Week 10 - Term 2 Newsletter 2025

Principal's Message

Dear Parents,  

Thank you all for another fantastic term of learning—it’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through the year. Your ongoing support and involvement have been truly appreciated, and I want to acknowledge our students for their hard work and commitment this semester. We are deeply grateful for the strong partnership between home and school, which is so important to our students’ growth and success. Together, we’ve built a caring and vibrant learning community, and we look forward to continuing this journey with you in Semester 2.

NAIDOC Day

Today, our school community had the wonderful opportunity to come together to celebrate NAIDOC Day, dedicated to honouring and recognising our local Indigenous culture, history, and achievements. This year’s NAIDOC theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” celebrates the resilience, wisdom, and contributions of those who have gone before us. This theme resonated throughout the day, highlighting our deep respect and gratitude for the guidance and enduring legacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders.

At Brooms Head, students participated in a range of engaging activities that fostered a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous culture. Dreamtime storytelling captivated their imaginations, clay-making encouraged their creativity, and Indigenous games allowed them to immerse themselves in vibrant cultural traditions.

The day began with a meaningful Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country led by Uncle Ferlon, filling the air with sacred smoke and warmly welcoming our school community onto Country. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our Yagel Elders, Livable, Aboriginal Medical Service, community visitors, and the dedicated efforts of Mrs Senz, Mr Randall, and Mrs McMahon for organising such a memorable day. Their commitment to honouring our Elders and nurturing genuine appreciation for Indigenous culture is truly commendable.

Staff Development Day - Monday 22nd July

Just a reminder that students will return to school on Tuesday, 22nd July. On Monday, our staff will be participating in a Staff Spirituality Day, which will include a variety of meaningful and reflective sessions. These sessions will focus on deepening our understanding of our school’s Catholic identity, exploring spiritual practices, and strengthening our mission to nurture faith, compassion, and service in our students. Staff will also have opportunities for personal reflection, prayer, and collaborative discussion to support their own spiritual growth and leadership.

We sincerely thank all our families for supporting our staff as they complete their 7 Days of Professional Learning each year. We recognise that these days can create challenges around child care, and we are truly grateful for your understanding. If you require care for your child on this day, please note that Vacation Care will be available.

Canteen Refurbishment

We are excited to announce that the canteen refurbishment has now been completed, with the first day of service scheduled for Friday, 25th July. Thank you all for your patience as the project took a bit longer than expected. To celebrate, we will be launching a brand-new menu featuring delicious weekly specials. Our gratitude extends to the Parent Forum and the entire school community whose fundraising efforts have been instrumental in making this refurbishment possible. We look forward to continuing to provide nutritious, home-cooked meals to support the health and wellbeing of our students.

With today being our last day for Term 2, I wish you all the best over these upcoming holidays & trust that you enjoy this time with your families. I would also like to sadly farewell the Finnerty family (Willow - Kindy). We wish them well in their new school community and thank them for their involvement and partnership with the school. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Dale

Upcoming School Dates

• Monday 21st July - Pupil Free Day (Week 1)
• Tuesday 22nd July - First Day Term 3 for Students (Week 1)
• Friday 1st August - Little Joeys Begins (Week 2)
• Monday 4th August - Stage 3 Basketball Gala Day (Week 3)
• Tuesday 5th August - Kindy Excursion (Week 3)
• Tuesday 5th August 6pm - Parents Guide to Puberty Workshop (Week 3)
• Thursday 7th August - Stage 1 Excursion (Week 3)

Leader of Learning

Celebrating Growth and Looking Ahead

As Term 2 draws to a close, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the learning, growth, and community spirit we’ve seen across the school. From strengthening writing through sentence-level instruction to creating classrooms that support learning through every wall and display, our students and staff have worked hard to make this a term filled with purpose and progress.

I want to acknowledge the incredible work of our teaching team. Their dedication to creating meaningful, evidence-informed learning experiences has been instrumental in helping our students thrive. Thank you also to our families for your ongoing support — your partnership is a vital part of our success.

As we head into the winter break, we encourage families to take time to rest, reconnect, and recharge. Holidays are a chance to slow down, reflect, and enjoy moments together — whether that’s reading a good book, exploring the outdoors, or simply enjoying a slower rhythm.

For those looking to keep the learning spark alive over the holidays, here are a few relaxed and fun ideas:

• Read together — visit the local library, explore audiobooks, or re-read favourite stories.

• Play with maths — involve your child in cooking, shopping, or estimating distances on a walk.

• Get writing — try postcards, holiday diaries, or short stories inspired by the week.

• Explore nature — go on a backyard or bushwalk scavenger hunt and talk about what you notice.

Most importantly, enjoy the time together. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in Term 3, refreshed and ready for another great term of learning.

