Week 2 Term 4 - Friday 24th October 2025

FROM OUR LEADERS

Principal's Message

Afternoon Exit Routine for Student Safety

As we enthusiastically welcome all our students and families back for Term 4, we would like to thank you for your patience and understanding with our afternoon exit routine. To keep our students safe as the buses arrive, we kindly remind parents to enter the school grounds through the eastern most gate and exit only through the western gate near the Joey’s Hub Cafe when collecting your child from Homelines. 

We know this means some families might have a little extra walking to their cars, and we truly appreciate your cooperation. The safety of our children is our top priority!

If this causes any difficulty, please consider picking up your children after the initial rush at 3:15pm. After this time, both gates will be open for entry and exit, making pickup easier.

Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe!

Please also see linked here our Traffic Management Information for Parents and our Community It can also be found on our School Website under the Policies and Procedures Tab.

Parent Tech Information Session

On Wednesday night more than 50 parents gathered to learn more about ‘The Tech Diet’ by Brad Marshall, presented by Janita Thompson. It was great to see the Parent Community alive with interest and learning around a topic so relevant to our children’s health and wellbeing.

All attending parents received a free book ‘The Tech Diet’ by Brad Marshall, to further enhance their knowledge around screen time and the effects on our children’s brain development. We learned about the three C’s; Competence, Confidence and Connection, in using technology responsibly; and the valuable notion of reduce and replace, instead of banning completely.

Thank you to Karly Mejlak, our new Parent Assembly representative, who organised a fantastic night of learning and community. Look out for our next Parent Information session early in 2026.

Become a 2026 Year 6 Leader!

The journey to becoming a student leader starts now! We're beginning the conversation about our 2026 Student Leadership team and who better to offer advice than our current Year 6 SRC.

They've created an insightful video to inspire Year 5 students and help them reflect on the qualities of a strong leader within the Joey's family.

Get inspired Year 5 and think about your leadership potential! 👇

#JoeysLeaders #StudentLeadership #Year5to6

Build the Habit of Regular Attendance - Why is it important to come to school regularly?

Build the Habit of Regular Attendance
Artist - Braxton 9 years old.

Good attendance starts with strong habits. Set a consistent daily routine, create a positive morning atmosphere, and clearly communicate the importance of being present at school. These practices work together to instil the value of punctuality and regular attendance, setting your child up for success.

Every Single Day Song Watch this powerful clip together and explore its meaningful messages

Grandparents Day and Socktober

Next Friday, 31st October, we will be celebrating Grandparents Day alongside our annual Catholic Mission Fundraiser - Socktober!

As part of this special day we invite everyone to come to school in 'Crazy Socks' with their uniform for a gold coin donation. Parents and Grandparents are welcome to join us from 10:00am to 11:40am for a fun community morning including:

• 10:00am: Grandparents Day Prayer Celebration hosted by Year 2 (MPA) 
• 10:45am: Cake Stalls ($0.50 - $2.00) and Band Performance (Primary Courtyard and Hall)
• 11:00am: Shared BYO lunch and fun games on the playground, Mini Vinnies Ice-creams $1.00, Coffee/Hot Chocolate $3.00 
• 11:40am: Farewell Grandparents!

Don’t forget to send your child with a small amount of money so they can buy a treat for themselves and/or their grandparents. All proceeds of our sales will go towards supporting Catholic Mission through Socktober.

Prayer Focus

FOR ACTION

General Parent Reminders

Photography Guidelines for Parents and Carers

We recognise that parents and carers enjoy photographing and recording the progress of their child at school and on school activities. We recognise that many of you like to share these personal memories online and on social media. We ask for your cooperation and care concerning the use and distribution of photographs of other children at our school. Some families have very real legal and safety issues which could put a child at risk if an image is made public online. More generally, it is respectful of the privacy of other members of the school community to ask permission before posting an image online. Even if your social media settings are private, it is easy for images to become public, particularly if they are tagged or shared by others. Please see the school website under “Policies and Forms” for the Photography Guidelines for parents and carers, mandatory policies and further resources.

When we run activities and hold events here at school that families are invited to we often take photos to share with our community through the school newsletter and our social media platforms. Please note that for adults attending public events there is assumed permission for their image to be able to be published on our platforms.

