Week 4 - Term 3 Newsletter 2025

Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,

It’s been a week full of curiosity, creativity, and celebration at St Joey’s! From sparking imaginations through our Science Week activities to getting ready for the magic of Book Week, there’s been a wonderful buzz of learning across the school. Here’s a look at what’s been happening and some exciting events still to come.

Book Week – Parade & Book Fair
Next week marks the start of National Book Week – a special time to celebrate the joy of reading and the magic of books. Our Book Fair will run all week, before and after school, with a fantastic selection of books for all ages. This is a great chance to nurture a love of reading at home while supporting our school, and we encourage families to visit the library and take a look.

Our annual Book Parade will be held on Friday 22nd August at 2:00pm. Students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book characters – always a highlight of the year. We can’t wait to see the creative costumes and look forward to welcoming families to join in the fun and excitement of Book Week. Mr Layland will also be giving a clue a day to see which students can correctly guess his character costume!

Science Week Activities
This week, our school was buzzing with excitement as students celebrated Science Week with a variety of hands-on activities. From building and testing models to conducting fascinating experiments, the afternoon was filled with opportunities to explore, discover, and create.

It was wonderful to see so many parents join us – your enthusiasm and support made the experience even richer for our young scientists. A big thank you to our classroom teachers for their preparation and for inspiring a lasting love of science in our students.

Public Speaking Competition & School Spelling Bee
We’re excited to share that further details will be coming soon about two much-loved events – the Clarence Public Speaking Competition (Years 3–6) and our Annual School Spelling Bee (Kindergarten to Year 6). These events are a great way to celebrate our students’ talents and highlight the importance of building strong literacy skills, especially in speaking, listening, and spelling.

While full information will be sent via Compass soon, please pop these dates in your calendar:

• Tuesday 9th September – Public Speaking School Finals
  
  
• Thursday 18th September – Spelling Bee Finals
  
  

We look forward to the enthusiasm these events always bring and appreciate your support in encouraging our students to give their best.

Parent Forum Meeting – Tuesday 19th August

I warmly invite all parents and carers to join us for our next Parent Forum meeting, to be held in the school library on Tuesday 19th August at 5:00pm.

The Parent Forum is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other families, share ideas, and be part of discussions that help shape our school community. Your voice and perspective are so valuable, and the decisions and initiatives that grow from these conversations ultimately benefit our children—helping create the best possible learning environment and experiences for them.

Whether you’re a regular attendee or coming along for the first time, you’ll be most welcome. We hope to see you there!

Kind regards

Lou Senz

Upcoming School Dates

• Mon 18th-Fri 22nd August - Book Week (Week 5)
  
• Tues 19th August 5pm - Parent Forum Meeting (Week 5)
  
• Fri 22nd August - Book Week Parade  (Week 5)
• Tue 26th Aug - Dio Athletics  (Week 6)
• Fri 29th Aug - Stage 1 RE Excursion (Week 6)
• Fri 29th Aug - Stage 2 Whiddon Visit (Week 6)
• Tue 2nd -Fri 5th Sept - Stage 3 Camp (Week 7)
  
• Thu 4th Sep - Stage 2 RE Excursion (Week 7)
• Fri 5th Sep - Stage 2 Whiddon Visit (Week 7)
• Fri 12th Sep - Kindy RE Excursion (Week 8)
  

Leader of Learning

Goal Setting: Guiding Students Toward Growth

At St Joseph’s, clear goals are a powerful way to help students take ownership of their learning. Across the school, classes dedicate time for students to set and reflect on personal goals in reading, writing, mathematics, or even social and personal development.

Goal setting supports students to understand where they are, where they are going, and the steps needed to get there. Research shows that students who actively participate in setting and reflecting on their goals are more engaged, motivated, and able to monitor their own progress.

Each child’s goals are unique, reflecting their strengths and learning needs. This personalised approach allows teachers to differentiate learning and ensures every student can make meaningful progress.

Through goal setting, students develop essential skills for lifelong learning: planning, persistence, reflection, and self-assessment. Whether improving academic skills or pursuing personal or social growth, this process encourages resilience, ownership, and confidence.

It’s exciting to see students embracing goal setting with enthusiasm, and we look forward to celebrating their progress throughout the term.

