30 July 2024 (Week 2 Term 3 2024)

Dear St Joseph’s Community,

Last week we celebrated NAIDOC Week, with a number of opportunities for students to engage in games and activities to celebrate the culture, history and spirituality of our First Nations brothers and sisters. Our liturgy on Friday afternoon was a reverent and prayerful occasion, ably led by our Jarjums students, supported by Mr Murgha. I would like to thank and acknowledge Mr Murgha and Mrs Jones and our indigenous students for their efforts in preparing and leading our liturgy. These occasions recall the significant influence and impact of our First Nations people, whose time in our land precedes our own, are incredibly important and this was a particularly special event. 

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION 

In this week’s Gospel passage (John 6:1-15), we see the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, where Jesus uses five barley loaves and two fish to feed a large crowd. This story is a powerful reminder of Jesus' ability to provide abundantly, even when resources seem scarce. As parents, we often face situations where we feel our resources - whether they are time, energy, or patience - are insufficient for the needs of our families. This Gospel encourages us to trust in Jesus' provision. Just as He multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the multitude, He can multiply our efforts and resources to meet the needs of our children. Jesus invites us to bring our limited resources to Him in faith. Let us pray for the strength to rely on His abundance and the wisdom to recognise and give thanks for the blessings He provides daily.

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

FAMILY DAY 2024 - SAVE THE DATE 

We are in the midst of planning for Family Day 2024, which is scheduled for Friday 23rd of August. We would love you to save the date and join us for this special day of community building and celebration. The theme for 2024 is Reading is Magic. We will begin the day with a liturgy, share a BBQ lunch and engage in a number of fun activities. You will find below a form to RSVP for lunch and to volunteer to help out. We look forward to sharing this day with you!

MARY MACKILLOP FEAST DAY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AFTERNOON

Mary of the Cross MacKillop is Australia’s first, and currently, our only saint. She was an incredibly strong woman who stood up to the hierarchy of the church and braved excommunication from the faith she loved in order to serve poor children through the order of nuns she founded, the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. These were the same sisters who founded our school 105 years ago, and so Mary MacKillop holds an important place in our school.

On her feast day, Thursday, August 8, we will celebrate and engage in acts of service. This aligns with our school improvement goal by helping students make connections between what we do as a Catholic school and what we believe as Catholics. 

We will begin the day with Mass in the church for students in Years 3-6. Normal lessons will continue until after Maths. We’ll have an early recess before heading off to do some good work in the community from 1:20 pm until around 3:00 pm. We’ve outlined these below. We would love some parent volunteers, especially for K-2, to come and assist if you are available from 1:20 - 3:00. Here is a Google Form to register your interest. All activities are within walking distance from the school. 

Please keep an eye out for the Compass Event which will be released in the coming days as we will require permission for students to attend activities taking place offsite. This is an exciting initiative which will make genuine connections in the community.

ACTIVITIES:

• Kindergarten - Making cupcakes in our hall with the Parish Hospitality Group (parent helpers needed). We’ll sell these cupcakes at family day and raise some money for the Sisters of St Joseph.
• Year 1 and 2 - Making bookmarks with kind messages to hand out to community members in Alstonville and at the Alstonville shops. (Parent helpers to join us would be wonderful).
• Year 3 - Will walk to Maranoa and share some of their work with the residents and build relationships with them.
• Year 4 - Will be working in our garden; weeding and replanting. 
• Year 5 - Will be visiting local Child Care Centres to read with and play with students: Possum Place, Alstonville Community Preschool, Alstonville Early Learning.
• Year 6 - Will be splitting up to provide leadership to the other student groups. 

GIFT OF THE GAB

Gift of the Gab is back on this year. Please see Learning & Teaching News below for more information!

TALENT TIME!

Mrs Moran has organised a Talent Time for this term, to take place each Thursday at recess playtime in the hall. This is an opportunity for students to showcase their talent and skills in any number of cultural pursuits. Students might like to perform a musical instrument, recite a poem, sing a song, perform a dance, demonstrate a magic trick, read a short story they have composed or share some artwork they have created and explain their inspiration for this. 

This coming Thursday, students can meet Mrs Moran in the hall to help build a schedule for sharing everyone’s talents across the term.

We look forward to seeing those special skills and talents that students are keen to share with their friends!

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!

ATTENDANCE 

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Office has revised its procedures for managing attendance of students in schools. The system (and our school) goal for overall attendance is  95%. We do understand that some factors, particularly in relation to health, may have an impact on student attendance. 

The new process provides clear guidance to schools as to the mandated responses when student attendance falls below particular percentages. The process we are required to follow involves sending letters via Compass to families of students at particular percentage levels of attendance. At lower levels of attendance, it is our responsibility to develop attendance support plans in collaboration with families in order to support improved attendance. 

We know that attendance profiles may have been influenced by leave taken due to medical reasons, appointments or family commitments, but the process keeps families informed of their child’s attendance levels. 

Strong attendance is one of the most important keys to a positive school experience and research has highlighted the impact of strong attendance on wellbeing and academic outcomes. Even arriving late or leaving early with regularity can have an impact over time. There are a number of ways parents can support strong patterns of attendance, including:

• Scheduling, where possible, medical appointments outside of school ours
• If medical appointments cannot be scheduled outside of school time, scheduling them in the afternoon sessions, after the critical English and Maths block, is preferable.
• Scheduling family holidays during the school holiday times.

