Week 2 - Term 4 Newsletter 2024

Principal's Message

Dear Families and Friends,

Welcome back to what is our final term for 2024. It is always so lovely to see the children return to school and reconnect with teachers and friends.  Everyone has settled back in and had a fantastic first two weeks.

2025 - Leadership Structure/Team

With our previous Assistant Principal, Deb Bailey, now taking on the permanent Principal role at Mt St John's Dorrigo. I am pleased to let you know all that after an advertising process and interviews with CSO personnel & Fr Roland, that Mrs Louise Senz (Acting AP Mission) and Mrs Carly McLennan (Acting AP Learning & Teaching) have been offered and accepted our dual Assistant Principal roles for the 2025 School Year.

Both these temporary roles will be "Acting' for next year, due to the school to adopt a trial of the Triad model where 2 Assistant Principals are appointed to focus on complimenting whole-school priorities. Whilst this model has been adopted in most primary schools, it is still in the initial phases for a lot of schools and thus my request to have a trial for next year.

I would like to congratulate both Lou & Carly on their appointments and look forward to working alongside them next year as our leadership team for 2025.  

School Review

A sincere thank you to all the parents who contributed to our recent school review late last term. Your insights, feedback, and active participation have been invaluable in helping us reflect on our current practices and identify areas for growth. The review process has provided us with meaningful recommendations that will guide us as we set the direction for our next three-year School Improvement Plan (2025-2027). 

I am looking forward to sharing some of the key insights and recommendations from this review at the upcoming Parent Forum meeting, which will be held on Tuesday 5th November (Week 4). This will be a great opportunity to discuss how the feedback provided by our school community is shaping the development of our next three-year School Improvement Plan. Your ongoing involvement is vital in helping us create a shared vision for the future of our school, and I encourage as many parents as possible to attend the meeting. 

Grandparents Afternoon

Just a reminder that next Thursday, 31st October, we will hold our annual Grandparents Afternoon from 1:00 pm. We invite all of our Nans, Pops, Grandpas, Grandmas and friends for a wonderful afternoon of celebration & activities alongside the students. 

Grandparents Day celebrates the diversity of grandparent relationships across age groups, cultural backgrounds, and geographical locations. Grandparents, grand-friends, kin, and those who take on the role of a grandparent in their family or community are recognised for their contributions.

The day will begin with afternoon tea out in the playground with the students, followed by activities in the classroom. We hope to see you there.

Enrolments for 2025

We are currently looking at enrolments in all year levels and staffing for 2025. If you know of any families looking to enrol, please encourage them to make contact, even if it is to have an opportunity to walk through our classrooms and school grounds and see our students' engagement and the safe & supportive environment we provide.  

Some of our spaces next year will have a 'waiting list', if you know any families considering St Joey's in 2025, I encourage you to let them know to enquire at the School Office as soon as possible.

Warmest regards,

Dale

Upcoming Dates

• Grandparents Day (Thursday 31st October)
• Parish School Mass (Sunday 3rd November)
• Yr 7 McAuley Orientation Day and Parent Information Evening (Tuesday 12th November)
• Kindy Orientation & Dinner (Tuesday 26th November)
• Year 5 Leadership Speeches (Thursday 29th November)
  
• Christmas Concert (Tuesday 3rd December)
  
• EOY Mass & Awards Assembly (Thursday 12th December)
• Yr 6 Graduation Night (Thursday 12th December)
• EOY Fun Days (Monday 16th December - Wednesday 18th December)
• Last Day of Term 4 (Wednesday 18th December)

Leaders of Learning

The Importance of Vocabulary Instruction

Vocabulary knowledge is essential for students’ reading success and serves as the strongest predictor of later reading comprehension. Effective vocabulary instruction is a key focus in our classrooms, acting as the building block for understanding texts and helping students make sense of what they read. This instruction is critical from Kindergarten through Year 6, as outlined in the NSW Primary English Syllabus.

In our classrooms, we emphasize several key strategies to enhance vocabulary development:

• Child-Friendly Definitions: Providing definitions that are easy for students to understand.
• Multiple Exposures: Ensuring students encounter new words several times in various contexts.
• Meaningful Contexts: Using words in contexts that relate to students’ experiences to enhance understanding.
• Active Engagement: Encouraging students to use new words in sentences and discussions.

As students learn new words, they also grasp how those words sound and fit into sentences. This process helps them build their mental lexicon—an internal dictionary that becomes richer with each new word. When students encounter words repeatedly in different situations, their understanding and retention deepen.

