 7th June. Please complete this form to indicate your child's interest in this event.
