Term 1 Week 6, 2024
From our Leadership
Welcome
Dear Families,
Playground Areas
Each lunchtime we have five different play areas for students to choose from. This allows our students to choose active or passive play and to have a variety from day to day.
- Library In the library students can read or draw. This is a quiet play area.
- Fort/sandpit/mud kitchen Students can play in the sandpit or climb on the fort. They are also able to engage in imaginative play in the mud kitchen.
- Oval This area is for students in years 3 to 6 and the game is refereed by Mr Green. The students play soccer or another active game. We have recently purchased new soccer goals for this area.
- Coding This group is led by Mrs Pursey who teaches the students how to code on their computers.
- Grass/pebblecrete In this area students can play basketball, skipping, tips or just run around and take part in imaginative play.
Parent Group
Our next meeting is on Tuesday, 12 March at 6:00pm-7:00pm in our library. Please come along, children are most welcome. The order form for Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has gone home. Please return your order form with money by Thursday, 14 March.
Music/Art at St Joseph's
Each Friday we are pleased to be offering choir and guitar groups. These groups are free to join. Please email Mrs Hickson for more information. maree.hickson@lism.catholic.edu.au These groups will perform/represent the school at the local eisteddfod and entertain the elderly at nursing homes as a part of our school outreach program.
Please visit our library and have a look at our renewed emphasis on Art across our school. We thank Rebekah Kelly for her expertise and enthusiasm in creating these artworks with the students in Stage 2 and 3 - they are amazing and it is only week 6. Next newsletter we will focus on Kindergarten and Stage 1 and the work of Michelle Vidler and Donna Bancroft.
St Joseph’s Young Archie’s
Every year the Art Gallery of NSW runs a young Archibald competition and this year the focus was on portraits. I decided to have our own Young Archie’s display at St Jospeph’s!
Earlier this term, Stage 3 drew a self portrait using either oil pastels or textas. The students used cartoon features to creature their face and some used varying shades of one colour for their background.
The following 8 portraits are now on display in the library as part of our Young Archie display. Well done to all the students in Stage 3 for the amazing effort they are putting into their art this term!
Mrs Kelly
Mobile phones and smart watches
It has been practise that mobile phones are signed in at the School Office each morning. Smart watches, that are misused, will be required to be signed in also.
Dogs at School
We ask you to please refrain from bringing your dogs to school at pickup time or any other time. We have students who are afraid of dogs and students with allergies. If it is a necessity please enter/leave via the parent pick up gates and NOT school the bus lines gate.
Project Compassion
This Lent the school is raising funds for project compassion. This fundraising includes the collection of cans/bottles. Simply collect the cans/bottles and send them to school each week with your child. The funds raised will assist in changing lives.
Child Protection Policies and Procedures
All schools in NSW undergo yearly checks in many areas of compliance. One such area is child protection. For your information; all staff at St Joseph's are mandatory reporters - this means that we are required by law to report a child at risk of significant harm to government authorities. All staff hold a current working with children check (WWCC) and complete yearly self-administered legal training (SALT). A link to the Child Protection Policies and Procedures can be found on our school website at the following address https://www.sgrafplism.catholic.edu.au/policies
NAPLAN
- Wednesday, 13 March - Year 3 and Year 5 WRITING and READING
- Thursday, 14 March - Catch up writing Year 3 and Year 5
- Friday, 15 March - Year 3 and Year 5 LANGUAGE OF CONVENTIONS and NUMERACY
- Monday, 18 - 22 March - Catch ups
Assembly
A reminder that our school assembly takes place each Monday at 2:15pm. We warmly welcome everyone to come along and celebrate student achievements. Our Year 6 students lead the school in this assembly each week.
Students Travelling Home
Families are asked to please make sure the emergency contacts for their child/ren are up to date. Students are only to be collected by those who are on the emergency contact list. If you need to update this list or add more contacts to this list please contact the School Office as soon as possible.
Principal-Danny Rankin
Assistant Principal-Anne Forwell
Leader of Learning - Brooke Donoghue
Sport Coordinator - Caitlin Crispin
Congratulations to the students who attended the Zone Swimming Carnival in Maclean last Monday. All students showed great sportsmanship and represented the school with pride.
Starting next week on Wednesday, 13 March, there will be an AFL Auskick program at the school from 3:15-4:15pm.
The program will run weekly each Wednesday until 3 April. Please see the flyer below for further details.
Gumbaynggirr Language - Liz Hegedus
Ginnagay Ngujawiny -Hello You Mob,
Stage 1, have been learning about the past and the present. We have been looking at how history records information of events that have occured. The recorded information may be written, photographed, story telling, voice recorded, filmed or art. History is also old buildings, bridges, roads, places, objects, anything that has changed over a period of time is history. The recording of our history is so very important. It helps us improve in the future, study other cultures, understand where we come from and most importantly it tells our family history.
