10 June 2025 (Week 7 Term 2 2025)

Dear St Joseph’s Community

We hope all our families enjoyed a restful and refreshing long weekend. 

It’s been a busy and joy-filled time at school as we’ve welcomed many new families through our Kindergarten enrolment interviews over the past three weeks. It’s been lovely meeting the children who will join us in 2026, along with their siblings, and hearing about what excites them most about starting school. 

This evening, a number of our current students will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, surrounded by their families, sponsors, and our parish community. Bishop Greg Homeming and Fr Max Gow will lead the celebration at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, marking a significant moment in our students’ faith journey. Thank you to Mrs Jones and Miss MacDonald for their work in preparing the students. 

Earlier today, the candidates took part in a special Formation Day—a time of prayer, reflection, and preparation as they opened their hearts more fully to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We give thanks for these young people and the witness they give by choosing to grow in faith. Please keep them in your prayers as they take this important step.

Tracking Student Growth in Reading and Mathematics

Over the past fortnight, students across the school have been participating in PAT Reading (PAT R) and PAT Mathematics (PAT M) assessments. These assessments help us track student progress in literacy and numeracy over time.

We use this data—alongside classroom assessments, teacher observations and other formal diagnostic assessments—to better understand each student’s learning needs. This enables us to target teaching more effectively, whether that means providing additional support, offering greater challenge, or refining our approaches to ensure every student is growing.

Thank You for Your Feedback – Tell Them From Me Survey

Many thanks to all families who participated in the recent Tell Them From Me survey conducted earlier this term. The feedback provided gives us a valuable base from which to reflect and take action.

The results will be shared and discussed at a School Community Group Meeting when the data is released.

School Community Group Meeting – Agenda Now Available

Our Term 2 School Community Group Meeting will be held next Tuesday 17 June from 6:30 - 7:45, in the staffroom or via Zoom, and we warmly invite all families to attend and be part of the discussion. Here is the link to RSVP. 

You can view the agenda via this link. 

Social Media and Young People – Staying Safe Online

With social media use beginning earlier and earlier, many schools and families are noticing the growing impact it is having on children’s wellbeing, relationships, and learning. Apps such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and messaging services like Kids Messenger, are becoming part of daily life for many students—even in primary school.

The Federal Labor Government has recently proposed new laws to raise the minimum age for social media access to 16. This move reflects increasing concern from health professionals, educators, and families about the effects of social media on developing brains. Research continues to show that children and adolescents are still developing the emotional regulation, impulse control, and reasoning skills required to navigate social media safely and responsibly.

Social media and online interactions have the potential to affect students’ relationships and wellbeing—even when use happens outside of school hours. Children may post, comment, or share things online without fully understanding the consequences, simply due to their stage of development. These moments—while often unintentional—can lead to misunderstandings or social tension among peers and may have a lasting impact on friendships and emotional wellbeing.

It’s also important to be aware of risks in popular online games such as Roblox, Fortnite, and others that include chat functions or allow interactions with strangers. While these platforms are marketed as safe and child-friendly, there have been no cases where children are exposed to inappropriate content, language, or unmoderated interactions. These environments can be difficult for younger children to navigate, especially without close supervision or appropriate settings in place.

As a school, we strongly recommend that no primary-aged student have access to any social media platforms. These platforms are not designed for children and expose them to content and interactions beyond what is appropriate or safe for their age.

We strongly encourage families to stay informed and proactive in managing their child’s online presence. Two reliable and helpful resources are:

• Safe on Social  – a leading organisation offering up-to-date digital safety advice for schools and families
• eSafety Commissioner  – the Australian Government’s official platform for online safety, offering tools, guides, and reporting options

We recommend checking privacy settings regularly, keeping open communication with your child about their online activity, and discussing what is safe, respectful, and age-appropriate. The eSafety website includes useful tips for parents by age group and platform.

By working together, we can help our children develop safe and healthy habits online while protecting their wellbeing and relationships.

