Welcome Back to Term 2!

Our hope is that the Easter holidays were not only a chance to enjoy a well earned rest but also an opportunity to reflect on the Easter message of hope, renewal, and compassion. It has been wonderful to see our students return refreshed and ready for the term ahead.

This year, we are focusing on two key goals: improving academic performance in Mathematics and creating classrooms that are calm, respectful, and ready for learning. Our teachers are working closely with students to strengthen their understanding through targeted instruction and meaningful practice. At the same time, we’re building positive, focused learning environments by setting clear expectations and supporting student wellbeing and engagement.

As we begin this busy and important term, thank you for your continued support at home. Working in partnership with families makes a real difference in every child’s learning journey.

Mother's Day

Today we celebrated all the mums, grandmothers, carers, and mother figures in our community at our Mother's Day breakfast. Your care, strength, and daily efforts mean so much to your children and to our school. We hope you enjoy a joyful and relaxing Mother’s Day - you deserve every moment of it.

Welcome to the Joey's Family

We are pleased to introduce Alison Campbell as the new teacher for Year 5 at St Joseph's School! Alison will be stepping in for Mrs Stephens, who is taking maternity leave for two terms.

Alison brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the classroom, and we are excited to have her join our community. With her warm and approachable style, we are confident that Mrs Campbell will provide a positive and engaging learning environment for the Year 5 students during Mrs Stephens' absence.

We wish Mrs Stephens all the best during her maternity leave and look forward to welcoming Alison to the team for the coming terms. Here's to a wonderful, productive year for Year 5!

Parent Affirmations

Thank you for your ongoing support as we complete the final part of our Term 1 Learning Conversations.

Please find a support document shared in your COMPASS portal to assist you in completing your Parent Affirmation if you have not yet had the chance.

It is important that your child is able to read your affirmation when they view their Insights report, as it is a special part of celebrating their learning journey. Your affirmation will appear on their Term 2 report.

Build the Habit of Regular Attendance

Regular school attendance supports not just academic growth but also social and emotional development. It fosters meaningful peer relationships through shared experiences, consistent interactions, and building trust within the classroom. Attending daily helps students develop a sense of camaraderie, communication skills, and mutual reliability.

Sophie says, ‘For me, the best thing about coming to school is seeing my friends.’

Artist – Sophie 10 years old

 

Bike Safety

Riding Rules 

When riding on the footpath, cyclists must keep to the left and give way to pedestrians. On shared paths, riders are encouraged to leave a metre of space, where possible. Your child also needs to take special care at driveways where vehicles may be driving in or out.

Remind your child to 

• Ride their bike away from the road
• Always wear a helmet. HELMET ON

As part of our focus on school effectiveness, St Joseph’s Primary School will once again be participating in an online survey for students and parents - Tell Them From Me (TTFM). The survey will provide us with valuable feedback on what our students and parents think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. Schools in Australia and around the world have used the Tell Them From Me survey to help them improve.  

In the coming weeks, students in Years 4 to 6, will be given the opportunity and time to participate in this survey during regular school hours. Students who have permission and wish to complete the survey will be given a random username and password to access and complete the survey online. Students’ names cannot be linked to their responses which allows it to be completely anonymous. Results will show all student scores combined together – it is not possible to single out individual students in the results. 

The survey takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The survey measures include such topics as emotional and social wellbeing, physical health, and behaviours and attitudes linked to student success. The survey also allows students to give their thoughts and feedback in open-ended question responses. 

Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary. Your child will not take part if either you or your child do not wish to. If, during the survey, your child is uncomfortable answering any question, they should leave it blank and move on to the next one. Your child can stop the survey at any time. 

If you do not want your child to take part in the survey, please advise us via email to sjpport@lism.catholic.edu.au by Wednesday 14th May. If you would like more information please contact our school office. 

Next week, the Parent survey link will be sent. Thank you for supporting our school by completing this survey over the coming weeks.

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.

This year our Professional School Photographers will be visiting us this coming Monday 12th May (Week 3 Term 2).

