11 February 2025 (Week 2 Term 1 2025)
Dear St Joseph’s Community
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful and refreshing break with your families. It is a joy to be back for the 2025 school year and to welcome our students and families last week. Our staff have been working diligently to prepare for the return to school, and we are excited to begin the year with a strong focus on building relationships and setting high expectations for learning.
A special thank you to Mr Wardrop for his terrific work in maintaining the school grounds. Over the break, the carpets were shampooed, outdoor areas pressure-cleaned, and we introduced a new boom gate for the car park. We have also upgraded our PA and bell system to enhance communication across the school.
I also want to acknowledge our dedicated teachers, all of whom have been in and out throughout the holidays, setting up their classrooms to create warm and welcoming spaces for your children.
A huge thank you to our families for supporting the MAI Maths interviews. This valuable data is helping us refine our approach to teaching Mathematics throughout the year.
Our students have returned settled, engaged, and eager to build strong relationships with their teachers, peers, and the Enrichment Tutors who support their learning. Over these first few days, our teachers have been working with students to co-construct classroom expectations based on our four school values: Respect, Safety, Effort, and Self-Responsibility. This process gives students a sense of agency and understanding, fostering a calm and predictable learning environment where everyone feels safe and ready to think, learn, share, and love one another.
We look forward to journeying together in learning throughout 2025.
God bless
Kurt Challinor
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
In this Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 5:1-11), Jesus calls Simon Peter, James, and John to leave their fishing nets and follow Him. In that moment, they set aside their fears and uncertainties, placing their trust in His call. As parents, this story resonates at the start of a new school year, a time of transition and new beginnings for our children.
Just as the disciples stepped into the unknown, our children embark on new challenges—forming friendships, gaining knowledge, and growing in confidence. Like Jesus guiding His followers, we are called to support them, nurturing their faith and resilience.
May we, like the disciples, trust in God’s plan and encourage our children to embrace this new season with courage, curiosity, and a willingness to grow.
2025 ENROLMENT TIMETABLE
It always feels a little unusual to launch our enrolment process for 2026’s Kindergarten cohort so early in the year, but the enrolment process begins this term.
Please see our enrolment timetable below for those current parents seeking enrolment for their children for Kindergarten in 2026. You can access enrolment information on our website.
Our Open Morning will be from 10am - 12pm on Sunday 7th April. We’d love it if you know interested families and can share this information and timeline with them.
PARENT HANDBOOK
The 2025 Parent Handbook is available, and we ask parents to please familiarise themselves with this. This includes details about the operation of the school. It also includes details about the school's expectations in regard to uniforms and grooming; see more below. Here is the link to the Parent Handbook.
FAQS DOCUMENT
Our Parent Handbook is an important document for families to be familiar with. At the beginning of the year, we also share a Frequently Asked Questions document, which can also be helpful, particularly to new parents. The link is found below.
UNIFORM AND GROOMING
As parents purchase new school shoes and organise haircuts in preparation for the new year, please see an outline of the expectations below. We ask for parent support in ensuring students return to school wearing the appropriate footwear and with appropriate haircuts. Images of appropriate and inappropriate footwear are included in the Parent Handbook, which is linked above and attached as an image below.
Summer Uniform Girls
- Navy School skort and School polo shirt, OR
- Navy School shorts and School polo shirt, WITH
- Short navy School socks; black leather polished shoes and School hat.
Summer Uniform Boys
- The School polo shirt and School navy shorts WITH
- Short navy School socks; black leather polished shoes and School hat.
Shoes
School shoes should be black, soft, polished leather – not suede, nylon, canvas or skate shoes. Please refer to the image attached below.
Grooming and Jewellery
Jewellery is not allowed. However, students who have pierced ears may wear sleepers or studs. Students with multiple ear piercings must have clear studs worn in these holes. Children will be asked to remove all ‘excess’ jewellery and place this in their School bag. Please also note that ribbons, scrunchies, etc, worn in the girls' hair should be in School colours: white, light blue, and navy blue. Students are asked not to wear coloured nail polish. Dyed hair is not permitted, and shoulder-length hair should be tied back for health reasons. Hair that is shoulder length must be tied up. No hair should cover the eyes. 'Trendy' hairstyles such as fades, undercuts, lines, mullets, etc, do not align with our grooming expectations. If in doubt, please ask.
