Sabbath Week

Welcome to Week 7 which for our community is SABBATH WEEK! This is a time for families to take a breather. Teachers will not issue homework in the hope that it will free up families to enjoy some quality time and different activities after school. The beautiful sunny afternoons might mean a lovely walk/cycle around town or meeting up with some other families for a picnic and play in the park. Or maybe a popcorn and movie afternoon is more your thing? Just remember that Sabbath means rest, so whatever you do, don’t create more work for yourself!

Grenfell Show

The much-anticipated Grenfell Show is on this weekend and we are desperately seeking more volunteers to man the St Joseph’s Stall for an hour. Any time that you can spare would be truly appreciated. Please check Compass and complete your name and the designated time that you can help.

Fathers’ Day Breakfast and Mass

It was lovely to see so many Dads come along for breakfast and then stay and celebrate Mass with their children. Thank you to Sally, Scott, Bec and Ele and the students for helping and organising the celebrations.

Thank you also to Year 2,3,4, Mr Martens and Ms Washbrook for the beautiful Mass they prepared and to Fr Jiss for celebrating with us! Congratulations to our students who were so reverent in the sacred space and participated in the prayers and singing with enthusiasm.

Behaviour

The students may have informed you that we have instigated a card system on the playground. Staff have noticed that the ‘no hands on’ rule was being forgotten and that some students were not showing respect to teachers and each other. The yellow card is a warning which we hope will help students to think about their actions and make changes. A red card is issued after two yellow cards and this means time off the playground. This allows time and space to consider more appropriate actions, words and how they respond. If a student receives a second red card in a week, parents will be contacted and asked to support the school by revising with their child appropriate, safe and kind ways to play and speak to students and teachers. A green card is issued when teachers wish to acknowledge kind, fair, inclusive play and respectful attitude towards teachers and students. The teachers and I have noticed already a positive change on the playground!

Uniform

I have begun doing spot checks on uniform. This means wearing the correct uniform and wearing it properly. Students are being awarded orange tokens for meeting the bar on both these standards. I am very happy to report that our senior students in Year 5 & 6 are setting an excellent example! A gentle reminder if you are purchasing new shoes or boots, that they should be black.

I have noticed that the uniform pool, especially the larger sizes for girls is somewhat depleted. If you have done a clean out and have uniform items that you would like to donate, it would be very much appreciated.

I have really enjoyed my brief stay in Grenfell and being a part of the St Joseph’s community! Small schools are special places where the children are given so many opportunities to succeed and grow and this is what happens at St Joseph’s. The teachers and parents work so hard to provide a myriad of experiences and a wealth of resources that enable each student to explore their interests and find their niche in life. I hope the rest of the year is wonderful for all members of this special community.

God bless,

Katrina McGrath

Acting Principal