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- PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
- DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
- ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL PRIMARY
- ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL FORMATION & IDENTITY
- WELCOME TO OUR NEW STUDENTS & FAMILIES
- A MESSAGE FROM THE BURSAR
- GENERAL ADMINISTRATION REMINDERS
- YEAR 2 MATHS CHALLENGE
- CHRISTMAS SPIRIT SENT TO CHINESE ORPHANAGE
- YEAR 6 SCIENCE NEWS
- YEAR 6 SHOW OFF THEIR SHIRTS
- STANTHORPE SHOW SUCCESS FOR ST JOSEPH'S
- INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS & SCHOOL BAND 2021
- TUCKSHOP NEWS
- ST JOSEPH'S P & F ASSOCIATION
- SCHOOL BANKING
- SCHOOL DENTAL FORMS
- BIBLES FOR SALE
- SECONDARY STUDENTS - LIVING AWAY FROM HOME ALLOWANCE
- WHERE ARE THEY NOW? PAST STUDENTS OF ST JOSEPH'S
- UPCOMING EVENTS
Welcome to St Joseph’s School for 2021. I trust that all have had a restful and blessed Christmas period.
My key message to all St Joseph’s School students is:
“Be the best you can be.”
My key message to all St Joseph’s School staff is:
“Be the best you can be so that every student has the opportunity to be the best they can be.”
I am pleased with the start to the year. The students and staff have settled into the school routine well.
It is also pleasing to welcome all the new students into St Joey’s. Similarly, I welcome the new staff who bring great enthusiasm and experience to the school.
I wish you all a good year at St Joseph’s School. Please do not hesitate to contact myself and the other school leaders and staff if you have any queries or concerns. We are committed to open, clear and timely communication with all parents and caregivers and do our best for all students.
God Bless
Firstly, have a positive impact on everyone in our community, every day, through your actions and interactions. Too often as a society we are inundated with the negative aspects of the happenings in the world around us, be it through television, news or social media. I encouraged the students to focus on the positive, to be welcoming, to live the mercy values and to have a positive impact on every person they encounter through the day.
Secondly, I challenged to students to strive for individual academic success. Importantly, I highlighted that this is different for each and every student, but ultimately it is about maximising every learning opportunity that is put in front of them every lesson and to strive to improve.
The implementation of the new vertical house system is underway, and students have settled into the House mentor groups well over the first few days. Under the guidance of the Heads of House and the House Mentors, we are excited to see the evolution of this across the secondary campus and with it the rise of house spirit and the sense of community within the mentor and house groups.
As we progress through another school year, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time if there are any issues, concerns or questions that need to be addressed. My door is always open to communication with you as parents.
God Bless
Deputy Principal
ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL PRIMARY
Welcome to all students and families to the academic year 2021!
Last Thursday it was a delight to welcome the youngest 'joeys' to our community- 17 students who are the Prep cohort of 2021. They exhibited such confidence to introduce themselves in our assembly and have already started the learning process with earnest and enthusiasm. We have also welcomed three new students to the Primary Campus - Amerly and Zac in Year 2 and Ben in Year 3. Starting school for the first time in the case of the Prep students or after a long holiday can be a little daunting but it would seem that our students are pleased to be back and involved in the routines. One indication of this was the speed at which the handball competition was re-established!
The past few days have seen amongst other things the Year 3 students start to learn Japanese, the Year 6 students enjoy social time on the Secondary Campus as well as subjects such as science, home economics and technology, busking practice has started in preparation for the competition weekend in March and P-2 teachers have started to plan a visit to the Empire Theatre in March.
This year we will have two main academic focus areas, both designed to provide the children with opportunities to develop the skills necessary to be an effective learner, now and in the future. With Visible Learning, we will be building on the successes we have seen in the previous three years and building the capacity of teachers and students further As a result of how we saw the Year 6 students develop as learners last year, we have extended the 'hub' concept to Year 5 and all classes will continue to implement the evidence-based practices which bring about the effective outcomes for learners. Our other focus area will be Inspire Maths which will encompass all students from Prep - Year 10. Teachers have already participated in some professional learning around helping students to think more mathematically, to be able to articulate their thinking and also to see connections between what they are learning in class and the 'real world'. More information about both of these projects will be available for parents in future newsletters this year.
