Dear parents,

Like all schools in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, St Joseph’s has been participating in the Catalyst initiative since 2021. All our teachers have been engaged in Catalyst professional learning over the last two years with adoption of a common curriculum and classroom approach, with teachers implementing High Impact Teaching Practices across the Archdiocese. Some of you may have come across articles in the national and international media about the success of this initiative. This has resulted in an increase in student participation in class, adoption of explicit instruction with programs such as Spelling Mastery, Initialit and the Connecting Maths Concepts, all successfully implemented at St Joseph’s.

We are delighted to report that at St Joseph’s and schools across the Archdiocese, schools are experiencing significant improvement in student performance as indicated by the NAPLAN results in 2023. Please see below how the schools across our Archdiocese performed in Literacy and Numeracy compared to the national average:

Catalyst professional learning for our teachers is ongoing and this week we welcomed Alice Smith from COGlearn. Alice observed the lessons and provided feedback to the teachers on what went well and how the learning could be further improved. Alice then gave a demonstration lesson for the teachers to observe. Their regular visits are essential in the change process and we are pleased to share that St Joseph’s is right on track with Catalyst!

Boorowa Touch Football and Netball Carnival

It was great to see this event back in full swing after the covid hiatus and schools were out in force enjoying the opportunity to come together and enjoy a day of fun and sport.

Thank you to the parents who accompanied the St Joseph’s contingent; without your support we would not be able to participate. And thank you to Mrs Chelsea Harveyson and Mrs Sally Metcalfe for taking the lead on the arrangements and organising and supporting the children on the day.

Meanwhile back at school…

The K/1 children and those from 2/3/4/5/6 who decided to spend the day at school enjoyed a visiting local attraction – The Grenfell Iris Gardens. Many of the children (and teachers) had no idea that we have such a beautiful attraction right on our doorstep!

Thank you Mr Martens for arranging this trip and thank you to the accompanying teachers.

Sacrament of Confirmation

Thank you to members of the St Joseph’s school and church community for your attendance at the Confirmation service during Mass on Sunday. It means a lot to the candidates and their families to have your support and participation.

Special thanks to Danielle McFarlane and Sister Mary for all their dedication towards preparation of the candidates. Danielle and Sr Mary delivered the preparation program and put all the arrangements in place for the Mass on Sunday. Finally, our sincere gratitude to Fr Allen!

Kindy Transition Days

We look forward to welcoming the new Kindy’s to the next Transition Days as follows:

Tuesday 31^st Oct 9.05 -11.35 

Tuesday 14^h Nov 9.05 - 2.00pm Parents are invited at 1.15pm for Q and A 

Journey with Jesus – Year 5

Also, on this coming Friday 27^th October the Year 5 students will be attending a special retreat with other children from Western Region Schools for a day or reflection and faith formation. We wish the participants well!

My Body, My Life

Year 5 and 6 parents will by now have received a letter with regards to the My Body, My Life program. On Tuesday 14^th November 2023 the Archdiocesan Healthy Relationships Team will be here at St Joseph’s working with the Year 5 and 6 students to run the My Body, My Life puberty and personal development program.

As a Catholic school, we are keen to ensure that parents and carers are fully engaged in this very important aspect of their child’s development. Research also shows that despite any awkwardness you and your child might feel, children prefer to hear this information first from their own parents or carers. To that end Yr 5 and 6 families are invited to view 60 minutes of online video content and participate in some activities together at home with your child prior to the 14^th November.

In Conclusion…

Instead of the classes coming together for mini-sport each morning, commencing Monday 31st October, classes will plan for a ’brain break’ at a time that will complement the ‘flow’ of the learning. This may be an indoor or an outdoor activity.

Next week we look forward to welcoming Georgia Brenner who will be spending the next four weeks with us at school for her teaching practicum. Georgia is studying at Charles Sturt University, and she is looking forward to getting to know St Joseph’s and especially the K/1 class. Please do make Georgia feel welcome when you see her around the school.

Finally, I am pleased to share that my contract has been extended to the end of term 2 2024 when Mrs Hotham will return to the role of Principal at St Joseph’s. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the school into the new year and until Mrs Hotham returns in term 3. Thank you all for your support and positive collaboration; it is a pleasure and a privilege to be part of the St Joseph’s Primary school community.

With best wishes,

Louise Grant

Acting Principal

World Mission Month – Socktober

This World Mission Month, we can make a difference and kick goals for good with Socktober. Together, we can support young Timorese children to access a brighter future.

Our school Socktober Day will be held on Tuesday the 31^st of October. All students are encouraged to wear ‘crazy’ socks on this day. We will also participate in a prayer service and take part in other activities (organised by our Mini Vinnies group) for all students to enjoy.

