St Joseph's, Tara - Term 3 Week 6 2025 Newsletter!

Our Vision & Mission Statements

From the Principal

Welcome to the Term 3 Week 6 Newsletter!

Book Week & Mary MacKillop Feast Day - A Day of Celebration

What a joy it was to see our students and staff dressed as their favourite characters from Peter Pan during last Friday’s Book Week Parade! Events like these are a wonderful way to celebrate the magic of reading and inspire a lifelong love of books in our students. Encouraging students to engage with books helps build imagination, vocabulary, empathy, and lifelong learning habits. As educators, we know that fostering a strong reading culture is one of the most important things we can do to support student success. 

We also celebrated Mary MacKillop’s Feast Day on the same day, after postponing from the original date of August 8 due to other calendar commitments. The timing worked beautifully, allowing us to dedicate the whole day to celebrate. Mary also had a love of reading, books and encouraging children in her schools to love reading. 

The day began with a respectful and reflective liturgy, joined by some of our parish community. Students then took part in a scavenger hunt, searching for symbols that represent Mary MacKillop’s life and legacy. They also created beautiful bookmarks to use in their book boxes – a lovely way to connect their faith and learning. 

A heartfelt thank you to all staff who dressed up, supported the liturgy, and helped run the day’s activities. Special thanks to Joan Grose for the delicious cupcakes decorated in our school colours – a sweet way to end a meaningful day! 

2026 Enrolment Intentions Form - Have You Completed Yours?

We hope you've had a chance to complete the 2026 Enrolment Intentions Form, which was shared via the Parent Portal last week. 

Accurate enrolment data is essential for our planning. It helps us shape class structures that reflect student numbers and learning needs, and ensures we have the right staffing in place. With the current teacher shortage across the country, early planning is more important than ever. We want to be proactive in securing the best educators to join our St Joey’s family in 2026. 

Your response will help us continue to provide the high-quality learning environment that our community values so deeply. 

👉 If you have not already done so, please complete the form here:  https://forms.office.com/r/ft5.... 

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office. 

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping St Joseph’s grow as a vibrant community of learning and faith. 

Understanding Bullying: A Message for Parents

At St Joesphs Tara, we believe every child deserves to feel safe, valued and respected. Bullying is more than just conflict or teasing—it’s repeated behaviour that hurts another person physically, emotionally or socially. 

Bullying can take many forms: 

• Physical: hitting, pushing or damaging belongings 

• Verbal: name-calling, insults or threats 

• Social: excluding others or spreading rumours 

• Online: sending mean messages, sharing private information or posting hurtful content 

What makes bullying different is that it’s deliberate, repeated and causes harm.  

Repeated behaviour happens over time, not just once.   Example: a child is teased daily for weeks.   Non-example: two classmates argue once at recess but reconcile later. 

Deliberate behaviour is planned to hurt someone.   Example: a student saves unkind photos of a peer to share online and humiliate them.   Non-example: accidentally bumping into someone in a crowded hallway. 

Children who bully often use power to control or intimidate others. Those affected may feel anxious, fearful or withdrawn. 

As parents, your role is vital. If your child shares they’re being bullied—or involved in bullying—it’s important to listen, stay calm, and speak to school staff. We’ll work with families to resolve issues compassionately. 

Fostering compassion helps students thrive in a Gospel-value-led setting. 

Student Engagement and Well-being Policy - Now Available

Over the past term, our staff have been thoughtfully revising the school’s Behaviour Management Policy, aligning it with the restorative and well-being practices currently embedded across St Joseph’s. 

The result is a refreshed and renamed document: the Student Engagement and Well-being Plan. This plan reflects our commitment to nurturing respectful relationships, promoting positive behaviour, and supporting the holistic development of every student. 

The policy is now in effect and available on our school website. You can view it here: Student Engagement & Student Well-being 

We strongly encourage all families to read through the document to ensure we are united in our approach to supporting student engagement and well-being. When we work together, we create a safe, inclusive, and thriving learning environment for all. 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the policy further, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office. 

