18 March 2025 (Week 7 Term 1 2025)
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Dear St Joseph’s Community
Week 7 is an exciting time for our school community! On Wednesday, we celebrate the Feast of our Founder, St Joseph, with a liturgy and a community celebration day. We warmly invite parents and families to join us for the liturgy—details can be found below.
Later in the week, on Friday, we will recognise the unique differences that make us special as we celebrate Harmony Day. It promises to be a wonderful week of faith, community, and inclusion!
Open Morning and Enrolment Dates - Spread the Word!
We would love your help in spreading the word for our Open Morning on Sunday 6th April from 10am-12pm. If you know any families with children looking to start school this year or next, please let them know it is on and that our enrolment process is now open.
Calling for Year 6 Volunteers – School Open Morning
Our School Open Morning is a wonderful opportunity for prospective families to tour our school, meet our teachers and leaders, and experience our welcoming community.
We invite our Year 6 student leaders to volunteer as tour guides, to answer questions, and to engage with pre-Kinder students through play. The maturity, kindness, and enthusiasm of our student leaders on this day are the best reflection of what makes our school so special.
We would love as many Year 6 students as possible to be part of this important event.
📅 Date: Sunday, 6th April
⏰ Time: 10am – 12pm
👕 Dress: Full school uniform
Thank you for your support in making this a memorable and welcoming experience for new families. We look forward to seeing our Year 6 leaders shine!
Here is a link to register your child's attendance at the Open Morning.
School Community Group Meeting
Last week, we held our first School Community Group meeting for the year, with a fantastic turnout of 21 parents joining either in person or via Zoom. A huge thank you to Sarah Crook chairing the meeting and to Carolyn Buchanan for taking notes. You can access the meeting notes here.
During the meeting, we shared our school improvement focus areas for 2025 and provided an overview of our new pastoral care curriculum, Friendly Schools. We also sought feedback from parents on refreshing the school uniform and the possibility of having it supplied by an external provider.
In the coming weeks, we will gather further input from the broader parent community about the uniform through a survey. This will be the first of several opportunities for feedback as we continue to explore the best options for our school in regards to the uniform moving forward.
School Improvement Plan
Our school is committed to implementing a rigorous, evidence-based School Annual Improvement Plan. As a staff and leadership team, this plan guides our focus and directs our efforts, ensuring that we continually work towards growth in all aspects of school life.
Reading Improvement!
We are excited to share our beginning-of-year DIBELS results, which show wonderful progress in our students’ reading skills over the past two years. These assessments help us understand how well students are developing key literacy skills such as reading accuracy and fluency, allowing us to provide the right support where needed.
What the results show:
- Fewer students needing extra support – The number of students in the at-risk category (red) has more than halved, dropping from 29% in 2023 to just 14% in 2025. This means more students are developing stronger reading skills earlier.
- More students reading with confidence – The number of students in the meeting expectations category (green) has grown from 30% in 2023 to 41% in 2025. This reflects the impact of our school-wide focus on literacy.
- Stronger readers overall – The number of students achieving at the highest levels (blue) has nearly doubled since 2023, moving from 15% to 26%, showing that many students are not just meeting expectations but exceeding them.
What This Means for Our Students:
These improvements show that our literacy programs, teaching strategies, and early interventions are making a real difference. We are incredibly proud of the effort our students, teachers, and families have put into developing strong reading foundations.
We will continue to support all students on their reading journey and look forward to even more growth throughout the year!
Thank you for your ongoing support in fostering a love of reading at home.
NAPLAN
We wish our Year 3 and Year 5 students all the best as they sit their NAPLAN assessments this week. The start of the assessments in our region was delayed due to the impact of the recent cyclone on some schools.
NAPLAN is just one of many assessments our students complete throughout the year. These assessments help us gain a clearer understanding of what students know, understand, and can do, allowing us to better support their learning and growth.
ANZAC Day - 25 April 2025
Our school will once again participate in the ANZAC Day march on 25 April 2025. This is a cherished tradition, and we warmly invite all students to take part.
We will assemble at 9:15 am outside Wicket Delights Bakery, ready for the march to commence at 9:40 am. The march will proceed to Elizabeth Ann Brown Park for the ANZAC Day service, where our student leaders will lay a wreath in remembrance.
We encourage students to march proudly in their full school uniform, including their hats. We look forward to seeing you there.
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
As we journey through the second week of Lent, the Gospel invites us to reflect on the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2-10). In this powerful moment, Peter, James, and John witness Christ in His divine glory, standing alongside Moses and Elijah. The disciples are awestruck as a voice from the cloud proclaims, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.”
The Transfiguration reminds us that, even in the midst of ordinary life, there are moments of grace where God reveals Himself to us. As parents, we experience glimpses of these mountaintop moments—perhaps in the wonder of a child’s laughter, in a quiet act of kindness, or in those fleeting instances where we see our children growing into the people God calls them to be.
