Nikki Norley

Principal

We have had a great start to our year. The students are engaged with their learning, teachers are excited about teaching and creating calm classrooms is being prioritised. To maximise learning time, students now move directly to their classrooms after break times. This has created an extra 1 hour and 10 minutes of learning across the week!

Class information relevant to each class will be sent home at our open night this week. This information will also include what subjects will be covered in the classroom.

Our school is engaging with new syllabus documents in English, Religion and Mathematics. The new curriculum gives students more time to focus on key learning areas so that they can acquire a deeper understanding of centralconcepts.

The new syllabuses also provide schools with a unique opportunity to re-focus and place curriculum at the heart of school planning, something we value very much at SJKB!

Courtney Porter

Assistant Principal

Classroom Teachers will be available for a Term 1 Goal setting meeting with you and your child on Wednesday 6th March from 3:15-6pm. Bookings can now be made through the compass app. The meetings will take place in your child's classroom. Bookings will close on March 5th. 

A “how to” guide for booking a meeting has been previously sent on Compass, however if you need assistance with this, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

It will be an opportunity to hear from you, discuss what we will be focussing on in the classroom and set learning and wellbeing goals for 2024.

If you are unable to make this date, please contact your child’s teacher via email to organise a mutually agreeable time in person or via phone.

You will only need to book in with one of your child's teachers. Where possible, both of your child's teachers will be in attendance. (job share situations). 

We look forward to meeting with you,

SJKB Staff

Our Diverse Learning Team at SJKB is committed to providing opportunities for all students to reach their full potential. 

Courtney Albury works Monday to Thursday and can be contacted via email at courtney.albury@mn.catholic.edu.au Courtney Porter works in the Diverse Learning Team on a Monday and can be contacted via email at courtney.porter@mn.catholic.edu.au. Alternatively, we can be contacted via phone on 4959 1355.

For students that require Personalised Planning Meetings these meetings will take place early in term 2. More information will follow in the coming weeks.

Resources and Programs

Red Frog For Families is based in Broadmeadow. There is a team of allied health professionals, aiming to empower people with disabilities. Holiday program bookings are now opened, along with a range of social programs, for weekly or intensive sessions.  See their website for more information https://www.rf4f.com.au/whats-on

Life Matters is located in Hamiliton and at the present time has very short wait lists for a broad range of health and wellbeing services including psychological and well-being, programs.

The following books are helpful for our students to celebrate their unique qualities and characteristics.

Gus The asparagus is one of my favourite books. Gus is here to help kids understand that it’s okay to be different.

All The Ways To Be Smart is a wonderful book that celebrates the talents of every child.

This Term in Art, 3/4 Maroon are learning about Indigenous and Pioneers views of Australia through the artworks of Elaine Russell. The students had a lot of fun and did such an amazing job using oil pastels to create their interpretations of Uluru. We also did a gallery walk at the end of our lesson so that we could compare techniques and appreciate each other's fabulous artworks.

The National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. This year students in Year Three and Year Five will be completing these assessments on the following dates:

Writing: Wednesday 13th March

Reading: Thursday 14th March

Conventions of Language: Tuesday 19th March

Numeracy: Wednesday 20th March

NAPLAN is just one aspect of the school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

Children complete NAPLAN online, except for the writing test for Year 3, which is completed in a booklet. The results of the tests allow us to identify and celebrate student achievement, and additionally we use the data to identify where we as a school are using effective strategies and programs in our teaching of English and Mathematics.

In preparation for NAPLAN, our school will undertake activities to help students become familiar with the format and functionality of the online tests. These activities are not an assessment of student ability and will not be marked. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended. The public demonstration site (https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site) is available to see the types of questions, tools and functions used in the NAPLAN tests. Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA website (https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/understanding-the-curriculum/naplan/parent-information).

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact Courtney Porter as the NAPLAN coordinator.

Last year, the CSO introduced a new wellbeing resource known as 'School TV' to all catholic schools in our diocese. School TV is a wellbeing resource for families that hosts a variety of topics and an extensive range of wellbeing resources.

We are excited for this new resources and hope that it can provide parents and carers who are seeking greater support in understanding the challenges their children are experiencing, as well as practical strategies for ways they can assist them.

Parents and caregivers are the greatest influence on a young person's life and SchoolTV focuses on empowering confident parenting.

Explore SchoolTV today on our school website- ‘Parent Information’ tab: https://kilabenbay.catholic.edu.au/?_sm_au_=iVVZV37fD271Wsvj4JcJFKHfqt2TC

With NAPLAN fast approaching, I’d like to bring to your attention an article on ‘Exam Jitters’. It provides useful tips on reducing test anxiety and provides more information about NAPLAN.

Shrove Tuesday

Note from Paige Summers – Mini Vinnie Leader
On Tuesday, 13th February, the Mini Vinnies Leaders went to Sacred Heart Cathedral to represent our school at the Caritas Australia: Project Compassion Liturgy. The people that worked for Caritas told us about some people they have helped and their sad stories. They have helped over 700 000 people over the whole of last year and some of them struggle with simple things like getting fresh drinking water.

After the mass was finished we walked across to a canteen building. We took a seat and volunteers served us pancakes and ice cream. They were so yummy and were nice. While we sat and ate we spoke more with each other about raising money to donate to Caritas. Lots of kind people welcomed us and overall the day was great!

At school, students participated in a class prayer, discussed why we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday then shared a meal of pancakes with their class.