A reminder to all parents that there is an invitation to have a ‘tour’ of the classrooms next week on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:15 - 3:45pm. Please note that the 1C classroom will be open on Wednesday and Thursday.
With God’s blessings
Sarah Yates
Assistant to the Principal Primary
ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL FORMATION & IDENTITY
Your Story, My Story, Our Story
Welcome back to a new school year and a very warm welcome to those families who have recently joined our Joey’s community. We look forward to a rewarding year, where our students come to know Jesus as they continue on their faith journey.
This year Catholic schools around Australia celebrate 200 years of Catholic Education with Australian Catholic schools’ educating 768,000 students in 1,751 schools and employing 98,000 teachers and staff. The national theme ‘Faith in the Future’ reflects on the continuation of the core purpose of Catholic education – to form students in their faith enabling them to make meaningful contributions to society.
This year Catholic Education Week will be celebrated from 25th to 31st July and celebrates ‘A Spirited Tomorrow’ which acknowledges the long tradition of Catholic education and its role in preparing students for the future. This fits well with the theme of ‘Faith in the Future’.
Given the significance of Catholic education celebrations across 2021, our theme for this year is ‘Go Live Your Faith’ focusing on the importance of sharing our faith through living our Mercy and Gospel values.
In the words of Pope Francis,
“We must live the faith, not only with our words, but with our actions.”
This year we look forward to sharing the story, adding to the chapters of our St. Joey’s journey.
God’s blessings
Megan Mahoney
Assistant to the Principal Formation & Identity
WELCOME TO OUR NEW STUDENTS & FAMILIES
The 2021 school year at St Joseph’s School started with a hive of activity, with some excited (and nervous) students starting their first day at a new school, and others starting their first day of Prep or Secondary school.
We would like to warmly welcome our existing and new families to the school for 2021 and to welcome our new teachers. All of our new staff bring experience, enthusiasm and a passion for teaching to the school. Our community of teachers continues to grow, but our mission remains the same; we are here to serve, teach and help our students.
Our new teachers are :
- Grace Coxon - Secondary Teacher (English & Humanities)
- Mitchell Hurtz – Groundsperson
- Patrick McCosker - School Officer teaching Cert II in Engineering
- Damian Petrie – Head of Sport & Secondary Teacher (PE)
- Karen Petrie – Head of House & Secondary Teacher (Home Economics & PE)
- Andrew Robertson – Secondary Teacher (Physics, Maths and STEM)
- Robyn Ryan - Secondary Teacher (English, Humanities & Religion)
- Rachael Wood – Careers Support Officer
- Lara Beckett - Teacher Aide (Primary) & Lab Assistant (Secondary)
Our start to the year has been remarkably smooth here at Joey’s and much collaborative planning and hard work has gone into making it an easy and positive transition. We look forward to a busy, productive and fun year ahead!
Tuition Fees are utilised to meet the operating costs of the school and we appreciate the commitment in making payment of school fees. Fees are essential for the school to provide quality education for all students. We ask families to make full payment of school fees within one month of fees being issued. Weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments may be made to assist with budgeting for families. Please review current repayments made to assist in covering the full year’s fees. Our school Bursar, Mrs Megan Hines, is willing to assist in discussing appropriate repayments to avoid shortfalls at the end of the year.
Term 4, 2020 saw the implementation of our school's new accounting system, therefore invoices and statements will look different this year. If you do have any queries or concerns in relation to this, please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs Megan Hines to discuss.
