St Joseph's School Stanthorpe eNewsletter

As the year comes to an end, I would like to thank all students, their families and the staff for helping to make the year another successful one for the school.

As a school we have had many successes both in the classroom and in the many co-curricular activities we do.

As an indicator of our academic success, I would like to highlight our very positive NAPLAN results this year. NAPLAN assesses the fundamental skills of literacy and numeracy, with the data provided used by families, schools and education systems to ensure Australian students are supported in their learning. As has been the case for many years, St Joseph’s School is a very strong performer, not only in the Southern Downs, but also across the Toowoomba Diocese and Queensland.

I would like to thank both the P&F Association and School Advisory Council (SAC) for their guidance and contributions throughout the year. Their efforts are very important in helping to set the direction of the school and provide assistance to the students and their families. In particular, I would like to thank Chris Sunderland, President of the P&F, and the other members of P&F Executive and the many volunteers for their great support and direction. The P&F have made many exceptional contributions to the success and growth of the school this year.

The staff as a whole deserve a special mention for their good work to get all students and the school through a long year. They are a dedicated and hard-working group who have the interests of the students at heart. My thanks also to the School Leadership Team, Matthew Brown, Megan Mahoney and Sarah Yates, for their exceptional work.

Well done to all the students for working towards the best they can be. I hope they all come back to school well rested and ready to continue their Joey’s journey. Congratulations to all the Year 6s who finish their Primary schooling this week. We wish them the very best in their journey into Secondary. I am confident they have the grounding they need to start and succeed in Secondary.

Finally, I would like to wish all a merry and safe Christmas and Happy New Year.

God Bless

Andrew Kendall OAM

PRINCIPAL

Thank you to all members of our school community, particularly parents, students and staff, for the wonderful work and support you have given the school through 2024. Whilst we have again experienced our share of challenges, the collective strength of our community, coupled with the quality teaching and learning program, has ensured that our students have enjoyed another successful year, both academically and as a whole.

Shortly, families will receive Semester 2 reports cards. Please take the time to discuss these with your child as they form an important part of how they have progressed academically across the semester. As always, please feel free to touch base with me or any of the teaching staff if you need to discuss the feedback contained in the reports further. I congratulate students on their strong academic results.

I wish each and every member of our school and wider community a safe, happy and relaxing Christmas. May it be a time for all to celebrate the great things in our lives.

See you all in 2025!

Call to be… Christ-Like

Called to live… Mercy

Matthew Brown
Deputy Principal

And so the school year comes to an end.

It has been a year of highlights including the Eisteddfod, the Arts Festival, the School Play, many sporting carnivals and interschool competitions, live theatre performances, discos, chess competitions and community events such as the Apple and Grape parade.

There has also been a lot of learning as you would expect. The introduction of the Diocesan Approach to Reading at the start of the year heralded a new approach to teaching reading and the end of year data shows that it has been a successful implementation. This is supported also by the enthusiasm we have seen from the children towards reading and writing. Those who did not see themselves as readers or writers now do and that is wonderful to see. There is a clear plan for teachers to support those students who are moving from Year 2 to Year 3 to build on their successes with DAR and assist those who might need additional support. We have also implemented v9 of the Australian Curriculum this year in many of the curriculum areas. All of this comes under the banner of Visible Learning and seeks to support each child to be the best learner they can be by empowering them with skills which they can use now and into the future.

Events in recent weeks have included:

an interschool Chess Competition
the Prep Fairy Tale Ball
the Granite Belt Lecturette Competition for Year 6
an opportunity for students to spend some time with their new teachers for 2025
Year 6 celebrated the end of their primary schooling with a trip to Toowoomba and then the Semper Una service.

Semester Reports

Academic reports for Semester 2 will be published to the Parent Portal by the end of this week. Much time and consideration has been devoted to the creation of these reports and they provide an indication to parents of academic growth. We hope that the reading of the report will be followed by a discussion with your child as to the contents as well as other aspects in which they have grown this year. The academic report is only one measure that should be taken into consideration. There is much more that has contributed to the development of each child this year.

