Week 10- Term 4 - 2021
Dear Families
I recently read this reflection on the Christmas story a and it got me thinking about the way that we look at Christmas. During this Christmas season, I hope that we all take the time to look at others ‘through the eyes of a child’ so that we can see things more openly and empathetically.
The first Christmas that little Linda learned to read, she was allowed to distribute the family gifts on Christmas day. According to family custom, the one who distributed the gifts could open the first package. After all the gifts were distributed with loving care, Linda kept looking around the tree and among the branches. Finally, her dad asked, ‘What are you looking for, dear?’ To which Linda replied, ‘I thought Christmas was Jesus’ birthday and I was just wondering where his present is. I guess everyone forgot him.’
That is the challenge that faces us all this Christmas - to put Christ back into our family Christmas. This is an ideal time for families to focus on the important things that affect their family life - the time they spend together, the quality of relationships within the immediate and extended family group, the willingness to put others first and to forgive one another.
Please remember to include Jesus on your family gift list - make the religious significance of Christmas visible in your home and join with your Church family for this special feast.
And so to another Christmas! The little baby born in Bethlehem serves to remind us of the truth that our God is a God who loves us even to the point of becoming one of us. In becoming human, God has given each of us dignity and importance, and the opportunity to transcend the worries of this world and focus on our eternal destiny.
AND SO ENDS 2021......
As we prepare for the joy of Christmas and the wonderful gift of the birth of Jesus, we give thanks for the many gifts bestowed on St Joseph's throughout 2021
- To our Parent Forum, under the leadership of Tracey Bodley, I would like to express my sincere thanks for the generous way that you gave of your time to assist our school in so many different ways.
- To Fr Peter Jones who supports me in my role and provides faith leadership and guidance to our school community.
- To the teachers, I would like to express my sincere thanks for everything you do to ensure that quality teaching and learning continues to occur.
- To Gayl who works to assist the students, teachers, parents and visitors to our school.
- To you, the parents and families of our students, who continue to support and assist us each and every day.
- And finally to our students, who make us proud to be their teachers by what they do and say, not only when they are ‘on show’ but each and every day they are at school. I believe that we are truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderfully supportive school community.
STAFF FOR 2022
| Kindergarten | Mrs Barnes and Mrs Lowrey |
| Year 1 | Mrs Jemiel Jett and Mrs Sophie Denison |
| Year 2 | Mrs Ern Sandral |
| Year 3 | Mrs Jocelyn Reese and TBA |
| Year 4 | Mrs Nikki Cronan |
| Year 5 | Mrs Joanne Spencer and Mrs Michelle Stormon |
| Year 6 | Ms Danielle Nilon |
| RFF (Creative Arts) | Mrs Anne Lowrey and Mrs Sharon Roxburgh |
| Literacy & Numeracy Intervention | Mrs Megan Boyd |
| Additional Needs Teacher | Ms Danielle Nilon |
| Teacher Aides | Mrs Michelle Eyre, Mrs Rhonda White, Mr Len Moran and Mrs Sheree George |
| Officer Manager | Mrs Gayl Feros |
| Indigenous Education Worker | Mr Len Moran |
| ICT Support | Mr Greg Staader and Mr John Feros |
It is with sadness but with lots of congratulations and best wishes, that we farewell Miss Maddie Smith and Mr Brad Kliese this year.Maddie has been with us at St Joseph's for 3 years, initially as a teacher aide (whilst studying) and then as a committed and quality Year 4 teacher and very reliable casual. She is moving on to a teaching position at St James, Banora Point from next year.
Brad did his final teaching practicum with us last year and has joined us this year in the many roles of Creative Arts teacher, Year 6 teacher, Kindergarten teacher and casual teacher whenever we called. He is a creative and quality teacher. Brad will be teaching at St Francis Xavier, Ballina from next year.
Thanks, Maddie and Brad for all that you have been and done for the students, staff and families at St Joseph's, we will miss you but we wish you all the very best for the future.