Mrs Mclennan

Leader of Mission

First Holy Communion and School Parish Mass

This term, our School Parish Mass and First Holy Communion will be held together on Sunday, 8th September at 8:30am in St. Mary’s Catholic Church Maclean. Our First Holy Communicants have been preparing over the last four weeks, making their First Reconciliation and taking part in a number of preparation classes. The final step in their preparation will be a Reconciliation refresher on Friday, 6th September. All students, family and friends are warmly invited to attend Mass and be part of this very special sacrament.

This year, our First Holy Communicants are;

• Cooper Want
• Oliver Want
• Kahiah Cook.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              This Mass will be led by our staff and students. If your child would like to assist in the Mass, please let me know by emailing louise.senz@lism.catholic.edu.au The following roles are available; Hospitality, Reader 1 and 2, Responsorial Psalm and Prayers of the Faithful. 

Solemnity of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Today, 15th August we celebrated The Solemnity of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by attending Mass. The Assumption is when we remember how at the end of her life Mary was taken up to heaven to be with God and to be reunited with her son, Jesus.

Mary is very special because she was chosen by God to be the mother of God’s son, Jesus. And Mary said yes to all that God asked of her.

Mary is our spiritual mother, too, because we are members of the Church. When she died, God took her straight to heaven, body and soul. In Heaven, Mary prays to Jesus on our behalf. She takes our prayers straight to Jesus and is always praying for our needs.

Pilgrims of Hope - Acts of Mercy

As part of our Jubilee Year journey, the next step for our Pilgrims of Hope is to bring hope alive through acts of mercy. Hope isn’t just something we feel inside—it’s something we share with others through kindness and service.

Inspired by the message that “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5), we encourage our students and families to look for ways to show care and compassion in everyday life. Whether it’s helping a friend, supporting those in need, or simply being kind in small ways, each action makes a difference.

Over the coming weeks, we invite everyone to reflect: How can I be a pilgrim of hope by showing mercy to others?

Together, let’s bring the spirit of the Jubilee alive in our community—one kind act at a time!

Mercy In Action Award

This week, we are proud to present our esteemed Mercy in Action award to Penny Chapman. Penny receives this award in recognition of consistently demonstrating Courage. Penny takes part in class and extracurricular activities, even when it means stepping out of her comfort zone. In her role as School Captain, she has led with kindness and determination, showing that courage is not about never feeling shy or scared, but about giving your best and stepping forward anyway. Her willingness to try, her positive attitude, and her commitment to our school community make her a true example of Mercy in action.

Mrs Senz

Class Awards

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

Principal Awards

Class Awards

Front Office

Class News - Year 1

Year 1 has had an exciting and busy start to the term! We began with a special visit to the Maclean Library, where we explored a range of non-fiction texts. Students loved discovering fascinating facts and gathering ideas to inspire their own writing as budding authors.

We celebrated our Science Week afternoon full of creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on learning. Our Egg Drop Challenge was a big success, with students working in teams to design and build protective contraptions for their eggs. It was amazing to see them apply teamwork, critical thinking, and creative ideas to their designs — and even more exciting to watch all the eggs survive the big drop! 

We finished our Science afternoon celebrations with the Marshmallow & Spaghetti Tower Challenge. The laughter, concentration, and teamwork on display were wonderful to witness. A huge thank you to all our families who joined us for the afternoon — your support and enthusiasm make these moments even more special for our students.

Miss Stokes

Pastoral Care - School Counsellor

HELPING OUR KIDS DEVELOP A GROWTH MINDSET

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, good strategies, and learning from mistakes. When children have a growth mindset, they’re more willing to try new things, persist when challenges arise, and see setbacks as part of the learning process.

Why it matters:
Children with a growth mindset tend to be more resilient, confident, and motivated to keep learning - even when things feel tricky.

How parents can help:

• Praise effort, not just results - Recognise hard work, persistence, and creative problem-solving.
• Normalise mistakes - Share times when you’ve made mistakes and what you learned from them.
• Use “yet” - If your child says “I can’t do this,” add the word “yet” to remind them they’re still learning.
• Celebrate challenges - Frame challenges as opportunities for the brain to grow stronger.
• Ask learning-focused questions - Instead of “Did you win?” try “What did you learn?” or “What will you try next time?”

