St Joseph's School, Tara eNewsletter

Our Vision & Mission Statements

From the Principal

Welcome to the Term 3 Week 10 Newsletter!

End of Term 3

Can you believe that it is now the end of Term 3. Where has the past 10 weeks gone and really the past 9 months. Time certainly flies by when you are having fun.

It has been an amazing Term 3 for the St Joey’s community. We have seen growth in student’s learning of phonics, growth in well-being and the self-regulation by students of emotions and behaviour and a decrease in the number of major behaviour incidents being recorded.

This has all been the result of the hard work and dedication that all members of the St Joey’s staff have done this term. As a strong, united team we have:-

Rolled out 3 of the 5 Qualities of a Lifelong Learner through explicit teaching and student recognition of displaying these qualities

Introduction of Golden Time which sets expectations and recognises students who can be successful in achieving the criteria of attending school, wearing the correct uniform, being organised for school, positive behaviour in the classroom and positive behaviour in the playground

Continued to implement strategies of the Berry Street Education Model

Continued to improve pedagogy around the explicit teaching of phonics and the use of low-variance routines

Continued to improve on timetabling intervention sessions and ensuring quality low-variance routines reflect learning in the classroom

We will continue all this wonderful work in Term 4.

2025 Enrolment Positions

It is with much excitement that this week we can officially say that we have a waiting list for 2025 enrolments. Knowing there are families waiting for positions at our school, it is so very important that families let us know as soon as possible if they are thinking of leaving and not be attending St Joseph's in 2025.

Please contact the office as soon as possible to let us know your intentions. We thank you for your understanding in needing to know this information.

Term 4 Calendar

Please see below the calendar for Term 4. Please remember that this is a “live” document and will be continually changing as new events pop up. Please ensure that you are always checking the calendar on the Parent Portal as this is the most up-to-date information.

Catholic Schools Parents Australia Survey - 2024

Catholic Schools Parents Australia is again conducting some research on parent’s views about their children’s wellbeing and learning. This is a follow up to the 2022 survey that was conducted in all Catholic Schools across Australia.

The CSPA 2024 Parent Survey on Student Wellbeing and Learning is a way of seeking your perspective as parents/carers of children who attend a Catholic School in Australia.

All parents and carers are invited, and strongly encouraged, to share their views on existing and emerging affirmations and/or challenges in relation to your child/children’s wellbeing and learning. Please consider completing this anonymous and confidential online survey.

More information about the study, how to participate, and how to have questions answered, can be found here.

I am asking for your support for this survey so that we can continue striving to provide the quality education and well-being support for our students.

God bless,

Kylie Williams

"Always remember to help and be of service to others." ~ Mary MacKillop.

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." John 15:12

From the APRE

Josephite Colloquium

It was a great privilege that last week Tara Fisher and myself attended the 2024 Josephite Colloquium. This was run by the Sisters of St Joseph at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney. The buildings at the Mary MacKillop Place were historic, from the house Mary lived in from the 1890s through to her death on 8 August 1909, to the chapel were Eucharist is celebrated daily at 8am and where Mary’s tomb is located and finally the Well which is still functioning where Mary collected her water from the garden to take back to the house to drink and cook with.

It was a full 2 &1/2 days of learning all there is to know about Mary MacKillop’s life and legacy. We had the opportunity to listen to stories about Mary from the Sisters of St Joseph who are continuing to work and live out her legacy in various communities. The participants of the colloquium shared stories about their Josephite ministries in each of their workplaces. It was a very proud moment for Tara and I when we had the opportunity to share the wonderful Josephite Charism we live in our St Joey’s community. It was heartwarming to sit and reflect on what we do as a school community and I truly believe we are all living in the footsteps of Mary MacKillop and keeping her legacy of providing a quality education to all children who live rural or remote and live on the edges of society alive.

