Week 4 - Term 3 Newsletter 2023

Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,

I trust everyone has had a lovely week learning at St Joey's,

Smiling Minds - Wellbeing Approach

Hopefully your child has mentioned that at St Joey's all classes have started doing daily 'mindfulness' meditation. We are excited to announce the launch of the 'Smiling Minds' program at our school. This innovative initiative is designed to promote mindfulness and mental well-being among our students. Rooted in the understanding that fostering emotional intelligence is crucial for personal growth and academic success, the 'Smiling Minds' program will empower our students with effective techniques to manage stress, enhance focus, and navigate their emotions in a healthy way.

The program's holistic approach aligns seamlessly with our school's commitment to nurturing not only academic excellence but also the overall development of our students and is also part of our 'Continuum of Care'. Through mindfulness practices and guided meditation, the 'Smiling Minds' program will equip our students with valuable life skills that extend beyond the classroom. Each day from Monday-Thursday at 12:55pm, all classes will take part in a 3-6min guided meditation, which will also transition from Mathematics to our afternoon sbjects.  Addtionally each 'Odd Week' of the term, class teachers incorporate a 30 minute mindfulness lesson on a Friday around key concepts and ideas designed to support the development of emotion regulation and awards, social awareness, and building respectful and caring relationships between students.

We believe that by introducing these techniques early on, we are providing our students with an invaluable toolset to navigate life's challenges with resilience and a positive mindset. As we embark on this journey with 'Smiling Minds,' we look forward to seeing our students thrive not only in their academic pursuits but also in their emotional well-being.

School Photos

Just a quick reminder that our school photos are scheduled for Thursday August 24th.

We kindly ask all students to come dressed in their complete school uniform, looking smart and ready to capture wonderful memories. Please ensure that your child's hair is neatly groomed, and any necessary accessories are in line with the school's uniform policy.

School Photos will be able to be ordered using the COMPASS App. I have attached a LINK giving you further instructions of the ordering process. If you are having any issues please don't hesitate in making contact with the School Front Office or please feel free to contact MSP directly (northcoast@msp.com.au)

Science Week  

Next week marks the National Science Week, an annual celebration dedicated to science and technology in Australia. This event offers a platform to recognize the invaluable contributions of Australian scientists to the global body of knowledge. It also serves as a catalyst for sparking interest in scientific endeavors within the wider public, especially among younger generations, inspiring a deeper fascination with the world around us.

As part of celebrating Science Week, all classes will engage in an enriching Science Activity afternoon on Tuesday, August 17th, at 1:45 pm.

During this session, students will immerse themselves in a range of captivating science experiments and design tasks. These activities are aimed at nurturing and celebrating the significance of scientific and inquiry skills in our young learners. We extend a warm invitation to as many parents as possible to attend these afternoon sessions and partake in this incredible experience alongside us. Your presence will undoubtedly enhance the excitement of the occasion!

Public Speaking Competition & School Spelling BEE

Please keep an eye out for upcoming details next week about the Clarence Public Speaking Competition (Years 3-6) and our Annual School Spelling Bee (Kindergarten to Year 6). These endeavors serve as an avenue to acknowledge talents and emphasize the significance of fostering advanced literacy skills, particularly within the Speaking & Listening domain of English.

While comprehensive information will be dispatched through Compass next week, we kindly ask you to mark the following dates on your calendar: Tuesday 5th September (Public Speaking Finals) and Thursday 14th September (Spelling Bee Finals). Your support and involvement are greatly valued.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Dale

Upcoming School Dates

• Stage 2 Basketball Gala Day (Monday 14th August)
• Diocesan Athletics Carnival (Tuesday 15th August)
• Dental Visit (Tuesday 15th August)
• Sacrament of Confirmation (Tuesday 15th August)
  
• Science Week Activties (Thursday 17th August - 1:45pm)
  