School Hours and Supervision of Students

Lessons commence each morning at 8:55am and conclude at 3:10pm on Mondays to Fridays. The school grounds are open to students from 8:25am each morning and remain open until 3:30pm each afternoon. At all times outside this period there is no supervision of students, with the exception of school organised programs eg. Drama classes and Band practice. 

We are aware that some students have been arriving prior to the supervised start time. Please note the front gate does open at 8:00am, however no responsibility can be taken by the school for any consequences of the activities of students outside 8:25am to 3:30pm.

Would you please assist the school in the interests of the students’ safety by ensuring that your child does not attend or remain in the precincts of the school outside the hours of 8:25am to 3:30pm on Mondays to Fridays. Any parent or guardian who has difficulty in complying with this framework of supervision is requested to contact Mr Baker in order to discuss what arrangements might be able to be made for your child.

Please support us in maintaining your children’s safety and wellbeing as we work together to create a safe and happy environment.

Compass Corner

Events

As we head towards a busy time of the year with several activities and events on the horizon, please ensure you keep up to date with what is happening for your child. Parents are reminded to continue to check your Compass Newsfeeds for general information or emails for Events that require parent consent. Be sure to click on Parent Resources for key details about the day. This will help you get answers to your questions and avoid missing any important information.

Contact Details

It is important to update your information on the COMPASS APP. These include any contact details including phone numbers, address and emergency contacts if they have changed for your child.

Medication Information

For students who need to take regular medication at school, parents are required to provide the medication in a school webster pack as per our current Medication Guidelines and Procedure. A completed Authority for Medication Administration – Parent Form is also required. Any changes, including discontinuation or dosage adjustments, must be communicated via email to sjpport@lism.catholic.edu.au. If dosage changes are not covered by the original form, an updated letter from the child's Doctor is also required. 

Link to Authority for Medication Administered - Parent Form

The Medication Administered - Parent Form link can also be found in Compass under School Documentation / Parent Resources / School Forms should you need to provide another form in the future. 

If you have any questions please contact the Office Aunties.

School Student Travel for 2026

Applications are now open for 2026 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel. 

Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Parent Community Group (PCG)

After School Activities Program

Did you know that there is a wide range of local activities available to your children before and after school that are either on site or supply school drop off and pick up support? St Joseph's Parent Community Group (PCG) has gathered the info to help your family find a before or after school activity to suit your families schedule. Go to your Compass portal / School Documentation / Parent Resources to see the flyer with all the details. Please note costs apply for activities and transport. Please contact the organisation directly for more information.

Parish News

Journey into Catholic Faith for Adults

SPARK Arts Festival – Tickets Now On Sale!

Join us for the 2025 SPARK Arts Festival on Thursday 20th November at the Glasshouse, Port Macquarie,  a vibrant celebration of creativity, community and the arts across St Agnes’ Education.

Students from MacKillop College, St Joseph’s Regional College, and Newman Senior Technical College will showcase their incredible work in music, dance, drama, and visual arts through performances, exhibitions, and twilight events.

With live performances, art installations, courtyard jazz, shared dining, and large-scale projections under the stars, SPARK is more than a show, it’s a full festival experience!

St Joseph's Year 4 and 5 students will be seeing the 11:00 am Matinee show on this day.

Tickets are on sale now don’t miss out!  - www.artsnest.com.au

St Agnes' Community Day

FOR INFORMATION

Social Media Age Restrictions

To help parents prepare for the new social media age restrictions that take effect on 10th December 2025, we have shared some resource materials offering practical advice for parents on how to have gentle conversations with their children about potential feelings of 'Fear of Missing Out' (FOMO), conduct a joint social media check, create a Family Device Agreement, and access further support from the eSafety website. 

To access these materials please go to School Documents/Parent Resources/Social Media Restrictions Folder in your Compass App.

Year 7 2026 Transition to Secondary School

Family Connect Service

Don’t forget that Joeys has partnered with Social Futures to offer our families the ‘Family Connect Service’.

Our Family Connect worker, Anabelle Johnson, is onsite every Wednesday to provide families with support around NDIS, housing, DV services, welfare support and counselling services - to name a few.