BEST WISHES TO OUR FAMILIES MOVING ON...
I would like to thank those families moving on from St Joseph's this year, for being there to support and work with us throughout your time at St Joseph's and for being a very important part of our community.
- The Bodley Family (Tracey, Matt, Katelyn and Millie)
- The Brady Family (Shelley, Clayton, Jahli and Ever)
- The Farlow Family (Shane, Russell, Imogen and Luca)
- The Grissell Family ( Helen, Richard and Jackson)
- The Harrington Family (Orla, Mark, Eli and Dylan)
- The Jamroz Family (Tina, Richard, Charlise, Elleigh and Sarah)
- The Johnston Family (Susie, Ty, Fletcher, Elle and Ruby)
- The Kinsella Family ( Alanna, Corey and Charlotte)
- The Lohse Family (Michelle, Ralph, Jarrod and Reily)
- The O'Neill Family (Gill, Rob, Anna and Ruby)
- The Ryan Family ( Sarah, Scott and Hayley)
- The Stevenson Family (Dale, Yvonne, Ian, Ashlyn and Finlay)
- The Sulit Family ( Annabell, Leony and Lean)
- The Sullivan Family (Sandy, Ben, Jack and Mia)
- The Wagner Family (Matthew, Aieutu, Isabella, Moses and William)
On behalf of our school community, I wish each and every one of you all the very best for the future and thank you for the contribution you have made to our community.
STUDENT LEADERS 2022
We congratulate our 2022 Student Leaders and wish them all the best in their final year of primary school as they pave the way forward for our students.
| CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR | 2022 LEADERS |
| School Captains | Lorena Swanson and Caleb Boland |
| School Vice Captains | Kimberly Campbell and Clancy Newman |
| Burrabi Sports Captains | Eden Carpenter and Max Ferrier |
| Guruman Sports Captains | Tilly Marsh and Boston Long |
| Gagun Sports Captains | Jasmine Hayden and Jed Duignan |
| Student Representative Council Presidents | Ariella Mangan, Ella Felsch and Jai Barnes |
| Mini Vinnies Presidents | Miles Parkinson and Jacob Kirk |
| Events Management Leaders | Brody Symonds and Brock Lindsay |
GOODBYE YEAR 6
We wish them well as they journey on! We will truly miss them.
IT JUST WON'T BE THE SAME AROUND HERE WITHOUT YOU
BEST OF LUCK FOR THE FUTURE!
IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE REMAINDER OF TERM 4
| Week 11 | Aquatic Fun Carnival (Mon) | Year 6 Graduation Dinner (Tues) | Year 6 Graduation Mass (Wed) |
STUDENT MATHS ASSESSMENT INTERVIEWS (MAI's) 2022
Our school is an EMU (Extended Mathematical Understanding) school and as part of that initiative, our teachers will again do Maths Assessment Interviews with each student individually for Years 1-6 over the first two days of the 2022 school year.The students in Years 1-6 will be required to attend the school for a Maths Assessment Interview on one of the first two days of school: Tuesday 1 February 2022 and Wednesday 2 February 2022 . Each student assessment takes approximately 30 minutes. All parents (except those of Kindergarten 2022) will be sent an email with instructions on how to book the MAI assessment online from today.
The Best Start Testing for 2022 Kindergarten students will occur during the same time, the MAI is included in that testing.
All students Kinder-Year 6 will commence normal classes on Thursday 3 February.
| 2022 | ||
| Friday 28 January 2022 | Staff Admin Day | Pupil Free |
| Monday 31 January 2022 | Professional Learning | Pupil Free |
| Tuesday 1 February 2022 |
Yrs 1-6 MAI'S Kinder- Best Start Assessment |
Individual students tested |
| Wednesday 2 February 2022 |
Yrs 1-6 MAI'S Kinder- Best Start Assessment |
Individual students tested |
| Thursday 3 February | Kinder- Year 6 | All students return to school |
STUDENT SEMESTER REPORTS
The Semester 2 Reports will be sent home today through COMPASS. These reports will contain an English comment, a Maths comment and a general comment. No grades will be provided this Semester because of the Blended Learning that occurred in Term 3 with the COVID 19 school closure.
