Newsletter No. 9 - 28th August 2024

Message from the Principal

The year is flying by, and we are already into week 6, surpassing the halfway mark of the term. Our students' talents are diverse and impressive, and our newsletter continues to celebrate and showcase their growth across various domains.

Please take a moment to explore our newsletter and share in the exciting developments at our school.

Sports Update

This year, our students have engaged in numerous sporting opportunities, thanks to a dedicated team of sports-minded staff who handle the logistics to ensure successful events for all involved. Led by Miss Goodhew and Mrs. Tuck, this team has provided a fantastic lineup of sports activities and gala days for our students in 2024. We are deeply grateful for our staff's commitment to offering these valuable opportunities.

Our school was proudly represented at the recent Diocesan Athletics Carnival, where our athletes displayed remarkable skills and sportsmanship. Held at the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale, the event saw students from various schools competing in a range of track and field events. 

We are excited to announce that two of our talented students, Olivia S and Ghinn J, have excelled at the Diocesan Athletics level and will advance to the prestigious Polding Athletics Championship! Let’s cheer them on as they represent our school and compete against top athletes from across New South Wales!

A big congratulations to Mrs Woollett who came first in her age group receiving a gold medal at the Adelaide Marathon last weekend.

Public Speaking

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Lake’s Region Public Speaking Finals on Friday, August 16th. Competing at such a high level is a remarkable achievement, and we are incredibly proud of each one of you:

• Stage 1: Ivanna F
• Stage 2: Maggie H
• Stage 3: Lilly K

Aspire

This term, students are involved in ASPIRE’s Young Scriptwriter and Young Actors Programs. We are very proud of Carys E, Kobe J, Audrey T, and Matilda B, who are busy rehearsing and preparing for their presentations and performances. Information about upcoming ASPIRE programs and auditions for ASPIRE 2025 is available on the Compass newsfeed.

Lakes Region Pedagogical Mentors Collaborate for Growth

Recently, the Pedagogical Mentors from the Lakes Region gathered at SJKB for a productive meeting focused on collaboration, learning, and professional growth. This meeting provided a valuable opportunity for teachers to share insights, discuss best practices, and support one another in enhancing teaching strategies.

The meeting emphasized the importance of continuous professional development and the benefits of working together to improve educational outcomes for our students. By learning from each other and exploring new ideas, our Pedagogical Mentors are better equipped to lead and inspire their colleagues, ultimately benefiting the entire school community. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of this collaboration in our classrooms!

This week, students began their Big Writes. Thank you to our Pedagogical Leaders, Mrs. Porter and Mrs. Tuck, for supporting our teaching team and students in enhancing writing skills across K-6. It was a delight to visit Year 2 and witness the enthusiasm and excitement for writing in the classroom. We appreciate your support at home and your involvement in completing “Big Talks.” We will keep you updated on the impact of this initiative as the year progresses.

Tell Them From Me Survey Results (TTFM)

Last term, members of the St Joseph’s school community were invited to take part in the Tell Them From Me survey. Our school’s participation in the survey was part of a diocesan-wide initiative.

I have since received a report from Tell Them From Me, which is designed to capture student, parent and educator voice and provide St Joseph’s with authentic data that can be used to better understand our perceived strengths and, identify areas for improvement.   

2024 was the fourth time St Joseph’s has participated in Tell Them From Me and I am pleased to say that this year, we recorded our strongest participation rate across all three surveys including students, educators and parents and carers. This robust set of feedback will be invaluable in ensuring we are fostering a school environment where everyone feels safe and welcome, and all students are supported to achieve their potential. Accordingly, I thank each and every person who took the time to complete the survey.

Below I have included an overview of the key trends identified in the report as well as how, as a school, we plan to use these insights to drive improvements.

Student Survey
The Tell Them From Me student survey provides St Joseph’s leadership with insights into student engagement, wellbeing and effective teaching practices, from the perspective of students. This year, we had 49 students from Years 3-6 participate in the survey.

What we heard?

On the whole, St Joseph’s students feel there is positive behaviour shown at school, enjoy a sense of belonging and have positive regard for the extra-curricular activities that are offered to them. Our students overwhelmingly indicated that religion lessons help them to understand what Catholics believe and that the school shows them how to live like Jesus, care for others and make a positive difference in the world. 

