4 March 2025 (Week 5 Term 1 2025)
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Dear St Joseph’s Community
Last Friday, our students participated in the Cross Country hosted by St Joseph’s, Coraki. Despite the intense heat, they showed great perseverance and sportsmanship, making it a fantastic day. After the races, we enjoyed lunch and playtime with our friends from St Joseph’s, which added to the sense of community. Congratulations to all our place getters and to everyone who gave their best effort on the day! Thanks to those parents who were able to join us at Coraki on the day. I spoke with Mrs Coster, the Acting Principal of St Joseph’s, and she was so appreciative of our Schools joining together. It provides more opportunities for competition and friendship for our two Schools.
Last week, we welcomed our Kindergarten families for their Parent-Teacher meetings, and this week, we are meeting with families of students in Years 1–6. These conversations are an important opportunity to celebrate progress, discuss goals, and strengthen the partnership between home and school. We value the insights you share and appreciate the time you take to support your child’s learning journey. Thank you for working with us to ensure the best outcomes for every student!
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Preparing for Easter
Lent is a time of preparation—a journey that leads us to Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. It is a season that invites us to slow down, reflect, and realign our hearts with what truly matters.
The Season of Lent, which begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday, calls us towards three good things: Prayer, Giving Up and Giving More.
We prepare through Prayer; taking quiet moments in our day, on a walk, before bed, in the car, to pause and reflect on those things for which we are grateful or for those things for which we need help.
We prepare by Giving Up and letting go of distractions to make room for deeper connections with others and with God. We might give up something in our lives (like coffee or dessert) to be a constant reminder, with each small sacrifice, of the Sacrifice Jesus made for each of us.
We prepare through Giving More, showing more kindness and generosity and giving what we are able to social causes like our Project Compassion initiative, which helps poor people in need.
Lent is not just about sacrifice; it is about renewal. As Easter approaches, may this season bring a sense of hope and peace to our families, reminding us that love, forgiveness, and new beginnings are always possible.
Medication Reminder
Just a reminder that students should not be in possession of medications at school; these should always be presented to the office. If your child requires medication to be administered at school a medication authority must be provided.
Please communicate with the administration team so we can support you with this.
Parents are also reminded that Medical Plans (e.g. Asthma, anaphylaxis etc) are to be updated annually and a copy provided to the school. Parents are also responsible for ensuring medications supplied to school for your child are in date. While we endeavour to monitor this here at school and remind parents, it is ultimately your responsibility. Please contact the school if you have any concerns.
St Joseph’s Student Engagement
At our school, we believe active student engagement is key to successful learning. Our engagement norms help create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment in which every child participates and thrives.
Pair Shares: Students discuss ideas with a partner to deepen understanding and build communication skills. It encourages students to articulate their thoughts, listen to differing perspectives, and refine their understanding.
Mini Whiteboards: Students use small whiteboards to quickly write and display answers, promoting active participation and instant feedback.
Cold Calling: Teachers randomly select students to answer questions, ensuring everyone is prepared and engaged.
Choral Response: Students answer questions in unison, reinforcing key concepts and building confidence.
Pronounce with Me: Students repeat words or phrases after the teacher to improve pronunciation and fluency.
Track with Me: Students follow along with text or visuals, maintaining focus and comprehension.
Read with Me: Students read aloud together with the teacher, supporting their reading skills and comprehension.
Gesture with Me: Students use physical gestures to represent concepts, making learning more interactive and memorable.
Complete Sentences: Students respond in full sentences, improving their verbal communication and grammatical accuracy.
Kindy Families, You’re invited to Teddy Bears and Prayers this Friday!
Ash Wednesday Liturgy
To mark the beginning of Lent, we will hold an Ash Wednesday Liturgy in the school hall at 2:00 pm. All families are warmly invited to join us for this special occasion.
Harmony Week
Harmony Week celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity and promotes the message that ‘Everyone Belongs’. It’s a special time to learn about and appreciate the many cultures that make up our community.