SRC CHRISTMAS FUNDRAISER
Sarah, Lucas and Aiden have asked me to let parents know that the Student Representative Council will hold their last fundraiser next Tuesday 14 December 2021.
The children are invited to wear Christmas themed clothes and bring a gold coin donation. The students are currently working on a class or stage 'act of kindness to make a difference in the lives of others for Christmas. The money raised will go to St Vincent De Pau's and Kids Cancer.
IN WEEK 10 OF TERM 4 WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR:
- We made it through 2021!
- Our 2021 outstanding Student Leaders
- Our upcoming 2022 Student Leaders
- Our St Joseph's Community
- Miss Smith and Mr Kliese
- Mrs Barnes for organising the Swimming Carnival and Fun Carnival
- Mrs Piccini for organising the Year 6 fun week and the graduation.
- All that the year 2021 brought- joys, challenges, learning and love.
I pray that the peace of Jesus is with you and your families this Christmas and New Year. I encourage all families to celebrate with their Church family. Christmas without Christ just doesn’t make sense.
Wishing all our families a happy and holy Christmas and a New Year filled with love, joy and peace.
Regards
SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION: Third Sunday of Advent
Gospel Reading
Luke 3:10-18
John the Baptist teaches the people about repentance
The season of Advent is a time of joyful waiting as we prepare to welcome Jesus. As we light another candle on the Advent wreath, we remember that Christmas is getting closer. In this week’s Gospel, we hear John the Baptist tell the crowd that there are things they can do to prepare as they wait for Jesus. We can prepare if needed, by being willing to have a change of heart this Christmas – perhaps we could try to heal fractured relationships or be more generous in our giving.
Mini Vinnies - St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hampers- LAST CHANCE
The 2021 Mini Vinnies Christmas Appeal has commenced. This year’s Appeal reminds us that we all have the capacity to - ”Do something About it” and make a difference, during these COVID times at Christmas. Together we can assist people experiencing disadvantage within our community during the festive season.
This year each class will be given an empty basket to fill with Christmas items suitable to give to a needy family in the community. A special request from the Evans Head St Vincent de Paul is that we provide non-perishable food only! For example tinned food, packet food, rice, pasta biscuits drinks, etc (No perishables or out of date food please!) This opportunity is a simple way your child/children can give to others. Thank you for your anticipated generosity and support of this initiative.
All Class hampers are to be filled before Monday 13th December as the St Vincent de Paul members will collect them on that day!
ADVENT LITURGIES:
Each Monday during Advent we have gathered as a school family to pray and reflect. During the Liturgies, we light the Advent Candles. This week Ever Brady lead the Liturgy and Kindergarten read the prayers for us. We also listened to the beautiful song, LET EVERY DAY BE CHRISTMAS by Timothy Hart - the link is below. The Advent themes of hope, peace, joy and love are reflected in this beautiful song that highlights the importance of Social Justice and respect for others on Christmas Day and every day. I encourage you to take the time to listen to this very meaningful and appropriate song. 
DATES:
Monday 13th December - Mini Vinnies Christmas Hamper last day for items
Year 6 Graduation Mass- Wednesday 15th December 9:30 am (parents)
Sacrament of Confirmation - Thursday 31st March 2022 at 6 pm
COMPETITIVE SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Summer Sport Trials
On Thursday afternoon Beau Jubber attended the Summer Sports Trials for tennis. Beau played some great tennis and is first reserved for the team. This is a great achievement for a Year 4 student. Well done Beau.
St Joseph's Swimming Carnival 2021
St Joseph's annual swimming carnival was held on Thursday 91th December 20120 at Evans Head Aquatic Centre. Due to current COVID restrictions only competitive swimmers, who could swim 50m of any given stroke attended.