• School Photos (Thursday 24th August)
• Book Week Parade (Friday 25th August)
• Father's Day Stall (Monday 28th August)
  
• Stage 3 Camp (Tue 29th Aug - Fri 1st Sept)
  
• Father's Day Liturgy & Lunch (Monday 4th September)
• School Public Speaking Finals (Tuesday 5th September)
• Zone Public Speaking Finals (Monday 11th September)
• School Spelling Bee Finals (Thursday 14th September)
• Yamba Touch Gala Day - S2 & S3 (Friday 15th September)

Leader of Learning

The Significance of Using Names: Nurturing Bonds and Respect

Here at St Joseph’s, two of our core Mercy Values are RESPECT and HOSPITALITY. We believe that when we have a warm, welcoming and inclusive school, students will be happier and, in turn, achieve greater academic outcomes.

One of the ways we build this culture is through our intentional teaching of important life skills to our children. We are currently emphasising the importance of using people's names. This seemingly small habit holds immense value in fostering connections, building rapport, and showing respect.

Building Relationships: Addressing someone by name makes them feel valued, laying the groundwork for strong relationships in various aspects of life.

Effective Communication: Using names enhances communication, immediately capturing attention and establishing a direct connection.

Demonstrating Respect: Teaching children to use names instils respect, regardless of age or background.

Boosting Self-Esteem: Addressing individuals by name positively impacts self-esteem for both your child and others.

Positive First Impressions: Using names leaves a lasting impression, especially when meeting new people.

Strengthening Memory Skills: Remembering names enhances memory and displays a genuine interest in others.

Personalised Connections: Addressing people by name acknowledges their unique identity, bridging the gap between impersonal interactions and meaningful relationships.

Using names bridges the divide between distant connections and meaningful bonds in a digital world. Instilling this skill equips your child to navigate social situations gracefully, building relationships that last a lifetime.

Mrs Bailey

Mission & Values

Mercy In Action Award

Congratulations to our Mercy In Action Award winner this fortnight, Jacob McIntyre. Jacob receives his award in recognition of displaying the Mercy Value of Service, demonstrated in the way he is committed to our Vinnies Breakfast Club. Jacob voluntarily serves his school community each Thursday, preparing and serving food to others with enthusiasm and a welcoming smile. Through his attitude and actions, Jacob makes our school a better place.

Sacramental Program: Confirmation

Next Wednesday, 15th August, our  Confirmation Candidates will complete their Sacrament of Confirmation at 6:00pm at St Mary's Church, Maclean.
Our communicants include Tate Anderson, Gabriella Quarello, Jesse Bennett, Oliver Ward, and Sam Kirkland.  We wish the communicants all the best as they renew their Baptismal Promises at this special time in their faith journey.

Mary of the Cross Feast Day 

On Tuesday, we celebrated Mary McKillop's feast day with liturgies held in each classroom. The students learned about Mary and why she is so special to us and important to our school.

Mary was born in Victoria to Scottish immigrants. She was the eldest of eight children and spent her early years working to support her family. At 24, she dedicated her life to God and took on the name “Mary of the Cross”. Mary and the Sisters were committed to serving the poor – to going to where the need was and living amongst those in need. This took Mary all over Australia to many rural areas.

Mary faced fierce opposition throughout her life, which at one point culminated in her being excommunicated. In the face of trial, Mary was a model of forgiveness, insisting that no ill be spoken of those who wronged her while remaining resolute in her convictions. Mary was remarkable as a strong female leader in 19th-century Australia. Education in this country is what it is today, thanks to her dedication and determination. She died in 1909 at the age of 67. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1995. In 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI canonised her, she became Australia’s first saint. 