You can support vocabulary development at home by encouraging students to explore new words during conversations and reading. Engaging with books and other reading materials significantly enhances their vocabulary skills. Discussing new words and prompting students to use them in sentences can further reinforce their learning.

Together, we can support students in building a strong vocabulary foundation that will serve them throughout their education.

Mrs Senz, Mrs Mclennan and Mrs Mullins

Mission & Values

Year 5 Exuro Retreat

On Tuesday, our Year 5 students had an exciting opportunity to visit McAuley Catholic College for Exuro, a retreat day with students from local parish primary schools. The term Exuro, meaning "on fire" in Latin, perfectly captured the enthusiasm our students felt as they gathered to celebrate their faith and connect with one another.

The day was filled with various activities centered around the theme of discipleship. Students engaged in small group discussions, participated in larger sharing sessions, and took part in a beautiful liturgy that united everyone in prayer. Through these experiences, students explored what it is to be a disciple in today's world, and focused on transforming words into meaningful actions.

 By the end of the day, our students departed feeling more connected to their faith and to one another. It was truly a wonderful day of personal and spiritual growth. Thank you to Miss Ava and Mrs Kinsella for accompanying the students on this wonderful day.

Mercy in Action Award    

Congratulations to this fortnight's Mercy in Action Award winner, Zayden Essex. Zayden consistently demonstrates the Mercy Value of courage in both his actions and learning. He stands up for others when he witnesses something unfair or unkind, speaking out with confidence to ensure everyone feels supported and respected. In his academic work, he demonstrates perseverance, tackling challenges head-on and showing a strong commitment to improving, even when tasks are difficult. His courage in standing up for what is right and his determination to succeed make him a role model for his classmates. Congratulations Zayden!

Liturgical Calendar - All Saints and All Souls Day                                                                    

As November begins, the Catholic Church invites us to reflect on two important days: All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2. These days are special times for remembering and honouring those who have gone before us in faith.

All Saints' Day is a solemn feast that celebrates all the saints, both known and unknown. Saints are people who lived holy lives and are now in heaven with God. This day reminds us that we can look to the saints as examples of how to live our lives in a way that pleases God. Many people attend Mass on this day to honor the saints and ask for their intercession, or help, in our own lives.

All Souls' Day follows closely on November 2 and is a day dedicated to remembering all the faithful departed. This includes our loved ones who have passed away. The Church teaches that some souls may need purification before entering heaven, and on this day, we pray for them. By offering prayers, Masses, and acts of kindness, we can help these souls on their journey to God. 

Here is a prayer for all those who have died.

On All Souls Day, we remember those who have died; friends, colleagues, relatives... Other people whom we have known …worked with …laughed with …walked with... 

Many of them are not famous. 

Their statues are not in churches but their pictures are in our homes and their stories alive in our community, and in our hearts. 

We know of their goodness and their struggles. 

We now pray for them and remember them with love, celebrating in faith their journey to God, now within the great communion of saints. 

We give thanks for the sharing of their gifts, their talents and their love. 

May the Lord bless and keep them.

Term 4 Parish School Mass

All family and friends are warmly invited to attend our Parish School Mass on Sunday, 3rd November at St. Mary's Church commencing at 8:30am. This mass will be led by our students and staff.

If there are any students (Kindy to Year 6)  who would like to assist with the Mass, please contact me at louise.senz@lism.catholic.edu.au

The jobs include:

• Hospitality - welcoming parishioners at the entry and handing out hymn books,
• Readers 
• Prayers of the Faithful

Mrs Senz

Class Awards

Our Principal's Award winners are:

Our Class Award winners this week are: 

Class News - Kindy

Welcome to Term 4, where we can hardly believe how quickly the year has flown by and the incredible growth and learning our Kindy students have experienced! Here’s a glimpse into our learning journey this week.

Inspired by the delightful picture book Wombat Stew, we embarked on our own story-writing adventure. The children crafted a unique version of the story, introducing new characters born from their imaginations.

In mathematics, we've been exploring the concept of halves as equal parts of a whole. Kindy have been using symbols to communicate their mathematical ideas. They've applied their understanding of halves in hands-on activities, including creating starbursts, which have really deepened their grasp of the concept.

Recently, we received an exciting letter from Santa asking for our help in designing new toys for Christmas! It has been a joy to brainstorm ideas and concepts for this scientific inquiry together.