Mobile phones and smartphones must be left in the front office before school commences and can be retrieved at the end of the school day by students.
KEY DATES 2025
Here is a link to view our key dates for 2025. This outlines important dates, especially Pupil Free dates, which are provisioned by the Catholic Schools Office to support parents and carers with their planning. Note also the dates that Rainbow Region have indicated they will provide vacation care for some of our Pupil Free Days.
SCHOOL FEES 2025
Here is a link to the School Fee Schedule for 2025.
SCHOOL STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AND ANNUAL IMPROVEMENT FOCUSES FOR 2025
We have a number of key focus areas for our improvement for 2025, and we look forward to sharing back our progress throughout the year. Our key focuses are outlined in the document below. Our focus for this year is building consistency with the practices we have been implementing over the past two years as we seek to refine the evidence-based approach to learning, teaching and pastoral care at St Joseph’s.
You can see below our 3-year strategic directions summary and a summary of our Annual School Improvement Plan.
FIRST SCHOOL COMMUNITY GROUP MEETING 2025
We have our first School Community Group Meeting for 2025 coming up this term. This was originally scheduled for Tuesday 11 March, but we now have the Sacrament of Reconciliation scheduled for this night so we have moved the SCG Meeting to Wednesday, 12 March from 6:30 - 7:45. Please feel free to attend in person in the staffroom or via Zoom.
We would love as many parents to attend as possible to share their voice.
At this stage, the school would like to present on:
- An overview of our 2025 school improvement focuses
- How we are teaching a Pastoral Curriculum using the Friendly Schools Program
We would also love parent feedback on:
- Opportunities to 'refresh' our school uniform beyond 2025
- Our school uniform shop beyond 2025
Does this time not work for you? Please share times and days that might better suit you to attend via the survey.
Here is a link to register to attend and to contribute to the agenda.
TRAFFIC SAFETY MANAGEMENT PLAN
Ensuring your child is safe is our first priority. Our full Traffic Management Plan can be accessed here. It includes a map highlighting our car pick-up and drop-off points and safety mitigation approaches.
Start the School Year Safely: Tips for 2025
As children return to school, it's important to prioritise their safety on the journey to and from school. Take time to discuss these key safety tips with your child:
Getting In and Out of the Car:
- Always have students use the door closest to the curb to prevent stepping into traffic.
- Make sure your child waits until the car has completely stopped before exiting and entering.
- Please ensure your child can do up and undo their own seat belts or harnesses. Please let us know if your child requires support with this so we can put in place a plan to assist you.
- In accordance with our traffic management plan. We ask parents to remain in their cars during car pick-up and drop-off. There are so many cars moving that this is an unsafe environment. Please ensure bags do not need to be retrieved from the car boot. Parking is available on Perry St for parents who do need to exit their car during pick-up and drop-off times.
Parking on Perry Street
- Reminder that there is are disabled carparks that are used by members of our school community to improve school access. Please only park in that space if you carry a Disabled Parking permit.
- Please avoid queuing across the police driveway
- Please avoid parking on the grass
- Be mindful of how busy our roads are at these times of the day and remember to always drive with safety as our priority.
Walking Safely:
- Encourage distraction-free walking by asking your child to remove headphones and put away devices while crossing streets.
- Teach your child to stay alert, follow traffic signals, and use designated pedestrian crossings.
Using the Bus Safely:
- Wait at the bus lines outside the church in the afternoon, seated together in bus lines, waiting until called by the teacher.
- Always meet your child at the bus stop on the same side of the road—never call them across from the opposite side.
- Wait for the bus to leave before crossing the street, ensuring it is safe to cross.
Using Wheeled Transport:
- Remind your child that helmets are mandatory when riding a bike in public—it’s the law.