Mrs Mullins

Class Awards

Our Principal's Award winners this week are:

Our Class Award winners this week are: 

Class News - Stage 1

It's been a busy start to the term, and we're thrilled to share all the wonderful progress and learning experiences your children have been enjoying. In Stage 1, our focus is working in year levels to build a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy in the morning and middle sessions, and from 1 pm, we combine for other Key Learning Areas. This week we have photos from games in PE, our Mary of the Cross Liturgy, a Science lesson on energy (we popped popcorn), STEM lessons where the kids used ipads to photograph natural and man-made objects, and Crazy Hair Day. 

The kids are working hard and practising their skills in maths, and Year 1 has been organising large collections into groups of 10 to find the total. They have made incredible gains over the past couple of weeks and are growing in confidence with this skill.   We have also been co-constructing criteria to display on our Writing Wall to ensure students know how they are going in their writing, and how they can improve. They have been polishing their skills to produce SUPER SENTENCES in their texts!  They also have new pens to write, edit and proofread their texts.

Like always, pictures tell a great story, so please enjoy the photos from our beautiful class taken over the past couple of weeks.

Mrs Mullins and Mr Hitchings

School Sport

Lismore Diocesan Athletics Carnival

Jessika Dalton and Reece Bennett will be travelling to the Coffs harbour International Satdium on Tuesday 15th Aug to competre in the Lismore Diocesan Athletics Carnival. jessika will be competing in the 100m and both Reece & Jessica will be competing in High Jump. We wish them both a safe and successful trip to Coffs harbour.

Term 3 Sport - Rugby League Skills

Mr Hitchings

Pastoral Care - School Chaplain

Community Connect

Welcome to all our Little Joey's! It was lovely to see all your families here on Friday.

We hope you enjoyed the morning tea provided by our wonderful Parent Forum. 

Thanks so much, Lauren, for hosting this event. 

Fundraiser- Crazy Hair Day

From crazy colours to gravity-defying hairstyles, we had some wild styles from our students on Thursday. They definitely found some fun ways to express themselves through their crazy hairstyles.

Thank you to everyone who supported this fundraiser, the Parent Forum for organising the event, and our wonderful SRC for your service leading up to and on the day. 

Ms Mead

Pastoral Care - School Counsellor

Counselling Connection

In the wellbeing space we talk about circles of control.

It is explained that if something is outsiden of a stduent's circle fo control, it doesn't help to worry. Worrying over things we can't control only makes us feel powerless.

But we can canotrol how we manage our worries. We cna tyreat oursleves with kindness, share whats on our minds, and choose our responses and actions.

Feel free to donwload this free printbale from big Life journal, a gentle rmeinder for children on how to separate worries from those that are better off released.

Bel Chapman - School Counsellor

Library News

BOOKWEEK - Week 6

St Joey's will be celebrating its annual Book Week on August 21-25th.

During the week, we will explore and purchase an abundance of stories and honour Australian children's authors and illustrators. The library will be open every morning from 8:30-9:00 am and afternoon from 3:15-3:45 pm Monday through Friday, allowing students and parents to browse and purchase the written works. Various activities and competitions will be held throughout the week, and our show-stopping event will be the Costume Parade.

On Friday, August 25th, students are invited to dress up as their favourite, beloved book character and conclude the celebration at 2pm with the Annual Book Parade.

All parents are invited to join us in the amphitheatre.  

Miss Alesha

Parent Forum

Thank you thank you thank you for everyobe's donations of plants todayt! We got so many - this is amazing!

Next Friday it's bring a Tombola Jar in for exchange of a Zooper Dooper.

Tombola is a game where jars are filled with goodies. Each jar is numbered and then players draw a number and get the corressponding jar. Kids Love it, its fun! and a good fundrasier!

Ideas for your Tombola - lollies, chocolates, hair accessories, lego, mini toys, fidgets, fudge, cookie mix. Anything you can firt in a jar, jars can be plastic or glass. A pre-purchased filled jar is fine.

Thank you so much everyone. We know the requests are flying in. Lets do this for our kids, for communtiy and for our canteen!

The Parent Forum Team

Community Notices