Payments can be paid at the office by cash, cheque or EFTPOS. Alternatively internet banking can be directly deposited into the following bank account;
Account Name — St Joseph’s School
Bank & Branch — Commonwealth, Stanthorpe (064-431)
Account No. — 1018-4376
Reference – Surname and Account Code (located on your invoice and statement)
Annual School Fees – if you choose to pay your fees annually, a 5% discount on Tuition Fees only will be applied (full payment of the annual fee must be paid within one month of invoice date to receive this discount). Please notify Mrs Megan Hines by email at Megan.Hines@twb.catholic.edu.au or phone 4681 5903 with a request for your fees to be billed as an annual fee by 12th February 2021. Please advise your decision even if this option was selected last year as families may not choose this option this year.
A Family Contribution Fund fee of $125 is added to Term 3 School Fees to families who choose not to assist with at least two school events/activities throughout the school year. Activities include assisting with the Primary and Secondary Tuckshops, working bees, Palgrove catering at auction, classroom helpers. We encourage new and current families to contribute their time to the school.
Extra activities including camps, retreats, excursions, ski trips, sporting activities including QISSN & Confro, school jerseys/shirts, yearbooks and any other extra events/activities must be paid prior to student attendance or receival of goods.
For repayment options or if you haven’t received an invoice by the end February, or for any other issues regarding school fees and payments, please contact the Bursar, Mrs Megan Hines via email (Megan.Hines@twb.catholic.edu.au) or phone directly on 4681 5903.
It is a requirement that one (1) term’s notice be given to the school in advance of a child’s enrolment being withdrawn from the school. Where the notice period is not met, parents/carers will pay one (1) term’s fees in lieu of notice.
Parents having difficulty with payment of school fees can apply for a concession by contacting Mrs Angie Sims on 4681 5904 to arrange a meeting with the Principal. Parents who received a concession in 2020 will also need to re-apply for a concession unless stated in interview.
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION REMINDERS
Early departure & late arrival slips
A friendly reminder regarding correct procedures for late arrivals, early departures and visitors as follows:
- All late students MUST report to the School Office prior to proceeding to class.
- For early departures, the usual parental permission is required, however, the students sign out at the School Office kiosk. Returning students MUST present this printed slip to the office before heading back to class. Should the student not return to the office with the slip prior to returning to class, they will be marked as absent for the remainder of the day. All students in Prep to Year 11 leaving early, must be collected by a parent / caregiver. Parents are asked to wait at the office - we will have the child come to the office.
- All contractors, parents and visitors must sign in and out at the School Office kiosk if they are visiting classrooms or coming into other parts of the school. This does not apply to parents dropping students off before school and collecting them after school.
- Call ahead to the office if you wish to make an appointment with the Principal, Principal's Assistant or the Bursar.
Absent student
If your child is absent from school, please advise the office by calling on 07 4681 5900 or emailing stanthorpe@twb.catholic.edu.au. When leaving a message please clearly state your child's name and their class. Please do not ask your other children to advise the office as often these messages are not passed on. If no advice is received, an SMS will be sent seeking confirmation, followed by a phone call if required.
Change of details
If you have recently changed address, phone number or any other details have changed, please advise the office so we can ensure our records are up to date and we can update any systems that may be impacted.
Primary carpark
Parents are reminded that the carpark at the Primary office is strictly for teachers and staff only during school hours. Please do not use the car park to collect your children.
Volunteers
We always welcome volunteers in our library, tuckshop or at out-of-class activities. If you would like to become a volunteer please undertake the Student Protection and Code of Conduct for 2021. Once completed, you will be required to print and return the Volunteer Declaration form to the Primary office at stanthorpe@twb.catholic.edu.au. Please note that Parents/Caregivers cannot volunteer in any capacity without completing the Declaration.
Uniform
We believe a clean, neat, uniformed appearance reflects a pride in the individual as well as reflecting well upon his/her family and school. The expectation is that all students are wearing the correct uniform and groomed as per the policy every day.
Please also ensure you print your child’s name on their school uniforms with a permanent marker. There is a lost property box located in in the Multipurpose room at Primary and in the staffroom at Secondary – lost or unnamed articles are placed here to await collection. We encourage parents to check these boxes regularly for lost clothing.
