Week 4 - Term 1 Newsletter 2024

Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,
What a busy start to the year it has been. Thank you to Fr Nicolas for leading us in our Beginning of Year Mass last Friday, it was a beautiful Mass in which we were able to welcome our new Kindergarten students into the school community and officially acknowledge our School Captains, Year 6 Leaders and SRC Leaders for the 2024 School Year. 

2024 SRC Leaders
Congratulations to the following students who were selected by their peers to represent them on our 2024 Student Representative Council:
Year 2 - Max Cook & Roxy Bailey
Year 3 - Max Anderson & Dotti Kemp
Year 4 - Oliver Ward & Lila Salter
Year 5 - Oskar Bailey & Penny Chapman
I look forward to working alongside these students and the Year 6 SRC Captains to ensure that 'Student Voice' is a priority in our school. Their assistance in driving students events, student service and student connection to our local community will be invaluable.

Parent Information Night

Thank you to all parents who were able to attend our 'Meet the Teacher' Sessions last week. This was an opportune time for you to meet with your child's class teachers and gain a clearer understanding of how their learning spaces will operate this year, the routines and also the expectations around their learning.

If you were unable to attend, all materials handed out on the night will be sent home via email/hard copy this week. Please don't hesitate to make individual contact with your classroom teacher if you wish to seek further clarity around your child's learning this year.

Family Connect Worker - Amanda Jones

This term, we welcome back Amanda as our school’s Family Connect worker, who joined our school community in the second half of 2023. For those families unfamiliar with our Family Conect Worker role - Amanda is here to support families to access the services they might need to help their family thrive.

She can assist families in a wide range of areas including NDIS, housing, counselling, parenting programs, supporting parents of children with anxiety, family violence and addiction services and many other services that families may need from time to time.

Amanda will be present at school every Thursday and can be contacted Monday-Thursday on 0417004779 or amanda.jones@socialfutures.org.au

Student Absences & Extended Leave 

A reminder that student absences are to be notified by a phone call to the school, email maclp@lism.catholic.edu.au, or by making an 'Attendance Note' on your Compass App. Please do not contact your classroom teacher as this message does not always get passed on the Front Office prior to classroom learning beginning and the Front Office oversees the attendance and communication to our families.

If you choose to respond to the SMS sent to you after 10 am, please make that when responding to the text that you click on the link which should take you to compass for an 'Attendance Note' and not reply directly to the text (as we will not receive this!).

When explaining an absence, please give details like sick, family holiday, medical appointment, etc. As previously requested, parents are now asked to provide a more detailed explanation /reason for their child's absence other than 'Sick' or 'Unwell'.

Some examples of a clearer explanation could be:

• Sick with flu-like symptoms and being COVID tested** OR
• Sick with stomach pains OR
• Unwell with earache, OR
• Injured with sprained ankle etc. OR
• Feeling tired, didn't sleep well

If you are intending for your child to be absent from school for more than three days, it is important that a 'Notification of Extended Leave Travel' Form is filled in and provided to the Front Office prior to the leave occurring. Whilst family holidays and travel are no longer considered under the 'Exemption from School' Procedures, it is a legal requirement that the school is appropriately notified of this Leave and recorded on the roll. Please note that unless there are extenuating circumstances around the 'Extended Leave', that school work will not be provided by the classroom teachers during this period. Please find attached Form A4 (Extended leave Travel) for future use.

Little Joey's Transition Program 

A reminder that we will again be running our Little Joey’s which will be held in our library and begin in Term 3 - Friday 2nd August, continuing each Friday for the remainder of the 2024 school year from 9:30 am until 2:30 pm. 

Please note that whilst not starting until Semester 2, we have already had an overwhelming amount of inquiries and would like to ensure our current school community can secure a placement prior to accepting new families. At this stage it will be more than likely that we will be a having a waiting list for Kindergarten 2025. Thus if you are a CURRENT FAMILY, I ask that you contact the School Front Office to request a Little Joey's Expressions of Interest form. 

