2025-14 Newsletter - Term 3 Week 7

Principal's Message

As we reach the end of another busy and rewarding term, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work of our students and staff at St Joseph’s. This term has been filled with learning, creativity, and growth, and I am so proud of the effort, determination, and spirit shown by our children in both their classrooms and in the many extra opportunities they have embraced.

One of the most exciting highlights this term has been our preparation for The Billabong Prank, our upcoming school musical. The buzz of rehearsals, set designs, costuming, and singing has filled the school with energy and anticipation. These kinds of experiences are not only fun but also build confidence, teamwork, and lasting memories for our students. I thank our dedicated staff for the many extra hours they have committed to ensure this is a success, and I look forward to sharing this joyful performance with you all.

At St Joseph’s, we are blessed to have strong partnerships with our families. Parents are our most important partners in education, and it is through your encouragement, presence, and support that our students thrive. A successful school community is built on mutual respect, open communication, and a shared commitment to the wellbeing and learning of our children. I am deeply grateful for the way our families walk alongside us in nurturing each child’s journey.

Looking ahead, planning for 2026 is already well underway. This includes careful consideration of staffing structures to ensure that the learning needs of every student continue to be met, as well as welcoming our new 2026 Kindergarten students. Meeting these new families and beginning their St Joseph’s story is always a time of excitement and promise for the future.

It truly is an exciting time at St Joseph’s. Together, as students, staff, and families, we continue to grow as a community where faith, learning, and care for one another shine at the heart of all we do.

Warm regards,
Simone Taylor
Principal

Reflection

May we be inspired to be courageous, generous, and loving.

May we see Christ in every person we meet, and may we be instruments of God’s justice and peace in our world.

Social Justice Sunday is an annual observance in Australia, held on the last Sunday of August. In 2025, it falls on August 31st. It is a day for reflection, advocacy, and action on pressing social issues to advocate for fairness, promote equality, and support those in need.

The theme of this year’s statement, Signs of Hope on the Edge: Serving homeless people with mental ill-health.

We are invited to make a choice: not to walk past, but to walk with. Not just to give, but to build relationships. Not to look away, but to look with love.

As a school community, let us commit to living out the Gospel message — to notice, to welcome, and to share the hope of Christ with all people, especially those who feel pushed to the edges of society.

Year 4 CSYMI Day with LaSalle Academy Lithgow

CONNECTION & UNITY RETREAT DAY WITH YEAR 4

La Salle Academy's Year 9 CSYMI (Catholic Schools Youth Ministry International) led the Year 4 Connection and Unity Retreat Day at La Salle Academy. With great enthusiasm and faith, they guided the younger students through a series of reflective, creative, and prayerful activities.The day was filled with joy, reverence, and meaningful encounters, as the Year 9 students served as role models of faith, sharing their own experiences and fostering a deeper understanding of the importance of connection and friendship.

Year 4 students are to be congratulated on their engagement and behaviour on this day, which made for a very enjoyable experince for all students. 

Emmanuel Worship Excursion

Congratulations to our Year 4–6 girls on their wonderful engagement and contribution to the Emmanuel Worship Concert in Blayney recently. This was a valuable opportunity for the girls to build friendships, grow in their faith, and experience the joy of a live worship concert.

We thank Bathurst Catholic Education for providing this special experience for our students. We are also especially grateful to Miss Burke and Mrs Taylor for accompanying and supporting the students, and for making this excursion possible.

Appreciation from St Vincent's Parish

We recently received a letter of thanks from the St Vincent’s Parish Finance Committee, expressing their appreciation for the donation made by our school. The funds were raised through our Milo & Soup Days and will be used to support the ongoing maintenance of the Parish buildings.

Please see their letter of thanks below.

Attendance

The Importance of School Attendance

Regular attendance at school is essential for every child’s learning and wellbeing. At St Joseph’s School, we ask that all students attend every day unless they are genuinely unwell. Consistent attendance helps children build strong learning foundations, develop positive habits, and stay connected with their peers and teachers.