We thank parents for their support in continuing to improve attendance at St Joseph’s. 

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST IN A ST JOSEPH’S INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

St Joseph’s currently does not have an Instagram social media account. We are keen to see whether this would be something that families would appreciate and so we would love you to complete this form. 

GIFT OF THE GAB 2024

Our Poetry Recital and Speech Competition, Gift of the Gab, will be on again this term. Our school event will coincide with a interschool speaking competition between seven local Catholic primary schools. This inaugural event be hosted by St Carthage’s Primary School in Week 9 this term. The finalists from our school-based competition will represent our school at this regional competition.

More information here.

ZONE ATHLETICS 

This Thursday, 1st August, successful students from Year 2-6  will be attending the Zone Athletics Carnival at Woodlawn. The bus for this event will be leaving school at 8:50a.m so alternative arrangements may need to be made for your child to be at school on time. Those children in the 1500m event will need to arrange private transport. Please contact me ASAP if you require assistance with travel to the event. 

All students must have their hat, drink bottle and lunch box to attend the event. There will be no canteen available for students on the day. Singlets will be organised for students today at Recess. To assist with sun safety, could students please apply sunscreen before leaving home, and also pack a school shirt/ jumper (it is likely to be cold) to wear before and after their event(s).

Please send any email, or send your child with written permission if you plan on taking them early from Woodlawn. The program of event and student nomination form can be found in the Resource folder of the Compass Event. Parent parking is on the ovals to the right. This will be sign posted. Parents are not permitted in the grounds (around the buildings). 

STRUCTURED PLAY

This term will see a new version of our Structured Play timetable in action. While many of our activities remain the same, there are a few new additions: 

• Mr Seymour running Kickball on a Wednesday lunchtime
• Friday touch football has been split into JNR (K-2) and SNR (3-6) games
• A new soccer structure at Recess 

The new soccer structure implements the next stage of our whole school plan. This stage sees the addition of two soccer games being played by each stage, each week. While still being supervised, our Stage 2 and 3 children will have more responsibility in coordinating their own games, allowing the Enrichment tutors to continue providing support for our JNR students. 

Each session will begin with a reminder of our purpose for the game: 

• to be fun and inclusive for all students
• focusing on teamwork and sportsmanship
• ensure that all children are able to participate

We look forward to seeing the continued growth of our students within this space.

MOVIE RECOMMENDATION

Looking for something to do this weekend?  Get out of the cold and go see Inside Out 2! 

It is a brilliant sequel that continues the heartwarming journey of Riley and her emotions. This film offers a powerful exploration of the complex feelings that arise during pre-teen and teenage years. As Riley navigates new social and emotional landscapes, the movie delves into the importance of understanding and expressing emotions, making it an invaluable tool for families. Inside Out 2 provides a fun yet insightful perspective on the struggles and growth associated with adolescence. It's a fantastic way to open up discussions about emotions and mental health with your kids. Get some popcorn and enjoy a movie that’s both funny and impactful—perfect for sparking meaningful conversations at home!

It is playing at Ballina Fair Cinema see the link for showtimes.

BOOK CLUB

Issue 5 of Scholastic Book Club was distributed to students last week. Orders can be placed through LOOP or at the school office. Closing date for all orders is 9am Monday 5 August.

ANNUAL BOOK FAIR

Our annual Family Day book fair is in full preparation mode! Families will have the opportunity to purchase books as a donation to the school library on Friday 23 August.

It will truly be a magical event!

ROAD WORKS NEWS FROM BALLINA COUNCIL

Council would like to provide this update:

 Traffic arrangements from Monday 29 July to Friday 2 August

 The current road closure at The Avenue closure (B) will continue.  Main Street will be OPEN to both lanes of traffic.

 Traffic arrangements on Saturday 3 August

• Main Street (closure A) AND The Avenue (closure B) will be closed to through traffic.  Work hours from 7am to 3pm.

 These closures wIll allow Council’s contractor to complete the final stages of this upgrade project. We hope to reopen all lanes of traffic from Sunday 4 August (weather permitting). If this information changes, Council will provide a further update.

 Please see the original project community announcement sent earlier this month below for further information or visit the project webpage - ballina.nsw.gov.au/AlstonvilleIntersectionUpgrade. You can also contact Council’s Team Leader Construction and Drainage, Robert Hunter, on 02 6681 0556.

COMMUNITY INVITED TO DOG PARK OPENING CELEBRATION

Ballina Shire Council is inviting the community to celebrate the opening of the new dog off-leash park on Gap Road, Alstonville.

Dog owners and their pooches are invited to unleash the fun and come along between 9.30am and 12pm on Saturday 10 August 2024 to try out the new agility park.

“We are inviting local residents to come along and test out the new agility equipment, chat with our friendly rangers, learn dog training tips from a local dog trainer, try out the agility equipment, and grab a free coffee and a puppuccino treat,” said Kerri Watts, Manager of Public and Environmental Health.

Community members attending this doggy day out can look forward to:

• Meeting our friendly rangers and learning more about their important work in our community.
• Enjoying a free mini-session with a professional dog trainer, offering tips and advice for better training and behaviour management.
• Trying out the new agility equipment, designed to challenge and entertain dogs of all sizes and skill levels.
• Collect free desexing vouchers, supporting responsible pet ownership in our community.
• Treating themselves to a free coffee and puppucino.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, 10 August 2024
• Time: 9.30am - 12pm
• Location: Gap Road Dog Park, Alstonville