St Joseph's, Tara - Term 3 Week 10 2025 Newsletter!

Our Vision & Mission Statements

From the Principal

Welcome to the Term 3 Week 10 Newsletter!

Thank You for a Fabulous Team of Learning!

As Term 3 draws to a close, we want to take a moment to reflect on the journey we’ve shared this term and extend our heartfelt thanks to our entire school community. 

To our students – thank you for your enthusiasm, curiosity, and commitment to learning. Whether in the classroom, in the playground or through creative pursuits, you’ve shown resilience, kindness, and a genuine love of learning. We are so proud of all you’ve achieved this term. 

To our parents and carers – thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement, and partnership is deeply appreciated. From supporting with student learning and behaviour, attending school events and cheering from the sidelines, your involvement always makes a world of difference in the lives of our students and the strength of our school community. 

To our dedicated staff – thank you for your tireless efforts, creativity, and care. You continue to inspire and nurture our learners, creating safe and engaging environments where every student can thrive. Your professionalism and passion are the heartbeat of our school. 

Together, we’ve made this term a rich and rewarding experience for all. As we head into the break, we hope everyone finds time to rest, recharge, and enjoy some downtime. We look forward to welcoming you back for Term 4, ready for more learning, growth, and celebration. 

Please Be Kind to Our Staff - They Do So Much for Your Child

As we celebrate the achievements of this term, it’s also a timely reminder of the incredible dedication shown by our staff each and every day. Behind the scenes and in every classroom, our teachers and support staff invest countless hours to ensure our students are engaged, supported, and thriving. 

I recently came across a beautiful reflection that resonated deeply: just as our students and families deserve respect, kindness, and understanding, so too do our educators. They are human beings who give so much of themselves to nurture others, and they too need to feel valued and cared for.  

Behind every classroom door is a story of quiet strength and unwavering dedication. Our teachers and support staff face personal challenges just like anyone else—family responsibilities, emotional burdens, and life’s ups and downs. Yet, each day, they choose to come to work with a smile on their face, greeting your child with warmth, guiding them with patience, and teaching them with passion and purpose. 

It takes incredible courage to set aside one’s own struggles in order to nurture the minds and hearts of others. This is what makes educators extraordinary. Even when they’re tired, they continue to give, believe, and love. They show up—not just physically, but emotionally and mentally—for every child in their care. 

Today’s classrooms are more complex than ever. Teachers are not only educators; they are mentors, counsellors, and role models. They navigate the delicate balance of engagement and well-being, helping students grow not just academically, but emotionally and socially. They respond to dysregulation of behaviour and emotions with understanding—recognising that behind every challenging moment is a child who may be hurting, confused, or overwhelmed. 

But teachers cannot do this alone. Parents play a vital role in reinforcing respect, discipline, and kindness at home. When families and educators work together, children thrive—not just in knowledge, but in character. And our school leadership team, too, have a sacred responsibility: to protect and uplift our staff, to listen to their voices, and to create spaces where they feel supported and valued. 

To Our Incredible Staff: Thank You.

Thank you for showing up every day with strength and compassion. Thank you for believing in every child, even when the path is hard. Thank you for your patience, your creativity, and your tireless commitment to growth. You are the heart of our school, and your impact reaches far beyond the classroom. 

We see you. We appreciate you. And we are grateful for everything you do. 

To Our Families: Let's Work Together

Please speak kindly to and about your child’s teachers—especially in front of your child. The way children hear adults talk about their teachers shapes how they view school, learning, and respect. When they hear encouragement, appreciation, and trust, they are more likely to engage positively and respectfully when at school. 

A simple “thank you” or “how can I support you?” can go a long way. Teachers are doing their best, often under immense pressure, and your kindness makes a difference. Behind every successful student is a teacher who never gave up—and that deserves our deepest gratitude. 

Let’s continue to build a school culture rooted in respect, empathy, and partnership. Together, we can ensure every child feels supported, every teacher feels valued, and every classroom becomes a place of growth and hope. 

God bless,

Kylie Williams

Learning at St Joeys

From LOTE

In LOTE this term, students have continued to deepen their understanding of the Barunggam culture and language. The term began with an exploration of traditional Indigenous art techniques, which students studied and practiced. They then applied this knowledge to create their own artworks, incorporating styles such as dot painting, x-ray art, and landscape representations. 

Students have continued practicing simple conversations in Barunggam, including greetings, asking about feelings, and expressing emotions using the language. 

Students have progressed to creating their own storybooks using the Barunggam language. They carefully crafted simple narratives that reflected their understanding of the language and culture and complemented their stories with original illustrations. This activity allowed students to apply their language skills creatively while deepening their appreciation for Indigenous storytelling traditions.  

From PE

Term 3 focused on the team sports of Soccer, Basketball and Touch Football. The goal was to develop all student's abilities to participate in full games of the chosen sports. This was achieved through completing a variety of lead-up modified games aimed at encouraging intelligent performance, not only knowing 'what' to do but also the 'why' and 'how'.  It was pleasing to witness students improve in their skills and the gains in their sportsmanship was fantastic to witness.  

Swimming will be the focus next term. Please keep an eye out for correspondence outlining all swimming details early next term. 

From the PEN

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

Gold Award

Nateesha Laird

Silver Award

Riley Nystrom, Isa Hawkins, Lorenzo Welldon-Taylor, Rory Taylor & Alayah Laird.

Bronze Award

Grey Baird, Raymond Stinson and Jason French

Certificates of Recognition

Week 7 - Flynn Burgess, Avah McArthur & Braxton McGill.

Week 10 - Xander Welldon-Taylor, Allie McArthur, Penny Stinson & Lacey Pepper.

From the Administration Officers

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) - Wed 03 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

2026

Term 1 2026 – Wed 28 Jan (Public Hol 26 Jan) - Thur 02 April

Term 2 2026 – Tue 21 Apr - Fri 26 Jun

Term 3 2026 - Tue 14 Jul - Fri 18 Sep

Term 4 2026 - Tue 06 Oct (Public Hol 05 OCT) - Wed 02 Dec

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

• Wednesday, 21 January - Friday, 23 January 2026 - Professional Development
• Tuesday, 27 January 2026 - Planning Day
• Tuesday, 20 April 2026 - Planning Day
• Monday, 13 July 2026 - Planning Day
• Wednesday, 31 July 2026 - Bishops Inservice Day (BID)
• Friday, 4 September 2026 - Consistency of Teacher Judgement (CTJ)

Public holidays

• Australia Day public holiday – Monday, 26 January 2026
• Easter – Friday, 03 April – Monday, 06 April 2026
• Anzac Day – Friday, 25 April 2026
• Labour Day – Monday, 4 May 2026
• Tara Show Holiday - TBA
• King’s Birthday – Monday, 5 October 2026

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

Tara Fishing Competition

The date is set! This year's event will be the 27th and 28th of September, please keep an eye on our socials for more information in the coming weeks! Just a reminder that if you are camping prior to the starting of our event you will be charged for camping also no fish can be caught and kept for weigh in before the event. Can’t wait to see you all for a cracker weekend and some great fish caught!