In Week 10 last term you were sent an email from MSP Photography with details on how to place your 2025 school photos orders. Please follow the instructions in that communication prior to School photo day. Once you have placed your Individual Photo order you can place a Sibling photo order if  you wish. Please note these MUST be ordered before midnight prior to photo day. If you have any questions regarding the photo

graphy service or packages available for purchase, please contact the friendly MSP Photography team on 6583 1968 or by email northcoast@msp.com.au

We ask all students to wear their full school uniform (not Year 6 leaders shirts) and to ensure that items such as socks, black (no other colours) polishable shoes, hair ties and jewellery are as per our uniform list. If you are unsure, please check the School Uniform Requirements in the Compass School Documentation - Parent Resources tab.

For the smooth running of the process and so that your child does not miss out on their class group photo we ask that you endeavour to have your child at school on time dressed in their full uniform with their beautiful camera ready smiles.

Free Webinars for Parents

The Council of Catholic School Parents is hosting a number of helpful webinars for parents on a variety of topics.  Parents may also like to subscribe to the ParentTalk newsletter, which provides interesting articles for parents in Catholic schools.

Boys and Young Men Online Free Webinar

Free Parent Webinar: Boys and Young Men Online 27th May 12:30pm  - 1:15pm

For boys and young men, the internet can be a place where they seek connection, validation and guidance as they explore what it means to be a man today. However, it also exposes them to risks like concerning content, online exploitation and the growing influence of harmful ideologies.

This free webinar will help parents understand:

• Social and cultural influences shaping boys and young men.
• How boys engage online, build relationships and how they may be vulnerable to manipulation or exploitation.
• The impact of social media, gaming, and influencers on their attitudes, behaviours and sense of identity.
• Practical strategies to build critical thinking, challenge harmful narratives, and create open conversations that empower boys and young men to navigate the online world safely and respectfully.

Register for this webinar here.

Annual Parent Assembly Conference

Our talented Year 5 students have been hard at work creating multimodal texts that explore some of the world's most endangered environments. Combining written descriptions and images, students created some brilliant posters and brochures of rainforests, coral reefs, and arctic landscapes. They described the beauty and uniqueness of these environments, explained the incredible wildlife therein, and highlighted the serious threats they are facing, such as pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction. Check out some of the awesome creations below!

Term 1 was wonderful at Joey’s!! The students have been able to walk, play and do other activities with me. While some students have walked me, other times I have had a lay down or explore. I prefer when people don’t pull my lead too hard when I’m lying down to get me moving as it is best to just wait for Ms Weaver to call me and then I will move. Sometimes you might notice me going either to the sandpit or basketball court and I would usually follow Ms Weaver around if she’s on duty.

Sometimes while I am laying down, students might want to try to be funny and give me a pencil, pen or marker and say “Bertie is doing work.” It happens quite often with the students who lay around me most of the time. I like to think I am helping them.

We are lucky in Year 5 that we get to encounter students from different classrooms who come to visit me. This is when students finish their work and come to show it to me.

On a hot and challenging day in Kempsey, our Zone Cross Country team gave their all, showing fantastic behaviour, great sportsmanship, and true St Joseph’s spirit. Despite the tough conditions, our athletes pushed through with determination and heart.

We’re proud to announce that St Joseph’s finished 5th overall - a terrific result in a competitive field!

This event also marked the debut of our brand new St Joseph’s playing tops, proudly worn for the first time by our athletes. Keep an eye out for them again at the upcoming Paul Kelly Cup!

Congratulations to the following students, who placed in the top 8 and will now represent St Joseph’s at the Diocesan Cross Country in Grafton:

• 9 Years – Luca Godwin (2nd), Annmary Sefin Vallooran (4th)
  
  
• 10 Years – Elvis Scott (7th)
  
  
• 11 Years – Angelrose Sefin Vallooran (6th)
  
  
• 12 Years – Keilah Long (7th)

Best of luck in Grafton—we’ll be cheering you on! 

Samuel Taylor
Sports Co-ordinator

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 -

For your convenience 2025 school term dates are listed below. They are also located on our website. Click on the words “TERM DATES” on the home page.