God bless,

Kylie Williams

APMI

Walking in Mary's footsteps.

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending the Josephite Colloquium at Mary MacKillop Place in Sydney alongside my colleague, Miss Sheppard. Gathering with educators and Josephite companions from across Australia was both enriching and affirming. It offered us time to reflect, connect, and deepen our understanding of the Josephite charism that underpins our work at St Joseph School. 

The Colloquium reignited my commitment to working with children and our wider community. I feel a deep personal connection to St Mary MacKillop with her resilience in the face of adversity and her unwavering desire to treat all with kindness continuing to inspire me. Immersing myself in her legacy and the values of the Sisters of St Joseph helped refine and extend my personal ministry. I returned with a renewed sense of purpose to serve with compassion, nurture with courage, and lead with faith. 

Being part of a national gathering reminded me that we are not alone in this mission. Across states and schools, we are united by a shared vision: to live out Mary’s call to “never see a need without doing something about it.” I’m excited to carry this spirit forward in our St Joseph community, walking gently and purposefully in her footsteps. 

Krissy Aylott.

Recently, I had the privilege of attending a colloquium at Mary MacKillop Place in Sydney—a deeply moving and inspiring experience. The highlight was visiting the museum dedicated to Mary MacKillop’s life and legacy. I was able to pray at her tomb, explore the home where she once lived, and read her personal letters, many written in cross-writing due to the high cost of paper. These small details painted a vivid picture of her resilience and resourcefulness. 

One of the most memorable moments was meeting a remarkable Sister of St Joseph who has dedicated her life to education across the globe. Her stories reminded me of the powerful impact educators can have when they teach with compassion and purpose. We also had the privilege of meeting other passionate educators and individuals working within Josephite organisations, each one doing everything in their power to support the children in their care. It was inspiring to see the many different ways they serve—through teaching, advocacy, pastoral care, and community outreach. Every person I met carried a deep sense of purpose and resilience, pushing through the most challenging aspects of their roles to ensure that no child is left behind. Their dedication was a living testament to Mary MacKillop’s legacy and a reminder of the strength found in service. 

Throughout our time there, we reflected on Mary MacKillop’s unwavering commitment to providing education to those most in need. She walked boldly in God’s footsteps, often facing great challenges, yet never wavering in her mission. This reflection brought me back to my own “why” of teaching and reignited a question that guides my practice: What can I do today to help my students? 

As educators, we continue Mary MacKillop’s legacy every time we advocate for our students, adapt to meet their needs, and nurture their growth. Her story is a reminder that even small acts of kindness and dedication can make a lasting difference. 

Heather Sheppard

Learning at St Joeys

From the Year 2 - 3 Classroom

English

In English, Year 2 and 3 students created a Recipe Book on ‘How to Make a Bush Stew’. They learnt how to identify and describe the language and visual features of a procedural text. Students used strategies to understand new vocabulary and built their background knowledge, enabling them with a better comprehension of the context of what they were reading. They are also learning to build knowledge about habitats and how to protect our Australian Wildlife through poetry. Students will write and present a poem that shares their environmental message with an audience.  

Students will build literacy skills as they are learning to read and write graphemes to improve their reading and spelling. Year 2 students are continuing to practice writing words legibly and with growing fluency using unjoined upper-case and lower-case letters. While Year 3 students are learning to write words using joined letters that are clearly formed and consistent in size.  

Mathematics

This term in Mathematics, students are learning to measure the mass of different objects, ensuring that they select appropriate formal and informal units. They are learning to investigate angles and measures of turn in everyday situations. Students are learning to investigate the part-whole relationships of units of fractions and their multiples in different ways. They are learning how to use the multiples of unit fractions to measure a whole and understand how repeated halving connects to understanding fractions. Students will revise how to represent two- and three-digit numbers to assist calculations. Year 2 students will recall and demonstrate proficiency with multiplication facts for twos while Year 3 students will recall multiplication facts for twos, threes, fours, fives and tens, using a range of strategies. They will additionally use mathematical modelling to solve practical problems involving single-digit multiplication and division. 

