WEEK 8 Term 1 2025

Dear Families, 

It has been a big couple of weeks, thank you so much for working with us as we adapted our timetable to ensure we covered any missed events due to the impact TC Alfred. 

On March 19, we celebrated St. Joseph's Feast Day with a special Liturgy. St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of both our school and parish.  We will join St Joseph's Coraki on Monday 7 April at St Joseph's Woodburn to acknowledge our Patron Saint with some fun activities and food. 

Thank you for your attendance at the Parent Teacher interviews. We still have some Stage 2 meetings to complete next Monday.

These meetings provided a terrific opportunity to meet individually with teachers and discuss the goals, concerns and queries about your child/ren's learning and wellbeing. Thank you for your interest in and support of your child/ren's learning

As part of our continued commitment to supporting the emotional and social well-being of our students, we are excited to announce the appointment of our new school counsellor, Mrs Sangita Pyle.

Sangita brings with her a wealth of experience and a strong passion for helping students overcome challenges, build resilience, and develop essential life skills.

We warmly welcome Sangita to the St. Joseph's community. She will be available at the school on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Parents seeking counselling support for their child/children can find Referral Forms at the front office.

We are excited to invite you to become an integral part of our School Parent Forum, a space where we can come together to share ideas, ask questions, and actively participate in the school community. Whether you're new to the school or a long-time member of our parent community, your involvement and insights are invaluable!

The Parent Forum is a great opportunity to learn more about what’s happening at St Joseph's and engage in conversations that matter to you and your child’s education. Our meetings this year will cover a variety of important topics, including:

Student Learning & Curriculum Updates: Stay informed about the latest developments in your child's academic journey and the curriculum that shapes their learning experience.

Student Wellbeing: Learn about the initiatives and programs in place to support the mental health and overall wellbeing of our students.

Fundraising & Community Events: Find out how you can get involved in school fundraising efforts and help make our community events a success!

School Policies & Changes: Stay up-to-date on any changes in school policies and have your voice heard on matters that affect our students and families.

These meetings are designed to be interactive and welcoming, with plenty of time for questions, feedback, and discussion. We want to hear your thoughts and ideas on how we can continue to make our school a positive, supportive environment for all students.

How Can You Get Involved?
Attend the Forum Meetings: Join us for our upcoming Parent Forum meetings (details below) and get involved in the conversation.

Share Your Thoughts: If there’s a topic you’d like to see discussed, let us know! This is your chance to bring important matters to the table.

Support Our School Community: Whether it’s volunteering, fundraising, or simply attending, your involvement helps build a stronger, more connected school community.

Meeting Details:
Date & Time: Monday 7 April 2025 at 6 pm

Location: The School Library

We look forward to seeing you there and working together to make our school the best it can be! Your participation truly makes a difference in shaping a positive experience for all our students.

The initial part of this meeting will include the Annual General Meeting  in order to put forward a motion to transition to the DLCS approved parent representative model, the School Community Forum, adopt the new constitution which is available for pre-reading here and vote in our executive committee. We encourage all interested parents and carers to attend. We hope that many of you can join us. 

ANZAC Day (25th April) this year falls on the Friday of the second week of the School Holidays. 

St Joseph's has always been extremely well represented and I hope that will be the case again this year. I ask that you give careful consideration to your child's participation in this very special celebration and I urge as many students as possible to represent St Joseph's in these community events.
Our School Leaders have been asked to speak and lay wreaths at both services.

Details are outlined below.
Dawn Service Evans Head: Line up at 5.15 am outside the library at Evans Head. The march begins at approximately 5.20 am. Full school uniform (minus hat) to be worn.

Woodburn March: Please meet our school group at 9.50 am at the Post Office. The march begins at 10 am. Full school uniform and hat, please.

PRINCIPAL LEAVE  

I wanted to let you know that I will be taking leave for the entirety of Term 2. Some of that leave will be dedicated to participating in the Rome and Camino Year of Jubilee Pilgrimage, which will serve as a personal renewal and spiritual retreat. I am also looking forward to some family time.

I know that this leave will be both refreshing and enriching for me personally and in my role as principal of a Catholic School.

St Joseph's will continue to run smoothly in my absence. As soon as the Acting Principal is announced, we will inform all parents promptly. With our dedicated and capable staff in place, I know there will be no disruptions, and our students will continue to receive the excellent care and education they always do.

