St Joseph's Primary School South Grafton eNewsletter

From our Leadership

Dear St Joseph’s Community,

Welcome to Term 2! We hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing and refreshing holiday break and are ready to embrace the learning, spirituality, and joy that Term 2 promises.

Welcome

We warmly welcome our new students Lily, Lennox, Grace, William and their families to our St Joseph's School community.

Mother Day Celebration

On Friday, May 9 our traditional Mother's Day Celebration will be held in Mercy Hall commencing at 10:15am, concluding at 10.50am.

We look forward to your presence as we celebrate and acknowledge our mothers, grandmothers and mother figures.

Road Safety

Each day, over 125 students move through our school grounds—safety must be our number one priority.

Please remember:

Do not to double park at any time
ALL Parents must use the top gate to exit/enter for afternoon pick up. Please do not walk through bus lines

Thank you for prioritising the safety of every child in our care.

Landcare Grant

Our Stage 3 students and Aboriginal Dance Group recently celebrated with Gillwinga Primary School to acknowledge the conclusion of our Landcare grant. We thank Gillwinga for sharing their school with us and the wonderful lunch they provided.

Our school is committed to maintaining a safe, happy and supportive environment for every child. Every now and then, it’s helpful to revisit what can and can’t be brought to school. While some items might seem like harmless toys or everyday tools, they may in fact be considered dangerous or prohibited. We want to help families avoid any unintentional mistakes or avoidable situations.

A prohibited weapon includes but is not limited to knives or blades, toy guns, gel blasters, slingshots, darts or anything else that can be used as a weapon to intimidate or cause serious injury or harm.

We encourage all parents and carers to have open and ongoing conversations with your child about safety, respect, and care for others. As members of our Catholic school community, we are called to protect and nurture one another, both spiritually and physically. Your support in reinforcing these values at home helps us maintain a secure and faith-filled environment for all members of our school community.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting the safety and wellbeing of all children.

ANZAC Day ceremony.

We extend our sincere thanks to all members of our school community who joined us for our ANZAC Day Ceremony. Your presence, along with the respect and reverence shown by students, helped create a meaningful and reflective occasion, honouring the courage, sacrifice, and legacy of our servicemen and women.

Together, we stood in remembrance, ensuring that the spirit of ANZAC lives on in the hearts and minds of our students.

Thank you for your continued support and for helping us foster a deep sense of gratitude and community.

Prayers for Pope Francis

With the passing of Pope Francis, we are filled with both deep sadness and quiet gratitude. He was a true example of humility, living as a shepherd to the poor, listening with compassion, and recognising Christ in everyone he met. In his honour, our flags will be flown at half-mast during the nine day mourning period.

As the Church enters a time of Sede Vacante (the time when the papacy is vacant), we hold the College of Cardinals in our prayers as they prepare to gather in conclave to elect a new pope. May the Holy Spirit guide them in choosing a faithful and wise shepherd for our Church.

Year 6 GLOW Retreat

This term, our Year 6 students will take part in the GLOW Retreat, a one-day retreat experience that brings together Year 6 students from Catholic primary schools across the region.

GLOW is a day centred on faith, fun and friendship, engaging in prayer, reflection, and connection. It will support our students in deepening their faith, growing in confidence, and building relationships with peers from neighbouring schools who are also on their journey of leadership and transition to secondary school.

Details about the GLOW Retreat, including the schedule and permission form, are now available on Compass. Please log in to your Compass account to learn more and submit permission as soon as possible.

Circus Challenge

We are excited to announce the The Circus Challenge Show is coming to St Joseph's on May 27. This interactive, fun performance includes a whole school show followed by a hands on workshop.

The cost will be $8.00 per student. Consent and payment will be via the Compass Event, which will be sent to parents in the coming days.

Tell Them From Me Survey

This term, our school is participating in the Tell Them From Me ® (TTFM ® ) student survey. This survey provides valuable feedback on students' perspectives from Years 4 to 6 about school life, their engagement, and the ways teachers interact with them.

The surveys are rigorously validated and developed by The Learning Bar, an organisation specialising in educational research and survey administration. These surveys gather crucial data that help enhance student learning experiences and overall school environment.

