2024-07 Newsletter - Term 2 Week 2

From the Principal...

The celebration of Catholic Schools Week last week was a wonderful opportunity for, in the words of our Bishop, Michael McKenna, “renewal and deeper understanding of our faith in Christ and his Church; and its practical implications for our lives and work”.  The activities of the week allowed the community to come together in this common goal.  Time was also taken to ensure all members of the school community recognised the great things our school does every day.  Throughout Catholic Schools Week our students were involved in various activities celebrating our school, opened classrooms and school Assembly.  As a wider school community, we celebrated the week by participating in our Grandparents Mass.  The theme of Catholic Schools Week 2024 has been: Experience the Spirit of Community.  All the events of this past week have ensured that all members of our community have felt the strength of this spirit and know the vital place they each hold in our community.

We look forward to celebrating the Sacrament of First Eucharist this term. Students are preparing for this important step in their faith journey and as a community we will engage with these students to prepare them for this Sacrament to be held on June 2nd at the 8am Sunday Mass. We also look forward to witnessing the Baptism of a number of students this term as they receive this Sacramnent of initiation into the church family. We look forward to working alongside Fr Reynold and St Vincent's Parish who are supporting our students and their families in their preparation for these Sacraments this term. 

In Faith & Truth

Simone Taylor

Reflection...

As we celebrated Mother's Day  last weekend, it was a time for us to pause and reflect on the profound impact that mothers have in our lives and in our faith journey. In the spirit of gratitude and reverence, let us take a moment to honor the incredible women who shape our families, our communities, and our hearts.

Motherhood is a sacred vocation, a calling to selfless love and unwavering devotion. Mothers are the first to cradle us in their arms, to kiss away our tears, and to celebrate our triumphs, guiding us with tenderness and strength along life's journey. Their love knows no bounds, their sacrifices often unseen but deeply felt, their prayers a source of comfort and strength.

In the Gospels, we find numerous examples of the profound love and courage of mothers. From Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who stood at the foot of the Cross with unwavering faith and love, to the countless unnamed women who sought healing for their children with persistence and faith, the stories of mothers remind us of the transformative power of love and the beauty of selfless service.

As a Catholic school community, we are blessed to witness the love of mothers in action each day – in the tireless dedication of our parent volunteers, in the gentle guidance of our teachers and staff, and in the countless acts of kindness and compassion. We are reminded that the love of a mother is not limited by blood but extends to all who are in need of care and nurturing.

Let us offer our heartfelt gratitude to all the mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, and mother figures who have touched our lives with their love and grace. Let us remember those mothers who have gone before us, entrusting them to the loving embrace of our Heavenly Mother, Mary.

May we strive to emulate the love, compassion, and faith of the mothers in our lives, and may we always cherish the gift of family and the bonds of love that unite us.

May God bless all mothers abundantly today and always.

School Vision ... What does it mean?

"We at St Joseph's believe that we can provide a faith filled, caring environment where each child is given the best opportunities to grow and develop, while striving for excellence in all areas of learning and building meaningful relationships with Jesus Christ and each other."

A faith-filled caring environment refers to our setting where individuals are supported and nurtured in a manner that reflects the values and beliefs of our christian faith tradition. In our environment, there is an emphasis on compassion, empathy, and respect for all individuals, guided by the principles and teachings of Jesus.

In our faith-filled caring environment, we build  a sense of belonging and purpose, as our students' spiritual and emotional needs are acknowledged and addressed alongside their physical needs. This environment fosters a strong sense of community and interconnectedness, where we support one another through challenges and celebrate each other's joys and successes.

Overall, our faith-filled caring environment strives to create a safe and supportive space where students can grow personally, emotionally, and spiritually, drawing strength and inspiration from our faith and from the care and compassion of those around them.

Catholic Schools Week

As we gathered for celebrate Catholic Schools Week, we honored our two integral pillars of our community: grandparents and mothers. These two groups embody the values of love, sacrifice, and guidance that are at the core of our Catholic faith and our school's mission.