Religion

In Religion, students will reflect on what they think God is like. They will learn to understand that God shows us what he is like through the power and beauty of creation.  Students will learn about the Old Testament and select and use information from key stories in the Torah. They will express their ideas about God's relationship with people and his God's presence and actions. 

HaSS

In HaSS, students are learning how people are connected to their place and other places, past and present. They will reflect on how technology has affected daily life over time and the connections between people in different places. Students will learn about a local individual, group, place or building and the reasons for their importance, including social, cultural or spiritual significance. They will learn how technological developments changed people’s lives at home, and in the ways, they worked, travelled and communicated.  

Science

In Science, students are learning to understand what sound is and identify what makes sound. They will describe sound and investigate how different vibrations produce various sounds, as well as understand what influences sound and how we hear it. Students will identify the actions needed to produce sound from instruments and explore how we can change pitch and loudness. They will learn how sound becomes music and use this knowledge to create their own composition. Students will also compare how humans and animals use sound and examine how technology has changed the way we produce and experience sound. They will then predict and investigate which materials best muffle sound. 

Visual Arts

In Visual Arts, students will explore the many ways people encounter and engage with visual art in everyday life. They investigate where, why, and how individuals from diverse cultures, communities, and contexts experience art. Through hands-on experimentation with visual conventions, artistic processes, and a variety of materials, students will develop their creative skills. They will create and share their artworks in informal settings, fostering confidence and personal expression. 

The GOSSIP - Student Newspaper

From the PEN

St Joseph's PEN will be catering the Neon Disco, and we extend our sincere thanks to the Tara Futures Group for their continued support in inviting us to do so.

We kindly ask parents who are available to assist on the night—whether it's setting up, serving, or packing up—to lend a hand.

If you're able to help, please contact the office.

This event is always a great success and a lot of fun, and we look forward to another fantastic evening together!

From the Parish

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 Student Recognition

Silver Award

Damon Grose

Bronze Award

Kian Roble

Certificates of Recognition

Week 5 - No assembly due to public holiday

Week 6 - Jett Meyer, Emily Walsh, Frankie Nystrom, Charlotte Partridge, Pattrick Walsh and Nate Callaghan

From the Administration Officers

Customer statements have been reissued via email next week (Friday, 29). If you did not receive a statement, this indicates that your account currently has a nil balance. Please note that amounts shown in brackets represent a credit or deposit.

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

2025

Term 1 2025 – Wed 29 Jan (Public Hol 26 Jan) - Fri 04 April

Term 2 2025 – (Easter Monday, 21 Apr) Wed 23 Apr - Fri 27 Jun

Term 3 2025 - Tue 15 Jul - Fri 19 Sep

Term 4 2025 - Tue 07 Oct (Kings B'day 06 OCT) - Fri 05 Dec

Professional Development and Planning Days (previously called Pupil Free Days)

• Wednesday, 22 January - Friday, 24 January 2025 - Professional Development
• Tuesday, 28 January 2025 - Planning Day
• Tuesday, 22 April 2025 - Planning Day
• Monday, 14 July 2025 - Planning Day
  
• Wednesday, 30 July 2025 - Bishops Inservice Day (BID)
  
• Friday, 5 September 2025 - Consistency of Teacher Judgement (CTJ)

Public holidays

• Australia Day public holiday – Monday, 27 January 2025
• Easter – Friday, 18 April – Monday, 21 April 2025
• Anzac Day – Friday, 25 April 2025
• Labour Day – Monday, 5 May 2025
• Tara Show Holiday - Monday, 11 August 2025
• King’s Birthday – Monday, 6 October 2025

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.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT