From the Principal
Dear Parents,
Hoping you and the children have enjoyed a lovely holiday and are returning relaxed, refreshed and ready for the busy weeks ahead of Term 4. t
It was great to welcome the children back to school this week and especially to welcome our 5 new students. A big, warm St Jospeh’s welcome to the new families who have recently joined the school! It is wonderful to see our school growing with current enrolment 50 students.
Welcome back to school to Mrs Leslie King too! Do chat with Mrs King about her amazing adventures when you get the chance.
Mrs Hunter also returned to school this week and it is also great to have her back at school too. With Sheridan’s return, the weekly Newsletter will revert to distribution on Thursdays. Thanks to Mrs Baker for looking after the newsletter in Sheridan’s absence.
NAIDOC and Teachers Day
Term 3 finished with a bang with both NAIDOC and Teacher’s Day celebrations occurring on the last day of the term. The children and teachers thoroughly enjoyed getting together with the Grenfell community for the NAIDOC celebrations. On behalf of the St Jospeh’s community, congratulations and thank you to the event organisers. And well done to the St Jospeh’s children for their excellent singing of the Kookaburra song in language.
Teacher’s Day was an unexpected surprise for us teachers and we felt thoroughly appreciated and celebrated thanks to the students and especially the Minnie Vinnies group who arranged the festivities. What made the day so special was that this event was completely child initiated and child lead. It is vey encouraging to know that the St Joseph’s children are so thoughtful, generous and effective in organisation to bring their vision to reality. Perhaps Teacher’s Day will become a St Jospeh’s tradition?
Welcome to Book Week!
The theme of Book Week for 2023 is Read, Grow, Inspire and the celebrations have been happening throughout the week. Tuesday saw the children free to find a cosy corner anywhere in the school and immerse themselves in a favourite book. There was time for sharing about their favourite books with their class mates too and we hope this sharing and the further activities we have planed for this week will serve to inspire the children to experience new books, genres and authors.
As always the Book Character Dress Up Parade was a highlight of the week so far. Well done parents to for your help in supporting the children to choose a favourite book character and dress up . We were impressed with how the children immersed themselves in their characters by bringing props and being able to discuss their character and the book.
With two days remaining of Book Week, we look forward to the following activities:
Thursday 12th October – Mystery Reader Each class will be visited by a Mystery Reader from the staff who will share a favourite story.
Friday 13th October – Partner Reading Parents will be invited to join us first thing in the morning after drop off for partner reading. If you are able to join us, that would be great!
Book Fair – Throughout the week, the children will visit the Ashton Scholastic Book Fair. This will also be available for parents to visit on Friday afternoon from 1.15 instead of the usual assembly.
Colour Run – Tuesday 17th October - It's almost here!!!
Hoping we have all been in training for the inaugural St Joseph’s Colour Run to be held next Tuesday 17th October. A fantastic day is assured!
The children have been busy finding sponsors for this event which the SRC is running to fund playground improvements. Thank you parents and family members for your terrific support! Everyone is welcome to join us on the oval after lunch, to witness the fun and frivolity on the day.
On Tuesday the students will wear mufti and should ensure they have a hat, water bottle and that they are wearing sunscreen. Students are encouraged wear a white/light as possible Tshirt/top, for the colour to have most impact. Tuesday is sports day so all children should be wearing appropriate footwear for running the obstacle course.
A spare set of clothing will need to brought to school for changing into for the trip home and a plastic bag for the clothes used during the run. We are hoping for a warm day so some water activities can be added into the mix.
Come along and witness this exciting event. There is the added bonus of watching some of our staff members being slimed at the end, in recognition of the brilliant fundraising efforts of the St Joseph's community.
Kindergarten Open Evening – Thursday 21st October
It’s always a special event when the Kindy families come together for the first time and the last Thursday of term 3 was no exception.
Big Thanks to Rob McClelland for looking after the bar-be-que and to the Parents and Friends for making all the catering arrangements work so seamlessly.
Thank you to the current St Jospeh’s families for being there to welcome the new Kindy families. Lastly and most importantly, thank you to the new Kindy families for choosing St Jospeh’s! We are delighted to have you join our community!
Calling ALL Kindy’s - Kindergarten Enrolment 2024
A final reminder that enrolment forms are now overdue for children commencing in Kindergarten 2024. Please do finalise your application as soon as possible. Please do encourage friends and extended family members to pay us a visit if they would like to learn more about the school.
Kindy Transition Dates
The Jump into Joey’s program gives the children transitioning to school such a great foundation for their commencement and we have received very positive feedback throughout the year on how much the children have enjoyed their experiences at St Joseph’s and how this is helping them to feel confident about starting school.
In term 4, there will be additional transition days for the new starters as follows:
Tuesday 17th Oct 9.05- 11.35
Tuesday 31st Oct 9.05 -11.35
Tuesday 14h Nov 9.05 - 2.00pm Parents are invited at 1.15pm for Q and A
Looking forward to welcoming our new Kindy’s!
Sacramental Programme – Sunday 22nd September
Mrs McFarlane and Sr Mary and the candidates have been busy preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation which they will receive during Mass on Sunday 22nd October. The St Jospeh’s community is warmly invited to attend this Mass and show their support for the candidates.
In Conclusion…
There is so much to look forward to in term 4 and we look forward to your participation and support.
It’s a busy term for learning too and the classes have ‘hit the ground running’ this week to ensure that we squeeze the very best out of the last 10 weeks of this academic year.
Please do take some time together with your child this week to enjoy time enjoying books. Perhaps you could share some old favourites and explore some new titles too. There will be notifications regarding the activities throughout the week to help you help your child to make the most of Book Week 2024.
With best wishes,
Louise Grant
Acting Principal