Week 8 - Term 4 Newsletter 2023

Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,

The 'silly season' has definitely started and it has already been a busy few weeks to finish, with a few more to go to finish our year. This week have had our Year 5 Leadership Speeches and the Kindy Orientation Night, and next week we have our annual Christmas Concert followed by the End of Year Prize Giving and Year 6 Graduation in Week 10.

2024 School Leaders

Congratulations to Grace Bell and Hailen Capp, who were appointed School Captains for 2024. Working alongside them will be Avah Anderson and Roo Coulson, who were appointed as Vice Captains. I look forward to working alongside these students and the rest of our Year 6 leaders to ensure student voice continues developing in our school. Please see below our other leadership appointments for 2024. A reminder that SRC Leaders from Year 2-5 will be selected in Week 2 - Term 1 next year.

• School Captains - Grace Bell & Hailen Capp
• Vice Captains - Avah Anderson & Roo Coulson
• Bundjalung Captains - Georgia Saslter & Reece Bennett
• Gibraltar Captains -  Meesha Ellis & Tully White
• Yuriygur Captains - Millie Green & Maria Taylor-Walker
• SRC Captains - Jesse Jae Maycock & Jacob McIntyre
  
• Mission Captains - Zoe Brett, Flynn Crowley & Ta'j Gibbons

End of Year Events

School Christmas Concert - Tuesday 5th December (6:00pm)

Our classes have been practising and rehearsing their items this term, and we look forward to sharing these performances with our school community. All are welcome to attend our concert beginning at 6:00 pm. Parent Forum will be running a BBQ from 5:30-6:00 pm for those wishing to purchase a sausage sandwich ($2) for dinner before the concert; both cash & eftpos facilities will be available. Please note that the BBQ will not be serving once our Concert begins to allow all parents to watch their children's performances.

End of Year Prize Giving - Tuesday 13th December (12:00 pm)

This event is a wonderful time as a school parish community to acknowledge our school leaders and ensure we are centred on Christ. Following our End of Year Liturgy, we will present our End of Year Awards that recognise students in all classes under the following categories: Academic Achievement, Faith in Action, and Learning Begins with Me.  All families are welcome to attend. Please be aware that the Front Office will be in contact confidentially to inform parents if their child is receiving an award. Our Year 6 students will also be receiving their Graduation Certificates at this event. 

Year 6 Graduation -  Tuesday 13th December (6:00 pm)

Our Year 6 Families will be coming together at the Maclean Pub to celebrate and recognise the wonderful journey of our Year 6 students prior to heading off to secondary education. Please see Miss Zietsch if you have any queries regarding this event.

END OF YEAR FUND DAYS -  Wednesday 13th - Friday 15th December

To celebrate the end of 2023, the school will be finishing with "Activity Days" on Wednesday 13th - Friday 15th December (Week 10). These days will be fun-filled and a wonderful way to celebrate our school year and build a sense of community.

• Wednesday 13th - School Christmas Carnival
• Thursday 14th - Lasrer Tag at school
• Friday 15th -  Maclean Pool -inflatable, water slide & back to school for a Class Movie

We are conscious of not placing unwanted pressure on families at this time of the year so there is NO COST  for any of these events; we ask for a Gold Coin donation on Wednesday for the Christmas Carnival. These events are available in Compass for permission to be given.

Kindy Welcome Night

Thank you to all our Little Joey's & Year 5 families that were able to attend our  Kindergarten Welcome Night on Tuesday. This has become a beautiful annual event focused on "creating a sense of belonging & community". 

Thank you to all our Year 5 families who already had a busy day with leadership speeches to attend on the night, as this assisted in 'building community' with our new families. It was a wonderful way for the students and their 'future Year 6 buddies' to meet, as well as their parents. After a lovely dinner & drinks provided by the Parent Forum, the night concluded with our Kindy parents having an opportunity to meet with Mrs Bennett in an Information Session.

Kind regards

Deb

Upcoming School Dates

• Friday 1st December - Last Day of Little Joeys (Week 8)
• Tuesday 5th December - School Christmas Concert 5:30pm (Week 9)
• Tuesday 12th December - Year 6 Graduation & End of Year Awards (Week 10)
• Wednesday 13th - Friday 15th December - End of Year Fun Days (Week 10)
• Friday 15th Dec - Last day of Term 4
• Wednesday 31st Jan 2024 - First Day of Term 1 for Years 1-6
• Monday 5th Feb 2024 - First Day of Term 1 for Kindergarten

Leader of Learning

Winding down and Winding up…Practice makes Perfect!

As the year winds down, there is always a big finale that we look forward to each year…The Christmas Concert. Each class is busy polishing, practising and perfecting their items in readiness for the night. Costumes have been planned, and I am sure all families have been given a list of simple requirements for their child’s performance. 

For some students, performing in front of an audience can be daunting, whilst for others, it is an opportunity to shine in the spotlight.  

