Week 2 - Term 1 Newsletter 2024

Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,

Welcome back to another enriching year of learning at St. Joseph's. These past two weeks have unfolded as a period of transition for both students and staff, offering a conducive environment for settling into our routines. It has been a joyous time witnessing our students establish connections with their classroom teachers and acquaint themselves with their new learning environments.

We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our new Kindergarten students, who have brought an abundance of enthusiasm and smiles to our school community. Witnessing their bright and cheerful faces radiating with excitement each day has been truly heartwarming. As we embark on this journey together, the entire school is eager to foster a supportive and nurturing environment for each student, ensuring a smooth transition into their schooling life.

In addition to our Kindergarten students and their families, we are delighted to welcome the Weedon family (Poppie- Year 4), Connor family (Maeve - Year 2 & Jack - Year 1), and Rowe family (Ziggy- Year 1) into our school community. We trust that you will swiftly integrate into our close-knit community and experience a profound sense of belonging that is at the core of our school ethos.

Parent Information Night - Tuesday 13th February

Please be aware that our Parent Information Night is scheduled for next Tuesday, February 13th, starting at 5:00 pm.

We will be conducting two separate classroom sessions at 5:00 pm and 5:45 pm, each focusing on providing insight into your child's learning environment for the upcoming year. By offering these sessions at different times, we aim to limit the number of adults present in each session and accommodate parents with children in multiple classes who may wish to attend other sessions.

During the break between sessions (5:45 - 6:15 pm), we will gather under the shelter for refreshments and platters, fostering a sense of community among attendees. Additionally, babysitting services will be provided on the premises for your convenience.

To assist us with catering and babysitting arrangements, we kindly request that you indicate your attendance via the "EVENTS" tab in Compass as soon as possible. Please note that the number of attendees for each session will be capped.

If you are unable to attend either of the sessions due to after-school commitments, rest assured that all materials shared during the event will be made available to you either through Compass or in hard copy.

Beginning Year Mass - Friday 23rd February

I would like to warmly invite all our families to our Beginning Year Mass which will be held in St Mary's church (adjacent to the school) on Friday 23rd February at 12:00pm (Week 4). This Mass is a wonderful time where we acknowledge our School Leaders (Year 6 Captains & SRC Leaders) for 2024 & officially welcome our new Kindergarten students into our school Community.

Term 1 - Parent Forum Meeting - Tuesday 27th February

Please be aware that  our Term 1 Parent Forum AGM will  be held on Tuesday 27th Febraury (5:00pm-6:30pm). This meeting will not only be an opportunity the elect our Parent Forum Exec for 2023 &2024 but to plan out the year ahead as a group, making sure it is focused on 'Parent VOICE, Parent COMMUNITY & Parent LEARNING'.

I would like to reiterate that ALL PARENTS are welcome to attend our Parent Forum Meetings each term, it is not a closed meeting, so please if you are even interested in finding out more, make sure to attend our Term 2 meeting.

Strengthening our Parent Partnership is one of our goals as a school and part of doing this is ensuring we are able to provide regular opportunities for parents to meet and share their insights into the ways our school can continue to improve and develop.

School Uniforms

Just a reminder as we begin our school year to ensure your child is in the correct school uniform, particularly socks and footwear (black shoes). Wearing the correct uniform sets high expectations for our students and develops a sense of pride in our school. I could ask that all student belongings are labelled, not only uniforms but also hats, drink bottles, lunch boxes etc. Please check labels regularly to ensure they are still visible, as many tend to wear/come off over time. Labelling everything ensures minimal upset for the child, teacher and parents.

Again, welcome back to our 2024 School Year and as always if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate in contacting me.

Thanking you,

Dale

Upcoming School Dates

• Tuesday 13th February - Shrove Tuesday (Pancake day) (Week 3)
• Tuesday 13th February - Parent Information Night 5pm-7pm (Week 3)
• Monday 19th Feburary - School Swimming Carnival (Y1-6) (Week 4)
• Monday 19th February - Zone Winter Sports Trials (Week 4)
• Friday 23rd February - Beginning Year Mass 12pm (Week 4)
• Monday 26th Febraury - Zone Swimming Carnical (Week 5)
• Tuesday 27th February - Parent Forum Meeting 5pm (Week 5)
• Friday 1st February - Incitare Retreat (Year 6) (Week 5)

Leader of Mission

Mercy Values 

Welcome to 2024. 