Congratulations to all the students who showed great determination, superb team spirit and great sportsmanship. Thanks to the fabulous staff of St Joseph's who worked tirelessly prior to ensuring the carnival ran smoothly.
Sports House Results for 2021
We announced a progressive point score on Thursday afternoon with Green in the lead, closely followed by blue and yellow colour houses. After the aquatics fun day on Monday 13th December, we will announce the winning colour at the afternoon assembly.
Congratulations to our Champions for 2021:
Senior Boy Champion: Finlay Stevenson - Green
Senior Boy Runner-up: Lucas Hayden - Green
Senior Girl Champion: Jasmine Hayden - Green
Senior Girl Runner-up: Eden Carpenter - Blue
Junior Boy Champion: Beau Jubber - Green
Junior Boys Runner-up: Thomas Bailey - Blue
Junior Girl Champion: Charlotte Robinson - Green
Junior Girl Runner-up: Mia McGillivray - Yellow
A special mention to Finlay Stevenson who broke 3 school swimming records
- Senior Boys 50m Breaststroke
- Senior Boys 50m Backstroke
- Senior Boys 100M IM
New Records
Finlay Stevenson Senior Boys 50 m Breaststroke -Record 41.99 2021.
Finlay broke Zac Landrigan 4 year old record by 3.26 seconds
Finlay Stevenson Senior Boys 50m Backstroke - Record 40.98 2021
Finlay broke Zac Landrigan 3 year old record by 0.57 seconds
Finlay Stevenson Senior Boys 100m Individual Medley Record - 1:28.38
Finlay broke Zac Landrigan 3 year old record by 3.23 seconds
| Kindergarten | Odyn Wimbus |
| Year 1 | Archie Martin |
| Year 2 | Josephine Jensen |
| Year 3 | Amelia Hume |
| Year 4 | Isabella Riddle |
| Year 5 | Cherish Cook |
| Year 6 | Zoey Campbell |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Happy Birthday wishes from the school community to Trinity Cook, Charlee Cook, Dylan Harrington, Hazel Johnston, Madison Kirk, Eliana Piccini, Millie Bodley, Lotte Duignan, Ben Moss, Finlay Stevenson, Isabella Wagner, Ollie handfor-King, Travis Bennett, Olivia Bennett, Amahli Harford, Nancy Moran, Shayla Boland, Josephine Jensen, Logan Riddle, Sonny Handford-King, Ms Danielle Nilon and Ms Jeanette Wilkins who are celebrating a birthday this week and over the christmas holidays.
CLASS EQUIPMENT LIST FOR 2022
Parents are asked to provide the following items for the class/es that your child/ren are in.
PLEASE LABEL ALL ITEMS CLEARLY
|
Kindergarten 1 Paint shirt |
Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) Library Bag - must be waterproof Painting Shirt 4 x HB pencils 4 x glue sticks 1 x wooden ruler with mm markings 1 x set of headphones (not earphones) 1 x pkt Playing Cards |
|
Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) 1 x Artline pen 90-Black (fine point) 1X 4 packet of whiteboard markers. |
Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6) Calculator - basic function Library Bag - must be waterproof Painting Shirt 6 xHB lead pencils 4 x 2B pencils 1 x 4B pencil 6 x blue pens 6 x black pens 4 x red pens 2 x 4-colour retractable pen (Bic) Coloured pencils in pencil case Textas in pencil case Wind up crayons 2 x Artline pen 90-Black (fine point) 2 x Highlighter pens 2 x eraser 4 x glue sticks Scissors 2 x dice 1 x pkt of playing cards 1 x set of headphones (not earphones) Pencil sharpener - with shavings container 1 x roll of paper towel Dictionary - Mini Oxford Concise Australian 2 x boxes of tissues |
ROSTER
| Monday, 13th December | Melissa Handford |
| Wednesday, 15th December | NO CANTEEN |
Many thanks to all the parents who have helped out in the Canteen throughout 2021.
THANK YOU LADIES!
