10 December 2024 (Week 9 Term 4 2024)
Dear St Joseph’s Community
Last Wednesday was our Term 4 Community Celebration Day. This is a new initiative for 2024 and I think it has been a great success. The students had a wonderful time on the inflatable slide, blowing bubbles and enjoying their time with one another and the staff.
On Friday, students had the opportunity to spend time with their 2025 class teacher. I enjoyed spending time in each class and watching them build relationships with their new teacher and engaged in some getting to know you games.
We are now in the final dash as we approach the end of the year, with many exciting events between now and the final day of term for 2024!
Some important information below.
Vinnies Hamper Appeal
A huge thank you to all of our families for their generous support of the Vinnies Hamper Appeal. The good donated will go to families in the local area who are in need. Our Yr 6 Sports Leaders will be helping the Vinnies Conference volunteers sort the goods on Wednesday.
End of Year Mass, Awards Presentations and Year 6 Graduation
We look forward to celebrating the end of the year with the usual formalities on Tuesday, December 17th. An overview of the schedule of events can be found in the Mission News below.
Swimming Carnival
Our Swimming Carnival is this Thursday at the Alstonville Pool. Details are in the Compass Event; please ensure permission for the excursion and payment is provided.
Swimming Carnivals are a fantastic opportunity to bring our community together. Our focus remains on ensuring student safety, fostering enjoyment, and promoting encouragement and support for one another over competition. We sincerely thank our families for helping us achieve these goals.
Staff Appointments
Uniform Shop: With Mr Fivaz moving into retirement in 2025, Mrs Ali Hall has accepted the role of Uniform Shop Coordinator in addition to her role as Enrichment Tutor. More details regarding the Uniform Shop can be found below.
Library and Admin Support: With Ms Ros Kingsford moving north to be with her family, Mrs Nat Graveson has accepted the role of Library Assistant. She will look after the Library each afternoon after recess. She will be supported by Mrs Hall one afternoon each week.
The administration portion of Ms Kingsford’s role will be taken up by Mrs Caroline McInnes, who will be now in her administration role Tuesday to Friday in 2025.
Canteen
A reminder that the final day for canteen this year is this Friday, December 13th. A huge thank you Mrs Emma Thrum for feeding us all again this year and to all of our canteen volunteers for their support!
Uniform Shop 2025
Mr Fivaz’s departure has necessitated some changes to the operation of the Uniform Shop moving forward.
The Uniform Shop will remain open for parents to have their children try on the uniform. Mrs Hall will open the Shop from 1:00pm to 4:00pm each Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, we are unable to facilitate opening the Uniform Shop before school due to conditions in the Award.
We will also be moving the Compass platform for online purchasing of uniforms, though their Shop feature. This works identically to the Canteen feature of Compass and should make purchasing uniforms much easier for families. Online orders made through the week will be processed during Mrs Hall’s Uniform Shop hours on Friday and packaged for students to take home that afternoon.
Thanks for your patience while we navigate this new approach. We are sure that it will streamline Uniform Shop orders.
Christmas Concert
We look forward to sharing the Christmas Concert with you this evening. The students and staff have worked hard on their songs and it should be a relaxed night to enjoy a picnic on the playground with your family (weather permitting).
We commence at 5:30pm. The Canteen will be open for cash only purchases of cold drinks and snacks.
Scripture Reflection
As we enter the second week of Advent, we hear the words of John the Baptist: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” (Matthew 3:3). Advent is a time to prepare our hearts to welcome Christ, not just at Christmas but in our everyday lives.
This season invites us to take a step back from the busyness of life and reflect on what matters most. How can we, as families, prepare the way for Jesus? It could be as simple as taking time to pray together, showing kindness to someone in need, or creating moments of stillness amidst the rush of the season. This can be particularly challenging in an age of distraction and commercialism.
John’s call reminds us that preparation is active—it’s about choosing to bring hope, joy, and love into the world around us. May this Advent season be one of reflection, connection, and joyful anticipation as we prepare our hearts and homes for the arrival of Christ.
You are invited to listen to Bishop Greg’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass.
Term 1 2025 Commencement Dates
For your calendars for the start of 2025, please see the commencement dates below.
Christmas Concert – Tuesday, December 10th
Our students have been working hard over the past few weeks, preparing their Christmas songs to share with you! Each class will perform one special song, followed by a second performance with their stage group.
The concert will start at 5:30pm and we should be finished by 7:30pm.
We are incredibly grateful to St John’s College, Woodlawn, for providing us with their outdoor stage and speaker system. We’re crossing our fingers for clear weather so we can enjoy this festive event outdoors together.
Students will stay with their families throughout the concert and will be called over the PA when it’s time to join their class in the hall before their performance.
The Canteen will be open, offering chips, icy poles, Chill Js for everyone, and soft drinks for parents. Please note, the Canteen will be cash only, so come prepared. Don’t forget to bring a picnic rug and any snacks you’d like to enjoy.