I trust you will have a safe & relaxing weekend. As always, please don't hesitate in contacting me if you wish to discuss any of the above matters or anything further.
Thanking you,

Kind regards,

Dale

Upcoming School Dates

• Monday 26th Febraury - Zone Swimming Carnival (Week 5)
• Tuesday 27th February - Parent Forum Meeting 5pm (Week 5)
• Thursday 29th February - Year 1 & Year 2 Stone Cottage Excursion (Week 5)
• Friday 1st March - Incitare Retreat (Year 6) (Week 5)
• Friday 1st March - Diocesan Swimming Carnival - Macksville (Week 5)
  
• Monday 11th March - Silent Disco and Welcome BBQ 5pm - 7pm (Week 7)
• Wednesday 13th march to Friday 15th March - NAPLAN Years 3 & 5 (Week 7)

Leaders of Learning

What Are 'Cold Writes' and How Is The Data Used?

A 'Cold Write' is a piece of writing students do without explicit teacher support. Students from K-6 are provided with a selection of images to use as a writing stimulus and can write in any of the following text types: 

• recount 
• narrative
• diary
• persuasive text

Students spend time brainstorming ideas with the teacher before working independently to plan, write, revise, and edit their writing. 

As part of our whole school assessment schedule, all students from K-6 complete a 'Cold Write' at the start of each term. This exercise allows students to show what they know without external help. It enables teachers to assess and moderate writing, establish individual writing goals for each student and provide teachers with data for prevention and intervention. 

Teachers then meet and use the 'Cold Write' data to co-construct a 'Data Wall'. The 'Data Wall' is used to develop collective responsibility for all learners, identify growth and learning patterns and plan instruction for each learner. It allows us to capture our assessment data visually and promotes reflective practice. 

Here is a copy of the whole-school 'Cold Write' stimulus for term 1.

Mrs Senz, Mrs Mullins & Mrs Mclennan

Leader of Mission

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Church’s season of Lent. The marking of the ashes in the shape of a cross reminds us to live the way Jesus wants. It is a time of prayer, fasting and giving to others. Through prayer we come closer to God and closer to living as He teaches us to. Fasting reminds us of the poor who often go without food, water and shelter. Giving to the poor through Project Compassion is a sign of our commitment to justice and our thanks for all that God has given us. Lent prepares us for the season of Easter, the most important time in the Church’s calendar. By praying, fasting and giving alms, we are reminded of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Last Wednesday all students participated in our Ash Wednesday Liturgy, lead by our Year 6 leaders.

Incitare - Year 6 Retreat  Friday, 1st March

Incitāre is a one-day retreat experience for Year 6 students from Catholic Primary Schools in our area to celebrate their faith. The retreat is a chance to bring students together to meet like-minded peers and to celebrate with other young people who practice their faith. 

The activities will be a mixture of large and small sharing groups as well as celebrating a liturgy together. The program focuses on the needs of the participants. The experience allows attendees to build relationships with other students in their region and invites the participants to talk about and share their faith journey.

All Year 6 students will travel by bus to McAuley Catholic College in Grafton to participate in this retreat experience.  There is no cost for the day, but the students will need to bring lunch, snacks and water and wear their sports uniform and hat. The bus will leave at 8:40 am and return by the end of the school day. It would be much appreciated if students could be at school by 8:30am. Permission forms have been shared through Compass.

Beginning Year Mass

We celebrated our Beginning Year Mass today, followed by the presentation of badges to our school leaders. Kindergarten processed into the church with their Year 6 buddies and each student had a candle lit for them to symbolise Jesus’ words; I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12  Our school leaders did a wonderful job assisting with the mass. Following the mass, all our Year 6 students were presented with their captaincy badges along with the SRC representatives. We wish all our leaders the best for the year as they fulfil their roles with a mix of courage and pride.

Mercy In Action Award

This week's recipient of our prestigious Mercy in Action award is Marlie Cook. Marlie receives this award in recognition of displaying the Mercy Value of Service, which she demonstrates through her constant desire to help anyone and everyone around her. Marlie was recently an incredible help at our swimming carnival, delivering paperwork to time keepers, marshals and the recording table. Congratulations Marlie!

Mrs Senz

Class Awards

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

Principal Awards

Class Awards

Class News - Stage 1

In Maths Year 1 have been learning about organising our thinking and working together to share ideas in how we solve problems. 

We went exploring our school to identify important places to create a map of the school in Geography. .

In Religion we have reflected upon who God is and created some images to reflect our learning. 