Our school year will come to a close on Friday at 12 noon, following our final gathering for 2024 in the multi purpose room. It has become a tradition that we meet together before leaving for the holidays so that we can celebrate all that has been achieved and acknowledge the part that each individual has played in the life of the Primary Campus this year.

Year 6 Shirts 2025

Parents of current Year 5 students are reminded that orders for the Year 6 shirt for next year needed to be placed by 11 DECEMBER using the details sent via email last week. The shirts will be delivered to school in the new year.

Finally, my thanks are extended to all the staff who have worked tirelessly with the students during this year, to the parents for their support and to the wonderful students who give us many wonderful reasons to smile this year.

On behalf of the staff who work on the Primary Campus, I would like to wish all our families a safe and happy Christmas holiday. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2025.

With God's blessings

Sarah Yates
Assistant Principal Primary & Teaching & Learning

The festivities kick off with a dinner dance on February 8th, 2025, starting a year-long celebration of the school's rich history.

Founded in October 1872 by Fr McDonough, the school faced early challenges until the arrival of four Sisters of Mercy on February 9, 1875. These pioneering Sisters—M. Agnes, Emilian, Muredach, and Malachy—overcame many obstacles to establish a cornerstone of the community.

Originally housed in the old Globe Hotel Building, St Joseph's moved to a new building in 1907, thanks to Fr Ryan. The Sisters of Mercy's dedication to Christian education and their resilience left a lasting impact on the school and community. The last Sister of Mercy retired in 1987, but their legacy continues to inspire.

As we celebrate this milestone, we reflect on 150 years of educational excellence and community service. The celebrations will honor the past and look forward to a future of growth and success. We are thrilled to have past student and principal, Mrs Pamela Sullivan, as our guest speaker for the evening.

Join us for the dinner dance on February 8th, 2025! Book your tickets here :
https://events.humanitix.com/st-joseph-s-school-stanthorpe-150-years-dinner-dance or scan the QR code.

Congratulations to Mrs Mary Roberts, our Head of Humanities, for winning the Trailblazer of the Year Award !

This prestigious award was presented at The Future Anything Grand Final and Educator Awards in Brisbane, recognizing her as an outstanding first-year teacher in the Future Anything Activate Program.

The Future Anything Grand Final and Educator Awards celebrate the achievements of students and teachers from 80 schools across Australia and New Zealand. The program challenges students to pitch innovative ideas with social impact, fostering entrepreneurial skills through project-based learning.

In Semester 1, our Year 9 & 10 Business classes participated in this program, learning to create game-changing solutions to real-world problems. We are grateful for the support from Proterra Group, whose sponsorship made this possible.

Mrs Roberts' award also includes funding to continue the program in 2025. Well done, Mary!

Congratulations to every Year 10 student who participated in the Rotary Young Craftsperson Awards.

The projects submitted by all students were truly remarkable. Congratulations to Jack Brown for clinching the top spot, and a well-deserved acknowledgment to Stephanie Hart for securing the runner-up position and to Billy Gallaway who placed 3rd overall.

St Joseph's School would like to thank Stanthorpe Rotary, judge Bill Kerr, sponsor Stanthorpe Mitre 10 and Councillor Russell Wantling.

Well done to all the students and their teachers, Mr Patterson, Mr Steele and Mr Girvasi.

The sky was overcast, and a light drizzle had begun to fall as the students gathered for the annual Color Run. Despite the gloomy weather, excitement buzzed in the air. Brightly colored powders were ready to be thrown, and the students were eager to start the race.

As the starting whistle blew, the students took off, laughter and cheers echoing through the school grounds. The rain, instead of dampening their spirits, added an extra layer of fun. The wet ground made for some hilarious slips and slides, and soon everyone was covered in a mix of mud and vibrant colors.

Teachers and students armed with bags of colored powder, stood at various points along the route, showering the runners with bursts of pink, blue, yellow, and green.

By the end of the run, the students were unrecognisable, their white shirts transformed into a rainbow of hues. The weather might not have been perfect, but it didn't matter. They had made the best of it and created memories that will last a lifetime.

Special thanks to the members of the Queensland Fire Department for taking the time to help out, making the day even more memorable.

Several of our Year 6 students recently took part in the Granite Belt Lecturette Competition on Monday, 25th November, and Monday, 2nd December.