Wishing you a safe and restful winter break,

Mrs Mclennan

Leader of Mission

Staff Spirituality Day

To begin Term 3, staff will take part in the 2025 Bishop’s Spirituality Modules on Monday 21st July. This year, the focus is on prayer, with three rich and reflective themes:

• Making Space for Prayer

• Prayer as Relationship

• Prayer as Friendship

These sessions are an opportunity for staff to pause, reflect, and deepen their own spiritual life. They will explore how prayer can restore peace, nurture relationships, and sustain us in both our personal and professional lives.

I would like to thank all our families for supporting this pupil-free day. Your partnership in valuing staff wellbeing and faith formation helps strengthen our whole school community.

Jubilee Year 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope

In 2025, the Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee Year, a sacred and ancient tradition that has special meaning for people of faith.

The word Jubilee comes from the Hebrew word “yobel,” which links to a ram’s horn that was used long ago to announce important moments, especially the Jewish festival of Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement. This celebration happens every year, but when it also begins a Jubilee Year, it becomes even more significant.

In the Bible (Leviticus 25:8–13), God invites His people to mark every 50th year as a Jubilee. After seven cycles of seven years (49 years), the 50th year was set apart as a sacred time of renewal, forgiveness, rest, and hope. It was a time to restore relationships, return to what matters most, and give everyone a fresh start.

As we journey through the 2025 Jubilee Year: Pilgrims of Hope, our school community will reflect on this beautiful tradition—walking together in faith, kindness, and hope for the future. In Term 4, our school and parish community will have the special honour of welcoming the Jubilee Boat as part of the Church’s celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025. We look forward to coming together in faith and joy as we celebrate this sacred journey of hope. Keep an eye out for more details on how we will mark this special occasion as a community.

Mercy In Action Award

This week, we are proud to present our esteemed Mercy in Action award to Oliver Ward. Oli recieves this award in recognition of consistently embodying the Mercy Values of Hospitality, Courage, and Service. Oli shows hospitality by warmly welcoming and supporting younger students, making them feel safe and included. He demonstrates courage by speaking the truth, even when it's difficult, and leads by example in doing what is right. Through his service to younger students and always seeking ways to help others, Oliver brings joy to those around him. His kindness and quiet leadership make our school a better place every day.

Mrs Senz

Class Awards

Congratulations to the following students recognised at this fortnight's Awards Assembly:

Principal Awards

Class Awards

Class News - Year 5

In English, Year 5 students have been exploring poetry throughout the second half of this term. We've been using Spotlight by Solli Raphael as our guiding text to engage with a range of poetic forms, including limericks, haikus, and slam poetry. Below are some haiku poems created by our talented Year 5 poets:

In our Year 6 writing unit on characterisation, students explored how to develop a strong and believable character voice. Drawing on our class novel Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief, students wrote a letter from the perspective of Sasha to his family. Using insights gained from the text, they captured Sasha’s brave, curious, and quietly hopeful nature, reflecting his experiences as a young boy navigating the hardships of war. This final task allowed students to bring Sasha’s voice to life through thoughtful, empathetic, and expressive writing.

In Visual Arts, students explored creating artworks for different purposes by designing and making personalised fabric bookmarks. They enjoyed learning new sewing skills, choosing  a design that reflected their personalities, and helping each other throughout the process. This hands-on project encouraged creativity, collaboration, and lots of patience!

Mrs Kinsella & Mrs Connor

Pastoral Care - School Counsellor

BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR CHILDREN

Developing a strong, positive relationship with our children during the primary school years lays a powerful foundation for their emotional wellbeing, confidence, and behaviour. These years are full of learning - not just academically, but socially and emotionally too - and feeling secure in their relationship with you helps your child navigate all of it.

Here are a few simple ways to build and strengthen connection:

1. Make time for one-on-one moments
   Even short bursts of undivided attention such as playing a quick game, reading a book together, or chatting during a walk can make your child feel valued and heard.
2. Listen with curiosity
   Children open up more when they feel truly listened to. Put away distractions, ask open-ended questions, and show interest in their ideas, even the small ones.
3. Notice the good
   Pointing out what your child is doing well helps them feel seen and encourages more positive behaviour. A simple “I noticed you helped your brother without being asked, thank you” goes a long way.
4. Stay calm in tough moments
   All children make mistakes or act out. Responding with calm guidance (instead of anger or shame) teaches them how to manage their own emotions and know that our love is steady.
5. Keep connection part of the routine
   A bedtime chat, a goodbye hug, a shared family meal are small rituals that build closeness and predictability, especially in our busy lives.

Positive relationships don't mean perfect parenting. They’re built through everyday moments of connection, trust, and care. When our kids feel truly connected to us, they're better able to cope, learn, and thrive.

Enjoy the holidays.