Our budding artists have also been busy celebrating the beauty of God’s creation through painting and drawing. We’re thrilled to be working on a class mural to showcase all of our amazing artwork.

Mrs Bennett & Mrs McMahon

School Sport

Term 4 Sport

Welcome back to all our Joey's community,
We’re excited to announce the upcoming Summer Sports Trials and wish the best of luck to Isaak Bailey, Caide Sclyder, Jesse Bennet, Koa Tasi, Jack Kirkland, and Sam Kirkland in their respective sports. This is an amazing opportunity for them to progress to higher levels of representation within the school system, and we’re all behind you!

In addition, a special shoutout to Jimi and Zac Lennon for their incredible commitment to swim 9 km in November to raise money for breast cancer research. What legends, showing compassion through movement! We’ll be following along with pride and cheering them on every stroke of the way. Well done, boys! For any staff and families who would like to get behind this amazing cause, please view the following: https://fundraise.nbcf.org.au/s/156270/166994

Looking ahead, this term’s Friday sport will feature surfing for selected students, delivered by Down Under Surf Camps. They’ll gain insights into wave selection, ocean safety, and how to shred on a surfboard. Meanwhile, other students will attend water safety sessions at Maclean, focusing on water familiarisation, stroke development, and essential survival skills.

We’re all set for a packed and inspiring term ahead!

Mr Gilchrist

Creative Arts

MELAMINE PLATES

Our gorgeous Melamine plates are on track for early November; the moment I get any notification of delivery dates, I will pass it on!  I know how eager the students are to be able to get these in their hot little hands and to eat dinner/snacks off them.

2025 MUSICAL THEATRE INTERNATIONAL (MTI) SHOW

We have had the first of a handful of ‘Musical Meetings’; gauging interest from the current students in Years 1 - 5 (there are always cute spots for our Kindergarten students!). We discussed the potential musical selections for 2025, and how it depended on student numbers and the roles required. Everyone was very excited and it was really great to see a good bunch of returning musical students and a plethora of new talent!

Next to the Kindergarten room is a display of the possible selections and a brief synopsis of the play. Stay tuned!

HALLOWEEN DRAWING CHALLENGE

We absolutely LOVE ArtForKidsHub; give one of these instructional drawings a go!

• How To Draw A Halloween Chameleon 
• How To Draw A Pumpkin Ghost

BUNNINGS BUCKETS!

Through our local Grafton Bunnings and their ‘Community Involvement’ organiser, Ted - I was able to request that Grafton Bunnings support St Joeys, Maclean through providing 35 x 10L Bunnings branded buckets!

These buckets will be used for our "Bucket Drumming" unit in 2025 (and years to come), across the whole school, where students will learn rhythm, teamwork, and creativity through music. The 35 sturdy buckets (AND newly purchased drum sticks) will allow each student to participate individually and  help instill a sense of community as students engage with music in a fun and interactive way; whilst proudly reppin' Bunnings!

We’re very excited that Bunnings was able to support our little school! 

Big Creative Arts love,

Ms Zietsch

Technology News

Junior STEM Club

In our lunchtime STEM Club, students in Years K-2 have been having a blast using Scratch Junior to bring their holiday stories to life through coding! This activity helps students build digital literacy while developing creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills—all key areas in the NSW syllabus. By designing their own scenes and sequencing events, they’re learning how to think like young programmers, turning their ideas into interactive stories. It’s a fun, hands-on way to set them up with the skills they’ll need for the future!

Mrs Mclennan

Online safety for every family

The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety.gov.au) has released resources to help parents and carers from all backgrounds protect their families online.

The Online Safety for Every Family resources cover how to:

• get started with social media
• enjoy safer online gaming
• help your child if they are bullied online.

To ensure more families can start a conversation with their children about online safety, the resources are available in English, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Sinhalese, Swahili, Tamil, Tigrinya, Uyghur and Vietnamese.

Pastoral Care - School Chaplain

Catholic Mission Week - Crazy Socktober Day

We had an amazing Crazy Socktober Day, where everyone wore their wildest socks to raise awareness and funds for children in Mongolia. Together, we raised $138.80! This will help the Catholic Mission provide essential items to those in need. A heartfelt thank you to everyone for your generous donations and for embracing the fun with your crazy socks!

St. Vincent De Paul's Christmas Appeal

As we face an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, many families in our community are struggling to make ends meet. To support those in need this Christmas, we are launching our St. Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal.

