24 June 2025 (Week 9 Term 2 2025)
Dear St Joseph’s Community
As we enter the final two weeks of term, there is still so much to look forward to as a school community.
This Wednesday, we begin First Holy Communion formation for students wishing to receive this important sacrament. An information session for parents will launch the program, helping families understand what lies ahead. First Holy Communion is a sacred and joyful milestone for our students and their families. As Catholics, we believe that receiving the Eucharist draws us closer to Jesus and to one another. We look forward to walking with our students on this journey of faith.
We’re also excited for our Athletics Carnival this Friday. Once again, we’ll be joined by St Joseph’s Coraki and look forward to sharing this special day with them. While events and personal bests are part of the fun, this is first and foremost a community day—a time to cheer one another on and enjoy time together outdoors. A detailed run sheet will be shared with families soon, and parents are warmly invited to attend and support their children. If you’re available to assist on the day, please get in touch with Mr Seymour. Thank you to Mr Seymour for his hard work in preparing for the event.
In Week 10, we’ll celebrate our Community Reward Day on Monday with a movie screening of Paper Planes and a paper plane-making and throwing competition. Thank you to Mrs Jones for organising this creative and fun way to celebrate our students’ positive efforts this term.
A few important notices below in "Around the School".
The Feast Of Corpus Christi
This Sunday, the Church celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi, which means “The Body of Christ.” It’s a time when Catholics pause to reflect on the meaning and mystery of the Eucharist—where we believe that Jesus is truly present in the bread and wine shared at Mass.
At its heart, this feast is about nourishment—not just for the body, but for the soul. It’s a reminder that we are all invited to be people of compassion, generosity, and unity. In a world that can often feel divided or rushed, Corpus Christi calls us back to something simple and essential: the power of sharing a meal, gathering as a community, and remembering those in need.
Whether or not you share the same faith, we can all recognise the beauty in moments that bring people together, where everyone has a place at the table.
You are invited to listen to Bishop Greg’s Homily from Sunday’s Mass.
What is ICAS?
ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies.
ICAS results are in-depth and meaningful, and ICAS evaluates student performance against other competition entrants across the state and nation. The data reveals student strengths and weaknesses and can help you recognise and support your child's academic journey.
Learn more about ICAS here: icasassessments.com/products-icas/
How to participate in ICAS
If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please go to the Parent Portal to register for your chosen subjects.
Direct login link
Use this link to log directly into the shop and start registering:
https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/XFV264
First Eucharist Information Night
This is a friendly reminder that the First Eucharist Information Night is this Wednesday at 6pm in the staffroom. This night is for any student (Year 4 and above) who has received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Reconciliation and wishes to make their First Eucharist this year.
Please contact Tanya in the Parish Office (6628 3047) or me if you have any questions
Semester 1 Reports and Parent Teacher Meetings
Our teachers are currently in the process of preparing Semester 1 reports, which provide a snapshot of the learning your child has been engaged in throughout the first half of the year. These reports are based on a wide range of assessment strategies and classroom observations, ensuring we develop a clear understanding of what each student knows, understands, and can do. We thank our teaching staff for the time, care, and professional judgement they bring to this important process. Semester 1 reports will be released on Monday, June 30.
Parent-Teacher Meetings for Kindergarten to Year 6 will be held on Tuesday, July 29 and Wednesday, 30 July. Teachers will offer appointment times in both the mornings and afternoons across these two days.
These 10-minute meetings provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on your child’s Semester 1 Report, discuss their learning progress, and talk about goals for the semester ahead. Due to time constraints, we ask that families make one booking per child. If you feel a longer conversation is needed, your child’s teacher will be happy to arrange a follow-up meeting.
Bookings will open via the Conferences tab on Compass at 4:00pm on Friday, June 27 (Week 9), and will close at 4:00pm on Monday, July 28.
Your child is welcome to attend the meeting with you, although this is not required.
School Community Group Meeting
On Tuesday, we welcomed 18 parents to our School Community Group Meeting. We’re doing our best to be inclusive for busy families by offering a Zoom option, and this time we trialled new microphones to improve audio quality.
It was great to share our early NAPLAN results, which show many areas of strength and growth—thanks to the ongoing commitment of our teachers and students. We also shared the next steps for the school uniform transition (see below).
