Welcome back to Term 3 and an especially warm welcome to our new students - brothers James (Yr 5) and Eric (Yr 2) and sisters Chloe (Yr 3) and Charlotte (Yr 1).  

We have had a busy start to the term on the Primary Campus and the pace is not set to slow down for a few weeks yet! As well as many rich classroom learning activities for the students, there are the following key events for learning in other contexts.

This week, we launch our inaugural St Joseph's School Arts Festival 'Celebrating the learning experience: Creative Pedagogy, Creative Performing' and as part of this, all students from P - 6 will be involved in music theatre and drama workshops with Annie Lower, Peggy Channon and Rob and Deb Bowen-Saunders.  All are very experienced performers and teachers of their art and we look forward to them sharing their expertise with the students across two days - 21 July and 25 July.  To conclude the two days, the children will be showcasing what they have learned on Tuesday afternoon at 2pm in the Bathersby Stadium. We hope that as many parents, family members and friends will be able to attend on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the creativity which is apparent in so many aspects of what we do at St Joseph's. It is important at this time to recognise the work of Dr James Cuskelly and Mrs Mary McLucas in bringing this idea to fruition. Thanks also to Mrs Lorien Kirby who has complied three video presentations to be shown on the day, showcasing what makes our P-12 community a special community.

Also this week, we have the school Athletics Carnival which is always a wonderful day of competition alongside examples of great teamwork and mateship.  Parents are advised to check their emails for details of the day.

Next week, as part of Catholic Education Week,  we will welcome Michael Mangan, a musician who is well known to our community due to the songs that he has written for school communities.  Many of these have become firm favourites of the children here and we are looking forward to his interactive concert on 26 July.  Other events are planned for this week, including a Mass on 23 July at 8:30am.  It would be wonderful to see as many of our primary students and their families there as possible.

Parent Teacher Consultations will commence in Week 3 and parents are again advised to check their emails for details about how to book an appointment. This time with the teachers will be an opportunity to discuss the Semester 1 report and anything else that is relevant.  

Year 5 and Year 6 students are counting down the weeks until their camp experiences at Camp Cooby, north of Toowoomba.  

So, you can see that we do indeed have a busy time ahead. 

Finally, it is the relationships between the members of the community that supports what we are able to achieve at St Joseph's.  This week, students from Year 5 assisted those from Year 1 in completing a survey about learning.  Listening to their conversations was an absolute delight as the older students sought to put their partners at ease and rephrased the questions where necessary.  This really is a special community of learners.

With God's blessings