The student responses also indicate that as a school, we need to respond to student motivation to exceed in learning and develop skills that support academic growth.  

How we plan to respond

As communicated to our school community this year, our Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) includes a focus on “creating conditions for learning” and “to improve student reading and writing outcomes through differentiated teaching practices.” This year we have implemented a Professional Learning Plan for all educators at SJKB to address these goals using evidenced based strategies and practices. In addition to this, we are revising our Positive Behaviours for Learning and utilising a tiered response system to support and manage behaviour positively and proactively (eg. Rock & Water Program, Diverse Learning Team involvement).

Teacher Survey
The Focus on Learning educator survey provides St Joseph’s leadership with insights into school and classroom effectiveness from the perspective of teachers. This year, we had 17 educators from across all year levels complete the survey.

What we heard?

The survey results indicate that staff engagement, meaning how committed our educators are to helping the school achieve its goals and feel connected to members of our community, is high.  This is indicative of our positive staff culture, which is also reflected in the positive comments from parents regarding their child’s teacher.  

How we plan to respond

“Belonging is the feeling that we’re part of a larger group that values, respects, and cares for us—and to which we feel we have something to contribute.” Students learn more when they feel that they belong in their classrooms and school. In addition, when educators feel they belong to the school, they perform better and students learn more. There are several dimensions of belonging that can be fostered in schools. We are currently revising our school Vision and Mission Statement to enhance our school climate. We want to ensure that our community members feel welcomed, invited, present, known and accepted. This is in alignment with our SIP goal of “creating a Catholic Culture of care.”

Parent Survey
The Partners in Learning survey helps to clarify and strengthen the important relationship between St Joseph’s and our valued parent and carer community.  This year, we had 65 parents and carers complete the survey.

What we heard?

Overall, St Joseph’s received very positive feedback from families, especially with regards to our teaching staff.

We received mixed feedback around our school’s communications practices, with some praising our approach and others indicating there are still improvements needed.

There were also a small number of comments around organisational matters of the school, with some parents and carers expressing they preferred the previous arrangements.

How we plan to respond

The feedback St Joseph’s received regarding our communications practices reflects trends established across most diocesan schools. The Catholic Schools Office recognises that just as our parents and carers are many and varied, so too are their communications preferences. Accordingly, the Office will be supporting schools to identify and implement different strategies to address the wants and needs of our diverse parents and carers groups.

Compass will remain St Joseph’s main platform to communicate with families, as it will in all Maitland- Newcastle Diocesan schools. However, on the back of a notable increase in our social media engagement and positive commentary around the ‘Week at A Glance’ reminders, we will also continue to also provide insights and updates of school events and student learning for our families using Facebook and Seesaw.

As the responsible person of the school, my role is to ensure St Joseph’s meets the standards that are expected of any diocesan school. Accordingly, the organisational changes that have been introduced this year, including for example traffic management and the transition of the P&F to the FACE model, will remain in place as they are required by the system in order to meet our funding compliance requirements, work health and safety and safeguarding standards. I recognise these changes might have been perceived as significant in a short period of time, particularly for those who have been at the school for many years. Change can be difficult, but in this instance, I am confident that the modifications that have been implemented have been done to ensure that St Joseph’s resources are being managed effectively and that the school’s operating environment reflects the contemporary standards required to ensure all members of the St Joseph’s school community are safe and feel supported to achieve their potential. To this end, I also commit to continuing to advocate for our school to receive funding support for much-needed school facility upgrades.

A final word

At St Joseph’s, we deeply value families as partners in students’ learning and wellbeing. It is important to me that families feel welcome, connected and supported by our school and I was glad to read in the Tell Them From Me report that this is the case for so many of you.  

In addition to the feedback received as part of the report, I would also like to sincerely thank the parents and grandparents who have contacted the school throughout the year to reiterate their support and excitement as we continue to work together to ensure that our most precious young people thrive at St Joseph’s.