Jess Jones - School Counsellor

Pastoral Care - School Chaplain

SRC Funday
What a fantastic time we had at our SRC Funday! Students enjoyed watching Paddington, Minecraft, and Dog Man while cooling off with delicious ice creams. It was wonderful to see so many students dressed up as their favourite characters, there were some truly creative and fun costumes on show. A fun day was had by all!

A big thank you to our SRC for organising such an enjoyable event!

Vinnies Winter Appeal – A Big Success!
A huge congratulations to St Joey’s for supporting the Vinnies Winter Appeal, we raised an amazing $280! This generous contribution will help people in our community stay warm and purchase essential items during the colder months.

Thank you to everyone who donated, and a special thank you to our SRC for leading this important initiative!

Juana Mead - Student Wellbeing Officer

School Sport

Thank you for your continued support of sport at St Joseph’s!

We have some very exciting news — we were fortunate to receive a generous donation from the Parent Forum after the Silent Disco event. Using student voice through a Google Forms survey, we asked our students what new equipment they would love to see at school — and we listened! Thanks to this support, we have purchased lots of exciting new gear, including basketballs, basketball nets, soccer balls, volleyballs, gridirons, cricket gear and more.

With the holidays coming up, we encourage families to keep active and healthy with some fun ideas from our ‘PE Games at Home’ resource. These activities are a great way to keep students fit, healthy and engaged in physical activity during the break:

PE Games at Home:

• Fun Fitness: Create activities that get everyone huffing and puffing. Get Mum, Dad, siblings or even the family pet involved — if they’re not puffing, try changing the game.

• Trick Shots: Just like ‘Dude Perfect’ — grab some equipment and invent your own trick shots or challenges. Film it, commentate like a sports reporter, or draw what you did.

• Teach Me: Make a ‘How To’ video or drawing to teach a skill — for example, bounce and catch a ball, hop on one leg, dribble a soccer ball, do a dance, ride a ripstik or show a volleyball dig.

• Loose Parts: Collect safe items from around the house (with permission) and build something fun — a mini playground, obstacle course or cubby house.

• Games from the Past: Ask parents or grandparents what games they played when they were young. Play it and see if you can add your own twist.

• Create Your Own: Design your own backyard, front yard or indoor game. Use any equipment (or none at all) and invite the family to join in.

An exciting way to finish the term was our Zone Athletics Carnival. A huge congratulations to all students who competed — they represented our school with respect, responsibility and courage, showing outstanding sportsmanship on the track and field. A special mention to Jessika Dalton & Alex Roux who will proceed to the Diocesan Athletics Carnival next term.

We wish everyone a safe and restful holiday and look forward to returning for another fun-filled term of sport. We would also like to thank the Lower Clarence Tennis Club for their guidance and support this term — their help ensured our students enjoyed their time on the courts and were fully immersed in learning new skills.

Looking ahead, we have basketball and touch football gala days to look forward to, as well as another term of exciting Friday sport. More details will be shared early next term about which sports will be on offer.

Thank you for helping make sport at Joey’s such a success — have a wonderful break!

We wish everyone a safe and restful holiday and look forward to returning for another fun-filled term of sport. We would also like to thank the Lower Clarence Tennis Club for their guidance and support this term — their help ensured our students enjoyed their time on the courts and were fully immersed in learning new skills.

Looking ahead, we have basketball and touch football gala days to look forward to, as well as another term of exciting Friday sport. More details will be shared early next term about which sports will be on offer.

Thank you for helping make sport at Joey’s such a success — have a wonderful break!

Anthony Gilchrist - Sports Coordinator

Library

Welcome to the last Library News for term 2! What a great term we have had here in the library. You will notice that this week I have encouraged the students to borrow for the holidays, it is a great time to calm down and settle in with a story. I have sent home overdue notices this week too. If your child has any overdue books these will be listed on the slip. Occasionally I have students letting me know that they are having trouble finding their books at home. I understand that keeping track of books can be tricky and I always tell the students 'these things happen'. I do however ask that parents write me a brief note to let me know that an adult has had a look for the book and it was unable to be located. I can mark this book as missing and it will no longer show up for your child each week. When the book does eventually show up it can re-enter the library system and happy days.

Have a fantastic break and as the kids may say after visiting me in the library,  "Happy Reading"

Mrs O'Brien

Parent Forum

Thank You to Our Wonderful Parent Community

Pictured below is Stage 3 enjoying some of the fantastic new sports equipment recently purchased by the school—thanks to the generous fundraising efforts and donations from our amazing Parent Forum.

Earlier this term, Mr. G sent out a Google Survey to gather input from our students about the types of sports equipment they would most enjoy and benefit from. Their voices were heard, and now, thanks to your support, those wishes have become a reality!

We are incredibly grateful to our parent community for your ongoing support and commitment to enriching our students’ school experience. Your contributions are making a real difference—thank you!

Community Notices