Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you for the wonderful welcome I have received this term. It has been great getting to know families at pick-up time and in meetings, and I am looking forward to continuing to build connnections throughout my first year at St Joseph's.

It's been a busy term at St Joseph's, with our students and teachers building relationships in new classes, participating in NAPLAN 2024 and the numerous sporting events on offer, as well as holding a successful Yr 5 camp in Coffs Harbour. We've had several staff changes and, at times, been challenged to replace staff due to the shortage of teacher availability in our area. The commitment of our teaching and support staff to the wellbeing and learning agenda of the school has been outstanding, as has the effort of our parents to support our staff in their roles.

The professional learning agenda of the school had a boost last week, with members of our Leadership Team working alongside leaders from across the Diocese in a day with Dr Lyn Sharratt focused on how we can sustain our application of the 14 Parameters of school improvement in our schools. Building shared beliefs and understandings about the changes we make and developing a collective responsibility and accountability for engaging in this work are vital to ensuring the positive impact of our work on student outcomes. It is great to be part of a system of schools who share a common language within a process that can be contextualised to each school. We look forward to sharing more of our journey with you as we apply the parameters to the way we work at St Joseph's.

NEW ENROLMENT PROCESS - Kinder 2025 enrolments open!

This year, the Diocese introduced a new Enrolment Policy and Procedure and this means our families and members of the community will need access to the following information if they would like to enrol their child to St Joseph's Taree for Kinder 2025.

Enrolments opened on March 1st and will close on May 24th. Between now and the closing date, I will meet with families who submit an application to ensure we have all of the information we require for the application to proceed to the next stage. Between May 24th and June 14th, a process of prioritisation will take place, with Enrolment Letters being posted on June 14th. Any application received after the May 24th cut-off will then be considered for second round offers, following interviews and prioritisation. 

Enrolment Application timeline for 2024;
1 March 2024 – Enrolment period opens
24 May 2024 – Enrolment period closes: All completed enrolment applications due
14 June 2024 - Letters of Enrolment Offers sent
1 July 2024 - Enrolment Offer Acceptance due

Management of behaviour

Although there are so many positives occurring every day at St Joseph's, in our last Newsletter, I referenced my concern for a minority of students at St Joseph's who exhibit physical and/or verbal violent behaviours at school. We have responded as a staff to these concerns and the impact this type of behaviour has on the learning and wellbeing of staff and students. Our staff meetings have focused on developing a shared understanding of the system policies and procedures that guide our decisions in this area of the school's operation. We have engaged with our Business Partners in Risk, Governance, Legal and Learning & Wellbeing to ensure we are following procedures and are supported in our decisions. One of the documents that underpins the thinking and philosophy behind some of the proactive and responsive strategies in our Diocese is the Wellbeing Framework. I encourage our families to check out this document using this link. We plan to invite one of the writers of this document to work with staff next term and are hopeful we can also offer a parent session on the Wellbeing Framework.

Violence of any kind will not be tolerated at school, and families will be contacted to pick their child up if this is the way they behave in our setting. Representing our school will not be an option for students who cannot control their responses to situations while at school. It is my expectation and an expectation of our Diocese that parents respond to and support us in managing problem behaviours. 

Pupil Free Days

The first two days back next term are Pupil Free days, with students returning to school on Wednesday May 1st. St Nicholas OOSH have confirmed they will operate for both of these days for families who need this care.

Yours sincerely,

Brooke Stephens

Dear Parents and Carers 

Attendance: EVERYDAY COUNTS! 

Thank you to our parents for  working with us to improve student attendance.

A reminder that supporting positive school attendance is a shared responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in promoting the regular attendance of students. Everyday DOES count, and if your child is away, you must justify their absence via Compass or contact our office.  

Several unexplained absent days will require the family to attend a meeting to develop a Student Attendance Improvement Plan, which is monitored by our Catholic School's Office. We are currently reviewing our Term 1 attendance data and will be in contact with families should they require support plans. 

Online Safety

Keeping primary school children safe online is essential in today's digital age. Here are some tips to help ensure their safety: 

Educate: Teach children about online safety from an early age. Explain the risks of sharing personal information, interacting with strangers, and accessing inappropriate content. Encourage open communication so they feel comfortable discussing their online activities with you. 

Set boundaries: Establish clear rules and boundaries for internet use. Limit screen time and specify which websites or apps are allowed. Use parental controls and privacy settings to restrict access to age-appropriate content. 

Supervise: Monitor your child's online activities regularly. Keep devices in common areas of the house where you can easily see what they are doing. Be aware of who they are communicating with and what they are sharing online. 

Teach critical thinking: Help children develop critical thinking skills to evaluate the reliability and credibility of online information. Teach them to question suspicious links, emails, or requests for personal information. 

Encourage responsible behaviour: Emphasize the importance of responsible online behaviour, such as respecting others' privacy, being kind and respectful in online interactions, and thinking before posting or sharing anything online. 

Stay informed: Stay up-to-date on the latest trends, apps, and online risks that may affect children. Familiarise yourself with popular social media platforms and gaming sites to better understand your child's online world. 