I receive many emails of thanks; these have included comments such as:

“We would like to thank you and your staff for such an impressive assembly which demonstrated wonderful inclusiveness, enjoyable entertainment and a comforting air of student happiness and behaviour.” The emphasis on respect and spiritual significance was very appealing and provides obvious sound building blocks for all your students.”

“I can genuinely say that I have seen so much growth in her in just a short period of time , she has grown within herself and grown in confidence. I credit this to you and your staff, the environment you all create and the magic within their daily lives at school is a delight to see.”

I believe this positivity must be spreading in the community, with St Joseph’s experiencing an increase in its overall enrolments since the beginning of the year.

I am committed to leading St Joseph’s for the long term and believe that schools flourish when all members of the school community work in partnership for the benefit of every student.

Accordingly, if you have any questions relating to the matters addressed in this correspondence, I would be happy to address them.

With every best wish,

Nikki Norley

(Principal)

Message from the Assistant Principal

Thank you P&F!

We love our new outdoor mats!

On behalf of the entire school community, I would like to say thank you to the P&F for the recent purchase of outdoor mats. Each class now has a mat that they can use for outdoor learning, crunch and sip and take to gala days.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated and supportive group of parents and friends who are committed to enriching our school environment.

Thank you once again for your thoughtfulness and generosity.

Colour and Slime Explosion

Have you purchased your child’s ticket to participate in the Slime and Colour Explosion yet? Tickets can be purchased on QKR and will close shortly. Make sure your child does not miss out on this very exciting day!

When: Friday 6th September (Week 7).

9.30- 10.45am- Fun at the field! Including a jumping castle, DJ, face painting and tattoos!

10.45- 11.30am- BBQ LUNCH- sausage sandwich (covered in ticket cost for students, $2.50 for family members- ordered via QKR). Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase (cash only).

11.30am- 1pm- COLOUR AND SLIME EXPLOSION at the field!

1pm- 1.30- RECESS

1.30- 2.40pm- Students will change into their spare clothes and return to their classroom.

Parents and families are welcome to stay and have fun with us for this day! It’s going to be awesome!

THINGS TO BE REMINDED OF:

• Top 5 fundraisers get to slime a teacher!
• All students who raise $50 or more enter the draw to win a razor scooter!
• Every dollar counts and helps us to purchase valuable learning resources for your child.

Big Writes

This week our students have been enjoying the BIG WRITE EXPERIENCE. From Dragons, to dinosaurs to letters from a make believe character, the writing process has been celebrated and enjoyed by all. Thank you to parents for supporting your child with the BIG TALK and to our superstar students Lilly, Memphis and Harley for making a movie to help make this experience easy and fun!

Mens Shed

Our school continues to build a community partnership with Toronto Men’s Shed. Volunteers Ted, David, Allan and Mick dedicate each Tuesday to come along and mentor groups of children with small building projects. This semester selected students are building toys that we will donate at the end of the year to a charity. We are so appreciative of the dedication and support these beautiful volunteers provide for our school, helping to make SJKB an extra special place to be!

Message from the REC

Examples of other schools that have gone through the renewal process in the last couple of years:

Library News

Student costumes

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Teachers costumes

Class News

Class 3/4 M

This term in Geography, the 3/4M students have been busy discovering Australia’s natural and man-made features, including where the states, territories, and capital cities are located. They’ve learned about different climates and what makes each place special, and then imagined what it would be like to live in these places. Last week, they researched a major Australian natural feature and made exciting PowerPoint presentations to share with the class. The students really enjoyed this project and did an amazing job both creating and presenting their work!

Stage 1 Excursion

On the 22nd August, Stage 1 headed off to the Museum of Art and Culture. They had the opportunity to participate in a range of art and craft activities as well as listen to the story "Two Girls From Amoonguna", which focuses on the Indigenous culture.

Students were thoroughly engaged in all the activities and had a great time immersing themselves in the Indigenous culture. We also had the opportunity to look at all of the sculptures around the park.  

While we were there students spoke about positive relationships and the importance of these! 

