2025-04 Newsletter - Term 1 Week 8

Principal's Report

What a busy and rewarding term it has been so far! As we move into the final weeks of Term 1, I want to take a moment to reflect on the many wonderful things happening across our school.

Firstly, congratulations to our Year 3 and Year 5 students who participated in NAPLAN last week. We are incredibly proud of the calm and focused way they approached the assessments. It’s always encouraging to see our students take on challenges with confidence and a positive attitude.

Last week, we gathered as a school community to celebrate St Joseph’s Day Mass – a truly special occasion for us. It was heartening to see students, staff, and families come together in prayer and reflection as we honoured our patron saint. Thank you to everyone, especially Fr Reynold and our students, who helped prepare such a meaningful celebration. Thank you also to parents who assisted with the organisation of our damper morning tea and sausage sandwiches on Friday when unfortunately our Walkathon had to be postponed.

We’ve also had some fantastic sporting representation this term. Our students have shown great sportsmanship, effort and pride in representing St Joseph’s. Congratulations to all our athletes who have participated so far – we’re cheering you on!

As always, thank you to our staff and families for your ongoing support and partnership. We look forward to finishing the term strongly together.

In Faith & Truth

Simone Taylor

Reflection

Who Was St Joseph? – A Guide for Parents

St Joseph is a very special figure in our Catholic faith and the patron Saint of our school. Though the Bible tells us only a little about him, what we do know teaches us a lot about love, faith, and quiet strength.

Joseph was a carpenter, a hard worker, and the earthly father of Jesus. He was engaged to Mary when he learned that she was expecting a child – and instead of walking away, Joseph listened to God’s message in a dream and chose to stay. He protected and cared for Mary and Jesus with great love, even though life was often uncertain or difficult.

We celebrate the Feast Day of St Joseph’s each year on the 19^th March, honouring his example as someone who found holiness in everyday work. He reminds us that simple actions done with love and care are meaningful and sacred.

How You Can Share St Joseph’s Story at Home:

• Talk about how hard work and kindness matter in your family.
• Reflect on what it means to be a good listener, like Joseph was to God.
• Pray together: “St Joseph, help us to be patient, faithful, and generous in our hearts.”

Prayer to St Joseph
Feast Day: March 19

Dear St Joseph,
You were a gentle, humble man, a faithful husband to Mary and a loving father to Jesus.
You worked hard, prayed deeply, and trusted God in all things.

We ask you to watch over our school community.
Guide us to be kind, honest, and hardworking, just like you.
Help us to care for one another, to show patience and respect,
and to grow in faith and love every day.

St Joseph, protector of families and schools,
pray for us and help us to follow your example.
Amen.

Tour De Cure 2025 - Be Happy, Be Healthy, Be Fit!

St Joseph’s was thrilled to welcome the Tour de Cure team to our school this week as part of their inspiring journey to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

The team shared an important message with our students: Be Happy, Be Healthy, Be Fit! Through an energetic and engaging presentation, students learned about the importance of making healthy choices, staying active, eating well, and looking after their mental wellbeing.

The visit was both fun and meaningful, leaving a lasting impression on our students. We thank the Tour de Cure riders and crew for their positivity, generosity, and the important work they are doing to help create a cancer-free future.

Teacher Professional Learning – The English Block with Louise Dempsey

At St Joseph’s, we are committed to continually improving teaching and learning for our students. Recently, our teachers participated in a professional learning day with Louise Dempsey from The Literacy Place, focusing on The English Block – a research-based approach to teaching reading and writing.

Louise shared practical strategies to help us strengthen students’ skills in comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, writing, and grammar. The English Block model supports explicit teaching, rich discussions, and purposeful writing tasks that build confidence and deepen understanding across all stages.

Our teachers are excited to implement these strategies in the classroom and continue supporting our students to grow as capable, enthusiastic readers and writers.

Football Gala Day – Lithgow

Football Gala Day – Lithgow
On Monday 25th March, three of our students – Blair, James & John,  represented St Joseph’s Portland at the Football Gala Day held in Lithgow. They joined with students from St Joseph’s Oberon to form a combined team, showing great sportsmanship, teamwork, and enthusiasm throughout the day. The boys successfully won all three of their games. Thank you to Principal, Glen Brown , from Oberon for allowing our students to join them for the day and to their parents for supporting their efforts.

It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to meet new friends, improve their skills, and enjoy a day of fun and friendly competition. We are proud of the way they represented our school and thank St Joseph’s Oberon for their support and partnership.

Well done to all involved!

Winter Sports Trials

We wish all the very best to our students, Lexie and Blair who will be representing St Joseph’s at the Bathurst Diocese Winter Sports Trials this Friday.

Lexie  will be trialling for soccer and Blair for rugby league, competing alongside students from across the Diocese for a place in the representative teams.