By encouraging a growth mindset at home, you give your child the confidence to approach life’s ups and downs with curiosity, persistence, and optimism.

If you’d like to discuss more strategies for developing a growth mindset I can be contacted at the school on Wednesdays and Thursdays and can also be contacted via jessica.jones@lism.catholic.edu.au

Jess Jones - School Counsellor

Pastoral Care - School Chaplain

SRC Funday-  Talent Show!

The SRC is excited to announce that this term's Funday will feature a Talent Show! Sign-ups are now open, and finalists will be notified soon.

Rehearsals will run from Week 5 to Week 9, and it is expected that all participants attend every session in order to perform on the day. No changes to acts will be accepted after Week 6.

Finalists’ families will also be notified. This fun initiative has been led entirely by our students, we’re so proud of their creativity and leadership!

Life of a St Joseph’s Swiftie

Exciting news for Taylor Swift fans, she has announced her 12th studio album, Life of a Showgirl!

Our St Joseph’s Swifties celebrated in style, wearing orange and green accessories, enjoying Taylor’s greatest hits, and indulging in matching orange and green lollies, and even painted their nails to match the theme. 

A great way to celebrate friendship, music, and joy!

Father’s Day- Burger Lunch 

We’re looking forward to celebrating Father’s Day with a special Burger lunch for all our dads, grandfathers, and the important men in our lives.

Keep an eye out over the coming weeks for more details on how to be involved in this meaningful event.

Juana Mead - Student Wellbeing Officer

School Sport

As always, there’s a lot of excitement happening in the world of sport here at Joey's!

I’d like to start by sharing some important information attached about the Yamba Basketball Competition and the Auskick AFL After-School Sports Program. It would be wonderful to see some of our Joey’s getting involved in these initiatives, as they offer fantastic opportunities to forge friendships, develop fundamental movement skills, and ultimately instill healthy habits in our students.

In addition, we’ve created a Student Wall of Sport outside Stage 3, and we would love to include photos of students from across the school playing sport. This way, we can showcase representation from all grades on the wall. Please send me any photos you have of your children participating in sports so they can be featured.

The AFL program at school has been a huge hit, with all the kids absolutely loving it! We especially want to thank Coach Elliott for her enthusiasm and dedication. Stage 2 (also known as the “Da Bombers”) have earned the award for Best Team Name and Handshake so far, well done!

Recently, Stage 3 and Stage 2 students attended basketball gala days at Yamba during weeks 3 and 4. Our students displayed all the Mercy values in their behaviour both on and off the court, and we had so much fun participating in the events.

Thank you for your continued support in encouraging our students to get active and involved!

Anthony Gilchrist - Sports Coordinator

Digital Technology News

It can be tricky keeping up with your child’s online world — one minute it’s Minecraft, the next it’s Roblox, and suddenly you're learning a whole new language! The digital space is full of exciting opportunities, but it also comes with challenges. 

The eSafety Commission is offering a range of free webinars this term designed specifically for parents and carers. These sessions cover key topics like cyberbullying, parental controls, social media, and online safety for primary-aged students. I encourage you to check out the flyers below and consider joining a session that suits your family’s needs.

Mrs Kinsella

Parent Forum

Thank You – Parent Assembly Puberty Presentation

A big thank you to the Parent Assembly team, Juanita and Chrissie Morrison, for delivering the informative and engaging presentation “A Parent’s Guide to Puberty” at our school on Tuesday, 5th August.

Parents who attended were treated to a light-hearted and practical session filled with valuable information and helpful resources for navigating puberty with their children. As an added bonus, attendees received a complimentary copy of Michelle Mitchell’s book — either A Girl’s Guide to Puberty or A Guy’s Guide to Puberty.

These books are fun, relatable, and designed to help break down the barriers around discussing puberty, making it easier for parents and children to have open, confident conversations.

We are also grateful to the Parent Assembly for kindly donating additional copies of both books to our school library. Families are welcome to borrow them at any time.

If you have ideas for future parent education topics or would like to hear more on other areas, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our Parent Assembly representatives: Belinda Chapman, Bec Upston, or myself.

Lauren Kirkland - Parent Forum Chairperson

Community Notices