Megan Mahoney
Assistant Principal Mission & Identity

Confidence & Motivation

Building confidence and motivation in young people is essential for their overall wellbeing and is a key aspect of their development. These qualities can have a lasting impact on their success and happiness. Confidence helps children believe in their abilities and face challenges with a positive attitude, while motivation drives their desire to learn, explore, and achieve their goals.

Fostering these traits involves creating an environment that encourages children to take risks, learn from their mistakes, and celebrate their achievements. Confidence is built when children feel capable and valued, while motivation is fuelled by the belief that their efforts will lead to growth and success. By actively supporting both, we can help young people thrive in the academic, social, and personal areas of their life.

By offering positive reinforcement, setting realistic expectations, and celebrating their efforts, we can model a positive mindset that can go a long way in helping young people develop both confidence and motivation. Nurturing these qualities, will help them grow into self-assured individuals who believe in their ability to succeed, setting the foundation for a fulfilling future.

In this edition of SchoolTV, discover how to provide opportunities for autonomy and support your child in persevering through challenges.

Here is the link to the Special Report :https://stjosephs.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/confidence-motivation-au

Last week marked the conclusion of the 13-year journey for our Year 12 students, spanning from Prep to Year 12. For many, this educational odyssey began at St Joseph’s School in Prep 2012, and it has been a culmination of years of dedicated study and hard work.

Throughout the week, they shared special moments during a retreat in Brisbane, providing them with the opportunity to both celebrate and reflect on their experiences.

The pinnacle of their journey unfolded with the Graduation Mass and dinner held on Thursday 14th November, followed by a farewell assembly the following morning. 

As our Year 12's bid farewell to the school community, we extend our congratulations and best wishes for their future.

On Remembrance Day, our 2025 School Leaders attended the service at Weeroona Park. It was a moving experience as they paid tribute to the brave men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country.

We are proud of our students for representing our school with such respect and dignity. Their participation in this solemn event reflected our commitment to remembering and honoring those who have given so much for our freedom.

Lest we forget.

On November 15th, our Primary campus was abuzz with excitement as a fire truck rolled in for a special visit to our Prep and Year 1 students. This visit followed an engaging fire education session held on November 8th for the same classes.

During the fire truck visit, students had the opportunity to explore the fire truck, meet real firefighters, and learn about the important equipment used in firefighting. The firefighters demonstrated how they use all the equipment on the trucks to keep our community safe, and the children were thrilled to see the flashing lights and hear the sirens up close.

The earlier fire education visit provided valuable lessons on fire safety, teaching the students how to respond in case of a fire emergency. The hands-on experience with the fire truck reinforced these lessons, making it a memorable and educational experience for our young learners.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the local fire department for their time and dedication in educating our students about fire safety. This visit not only sparked curiosity but also instilled important safety knowledge in our Prep and Year 1 students.

We look forward to more such enriching experiences in the future!

In early October, Year 10 students Sienna Berlese, Aryanna Davie, and Jahnavi Miriyala attended the University of Southern Queensland for their biomed HeadStart course labs.

Over three days, they explored the expansive campus and conducted 12 experiments, including cell permeability, preparing a chemical reagent, and DNA extractions. These activities were designed to support their upcoming assignment, which involves submitting a lab report on genotypes and phenotypes from a PTC genetic test. The students found the experience both fun and interesting, enjoying the exposure to university life and appreciating the helpfulness and kindness of everyone they met.

St Joseph’s School is planning to introduce Parent Information Sessions. These sessions aim to provide valuable support and information on various topics that are important to you and your children. The sessions will be facilitated by our School Guidance Counsellor, Mrs Jennifer Fenn.

The purpose of the sessions is to:

• Offer guidance on academic, social, and emotional development
• Provide a platform for parents to discuss concerns and share experiences
• Foster a supportive community for parents and guardians

To ensure these sessions are as beneficial as possible, we are seeking your suggestions on the following:

• Session Content: What topics would you like to see covered?
• Frequency: How often would you prefer these sessions be held (e.g., monthly, bi-monthly)?
• Timing: What times are most convenient for you (e.g., evenings, school hours)?