We loved having our grandparents join us in person and remembered those joining us in spirit. We feel grateful for the love and support they provide to our students and families each and every day.

We also celebrated the incredible women who have nurtured and shaped us – our mothers. Mothers hold a special place in our hearts, offering boundless love, encouragement, and guidance. They are our first teachers, our steadfast supporters, and the embodiment of selfless love. 

As we reflected, alongside Fr Reynold, on the significance of grandparents and mothers in our lives, we are reminded also of the words of Pope Francis, who reminds us that "grandparents are a treasure in the family" and that "a society that does not value grandparents is a society without a future." Likewise, let us honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, the ultimate model of motherhood, whose unwavering faith and devotion inspire us to emulate her example of love and humility.

In celebrating Catholic Schools Week, we are reminded of the unique gift of Catholic education – a gift that not only nurtures the mind but also nourishes the soul. It is within these walls that our students learn to embrace the values of faith, service, and community, guided by the loving support of their families, teachers, and community members.

Grandparents Mass/Open Classrooms/Morning Tea

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Contemporary Learning Tabloid / Coolah Cross Country

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Wellbeing Day Out ... so much FUN!

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School Improvement Survey

A reminder that the School Improvement Surveys were distributed to all staff, parents and Yr 5-12 students this week.

Parent and Student Thurs - 8.30am May 2nd

A key point to remind all recipients is that these surveys enable all members of the school community to have a voice. Secondly, the data collected from the surveys provide highly valuable information that directs the school's future planning for continual improvement. Lastly, the surveys will be live for 2 weeks - so as to capture as many respondents as possible.

Coolah Diocesan Cross Country

Congratulations to our student representatives - Grace, Amitty, Blair and Lori,  who travelled to Coolah for the Diocesan Cross Country event yesterday. We are very proud of you and your efforts. Well Done!

Thank you to all parents who supported these students on the day. 

What's happening in K/1/2

Welcome back to a new Term! 

We have certainly started with a busy and fun two weeks celebrating Catholic Schools week, our Grandparents and our Mothers. The children thoroughly enjoyed showing their families their classroom and book work on Wednesday. Thank you to everyone who was able to come. 

The units we are working on this term include the following:

Religion: We are learning more about Easter and how to live like Jesus taught us. We will also explore the seasons of the Church’s year and learn about some of the symbols used in the mass.

English: We continue our spelling, reading and writing programs and will be learning about how authors represent characters in their stories. We will also discuss factual texts and imagined texts and explore how these are different. The students will continue to practise writing compound and complex sentences, and how paragraphs are structured.

Mathematics: 2D shape is a focus this term as well as combining and taking groups away. We will also be learning about how numbers are represented in different ways and place value. 

History: Our History unit this term is called, “Features of Places”. We learn about the importance of maps, creating maps, features of places around us, how the weather affects places, caring for important places and how a geographer uses geographical information and fieldwork to learn about the world around them.

PD/H/PD: Athletics is a big focus! We look forward to participating in the athletics carnival later in the term. 

The Second Step Program will continue and we will learn about strong feelings and problem solving. 

Creative and Practical Arts: During this term we will be learning about print making and sculpting. We will also continue with percussion, singing and drama. 

Things to note: 

• Library day is Thursday. Students need to bring their library books each Thursday so new ones can be borrowed. Mrs Clancy also teaches Science and Technology during this time. 
• Drink bottles need to be brought to school each day. Water is the best drink to help with learning and attention, please check that your child has a drink before coming to school. 
• Painting shirts/smocks will be needed this term. Printmaking can be messy and the paint used isn’t easy to wash from clothes. 