Year 2 students started their year with a Maths challenge. Mrs O’Dea brought in her class photo from when she was in Year 2 and asked the students to do 3 things:
- Find Mrs O’Dea in the photo;
- Work out how old Mrs O’Dea is now, based on the fact she was in Year 2 in 1984;
- Work out the age difference between themselves and Mrs O’Dea.
The students worked collaboratively in small learning teams throughout this challenge. They had to discuss with their group which methods they would use. Students used strategies such as counting on, tally marks, addition, subtraction, guess and check, prior knowledge, counting numbers between given ages teamed with hundreds boards, mini whiteboards, chalk diagrams on the bricks and counters to come up with their reasonably accurate answers.
Well done Year 2 Mathematicians!
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT SENT TO CHINESE ORPHANAGE
Last year, students from Year 9 made Christmas cards for abandoned children with disabilities at an orphanage run by International China Concern in Changsha, China. This was a great exercise in practicing our school’s Mercy value of Compassion.
The cards were made with materials such as pom poms, glitter tape, diamantes, stickers, ribbon and string so they were bright, colourful and tactile for the children to especially enjoy through the sense of touch.
The children and their carers have had a very challenging year due to COVID 19 and, by the smiles on their faces, it is clear that they greatly appreciated every card and the little bits of love that were generously put into making them. Thank you, students !
Year 6 students learned what happens at a molecular level when a change of state occurs (gas, liquid, solid).
The soft drink bottle/ballon experiment allowed students to see molecular movement in action: when the air is heated the molecules begin to move around, become less dense and rise, causing the balloon to inflate. The opposite occurs when the air is cooled.
An exciting time for our Year 6 students are when they are presented with their official Year 6 shirts.
A collarborative effort was made by all students in the design and art work of the shirts.
I'm sure by the smiles on their faces, they are all happy to be known as Seniors (of Primary) for the year ahead !
STANTHORPE SHOW SUCCESS FOR ST JOSEPH'S
Agriculture Display
This year St Joseph’s were invited to create a fruit display for the Stanthorpe Show. Combining knowledge of Agriculture and Art, Mr Allan Lahey and Miss Courtenay Mason designed an organic style display with the theme of “Colour your food palate” using local produce including tomatoes, apples, peaches, capsicums, cabbage, celery and grapes. The display was enhanced with local products from New England Larder, Stanthorpe Honey, Jamworks, our own St Joseph’s wine and garlic and eggs from the Ag farm.
Year 9 Art students designed the signage for our display and several students came to help put together the display where they were taught all the tricks and tips by the previous display holders from Granite Belt Fruit Freighters about stacking, packing, lining up, filling and arranging the produce. The fruits of our labor (pun intended!) paid off with a 2nd place prize! We look forward to doing it all again next year.
Student Art winners
Artwork from 8 Secondary students was entered into the Show in the Fine Art section, with 5 students receiving awards. In the Year 7-8 section, Laura Richards and Annaliese McCosker were awarded with 2nd and 1st prize respectively. In the Year 9-10 section, Cydney McErvale received Highly Commended and Kira St John 2nd place for their lino prints. Savannah Hollis took out 1st place for her painted skateboard deck in this age category as well as winning the Therese Burton Memorial Award which is the overall junior award. It was wonderful seeing these students’ artistic skills being recognized.
Year 3 Students Get Creative
Congratulations to our Year 3 students and their teacher, Mrs Johanna Campbell, who last week got creative with decorating biscuits to enter into the Junior Cookery Section of our local Stanthorpe Show.
The results were amazing, as they created their 'little monsters', taking out First prize for their wonderful creations !
Lastly, congratulations to all St Joseph's students who entered into the Stanthorpe Show in various sections. From the Junior Handicrafts Section, the Junior Cookery Section, the Fruit & Vegetable Creature / Callage section and the Lego Section, we certainly have some very talented students.
INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS & SCHOOL BAND 2021
This year we are pleased to announce that we have two exceptional instrumental music tutors available to work with our students.
Mr Phil Ryan will be joining St Joseph’s School as our multi-instrumental tutor this year. Mr Ryan is an outstanding brass player, has a history of symphonic performance and is highly regarded as a teacher at both the school and tertiary levels. He is a very experienced musician and educator and has a reputation for excellence in student engagement and learning.
