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,

Welcome back to Term 3!

I hope the children had a lovely holiday. They seem refreshed, settled and ready for a big term. There are several things that the school community – parents & cares, staff and students should be looking forward to this term. I take this opportunity to look forward to the things that lay ahead.

School Fete: Our Parents and Friends are excited to be organising a School Fete on Friday, 28 August, from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm at St Joseph’s PS. This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase our students and school while welcoming the wider Kununurra community into our grounds. Please save the date—more information about activities, entertainment, and how you can get involved will be shared in the coming weeks.

2027 Enrolments: We are now taking enrolments for Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten for 2027. Please see Ms Georgie and Ms Ainslee in the front office for information.

4-Year-Old Kindergarten Enrolments

Eligible children: born between 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023.

3-Year-Old Kindergarten Enrolments

Eligible children: children who have turned 3 are welcome to attend.

Athletics Carnival: The Athletics Carnival will be Friday, 4 September, commencing at 8:00 am, for students from Four-Year-Old Kindergarten to Year 6. Students will participate in individual athletics events and team games. A call for parent helpers will be sent out shortly, and we would greatly appreciate your support.

A big thank you to Mr Steve and Ms Ainslee who are busy organising the Athletics Carnival for the students. Ms Ainslee continues to work in the office but joins us as a teacher this term. She is teaching on Thursday in the Pre Primary / One classroom.

Have a great weekend!

Mr Peter O’Mara

Principal

Dear God,

Thank you for the beautiful Kimberley weather and for the warmth of the sun and clear skies. Help us to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings and be grateful for the wonderful place in which we live. May we care for this beautiful land and all those who call the Kimberley home.

Amen.

Confirmation with Bishop Tim: Term 3, Tuesday 25th August, Year 6 children and adults

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

Thursday

7.40am to 2.00pm

Dear Parents and Families,

Our Pre-Primary/Year 1 class is excited to be running the Bake Sale at this year's School Fete, and we would love your support to help make it a success!

There are lots of ways you can get involved:

• Donate homemade baked goods such as cakes, slices, muffins, biscuits, cupcakes or other sweet treats.
• Donate baking supplies or packaging materials such as paper bags, cupcake boxes or cellophane bags.
• Spread the word by inviting family and friends to come along and support the Bake Sale on the day.

To help us plan, please let me know if you are able to:

• Bake something to donate

• Donate packaging or supplies

All baked goods will need to be clearly labelled with the ingredients used so that we can safely cater for families with allergies.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our class to raise funds while bringing our school community together. Every contribution, big or small, is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your support. We can't wait to see you at the fete!

Kind regards,

Miss Jess"

The Year 5/6 students are seeking donations of small items that will fit inside jars for the upcoming school fete. Please note that we do not require any jars, as we already have plenty.

Donations could include:

• Hair ties and hair accessories
• Lollies and chocolates
• Biscuits
• Small notepads and pencils
• Dried fruit and nuts
• Soaps, body wash and other toiletries
• Candles
• Kids' novelty items
• Other small gift items that fit into a jar

We greatly appreciate your support and generosity. Thank you for helping make our fundraiser a success!

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.”