- Encourage helmet use and protective gear for other wheeled activities, such as scooters, skateboards, and roller blades.
- Remind your children that road rules must be followed and of the importance of rising and scooting sensibly.
Riding e-bikes and e-scooters
Following the advice from the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools, due to safety and legal reasons, St Joseph’s Alstonville cannot allow any self-propelled bicycles or scooters to be stored on site. Please only allow your children to ride no-powered bicycles and scooters to school.
LEADER OF SPORT 2025
After a number of years leading sports in our school, Miss MacDonald has decided to take a break from this role. I would like to thank Miss MacDonald for her hard work and excellent leadership in this space.
Mr Liam Seymour has been appointed in the role of Leader of Sport for 2025. He brings with him a strong skill set and a passion for sport and we know he will do an excellent job.
DIGITAL INNOVATOR 2025
After several years of commitment and hard work as our Digital Innovator, Mrs Crosby has decided to step down from this role. I’d like to thank her for her contributions and the guidance she has provided during her time in the role. Her efforts have made a meaningful impact, and we are grateful for all she has done.
Mrs McElligott has put her hand up for this role and I know she will do a wonderful job in supporting our teachers to embed technology authentically into the learning and teaching at St Joseph’s.
STAFF OVERVIEW 2025
Please see below the list of Staff Members supporting your children this year.
Parish Priest - Fr Max Gow
Principal - Mr Kurt Challinor
Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching - Mr Phil Crosby
Assistant Principal Mission - Mrs Kate Jones
Leader of Inclusion - Mrs Anna Moloney
Leader of Sports - Mr Liam Seymour
Digital Innovator - Mrs Ros McElligott
Indigenous Education Worker - Mr Victor Murgha
Kindergarten Teacher - Mrs Jenna Wraight
Kindergarten Enrichment Tutor - Mrs Tammy Moran
Year 1 Teacher - Mrs Ros McElligott
Year 1 Enrichment Tutor - Mrs Natalie Graveson
Year 2 Teacher - Mrs Tammy Bakeberg
Year 2 Enrichment Tutor - Mrs Allana Tonkin
Year 3 Teacher - Miss Linsey MacDonald
Year 3 Enrichment Tutor - Mrs Ali Hall
Year 4 Teacher - Mrs Carissa McCall
Year 4 Enrichment Tutor - Mr Justin Pearson
Year 5 Teacher - Mrs Jess Lewis
Year 5 Enrichment Tutor - Mr Liam Seymour
Year 6 Teacher - Mrs Georgie Miller
Year 6 Enrichment Tutor - Mr Victor Murgha (Mon, Tues, Fri)
Year 6 Enrichment Tutor - Mr Lewis Trickey (Wed, Thurs)
STEM Teacher - Mrs Anna Moloney (Kindergarten, Yr 1, Yr 4, Yr 6)
STEM Teacher - Mrs Dana Crosby (Kindergarten, Yr 2, Yr 3, Yr 5)
Intervention Teacher - Mrs Emma Keough (Mon - Thurs)
Library Manager - Mrs Natalie Graveson
Administration - Mrs Patricia Steele (Mon-Thurs)
Administration - Mrs Caroline McInnes (Tues - Fri)
Counsellor - Mrs Ofunneka Anyanwu (Tues and Thurs)
Canteen Coordinator - Ms Emma Thrum (Wed and Fri)
Maintenance Officer - Mr John Wardrop
Uniform Shop Coordinator - Mrs Ali Hall
WELCOME NEW STUDENTS
We welcome our new students and their families joining us for 2025:
- Adhiti Anuraj Neelima - Year 1
- Isaac Field - Year 1
- Harvey Emery - Year 2
- Rhys Donnelly - Year 3
WELCOME TO OUR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS
We also welcome our incoming Kindergarten class and their families: Ryder Bakeberg, Ariah Battaglia, Oliver Bell, Cati Bingham, Thomas Cox, Lucy de la Motte, Maverick Field, Marley Flanagan, Xavier Gill, George Green, Thomas Grice, Huxley Jans-Brown, Wynter Jeffery, Josie Jones-Ducler des Rauches, Layla Marshall, Jade Mclennan, Maggie Melville, Ayla Miller, Louis Pyle, Aggie Ronczka, Sydney Sampson, Niah Smiles, Lachlan Thearle, Alex Varley, Maddie Whiterod and Rumi Wynn.
