Dear parents and carers,

Last week’s events

Thank you to the parents who organised and assisted with the Cake Stall at Saturday’s Market. It was a great success. Waiting lines for cakes says it all !!

Recent Parent involvement in school activities

Thank you to all the parents who have been involved in school activities recently. Between School Advisory Committee and P&F meetings, Principal Consultation processes, Farewell for Ms Clancy, the Cake Stall at the Market Day and with support for tomorrow’s Drama Day there has been plenty happening.

Yesterday in a meeting with the Director for Schools, Mr Ross Fox, I shared with him my very positive impressions of St Joseph’s.  One important characteristic is the positive spirit of the parents of St Joseph’s. Thank you for all your efforts!

 Enrolments for 2022

Any parents considering enrolling their children at St Joseph’s in 2022 are asked to contact me at your convenience.

Grenfell Dramatic Society Play event

Excitement is growing amongst the students as they prepare for tomorrow’s Grenfell Dramatic Society’s Annual School’s Drama Day.

This year the Drama Day will be held in the school hall at the Grenfell Public School. Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students will be performing at 11:30am and Yr 3-6 will follow.

COVID Safe requirements will be in place with a limit of 100 adult visitors at any one time. Admissions to the hall will only be between the play performances. The school has asked that parents not leave during the performances.

I hope you might be able to attend. 

Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews 

Semester student reports will be posted to your parent portal on Monday 21 June. If you have not already accessed the app please do so before next Monday.  If you need assistance or do not have access to the parent portal, please contact the school. 

Teacher-parent interviews will be held from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 June. Teachers will be available before and after school until 6:00pm, with the last interview commencing at 5:45pm. 

Interviews times can be organised from this Thursday, Friday or early next week. Please contact the school on 6343 1514 or office.stjosephgrenfell@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Parents are encouraged to have their child present for the interviews.

Staff Professional Development Day

Monday 12 July will be a pupil-free Staff Development day. Half the day will be spent with the staff of Grenfell Public School in discussion with John Walters who is a reading specialist and an award-winning author. 

The afternoon will be spent at school undertaking organisational activities.

Classes will resume for students on Tuesday 13 July.

Kind regards

Peter Hamill

Acting Principal

The June long weekend was a special treat this year as I was able to have an extended weekend away with family. It was so great to have time to catch up in person. We talked, we joked, we laughed, we played cards, we had healthy rivalries about which footy team would win and of course we ate way too much! Family time is so important and it happens less and less as time goes on due to conflicting schedules, distance and other commitments. All the more reason to treasure the moments we can be together.

Family is likely one of the most powerful forces in the entire world. And there are things about it that make it that way. Though for each of us, family is different; it is still home, it is a place to belong and it is that place where we fit in perfectly.

Family is knowing that no one could ever take your place. It is that spot where you are completely irreplaceable. It is that sweet place where you belong in all of your heart and personality and spunk; where you get to be unashamedly yourself every single day.

It is where you are loved and known. You are seen exactly as you are with your greatness and with your darkness. And no matter what, you’re never given up on, never pushed away, never forgotten, never denied.

Family is that look between a husband and wife, a glance between a brother and sister, a wink between a dad and a son. It is silly conversations and jokes that don’t make sense and laughter that goes into the night. It is family vacations and conversations with hard questions. It is learning from one another and trying new things and getting up every single day to love again. It is wonder and it is thanks and it is beautiful.

We don’t choose our family but we do get to choose to open our hearts wide to receive from them and to love them freely and unconditionally.

What makes family a powerful force isn’t that we share last names or that we come around the same dinner table every night. What makes families powerful is that in an age of so many choices, we keep choosing each other.

Reflection retrieved and adapted from https://rolphoto.ca/blog/the-importance-of-family

 I am so grateful to have had this precious weekend with my family and of course, we all know who the star of the weekend was! Yes…that’s you, Hudson!

Welcome to the latest instalment of our K/1/2 class updates! There is a lot of learning to report!

In Mathematics, the students have been learning about time. They learnt to name and order the days of the week, read and record hour time on digital and analog clocks, relate events to a particular day or time of day, name and order the months of the year and seasons, and to name the months of each season, and relate events to a particular day or time. The students have also been learning about mass and how to predict which object would be heavier or lighter than another object, to use comparative language to describe mass, compare and order the masses of two or more objects by hefting and with a pan balance, as well as record comparisons of mass informally.

 This term, in Personal Development and Health (PDH), the students have been investigating the types of foods they eat at home, at school and when they eat out. They have been learning to recognise the importance of healthy foods for their growth and development. They sorted healthy and unhealthy foods and identified healthy choices they can make. They also investigated the origin of foods – either plant or animal. Overall, the students better understand our need for healthy food.

In Physical Education (PE) this term, the students have been developing different throwing and passing skills. These skills include underarm, chest, shoulder, and bounce passes. The students have been practising these skills individually, with a partner and in groups. They have also been participating in whole class team games to reinforce these skills. Earlier in the term, the students took part in the Athletics Carnival, with some learning new skills and others improving on past performances. By all accounts, the students enjoyed this and were able to refine their athletics skills.

The Grenfell Dramatic Society invited the students of St Joseph’s School to present play performances on June 17 at the Grenfell Public School. The students have been very busy preparing and rehearsing in readiness for the event. They are especially excited to have the opportunity to present their play titled ‘Humpty Dumpty’ to the community. We hope you may be able to attend!

 

On a final note, the students have continued to cook up a storm to learn more about food and cookery. Setting a good example and engaging children’s curiosity, and their taste buds, can provide a positive and memorable food experience that will form the basis of positive lifelong eating habits. The students really enjoyed making and eating savoury muffins and chicken pin wheels from scratch!

With only a few more weeks until another term has passed, we are sure to keep ourselves busy! Keep an eye out next term for more class news to update you on what is happening with our class.