Here are some tips to support your child as they prepare for the night.

1. Be encouraging - encourage your child to perform their best and engage in the dance/song.  
2. Be organised - ensure all costumes and props are gathered early and not left to find the day before.
3. Recruit a cheer squad - invite family and friends to come along and watch. It is always reassuring to see familiar faces in the crowd.
4. Celebrate -  A special card or a post-performance treat are all great ways to celebrate your child’s efforts and accomplishments.
5. Talk about the concert - Talk about what your child might expect to see, hear, and do; especially if they are new to the school.

Mrs Bailey

Mission & Values

Feast of Christ the King

Last Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday before Advent, and the solemnity was started in 1925 by Pope Pius XI after the end of the First World War to remind people that Christ is the only king who should reign in our hearts. Jesus is a king, but a different kind of king. He wants to be the king of our hearts and lives, a king who wants to give forgiveness and love. During morning prayer this week, the children were encouraged to think about how to show love and kindness in the festive season. Small acts of kindness like a smile, a kind word or holding the door open for someone are examples of how we can do this, as well as things like donating to our Christmas Appeal. Being kind also demonstrates all of our Mercy Values;

• Service, 
• Compassion, 
• Respect, 
• Justice, 
• Hospitality, and 
• Courage.

It is my hope that during Advent, our students all carry out and receive acts of kindness, no matter how big or small. 

Liturgical Calendar - Advent

What is Christmas actually all about?

At this time of year, trying to survive day-to-day life, juggling gift shopping, meal planning, decorating, concerts and activities, holiday parties, Santa photos and Christmas cards, postage deliveries, wrappings, and bows, do you ever find yourself wondering the same question — “Why do I bother?”

Sometimes, we simply need to pause and take a moment to catch our breath and reflect. I encourage you all to think about the importance of Christmas beyond the gift-giving, meal preparation and Christmas wrapping.  Christmas is the time when God gave the gift of his son to us all, and so we are happy and grateful that we get to have a relationship with Jesus! When we are thankful, we like to give back through small acts of kindness. When we show small acts of kindness to others, it is just as if we were showing that act of kindness to Jesus himself. 

Mercy In Action Award

Congratulations to this fortnight's Mercy in Action Award winner, Rose Mclennan. Rose receives the award in recognition of how she embodies all of our Mercy Values each and every day. She is kind and caring to all, demonstrating Compassion. She listens and follows instructions, showing Respect. She makes sure she is fair when playing, showing Justice. She includes everyone, showing Hospitality. Rose also shows Service by always being ready and willing to help others, as well as Courage in her learning by not giving up. Through her kind and caring actions, Rose makes our school a peaceful and happy place to be. Congratulations Rose!

Dates to Save

• Week 9 (Tuesday) - Christmas Concert
• Week 10 (Tuesday, 12pm) - End of Year Awards and Gift Giving
• Week 10 (Tuesday, 6pm) - Year 6 Graduation Dinner

Mrs Senz

Class Awards

Our Principal Award winners are:

• Kindy - Indie Causley
• Year 1-  Zac Lennon
• Year 2 - Oliver Want
• Year 3 - Lila Salter
• Year 4 - Emily Dahlenburg
• Year 5 - Georgia Salter
• Year 6 - Billy Opalniuk

Our Class Award winners are: 

Premier's Reading Challenge Platinum and Gold Award Winners

Emergency Management Planning

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING

The safety of our students, families and staff is our highest priority. In order to best ensure this, the [school name] leadership and staff, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, plan for a number of possible incidents, emergencies or natural disasters that could take place at school or during the school term. The events of recent years have reinforced how important this planning is and we all have a role to play when it comes to emergency management, including families.

Our students participate in various safety drills and staff participate through training and safety drills. We’d like to share with you the role of parents and families in emergency management.

School Lockdown

A number of the situations we plan for include a school lockdown as one of the immediate safety actions to ensure the safety of our students and staff. We understand that some may understand the word ‘lockdown’ to mean there is an immediate safety risk to all students. It is important to understand that when a school initiates a lockdown this may not be the case.

Depending on the situation, the purpose of a school lockdown will differ. A school lockdown may be a preparation step for an evacuation, or a school lockdown may allow emergency services access to an area of the school without having to navigate past students. Regardless of the purpose of a school lockdown, no one can be admitted to the school grounds other than emergency services.

Should we initiate a school lockdown, parents and families will be informed via text message and [insert name of app] notification. We will also inform parents and families as soon as the school lockdown has been lifted or if there are any actions required of parents and families. It is important that you do not attempt to attend the school during a school lockdown. We understand that you may be concerned however attending the school may also add risk to a possible emergency situation, block emergency services or impede an evacuation.

Natural Disaster

In the event of a natural disaster, such as flood or bushfire, the school leadership, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, will determine if it is safe for the school to open. If there is a probability the school may have to close part way through the day, the school will not open for that day as it is extremely difficult to evacuate a school site and ensure all students are able to go directly home safely.