Congratulations to Scarlett Young, Ned Robinson, and Charlie Schnitzerling for making it to the finals on Monday, 2nd December. They delivered their speeches with remarkable confidence, captivating the audience with their topics. A special congratulations to to Ned for securing first place and bringing home the trophy for our school!

Thank you to Miss Dewit, Miss Humble, and Ms Jones for their invaluable support in helping the Year 6 students prepare their speeches.

St Joseph’s School has always been strong supporters of the annual St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal and this year was certainly no exception.

The response to our Christmas campaign was outstanding, and for that we would like to say THANK YOU !!

An amazing amount of donations and monies were received and this will ensure that families in our local area can enjoy Christmas more comfortably.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to this very worthy cause.

We are excited to announce that the YWP 2024 Rosé is now available for purchase directly from the Qld College of Wine & Tourism at a special price of $10 per bottle. Hurry, as this offer is only available while stocks last!

Our Rosé has proudly won first place at the Ekka for the school red wine and a bronze medal at the National School Wine Competition in Adelaide.

Congratulations to all 97 competitors who participated in the Granite Belt Interschool Chess Competition on the 29th of November! Everyone performed exceptionally well and had a great time.

Special shoutout to Orlando Vellington for placing first in the Primary Division and scoring the highest points for Year 6, and to William Roberts for achieving the highest points in the Year 9 division.

Thank you to all the schools that attended and the amazing staff who made this event possible. It was a fantastic and successful day!

Last week Year 8 Humanities students finished off their Business unit by running a mini-market. They were joined by the Year 9 Business class who had fun negotiating, determining the best deal and witnessing the concept of supply and demand in action.

Tuesday 3rd December saw the students present to their peers and families their DANCE FEVER presentation.

Dancefever offers schools the expertise to fulfill their physical education curriculum requirements. Qualified teachers and instructors are committed to providing students with essential learning experiences that develop knowledge, understanding and skills in physical activity and social etiquette.

The curriculum compliant programs support schools and students each year to stay healthy, happy and active.

Students have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn some new dances.

Friday 29th November saw the Multi-Purpose Room transform into a magical fairytale land full of beautiful princess and handsome princes and some very regal queens.

Everyone enjoyed a royal dinner with pink bubbles as well as lots of dancing and palace games. What a very special evening... and everyone was home before the clock struck 12!

Thank you to all who helped with the preparations to make it such an eventful evening.

On Monday, 2nd December, students from Year 7, 8, and 9 went to Wet 'n' Wild as part of their end-of-year celebrations! From thrilling water slides to relaxing lazy rivers, everyone enjoyed a well-deserved day of fun and excitement.

It was a fantastic year, and we are so proud of all their hard work and achievements. As part of the final week of activities for the year, they had an amazing time creating unforgettable memories with friends and teachers.

The remainder of the week saw our Year 7, 8, and 9 students partake in Community Week. This week involved students participating in a combination of service activities, community engagement, and other fun activities.

Our Year 1-5 students had an incredible time celebrating the end of the school year with a variety of exciting activities on Wednesday 4th December! Thanks to the fantastic efforts of the Stanthorpe Library and the Stanthorpe Art Gallery, our students enjoyed a day filled with creativity and learning.

After their artistic adventures, the students enjoyed lunch in the park, followed by some playful fun. To top it all off, they then cooled down with a refreshing swim in the pool, making a splash and creating lasting memories with their friends.

Let's not forget about our Prep students! They also got to enjoy some fun with water and had a blast on the slip 'n slide, all just in time before the rain and storms hit.

What a fantastic way to end the school year!

Our Year 6 students yesterday enjoyed a day of fun and celebration as they ventured off to Toowoomba to celebrate the end of their Year 6 schooling before they head in to High School in 2025.

They visited the City Golf Club for a round of Putt Putt Golf, followed by ten pin bowling at Sunset Superbowl and a delicious lunch.

Celebrations continued with the Semper Una Mass at the church and the cutting of the cake in the Bathersby Centre.

Congratulations to all students and we wish you all the best as you move into Secondary next year.