Model good behaviour: Be a positive role model for your child by demonstrating responsible and safe online behavior yourself. Show them how to use technology responsibly and respectfully. 

Create a safe environment: Ensure that devices are secure with up-to-date antivirus software and firewalls. Use strong, unique passwords for accounts and enable two-factor authentication when possible. 

Encourage offline activities: Encourage children to engage in offline activities, such as sports, hobbies, and spending time with family and friends, to balance their screen time and promote overall well-being. 

Be supportive: Let your child know they can come to you with any concerns or questions about their online experiences without fear of judgment. Offer guidance and support to help them navigate challenges and make safe choices online. 

By implementing these strategies and staying actively involved in your child's online life, you can help them develop the skills and habits they need to stay safe and responsible in the digital world. Below is an informative website to support families to keep their children safe online. It is full of useful tips, webinars, resources and advice. Please look through this information and keep the keep the online safety conversations with your child/ren ongoing! 

Parents | eSafety Commissioner 

Staff Spotlight 

Mr. Brad Darmody is one of our amazing Learning Support Assistants. This year,  Mr. Darmody is working part of our Year 5 Team. He works hard to support student learning, running literacy and mathematics interventions and always keeps the learning fun and engaging! At lunchtime and recess, he is one of our coaches for the S2 and S3 football teams. If you see Mr. Darmody, be sure to say hello! 

Have a wonderful end of term and I wish all of our families a restful holiday.  

Take care,  

Kia May Wall  

Assistant Principal

Holy Week and Easter

As Holy Week and Easter unfolded, our school community came together in a spirit of unity, reflection, and celebration. We are so proud of all the students portraying their part of Holy Week and the way they reverently sat and watched Jesus' journey through His passion and death. Thank you to our school captain Finn Davy who was our Jesus for the week and felt every emotion Jesus may have felt.

Throughout Holy Week, over 100 family and friends of our school community joined our students to watch Jesus' journey through Holy Week which deepened our understanding of the significance of this sacred time. We were all able to contemplate the passion and death of Jesus Christ through all the grades' portrayals. We hope many members of our school community were able to join Father Kevin and the parishioners at Our Lady of the Rosary, Taree for the beautiful Easter services.

On Wednesday, over 100 families and friends joined our school community again to rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the triumph of light over darkness, and the promise of new life. It was great to see all of the effort our students and families made in creating their Easter Hats or dioramas for our Eggshibition. Our Year 6's then led our Liturgy to celebrate the risen Lord.

In reflecting on our experiences during Holy Week and Easter, we are reminded of the strength and resilience of our school community. Despite the challenges we may face, we come together in faith, hope, and love, supporting one another on our journey of discipleship. Deacon Vince reminded us at our Easter Liturgy that Jesus rose from the dead but that he is still alive today. We see this in our actions towards others and the students display this in so many ways in the classroom, on the playground and in various external events like the recent Year 5 camp and Soccer and Football Gala Days.

As we continue to live out the message of Easter in our daily lives, let us carry the spirit of unity and community that was so evident at our school during this sacred season. May we always strive to be beacons of light and love in our school community and beyond, reflecting the joy and hope of the resurrection in all that we do.

Holy Week and Easter

Easter Hat Parade

St Joseph's Day

Kind regards,

Mr Anthony Hunt

Religious Education Coordinator

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

As the first term is winding up, we are going to continue our positive behaviour focus of moving around the school. 

Some of our data shows that this is still an area of concern, where students are not being safe or respectful. We are teaching our students to line up, move in two lines safely and respectfully. Transitions from classroom to playground, or from classroom to the learning hub are important to creating a calm and safe school environment. 

Close teacher supervision is necessary and we stop and reteach where needed. We ensure predictable routines are explicitly taught and followed. All Staff have the same language, same understandings and we are keeping to these expectations for ALL Students. 

Parents as Learning Partners 

Communicating with your child about their learning at school has always been so important, so each child knows their family values the effort they put in whilst at school. 

This encourages a healthy work ethic and a growth mindset- you may not be able to do it YET, but with the right practice you will! 

At St Joseph’s we ask our students 5 questions that supports them to think about their own learning. 

Here is the parent version:

1. What did you learn today? 

1. How did you go? 

1. What did you do if you didn’t understand? 

1. How can you improve on your learning? 

1. What are you most proud of? 

These questions can be used to open conversations about the Key Learning Areas your child participates in each day.  

With thanks,

Loretta Riddiford

Danny Buderus Legends 7’s Gala Day

What a spectacular day Our players represented our school with pride and distinction! Thank you so much to our parent community for coming along and supporting our sporting teams.

League Tag Team - undefeated

Stage 2 Rugby League Team - undefeated

Stage 3 Rugby League Team - 1 draw and 2 very close loses

Cross Country

The track is ready, and the students are looking forward to the annual cross-country carnival. The carnival is set for Thursday 11 April. Please come along and support our students on the day.

Boots

We have a wonderful assortment of boots for the students to borrow for carnivals, but we need to replenish the tub. If you have any football, soccer, futsal, etc boots that you would like to donate to the school or know someone, I am sure the students would greatly appreciate it.