15 December 2023 SPECIAL EDITION NEWSLETTER

2023 Award Winners

School Citizenship Award Kindergarten - Year 5

Awarded to Tess Jones

The School Citizenship Award for Years K-5 is sponsored by the Goulding Family. This Citizenship Award celebrates an outstanding student from Kindergarten to Year 5 who embodies respect, kindness, and community engagement.

Tess inspires positive change and serves as a role model, proving that good citizenship can make a profound impact on our school and society and enabling others to grow through their love. She is a young learner in our school who consistently gives their best effort in everything she undertakes. She fully engages in all of her learning activities each day and consistently attains outstanding results. Tess serves as a role model for respect and displays beautiful manners when interacting with both staff and peers. She possesses qualities of friendliness, honesty, and reliability, and her friends have come to rely on her unwavering support when needed. Furthermore, she actively participates in various school activities, including the choir, running, and swimming. In each of these, Tess gives of her best and always seeks to represent herself and her school well. 

School Citizenship Award Year 6

Awarded to Toby Conlan

The School Citizenship Award for Year 6 is named in honour of the Cawley Family (as the first student of St Joseph's). The Year 6 recipient of the School Citizenship Award is someone whose outstanding citizenship skills have made a significant impact on our school community.

Toby consistently promotes respect and kindness for all, serving as a role model for his peers in terms of citizenship behaviour. His ability to effectively communicate with both staff and students on matters of social justice is truly commendable. He is driven by a genuine passion for making the world a better place for everyone, and his dedication to this cause shines brightly. In all aspects, Toby exemplifies qualities of good citizenship and unwavering perseverance, making an exceptional and lasting contribution to our school community.

Potential Within Award

Awarded to Indy Lowe

The Potential Within Award is sponsored by the Thornton Family. This award recognises a student from any stage who has demonstrated remarkable progress, perseverance, and dedication in their academic pursuits.

Whether it's mastering complex subjects or achieving personal academic milestones, Indy has shown unparalleled commitment to their educational growth in 2023. As the recipient of the Potential Within Award Indy consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to her learning across all Key Learning Areas. She actively seeks feedback on her work and diligently applies it to make continuous improvements. Her unwavering dedication and hard work have played a pivotal role in her continuous improvement and overall success. Indy is a learner in whom we see tremendous potential and someone who we feel works incredibly hard to use this potential to be the best learner she can be.

Quota Kindness Award

Awarded to Sybella Peters

The QUOTA Kindness Award is sponsored by the Quota Club of Alstonville and Wollongbar. This award is bestowed upon a student who has consistently demonstrated remarkable resilience in their pursuit of excellence. It is an award for a student who shows tremendous leadership, who is a role model, and who treats others with dignity and respect. 

As the recipient of the QUOTA Kindness Award for 2023, Sybella is someone who truly embodies the values of kindness and support. She has taken what they've learned about supporting and treating others and put it into action. Sybella not only sets a shining example but also encourages others to follow suit. Her humility is evident as she quietly goes about blessing others with her thoughtfulness. Sybella's daily interactions with both staff and students showcases her willingness to help with compassion and generosity, making her a source of inspiration for all.

Ben Franklin Book Award - Hon Ben Franklin MLC

Awarded to Flynn Cluff

This award is sponsored by the Hon Ben Franklin MLC, President of the Legislative Council of New South Wales. This award is presented to a student who not only excels academically but also exhibits outstanding qualities of citizenship within our school community. This is a student who has a demonstrated commitment to both their academic studies, the broader life of the school and the support and care for their fellow students.

As the award recipient this year, Flynn stands out as a beacon of kindness and respect within our St Joseph's School community. His contributions have been invaluable, and he has consistently displayed leadership qualities that make him a role model for his fellow students. In addition to his exemplary character, he has achieved consistently high levels of academic success across all Key Learning Areas. Flynn's commitment to excellence is unwavering, and he continually strives to maintain the high personal standards he has set for himself. His dedication to both character and academics is truly commendable.

Power of Yet Awards
Sponsored by Therese Seymour. these awards are presented to a student, from each stage,  who has shown a growth mindset in their approach to school this year. These students have persevered in learning, worked hard at achieving or developing a skill set to support them in their learning. They may have utilised the support of others to achieve this growth but will have also shown personal commitment to improvement or achieving their goal. 

Power of Yet Award - Early Stage 1

Awarded to Jovie Speidel

The Kindergarten recipient of the Power of Yet Award has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to growth and improvement in her reading and writing skills. Jovie is driven by an unwavering enthusiasm for learning and consistently exhibits kindness and cooperation when collaborating with her peers. Her exceptional growth across all her learning areas this year can be attributed to her incredible growth mindset and the diligent effort she invests in her studies. Jovie's dedication to continuous improvement is truly commendable.

