Week 8 Term 3 - Friday 12th September 2025

FROM OUR LEADERS

Principal's Message

Celebrating Science Week - You're Invited!

Come and join us in celebrating Science Week at St Joseph’s Primary School on Wednesday 24th  September. We are excited to invite you to come along to one or all of the following activities: 

• 1:00pm: Join us in our classrooms to share some of your child's learning in Science.

• 1:40pm: Come along and have lunch with your child. During this time, some of our experiments will be available for students to share with you, and why not stop past the ‘Scientist for a Day’ photo booth.

• 2:15pm: Finally, we then extend the invitation for you to join us for one huge final science experiment in the MPA!

We look forward to celebrating all things Science with you.

Build the Habit of Regular Attendance - What makes coming to school great?

Nurture your child’s love for learning by supporting their curiosity and helping them see school as a place to explore ideas and discover interests. Foster social connections by encouraging friendships outside school. 

Artist Phoenix (8 years old) - Phoenix shares that what makes coming to school great is, ‘playing soccer with my friends and learning.’

Supporting Our Teachers – The Right to Switch Off

At St Joseph’s, we value the strong partnership between families and teachers in supporting every child’s learning journey. We are so very fortunate to have such dedicated teachers who give their energy, care and expertise every day to support your children’s learning and wellbeing. To continue doing this well, it’s important that our teachers also have the opportunity to rest and recharge outside of school hours.

Just as we encourage our students to find balance between school, play and family time, we also ask for your support in helping our teachers “switch off,” particularly over the weekends. This means keeping non-urgent communication, such as emails or messages, for weekdays where possible.

By supporting this balance, we are ensuring our teachers return each week refreshed, focused and ready to provide the very best for every child in our care. Thank you for working with us to nurture not only our students but also the wellbeing of those who guide them.

Explicit Teaching - Driving Learning and Engagement

At St Joseph’s, we engage in Explicit Teaching to give every child the best chance to achieve and grow. This approach means teachers clearly explain and model new skills, guide students through practice and provide timely feedback. Lessons are broken into small, manageable steps, helping children build confidence, stay engaged and remember what they learn.

In practice, this looks like teachers setting clear goals, modelling skills step by step, practising together as a class, checking for understanding and then guiding students towards independent success, with timely feedback to support their learning. By making learning clear, structured, and supportive, Explicit Teaching helps every learner thrive.

For more helpful information please visit our COMPASS portal Parent Resources (go to School Documents, Parent Resources, Reading Resources).

Joey's Father's Day Breakfast and Colour Run Fun

What a joyful day we had at Joey’s as we celebrated our amazing dads, grandads, and father figures with our Father’s Day Breakfast and Colour Run Fun!

A Morning to Remember for our Dads and Lads

The morning kicked off with bacon and egg rolls wafting through the school grounds, accompanied by freshly brewed coffee and happy chatter. It was wonderful to see so many families gathered, enjoying the simple joy of time together. 

Our hearts were also touched by a beautiful Prayer Celebration led by our Kindergarten students. With confident voices and thoughtful words, they honoured the love, guidance, and strength that fathers and father figures bring into our lives. 

Best Attended Colour Run Yet!

To cap off the morning, students took to the field for our best attended Colour Run yet - and what a splash it was! Loads of colour and laughs filled the air as students, teachers and dads ran through clouds of vibrant powder.

A huge thank you to all our PCG mums, who were integral in bagging the colour in the weeks prior and setting it up so beautifully on the day. To our BBQ cooks and servers thank you so much - We truly couldn’t have done it without you!

It was a day full of fun, family, faith, and fantastic memories, and we thank all who joined us. Happy Father’s Day for last Sunday to all the incredible men who play such an important role in our Joey’s community. We hope you felt the love!

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Book Week 2025: “Book an Adventure!”

What a magical time we had during Book Week celebrating all things books.

The school was buzzing with excitement as students immersed themselves in stories, characters, and activities that celebrated the wonder of books and reading.

One of the highlights of the week was our Book Week Parade, where students came dressed as their favourite book characters - and what an incredible display of creativity it was! We were delighted to be joined by our preschool friends from Joey’s House, along with many proud parents, who cheered as our young readers brought their favourite stories to life. Adding even more fun to the day, our teachers dressed as characters from the beloved Mr Men and Little Miss series – who could spot Little Miss Naughty?! We enjoyed coffee and books together with our book lucky dip and coffee morning.

All week long, students kept their eyes peeled for a very elusive visitor… Where’s Wally? Hidden throughout the school in tricky spots, Wally gave students the perfect opportunity to test their observation skills. There was so much excitement, as students worked together to track him down. What a fun way to explore the school and celebrate books in action!

Each morning during Book Week, students were greeted with a special surprise on the morning messages - a Masked Reader sharing a story. The challenge? Guess who was behind the mask! The mystery kept everyone guessing all week, with one question on everyone’s mind: “Is that Mr. Schumann?”

We also held a fun Peer Support Book Week Quiz, bringing together students from across the school in their peer support groups.