For our new families, I would like to share some information about the history of our school and provide some context for the values which we embody at our school. You would have seen our Mercy Values displayed in various places around our school.

Our school was founded by the Sisters of Mercy, meaning we are a ‘Mercy School’.  That means, we follow the Mercy Charism and have certain values that we use to guide us in our Head, Heart, and Hands; that is, our thoughts, words, feelings and actions.  These are known as the Mercy Educational Values and include;

1. Service
2. Hospitality
3. Justice
4. Compassion
5. Courage
6. Respect

You will see and hear the students and staff refer to these values throughout the year, and I will explore each in greater depth fortnightly in the newsletter. As a school within the Lismore Catholic Diocese, we also incorporate the Foundational values of; 

1. Evangelisation
2. Community
3. Tradition
4. Worship
5. Witness 
6. Service

You can see these values displayed alongside our Mercy Values around the school accompanied by a quote from Catherine McAuley who believed that all problems could be solved whilst sharing, ‘A comfortable cup of tea.’

Sacramental Program

Baptised students are able to undertake Confirmation in Year 3, and students who have been confirmed are able to complete Reconciliation and their First Holy Communion in Year 4.  The sacramental program is run by myself with the assistance of another staff member and involves preparation classes and a retreat. More details will be shared at a later date. If you are interested in having your child baptised, please contact me for further information.

Beginning Year Mass and Leadership Induction Ceremony 

On Friday 23rd February we will celebrate our Beginning Year Mass to welcome our Kindergarten students and families, followed by the presentation of badges to our school leaders. Mass will be held in St Mary’s Church at 12:00 pm and all families and friends are welcome to attend.

Liturgical Dates for Term 1

• Shrove Tuesday - Tuesday 13th February - celebrated at school (children wear purple)
• Ash Wednesday - Wednesday 14th February - Whole School Liturgy
  
• Beginning Year Mass - Friday 23rd February 12:00 pm at St Mary’s Church
  
• Lent (Liturgical Season) - Weeks 4 - 8
• St Joseph’s Feast Day - Tuesday 19th March
• Holy Week - Sunday 24th March- Saturday 30th March
• Easter Liturgy - Thursday 28th March
  

Mercy In Action Award

Congratulations to our first Mercy in Action Award winner for 2024, Amelia Green. Amelia receives the award in recognition of displaying the Mercy Value of SERVICE, demonstrated by her committment and dedication to her new leadership role. Millie has stepped up and shown initiative as a Sports Captain, making sure equipment is put away, and well looked after, meaning it is safe and suitable to be used by everyone in our school. Amelia, you help to make our school a peaceful and happy place to be. Congratulations! 

Mrs Senz

Class Awards

Congratulations to the following students recognised at this fortnight's Awards Assembly:

Class Awards:

From the Front Office

Afternoon messages

For all messages regarding changes to pick up/after school arrangements, please contact the front office by 2:45pm to ensure they are received before message bags are sent to classes.If corresponding by email, please phone the school if you have not received confirmation of your email.

Medications

All medications are to be bought into the front office, and a medication permission form is to be signed by the parent guardian.

Contact Details

Please ensure all phone numbers, email, and addresses are up to date in compass

Late arrivals/Early Pick-ups

Students who arrive late to school must present to the front office to be marked present. A reminder that school finishes at 3:15pm. Early pickups are discouraged as it is disruptive to the remainder of the class. The exception is when there are unavoidable appointments which require an early departure.

School Fees

2024 Term 1 Fees have now been applied to your account. Bpay is our preferred method of payment. Your Bpay details will be on the statement you receive at the end of the month.
For families with outstanding balances from last year please settle at your earliest convenience.

Absence Notes

At present, the shortcut function to submit an absence note in Compass is still not working. A note can be submitted by opening Compass using the browser. Alternatively, you can wait until you receive an sms and then submit the note from the sms. You can also phone the office to advise of student absences.