History for Aboriginal people tells their story. Learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures allows everyone to develop respect for diversity annd understanding of cultural difference. This is where we have the opportunity to share our traditions through our historical sites. Historical sites are historically important to our Indigenous heritage and culture. Aboriginal sites are significant, and will always create and maintain continuous links with the people and the land.
Sacred sites are important to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. The sites have cultural values, spiritual beliefs and kin-based relationships to the land. Aboriginal sites can be places that are welcoming or that are forbidden. They are places that have special significance for Aboriginal people and their traditions. Often they are features of the landscape, they may be rocks, reefs, trees, hills, waterholes or rivers. Often sacred sites are connected with Dreaming (creation) stories and may have significance to several tribal groups.
The rule of law is if you do not come from the area do not enter any sacred sites. This is for your protection against any black magic within those sites.
Before European settlement in Grafton and South Grafton, the Clarence River marked the border between two Aboriginal tribes, the Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr tribes. Grafton was established in 1851 by European settlers. Governor FitzRoy officially named the town 'Grafton' after his grandfather Augustus FitzRoy who was the 3rd Duke of Grafton. It wasn't until 1885 Grafton was declared a city. A town is only considered a city when a cathedral is established. Some historical sites and buildings in Grafton that are declared heritage are Christ Church Cathedral, Grafton Correctional Centre, Grafton Bridge and the Saraton Theatre. Aboriginal sacred sites are the Moleville Rocks, Susan Island and the mighty Clarence River.
Stage 1, learnt an Aboriginal story about the Clarence River and how the Aboriginal people believed it came to be. The Aboriginal people believe that an old darraarrgan (witch) named Dirrangun had a secret spring that she kept all to herself. But, she fell sick and needed water. So, she asked a young man called Bulagann to go and get water for her. Bulagann realised that Dirrangun dammed the water up, because she didn't want to share it with anyone. Bulagann unblocked the spring and the water started to flow. When Dirrangun realised what he did she tried to stop the water, but she couldn't. Therefore, the water flowed past her and flowed through the Clarence Valley, down river right out to the sea. Dirrangun decided to stand in front of the water but it flowed on either side of her, creating the island we call Susan Island, which is a 'Sacred Womens Place' where the older women took the younger generation to teach them all about sacred women's business.
ttps://youtu.be/H3Bd3x7LEuo (Dirrangun of the Clarence)
Stage 1 had a wonderful time learning about the history of Grafton and also the Aboriginals tribes Gumbaynggirr and Bundjulung on either side of the Clarence River.
Darrundang Ngiinda - Thankyou Miss Liz Hegedus IEW Indigenous Educational Worker
School Notes
SCHOOL FEES
Term 1 school fees have now been applied. Your statement is available to view via the Compass app.
Thank you to those families who have made the change from Direct Debit to BPay for fee payments. BPay is the preferred payment method for school fees. Scheduled payments can also 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.
ABSENCES
Please notify the School Office if your child will be absent for an extended period of time, Principal approval may be required.
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.
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.
Book Club
Book Club Issue 2 is out now! If you would like to order through the school, please return your orders to school by Thursday, 28 March.
Remember you may also order online through the link below.
Uniforms
School Calendar
TERM 1 2024
Week 7
Tuesday, 12 March - Parent Group Meeting 6.00pm - 7.00pm
Wednesday, 13 March - Friday, 15 March - NAPLAN
Week 8
Monday, 18 March - School Assembly 2.15pm
Tuesday, 19 March - St Joseph's Feast Day
Tuesday, 19 March - Kindergarten Family Night 5.30pm - 7.00pm
Friday, 22 March - School Cross Country
Week 9
Thursday, 28 March - Easter Celebration
Friday, 29 March - Good Friday (Public Holiday)
Week 10
Monday, 1 April - Easter Monday ( Public Holiday)
Week 11
Thursday, 11 April - Last day of Term 1 for students
Friday, 12 April - Staff Development Day
Merit Awards
Congratulations to the following students who received a Merit Award.
TERM 1 WEEK 4
ES1: Oscar, Nate, Madison
Stage 1: Sarah, Lily, Aprille, Marvin
Stage 2: David, Lochlann, Alice, Aria
Stage 3: Mitchell, James, Kevin, Noah
Canteen
Canteen
Open every Wednesday and Friday
Online orders are placed through the Compass app. before 8.30am. Lunch orders may still be brought in with your child, please write their name and class on the front of a paper bag along with their order.
Volunteers always welcome, please leave your details with the School office if you're able to assist.
Community Notices