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Diverse Learning Team News

Sensory Play Tips and Tricks for Children Learning to Read

Learning to read is an exciting milestone, and incorporating sensory play can make the process more engaging and effective. Here are some tips and tricks to help support children who are learning to read through sensory play:

Textured Letters

Create or purchase textured letters that children can trace with their fingers. Materials like sandpaper, felt, or foam provide tactile feedback, helping children to remember the shapes and sounds of the letters.

Alphabet Sensory Bins

Fill a bin with rice, sand, or beans and hide letter tiles or magnetic letters inside. As children search for the letters, they can practice identifying and naming them. You can also encourage them to form simple words using the letters they find.

Play Dough Letter Practice

Using play dough, children can roll and shape the dough into letters. This activity helps reinforce letter recognition and supports fine motor development, which is important for writing.

Sand Writing

Provide a shallow tray of sand or salt where children can use their fingers to write letters or simple words. The tactile experience of writing in sand helps reinforce letter formation and recognition.

Scented Marker Reading

Let children practice writing and reading with scented markers. Associating a particular scent with a letter or word can create a memorable learning experience that engages the senses and reinforces what they’re learning.

Speaking Insight Invitation

Please see below for details:

Pastoral Care

National Child Protection Week (1st-7th September)

Child abuse and neglect is preventable. If we all work together as a community, we can create an Australia where all children can grow up safe and well. What role can you play in supporting children and their families?

 Richard Cooke, CEO, NAPCAN

National Child Protection Week invites all Australians to play their part to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. In 2024, the message that ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go’ will be complemented with the theme ‘Every conversation matters’.

Conversations are powerful tools to keep children and young people safe and well.

Therefore, this year we are calling all Australians to start a new conversation.

It is crucial to listen to and value children’s perspectives. Whenever possible, involve them in decision-making processes and advocate for their best interests.

By having regular conversations with children about their personal safety and listening to their concerns, we help build their trust and encourage them to communicate openly with us during challenging times.

Make a positive impact by starting conversations with your colleagues, friends and families about the importance of listening to and valuing the voices of children and young people.

The Diocesan communities have been invited to decorate a space that uniquely reflects their commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing in line with the theme of National Child Protection Week ‘Every conversation matters’. We will have a Child Protection Week banner up on the hall wall from Monday 2nd September for the week. If you are around the school for, drop off or pick up, please come and have a look.

Here is just a snippet of what to expect.

R U OK?

A conversation could change a life.

Do you know how the people in your world are really going?

In 2024, R U OK? is calling on everyone to Ask R U OK? any day; because life happens every day.

Life happens every day. A lot can happen in a year, a month, a week.  Whether it’s a friend, family member, colleague, partner, or teammate. The people you care about go through life’s ups and downs every day.

By having regular, meaningful conversations, you  build trust and normalise talking about what’s really going on, so when the people in your world find themselves struggling, they know you’re someone they can talk to.

You don't need to be an expert to reach out - just a good friend and a great listener. Use these four steps and have a conversation that could change a life: 

1. Ask R U OK?
2. Listen
3. Encourage action
4. Check in

So, whilst R U OK? Day 2024 is Thursday 12 September, and it is the National Day of Action, we are encouraged to Ask R U OK? any day of the year because a conversation could change a life. When we are reminded that every day is the day to ask, 'are you OK?' and start a meaningful conversation whenever they spot the signs that someone they care about might be struggling with life.

Now could be a great time to ask your child “Are you OK?” and to support them if they are struggling.

As you know having a meaningful conversation with children or teenagers can sometimes be a bit tricky that’s why Reach Out Australia has created resources to help parents help their young people.

Find out how you can effectively communicate with your child and some practical things to try to engage your child in a meaningful conversation.

HOW TO BE A GOOD FRIEND AND ASK ARE YOU OK?

Whilst children cannot be expected to fix someone’s problems, they can be encouraged to listen to what their friend is saying, show they care and tell a teacher, school counsellor, pastoral care worker or trusted adult if they are worried about their friend. This video shows them how to do that:

More R U Ok? Day resources can be found at www.ruok.org.au

Mel Dobosz

Pastoral Care Worker

Sport News

Stage 2 Netball

On the 12^th of August Stage 2 and 3 headed off to the Newcastle Netball Courts to participate in the NSW netball schools cup. Students had the opportunity to participate in 5-7 games, for some students this was the first time they had ever played netball!