Mrs Bell & Mrs Roach

Class News - Kindy

What an exciting start to the year it has been! In our Kindy classroom we've delved into the captivating world of animals, expressed our creativity through portrait painting, and unearthed hidden treasures in our playground for math classification activities.
The transition from Little Joeys to Kindergarten has been seamless, and witnessing our school community warmly embrace our new Kindy students has been heartwarming. Buddies, families, siblings, and friends have graciously extended their hands, guiding our newcomers around the playground, ensuring they have companions during mealtime and playtime. It's a testament to the very special community we have here at St. Joseph’s!

Mrs Bennett

Pastoral Care - School Chaplain

Community Connect

 The Learning assistance Program (LAP) is a student-centred and volunteer-based mentoring programme designed to assist schools to implement one-to-one learning that supports, guides and enriches the wellbeing and learning outcomes of their students from Stage 1–Stage 3.Students and volunteer mentors meet at the same time, during one lesson, once a week. We are fortunate enough to have this program reintroduced into our school for 2024. We have three wonderful volunteers that will be engaging with selected students on a Tuesday. 

Breakfast Club

Thanks to the generosity of our local St Vincent De Paul we are continuing our Breakfast Club this year. Student volunteers will serve our students every Thursday from 8.30-8.50am. This is a free breakfast and we invite all students to enjoy eating together on Thursday mornings.

Seasons for Growth

 Will resume for Stage 3 in term 1. If you would like your child to participate in this program please contact our office or use the link via Compass. Seasons for Growth is a small group education program that supports children and young people to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand and respond well to experiences of change, loss and grief.

Student Representative Council (SRC) Fundraiser

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. We are encouraged to give life to our faith by promoting a ‘For all future generations’ in solidarity with the world’s poor. We can do this through helping to end poverty, promote justice and uphold the dignity of each person. 

As part of starting our fundraising to support Project Compassion during Lent we will be cooking pancakes on Shrove Tuesday 13th February and invite our students to wear purple.

All proceeds from our pancakes will be going to our Caritas Lenten Appeal.

If you would like to order pancakes for recess on Shrove Tuesday, please place your order through the Canteen module in the COMPASS APP by selecting the date Tuesday 13th February - The Shrove Tuesday Menu will appear. 

ORDERS NEED TO BE PLACE BY FRIDAY 9th February please.

Ms Juana Mead - School Chaplain

School Sport

Thanks Parent Forum for the Soccer Goals!

I trust this message finds you all well. There's a palpable sense of excitement surrounding sports at St. Joseph’s this term. First and foremost, a huge acknowledgment to the incredible parents whose fundraising efforts last year made the purchase of the soccer goals possible. These goals, now proudly displayed on the oval, have become a source of joy for our students, sparking some spirited games during lunchtime.

Lawn Bowls for Sport

Looking forward, we're thrilled to announce the arrival of an exciting Sporting Schools Australia program, brought to us by the Rookie Rollers this term. This initiative not only introduces students to a new sport but also emphasises inclusivity, hopefully leading to high levels of engagement from all students.

Swimming Carnival

As we gear up for the impending swimming carnival, information has been shared on Compass this week. We encourage all families to participate and show their support on the day. If any parents are eager to lend a hand as volunteers, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – your support is truly invaluable.

Once again, a heartfelt thank you for your generous contributions and ongoing support.

Anthony Gilchrist- Sports Coordinator

Library News

Welcome back to Term 1!

This terms class borrowing days will be:

Kindy - Thursdays

Year 1  - Tuesdays

Year 2 - Wednesdays

Stage 2 - Wednesdays

Stage 3 - Mondays

Please rememeber to bring back all overdue library books asap - there are no questions asked, just pop them into the returns box

Mrs O'Brien – Librarian

Parent Forum

On behalf of the Parent Forum, I’d like to welcome all new and returning families along to the first Parent Forum Meeting for 2024 on Tuesday 27th February at 5pm-6.30pm in the school library.
Parent Forum is a wonderful chance to have your parent voice heard in our school. There is no obligation to take on a formal role.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact the front office.

Canteen Volunteers!
Would you like to get involved in helping in our wonderful Canteen? Canteen Volunteers are always needed and hugely appreciated. Fridays from 9am-11am once or twice per term. If you would like to get involved, please let the front office know.

Lauren Kirkland
Chairperson, Parent Forum.

Community Notices

School Bus Information

Timetable information:busways.com.au 

School Bus Pass: School Student Travel Scheme