As part of our Harmony Week celebrations, we also invite families to share about their family culture with their child’s class. If you are interested, please fill in this quick form and your child’s class teacher will contact you to organise a time to visit.
We would love you to join us!
Bishop Greg’s Lenten Talk Series
The Jubilee Year of Hope – Bishop Greg’s talks will be held on Mondays (10, 17 & 24 March) and will begin at 6pm at St Mary’s Chapel. They will also be available to view on YouTube
Values Vault Winner
The students are enjoying the library, especially the new Kindergarten students! Lots of reading, colouring in, games and listening to relaxing music. We have a new STEM project that has joined us and we can’t wait to see what happens in the fish tank!!!
Photos to come…
Make getting students to school on time every day a top priority.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves. Ensuring that students arrive at school on time every day is crucial for their academic success and wellbeing. Parents play a crucial role in instilling the importance of punctuality in their children. Here are some strategies for parents to make getting students to school on time every day a top priority:
- Establish a Consistent Routine. Set a daily routine that includes specific times for waking up, getting ready, having breakfast, and leaving for school. Consistency helps children develop good habits.
- Model Punctuality. Children often learn by example. Demonstrate the importance of punctuality by being on time for family events, appointments, and other commitments.
- Limit or Have No Screen Time in the Morning. Minimise distractions such as excessive screen time in the morning. This helps your child stay focused on getting ready for school without unnecessary delays.
SCHOOL PHOTO DAY
School photographs are scheduled to be taken by advancedlife on Tuesday, 1st April.
It is our preference that ordering be completed online. Order envelopes are available from the office for those who prefer to pay using cash - correct money please. These envelopes are given directly to the photographer on photo day and no change can be given.
Sibling photo order envelopes are available from the office upon request.
You will receive an email with further information including payment options.
Orders for packages and sibling photographs can be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our school’s unique 9 digit advanced order code:
FVN BRY PY4
Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day.
Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please direct them via email to: enquiries@advancedlife.com.au
Join The Great Unwaste challenge and help combat food waste!
In an exciting step towards reducing food waste and creating a more sustainable community, Ballina Shire Council has joined The Great Unwaste.
Led by the national not-for-profit End Food Waste Australia (EFWA), The Great Unwaste aims to rally Australians across the country to make simple changes that can have a big impact on reducing the amount of food they throw away, saving money and creating a more sustainable future.
By promoting simple yet impactful habits such as proper food storage, flexible meal planning, and creative ways to use leftovers, The Great Unwaste is encouraging Australians to take control of their food waste.
End Food Waste Australia has set an ambitious target to reduce the country’s household food waste by approximately 20 per cent by 2030, as part of Australia’s goal to halve food waste by that year.
By joining the movement, Ballina Shire Council reinforces its commitment to sustainability and the environment while encouraging residents to take a role in reducing the 2.5 million tonnes of household food wasted each year. That’s approximately 7.7 million meals every single day!
GET INVOLVED
The campaign kicks off on 16 March with the 6-week Unwaste challenge. All interested residents are encouraged to participate each Sunday for six weeks.
Starting on 16 March participants will receive an email with helpful tips to reduce food waste to trial at home. Additional support will include a meal planning template, a spreadsheet to help track your waste, and direct communication with Council’s Resource Recovery Education Officer.
"We are thrilled to join The Great Unwaste and support our community to tackle the important issue of food waste,” said Justine Rowe, Council’s Resource Recovery Education Officer.
“This campaign offers simple, effective behaviours that every household in Ballina Shire can easily adopt to reduce waste and save money.”
Mandy Hall, Campaign Director at End Food Waste Australia, welcomed the partnership.
"We’re delighted to have Ballina Shire Council join The Great Unwaste. Local councils play an important role in fostering change, and we’re confident Ballina’s leadership will inspire local residents to reduce food waste, without blame or shame, and make a lasting impact on their environment,” said Ms Hall.
Residents of Ballina Shire Council can visit bsc-great-unwaste.paperform.co
or Council’s website to register.
For free tools and resources visit thegreatunwaste.com.au
