St Joseph's Primary School South Grafton eNewsletter

From our Leadership

Welcome

St Mary MacKillop of the Cross

As we reflect on Saint Mary MacKillop’s (our only Australian Saint) life and achievements, let us rekindle her spirit of resilience, kindness, and determination in our own lives. May her legacy continue to inspire us to make a positive difference in our communities and strive for a world where education and compassion reign supreme.

One of her favourite sayings is a lovely prayer:

Grandparents Day

It was wonderful to welcome grandparents to our school last Friday, 26 July to celebrate Grandparent's Day. The day marked the feast day of St Joachim and St Anne, Jesus’ grandparents. Our students led a lovely prayer liturgy which was followed by an entertaining show from our school choir. Our Stage 3 students then organised a variety of activities for everyone to enjoy. It was a delightful afternoon.

Family Parish Mass

Members of our St Joseph’s school community are invited to attend the upcoming Parish Family Mass on Sunday, 4 August at 9:30am at St Patrick’s Church.

The Mass will be followed by a morning tea. We look forward to seeing you there.

Feast of St Mary MacKillop

Thursday, 8 August is the feast day of St Mary MacKillop, Australia's first Saint. Mary MacKillop founded Australia’s first religious order, the Sisters of St Joseph and held a strong vision for providing education for the underprivileged children of her time.

School Improvement and Review

Schools undergo periodic review processes for us to celebrate achievements and look to future growth options, which is an integral aspect of school improvement. St Joseph’s will undergo this process in Term 3 on the following dates.

Catholic Mission Review: Friday, 16 August
School Improvement Review: Tuesday, 20 August; Wednesday, 21 August and Thursday, 22 August.

On these occasions, a panel of knowledgeable others will attend our school to explore all we do at St Joseph’s, which forms the basis of a report that will offer affirmations, commendations and recommendations. Staff, students and families will be given opportunities to meet with the panel to offer their thoughts, celebrations and insights.

Families who wish to join the conversation are invited to email Anne with their intention to attend a 15 minute session on one of the dates listed above (anne.forwell@lism.catholic.edu.au)

Canteen News

As previously shared our canteen menu has been changed to align with the NSW Healthy Canteen Strategy. Below are the specials available for the next 2 weeks.

In an attempt to make our menu more accessible we will soon have a selection of gluten free and/ or dairy free items available as well as making it very clear on the menu which items are already this.

To achieve this we ask that you update via the School Office your child’s food allergy status.

Canteen Specials available Week 2 & 3	Cost
Garlic Bread (2 slices)	50c
Custard Bucket	5oc
Frozen fruit juice bucket	50C

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 include using threatening or demeaning language when talking about others. They may be unable to play games without being a 'sore loser' or 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.

Helping your child to stop bullying others requires a proactive and supportive approach. It's important to approach this situation with care and understanding. If you suspect that your child may be bullying others, have open and honest conversations with them about their behaviour and its consequences. Teach empathy and appropriate ways to interact with others. Engage with your child's school to address the issue collaboratively and consider seeking professional help if necessary. The goal is to help your child recognise the harmful effects of bullying, develop empathy, and adopt positive social behaviours. Addressing bullying behaviour requires patience, understanding, and consistent effort. Be supportive of your child's efforts to change, and celebrate their progress as they learn to interact with others in a more positive and respectful manner. If the behaviour persists or if you are concerned about your child's ability to change on their own, seek advice from your GP. They may recommend a paediatric review to help understand your child’s behaviour.

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

Dibels Middle of Year Assessments

During the first three weeks of this term, our data team, including Mrs Donoghue, Mrs Kelly, and Mrs Donohoe, will conduct the middle-of-year DIBELS assessments for all students in years K-6. These assessments are made up of short 1 minute assessments, and one 3 minute assessment for students in year 2-6 that assess letter naming fluency and (years K-1 only), word and passage reading fluency, and reading comprehension (years 2-6 only). These assessments provide the CSO with valuable data to determine what additional support, resources, and professional development may be needed by specific schools. They also assist our school to identify areas where further professional development for teachers is necessary to enhance student outcomes.

