5 August 2025 (Week 3 Term 3 2025)
Dear St Joseph’s Community
What a wonderful start we’ve had to Term 3! There’s been a great sense of energy around the school as students have settled back into routines and teachers continue to work hard to ensure every child is engaged in their best learning. It has also been lovely to have the children able to make the most of outside play, with the sun shining and the recent trim of the fig trees ensuring they are safe.
Last week, we proudly celebrated NAIDOC Week with a range of rich cultural experiences across the school. A sincere thank you to Mr Murgha for his leadership in organising activities that honoured and deepened our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. We thank those members of the indigenous community who were able to join us for the assembly on Friday. We also thank Gillian Henderson and Zoey Lange for their support in cooking our BBQ lunch on Wednesday. It has been lovely seeing students wear proudly the beads they made with their friends and Mr Murgha.
This week, we look ahead to our Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, where students will take part in a liturgy and a variety of outreach and social justice activities.
We’ve also marked 100 days of Kindergarten, with plenty of fun, smiles and creative costumes as our youngest learners reached this special milestone in their schooling journey. Thanks to Mrs Wraight and Mrs Moran for their work in organising this special celebration.
A reminder that Family Day, the biggest day of our school year, is coming up in a few short weeks. Please RSVP below! We are looking forward to sharing this special day with you!
It’s been a joyful and busy start to the term, filled with learning, celebration and community spirit. Thank you for your continued support.
Family Day
We are very excited to have Family Day on 22 August this year. The theme for book week this year is ‘Book an Adventure’.
Please see the information below about this event. Following the success fo last year’s bake sale which raised money for St Vinnies, we are again calling on home bakers to make donations for a bake sale and volunteers to help run the stall on the day. If you’re able to help, would you mind emailing alstp@lism.catholic.edu.au.
Please RSVP for our Family Day BBQ via this link by Wednesday, 13th August for catering purposes. We also have a coffee cart arranged for parents for the day.
We look forward to a fun day with all our families!
Blessing of Our New School Statue
Last week, we were honoured to welcome Bishop Greg to St Joseph’s for the official blessing of our new school statue. This special moment was a significant milestone in the life of our school, and we are grateful for Bishop Greg’s presence and the way he spoke so warmly to our students about the deep love and care of St Joseph and about how to be good, kind people of who show love to one another.
The statue now stands as a visible reminder of the strength, humility, and guidance of our patron saint. It invites us daily to walk in his footsteps—quietly serving others, listening deeply, and trusting in God’s plan.
We thank all who contributed to the planning and installation of the statue, and we especially thank Bishop Greg for leading this beautiful liturgical moment in our school’s story. Thank you to those parents who were able to bring a plate to share for the afternoon tea that followed. May St Joseph continue to watch over and inspire our community.
New Building Updates – Student Bathroom Renovations
We are pleased to announce that our long-awaited student bathroom renovations are now moving ahead. This is a much-desired project, jointly funded by the school and the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools (DLCS).
DLCS is now set to deliver a complete redesign of both the boys’ and girls’ bathrooms to better reflect the needs of a modern school environment. Planned improvements include:
- Improved visibility and open sightlines
- Longer stall doors for increased privacy
- Upgraded lighting
- More toilets and sinks
- New water bottle refill stations
The DLCS will oversee the project. While the work is underway, temporary, fully plumbed demountable toilets will be installed on-site, with the location to be confirmed shortly. We have yet to be shared a timeline for the project.
Thank you for your support and understanding as we undertake these important works. I know our students will be patient as we navigate any changes to routine together. I’ll continue to provide updates as more details become available.
Parent Teacher Meetings, Thanks
Thank you to all the families who attended Parent Teacher Interviews this week. These meetings play an important role in strengthening the partnership between home and school, and we are grateful for the opportunity to sit down with you to discuss your child’s progress, strengths, and next steps. We deeply value your insights and the support you provide at home. Working together in this way helps ensure the best outcomes for every student. Thank you again for your time, trust and collaboration.
Reflection
Mary MacKillop Feast Day is Friday, 8 August.
This Friday, we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, a remarkable woman whose life continues to inspire our school community.
Mary MacKillop, together with Fr Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, the religious order that laid the foundation for our own St Joseph’s School here in Alstonville. Her vision was bold: to provide education and care for those who were most in need, particularly in rural and remote communities. She faced hardship, rejection, and challenge, but her response was always guided by her deep trust in God and a tireless commitment to serving others.