Key Points:

The survey is confidential, and school staff will not be able to identify individual students from their responses.
Participating students will receive a unique username and password to ensure confidentiality.
The survey is online, takes 15 to 20 minutes, and will be conducted during school hours.
Participation in the survey is voluntary. If your child feels uncomfortable with any question, they can skip it or stop the survey at any time.
Teachers will remind students that they can talk to their teacher or guidance counsellor if they feel distressed or worried about the survey.
The survey measures topics such as emotional and social well-being, physical health, and behaviours and attitudes that are predictors of student success.
It also allows students to provide their thoughts and feedback through open-ended questions.

Term 1 Fundraiser for Charity

Thank you to our families for their generosity in assisting us in raising $330.90 for CARITAS Australia.

The money we raised will buy a water tank for a village to ensure they have fresh water.

During Term 2 we will be fund raising for another water project.

Let’s continue the conversation on bullying…………

Is My Child Bullying Others?

A student facing personal and social challenges may exhibit behaviours that disregard school rules and codes of conduct or threaten their peers' wellbeing and safety. How you respond upon discovering that your child may have engaged in bullying behaviour is equally crucial as addressing the bullying behaviour itself. Help your child to be the best expression of their unique self through their words and actions.

What Are The Signs that your child could be bullying others?

Aggressive Behaviour. This could include using verbal or physical aggression such as hitting, pushing, name-calling and teasing to deal with conflict including with siblings.
Lack of Empathy: They show a lack of empathy towards others' feelings or dismiss the pain they may have caused to someone else. They may put down other children or siblings in conversations and have difficulties understanding the feelings of others. ● Dominating or Controlling: Your child could dominate or control others, seeking power and control over their peers or younger children. This could include using threatening or demeaning language when talking about others. They may be unable to play games without being a ‘sore loser’ or a disrespectful winner.
Blaming Others: Your child could often blame others for their actions and refuse to take responsibility for their behaviour. They may talk about or display behaviours that involve “getting even” with others.
Unexplained possession of other students' belongings: If your child has items that don't belong to them without a reasonable explanation, it could be a sign of bullying behaviour.
Increased secrecy about their activities: Your child might become secretive about their interactions with peers, avoiding discussing their day or social experiences.

Read more at helping your child stop bullying which is a guide for parents by the Australian Government.

Learning and Teaching

Writing- Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

We wanted to share some insight into the dedicated work our teachers have been doing behind the scenes to ensure every child continues to flourish in their writing and to met our School Annual Improvement Plan (SAIP). Our goal for 2025 is that, ‘All students’ learning and engagement will be optimised through a consistent approach to curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and pastoral care.

At the end of last term, our class teachers engaged in valuable 'Data Wall Meetings' with Mrs Donoghue and Mr Rankin. These focused discussions centered on each individual student's current achievement level and, importantly, their growth in the crucial areas of grammar and punctuation within their writing.

This week, our commitment to personalized learning has continued. Each class teacher has already held their fortnightly Professional Learning Team (PLT) meeting with Mrs Donoghue. During these collaborative sessions, teachers delved deeper into the data gathered, meticulously analysing each child's progress. The outcome of this thoughtful analysis is a clear articulation of each student's next steps for growth in grammar and punctuation.

To make these next steps transparent and actionable, a specific success criteria has been developed for each class. This criteria uniquely incorporates the individual growth targets for every student in that class. We believe that by clearly defining these next steps, we empower our students to take ownership of their learning and celebrate their progress.

You can find your child's class success criteria, outlining these specific grammar and punctuation growth targets, listed below:

Mathematics- Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

Below, we've outlined the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria for your child's collaborative work in mathematics.

Principal-Danny Rankin

Assistant Principal-Anne Forwell

Leader of Learning - Brooke Donoghue

Leader of Evangelisation - Matthew Green

Sport Coordinator - Caitlin Crispin

Cross Country

Our School Cross Country was held on 8 April. Well done to all students who participated on the day. The Zone Cross Country will be held on Tuesday, 13 May at Barnier Park, Junction Hill. Please check compass for any information regarding this event. Medals and ribbons will be handed out this Friday, 9 May at our School Assembly.

Term 2 Sporting Events:

13 May Zone Cross Country, Barnier Park, Junction Hill
20 May Dio Cross Country, Barnier Park, Junction Hill
6 June School Athletics Carnival, Barnier Park, Junction Hill
1 July In school Touch Program for K-6
2 July Zone Athletics Carnival, Coffs Harbour International Stadium

Intensive Swimming Program

This year, our Intensive Swimming Program will run in early Term 3. The program will run for 6 weeks, it will be offered to students from Kindergarten to Year 4. More information regarding this program will be available on Compass later this term.