Our Response to the Data

Our beginning-of-year DIBELS assessments highlighted a need for improvement in reading fluency. Since then, teachers have participated in two cycles of improvement, focusing on using student data to guide their professional learning. Monitoring over the past two terms has shown excellent progress, and we are eager to see and share with families the results of these assessments. We also anticipate that these assessments will help pinpoint our next area of focus for further development

Teacher Observations and Feedback: Component A

Our English block is divided into two components: Component A and Component B. Component A focuses on the syllabus content: Spelling, Handwriting and Digital Transcription, and Reading Fluency. For the Spelling content, we utilise a research-based program supported by the CSO, MultiLit’s InitiaLit and SpellEx programs. These explicit instruction programs are conducted in targeted small groups, organised according to each student's next instructional step, to support their individual growth and ensure progress for all students.

This week, teachers in years 3-6 will receive observations and feedback from Elissa Baker (CSO Education Officer for InitiaLit), Samantha Lynch (CSO Education Officer), and Mrs Donoghue (our School Leader of Learning). This feedback, which is based on teachers’ self-reflections, marks the start of their coaching cycle. This cycle will provide additional support, feedback, and opportunities for reflection to enhance their practice.

Last term, teachers in K-2 completed the same process and have already undergone a cycle of support and feedback. In week 4 of this term, they will receive further insights from MultiLit consultants.

Observations of InitiaLit in Year 1 during Term 2.

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

As we work towards the 2024 School Action Improvement Plan goal of having "All students meet the expected learning progressions for their grade in 'Grammar' and 'Punctuation'," teachers will be using specific, tailored teaching strategies in the upcoming learning cycle. This approach will be guided by clearly defined Learning Intentions and Success Criteria for each group, which you can see below. These objectives will help both teachers and students focus on achieving their writing goals and personal targets, creating a structured and goal-oriented learning environment. Additionally, these criteria will support teacher feedback, self-assessment, and peer reviews, encouraging a collaborative and reflective learning experience.

Cultural Burn

Thanks to our partnership with LandCare we were able to have a ‘cool’ burn of some of our grass. The local aboriginal community gathered to share their deep knowledge about the why, what and when of doing a cool burn.

Principal-Danny Rankin

Assistant Principal-Anne Forwell

Leader of Learning - Brooke Donoghue

Leader of Evangelisation - Matthew Green

Sport Coordinator - Caitlin Crispin

On Tuesday, 30 July students attended the Zone Athletics Carnival at Coffs Harbour International Stadium. Well done to all students who competed on the day, representing our school with pride.

A big congratulations to Owen, Kendall, Isla and Aaliyah who all made it through to the Diocese Athletics Carnival. This Carnival will be held on Friday, 16 August at the Coffs Harbour International Stadium.

Reminder

This Friday, 2 August students are able to wear green and gold to school, in support of our Australian Olympic Team competing in Paris at the 2024 Olympics.

Students will participate in olympic style games from 1.00pm.

Gumbaynggirr Language - Liz Hegedus

Ginnagay Ngujawiny -Hello You Mob,

This term we are continuing to learn about Indigenous History in HSIE lessons.

The next project I would love to complete is profiles on our current and ex St Joseph’s students.

I find it very interesting to discover about our current Indigenous students likes and also what our ex students have accomplished since they completed their schooling.

This week features current student Ruby Woods:

Name: Ruby Woods Age: 9 years old Class: Year 3

Favorite subject: Writing, you get to express your feelings and yourself
Favorite sport: Gymnastics, I really like all the events like the bar, balance beam, trampoline and the floor work.
Favorite TV show: Miranda Sings
Favorite movie: True Spirit.
Favorite book: I love reading all chapter books.
In your free time, what do you like to do? Art, I just love to draw and paint pictures.
What do you like about St Joey’s? Everything, everyone is kind to each other.
What do you want to be when you grow up? An artist or a professional gymnast.

NAIDOC Day

We are also celebrating NAIDOC Day on Thursday, 8 August, 9.30am to 11.00am. Students may wear yellow to school and bring a gold coin donation, which will go towards Closing the Literacy Gap Project.

Darrundang Ngiinda - Thankyou

Miss Liz Hegedus

Aboriginal Education Worker

School Notes

SCHOOL FEES

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.