In a bush fire or flood event it is important that parents and families have a plan to get your child/ren home from school, or into your care, at short notice. Please be aware that school buses may not be running and the school can not allow your child/ren to go home to an empty house or home with another parent without your permission.

Family Preparedness

How can you help us prepare for emergency situations? Please ensure that:

• You have downloaded [app] and have allowed notifications.
• Any changes to your contact details or custodial arrangements have been updated with the school.
• [for schools in bush fire or flood prone regions] You have a bush fire/flood plan in place that all members of your family understand.
• In the event of a school lockdown or evacuation, directions in the parent notifications are

It is always our hope that these measures will never be needed but it is also our responsibility to ensure our school community is prepared and informed should the need arise. We thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.

Dale Layland and Nigel McIntyre, Work Health and Safety Manager, Catholic Schools Office

Class News - Stage 3

Term 4 is flying by!

It has been a very busy term for Year 5. We can all breathe a sigh of relief now that our leadership speeches are finished and Leadership Roles have been appointed for next year. Year 5 did a wonderful job presenting their speeches, and we have no doubt that they will all be wonderful leaders of our school. 

Year 6 have also been busy writing their graduation speeches and perfecting their delivery in front of their peers. They have all written beautiful, honest and heartwarming speeches that will be sure to bring a tear to the eye! They are eagerly awaiting their big graduation night so they can present these speeches to you all.

Now that speeches have been written, both classes have been writing poetry and practising for our Christmas Concert performances. We won’t give away too many details of our Christmas poems, however, here are a few of our limericks we have written about fictional characters by Year 5:

And some limericks written by Year 6:

In Science, Mrs Kinsella has set a challenge to design a balloon-powered car to see how well we understand forces, and how they help us predict and control the world around us. We are aiming to hold our final races next week and put our cars to the test!

In Mathematics, we have been learning about symmetry, rotations, translations, and reflections of two-dimensional shapes. All students have been creating beautiful mandalas and designs that have rotational symmetry using these steps. It’s always fun to add Creative Arts into other learning areas when we can!

Mrs Senz, Mrs Kinsella & Mr G

School Sport

Zone Trials

We applaud the outstanding achievements of our Stage 2 and Stage 3 students who recently participated in time trials on Friday, showcasing their prowess in various strokes over a minimum distance of 50 meters. Their exceptional courage and sportsmanship were evident as they strived to excel in these trials.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the parents, especially those of Stage 1 students, for their prompt communication and permission, which was crucial in making these trials possible.

In addition, we extend congratulations to Jack Kirkland, Caide Schlyder, and Jimi Lennon for their commendable efforts in representing St. Joseph's at the Zone Summer Sports trials over the past weeks. Their dedication and valiant performances in their chosen sports, competing against students from across the Clarence Zone, exemplify the spirit of sportsmanship and excellence we cherish at St. Joseph's.

We appreciate the continued support of our parents, staff, and students in fostering a culture of sports and achievement at our school.

Sport Aquathon

CSNSW SPORT is offering a fantastic school holiday opportunity for students enrolled in Catholic schools in NSW.

The pilot AQUATHLON event is open to participation for students aged 8 years to 19 years with age divisions in both mainstream and Multi Class events.

For more information - https://csnsw.sport/sports/csnsw-sport-programmes/aquathlon

Related Link

https://csnsw.sport/sports/csnsw-sport-programmes/aquathlon

Thanking you,

Mr Gilchrist

Pastoral Care - School Counselor

Counselling Corner

SETTING BOUNDARIES

Personal boundaries are the limits and rules we set for ourselves within relationships. People with healthy boundaries can say “no” to others when they want to, but they are also comfortable opening themselves up to intimacy and close relationships.

Boundaries should be based on your values or the things that are important to you. For example, if you value spending time with family, set firm boundaries about working late. Your boundaries are yours, and yours alone. Many of your boundaries might align with those who are close to you, but others will be unique. Know your boundaries before entering a situation. This will make it less likely you’ll do something you’re not comfortable with.

To complete an exercise on setting healthy boundaries click here.

Click here for more information on boundaries.

Bel Chapman

School Counsellor

Pastoral Care - School Chaplain

St Vinnie Christmas Appeal

We still need your generosity as we continue with the escalating cost of living crisis this Christmas.

Thank you for your generous donations so far. 

We are still needing to fill our hampers with non-perishable food, new toys or money. 

Hampers will be located in classrooms for students to place items. These hampers are given to families within Clarence to help make their Christmas a special one. 

SRC Student Representative Council

Our SRC are focusing on our end-of-year Christmas Carnival. Our wonderful SRC and Year 6 students will be busy organising the day's activities. In pairs, students will rotate the running of selected activities over a two-hour period for all the students to enjoy. 

We invite all students to participate, wear Christmas clothes on the day and donate a gold coin.

Ms Mead

School Chaplain

Community Notices