25 March 2025 (Week 8 Term 1 2025)
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Dear St Joseph’s Community,
Last week, we celebrated the Feast of St Joseph, the patron saint of our School. Although the Gospels do not record a single word spoken by Joseph, his actions speak volumes.
St Joseph was a man of quiet strength, deep faith, and steady love. He protected Mary and Jesus, worked humbly as a carpenter, and listened attentively to God—even when the road ahead was uncertain. He reminds us that holiness is often found not in grand gestures, but in everyday faithfulness, kindness, and responsibility.
As parents, we can learn much from St Joseph—his patience, his trust in God’s plan, and his unwavering care for his family. May his example continue to guide our school community as we grow together in love and faith.
Throughout the day, students engaged in a range of learning and craft activities that deepened their understanding of St Joseph’s life and values. They reflected on the virtues he modelled—such as service, protection, and humility—and expressed these through art, writing, and hands-on projects in their classrooms. It was a joyful and meaningful way for students to connect with our School’s patron saint.
A sincere thank you to Mrs Jones, Fr Max and the Mission team for preparing a thoughtful and prayerful celebration. Our students were outstanding in the way they engaged with the liturgy, and we are also grateful to the parents who were able to join us.
Harmony Day
Last week, we also celebrated Harmony Day, a special time to recognise the rich diversity of cultures that make up our School and wider community. Harmony Day is a reminder that everyone belongs—regardless of background, language, or story.
In classrooms and on the playground, we spoke about the importance of respect, kindness, and inclusion. We shared stories from different cultures, wore orange to symbolise unity, and celebrated the unique gifts that each person brings. Thank you to those parents who visited the classrooms to share what makes their culture so special.
At its heart, Harmony Day reflects the values we hold dear as a Catholic school: welcoming the stranger, standing up for justice, and seeing the dignity of every person. Let us continue to grow as a community where every child and every family knows they belong.
NAPLAN
Last week, students in Year 3 and 5 completed their NAPLAN assessments, delayed due to the storm. We were very proud of our students for the way they approached their NAPLAN assessments. They showed great focus, resilience, and a positive attitude throughout the process. These assessments are just one snapshot of their learning journey, but it’s encouraging to see how well they engaged with the challenge.
A big thank you to our teachers for preparing the students so thoroughly and to parents for your support at home. Most importantly, we’re proud of the way our students gave their best and approached the experience with confidence and care.
Deadly Cultural Learning Plans
This week, Mr Murgha partnered with classroom teachers and parents to complete our Deadly Cultural Learning Plans. This valuable initiative provides our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with the opportunity to set both cultural and learning goals, and ensures they are supported in achieving them throughout the year. It’s a meaningful way to celebrate identity, strengthen connection, and promote success in both culture and learning.
School Uniform 'Refresh' - Feedback Sought
At our Term 1 School Community Group Meeting, the School proposed the opportunity to ‘refresh’ our school uniform, looking ahead to 2026. This was framed as a ‘refresh’ rather than a redesign, as our current uniform has a well-regarded colour scheme and a modern design that prioritises comfort and freedom of movement for students.
The purpose of this refresh is to explore ways to enhance individual elements of the uniform to improve comfort, style, and durability. Additionally, we are considering whether there are any new uniform items that could be introduced to further improve its practicality and appeal.
A summary of the discussion from the Term 1 School Community Group Meeting can be found in the meeting notes here.
Below, we are seeking your general feedback on the uniform as well as your openness to additions/changes.
At the meeting, we also discussed the changes to the Uniform Shop this year and explored potential options for 2026. We noted that the overwhelming majority of schools in our region—and most schools more broadly—now source their uniforms externally through providers such as Lowes or School Locker.
Both options—sourcing uniforms externally or maintaining our in-house Uniform Shop—have benefits and limitations for both the School and parents. Notably, operating an in-house Uniform Shop requires significant time and effort, including staffing, managing orders, maintaining stock levels, and coordinating with suppliers. For a small School like ours, this can be a considerable challenge.
We are seeking your feedback on whether parents would be open to transitioning the Uniform Shop to an external provider.
Thank you for the time you take to provide your feedback. This will be the first of a number of opportunities to provide feedback. We will also be seeking feedback from students directly and from our staff. We know that by working together, we can create a smart and practical uniform that our whole community can be proud to wear.
Here us the link to the form. It will be open for the next two weeks.
We look forward to sharing feedback with you in the coming weeks. As we work through something as complex and subjective as a school uniform, it’s important to acknowledge that we may not be able to implement every suggestion or meet everyone’s expectations.
Scripture Reflection
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of a fig tree that hasn’t produced fruit (Luke 13:1–9). The owner wants to cut it down, but the gardener asks for more time—to nurture it, care for it, and give it another chance to grow.
As parents, we often see this same tension in ourselves: the desire for our children to grow, mature, and flourish—and the realisation that growth takes time. Jesus reminds us that God is patient with us, offering us time and grace to become who we are called to be.
This Lent, we are invited to do the same: to be patient with our children, our families, and even ourselves. To trust that with love, support, and a bit of tending, good fruit will come in time.
