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- Prayer Focus
- The Principal's Report
- Celebrating Our Faith
- Learning Together
- Parent Assembly
- Parish News
- Year 7 2021 Orientation - St Joseph's Regional College
- Sunshine Cafe
- Digital Technologies
- Student Awards
- Sport Spotlight
- Focus Story on Isla
- Sharing Our Learning - Indigenous Education
- Creative Corner
- Mental Health Month Continues
- Relocation Notice
- What's On Next Week ...
- Advance Dates for Your Diary
- This Week's Notes
- Billboard
SRC 2021
This week we had the pleasure of hearing a number of our Year 5 students communicating how they would like to be part of our Student Representative Council (SRC) for 2021. While this is always a nervous experience in front of their peers and others in the school, they spoke with conviction and persuasion, showing us how they would be committed to representing our school when they reach Year 6. While not all can take on this role, we were proud of each of them, as well as their peers who supported them.
We are pleased to be able to announce our SRC for 2021 are Penny Little, Tori McGrath, Millie Paine, Macey Stewart, Jack Cremins, Luke Davies, Riley Robinson and Jesse Steinhour.
Life Education Van
It was a great couple of weeks of learning in the Life Education Van during the past week and a half. Our students enjoyed the messages around looking after themselves and as always, Leanne and Harold were very engaging. It is a really good opportunity for parents and carers to talk with their children about the messages from these visits and share what they have learned.
Transition to school - Kindergarten 2021
It was a wonderful week with our new Kindergarten friends for 2021 visiting during their orientations on Monday and Wednesday. This year the guidelines have meant our time was limited, but while the children were having fun with our wonderful Kindergarten teachers, we were also able to share with the parents and carers some information in place of our usual information evening. We hope that this taste of school will assist the children and their families to feel connected to us as they prepare to be part of our community very soon! Don’t forget to come and visit us on 30th November between 9:15-10:00am or 3:30-4:00pm to collect your Ready, Set, Go packs and say hello again.
Bus Travel
During this week we have had a number of issues raised about bus travel by families. We have spent time with several groups of students who travel on buses, speaking clearly about expectations from our school on the way in which they travel to and from school. While this is not during school time and we cannot be there to ensure conduct is appropriate, we do have an expectation that all of our students will model respectful and appropriate behaviour. It is vital that anything you become aware of on bus travel is communicated to the bus company who have their own system that they should be enacting in these circumstances. Be aware that they have the right to remove students from bus travel should they require. This is a good time to speak with your children about what you expect of them as well, particularly around language used and physical behaviour that impacts on others around them.
Principal
Our prayer focus this week celebrates NAIDOC week (NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee). We have shared our NAIDOC celebrations in our Sharing our Learning article of this newsletter.
Parish Christmas Hamper Appeal
Remembrance Day
St Joseph’s came to a standstill to pay our respects to those who have served our country for Remembrance Day. Well done to our Minnie Vinnies Team who led the ceremony with great leadership, demonstrating silence and an attitude of respect.
Our children learnt about Remembrance Day throughout the school, including Year 2 who made their own poppies.
We are proud of Sophie Pynaert who represented St Joseph’s at the Council Remembrance Day Ceremony at Port Panther's among distinguished veterans and members of our local community. Sophie placed a wreath on our behalf and is commended for her demonstration of her utmost respect for the occasion.
Nathan Porter
Assistant Principal Mission
Over the past two weeks our students in Year 2 - 6 completed their ACER PAT Mathematics and Reading tests. ACER’s Progressive Achievement approach is used in thousands of schools in Australia and around the world. The approach focuses on assessing and monitoring student growth over time and is underpinned by an understanding that students of the same age and in the same year of school can be at very different points in their learning and development.
These tests are designed to provide objective, norm-referenced information to teachers about their students’ skills and understandings in a range of key areas. The Mathematics test assesses students’ skill and understanding in the six strands of Number, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Statistics and Probability. The Reading test assesses students’ reading comprehension skills, vocabulary knowledge and spelling.
Why do schools use PAT tests?
- They provide a measure of student achievement in each learning area.
- There is a common achievement scale for all tests within a learning area.
- They are mapped to the Australian Curriculum.