This year, on Socktober Day, the students are also asked to bring to school as many donations of gold and silver coins (the more the better) as possible, to see which school Sports House can create the longest coin trail. All proceeds will go to Mission Australia.

We are also asking for donations of lots of socks to be used for activities on the day!

We are looking forward to our school Socktober Day and thank everyone for your support.

Class Mass Dates

Please note in your diaries the following Mass dates:

• Year 5/6 Class Mass – 25^th of October
• Year 2/3/4 Class Mass – 20^th November
• Year 6 Graduation Mass – 13^th December

We welcome everyone to attend these very special events at St Joseph’s Church.

Class Mass

The Year 5/6 Mass was a very special occasion. Their chosen theme was ‘joy’. The students did a great job of conveying the theme. They read beautifully and modelled reverence. By all accounts, it was lovely to see all the students so settled and respectful. Well done, Year 5/6!

Sunday Gospel Reflection (October 29)

Gospel             Matthew 22:34-40

Gathering around Jesus, not in devotion, but to ‘test’ him, a Pharisees, an ‘expert in the law’, asks: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” That is to ask, which is the commandment that undergirds all others? Jesus responds: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ And yet, astonishingly, he does not stop there! The pharisee only asks for one response, the greatest commandment, not the second, or third. And yet Jesus continues, as if to say these are one and the same. “And the second... the second is like it: you must love your neighbour as yourself.”

Jesus teaches that the seemingly most obvious of all the commandments, even to many today, the love of neighbour, is only made possible by and thus lies secondary to the first and greatest commandment of all. This first primordial commandment is that which allows all others to exist. One cannot love God without loving the other, those placed in our lives. Jesus calls us to consider, every relationship we share, the emotions that drive our passion to love... the feelings which we delight in... do not exist, without God! After all ‘God is Love” (1 Jn 4:8). And when we love, we are (quite literally) experiencing what it is to participate

in God.

Lord,

In this coming week, help me to genuinely love and serve you,

by loving those who you have placed in my daily life.

Amen.

Source: Formed in Prayer, CSYMI

Student Prayer of the Week

Sacrament of Confirmation

Yours in Faith,

Danielle McFarlane

Religious Education Coordinator

Parish News

Sunday 8 am

St Joseph’s Church, Grenfell

Please note that a Mass will be held on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. There is a Celebration of the Word with Holy Communion, not a Mass, on the first and third (and any fifth) Sunday of each month. Everyone is welcome to attend!

If you wish to visit St Joseph’s Church, it is open daily from 10.00am – 4.00pm and following Mass on Sundays.

Annual Leave for Fr Jiss

Fr Jiss will be back next week from his holidays. Please keep him in your prayers for a safe return.

Parish Street Stall

St Joseph’s Parish will be holding a street stall on Friday, 27th and Saturday, 28th of October. Donations of cakes, slices, produce and any saleable goods welcome as well as volunteers to assist on the stall. Please contact Deidre Carroll on 0403 480 729 if you have any enquiries.

Day for Daniel – Friday 27^th October

The children are invited to wear the colour red for mufti day on Friday to recognise the Day for Daniel. Held annually on the last Friday of October, Day for Daniel honours the memory of Daniel Morcombe. All Australians are asked to wear red on this very special day.

Parents and carers are encouraged to start a conversation with the children about personal safety. Please see attached information, “Keeping Kids Safe”; the children look forward to sharing the chatterboxes with you and we hope that this will prompt important safety concerstaions.

Year 5 student Saskia McLelland wanted to do something to fundraise to help animals so she conducted a street stall for the benefit of Cowra Pet Rescue & Rehoming on Saturday, Oct 21.

Sas is a big animal lover, especially cats and dogs and says would very much like to be a vet when she is older.

Sas and grandparents, Ron and Jan McLelland – along with Indi Edwards and Taylor Smith – manned the street stall in Main St Grenfell, out the front of the IGA.

They sold slices, biscuits, lollies, soy candles, preserves and odds and ends and raffled two prizes of a small statue of a Border Collie pup and a cute cat bowl plus matching cat-patterned teatowel.  Kat Brenner kindly drew the raffle tickets at the conclusion of the stall.

Joanne McCann won the statue and David Buttenshaw  won the cat bowl and teatowel.

Heidi Wills from Cowra Pet Rescue & Rehoming also arrived with posters on pets currently available for rehoming, as well as some goodies for the stall. 

Sas would like to thank everyone who supported the stall, which raised $660 on that morning.

Joanne McCann won the 1^st prize of a small Border Collie statue.

Saskia and Indi with David Buttenshaw, who was the 2^nd prize winner from the street stall on Oct 21st.