If you would like to talk to Anabelle please contact her on 0419 720 515 or email:
anabelle.johnson@socialfutures.org.au

Parent Education

Positive Partnerships Workshops

Positive Partnerships is running a two day autism workshop for families in Port Macquarie on Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th November - see flyer below.  Families will have the opportunity to work through a planning tool and learn about the home school partnership. This is a Federal Government initiative and there is no cost involved. 

Interested families can learn more about the workshop and register here Positive Partnerships | Registrations

For other upcoming Positive Partnership Workshops, please click on the link below.

Free Parent Webinar: Logged Off - Navigatging the Social Media Ban with Your Child

• Understand why the ban has been introduced and what platforms are included/exempt.
• Explore privacy issues and age verification technology.
• Plan with their teens how to back up digital memories, audit current use, and manage alternatives.
• Anticipate unintended consequences, such as circumvention, isolation, or reliance on riskier platforms.
• Build family technology agreements and digital resilience that extend beyond social media.

Free Online Program to Support Children’s Mental Health

Are you a parent, grandparent, carer or other adult living in a regional, rural area, or supporting a child aged 10-13 who has unmet mental health needs? Southern Cross University is offering a free online education program designed to help you better support the mental health needs of the children in your care.

The program includes flexible online learning and a weekly 90-minute group session led by experienced mental health clinicians. It has been co-designed by parents, carers, teachers, and children’s mental health experts.

Participants will also be contributing to valuable research that aims to strengthen community responses to children’s wellbeing. Those who complete the program and the survey at the end will receive a $50.00 voucher. 

To learn more or express interest, please email Professor John Hurley at john.hurley@scu.edu.au.

OUR LEARNING JOURNEY

Year 1's Wild Day at Billabong Zoo

This week Year 1 went on an exciting adventure to Billabong Zoo as part of our Science topic: Life Cycles of Living Creatures.

At the zoo, we saw lots of amazing animals - from cuddly koalas to slithery snakes! We listened to fun talks and got up close to the animals to learn how they grow and change throughout their life cycles.

Everyone had great questions and loved sharing their observations. Some of our favourite moments were learning about Shrek the Saltwater Crocodile, feeding kangaroos, finding out how baby marsupials grow, and watching the cheeky monkeys swing and play.

A big thank you to the friendly staff at Billabong Zoo and to our wonderful parent helpers who made the day extra special.

What a fun and wild way to learn about science!

Polly Causer, Emma Francis and Naomi Currall
Year 1 Teaching Team

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What's Happening in Year 4

Our Year 4 students have kicked off Term 4 with a bang! We have been busy researching explorers in History and a range of dances in Creative Arts. We excitedly chose a dance to learn and perform, and did so with style! In English, Year 4 have been writing historical narratives focusing on the use of similes. We had a lot of fun collecting data from outside our school and created a spreadsheet and graphs to display it! We are super excited for the fun term that lays ahead!

Melissa Abbott, Ellen Morgan and David Lynch
Year 4 Teaching Team

Diwali Celebrations

To honour the wonderful diversity in our community, we enjoyed the Hindu celebration of Diwali, a festival of light and the triumph of good over evil. 

Heartfelt thanks to the three generations of Thakrani women who created a Rangoli, a traditional Indian folk art with the purpose of welcoming guests, prosperity, and deities through colourful patterns. It is a symbol of happiness, good fortune and spiritual wellbeing.

Thank you to Niya and her family for sharing their faith and culture with our school community. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such generous families.

Happy Diwali!

WHAT'S ON

Dates for your Diary

Please note these dates can change from time to time due to unforeseen circumstances and we will endeavour to advise you of any changes at the earliest possible opportunity. Our school Google calendar can be accessed via this link for additional advanced dates.

FROM OUR COMMUNITY

Billboard

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Ken Little's Fruit & Veg and Bakers Delight Settlement City for your generous support of our Breakfast Club. Because of your contribution, we're able to provide nutritious breakfasts to students twice a week.  This support does more than just fill hungry stomaches, it helps our students start their day focused and ready to learn.

Thank you for helping us give every student the best possible start to their day.