27 August 2024 (Week 6 Term 3 2024)
Dear St Joseph’s Community
Last week’s celebration of Family Day was a truly beautiful event. It was heartwarming to see so many parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and other special people join us for this wonderful day. We were blessed with perfect weather, and it was amazing to see all the students in their fantastic costumes. I know they deeply appreciate the effort their families put into designing them.
A huge thank you to Father Max for leading our morning liturgy and to Mrs Jones and Mr Murgha for organising the liturgy and the assembly component of the day. Thanks also to Mrs Webber for supporting our choirs in the liturgy. A special mention to Ms Kingsford and her team of helpers for her incredible work in transforming the library into Hogwarts - what a phenomenal job! Thank you, Ms Kingsford, for once again organising our book fair and to all the families who donated a book to our library.
I also want to extend my thanks to all our staff for their tireless efforts in organising and running the day. These events require a mammoth effort, but it’s all worth it when our families can come together for a day of fun and activity. A big thank you to Father Max for providing the barbecue and to the families who brought in sweet treats for us to sell in support of the Vinnie’s Christmas Appeal. We’re grateful to those who volunteered at the barbecue, in the canteen, and at the cake stall. Special thanks to Mrs Thrum for her exceptional work in organising all the food and drinks for the day.
Our theme this year was "Reading is Magic," and I can’t think of a more magical day than the one we had on Friday.
We also had several students represent our school at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival last week. Reaching the diocesan level is a tremendous achievement, and we’re proud to announce that several of our students were successful in progressing to the Polding level for athletics in the coming weeks. More details can be found in the sports section below.
Congratulations to our students who this weekend received the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We welcome them more fully into our shared faith!
KEVIN HOGAN BOOK AWARDS
Congratulations to the following students who received the 2024 Kevin Hogan Book Award. This award was presented to a student in each year level, chosen by their teacher, in acknowledgement of the student’s strong library borrowing and their commitment to improving their reading. Each student was presented with a book, chosen specifically for them by Ms Kingsford and a certificate from Mr Hogan.
- Kinder - Piper Crosby
- Year 1 - Edward Watson
- Year 2 - Nathaniel Cordero
- Year 3 - Charlotte Dyson
- Year 4 - Harper Crawford
- Year 5 - Scarlett Hinton
- Year 6 - Harry Hosking
GOLD AWARD AFTERNOON TEA
On Thursday, we held another Gold Award Afternoon Tea. The students enjoyed each other’s company, and I enjoyed theirs as we enjoyed some treats together. More afternoon teas will be scheduled very soon!
CONGRATULATIONS MRS STEELE
Last week Mrs Steele welcomed a new baby grand daughter.
Congratulations to Jess, Matt and Freddy on their new arrival.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
In John 6:60-69, we encounter a difficult passage where many of Jesus' disciples struggle with His teaching of himself being the Bread of Life, and some even choose to leave. However, Peter's response, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life," shows his unwavering faith.
As parents, this passage reminds us of the centrality of the Eucharist in our family's spiritual life. The Eucharist is not just a tradition; it is the source of strength, grace, and unity for our family. In receiving the "bread of life," we draw closer to Jesus, who sustains us in our daily challenges and nourishes our souls with His presence. Let us continue to turn to the Eucharist, trusting that it will guide and strengthen our family in faith.
You are invited to listen to Bishop Greg’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass.
FATHER’S DAY CELEBRATION
We look forward to welcoming our Dads and special men in our children’s lives to our Father’s Day celebration on Monday, 2nd September in McCarthy Hall. There will be a very special song from Kindy and items from students across the school. We can’t wait to see you there!
FIRST EUCHARIST
Congratulations to all our students who received their First Communion on the weekend. It was a very special moment for all our students and their families. We look forward to celebrating all the children who receive their First Communion next weekend also. These students are invited to become an altar server. The thank you celebration for altar servers is a trip to Wet ‘n’ Wild in November every year. What a thank you! If you are interested, please contact Tanya in the Parish Office on 66283047 or via email at alstonvillewardellcc@gmail.com
CHOIR - NEW MEMBERS ALWAYS WELCOME
Our choirs are very excited about attending the Lismore Eisteddfod tomorrow! Both choirs are singing 4 songs each across a couple of sections. New members are always welcome to attend and we will be adding to our repertoire with new songs starting next week!
STRUCTURED PLAY
We are delighted to have the Library and Makerspace open during lunch and recess every day. There are always fun games to play, chess, craft and lego! Our library and Maker Space is a beautiful environment to make new friends and enjoy passive play.
Additional to this, just a friendly reminder that we also have the following activities on across lunch and recess:
- Mondays - Junior choir, cricket and soccer
- Tuesdays - Bingo (back by popular demand), girls soccer and soccer
- Wednesdays - Kickball and soccer
- Thursdays - The Yarners knitting & craft, tennis, talent time & soccer
- Fridays - Junior / senior touch football & senior choir
DIOCESAN ATHLETICS
Last week 11 eager competitors headed to Coffs Harbour to compete at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival. We congratulate all of these students who not only represented our school, but also our Zone with great pride and sportsmanship.
We congratulate the following students who were successful in their events, and will now progress to Polding level in a couple of weeks:
- Jonty Allen- 1st in MC 100m, 1st in MC Long jump
- Jordy Thompson- 1st in High jump
- Zeke Kubils- 1st in Discus and 1st in Shot-put
- Jack Kubils- 3rd in Discus
STAGE 3 GALA DAY
This Friday our Stage 3 children will participate in the Stage 3 Gala Day with other children from our Zone. The Compass events for the Gala day have been shared with Stage 3 families. Children will be spread across 3 different venues on Friday, 30th August; competitive football, netball and multisport. All additional information including clothing, lunch and timetables will be available in the Events.
Please note that those without permission will be staying at school. Please contact the school as soon as possible if you require any assistance with the Event permission.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB
Students received the Book Club catalogues last week. Please note all orders are due by 9am Monday 9th September. You can order via LOOP or through the school office. Scholastic are offering a $5 promotion, every order from this issue (#6) will receive $5 to spend in the next issue (#7).
BOOK FAIR THANKS
Our annual Family Day Book Fair was a huge success! Thank you to all of the families who donated books to our library. We truly appreciate your generosity. I sourced all of these books from Book Warehouse Lismore, and thank them very much for their support. The donated books will be going home with students by the end of this term. Thanks for being patient with the processing of the books, as I am sure you can appreciate it is a huge undertaking.
I want to make a special shout of thanks to Mrs Graveson, Mrs Keough, Mrs Moran, Mrs Hall and Emma Quinlan for their support in setting up the book fair. It was a stand out display, made easier by these wonderful people!
During STEM last Wednesday, Kindergarten students had some of the volunteers from Alstonville fire station come to visit. The firefighters provided an engaging and educational experience teaching the children about fire safety and explaining what their equipment was used for. The highlight of the visit was the opportunity for the students to explore the fire truck up close and even climb through it. A big thank you to the volunteers that gave up their time to come and visit us!