All suggestions can be:

• Emailed to jennifer.fenn@twb.catholic.edu.au 
• Placed in the suggestions box located in the main office
• By completing the online form by clicking on the link below -https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=_f1LV0RCBUK3EBaPWwxYDR5osmGI8M1OpSXAFKfO-jdUOUVMWE1IR0ozTFZaVFNYRVhZUVpTVDFLTi4u

 Potential topics may include:

• Managing screen time and digital safety
• Supporting your child’s mental health
• Effective communication strategies with teenagers
• Navigating the school curriculum and homework help

We look forward to receiving your feedback to ensure these sessions are accessible and provide relevant and targeted support for our school community.

St Joseph’s School is proud to support the annual St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal once again. With the rising cost of living, many families need our help to enjoy a comfortable Christmas.

How You Can Help:

• Each class is assigned specific items to donate (see list below).
• Students are encouraged to participate in purchasing their items.
• Donations can be placed in baskets in each classroom or mentor room.

Important Dates:

• Donation Deadline: Friday, 22nd November

Class Donation List:

• Prep: Sweet biscuits (e.g., shortbread, cookies)
• Year 1: Savoury biscuits/crackers or chips
• Year 2: Pasta or rice (plain or flavoured)
• Year 3: Juice, poppers, cordial, or sugar
• Year 4: Long life milk, custard, or pancake mix
• Year 5: Personal items (max $5) like deodorant, candles, hair clips
• Year 6: Sauces (e.g., tomato, BBQ) or tinned fruit
• Year 7: Spreads (e.g., jam, Vegemite, peanut butter) or cereal
• Year 8: Beverages (e.g., tea, coffee, hot chocolate)
• Year 9: Sauces for rice or pasta dishes
• Year 10: Christmas sweets (e.g., pudding, fruit mince pies, fruit cake)
• Year 11 & 12: Monetary donations for meat vouchers (give to Mrs. Mahoney)

Extra Donations:

• Christmas decorations, bonbons, and new gifts are also welcomed.

Thank you for your generous support in making this Christmas special for those in need! ?

Students have been busy over the past few weeks rehearsing the Nativity play and carols ready for our “Carols Under the Stars” performance to be held in the Bathersby Centre Thursday 5^th December 5.30pm.

Students have been learning about the Nativity story, making props, gathering costumes, miming, singing, dancing and even drumming to bring the story to life on stage.

We hope you can join us as we are looking forward to showing you our performance!

A reminder to all families that 2024 school fees are to finalised before the school year ends.

Additionally, payments for extra-curricular activities (eg. Wet’n’Wild & the Year 6 End of Year Trip) must be paid PRIOR to your child attending the event.

Payments can continue to be made over the holidays, and these will be applied to your account.

Thank you for your attention to this matter! 

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 https://www.wincschools.com.au/ and follow these four steps.

1. Search for your school, St Joseph's School, Stanthorpe, QLD and enter your school access key 4TZ8S if required. 

2. Complete the student’s details and select the relevant year level.

3. 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.

4. Proceed to checkout. Please note: 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

Home delivery:

• 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 www.auspost.com.au .

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 www.wincschools.com.au/helpcentre or the school on 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 https://stjosephs.qld.edu.au/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 booklists more convenient for all families.

If you have any queries please contact the school on Megan.Hines@twb.catholic.edu.au .

The P&F would like to thank all the parents and friends of the school who dropped off materials for the Toy Market over the weekend. We received many great items that the kids will love at the Toy Market. Thank you!

If you still have items you want to donate, feel free to drop them off in front of the P&F shed over the next two weeks, and we will collect them at school drop-off and pick-up each day. Alternatively, if you have a few items and want to arrange a private drop-off, please contact Chelsea Vedalago (chelseaved@yahoo.com.au) to arrange a time.

The P&F would like to invite all parents and friends, including anyone in the region, to attend the Toy Market on Saturday, 30 November, from 9:00 am to 1 pm in the Multi-purpose Room and Tuck Shop on the primary campus. Items will be priced affordably so kids (and families) can shop for gifts (and the occasional personal purchase) in the lead-up to Christmas.

Prices will be $1, $2, $5, $10, or $20. Larger items may be auctioned off before the event. 

There will also be a sausage sizzle on the day, so please come out, enjoy the event, and help us find new homes for quality toys, games, puzzles, and books that were generously donated!

We are excited to announce that the 2024 Yearbooks are being created! They 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.