Mr Ryan will offer tuition on all band instruments: brass, woodwind and percussion. It is usual for students to own their own instrument, however, the school does have a limited number of instruments available for use. Should you wish to take advantage of this option, please approach Mr Ryan.
Lessons are charged at the MTAQ rate of $36 per 30-minute lesson. Where students are at a similar level of instrumental learning, two students may learn in the one lesson with the charge being $18 per student. Invoicing and payment are to be negotiated directly between Mr Ryan and the student family.
Mr Ryan will also offer one lunchtime rehearsal a week for all students interested in participating in the St Joseph’s School Band. This is an opportunity for students to play together and develop their ensemble and performance skills. At this point, students from both the Primary and Secondary will rehearse as one band but there is the possibility that separate bands will develop, depending on student participation and interest. Band rehearsals will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room each Thursday lunchtime, commencing Thursday, 11 February, 2021. The cost of this rehearsal is covered by the school.
If your child is interested in lessons, please contact Mr Ryan on ryanette@bigpond.net.au or mobile 0418 743 443.
We also welcome back Ms Maple Egerton, an experienced string and Primary school teacher. Ms Egerton grew up in Brisbane and studied performance on Viola at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, going on to complete further post-graduate training on Violin and Cello, and obtaining a Master’s Degree, also from the Conservatorium. Ms Egerton has experience in teaching beginner to advanced students; from 5 years to adult, and has successfully prepared students for concerts, examinations, auditions and tertiary music programmes.
Ms Egerton will be offering private music lessons at St Joseph’s School this year on a Tuesday and is highly qualified in teaching Violin, Viola, Cello and Music Theory. Lessons will be conducted individually at a cost of $30 per lesson billed by the term by Ms Egerton. Lesson times will be negotiated with classroom teachers during school hours. St Joseph’s School has some Violins available for hire.
If you are interested, please contact Ms Egerton on email mapleisnow@gmail.com or 0488 392 979.
PLEASE NOTE - Parents are to contact the instrumental music tutors directly to book and pay for lessons. Lessons are held during school hours.
The St Joseph’s Primary Tuckshop operates on Mondays and Fridays offering pre-ordered hot food and over the counter sales of snacks and drinks, at morning and afternoon breaks. Primary Tuckshop has already commenced and will continue to operate on Monday and Friday's throughout the Term.
The Secondary Tuckshop operates on Friday's and all pre-ordered items for morning and afternoon breaks are from Foxy’s Bakery. Drinks and chips are available for purchase over the counter at both breaks. Secondary Tuckshop will be open from Friday 12th February.
St Joseph’s School uses the Qkr! ordering system to order Tuckshop meals for both Tuckshops. This can be accessed at https://qkr.mastercard.com/store/#/home, or by downloading the QKR! App onto a smart phone or tablet. If you are new to this system, please contact the school's Tuckshop Convenor, Mrs Rebecca Telfer if you have any difficulty setting this up. For returning students, parents need to remember to update their child's classes (and make them a “Secondary Student” if they are commencing Year 7) before you order for the first time this year. It is important to select the correct menu and date when placing your child’s order, remembering also that Secondary tuckshop is only available on Friday's. Secondary students CANNOT order from the Primary tuckshop on Monday's.
New volunteers are always welcomed to work in both Tuckshops! It is a great way to meet other parents and students. Volunteers are only rostered once a term unless they request to work more often. Grandparents are also welcomed to be Tuckshop volunteers. Grandparents require a Blue Card, the application form can be found here: https://www.bluecard.qld.gov.au/applications/need-to-apply-for-card.html
All volunteers must complete the Student Protection and Code of Conduct for 2021 prior to working at the school. Please note that Parents/Caregivers cannot volunteer in any capacity without completing the Declaration The link is provided: https://www.twb.catholic.edu.au/work-and-learn-with-us/volunteers-and-visiting-service-providers/
A very big thank you to all the parents and friends who gave their time unselfishly to assist at the new and improved Can Bar at this year’s Stanthorpe Show. It is always so very pleasing to see.