- They provide overall descriptions of the types of skills mastered and those still to be developed based on test performance.
- They can be used to inform teaching and learning and to assist in planning effective and targeted learning programs.
A healthy education system has multiple assessments (large-scale and small), each designed to suit the purpose at hand. Standardised tests are an imperfect measure by nature, and cannot be expected to measure children’s learning as competently as the teacher who spends hours with them every day.
On the other hand, individual teachers’ judgements cannot map learning across the entire education system. We may be experts on the progress of our students, but we cannot compare that progress with students in the school down the road, let alone a school in another state or territory. Standardised assessment provides the best birds-eye view of where the system is working, and where additional attention is required.
If you have any questions about the ACER testing please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher for further clarification.
Jeannine Ucdereli
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching
St Agnes' Uniform Store Price Lists and Trading Hours
New Mass Schedule and booking system
- Phone the Presbytery on 6583 1024
- Book online via the Parish Website (go to Mass Times then click on the 'Book into Mass here' button and follow the prompts)
If you can't make it to Mass in person, why not join Bishop Greg Homeming who celebrates Mass at the Carmelite Monastery in Goonellabah, at 8:00am each Sunday via live stream on the Lismore Diocese YouTube channel (click here to view the site).
Year 7 2021 Orientation - St Joseph's Regional College
- Students are asked to arrive no later than 8.45am.
- If parents are driving students on the day, please remain in your car at drop-off and pick-up due to our COVID -19 regulations.
- Year 9 students and College Student Leaders will be at the drop-off point to meet students and direct them to the back of the hall where they will meet with other Year 6 students.
- If possible we would recommend students make their way to and from the College by bus with older siblings or friends if they will be doing that next year.
- Students are to wear their normal primary school sports uniform.
- Students are asked to bring a hat as the policy at the College is “No hat, no play”.
- Students will be assembled in the College Hall for their official welcome at 8.45am. They will then be placed in their Houses for 2021 and then into smaller groups for a tour of the College with their Year 9 leaders.
- The students will attend 3 high school lessons during the day so are asked to bring pens and pencils for activities.
- Students will need to bring recess and a water bottle.
- A BBQ lunch and a drink will be supplied. The canteen will be open at recess and lunch for those students wishing to purchase other food items.
- The day will conclude at 2.45pm for students being collected by parents. Please remain in your cars and the students will be supervised at the pick-up point then directed to your car as you arrive. Please note, if the student is being picked up along with older siblings, they will remain in the hall with students who are catching buses until 3.15pm. It is not necessary to sign older siblings out earlier than 3.15pm.
- Any Year 6 student who plays a band instrument is invited to arrive at the College by 8:00am on the Orientation Day to participate in a College Band rehearsal. Students are to please bring their instruments.
If you have any questions or concerns, then please do not hesitate to contact the College on 5525 4100.
VOLUNTEER NOTICE
We are unable to have volunteers in our canteen for the remainder of Term 4 however I am starting to plan for next year and am really excited about having volunteers back for Term 1, 2021.
If you have never helped out before, are new to our school, or have been helping for years and want to come and help again, please fill out the online form via the link below and I will be in touch with you soon to work out the roster for next year.
Volunteer form link - https://forms.gle/q4e2ZbthyFvKQQzi7
Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you in 2021!
LUNCH ORDERS
The canteen is operating as usual and lunch orders can be placed via Flexischools or by dropping them in the basket on the counter each morning.
Don't forget you can order online by 8:30am- it's so easy!!
- Download the Flexischools app from the App Store or from Google Play.
Note: for iPhone and iPad please select ‘Allow’ notification - Click “Register Now” to create account
- Top-up your balance
- Start ordering immediately
- Alternatively Go to www.flexischools.com.au
Kim Goldie
Canteen Coordinator
What’ll Happen to the Wattle? Success!!
We put together the below video application and are excited to have been selected as one of the participating schools.
A community panel judged the applications that included 200 words and a short video explaining what the schools would do with the wattle once it had grown.
One of the panel members said, “We have spent 5 days watching videos. Entries from all over Australia. From a single teacher in a face mask in a school in Victoria to a small school in remote Northern Territory. It has been an amazing opportunity to laugh and cry our way through them.”