Yet, just as the disciples could not stay on the mountain but had to descend back into daily life, we, too, must walk through the challenges and struggles of parenting, knowing that God’s presence is not just in extraordinary moments but in the everyday journey. Lent calls us to listen more deeply to Christ, to be present with our families, and to trust that God is always working in and through us.
May this week be an opportunity to pause, reflect, and recognise God’s light in your life and in your children.
Blessings on your Lenten journey.
You are invited to listen to Bishop Greg’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass.
Creating a Literacy-Rich Home
Creating a literacy-rich home gives your child every opportunity to engage in reading, writing, speaking and listening. This kind of environment encourages your child to see these skills as an important and normal part of every day.
- Create a Reading-Rich Environment: To normalise reading and language, surround your child with books, alphabet/word posters, and labeled items. Organise a visible bookshelf and a comfortable reading nook with cushions and blankets.
- Encourage Writing: Provide diverse writing materials (pens, pencils) and a dedicated writing desk or "writing box" to foster frequent writing.
- Promote Imaginative Play and Creativity: Supply props for imaginative play and craft materials to stimulate speaking and writing practice.
- Establish Family Reading Time: Schedule regular "family reading time" where everyone reads, modeling reading as a shared and valued activity.
- Be a Reading Role Model: Read regularly yourself, and encourage other family members to do the same, to demonstrate that reading is a normal and enjoyable part of daily life. Also discuss what your child is reading or writing.
St Joseph’s Feast Day & Community Day
This Wednesday at 11.30am, we are having a liturgy in the Church to celebrate St Joseph’s Feast Day. Following the liturgy, our students will be enjoying a fun afternoon of games in mixed K-6 house groups to celebrate St Joseph’s Feast Day. This will be our Term 1 Community Day celebration.
Confirmation
Baptised students in Year 3 and above are invited to be Confirmed by the Bishop on Tuesday, June 10th, 2025 at 6pm.
Parents who wish for their child to receive this Sacrament are asked to attend one meeting with their child, which will be held at St Joseph’s School in the staff room this Thursday 20th March at 6pm.
Harmony Day
This is a friendly reminder that our Harmony Day celebration is this Friday, 21st March. Students are invited to wear orange or bright-coloured clothing on this day. They will also enjoy a special lesson to celebrate our unique community, where everyone belongs!
Reconciliation
Congratulations to all our students who made their Reconciliation last Tuesday evening. These students will make their First Holy Communion in August!
Fortnightly Behaviour Focus
Values Vault Winner
Project Compassion
It is wonderful to see our students giving so generously to Project Compassion. Kalahni (Year 2) thoughtfully brought some of her spare change to donate. What beautiful students we have!
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: https://www.youtube.com/c/LismoreDioceseAU
On Friday at our assembly, we celebrated the achievements of our Cross Country participants, congratulating the place-getters and presenting them with their ribbons and certificates.
We also recognised Cawley as the 2025 Cross Country House Champions—a fantastic achievement for the team! Well done to all who took part.
Book club catalogues have been sent home - this is just a friendly reminder for you to get your orders in before Monday 24th March at 9am. We recommend ordering through scholastic loop
World Day of Prayer Event
The World Day of Prayer is an important global event that unites Christians around the world in prayer, reflection, and fellowship. This year, SDA Church is honoured to host the service in their community. The theme for this year’s WDP is “I made you wonderful” with a focus on the Cook Islands. You might like to wear a Floral shirt or dress to go in with the Island Theme. There will be a meal of Cook Island fruits.
Everyone is invited to come along to celebrate the World Day of Prayer on Friday 21st March at 7pm - SDA Church, 77 Pearces Creek Rd, Alstonville.
Rescheduled Yr 1-6 Parent Teacher Meetings
Our Parent-Teacher Meetings, postponed due to TC Alfred, have been rescheduled for Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th March. Teachers will have appointment times available in the mornings and afternoons across these two days. A reminder we can only accommodate one booking per child.
Bookings are available through the Conference function on Compass and are now open. Bookings will close on Monday, March 24th at 4pm.
Your child is welcome to attend the meeting with you, but this is not necessary.
Thank you for your ongoing support—we look forward to meeting with you.
Stage 3 Camp Info Night
As previously communicated, our Stage 3 Camp will be held at CYC Burleigh from Monday, 5th to Wednesday, 7th May (Week 2, Term 2).
We have scheduled a Stage 3 Camp Information Zoom for 19 March 2025 from 5.30pm - 6pm for you to add to your diary. We look forward to outlining the exciting three days planned for the camp and answering any questions parents may have. Here are the details to log in to the Zoom.
https://lismcatholic.zoom.us/j/63189831690?pwd=p8dQA1d1oC54Z7TdZiWMMX3ssPM9SW.1
Password: 552641
This promises to be a fantastic experience where students will challenge themselves, develop new skills, and build strong relationships with their peers and teachers.
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 have received 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
Alstonville High School Enrolment
If you are looking to enrol your child at Alstonville High School for Year 7 2026, you can use the online enrolment process found here in this 2-step process
https://year7.enrol.education.