We will kick off the appeal on Thursday, November 14th, with a Christmas-themed mufti day. We encourage everyone to bring a non-perishable food item to help fill our Christmas hampers. 

Your gift this Christmas can make a significant difference in providing essential food to our community. More information will be available on Compass. Thank you for your kindness and support!

Thanking you,

Juana Mead - Student Wellbeing Officer/School Chaplain

Pastoral Care - School Counsellor

INSIDE OUT 2 AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE 

Alongside traditional skills like reading, writing, and problem-solving, emotional intelligence (EQ) plays a vital role in our kids' overall development. Emotional intelligence—the ability to understand and manage emotions, both in oneself and others—lays the foundation for children to succeed not only in school but also in building healthy relationships and navigating life’s challenges.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence includes five key areas:

1. Self-awareness: Understanding one's own emotions and how they affect thoughts and behavior.
2. Self-regulation: Managing one's emotions in healthy ways, such as controlling impulsive feelings and behaviors.
3. Motivation: Being driven to achieve goals for personal growth, rather than just external rewards.
4. Empathy: Recognising and being considerate of others' feelings.
5. Social Skills: Effectively managing relationships and navigating social situations.

Why is Emotional Intelligence Important for Kids?

• Improves Social Relationships: Children with strong emotional intelligence can form better relationships with peers, teachers, and family members. They are more likely to resolve conflicts in a healthy manner and work cooperatively with others.
• Enhances Academic Performance: Research shows that emotionally intelligent children perform better academically. This is partly because EQ helps them manage stress, focus on tasks, and build resilience against challenges.
• Encourages Positive Behavior: Emotional intelligence helps children understand and control their impulses, reducing negative behaviors like aggression and improving overall classroom behavior.
• Builds Confidence and Resilience: Children who are emotionally intelligent are better equipped to handle setbacks and bounce back from disappointments, as they can manage frustration and approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset.
• Promotes Mental Health: Early development of emotional intelligence contributes to emotional well-being, reducing the risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges as children grow older.

How Can Parents Help Develop Emotional Intelligence?

• Model Emotional Awareness: Show children how to identify and express feelings appropriately. Use phrases like, "I feel frustrated because…" to help them understand emotions.
• Validate Their Emotions: Let your child know that it's okay to feel sad, angry, or frustrated. Acknowledging their emotions helps them feel understood and teaches them to process their feelings.
• Teach Problem-Solving: Instead of solving problems for them, guide your children through the process. Ask, "How do you think you could handle this situation?" This fosters self-regulation and critical thinking.
• Encourage Empathy: Encourage your child to consider how others might feel. You can ask questions like, "How do you think your friend felt when that happened?" to nurture empathy.
• Use Storytelling: Books and stories offer excellent opportunities to discuss emotions and reactions. After reading, talk about how characters felt and why they acted in certain ways.

 Stage 3 students watched the Inside Out 2 movie this week which highlights the importance of emotional competence and the impact emotions can have on our wellbeing and development. The movie is also available to stream via Disney+.

If you’d like to start a discussion about emotions with your child or family, the following questions might be helpful.

“Who was your favourite character in the movie and what did you like about them?”

“Can you tell me about a time when you felt like one of the characters in the movie?”

“Which emotion do you feel most often?”

“Have you ever felt emotions that surprised you?”

“What do you think caused Riley to start changing what she believed about herself?”

“Can you think of a time when you felt a mix of different emotions at the same time?”

“Can you think of something you learnt from Inside Out 2?”

Emotional intelligence is a critical life skill that children benefit from developing at an early age. By fostering EQ, we equip them not only to succeed academically but also to navigate the complexities of social relationships and life challenges with confidence and empathy. As parents and educators, we can work together to support children in building these essential skills for a well-rounded and fulfilling future.

This term I will be at the school on Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this content further, you can contact me at the school or via jessica.jones@lism.catholic.edu.au

Jess Jones - School Counsellor

Free Parent Webinar

Justin Coulson presents "Breaking Point - Unpacking the crisis in youth mental health. 

The NSW Council of Catholic School Parents is again providing an opportunity for all Catholic school parents to register to attend this free webinar. If you missed out last term, please register to learn more about how you, as a parent, can understand what is happening in regard to youth mental health issues and how to support your young person to thrive. Use this link to click on the night.

Community News

School Travel Passes
Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel. 

Students who require a travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.