Gumbaynggirr Language - Liz Hegedus

Ginnagay Ngujawiny - Hello You Mob,

Welcome back to Term 2!

This term Stage 1 is learning about Past and Present family life; how time has changed from the past to the present and how toys and games have also changed over the years.

From an Indigenous perspective there were no toys like there are today. The toys today are dolls, trucks, lego, cars, my little pony etc. But, Aboriginal children did not have toys of that kind to play with. Because of their culture of living and learning from the land, everything that was made benefitted their way of life. So, one item that was made was the boomerang.

There are 3 types of boomerangs, the hunting boomerang, the returning boomerang and the cross boomerang. These 3 boomerangs were created as weapons and their main use to kill prey for food.

The hunting boomerang is a long teardrop shape. Its length is up to 1 metre and can weigh between 2 and 3kgs. It needs to be heavy so it does not break when hitting the animal. The edges are very sharp and designed not to return to the owner. It is thrown along the ground to take out the animals legs, animals such as kangaroos, emus, castaways and scrub turkeys.

The returning boomerang is designed to return to its owner. The returning boomerang is not designed for hunting as it is too light, but it was designed as a toy for young aboriginal boys. The toy also allowed the youngster to practice throwing skills, but still made it a fun game to play.

The third boomerang is the cross boomerang. Two flat wooden pieces tied together with some type of vine. This type of boomerang was created in Queensland and used in the rainforest. The object was to throw it up into the trees and try to hit the birds hiding amongst the trees. The cross boomerang is small and is able to spin around the branches of the trees.

Aboriginal children may not have had toys that are available today. But, growing up learning how to make items from the environment, then understanding what skill is required to use the item enabled them to live, survive and grow on the land.

Darrundang Ngiinda - Thankyou

Miss Liz Hegedus - Aboriginal Education Worker

School Notes

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS

Please be advised our School Office is open between 8.20am and 3.20pm daily.

UNIFORMS

The school uniform is available to purchase through the Compass app.

Orders will be sent home with your child, please advise the Office you would prefer to collect it.

Uniform collection times are Tuesday and Thursday between 8.30am - 8.45am & 2.30pm - 3.00pm.

MEDICATION

If your child is currently taking medication at school, parents are now required to complete the Medication permission form available through the Compass app.

If you have previously provided a paper copy, you will need to complete the online form to meet the new 2025 requirements.

ABSENCES

Only full day absences are to be entered into Compass, for partial absences - arriving late or leaving early please phone the School Office to notify.

Late arrivals - Parents are reminded to accompany your child to the Office to provide the reason for your child's late arrival.

Change to afternoon travel arrangements may be emailed to the school if before 12.00pm sjpgraf@lism.catholic.edu.au

After 12.00pm please phone the School Office on 6642 2899 with any changes.

Please notify the School Office if your child will be absent for an extended period of time, Principal approval may be required.

SCHOOL FEES

BPay is the preferred payment method for school fees.

Scheduled payments can be set up using BPay. The Biller Code and your personal reference number can be found on your Fee Statement.

Paying through BPay ensures that your payment goes directly to your account. Any enquireies please contact the School Office.

Uniforms

Uniform_Price_List_2025.pdf

School Calendar

TERM 2 2025

Week 2

Thursday, 8 May - Kindergarten attending Mass at St Patrick's Church 9.15am

Friday, 9 May - Mother's Day Celebration, Mercy Hall at 10.15am

Friday, 9 May - School Assembly 2.15pm

Week 3

Tuesday, 13 May - Zone Cross Country at Barnier Park, Junction Hill

Week 4

Thursday, 22 May - Stage 1 attending Mass at St Patrick's Church 9.15am

Friday, 23 May - School Assembly 2.15pm

Week 5

Thursday, 29 May - Kindergaten attending Mass at St Patrick's Church 9.15am

Week 6

Monday, 2 June - Reconciliation Day

Friday, 6 June - Athletics Carnival at Barnier Park, Junction Hill

Week 7

Monday, 9 June - Public Holiday

Week 8

Friday, 20 June - School Assembly 2.15pm

Week 9

Friday, 27 June - Semester 1 Reports will be live on Compass

Week 10

Thursday, 3 July - Last Day of Term 2 for students

Friday, 4 July - Staff Development day (Pupil Free Day)

Canteen

Canteen Open every Wednesday and Friday

Canteen orders are placed through the Compass portal prior to 8.30am. Our menu has been updated and the following new items are now available to order: