St Joseph's School Newsletter

Inspired by Mary MacKillop, we strive to achieve excellence in education and pastoral care, foster well being, develop strong values and include all cultures and community members.

Following Jesus' example, we support all cultures and needs by building trusting relationships and fostering high expectations that inspire and empower our children to be compassionate, lifelong learners.

Dear Parents and Carers,

It’s been another busy and rewarding fortnight at St Joseph’s, with plenty happening across our school community to share in this week’s newsletter.

We welcome Lewin (4YOK), Isabella (4YOK), Zuri (3YOK), Edith (3YOK) and their families to our school community. It’s always nice to see new faces at St Joseph’s PS!

Confirmation: A big congratulations to Elle-Rose, Indianna, Janette, Joffrey and Ms Sarah who were confirmed into the Catholic church on Tuesday night. It was a beautiful celebration with Bishop Tim from Broome and Fr Ernest. These occasions in our school are always so graciously organised by Sister Julianne. A big thank you to Sister for her hard work and to Megan Hawkins for having the children so well prepared.

Photography: We are hoping to capture some quality promotional photographs of our students around the school during the school day. If we have any parents or members of our school community with a passion for photography who would be willing to donate an hour or so of their time, we would be incredibly grateful. If you are interested in helping, please contact me directly at peter.omara@cewa.edu.au

Athletics Carnival: Our Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday, 4 September, with events commencing at 8:00am sharp. We encourage all students to arrive on time, so they don’t miss any of their scheduled events.

An email from Mr Steve will be sent home shortly with information about parent and carer volunteering, along with a program of events for the day. Please note that the times listed in the program are a guide only. If we are running ahead of schedule, we will continue with events rather than wait for the scheduled time, helping us to complete as much of the carnival as possible before the heat of the day.

Students will be provided lunch. We are very grateful for the school P&F who will provide lunch for the children. There will be no cost to families. Ms Kelly in the canteen will be cooking chicken and salad wraps for the students. If your child does not like chicken and salad wraps, please pack them a regular lunch.

Girls’ Soccer: On Wednesday, girls from Years 4–6 represented St Joseph’s at a local soccer competition. The team played brilliantly, making it all the way to the final, where they were narrowly defeated by a Year 8 team. Well done, girls. An amazing effort!

Book Week: Our Book Week parade will be Wednesday, September 2nd at 8:00am. It is always lots of fun and parents are more than welcome.

Mr Peter O’Mara

Principal

PP/Yr 1B have been busy exploring Science and Design Technologies this term! We have been learning all about different materials and exploring what they are used for. The kids have been busy building boats and designing and making their own shirts using a range of materials.

The kids have also been enjoying experimenting and playing in our mud kitchen. They have been making potions, pretending to bake, and doing their own experiments using the items in the mud kitchen. Messy play is the best!

PP/Yr 1 have been reading Jack and the beanstalk and learning about procedure writing. We are improving on our reading and writing skills, and the children are now learning to Spell CV and CVC words!

During HASS and Art, the children have been exploring Geography and discovering more about their world and places around the globe. They have made some beautiful drawings and artwork, expressing their ideas and creating meaningful pieces that connect to their learning.

First Reconciliation: Term 4 Year 4 children date TBA

Children at St Joseph's school will be prepared for Sacraments as part of their Religious Education program.

Families who have children not at St Joseph's school, and wish to be included in the sacrament, can contact Sr Julianne. We have preparation programs that can be done at home with family, or by meeting with Sr Julianne after school hours for preparation.

Missed Sacraments:

We are aware that some children have missed Sacraments in previous years due to absence, sickness, moving house, etc. This is not a problem and can be catered for as part of the program.

Baptism:

Fr Ernest is available for Baptisms at any time throughout the year. Baptismal forms can be collected at the school office and returned to Sr Julianne with a preferred date, or by contacting Fr Ernest directly. Please also let family and friends know about baptisms. Early next term, we will have Baptisms at Mirima.

Mass is held each weekend at St Vincent Pallotti Church on Saturdays 5:30 pm and Sundays at 8:30am.

Weekday Mass times are Wednesday and Friday at 5.30pm.

On Sundays, Children’s Liturgy is sometimes included during Mass.

Fr Ernest is available for Reconciliation on any day, usually from about half an hour before Mass.

When possible, each class will visit the Juniper Aged Care Facility to share an activity with the residents (e.g., singing, Lego, painting, reading, etc.). A permission form and additional information will be sent home prior to the visit.

Term 1: Monday 2 February - Thursday 2 April

Term 2: Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July

Term 3: Tuesday 21 July - Friday 25 September

Term 4: Tuesday 13 October - Friday 11 December

Friday 27 February

Tuesday 3 March

Tuesday 2 June

Monday 20 July

Monday 12 October

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

7.40am to 2.00pm

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

7.40am to 2.00pm

The School Bus leaves at 7.00 am each morning, to pick up children in town.

At Approximately, 7.30, the bus then goes out to Ranch, Reserve & Garden areas.

Children MUST be out the front ready for the bus. With an increase in bus numbers this year, even a one-minute delay at each stop—such as children searching for shoes—can significantly extend the bus run time.

Please ensure that an adult is visible at home when we drop children off at the end of the day, otherwise this can delay the bus with staff having to get out and knock on the door or make phone calls to find you. Just a simple wave to the bus driver is all we need.

St Joseph’s white school bus only

Old Town students: 7.00 -7.30am

Ranch, Reserve & Garden students: 7.30-7.40am

Role of the Director General

Schools are required to publish information about the role of the Director General and the following is recommended: “The Director General of the Department of Education is responsible for ensuring that the school observes the registration standards, including the standard about its complaints handling system. Any student, parent or community member is entitled to contact the Director General with concerns about how the school has dealt with a complaint. Information is available on the Department of Education website. While the Director General may consider whether the school has breached the registration standards, she does not have power to intervene in a complaint or override the school’s decision.”