St Joseph’s along with the other chosen schools around Australia will receive wattle seeds that have flown to space, plus seeds that have not. The seeds are from the same seed lot. Students are asked to germinate and grow their seeds, recording data about the germination and seed growth. Data will be uploaded to the ‘What’ll happen to the wattle??!’ App.
Throughout the programme, One Giant Leap Australia Foundation will run teleconferences and provide educational support to participating groups. The twelve month to two year project will result in the creation of a nationwide map identifying the location of Australia‘s ‘space wattle’ trees. For more information please visit the following website: https://onegiantleapfoundation.com.au/whatll-happen-to-the-wattle/
We are super excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to watch the launch!
Sarah Blundell
Leader of Digital Pedagogies/STEM
KS | Lewis Freeman | Harry Herbert | Harper Maher |
1B | Ella Roach | Sianna Karickal | Tyler Mat |
1R | Tilly Scott | Livana Lijo | Bronte Wood |
2T | Lily Francis | Gemma Cooper | Koby McGinley |
3BH | Alexander Hudson | Ariannah Beard | Evie Johnson |
3D | Joseph Jarvis | Anabel Shijo | Zada Robinson |
4B | Abbey Delforce | Matilda Coleman | Matilda Beresford |
4F | Jackson Coleman | Charlie Holloway | Jaskaran Saini |
5G | Matilda Kos | Axel Davidson | Aaron Biju |
5H | Ella Herbert | Phoenix Kitching | Zara Lawrence |
6MH | Airlia Matthews | Amelia Dowd | Sophie Holmes |
sports stars of the week
Congratulations to our Year 5/6 NRL team, Koby Atkins, Jack Banks, Hudson Bell, Caleb Edkins, Taj Davis, Kyle Donovan, Zayden Field, Jack Filipek, Harlie Flemming, Heath Hunter, Darcy McHugh, Lachlan Parke, Lennox Pearce, Cruz Rebecchi, Ansh Singh, Cooper Waterhouse, Jai Watts and Chaise Winn.
Not only did they win the NRL U12s Tackle Rugby League All Schools Gala Day but had so many reports of wonderful sportsmanship.
Congratulations to Kyle Donovan for receiving Man of the Match and a big thank you to Mr Smith and Mr Lynch for training and preparing our boys. The Gala Day was held at Stuarts Park on Tuesday.
Tennis
Our weekly Tennis lessons have come to an end this week. The Primary classes ended with Round Robin Tournaments. We have thoroughly enjoyed learning and applying new skills in Tennis and our general fitness. We thank Greg Alchin for engaging us each week and sharing his passion for Tennis with us.
Multisports Event
Our Sports Captains are planning a Multi Sports event for each grade to participate in Week 9. They will share more information with us soon.
Yours in Sport
Leah Toole
Check out this wonderful interview of Isla Dalton (6MH) about her outdoor adventures. Isla's story features in this month's Port Macquarie Focus Magazine.
Sharing Our Learning - Indigenous Education
naidoc Week
Wiyabu (Hello) everyone and happy NAIDOC Week!
NAIDOC Week is a chance for us to celebrate all things Indigenous. This year’s theme is, 'Always was, Always will be' and was chosen to acknowledge our nation’s story as beginning at the dawn of time, not at European contact. Our history dates back thousands of generations with the first footprints belonging to our First Nation's people.
Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait people have maintained ongoing spiritual and cultural connections to the land and sea. To celebrate this week we have been connecting to our local Birpai language known as Gathang, plenty of storytelling and colouring. Today we have created our very own Rainbow Serpent that has wound its way around our entire school.
Thank you so much for the community's continued support of Indigenous education. We have some big plans in 2021 and if you would like to be involved in adding to our Indigenous education, we would love to hear from you.
Congratulations to all our participants in the K-Mart NAIDOC Week art competition our winners were Hannah Cooper (KS), Diane-Grace King (1R), Amelia Dowd (6MH) and Oscar Peirce (3D)! Thank you to everyone for your time and effort and your wonderful designs.
On behalf of our Indigenous team we wish you all a wonderful NAIDOC Week.