We are proud of their dedication and sportsmanship and know they will give their best on the day.
Good luck – we’re cheering you on!

Go St Joey’s!

Mudgee Netball Gala Day

Good Luck to Our Senior Girls Netball Team!

We wish our Senior Girls Netball Team all the very best as they head to Mudgee next week to compete in the Netball Gala Day. The team has been training hard and showing great teamwork and dedication.

A big thank you to Brooke Whitelock for helping to preparing the girls, and to Mrs Bettison for her organisation and support in making this opportunity possible.

Good luck, girls – play hard, have fun, and enjoy the experience!

Go St Joey’s!

Pedestrian & Traffic Safety

As we work together to ensure the safety of all students, we kindly remind you to remain vigilant around the school car park. Please take a moment to review these important safety guidelines:

• Collect only your own children from the school gate unless prior arrangements have been made.
• Once children have been dismissed from the school playground, they should stay next to their parents and not run ahead.
• Children should never enter the car park without a parent. It can be extremely difficult for drivers to see small children, making this a very dangerous area.
• Running or playing in the car park is unsafe due to the presence of moving vehicles.

Your cooperation helps keep all our students safe. 

Sunrise - Channel 7 Debut

Congratulations, Max!

We are thrilled to congratulate Max Goodman on making his Channel Seven debut on Sunrise this morning! Max was featured for his outstanding involvement in go-kart racing at Eastern Creek.

Max travels around Australia competing in go-kart events and continues to impress with his skills and determination. Just last weekend, he claimed a fantastic win in the South Pacific Titles — a true testament to his hard work and passion for the sport.

Well done, Max! We can’t wait to see where your racing journey takes you next!

What's Happening..... K/1/2

Over the past two weeks in our English lessons, K/1/2 have been exploring informational texts using A is for Australian Animals: A Factastic Tour by Frane Lessac. This captivating book introduced us to a variety of fascinating Australian creatures while helping us understand how information texts are structured.

As part of our learning journey, students selected the crocodile as their focus animal. Together, we conducted further research to uncover intriguing facts about these powerful reptiles. Using our newfound knowledge, we created eye-catching posters to raise awareness about the dangers associated with crocodiles.

This hands-on project allowed students to engage with research skills, enhance their understanding of nonfiction texts, and apply their creativity in a meaningful way.

What's Happening..... 3/4

Convict Life Homework Project – Weeks 8 & 9
A reminder that for the next two weeks, our homework will focus on exploring the life of a real convict from the First Fleet. Students will research their chosen convict’s crime, punishment, and experiences in the new colony. This is a great opportunity for students to get creative in how they present their findings—whether through a poster, diary entry, comic strip, or another imaginative format. We can’t wait to see their work!

Ship Biscuits – A Taste of the First Fleet
As part of our learning about the conditions on the First Fleet, we explored the types of food convicts would have eaten on their long journey. One of these was “bread”—though not as we know it today! Instead, it was a hard, dry biscuit designed to last for months at sea. We had the chance to taste something similar, and here’s what we thought...The photos say it all!!!

Congratulations Year 3!
A huge well done to our Year 3 students for completing NAPLAN over the past two weeks! We are so proud of your hard work and effort. You should all be very proud of yourselves.

What's Happening..... 5/6

Year 6 GRIP Leadership Conference

Our Year 6 students recently had the incredible opportunity to attend the GRIP Leadership Conference at Bathurst Entertainment Centre today (Wednesday 26^th March), an inspiring event designed to empower young leaders with the skills and confidence to make a positive impact in their school and community.

Throughout the day, students engaged in a series of dynamic workshops and interactive sessions, learning valuable lessons about teamwork, responsibility, and innovative leadership. They explored topics such as leading with integrity, working collaboratively, and taking initiative to create change.

One of the key highlights of the conference was the chance for students to share ideas with other young leaders from different schools, broadening their perspectives and gaining fresh insights into leadership challenges and solutions.

The enthusiasm and participation displayed by our Year 6 students were truly commendable. They returned with a renewed sense of motivation and a host of creative ideas to enhance leadership opportunities within our school.

Congratulations to all students for their outstanding engagement, and we look forward to seeing their leadership skills in action throughout the year!

Year 5 and 6 Science Unit Overview: Food and Fibre Sustainability

This term, our Year 5 and 6 students have been exploring the fascinating world of Food and Fibre Sustainability as part of their science studies. This unit has provided them with valuable insights into where our food and fibre come from, how they are produced, and the importance of sustainable practices in agriculture.

Students have investigated various farming methods, the impact of food choices on the environment, and the role of technology in ensuring a sustainable future. Through hands-on activities, research projects, and engaging discussions, they have developed a deeper understanding of how we can support responsible food and fibre production.

We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm and curiosity our students have shown throughout this unit. Their commitment to learning about sustainability will help them become responsible global citizens who can contribute to a more sustainable future!

Community Information