St Joseph’s School have been offering the Commonwealth Bank School Banking program to Primary students for many years. School Banking is a fun, interactive and engaging way for young Australians to learn about money and develop good savings habits. Children who deposit money into their Youthsaver account through School Banking will earn an exciting reward everytime they reach 10 deposits.
School Banking is also a great fundraiser for our school. Our school receives a Regular Savers Contribution of $5 for every 10 deposits processed per student as well as an Annual Contribution which is based on the number of students who made at least one School Banking deposit in the prior year.
Getting your child involved in School Banking is easy!
All you need to get involved in the School Banking program is a Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver account. You can open an account for your child in one of two ways:
Online
Visit commbank.com.au/schoolbanking and click on the link to open a Youthsaver account.
In branch
Visit a Commonwealth Bank branch with identification for yourself and your child, like a driver’s licence and birth certificate.
If your child has an existing Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver account they can start banking straight away. They just need to bring their deposit in every week on School Banking day using their Dollarmites deposit wallet.
If you would like to know more about School Banking, please visit www.commbank.com.au/schoolbanking to receive a 2021 School Banking program information pack.
When do I bring my Bank Book to School?
Each Monday you need to bring in your school banking book and place it in your class Banking Bag. Your banking will be processed during the week by parent volunteers and your bank book will be returned to you via your class Banking Bag.
School Banking will commence in Week 3 - Monday 8 February 2021.
SECONDARY STUDENTS - LIVING AWAY FROM HOME ALLOWANCE
The Living Away from Home Allowance (LAFHA) provides assistance to families who must board their children away from home to access Secondary education and who meet the criteria.
We would like to bring to your attention the 2021 application form for eligible families. The form must be certified by the Principal before being submitted to the Rural & Distance Education Office.
Should you have any questions please call the Rural & Distance Education office on 02 6334 8070.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? PAST STUDENTS OF ST JOSEPH'S
Hundreds of past students of St Joseph’s School are scattered throughout Australia and around the world, working across every industry. We’re proud of our past students and their achievements – big and small. Read about what our past students have been achieving, near and far.
JASON BAU
What year did you graduate?
2003
What were your favourite subjects at St Joseph’s School?
Maths, Chemistry & Physics.
Can you tell us about your time at St Joseph’s School? Is there anything you especially remember?
I had so many wonderful teachers at St Joseph’s. To name a few, Mr Fleming cultivated my love of Maths and Mr Armstrong was my favourite PE teacher. I will always be grateful for the lifelong friendships I made during my time at St Joseph’s.
What has been your journey since finishing school? Briefly outline your career path and what you are doing now. Have you always wanted to pursue the kind of career you have embarked on?
Once I finished school, I moved to Brisbane to study Civil Engineering at QUT. While studying, I got a part-time job at a small geotechnical engineering consultancy called AusWide Geotechnical. My boss was a fantastic mentor who took the time to teach me things I would not have learnt in a big business. Because of that, I have been with the same company for the past 14 years and am now its Managing Director and Partner.
What do you believe St Joseph’s School has shown you/given you as a person?
St Joseph’s gave me a strong sense of community and friendships that have sustained me through both the good and difficult times. You need these just as much as a good education to get you through life.
What piece of advice would you have for current students at St Joseph’s School?
Life in a small country town, at a school with just 300 or so students, can sometimes make you feel very far away from the rest of the world. However, your small community is a blessing. The lifelong friendships, the care, and support you have at St Joseph’s is priceless. Take the time to nurture the connections you have made there as they will likely remain with you over your next phase of life.
5 February | Secondary Swimming Carnival |
8 February | Beginning of Year Mass & Leader Induction |
10 February | Year 7 Parent Information Evening & Laptop Distribution |
Border District Swimming | |
17 February | Ash Wednesday Liturgy |
17-19 February | Year 7 Camp |
22 February | School Photos |
Lions Youth of the Year | |
25 February | Year 6 Leadership Day |