A gallery of images of their first day can be found below, as well as a few extra photos from around the school.
NEW ARRIVAL TO OUR COMMUNITY
Congratulations to Tamika, Sebastian, Elaina and Ariah on the safe arrival of their newest family member, baby girl Lilliana Blair who was born on January 30 weighing 9lbs. Tamika and Lilliana are home, healthy and happy, and Elaina and Ariah are adoring their little sister.
CONGRATULATIONS POPPY ELMSLY
Congratulations to Poppy Elmsly, who altar served for the first time this weekend in the Alstonville Parish.
We are always looking for new Altar Servers and those Catholic students who have received First Holy Communion are eligible to speak to Mrs Jones to become a server. Fr Max treats our servers with a trip to Wet n Wild each year as a thank you for their amazing service.
PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT AND COMMUNITY BBQ
Our annual Parent Information Night and Welcome BBQ will be held on Thursday, the 20th of February.
For catering purposes, could you please complete this Google Form by Friday, 13th February?
We look forward to seeing you here!
Outline of the Evening
The evening is structured a little differently than in previous years. We will have two parent information session times, with our community BBQ in the middle of the two sessions out on the playground.
4:00 - 4:30 - Session 1 - Held in the year-level classes (students can join their parents in the classrooms)
4:30 - 5:30 - Free Sausage Sizzle - Held on the playground (feel free to BYO picnic rugs and drinks)
5:30 - 6:00 - Session 2 - Held in the year-level classes (students can join their parents in the classrooms)
We look forward to seeing you there!
KINDERGARTEN KICKSTART: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS 🚀
Check out this series of tips for starting primary school.
BRAINSTORM PRODUCTIONS- ‘The Protectors’
On Thursday, 13th February, Brainstorm Productions will present their student well-being performance, ‘The Protectors’’ for all our students in Years 1-6. This exciting theatre-in-education program provides practical strategies for bullying prevention, online safety, social skills and emotion regulation. The performance follows the story of Leo and Serena, who struggle to get along with their peers. Leo is thoughtful and sensitive but has trouble managing his feelings and standing up for himself. When Leo and Serena enter Protector School, they discover that empathy, assertiveness and resilience are their superpowers.
Brainstorm Productions is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected theatre in education companies, performing for over 260,000 students every year. Brainstorm Productions is endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider and listed as an evidence-based bullying prevention program on the Victorian Schools Mental Health Menu. Learn more about Brainstorm Productions by visiting their website (brainstormproductions.edu.au), or following them on Instagram (@brainstormproductions), Facebook (@Brainstorm.Productions) or LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/brainstormproductions)
If you would NOT like your child to attend this performance, please contact the office so we can make arrangements. Thank you.
FIRST RECONCILIATION
Please don’t hesitate to contact Kate Jones or Tanya in the Parish Office should you have any questions.
YEAR 6 LEADERSHIP RETREAT
Our Year 6 students will participate in a leadership retreat this Wednesday. This retreat is to support our students in continuing to become outstanding Christian leaders in our school, with a particular focus on servant leadership.
During the day, students will explore the 2025 leadership group responsibilities and reflect upon the gifts and talents they will bring to the roles.
LIBRARY TIME TABLE
Mondays: Year 1 and 2
Tuesday: Kindergarten
Thursday: Year 3 and 4
Friday: Year 5 and 6
Library is also open in the mornings, lunch and recess for borrowing
Library at lunch time activities: Board games, chess, colouring in, building lego
Library at recess time activities: Is a calm space for colouring in and reading
This week we are celebrating the love of the library with Library Lovers Day!