Miss Stokes

Pastoral Care - School Chaplain

Project Compassion

Spanning across the six weeks of Lent each year, Project Compassion brings thousands of Australian schools together to raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world. 

We get  involved by watching the stories of Project Compassion, hosting a fundraiser like pancake Tuesday, joining a Caritas Conversation like Stage 2 in previous years, or downloading our resources.

On the class prayer table inside your child's class  is a donation box where you can give your spare change.Spare change can be from Mum/Dad/family,students could do a job around your house in exchange for change or students may have their own change they may like to donate. There is a class thermometer for all classes to set a fundraising goal.

As part of our thank you  for your efforts the class that raises the most funds will be rewarded with a surprise at the end of the term.

This week in Project Compassion we learn about Leaia's story.

Leaia lives in Samoa. Not having access to a reliable source of clean water was very difficult for Leaia and her family. But with the support of Caritas Australia, a rainwater tank was installed at their home, improving their health and living conditions.

Thank you to all the families that helped raise funds to help people like Leaia with Pancake Tuesday. 

An extra special thanks to our wonderful SRC who served our school community pancakes at recess.

Seasons For Growth

Seasons for Growth has started for stage 3 with year 6 starting on Wednesday and year 5 to  start this Monday. 

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.

Seasons for Growth supports connection with others going through similar circumstances, fostering emotional literacy and resilience as a pathway to improved social and emotional wellbeing.

Ms Juana Mead - School Chaplain

School Sport

There has been lots happening in the sporting world at St. Joseph's this term!

Swimming Carnival

The recent Swimming Carnival was a great success, and I extend thanks to all families for their valuable contributions.

A big congratulations to our Age Champions:

Junior Girl: Phoebe Senz

Junior Boy: Zee Coulson

Senior Girl: Jessika Dalton

Senior Boy: Roo Coulson

Throughout the day, students not only upheld our Mercy values but also demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship and dedication. Engaging in sports at school plays a pivotal role in instilling lifelong healthy habits, and your support in this endeavor is highly appreciated.

Lawn Bowls
This week, students explored the sport of Bowls, showcasing adaptability and enthusiasm in mastering new skills.
Looking ahead, the anticipation for the upcoming Cross Country event is growing, promising another term filled with sporting excitement.

Additionally, we invite interested students to consider joining the Yamba Buccaneers for Rugby Union, with sign-on scheduled for Thursday, 29 February, at our fields on Coldstream Street, Yamba, starting at 5 pm. For more details, please refer to the attached poster in the COmmunity News section.

Thank you for your continued support in fostering a positive and active learning environment at St. Joeys.

Anthony Gilchrist - Sports Coordinator

Technology News

STEM Club

STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, is more than just an acronym—it's a gateway to an exciting world of hands-on learning and exploration for our students.
In STEM Club, students participate in activities that inspire creativity and critical thinking. This term, we are working with 3D printing, learning robotics with Sphero robots, coding with Scratch and ScratchJr, and bringing photos to life with ChatterPix.
Through immersion in these diverse experiences, students develop creativity, digital literacy, problem-solving and communication skills - tools they need to succeed now and in the future.

Mrs Mclennan

Creative Arts

Library News

Welcome back to the library for all of our past students and it has been so lovely meeting new friends joining us in the library for their very first time. 

I am loving seeing the children excited to come and borrow and I'm really impressed with the amount of returns that we are getting daily. Remember your children can return their books to the library before school and at both breaks everyday. They don't have to wait for their classes borrowing day. 

It is so important that students have a library bag to borrow. It can be as simple as a shopping bag or pillow case, anything to protect our beautiful books. We encourage the students to borrow age appropriate books and our displays are ever changing to grab their attention and draw on their interest. 

I look forward to getting to know the students better through their interest in books. 

See you in the library!

Mrs O'Brien

Parent Forum

Parent Forum Meeting

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.

Silent Disco and Welcome BBQ
Our silent disco and welcome BBQ will be on Monday 11th March at 5pm at the school. We look forward to a great night to welcome our new families to our school community. Food will be available for purchase, run by the parent forum on the night- eftpos and cash payments available. Headsets will be available to purchase via the events tab in compass in the coming weeks. If sibling require a heaset please contact the office before making payment on compass.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Lauren Kirkland - Chairperson of the Parent Forum

Community Notices