Wanyimbu Wanyimbu Ganyila Wanyimbu Wanyimbu Ganyiy
Always Was, Always Will Be
Gapu everybody
Caleb Smith
Shining Star of the Week
And the Oscar goes to…Eli Partington in 1B!
Eli consistently tries his best at Infants Art Club and shows exemplary manners.
Christmas Celebrations
As we didn’t have a Glasshouse showcase this year, we are working towards sharing our Advent and Christmas celebrations and performances with you at the end of the term.
Yours in Creative and Performing Arts
Leah Toole
Infants Art Club
Year 1 students enjoyed making Christmas decorations in Art Club this week. We have started Christmas themed art early due to the Intensive Swimming Program in weeks 7 and 8.
Laura Stapleton
Infants Art Club
A Mighty Spoonville THANK YOU to All!!
The contractors have moved into the grounds and are preparing the land for Spoonville…….
We have seen plenty of wooden spoons being sent in for your child to start decorating our 'Spoonys' to help us develop our own Spoonville community.
Here at St Joseph’s Primary, we wanted to link the Mental Health Month theme of ‘Tune In’ to both our school community and our larger community of the Hastings Valley. To achieve this, we are going to make our very own Spoonville community and register it with Spoonville International (https://spoonvilleinternational.com/)
Spoonville is an initiative that was started in the UK by a lady called ‘Karen’ in Winnersh, Berkshire. She wanted to cheer up her local community during COVID-19 and did this by making Spoony characters and placing them in different parts of her village for families to see when they went for a walk.
On Friday 27th November we will be placing our Spoonys in the gardens of the school for our students, parents and carers as well as passersby to see as they walk past.
Thank you for your support of this initiative.
Keep your eyes peeled for more developments on our school Facebook page!!
Are You Moving During The Holidays?
If you are leaving Port Macquarie and your child/children will not be returning to St Joseph’s in 2021 please ensure that you have notified us as we have families looking for enrolments for next year. If you are just moving house or changing your work place within Port Macquarie please ensure that you give us up-to-date contact details before the start of the school year. You can email us at sjpport@lism.catholic.edu.au
Thank you for your assistance in this regard.
Week 6 - Term 4 2020 |
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Monday 16th November |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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Thursday 19th November |
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Friday 20th November |
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Week 7 - Term 4 2020 |
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Monday 23rd November |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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Thursday 26th November |
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Friday 27th November |
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Week 8 - Term 4 2020 |
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Monday 30th November |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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Thursday 3rd December |
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Friday 4th December |
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Week 9 - Term 4 2020 |
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Monday 7th December |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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Thursday 10th December |
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Friday 11th December |
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Week 10 - Term 4 2020 |
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Monday 14th December |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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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 2021 school term dates are listed below. They are also located on our website. Click on the words “TERM DATES” on the home page.
TERM 1 2021
School Administration Day (Pupil Free) - Wednesday 27th January 2021
Year 1 to 6 Maths Assessment Interviews - Thursday 28th January and Friday 29th January 2021
Kindergarten Best Start Interviews - Thursday 28th January to Wednesday 3rd February 2021
Year 1 to 6 commence classes - Monday 1st February 2021
Kindergarten commence classes - Thursday 4th February 2021
Term finishes – Thursday 1st April 2021
TERM 2
Term commences - Monday 19th April 2021
Term finishes – Friday 25th June 2021
TERM 3
Term commences – Monday 12th July 2021
Term finishes - Friday 17th September 2021
TERM 4
Term commences – Tuesday 5th October 2021
Term finishes - Friday 17th December 2021
Other Holidays in 2021
Australia Day – Tuesday 26th January 2021 (Public Holiday)
Good Friday – Friday 2nd April 2021
Easter Monday – Monday 5th April 2021 (Public Holiday)
ANZAC Day – Sunday 25th April 2021
Queen’s Birthday – Monday 14th June 2021 (Public Holiday)
Labour Day – Monday 4th October 2021 (Public Holiday)
Christmas Day - Saturday 25th December 2021
Boxing Day - Sunday 26th December 2021
Year 6 Graduation Mass, Dinner and Awards Ceremony
Eastcoast School Futsal Championships - Expression of Interest (Year 4 and 5 students)
Kinder's Teddy Bears Picnic
Parish Christmas Hamper Appeal