“Now people know how to play netball from learning from their mistakes. It was so fun that I forgot about learning. Thank you to Mrs Norley and the teachers for planning this day.” Finn C

“People who never thought to play netball got the chance to try it out. The day was so fun! Gala days let people try a sport they would not have thought to try to play. Thank you to the teachers for taking us there, the day was so fun!” Vera H

Diocesan Athletics

Three of our students qualified for the Maitland-Newcastle Diocesan Athletics, where they represented our school and the Lakes Region team on the 7th August.  

Congratulations to Tex, Ghinn and Olivia who represented our school with pride and to the best of their ability! 

A massive congratulations to Olivia and Ghinn who qualified for Polding on the 13th September!! 

On the 7th of August, Tex, Ghinn and Olivia competed in the Diocesan Athletics Carnival held at Glendale.

Olivia competed in the 100m, 200m and long jump, Tex competed in the long jump and Ghinn in shot put.  

Ghinn and Olivia made it to the next level, Polding. They will compete at this level to go to State. If you come 1st, 2nd or 3rd you get a medal, and get to stand on a podium.

We had so much fun, and we'd love to go again. All the people were so kind and made sure we got to our events on time.

Olivia-Skye Sharp

School Fees Information

Collection of school fees is crucial to our ability to effectively provide quality education for our students. The fees go directly to paying for new technology, resources for the classroom, experiences for students such as excursions, costs of buses etc.

As always, if a family is experiencing financial hardship, it is imperative that you contact the school to make an appointment to meet and discuss school fees, so that a payment plan can be arranged and families are supported.

P & F News

Next P&F meeting is on Tuesday 15th October at 5.50pm in the library - All Welcome

Volunteering at SJKB

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!

courtney.porter@mn.catholic.edu.au 

Message from the Parish

PLUS

The PLUS Second hand clothing shop runs on Monday and Friday mornings from 8.20am to 8.50am during school terms. 

We have wide selection of secondhand uniforms available all uniform items are $5 and jackets are available for $10. All payments can be made via QKR! after your order has been received, we will attach the amount owing to the order.  

Alternatively you can order online and we will send your order home with your child via the link/QR code below. 

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

Canteen News – Including Volunteer Roster

We are seeking new volunteers to help in the canteen.  With our new lunchtime the volunteers are only required to be here between the school drop off time and 11.15am.We ask any new or current Parents or Grandparents if if they could offer a couple of hours once or twice a term in the canteen so that the children can receive this service. They will love you being here too!

Qkr cut off times have been changed recently so please ensure Qkr orders are placed before 8.00 am each day.

If you would like to volunteer please call or email admin@kilabenbay.catholic.edu.au

Term Planner

Good For Kids

Guitar Lessons

Community Notices

With less than 5 months to go for families and carers to redeem their vouchers, we are doing everything we can to get the offer into the hands of those who may need it. We hope that you will continue to help us spread the word. Please find attached our refreshed flyers and new social media tiles that you are welcome to use.  

To qualify for this offer:  

1. You must be caring for a school age student at your home.  

1. Must not have an active nbn connection at your home now or in the past 14 days. (Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility).  

1. Must live in property that can access the nbn network through a standard connection.      

 Apply for the offer by 31 December 2024 to get free home internet until the end of December 2025  

Contact the National Referral Centre to apply on 1800 954 610 Monday - Friday, 10am - 6pm (AEDT) or visit https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet/  

  What’s included in the offer?  

1. Free home internet until December 2025  

1. Free WI-FI router (you can keep it)  

1. Unlimited data  

1. 50 / 20 plan (this is a typical household plan)  

1. No lock in contracts  

1. Choice of participating internet providers  

1. Ongoing support from the National Referral Centre to apply – callback, webchat, and interpreting services available  

Do you know someone who may be interested?  

We need your help to spread the word so more families, parents and carers can benefit from this offer of free home internet.  

More details are available on the attached promotional flyer  

or   

by visiting the FAQs on the National Referral Centre website: https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet/  

Contact our team: ssbi_engagement@nbnco.com.au to discuss how you can get involved