Ash Wednesday

Note from Eve Rosenfeld – Mini Vinnie Leader
On Monday, 14th February, the Mini Vinnies Leaders were asked by Ms James to help run the school Mass in our beautiful church. Harry, Olivia, Paige and I were all given roles to do in the Mass like readings, walking things down the aisle and singing. The mass was a very good experience and was very interesting. Ash Wednesday is important because it marks the start of the Lent leading up to Easter. Fr Darryl, Mrs Norley and a parishioner made the sign of the cross with ashes on the forehead of students, families and parishioners that attended. The ashes on our foreheads are a visible sign that we are followers of Jesus and that we are entering a time for repentance.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It leads us on the journey to the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. Fasting doesn’t always mean to give up something, you could give more in different ways. For example, one way could be to make a conscious effort to spend less time on devices and more time doing something good for you or others like playing a game with the whole family, reading a book, gardening, or meditating.

Each class has a Project Compassion box in their classroom. If you have any loose change in the car, between the lounge cushions, in that stationery ‘odds and ends’ draw or coins laying around anywhere at home, that is spare change and can be donated to this great cause, please send it in to school with your child/ren to add to their class Project Compassion box.

Opening School Liturgy

On the 20th February, we celebrated the start of the school year with our Opening School Liturgy in our church. We officially welcomed our new principal, teachers, students and school leaders. Thank you to all those who were able to attend and join us in welcoming the start of the new school year with us.

Congratulations to new school leaders who received their badges at the Opening Liturgy! I can’t wait to see you lead and help our school community.

Blessings,

Taylor James

RE Co-ordinator

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING

Our PBL focus for week 5 is ‘Keep our environment Keep and Tidy’. You can read below the elements of this focus. On Monday mornings, this PBL is introduced to the whole school and classes engage with lessons that help children understand these important qualities. We recognise student achievement on Friday morning assembly.

Congratulations to all the students who represented our school at the Regional Swimming Carnivalon Tuesday. Despite the many challenges posed by the weather, we are very proud of the children for how they handled the many changes throughout the day. Congratulations to Ollie Simpson, Bodhi Simpson, Xavier Quinn, Carys Edwards, Elliette Sault, Darby Douglas and Luca Taylor who have made it to the next pathway level and are attending the Diocesan Carnival on Tuesday 27^th February.

Good luck to Hayden and Zacwho will be competing at the Regional Soccer trials on the 6th.

We also wish Matilda Douglas and Paige Summers the best of luck at the Regional Netball trials on the 6^th March. 

Good luck!

Ms. Chelsea Goodhew

We continue our community partnership with Toronto Men’s Shed this term inviting a new bunch of eager and excited students. Men’s shed helps students learn skills of woodworking, build friendship, and enhance their creativity. The volunteers are amazing, and we are very lucky to be working with them!

We are now accepting enrolment applications for Kinder 2025.

We have a very high number of new families enquiring this year, so if you have a younger child who will be beginning school next year, please complete and submit an enrolment application as soon as possible. Please contact the office for an application pack.

Although your younger child may already be very familiar with St Joey's, you may like to bring your child for a tour to help them transition to their new 'big' school. During these tours, our very capable Year 5 & 6 children  will be taking families on a tour of the school. A flyer with tour dates will be published on compass and facebook very soon.

Please note the diocese has implemented the following timeline for enrolments in Catholic Primary and Secondary schools this year:

• • 24 May 2024 – Enrolment period closes: All completed enrolment applications due.
• • 14 June 2024 - Letters of Enrolment Offers sent
• • 1 July 2024 - Enrolment Offer Acceptance due

In recent years the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has received unprecedented demand for school entry across our Diocesan schools.

This demand, combined with the desire to offer families a pathway for their children from Kindergarten through to Year 12, has led to the Diocese revising and adjusting the Enrolment Policy.

SJKB have several students each year that have been diagnosed with a food allergy.

Therefore, considerations in how our school implements risk minimisation for our at risk children are as follows:

• Food may not be shared between students and washing hands before and after eating is encouraged.
• We discourage food with high risk of allergic reactions or known allergic reactions to individual students, being brought to school eg- nuts
• Food rewards are discouraged and non-food rewards encouraged.

These are just some of the ways that SJKB is working to ensure that duty of care obligations to our students are in place, to ensure all students feel safe and supported at school.

Parents are asked to please consider these obligations when sending food along to school with your child.

Billing for the 2024 fees has been completed and your account can be viewed in Compass.
Statements of Account will be sent home early March.

In the meantime, please establish your automated payments with your Bank, with whatever fee frequency you have nominated. Your Bpay details remain the same as last year.

The payment of school fees is crucial to our ability to effectively provide quality education for our students.

To assist families with limited resources, discounted tuition fees are provided to Health Care and Pension card holders. Please contact the school office if you have not already made this arrangement..
Additionally, any family experiencing financial difficulty is most welcome to contact Mrs Norley for a confidential discussion.

Linda Garreffa
Administration Officer

How to Order

Thanks to everyone who has placed orders via the link for second hand school items (link below)

PLUS second hand uniform request

Hats can also be ordered via our system please specify new or used in the comments.

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR CHILD'S NAME AND CLASS in the message as our volunteers do not have access to the different family surnames to make connections to students - therefore use your child's name first, then your name, especially if different surname.  Payment is via the Qkr! app. 

Thank you!

THE PLUS TEAM

The children continue to enjoy their guitar lessons so if you would like your child to learn guitar:  We have a guitar group here at St Joseph's where children receive tuition from professional teachers at school each week on a Tuesday between 1-3pm.  For more information, please contact Ricky direct on 0407 534 944:

We regularly need volunteers for various roles within our school. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at our school, please follow the instructions on the link below:

If you have been a volunteer in the past and your WWCC has expired, you can renew it for free at Service NSW.

Once you have been cleared, you will need to come in for a site induction (approx. 40mins). We appreciate you all so much!

Our planned site induction dates are below, please email me with your attendance.

Tuesday 5th March 8.50am

Monday March 11th 3.15pm

courtney.porter@mn.catholic.edu.au