Week 7 Term 2 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we pass the halfway mark of the term, it's always a wonderful moment to stop and reflect on the learning, growth, and shared experiences that have shaped our journey so far. As you are aware, at the end of this term students will receive a progress report

The reports provide a reflection on student's academic and social achievements, offering a valuable snapshot of their progress in the first semester. Additionally, they present an opportunity for future goal-setting as students prepare for the next semester.  The reports will be sent home during the last week of this term.

Last week our staff came together for a special formation day centred on Faith, Hope, and Charity, organised and led by Annette McCard, our Assistant Principal of Religious Identity and Mission. It was a day of reflection, renewal, and deepening our collective commitment to guiding and nurturing our students as well as our own spiritual growth.

It provided staff with time to be and think ahead as we move into the second half of the term.  We carry with us the strength of our faith, the promise of hope, and the call to serve with charity in all we do.

We are pleased to share that our proposal for our OSHC to be run by a third Party – along with the introduction of vacation care is progressing. The initiative is currently under review by Catholic Education and the director, ensuring that it aligns with our school’s values and meets the needs of our families. While the process takes careful consideration, we will keep you informed as developments unfold.

On a recent Saturday, we had the pleasure of welcoming many potential new families for a highly popular and successful School Tour. With no students or educators present, visitors had the unique opportunity to explore our wonderful facilities at their own pace, gaining insight into the learning environment that supports and inspires our students every day.

A highlight of the tour was our impressive Learning Street—a dynamic space designed to foster collaboration, creativity, and engagement. Families appreciated the opportunity to see first-hand how our facilities are purposefully designed to nurture curiosity and academic growth.

Events like these serve as a great introduction to our school, and we look forward to seeing new families become part of our community in the future.

We kindly ask families using the drop-off and pick-up zone to avoid queuing around the corner, as this has led to congestion and complaints about blocked traffic. To ensure a smooth and safe flow for all, please continue driving if the area is too busy and return a little later—our supervised zone remains open until 3:20 pm.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping pick-up times efficient and safe for everyone!

Last week, our school was part of a PBS audit, where the auditors engaged with staff and students to explore how we are embedding our values of being Kind, Respectful, and Learners in everyday school life. This was a valuable chance to celebrate our growth and consider ways to further strengthen our approach. Families, we invite you to chat with your children—how have they seen these values in action? How can we continue building a positive and supportive environment?

Parents play a crucial role in shaping how children approach challenges, and a positive, proactive mindset can make all the difference. With the introduction of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) across the whole school, one essential element is providing parents with suggestions on how you can be involved and support your child and the school in the power of positivity.
 

How Parents Can Support Their Child Through Challenges:

1. Your Initial Reaction Matters
When a child comes home with an issue—whether it's a friendship concern, an incident in class, or frustration over learning—how parents respond sets the tone.

Rather than reacting emotionally or seeking blame, take a breath and ask open-ended questions: “Tell me more about what happened,” or “How do you feel about it?”

2. Working in Partnership
When emailing the school, parents can frame their communication around collaboration: “How can we work together to support my child in navigating this?”

Teachers and school staff are allies, not adversaries. A team approach yields better long-term outcomes.

3. Modelling Resilience and Problem-Solving
Encourage children to brainstorm possible solutions with you: “What do you think would help?” or “Is there something you can do differently next time?”

These conversations teach responsibility, emotional regulation, and resilience.
 

Practical Ways Parents Can Assist:

• Support emotional well-being: Validate your child’s feelings but guide them toward constructive reflection.
• Encourage direct problem-solving: If appropriate, have your child talk to the teacher or peer involved rather than relying solely on parental intervention.
• Maintain perspective: School is a learning ground not just academically but socially and emotionally. Every challenge is an opportunity to build confidence, resilience, and lifelong skills that shape who we become.

Last week, I had the opportunity to watch our Year 5 and Year 6 debating team showcase their talent, confidence, and critical thinking skills. Congratulations to Charlie, Hayley, and Bethany for securing a well-earned victory. Special mentions to Oliver for his excellent role as chair, ensuring the debate ran smoothly and professionally, and to Ben for supporting the team.  They successfully debated for the affirmative that iPad, tablets and laptops have no place in the classroom – certainly a challenging topic to debate.

A special congratulation goes to Bethany, who was awarded the Best Debater of the night—a wonderful result as it was her first debate.