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION 

Pentecost: A Celebration of Spirit and Community

As we celebrate Pentecost this week, we reflect on the moment when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, gathered in fear and uncertainty in the upper room. Jesus had ascended, and they were left wondering what would come next—unsure, anxious, perhaps even feeling alone.

But then, the Holy Spirit came like wind and fire—filling them with courage, clarity, and purpose. Their fear was transformed into boldness, and they were sent out into the world to live and proclaim the Good News.

We see that same Spirit alive in our students, especially those being confirmed by Bishop Greg this evening. Like the disciples, they are stepping forward in faith, trusting that God is with them and will guide them.

We also witness the Spirit at work in simple, everyday moments. I saw it this week in the student who offered to carry something for me when they noticed my arms were full; in the child who gently comforted a classmate after a fall; and in our dedicated teachers, who go above and beyond every day to love and serve our students and their families.

Through their kindness, resilience, and growing understanding, our children remind us that the Holy Spirit is still very much alive in our world today. May this Pentecost renew in all of us the courage to follow the Spirit’s call—and may we continue to nurture the flame of faith in the hearts of our children

You are invited to listen to Bishop Greg’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass. 

Mathematics Fluency Program

This past term, our school introduced a Number Fluency Program as part of our mathematics curriculum. Dr Ange Rogers, an experienced educator and Numeracy consultant, developed the Number Fluency Program (NFP). With a PhD in Mathematics and her education and background in teaching and leadership, she supports schools nationally and internationally. Ange is passionate about boosting students’ confidence and understanding in maths through fluency.

Why is fluency important?

Automatic recall of number facts is a key indicator of future maths success.

Students who lack fluency often struggle academically, avoid maths, and experience maths anxiety. They are also less likely to take on maths subjects in secondary school, avoid STEM-related careers and often lack the basic skills required to be Numerate citizens. In contrast, fluent students are more confident, engaged, and find enjoyment in maths. The Number Fluency Program aims to help all students develop fluency in essential number skills, supporting their long-term success.  (Learn more-‘The Need for Speed’)

What can I expect my child to be doing in the NFP?

All students completed a Set screener to determine their starting point in the NFP.

During daily sessions, they work on a specific skill using individual worksheets,

practice with self-generated numbers, check their work, and set simple goals.

The NFP focus is on building fluency with familiar skills—not learning new concepts that happen in the mathematics sessions. If your child finds the NFP content easy, that’s a positive sign! Progress is regularly assessed, and fluent students move to the next skill while continuing to revisit previous skills.

How can I support my child?

Ask your child what skill they are working on as part of their fluency program. Use dice or playing cards to generate numbers to practice this skill. Students practice their fluency skills for a number of days. 

For example, your child could be working on

• 1 more or 1 less/ 10 more or 10 less/ 100 more or 100 less
• Placing numbers on a number line
• Rounding to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000
• Comparing numbers
• Halving or doubling
• Making a whole into different parts

In Week 5 Jordy Thompson, Hugo McCall and Luca McDonald attended the Diocesan Cross Country in Woolgoolga. Congratulations to all students on representing our school with such pride and great sportsmanship.
We would like to congratulate Hugo McCall on finishing 2nd in his race, he will now go to Sydney this week to compete in the Polding event. Good luck Hugo!

Book club is due on this Friday the 13th of June.

Just a reminder of the class library days 

Monday: Year 1 and 2  /  Tuesday: Kindergarten  /  Thursday: Year 3 and 4  /  Friday: Year 5 and 6

Celebrating Our Young Musicians

This week at Assembly, we were treated to a fantastic performance of Baby Elephant Walk by Maddie Egan, who is learning music through Tipitina. Her confidence in playing in front of a large audience was truly inspiring, and it was heartwarming to see how supportive and encouraging our students were throughout her performance. We look forward to showcasing more of our budding musicians in future assemblies!