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,

Semester 1 Reports

Semester 1 academic reports for students in Pre-Primary through to Year 6 will be available via SEQTA Engage on Thursday, 2 July.

To access these reports, please log in using your existing SEQTA Engage credentials. We recommend that you check your login details prior to the release date to ensure smooth access.

A set of instructions can be found with this newsletter.

If you experience any difficulties, please contact the school office for assistance. While reports provide an important snapshot of student progress, please remember that our teachers are always available to discuss your child’s learning at any time.

First Communion Celebration

A wonderful First Communion was celebrated on Sunday. We congratulate Zenneth and Lemuel, who received the Body and Blood of Christ for the first time.

The boys demonstrated great reverence and were a credit to their school, parish, and families.

We extend our sincere thanks to Father Ernest for leading the liturgy. His gentleness and wisdom are greatly valued within our community. We also thank Sister Julianne, whose energy and creativity brought everything together so beautifully.

New Three-Year-Old Programme

We are delighted to announce that St Joseph’s will be introducing a Three-Year-Old Programme, commencing next term.

This exciting initiative reflects our commitment to supporting families and providing high-quality early learning opportunities within our community. The programme has been thoughtfully designed to nurture young learners in a warm, safe, and engaging environment, fostering confidence, independence, and a love of learning.

Through a play-based approach, children will learn through exploration, creativity, and social interaction. Our experienced and caring staff will support each child’s social, emotional, and early academic development at their own pace. A range of structured and unstructured activities will allow children to build friendships, develop language skills, and engage in meaningful, hands-on learning.

Further details can be found on the flyer accompanying this newsletter.

Community Invitation – NAIDOC Week Liturgy

You are warmly invited to join our school community for a whole-school liturgy in celebration of NAIDOC Week.

🗓 Tuesday, 30 June

⏰ 9:30am

📍 School multi purpose room

This special gathering will include an opportunity for our community to learn and pray the Sign of the Cross in Miriwoong language, fostering cultural awareness, respect, and inclusion.

All students will receive an icy pole, and we invite families and community members to stay afterwards for a morning tea.

We wish all families a wonderful weekend.

Warm regards,

Greg Green

Principal

Dear God,

Thank You for helping us learn, grow, and try our best each day. Thank You for our teachers who guide us and for our families who care for us.

As we receive our reports, help us to feel proud of the things we have done well and brave about the things we still need to improve.

Teach us to keep trying, to never give up, and to always do our best.

Help us to be kind, helpful, and respectful to everyone we meet. May we use what we learn to make the world a better place.

Amen.

Save the Date!

Students from Year 2 to Year 6 are participating in the St Joseph’s annual fun run in Mirima National Park on 30 June 2026.

Students participate in the event in a staggered start.

10:45am Yr 2

11:05am Yr 3

11:25am Yr 4

11:45am Yr 5

12:05pm Yr 6

12:25pm Whole School Lunch provided by the P&F

The Fun Run is not about winners, but helping classmates finish and achieve goals, by support and cooperation. Each class will be scored, as a total time for the circuit. So, the object is to help your classmates over the line!

Volunteers are always welcome. Please contact steve.italiano@cewa.edu.au if you wish to volunteer on the day. Students will need closed in shoes to participate and must remember to bring their hat and water bottle.

Students in Kindy to Year 1 will be participating in a fun run at St Joseph’s school on 1 July 2026. These children have been running a track around the school during their PE lessons. This informal race will start at 1:45pm for those parents wishing to watch. Please see map below.

By Favor Mayom and Joffrey Lada

On Wednesday, June 10th St Joseph's School held its first Student Council Meeting for the year.

Student Council meetings give students a chance to have a voice.

The meeting was chaired by the school captains. Each class from Year 1-6 had 2 representatives who presented what they thought was working well in our school, plus improvements that could be made.

The first meeting was very positive, and we gathered valuable information to present to Mr Greg.

The Student Council reports that our school is a safe, respectful, and inclusive place where positive behaviours are clearly visible.

Students highlighted that:

• The school is clean, with students taking responsibility for picking up rubbish
• Kind words are used, and there is a strong expectation of no swearing
• Students follow uniform expectations, including wearing hats and shoes
• The “hands up” rule is recognised and respected in classrooms
• The no tackling policy is working well, supporting safe play

Students also noted strong social behaviours:

• Everyone is encouraged to join in games and activities
• New students and visitors are warmly welcomed
• There is a strong sense of helping each other
• Good manners are common across the school
• Bullying is not tolerated
• Respect is seen as very important in all interactions

Overall, the council recognises that our school community demonstrates a high level of care, inclusion, and mutual respect.

First Eucharist: Term 2 Year 5 children

This term, all classes are covering a unit of work on the Eucharist as part of the Religious Education Program. On Sunday 7th June we will celebrate First Eucharist for families who wish for their children to receive the Sacrament.

A note has been sent home to all families identifying as Catholics on our records.

Confirmation with Bishop Tim: Term 3 Year 6 children

First Reconciliation: Term 4 Year 4 children

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.

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

Weekday Mass times are Wednesday and Friday at 5.30pm.

On Sundays, Children’s Liturgy is 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 Friday

7.40am to 2.00pm

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

7.40am to 2.00pm

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.”