St Joseph's School, Tara eNewsletter

Our Vision & Mission Statements

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

Term four has begun and everyone has settled back into school after the holidays. Teachers and school officers have been excitedly sharing the learning superpowers that the students have been demonstrating.

Early Christmas Present!

Fees will be issued this week. Thank you to all those who are doing the very best they can to meet their financial commitments.

In challenging financial times, I am very excited to be able to support families in need, with another concession on their 2022 fees. This early Christmas present for struggling families should be received in the next few days. Merry Christmas!

Maintenance & Safety

Over the holidays an automatic bell and alarm system was installed and students and staff are dancing in and out of school to the sounds of All Star by Smash Mouth from the movie Shrek! Everyone hopes the neighbours like it as much as we do!

The school recently received a complete pest control treatment, fire equipment maintenance inspection and a cobweb sweep.

Tallebudgera Camp

Miss Monica and Year 6 students from St. Joseph's and the Tara State Shire College headed off to Tallebudgera on Sunday for a week, jam packed with wonderful activities. There are lots of photos of their adventures on the school facebook page. The campers will return on Friday around 4.30 pm ready for a well deserved rest.

NAPLAN

There have been some impressive 2022 Naplan results for students in Year 3 and 5, especially in the areas of Reading and Maths, our two focus areas. Writing and Grammar are areas for growth and we will continue to develop these over time.

Mental Health Week.

Students and staff will participate in a number of Mental Health activities e.g. resilience lessons, meditation and breathing techniques, mindfulness art, yoga and praying the Joey Rosary.

Wear RED

The St. Joseph's community will wear RED on Day for Daniel, Friday 28th October. Day for Daniel is Australia’s largest child safety education and awareness day. The day is an initiative of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, established in 2005 by Denise and Bruce, following the tragic abduction of their 13 year old son Daniel in December 2003.

In class students will participate in the mandatory Daniel Morcombe program activities to encourage students to Recognise, React, and Report if they ever feel unsafe. Child safety education does not need to be scary. It does need to highlight topics such as recognising body clues, understanding body ownership, naming private body parts and identifying adults who can help if they feel unsafe. Please speak with your child about what they are learning.

Safe Tea Event

Staff and parents are invited to join us at morning tea (10.45 am) on Monday 31 October to talk about safety and how to contribute to making St. Joseph's an even safer environment.

Term 4 Transition Days

In Term 4 there will be three Transition Days! Please book the following dates into your calendar:

Friday 21st October from 8.30-10.30 am.
Thursday 3rd November from 8.30-12.30 pm. Come dressed as a character from the WIZARD of OZ and join in the activities and BOOK FAIR (Get the perfect gift for Christmas)
Friday 18th November from 8.30-2.50 pm.

2023-2024 Interviews & Enrolments

The next round of Prep enrolment application interviews will take place over the next three weeks. If you know people who would like to enrol at St. Joseph's in 2023 or 2024, please ask them to get their application to me in the next week or two. We have an amazing learning and wellbeing environment to share with others.

Regards

Mary Porter

"Love one another, each one always, in good or bad..." Mary Mackillop (1973)

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13: 35

Safe Tea Event Invitation

Staff and parents are invited to join us at morning tea (1o.45 am) on Monday 31 October to talk about safety and how to contribute to making St. Joseph's an even safer environment.

From the APRE

P-2 Family Liturgy

Grandparents, parents and carers are warmly invited to join us on Wednesday 19 October at 12.45 pm to celebrate Family with a Liturgy of the Word and a bite to eat. Miss Fisher and P-2 are looking forward to seeing you!

Mission Month

This October, we are celebrating World Mission Month, a month dedicated to the life-giving work of missionaries around the world.

This year, we grow in awareness of the the needs of communities in Ethiopia and do what we can to help.

Pope Francis, in his 2022 World Mission Sunday message, invites everyone to answer the call to be missionary, sharing that "Mission is carried out together, not individually...".

As we learn about the people, the culture and the country of Ethiopia and grow awareness of their basic needs, families may choose for their children to participate in any of the following optional fundraising activities.

OPTIONAL MISSION ACTIVITIES

Games at lunch- Monday 17 October ($2)
HOOPLA-Thursday 20 October ($1= 1 hoop, $2=3 hoops, $5=10 hoops)
Chain Reactions-Wednesday 26 October ($2)
Water Play-Thursday 27 Oct ($3)

Month of the Rosary

During class time this month the teachers will help the students pray an age appropriate rosary such as the Joey or children’s rosary. You might even like to say the Hail Mary together or a decade of the rosary.

Hail Mary full of grace
The lord is with you
Blessed are you among women
And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary
Mother of God
Pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Learning at St Joseph's

Years 3 – 6 Term 4 Newsletter

Welcome to our last term of the year. I have certainly enjoyed being back with the students and have missed them greatly. Thank you to Mr Smith and Ms Fraser for doing a stella job with the students, especially in fostering their core skills and basic facts.

I apologise that I was unable to have three-way interviews with students and parents last term but will reschedule them for this term. Please make sure you return your form to the class so that I can confirm times and dates. These are so valuable for your student’s development and progress. I have the Naplan reports now and will be able to discuss these with parents and students.

This Term will fly, with Year 6 students going on a school camp to Tallebudgera. It will be a great experience and one they will cherish for years. We have exemplary students and I know they will do us proud and importantly have fun. Later in the term we have the school concert and awards night for students to perform, participate and engage in. Finally, we will celebrate and farewell our Year 6 students.

In English, this term we will conclude our work on the novel, ‘Fog a Dox’ and then examine ‘Five Times Dizzy’ by Nadia Wheatley. We will also continue spelling, writing and guided reading lessons to improve not only fluency and accuracy in reading but our comprehension skills. Our Maths units will cover number, fractions and money as well as chance and the collection of data. Our Earthquakes unit in Science, will continue as well as delving into electricity and circuits. Finally in Religion we will be examining Jesus’ New Law, Judaism and the birth of Jesus. One packed term, I’d say!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns.

God bless,

Ann Smith.