Thank you to Mr Crosby for sharing how we are using evidence-based strategies to strengthen student attendance, and to Mrs Jones for her input on how parents can support children in their friendships. Thank you also to Bella Selleck and Anna Saltmarsh for taking notes, and to Simone Green for chairing the meeting. Here is the link to the notes prepared.
A strong message from parents was interest in a resilience-building workshop. We are working with our Occupational Therapist, Rachael Jennings, to develop a workshop-style evening session for Term 3. This session will include practical ideas and also time for parents to share and connect. We’ll share the date and details soon.
St Joseph’s Uniform – Next Directions
At the meeting, we also provided an update on our school uniform review. We have engaged with a number of suppliers, including School Locker, Lowes, Noone and Ranier. At this stage, School Locker is the only supplier in a position to support a smooth transition for our school. I recommended moving forward with them, and feedback from those in attendance was positive.
Parents were able to view sample uniforms from local schools that use School Locker, and the quality and design were well received.
As we look to refresh our uniform, not completely redesign it, we’d love to form a small uniform committee made up of students, staff, and parents to help gather and coordinate feedback. If you are interested in being involved, please complete this short expression of interest form.
While uniform changes will never please every taste, our goal is to develop a design that reflects our identity as a school and that we can all be proud of. We will ensure any changes are phased in over time and that value for money remains a priority.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we approach the end of a busy and rewarding term.
Choir
Our choir are doing an incredible job learning songs for the Eisteddfod. Our students are showing tremendous dedication by attending weekly lunchtime rehearsals and are sounding great!
Our songs for this year's Lismore Eisteddfod entry are:
- ‘Naughty’ from Matilda the Musical
- ‘Any Dream Will Do’ from Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat
- ‘Burn like a Star’ by Rend Collective
- ‘Waymaker’ by Leeland
We look forward to performing ‘Naughty’ at our next school assembly in Week 10, which will provide an opportunity to practice performing in front of an audience. Please join us at the assembly for this confidence-building performance!
Thank you to our families for supporting and encouraging their child to continue learning the songs at home.
Athletics Carnival 2025
This Friday we will hold our Athletics Carnival at Geoff Watt Oval.
As we are leaving school grounds, parents are required to provide permission via the Compass Event for children to attend.
Once finalised, a Schedule of Events will be available in the Resources tab of the Compass Event, together with any other information that you may require. A reminder that the Canteen cutoff is strictly TONIGHT for ordering from the special menu for Friday's carnival. There are minimal snacks that can be purchased (cash only) on the day.
If you are available to volunteer on the day could you please contact the school to let us know.
If you plan on taking your child home early on the day, please send an email to alstp@lism.catholic.edu.au prior to Friday.
We can’t wait to enjoy this day together and pray the rain stays away!
Due to the athletics carnival this coming Friday, the uniform shop will be open on Friday, 27 June from 2:30pm - 4pm. You can order through the Compass app and orders will be sent home that afternoon.
As we move toward the final weeks of Term 2, we’d like to take a moment to highlight the importance of regular school attendance and the impact it has on student learning and wellbeing.
We understand that family time is important and that holidays are a valuable way to recharge and reconnect. However, we ask families to plan these breaks during the scheduled school holiday periods. Under the NSW Education Act (1990), it is a legal requirement that children of compulsory school age attend school every day it is open for instruction. Family holidays taken during the school term are considered absences and must be explained in writing. While a short trip may seem harmless, missing even a few days can have a significant impact on our learners.
Our curriculum is carefully structured and delivered in a progressive sequence. Each lesson builds on the last, with new concepts, discussions, and tasks that help students grow in their understanding. When students miss school, they often miss key learning moments that are difficult to replicate. This can make it harder for them to keep up academically and may lead to unnecessary stress.
In addition, regular absences can affect a child’s social connections. School is more than just academic—it’s where students develop friendships, learn routines, and practise important social skills. Being away during term time can mean missing out on group work, class projects, or events that help build a sense of belonging.
We are committed to supporting families, and we understand that at times, absences are unavoidable. However, we ask that holidays be planned during school breaks so that students have every opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
Thank you for your support in making every single school day count.
Gardiner Chess
Congratulations to the students who represented us proudly at the Gardiner Chess Competition on Monday 23/6/25. Marlon, Hunter, Eva, Lara and Flynn did us proud.
Extra congratulations to Lily and Marlon who received merit awards in their divisions and to Hunter who won second place in B division.
