23 July 2024 (Week 1 Term 3 2024)

Dear St Joseph’s Community

It was wonderful to see all of the children return to school after the break on Monday. We look forward to an excellent term of fun, learning and relationship building. 

This week we celebrate NAIDOC Week, where we acknowledge and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is an opportunity for our students to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on the planet. Mr Murgha has done an amazing job in planning some terrific activities for our students this week and we will conclude our NAIDOC celebrations with a liturgy in the hall at 2:20 on Friday. Parents are most welcome to attend our Friday liturgy. 

It was lovely on the last day of term to celebrate so many Gold Award recipients. I am busy planning two Gold Award Afternoon Teas in the next few weeks, with more to follow! These awards are an excellent opportunity to recognise those students who have worked so hard and consistently on their learning and in meeting the classroom expectations so well. 

INTEREST IN A WORKING BEE?

Sadly, these holidays, we had to finally retire the ‘cubby’ in the playground. This has been with the school for many years and has been through many iterations. Unfortunately, it could not be resurrected from its state and Mr Wardrop has removed it. We are now looking at something to replace it, perhaps a similar small ‘stage’ for students to play on. 

We would love some help from some parents, particularly those with some building expertise. We thought we would put out an expression of interest for parents who might be interested in being a part of a working bee at school to perhaps construct a small deck as a stage and to maybe complete some other small jobs. We’d love you to complete this form if you are able to assist. 

Thank you so much for considering helping us!

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION 

In this week’s Gospel, (Mark 6:30-34), we witness a touching moment of compassion from Jesus. Last week's Gospel described Jesus sending the apostles out in pairs to spread His Word and perform miracles. This week, we hear them return from their mission, eager to share their experiences with Him. Seeing their exhaustion, Jesus invites them to a quiet place to rest. However, the crowd, desperate for guidance and healing, follows them. Moved with pity for the multitude, Jesus begins to teach them many things, recognising they are like sheep without a shepherd.

This Gospel highlights the importance of rest and reflection, a message that resonates deeply with us as parents and our school staff. Just as Jesus recognised the need for His disciples to rest after their mission, our recent break was essential for our families to reconnect, recharge and prepare for the new term. Despite His own need for rest, Jesus showed compassion to the crowd, staying to be their shepherd; which is also often our role as parents - giving so much of our own time and love to support our children. As parents, we understand the constant demands on our time and energy, much like Jesus and His apostles. Let us take inspiration from this Gospel, ensuring we find time to rest and reflect so we can better support and guide our children. We pray that this week, we are refreshed and ready to take on the role of shepherds to our children, nurturing them with love, patience, and understanding.

You are invited to listen to Bishop Greg’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass.

ICAS ASSESSMENTS

ICAS is a historic academic competition that has been sat by over 10 million school students from 16,000 schools across 41 countries since 1981.

It recognises academic performance in a way similar to sports or the arts, with engaging, fun questions designed by psychometricians, education measurement experts and experienced teachers to test students’ higher-order thinking skills. ICAS also provides rich insights into students’ strengths and weaknesses. More Information here.

We can supervise the participation of the English, Mathematics, Science (Years 2-6) and Writing exams (Years 3-6). Dates attached here. Each assessment costs $19.95, and the Writing is $23.95.

If you are interested in your child completing any of the exams please complete the form by Friday 26th July, 9am.

FAR NORTH COAST RUGBY

Zeke Kubils and Hugh Woolley competed as part of the Far North Coast Under 12 NSW Rugby Union Country Champs team in Camden during the holidays. Congratulations to both Zeke and Hugh on a job well done.

STATE CROSS COUNTRY TITLES

This week we wish Hugo McCall luck as he participates in the state cross country titles in Sydney! He has been training incredibly hard. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers and know you will do well! 

YOUNG SPORTING CHAMPION

Congratulations to Harry Hosking who was awarded Young Sporting Champion by Federal Member Kevin Hogan. It offers recognition of his hard work and success in Hockey and a small scholarship to support his sporting commitments. 

CARA FEAIN-RYAN - EX-JOEYS OLYMPIAN!

Cara Feain-Ryan was a Joey's student who graduated in 2010 before heading off to Woodlawn. She will be representing Australia in the Paris Olympics in the 3000m Steeplechase. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at University of Queensland and coaching teenage girls at her former school, Moreton Bay College. We wish Cara all the best in her Olympic quest!

Read about Cara's sporting life at Athletics Australia!

ATTENDING SCHOOL REGULARLY HELPS CHILDREN FEEL BETTER ABOUT SCHOOL AND THEMSELVES. HELP YOUR CHILD TO LEARN THAT GOING TO SCHOOL ON TIME, EVERY DAY IS IMPORTANT.

Reinforcing the idea that attending school regularly is crucial for a positive school experience. Foster a love for learning by encouraging your child's natural curiosity.  Help your child to see school as a place to explore new ideas, discover interests, and develop a lifelong passion for learning. Foster positive social connections at school by encouraging friendships. Knowing that they have friends to look forward to can motivate children to attend school regularly.

WEBINARS

Please see below some webinars provided by the Catholic Schools Office on managing the safety of children in an online environment. These are excellent webinars and we strongly  encourage parents to register and engage with them.

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD WITH ONLINE GAMING
Suitable for parents and carers of children and young people in primary and early secondary school.
Tuesday, 30 July, 12.30pm
Tuesday, 3 September, 12.30pm
Register here

CONSENT AND ONLINE BOUNDARIES: HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR PRIMARY-AGED CHILD
Suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school.
Tuesday, 13 August, 12.30 pm
Wednesday, 11 September, 12.30 pm
Register here

AN INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE SAFETY AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
Suitable for parents and carers of children and parents in primary and secondary school.
Wednesday, 24 July, 2.30pm
Thursday, 5 September, 12.30pm
Register here

We look forward to celebrating two Gold Awards Afternoon Teas this term for those students who have received Gold Awards this year, with more to come!