What's happening in 3/4

We may only be in week three of this term but we have been busy in the ¾ room. Thank you
to all the families who came to our open classrooms during Catholic Schools week and took
the time to look at your children’s work. They were all very excited and proud to show off the
work they have done over the school year!
Here is a snap shot of what we will be up to this term:
Religion
This term we have students in Year Three receiving the Sacrament of the First Eucharist.
During Religion lessons we will be helping these students to prepare for this Sacrament and
will learn about the four parts of the Mass.
Mathematics
Topics Year 3 and 4 will be focusing on:
 Geometic measures of length
 Representing numbers using place value
 position
 Addition and Subtraction
 Multiplication
 Volume and Capacity
 Area
English
We are thoroughly enjoying our English units of work, and this term we are focusing on how
an argument may be a single perspective that is presented or defended through studying the
text, Wandi. We will also study the texts, Piano Fingers and Sonam and the Silence, and will
explore how authors use imagery and symbols in literature and identify how figurative
language can influence meaning.
History
This term we are focusing on learning about the importance of Country/Place to Aboriginal
and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples who belong to a local area. We are also investigating
our local community, how it has changed over the years and who contributed to its
development over time. This term we will also use these topics for our next homework
project. Information about this will be given within the next few weeks.
Science
This term for Science we focusing on how solids and liquids change state and the properties
of natural and processed materials during our library lessons with Mrs Clancy
PDHPE
We are continuing to work through our Second Step program for Health. While reinforcing
our skills for learning throughout our day, we will be focusing on empathy, identifying others
feelings and understanding and accepting different perspectives.
With our Athletics Carnival coming up in Week 5, we have been practicing our athletic skills
in the Track and Field events during sport. Next week, Hayden Taylor will be running us
through an Athletics and football clinic.

Whats happening in 5/6

This term we are learning about:

• RELIGION
• The Season of Pentecost
• Confirmation
• GEOGRAPHY
• Factors That Shape Places: biomes, continents, and rainforests and the impact humans have
• SCIENCE
• Solids, Liquids & Gases: reversible and irreversible changes that occur between them
• CREATIVE ARTS
• Christmas Story CEDB Art Competition 2024

The students will be completing two major units of work in English this term. They are learning about author’s purpose, authority, and point of view in the One Small Island unit. The students will also learn about and develop their public speaking skills. They will learn about imagery and connotation in the Spotlight unit.

Maths will see the student’s using games and real-life problems and situations to develop their mathematical skills.

HEALTHY HAROLD

What a worthwhile activity. The students learned about the dangers of vaping and will be creating

posters to dissuade young people from taking up the very harmful habit.

YR 6 FOOTY FUNDRAISER

Thank you to all the students who have joined this year’s fundraiser. Current positions are shown
in the photo below.

Life Education Van

From the Wellbeing Officer

Athletics & Rugby League Clinics

Next Wednesday 22/5 and Thursday 23/5, student may wear their Sports Uniforms. Student will engage in one day of Athletics Clinics and another day of Rugby League Clinics organised by Hayden Taylor.

Hayden is studying K-12 Education with a specialisation in Physical Education at CSU in Bathurst and is an experienced sportsperson. He will deliver clinics to all students next week with the support of the classroom teachers to develop skills in students from K-6. 

We thank Hayden for the organisation of this experience for our students in 2024. 

WOW Day

Wear orange in appreciation of NSW SES Volunteers

Residents of NSW are encouraged to wear something orange on Wednesday, 22nd of May to show their support and appreciation for their local NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) volunteers.

Wednesday 22 of May, 2024 is Wear Orange Wednesday or 'WOW Day'. On this day we encourage communities across Australia to wear orange and thank all SES volunteers across Australia who generously give their time to help communities during flood and storm emergencies.

Thank you to the dedicated volunteers throughout Australia who tirelessly dedicate themselves year-round to safeguard us during our most vulnerable moments. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your efforts in saving lives and protecting communities.

Community Information

Liturgy Roster -NB: Subject to change

Please find attached our School Liturgy Roster for the year. Please note that is is only a guide and may be subject to change. Phone the school office if you wish to check prior to attending Wednesday Masses.