Debating is an invaluable experience for our students as it fosters confidence, sharpens public speaking abilities, enhances teamwork, and nurtures the ability to think critically and respond thoughtfully under pressure. Our debaters demonstrated all these qualities.

Well done to our team. I look forward to your next debate.

On 5 June, our school proudly joined the global movement for World Environment Day, embracing sustainability and community care. A huge thank you to Year 3/4MM, who led an insightful assembly packed with practical tips on how we can all do our part for the environment. From simple actions like sorting rubbish into the correct bins, turning off lights and taps, to more hands-on approaches like planting native plants and spending more time outdoors instead of on devices, their presentation reminded us that small changes make a big difference.

Our Year 5DH class took environmental action to the next level, venturing to The Gums Reserve to work alongside Landcare volunteers, planting a large number of native plants to help restore the area. This marks the seventh year our school has contributed to planting in The Gums Reserve, strengthening a partnership built on sustainability, respect for nature, and the shared vision of a greener future.

We are incredibly proud of our students’ enthusiasm and commitment to environmental care. Their efforts exemplify our school values—Kind, Respectful, and Learners—in ways that extend beyond the classroom and into the world around them.

Let’s continue working together to care for our planet. Every action counts!

Kind regards
Adrian Grbin

Benvenuti! Welcome!

Italian lessons during Semester 1 have continued with much enthusiasm.  The children enjoy singing Italian songs to help them with their language learning.  I have been immensley impressed with many students’, across all year levels, development of fluency when speaking, to introduce themselves and telling me a little about themselves, with an emphasis on further developing their Italian speaking skills.

The students in the Junior years thoroughly enjoy learning the Italian language through singing, dancing, role plays and written tasks.  Often the students sing a new song over and over to themselves, or even a small group sing in class while completing a written task.

In the upper years, students have been learning to use code switching in their writing. Code switching is when students write about a topic in both English and Italian, still maintaining the flow and meaning of the sentence.  Below is an example of an excerpt of what Year 6 students have been learning.

Our topic recently was La Festa della Repubblica. (Republic Day)

“La Festa della Repubblica is Italia’s national day which is celebrated il due giugno. It commemorates il giorno in 1946 when Italians voted to establish a republic. È celebrata with a variety of activities including musical performances.” - Addison Kerley

“La prima celebrazione of La Festa della Repubblica took place il 2 giugno 1947.  The main celebrazione take place in Roma.”  - Yana Grewal

Celebration and Military Parade For The 70th Anniversary Of The Italian Republic: The Frecce Tricolori (patrol Acrobatic National), an Italian Air Force aerobatic team, often performs a flyover L’Altare della Patria during the celebrations, trailing smoke in the colours of the Italian flag.

Saluti cordiali
Maestra Maria

Behind the scenes, our Parents & Friends Committee has been working hard to bring this year’s fundraising events to life! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s joined the team—we truly appreciate the time, energy, and creativity you’ve brought to the table.  We’re always looking for new faces and fresh ideas, so whether you can help occasionally or want to get more involved behind the scenes, we’d love to hear from you.  

A special shoutout as well to Hanna Niznik (Mum of Natalia 6HC) and our amazing Garlic Bread Tuesday volunteers! Your ongoing support and enthusiasm have helped create a fun (and delicious!) weekly highlight for the students.

This year, we’re aiming to raise $10,000 to fund a much-needed shade structure in front of the new sports shed. This addition will help keep our kids cool during PE and give parents a more comfortable spot to cheer from the sidelines.

Thanks for being part of our wonderful school community—your involvement, big or small, makes a lasting impact!

What’s Coming Up at St Joseph’s?

Garlic Bread Tuesdays (Terms 2 & 3)
Grab a tasty treat at recess—just $1 each piece! We’re always looking for volunteers to help out. If you can spare some time on a Tuesday, please contact Hanna.

Donut Day -  Friday 20 June 2025
Donuts will be available for purchase at lunchtime.  GF options available.  More details to come.

School Disco - Friday, 27 June 2025
More details will be sent out to families this week—stay tuned!

Trivia Night “Through the Decades” – NEW DATE Saturday, 23 August 2025
More information will be sent in the coming weeks in regards to registration so start gathering your table (10ppl) together. In the meantime, we’re now seeking and collecting prize and auction item donations for our Trivia Night. If you, your business, or someone you know can contribute, we’d love to hear from you!

Thank you for your continued Support!

Warm regards,
Nicole Goethals
On behalf of the Parents & Friends Committee