Please remember, it is a requirement that all explanations for student absences are provided in writing through the Compass Parent Portal. This is also a legal obligation and must be completed within 7 days of the absence. Explanations received after this timeframe cannot be accepted, and the absence will be recorded as unexplained in the official school register.

As good practice, if your child is absent, we encourage you to submit the explanation as soon as possible—ideally before the absence or immediately after receiving the 10am SMS notification.

We thank you for your co-operation in ensuring accurate attendance records and supporting your child’s education.

Pupil Free Day - Monday 22nd September

A reminder that Monday 22nd September is a pupil-free day for staff development. Staff will be attending professional development on this day and there will be no supervision at school. Teaching Staff will spend the day with presenter Jan Mendham and Support Staff will continue their online learning modules on the Teacher - Aide Online Learning Platform.  

As part of our ongoing commitment to high-quality teaching and learning, we have set aside several Staff Development Days across 2025. These pupil-free days provide valuable opportunities for staff to participate in professional learning that directly supports student outcomes and school improvement.

We understand families appreciate advance notice to help with planning, and we aim to schedule these days in a way that is both practical and purposeful. In some cases, dates are shaped by the availability of expert facilitators working with our team.

The following Staff Development Days for 2025 have been approved by Catholic Education – Diocese of Bathurst and are published on the 2025 Compass Calendar:

• Monday 22nd September – Science and Technology Syllabus

• Thursday 18th & Friday 19th December – Strategic Direction, Planning and Training

Thank you for your continued support as we invest in the professional growth of our staff.

Diocesan Athletics Representation

Congratulations to Amitty (Long Jump & 800m Track), Noah (Discus), and Max (200m Track) who proudly represented our school at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival in Dubbo. We are so proud of their outstanding sportsmanship, determination, and athletic skill on the day.

A big thank you also goes to their families for supporting them in achieving this representative honour, and to the Diocesan team managers for their organisation and guidance throughout the event.

Well done, Amity, Noah, and Max – what a wonderful achievement!

La Salle Academy Taster Day

La Salle Academy welcomed Year 5 students from local primary schools for a special 'Taste of High School Day'! They enjoyed a fun day of high school life, from making fire bubbles in Science, feeding the sheep and meeting the goat in Agriculture, testing their creativity in Graphics by building towers, and hands-on activities in Religion.It was a day filled with lots of smiles, fun, and new experiences. It gave the Year 5 students a wonderful chance to see how La Salle Academy offers a safe, caring and fun environment with great opportunities for every student.

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

The past two weeks in K/1/2 have been filled with learning, creativity, and excitement!

In Creative Arts, students have been exploring different ways to express themselves through painting, drawing, and craft. These activities not only develop fine motor skills but also encourage imagination, problem-solving, and confidence in sharing ideas with others.

A special highlight has been our Spring Blossom Trees. Using a combination of painting and collage techniques, students captured the beauty of the changing seasons. This task encouraged careful, detailed work while celebrating the bright colours of spring. It also linked beautifully to our Religion lessons, where we have been learning about the Creation Story and reflecting on the wonder of the natural world.

The students have also been busy preparing for the upcoming school musical. Together, they have been learning the words and actions to the songs, practising rhythm, and building performance confidence. Singing as a group fosters teamwork, memory, and listening skills, while also giving every student the chance to shine on stage.

In Mathematics, our focus has been on grouping. Through hands-on games, number stories, and concrete materials, students are strengthening their understanding of number concepts, developing problem-solving strategies, and discovering that maths can be both fun and engaging.

In English, we explored how illustrations add meaning to a text. Students created their own short stories where illustrations were the main way of telling the story. This allowed them to combine creativity with literacy, while building an understanding of how words and visuals work together.