We’re excited to come together as a school community to celebrate the joy of Christmas. We hope to see you there!
Advent Retreat
This Wednesday, all students from Kindergarten to Year 6 will take part in a special Advent Retreat from 11:30am to 3:00pm. The Retreat will be a wonderful opportunity for students to work in mixed-age groups, fostering friendships and collaboration with peers from different year levels.
Throughout the day, students will rotate through engaging activities designed to deepen their understanding of Advent. Using the Creative Arts, they will explore the themes of this sacred season, and there will also be moments for prayer and quiet reflection.
Your child will bring home special handmade treasures created during the Retreat, giving you the chance to share in their learning and discuss how they are growing in their understanding of the true meaning of Christmas.
We look forward to this meaningful day of connection, creativity, and faith.
End of Year Mass and Awards Ceremony
On Tuesday, December 17th, we will come together as a school community to celebrate the end of the 2024 school year with a special Mass to farewell our wonderful Year 6 students as they prepare to begin the next chapter of their journey.
Mass: Begins at 12:00noon in the Church.
After Mass: At 1:00pm, Kindergarten to Year 5 students will return to their classrooms for a normal recess break. Meanwhile, Year 6 students and their families will stay behind in the Church for a group photo before gathering in the hall to share the traditional Year 6 cake.
Awards Presentation: At 1:50pm, all students will assemble in the hall to present Year 6 graduation certificates and end-of-year awards.
Guard of Honour: At 2:30pm, the school will join in forming a guard of honour, leading from the hall to Kindergarten, where Year 6 will ‘ring out’ the school year as part of our farewell tradition. Parents of Year 6 students are invited to gather at the bottom of the ramp to capture photos of their child’s final walk out of primary school.
This is always a memorable and heartfelt event, and we look forward to celebrating this special day with our entire school community.
This week's value focus is: RESPECT
Week 8 Value Vault WINNER
Congratulations to Beaudie whose name was drawn out of our Value Vault at assembly for demonstrating last week’s positive behaviour focus.
Structured Play Roster
The structured play roster is below for parents to have conversations with their children about the exciting sporting and cultural activities we have on offer at break times this term.
Swimming Carnival
We are very excited for our school Swimming Carnival which will be held on Thursday this week! Students will walk down to the Alstonville pool with their class during the morning ready for a 10:20am start.
All information that is needed for the day, including payments and consent, can be found in the Compass Event. The program of events and approximate times can be downloaded from the resources section of the Event.
Reminder: If you plan on picking your child up from the pool on this day, please ensure that an email or note has been given to Admin prior to the commencement of the carnival.
All Library Books must be RETURNED
All student library books are now due back to the library. Borrowing for 2024 has now finished, thank you to all of the families who have supported their students in their reading. Students can return their books by dropping them into the Library. The Library will remain open before school and at lunch times for students.
School Reports
School Reports will be published using Compass this Friday, 13 December.
Not returning in 2025? – Download School Reports NOW
Parents of Year 6 students who are leaving school at the end of this year, and NOT continuing their education within the Diocese of Lismore, will lose access to the Compass portal on 31 December 2024. Parents of students in other grades who are not returning next year, will lose access to Compass the day after their child’s last day. Parents are encouraged to download their child’s reports in Compass as soon as possible. Parents of students who are continuing their education within the Diocese of Lismore will still be able to access their child’s reports through their Compass portal.
Bus Travel in 2025
The School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) information and application portal can be found at transportnsw.info to help families find all their travel information in the one place.
Applications for 2025 are now open ...
Parents are asked to plan ahead and make sure their child has a valid School Travel Pass from the start of the 2025 school year.
* A new application will need to be submitted if students are applying for a school travel pass for the first time or if they are requesting an additional travel entitlement as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation (e.g. joint custody). Students who need a school travel pass for 2025 can apply now.
* Students who change address, school, or who will repeat a Year, should update or renew their details before the end of Term 4, (e.g. progressing to Year 7). This will ensure that schools can endorse applications, and current entitlements are updated and remain valid. All students in Kindergarten to Year 2 are eligible for free bus travel. If a student’s distance eligibility has changed based on their Year, (e.g. progressing to Year 3), the system will automatically update their entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the eligibility criteria, they will receive an expiry notification via email.
* Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.
* Students living in rural and regional areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.
* For some families last minute changes to school enrolments mean they may not have a Travel Pass for the start of term. In this instance, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs. Bus operators are flexible and understanding, particularly at the start of the school year, and will ensure students can travel safely to and from school. But to best support bus operators we encourage all students to have a valid travel pass, as early as possible, from the start of the school year.
Throughout Term Four, our students demonstrated their wonderful talents in various performances. Before each showcase, they confidently introduced themselves, stating their year level and the talent they would display. Following their performances, they participated in question-and-answer sessions, showcasing their growth in communication, listening, and peer interaction skills, all while enjoying the experience and having fun.