The school’s strategic plan over the next 4 years is to provide this opportunity to all staff so that we can continue to learn, grow, share and live this amazing woman’s legacy in our community.

Learning at St Joeys

From the Library

The students this term have been focusing on Book Week books: Etta and the Shadow Taboo (by J.M. Field & Jeremy Worrall) and Can You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree? (by Jane Godwin & Terry Denton). They have explored the themes and artwork for each book.

The students also had the opportunity to participate in the Premier's Reading Challenge. Thirteen students participated: reading a total of 265 books. Thank you for supporting your child's reading.

Next term, we will celebrate Book Week on Tuesday 15 October (Week 3). The theme is "Reading is Magic". Our celebrations will be based around the book "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. We encourage the students to come dressed as their favourite Narnia character.

A lunch menu will be sent home next term.

We will also have our annual Book Fair. This will be held next term during Weeks 3 and 4. More information will be sent home closer to the time.

From the PEN

From the Parish

**Parish Priest**: Fr Rod MacGinley **Presbytery**: 4662 7031 (Dalby)

St Mary Of The Angels - Tara

Mass Times

Tara: Sunday: 9am

on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month

Meandarra: Sunday: 11am

on the 3rd Sunday of the month

St Joseph's Awards

Gold Awards

Damon Grose

Silver Awards

Ivy-Grace Anderson, Jaxson de Boeck and Eliza Adhikary

Bronze Awards

Renee Warwick, Jaycob de Boeck, Milo Kelly, Donnie Alonso-Field and Thomas McArthur

Certificates of Recognition

Week 7 - RJ Stinson, Charlotte Davis, Frankie Nystrom, Eliza Adhikary, Thomas McArthur and LeaKella Norford

Week 8 - Dekota Walker, Elijah Velez, Allie McArthur, LeaKella Norford, Avah McArthur and Penny Stinson

From the Administration Officers

Thank you everyone for being persistent with your customer accounts.

If you need any financial assistance, be sure to come in and see myself or Kylie to see how we can help. It is completely confidential!

HOW TO PAY YOUR SCHOOL FEES:

*Cash / Cheque, at the office.

*BPoint, in person at the office or over the phone.

*Direct Deposit:
Bank: ADF
Name: St Joseph’s School
BSB: 064-786
ACC: 100-025-583
Reference: Your Name/Customer Code eg. TRA1234

*Centrelink Centrepay Deduction Payments can be made fortnightly or monthly. The School’s CRN: 555075545A

*Direct Debit: Forms are available in the office. Please see me or call the office.

Not Sure how it’s done? Ask at the office for assistance.

Term Dates

2024

Term 1 2024 – Tue 23 Jan (Public Hol 26 Jan) - Thur 28 Mar

(Good Friday 29 Mar)

Term 2 2024 –(Student Free Day 15 Apr) Tue 16 Apr - Fri 21 Jun

Term 3 2023 – (Student Free Day 08 Jul) Tue 09 Jul - Fri 13 Sep

Term 4 2023 –(Kings B'day 07 OCT) Mon 30 Sep - Wed 04 Dec

(Travel Day's Thur 5 Dec & Fri 6 Dec)

Wellbeing Matters

Student Safety

EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE

It is a legislative requirement that all non-state schools have at least two nominated staff members to whom a student can report the behaviour of another staff member that the student considers inappropriate. We call these specially trained staff members School Student Protection Contacts, or SSPCs. Each SSPC has been nominated by the principal in recognition of their integrity, approachability and knowledge in the area of student protection. Whilst students are encouraged to speak up to any trusted adult in the school community, it is important that they know they can access these specific staff members at any time should they have worries, queries or concerns. You will have noticed posters throughout the school depicting our current SSPCs. The SSPCs are also published on our school website along with information about our student protection processes. In everything we do at St Joseph's Tara student safety is our highest priority, therefore the SSPCs at our school are key personnel in our overall safeguarding processes. Please see the poster below depicting our current SSPC team.