Thank you to the parents who have volunteered at the Canteen since we opened. The children are absolutely loving it. 

The canteen will continue to be provided on Tuesdays and Fridays.  

Please see the menu below

The following days have been set down as Staff Development Days for St Joseph's for 2025. We thank you for supporting us in our Professional Development/Learning
opportunities.

Students do not attend school on these days

TERM 1 

• for our First Penance students, Abaigeal, Poppy, Phoebe, Nancy, Eli and Jackson
• for our students leading the St Joseph's Day Liturgy
• for our Year 3 & 5 students for their terrific efforts in the NAPLAN tests
• for our Student Representative Council for being the voice of our students and for organising the Term 1 fun day to raise money for Caritas
• for our students' efforts with their 3 practices of Lent- Prayer, fasting and almsgiving
• To all who are generously donating to Project Compassion
• for our incredible Kindergarten for completing 8 weeks at Big School. 
• to our parents who were able to attend the Parent Teacher interviews
• for the efforts, courage, support and encouragement of  our students at the St Joseph's Cross Country
• Our student Award Winners for being amazing. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Regards

Jeanette Wilkins

 Principal

At St Joseph's we are using DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) to assess and support student reading development throughout the year. This research-based tool helps us track progress at the beginning, middle, and end of the year, ensuring that students receive targeted support as needed.

DIBELS assessments provide valuable insights into key reading skills such as phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension. By monitoring student progress at multiple points during the year, our teachers can adjust instruction to better meet individual learning needs.

In addition to guiding classroom instruction, DIBELS also allows us to monitor literacy growth across our entire school and within the wider diocese. This helps us identify trends, celebrate successes, and ensure all students are on the path to strong reading skills.

If you’d like to learn more about DIBELS and how we use it to support literacy, please reach out to your classroom teacher or Mrs Denison.

Together, we’re fostering a love of reading and lifelong learning!

St Joseph’s School Cross Country was held at our school on Tuesday 18th March. Congratulations to all the students for their wonderful effort and determination that they displayed throughout their races.

Colour House Champion  

Congratulations to Gurruman (Yellow) on winning the colour house points shield. Winning Colour House

Pointscore:

Gurruman 221 Buruubii - 153 Gahgun - 179

The decision has been made to postpone the Zone Cross Country until Tuesday the 29th of April (Term 2 Week 1). Please be aware that a new permission note will not be issued as “in the case that this event is postponed to a future date, this consent will be taken to apply to that future event, unless consent is withdrawn in writing, to the school.”

Thomas Walsh, Caleb Doran and Kobi Brown attended the Richmond Zone Winter Sport Trials on Wednesday 26th March. Unfortunately, the boys were unsuccessful this time, they showed great determination, grip and sportsmanship.

Wonderfully Wired Minds

At St Joseph’s, we celebrate the unique ways people think and learn. Each week in Joey’s Morning Meeting, we explore a Wonderfully Wired famous person—someone who has used their unique strengths to achieve amazing things. In this section, we’ll share what we’ve discovered so you can continue the conversation at home. Stay tuned for inspiring stories of resilience, creativity, and determination!

Week 8’s Wonderfully WIred Person: Keira Knightley (Actor)

Keira Knightley, famous for roles in movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and Pride and Prejudice, has dyslexia. As a child, reading was so difficult for her that she memorised her scripts instead of reading them. Her passion for acting motivated her to overcome these challenges, and she worked hard to improve her reading skills.

Keira's story teaches us that determination and finding something you love can help you achieve great success, even when things feel tough.

Understanding Dyslexia: What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a different way of thinking—not a disability, but a unique strength. It affects how people process words and information, making reading, writing, and spelling more challenging. However, people with dyslexia often have incredible creativity, problem-solving skills, and big-picture thinking.

At our school, we celebrate diverse thinkers and recognise that dyslexic minds are often Made By Dyslexia—the same kind of thinking found in entrepreneurs, inventors, artists, and leaders. With the right support and understanding, students with dyslexia can thrive and use their strengths to achieve amazing things.

For more information, visit Made By Dyslexia.

an sometimes be misunderstood. With the right support, children with NVLD can build strategies to navigate their challenges and thrive, just as Chris Rock has done.