Looking ahead, we are beginning a new unit on letter writing and persuasive texts. To make it fun, the students will be writing letters to convince me to get a classroom pet of their choice. I can’t wait to hear their reasons—who knows, by the end of the unit I might just be convinced we need a class goldfish, a turtle, or even a pet HIPPO!

It has been a wonderful fortnight of growth and learning, and we are so proud of the enthusiasm and effort the K/1/2 students bring to every activity!

Mrs Slattery

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

In Geography, we are learning about how to minimise waste both at school and at home. One way we are focusing on this is by looking at our lunchboxes. Here are some simple tips for making our lunchboxes more waste-free:

• Use reusable containers instead of plastic wrap or snap-lock bags.

• Bring a reusable drink bottle instead of single-use cartons or bottles.

• Pack whole fruits (like apples or bananas) instead of pre-packaged fruit cups.

• Choose snacks in bulk and portion them into containers instead of buying individually wrapped packets.

• Avoid single-use cutlery by packing reusable forks and spoons.

• Encourage children to bring home leftovers instead of throwing them away at school.

NED KELLY PROJECTS

Congratulations to all students who completed their Ned Kelly projects. They were all wonderfully done, and it is easy to see that everyone worked hard on their research. In Week 10, we will be presenting these to the class.

Mrs Bettison 

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

A Cheery Hello from Year 5/6

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Steady Hand Game
The students had to work in small groups and design and create a steady hand game to demonstrate their understanding of how an electrical circuit works. First, we looked at a simple circuit and how to make a light bulb turn on and off. We then added a switch to the circuit to even further understand the science behind a light turning on and off.
The students then constructed a simple steady hand game using their simple circuits, wire, lights and/or a buzzer and foam. The result was a lot of fun but very active learning in our classroom last week.

THE BILLABONG PRANK

The class is enthusiastically getting into the rhythm of rehearsals for our whole school musical. Costume notes were sent home this week, and we encourage families to reach out if you have any questions regarding costumes.

CANBERRA EXCURSION

This exciting event is just around the corner! Next week, our Year 6 students, accompanied by Miss Burke and Mrs Taylor, will join the staff and students of St Patrick’s School Lithgow on their big adventure to our nation’s capital. We wish them a safe and memorable trip and look forward to hearing all about their experiences when they return in Week 10. A special thank you to St Patrick’s School Lithgow for their wonderful organisation of this excursion.

Mrs Nicholson 

Wellbeing Report

Recently, the students celebrated International Friendship Day.

Each student completed writing tasks about the importance of friends and then made wind spinners, a fun craft activity that promoted creativity, uniqueness and happiness. The wind spinners were then displayed in the trees at the front of the Infant’s Playground. There is a lot of traffic around that area so many people, locals and non locals, got to see what a wonderful small school we have, that is based on strong friendships not just with classmates but with students from other classes as well.

Mrs Nicholson 

Wellbeing Officer 

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Child Safety - Child Safe Standards

At St Joseph’s, the safety and wellbeing of every child is at the heart of all we do. As part of our commitment to the Child Safe Standards, we are continually seeking feedback from families on how we can continue to strengthen our practices.

Standard 3 – Family and Community Involvement highlights the vital role parents and carers play in creating a safe, supportive environment for children. We warmly invite you to share your ideas, suggestions, or concerns about how our school can improve child safe practices.

Your input will help us ensure that St Joseph’s remains a place where every child is respected, protected, and able to flourish.

📧 Please email your feedback to stjosephportland@bth.catholic.edu.au or speak directly with our Principal.

Together, we can continue to build a strong, child-safe community.

Child Protection Week

eSafety Child Protection Week is part of Australia's National Child Protection Week (NCPW), which will take place from Sunday, 7 September to Saturday, 13 September 2025. Organised by the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), NCPW encourages Australians to transform conversations into action to safeguard children's well-being. The 2025 theme is "Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action," emphasizing that meaningful dialogue can lead to real, protective change at all level

Community Information