Power of Yet Award - Stage 1

Awarded to Beaudie Wilks

The Stage 1 recipient of the Power of Yet Award has shown growth so substantial that they have been extended in their Maths learning, and they eagerly embrace more challenging assignments.  Beaudie's confidence in reading has also grown significantly, and he skillfully uses his acquired knowledge to decode words and read with comprehension. He has truly been a joy to teach, and we take immense pride in the dedication they have exhibited towards their education this year. Beaudie has clearly embraced the concept of "yet" and recognises the power of persistence and growth.

Power of Yet Award - Stage 2

Awarded to William Brady

The Stage 2 recipient of the Power of Yet Award has shown exceptional commitment to his personal and intellectual growth. With dedication, William approaches learning tasks with resilience and optimism, seeing challenges as opportunities for self-improvement. He always remains humble and open to support and has shown significant growth in his learning as a result of his hard work and his ‘power of yet’ attitude. William's growth, particularly in Mathematics, is particularly commendable and something for which he should be incredibly proud.

Power of Yet Award - Stage 3

Awarded to Ruby Vickrage

The Stage 3 recipient of the Power of Yet Award possesses an incredibly positive learning attitude, and she approaches every task with a determined mindset. Ruby's persistence is truly remarkable, particularly evident in her sentence work in writing, where she actively seeks feedback and diligently applies it to her texts. In addition, her dedication shines through in her work in English, where she shows her willingness to complete extra tasks in class to support her learning. Ruby's hard work in Mathematics has yielded impressive results, as she has demonstrated substantial growth in her understanding and application of numerical concepts. She consistently sets a high standard as a role model for her peers, embodying our school's benchmarks to the highest degree. Ruby's commitment to both her learning and her role as a positive example is truly commendable.

Farewell Miss Stokes

Miss Stokes has worked incredibly hard this year to support the students in her care. We have seen such tremendous growth in our kindergarten students this year and I know they will miss herdearly.  Ms Stokes and her partner Brin, have bought property near Maclean this year, and she will be joining the staff at St Joseph's Primary School Maclean in 2024. Ms Stokes, you are an amazing teacher who has made such a significant contribution to the students in your care and our school community more broadly. We ask God’s blessing upon you as you transition into your new school next year. You will be deeply missed.

Farewell to Families

Each year, we acknowledge that there are a number of families for whom their children are finishing their time in the St Joseph’s School Community. We would like to acknowledge that every family brings with them to our St Joseph’s community their own gifts, uniqueness and beauty. Though your family may be moving on from our school to other adventures, please know you will always be considered a member of our family. We pray that you carry in your heart our school’s motto of Growth Through Love and that your family is guided by the Holy Spirit as you leave our community and join another community. Finally, we pray for the ongoing success and happiness of your family.

We acknowledge the following Families:

• Anyanwu (Ngozi)
• Bennett (Maddison)
• Carroll (Peter)
• Cluff (Flynn)
• Conlan (Toby)
• Cooper (Grace)
• Creighton-Kemp (Ella)
• Davis (Eve)
• Foster (Nate)
• King (Hayley-May)
• Mail (Aidan)
• White (Chloe)

Farewell Year 6

A farewwell message from Mr Challinor:

Our Year 6 leavers hold a special place in our hearts, and today, we want to take a moment to express just how proud we are of each and every one of them. Over the past seven years, they have not only grown academically but have also blossomed into compassionate, capable, and confident individuals. They have been capable servant leaders this year, acting as guiding lights and leading our school community with integrity and heart.

We pray that you draw strength and wisdom from the example of St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop. St. Mary’s was a champion for the oppressed and marginalised. We hope that you, too, will serve and love those who sit on the fringes of our community, showing them dignity and respect. St Mary also recognised the transformative power of receiving an education. We pray that you remember how important your own education is and that you continue to work hard to improve in your studies. 

We pray that you continue to be inspired by the humble example of St Joseph. His humility, compassion, and unwavering commitment to protecting and nurturing the Holy Family provide a beautiful example of selfless love and dedication to family and community. Let his example inspire you to be pillars of support and love for your own families and for those around you.

Year 6, as you move forward, remember the light you have been within our school community. You have led by example, showing kindness, empathy, and a strong sense of responsibility. May you continue to let your light shine brightly wherever you go, illuminating the lives of those you meet just as you have illuminated ours.

Year 6 leavers, as you let your light shine in the world beyond these walls, remember that you are always welcome back home. You are forever a part of the St. Joseph's family, and we eagerly await the stories of your achievements and adventures. May God bless each one of you on your journey, and may you continue to grow in wisdom, love, and light.

Take your candle and go light your world!