It was a great way to celebrate teamwork, reading, and fun - with awesome prizes up for grabs and lots of laughs along the way. A big thank you to our staff and student leaders for organising such an engaging event!

Book Week 2025 reminded us all that stories bring joy, imagination, and connection to our lives. A huge thank you to all our families, teachers, and support staff for making this week so special.

Keep reading, Joey’s Jottings – your next adventure is only a page away!

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Sacrament of Confirmation Candidates

Grandparents Day - Save the Date

Prayer Focus

FOR ACTION

A Gentle Reminder: No Toys at School

At St Joseph’s, we are committed to creating a calm, focused learning environment where every child can thrive. While we understand that toys, trading cards, squishies, and fidget items can be fun and even comforting, they can also cause distractions in the classroom, disagreements in the playground and unfortunately, sometimes become lost or damaged.

To support our students in making the most of their learning time, we kindly ask families to remind children to leave these items at home. The only exception is when a specific item has been approved in a meeting with our Leader of Inclusion.

We greatly appreciate your support in helping us maintain a productive and positive school environment for all students.

Parent Community Group (PCG)

Special PCG Parent Tech Information Session - All Welcome!

Join us for our next extra special PCG meeting on Wednesday, 22nd October (Week 2 Term 4) from 5:30pm – 6:30pm here at Joey's.

See the flyer for details and booking link - We'd love to see you there!

We’ve attached the minutes from our last meeting, feel free to have a look.

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

St Agnes' Foundation Raffle - Drawn 26th September

FOR INFORMATION

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.

Parent Education

NSW CCSP Parent Conference

A Conference for Parents and Carers of Children in Catholic Schools in the Jubilee Year of Hope. On Saturday, 25th October, the Council for Catholic School Parents (CCSP) is hosting a special anniversary celebration conference for all NSW/ACT parents and carers with children in Catholic schools! Expert presenters will support parents bravely in a modern world:

Find out more information on our website here.

Buy a ticket: Supporting Families: Working Together in a Modern World Registration, Sat 25/10/2025 at 8:30 am | Eventbrite

Date/Time: Saturday, 25 October 2025 8:30am - 3:30pm AEDT. Doors open at 8:00am
Location: Novotel Sydney, 350 Church Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150
Contribution: $30.00
Contact CCSP at the office on office@ccsp.catholic.edu.au or 02 9287 1514

SPORT

Term 3 Sport

Term 3 has been an incredibly busy and successful time for our Joey’s athletes. Students across multiple year levels have had the opportunity to participate in a range of sporting events, showcasing skill, determination, and great school spirit.

Congratulations to all students who represented St Joseph’s at the following recent events:

• Ian Schubert’s Rugby League and League Tag Gala Day
• NSW Schools Touch Football Gala Day
• Year 3 and 4 Netball Cup
• Year 3 and 4 Mid Coast Futsal Gala Day.

Your hard work, positive attitude, and sportsmanship were a credit to our school community.

Paul Wilson Cup - Zone Netball and Soccer Gala Day

This annual gala day is always a tough contest with schools from across the Hastings region. Our netball teams gave solid performances and demonstrated strong teamwork and resilience at the Gala Day in Laurieton.

In soccer, our boys team made it to the final where they narrowly lost to St Peter’s in a close match.

History was made this year with our girls soccer team competing in their own official competition for the first time. They also faced St Peter’s in the final and came away with a thrilling 1–0 victory. The girls will now travel to Grafton on Wednesday 24th September to represent our region against the winning teams from the Clarence, Richmond, and Tweed zones. We wish them all the best as they continue their journey.

Diocesan Athletics - Students advancing to Polding

We are proud to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of our student athletes who qualified for the Polding Athletics Carnival in Glendale today. We are so incredibly proud of the exceptional talent and dedication these students have demonstrated. Congratulations goes out to:

OUR LEARNING JOURNEY

Accendere @ St Joseph's Regional

Year 4 had a wonderful experience in Week 5 when they visited St Joseph’s Regional College to take part in Accendere. They joined with Year 4 students from St Joseph’s Laurieton and Wauchope to explore the theme of faith and friendship. The day was filled with fun and engaging activities, all organised and run by the teachers and enthusiastic Year 9 students from Regional.

The highlight of the day was making friendship bracelets with colourful beads, each bead chosen to represent different parts of friendship such as kindness, trust and joy. The Year 9 students did a tremendous job leading the sessions, and our Year 4 students had an absolute blast. Accendere is a Latin word meaning “to ignite” or “to set alight”, which is a fitting description of how the day sparked new connections and strengthened friendships.

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Year 2 Cowarra Dam Excursion

As part of our learning in Science and Technology, Year 2 has been learning about the water cycle and how valuable water is as a resource. To extend our understanding, we visited Cowarra Dam to learn about our local water supply and the urban water cycle. We explored the dam, went on a treasure hunt and were given shower timers to remind us of how we can conserve water.

It was a valuable learning experience and we thank Port Macquarie Hastings Council and their education team for our gifts and the informative tour. 

Elise Howard, Matthew Gourlay, Karen Davies
Year 2 Teaching Team

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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.