Wishing you a grace-filled week.
You are invited to listen to Bishop Greg’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass.
Google Read Along
Students can use Read Along to build reading skills on a computer or Android device. An in-app reading buddy named Diya uses Google's advanced text-to-speech and voice recognition technologies to listen and respond to students with real-time feedback and encouragement as they read aloud. Students can use their Google single sign-on to access the app.
Retrieval Practice: A summary for parents
Retrieval practice is a learning strategy that helps children learn by focusing on getting information out of memory. It strengthens memory and improves learning. Teachers use it in the classroom through regular quizzes and quick recall of facts and knowledge from previous lessons to check understanding and boost memory and confidence. Research shows it's effective for all ages. The more children recall information, the easier it is to remember in the future.
How Parents Can Use Retrieval Practice at Home
- Ask questions about what was studied in class (*Use you child’s term overview as a guide or check Seesaw)
- Ask about key vocabulary and its meaning and repeat this often.
- Ask questions about past topics, even from previous terms.
- Use images as prompts for your child to recall their learning
Types of Retrieval Practice
- Multiple-choice questions and quizzes (Resources such as quizz are useful for this)
- Verbal recall- talking about what they remember- “ Tell me everything you remember about…
- Writing from memory (Brain dump- write down everything you remember about…)
Project Compassion Cake Stall
On Monday, 31 March, we will have a cake stall at lunch to raise money for Project Compassion. Our Year 6 Mission Leaders are excited to be selling the cakes. We would appreciate any baked goods families can donate to this great cause! Students are invited to bring a few dollars to buy some baked treats!
St Joey's Feast & Term 1 Community Day
We had a very fun day celebrating St Joseph’s Feast Day, beginning with a Celebration of the Word then games in house groups. Thank you to all our staff and students for such an enjoyable day.
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
FOUND!!! Someone's Special Friend ...
Do you know the owner of this very loved Jellycat? We are keeping it safe in Admin if you know the owner and would like to make them happy with it's return 🥰
Winter Sports Trials
Good luck to our students attending Diocesan Sports Trials in Grafton this Thursday.
Enid Murgha (Rugby League), Henry Buchanan (Soccer), Orlando Speidel (Soccer) and Ava O’Bryan (Soccer).
Zone Cross Country
We wish all our students competing in the Zone Cross Country this Friday the very best of luck.
Zone singlets will be handed out this week - just a reminder that these singlets will be due back by the end of next week. We ask that they please be washed as soon as possible to avoid any stains.
Exciting News!
A bunch of new books have just hit the shelves this week for the kids to borrow.
In other exciting STEM news ... the tadpoles are growing fast and the students are loving coming into the Library to see them! In Stage One we are learning about life cycles, so this has been a great way for them to engage in their learning.
Get Ready for Winter!
Now is the time to think about warmer clothing items so that you are ready to start Term 2.
Place your order online using Compass or call in to the Uniform Shop on a Friday between 1pm - 4pm.
The online Shop, located under the Communities Tab in Compass, works in the same way as the Canteen. Instructions for using the app can be accessed here.
Our physical uniform shop, staffed by Mrs Hall, will be open every Friday afternoon during term from 1pm to 4pm. Parents are welcome to bring their children to try on clothing. Once you’re satisfied with the sizes, simply make your payment through the Compass app, and you’ll be able to collect your items immediately after payment confirmation.
Online orders placed during the week will be processed on Friday afternoons by Mrs Hall. These orders will be packaged and sent home with students the same day.
Year 1 Harmony Day Puzzle Display in Classroom
The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools has updated the procedures for monitoring and supporting schools to promote student attendance. Every school day builds upon the previous one, making it essential for students to attend regularly. Regular attendance is crucial as it fosters resilience and enables students to form vital social connections. Across all NSW education systems, the expected level of student attendance is above 95%, and we aim to support all of our students in achieving this.
If your child’s attendance is below 90%, you may receive a COMPASS communication in the coming weeks. We acknowledge that there may be many reasons for absences, and you may have already provided information to the school about why your child has been away. However, this communication is to ensure all parents are aware that their child’s attendance is currently at or under 90%.
We believe that by working together, we can ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed. Please ensure you contact the school if you would like any support with your child’s attendance.
Rescheduled Yr 1-6 Parent Teacher Meetings
Our Parent-Teacher Meetings, postponed due to TC Alfred, have been rescheduled for Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 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 24 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.
Upcoming Staff Development Days
Just a reminder that both the last day of Term 1 and the first day of Term 2 are Staff Development Days.
These days are essential for our team to collaborate and engage in professional learning that strengthens our ability to support your children. We appreciate your understanding of their importance.
- Friday, 11 April – Staff Development Day (Rainbow Region is NOT available)
- Monday, 28 April – Staff Development Day (Rainbow Region IS available)
Thank you for your ongoing support.
School Photo Day - next TUESDAY
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.
Don’t forget to order sibling photos online up to 24 hours before photo day. If you miss the online order deadline, you can submit a completed sibling order envelope first thing in the morning of the day of photography. Order envelopes for sibling photos 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
PRIMARY SCHOOLS - STEPPING STONES
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