We are thrilled to announce that Year 9 students, William Roberts and Chloe Searle, have been selected as our school's representatives on the Southern Downs Youth Council (SDYC) for 2025. The SDYC, an initiative by the Southern Downs Regional Council, serves as an advisory committee that amplifies the voices of young people in the region. It provides valuable input into Council activities and decisions.

Each year, two Year 10 students from every secondary school in the Southern Downs region are chosen to sit on the SDYC. They meet regularly throughout the year and also support various Council activities.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to William and Chloe and wish them all the best in their new roles for 2025!

Please ensure all 2024 school fees are settled before the end of the school year.

Accounts have been emailed to all families. If you haven't received yours, contact Megan Hines at megan.hines@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Payments can be made weekly, fortnightly, or monthly by cash, cheque, card at the office, or direct transfer to:

Account Name: St Joseph’s School
Bank/Branch: 064-431 Commonwealth Stanthorpe
Account No: 1018-4376
Reference: STA001 Smith

New families can start making payments towards 2025 fees using your SURNAME as the reference.

Payments can still be made over the holidays and will be applied to your account.

Thankyou for your assistance.

St Joseph's School has again partnered with Winc to help make Back to School hassle-free.

Ordering is simple, with 2025 book list items ordered online and delivered directly to your nominated address. We've made it quick and easy to order your child's new year requirements. Simply visit Winc Schools and follow these four steps:

Search for your school, St Joseph's School, Stanthorpe, QLD, and enter your school access key 4TZ8S if required.
Complete the student’s details and select the relevant year level.
Review your requirements list and make changes if required. Please note: List items have been denoted by the school as a prerequisite for the year - all items are required.
Proceed to checkout. For home deliveries only, if you have more than one student at the same school, please repeat the above steps.

Once completed, an order confirmation will be sent to your email address. Please note: Any technology items you order may be sent separately.

Deadlines and Delivery Information

Free Delivery: For orders placed on or before 13 December 2024.
$10.95 Delivery: For orders placed after 8 December 2024.

Australia Post: Orders are delivered via Australia Post’s eParcel service. As soon as your order is dispatched, an email will be sent to let you know the Australia Post tracking ID Number. Your order can be tracked at Australia Post. Note: PO Box addresses are not accepted by Australia Post.

If you have any questions during this process, you are welcome to contact Winc via the Winc Help Centre or the school at Megan.Hines@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Note also: For all year levels, specific student books and online subscriptions to learning software will be purchased by the school and invoiced in the Term 1 fees.

Purchasing Items on Book List Individually

Families have the option to purchase items on the book lists themselves from local or other suppliers, rather than by the online method above. The book lists of the items supplied by Winc for each of the year levels are downloadable on the school website at St Joseph's Book Lists.

Labelling and Covering Books

All books should be named and covered when students start school.

We hope this system makes the purchase of book lists more convenient for all families. If you have any queries, please contact the school at Megan.Hines@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Please make sure to download your child’s academic reports and other important documents by 31st December.

Access to these documents will not be available after this date.

Yearbook Production is in Full Swing!

We are thrilled to announce that the 2024 Yearbooks are well and truly underway! These yearbooks will feature class photos, achievements, and memorable moments from the year.

Due to rising production costs, the Yearbook is priced at $55.00. Only a limited number will be available, so please order and pay through the Qkr! app under “School Payments, School Magazine” as soon as possible.

Yearbooks will be ready for collection in Term 1 of 2025. For enquiries, email stanthorpe@twb.catholic.edu.au or call the School Office on 07 4681 5900.

Ted Bonner Shield

Congratulations to our Primary team for their participation in the Ted Bonner Shield, the Granite Belt Primary Schools Tennis Competition, held on Friday, November 22nd.

St Joseph's faced off against students from various local schools but unfortunately fell short against Stanthorpe State Primary School, losing 3 sets to 1.

2024
5 December	Carol Under the Stars
6 December	Term 4 finishes @ 12pm
2025
27 January	Australia Day Holiday
28 January	Student Free Day
29 January	Term 1 Commences - Years 1-7 & Years 11 & 12
30 January	Term 1 Commences - Prep & Years 8-10
31 January	Stanthorpe Show Day