Mary once wrote, “Never see a need without doing something about it.” This simple but powerful call to action captures the heart of her mission. It’s also the spirit we hope to live out with our Social Justice and Service Afternoon this Friday. As our students head out into the community, visiting aged care homes, offering small acts of kindness, and engaging with those around us, they are walking in Mary’s footsteps.
We are blessed to be part of a school whose roots are grounded in such courageous and compassionate faith. May we continue to be inspired by Mary’s example and seek, like her, to make God’s love visible through our actions.
Gift of the Gab 2025
Our Poetry Recital and Speech Competition, Gift of the Gab, will be held again this term. Our school event will lead up to an interschool speaking competition between seven local Catholic primary schools.
This event will be hosted by Holy Family Primary School, Skennars Head, in Week 9 of Term 3.
The finalists from our school-based competition will represent our school at this regional competition.
Click here for more information.
Here is the link to register your child
We look forward to celebrating our recitalists and public speakers!
UNSW Robotics Coding Challenge
A nationwide STEM game coding event for all students!
Theme: Design and Build Safe Structures to Protect People from Natural Hazards
Players must build safe structures that withstand:
- 🌪️ Cyclones
- 🌊 Floods
- 🔥 Wildfires
- ☀️ Droughts or other natural disasters
🌟 Open to All – No Coding Experience Needed!
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day Celebration
We are excited to celebrate the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop this Friday, 8 August. The day will begin with a special liturgy in the church at 12:30pm, followed by an afternoon dedicated to service and connection within our community.
Our students will take part in a range of outreach activities, including visits to Possum Place Early Learning, Alstonville Community Preschool, Alstonville Early Learning Centre, Maranoa Aged Care, and our own school garden. We are also delighted to welcome parishioners into our school to share craft and conversation with our Kindergarten students.
A heartfelt thank you to all the community organisations and individuals who generously welcome us. We are truly grateful for these meaningful opportunities to engage with and contribute to our wider community.
Choir Competing at the Lismore Eisteddfod
Our combined K-6 choir is excited to compete at the upcoming Lismore Eisteddfod on Wednesday, 27 August.
In order to polish our performance for the competition, we would like to have one afternoon rehearsal on Friday, 15 August from 3.30 - 4.30pm. Please let Kate Webber and I know if your child in the choir can join us for this rehearsal via this quick form. Parents are welcome to stay for the rehearsal!
Family Day - Help Needed
Family Day is just around the corner, and we’re so excited to celebrate with our students and families! This year, we’ll once again be running a cake stall to raise funds for the Alstonville chapter of St Vincent de Paul, supporting vulnerable individuals and families in our local community.
As part of the day, we’d love your help in a few ways:
- Volunteering in the canteen or on the BBQ – just let us know on the RSVP form.
- Donating baked goods – cakes, slices, biscuits, or other treats are all welcome! These can be dropped at the school office the day before, or delivered directly to Mrs Hall at the cake stall (located in the upper undercover area near the coffee cart) on the morning of Family Day.
We can’t wait to see everyone dressed up in their Book Week costumes and enjoying a fun-filled day together!
Thank you for your continued support and generosity!
📣 Parent Workshop: Raising Calm, Connected Kids
We warmly invite all parents and carers to a special workshop presented by our Occupational Therapist, Rachael Jennings:
🗓 Monday, 9 September 2025
🕕 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 McCarthy Hall, St Joseph’s Primary
This interactive session will offer practical strategies to:
- Set clear, loving boundaries appropriate to your child’s age
- Reduce conflict and create a calm, predictable home environment
- Strengthen communication and connection within your family
It’s a chance to pause, reflect, and gain tools for supporting your child through every stage of development. This will be run by Rachael as a workshop to allow time for input, discussion and sharing.
🧒 Supervision will be available for students who need to attend with their parents.
We hope you can join us for this valuable evening of shared learning and discussion.
Please RSVP via this link or via the QR code in the flyer below
Kindergarten celebrated 100 Days of School yesterday! Their entire day consisted of one hundred themed activities in the areas of English, Maths, Art, and PE. They loved having their big buddies and families there to celebrate with them!
VISA students
Parents of visa students are reminded that they are responsible for advising the school if their child’s visa status changes. Please contact the office with any updates.
Attendance Notes in Compass
If a student is absent from school, parents can use the Attendance feature in Compass to provide an explanation for their child’s absence for WHOLE day absences only. Please do not use the Compass App for partial absences. (Note: this may differ in a high school situation.)
If your child will be late to school or leaving early, we ask you to email (alstp@lism.catholic.edu.au) or phone the school rather than submitting an Attendance Note. If your child arrives after 10am, you will still receive an SMS. You can disregard this in this instance. We will update your child’s attendance record at the time of their arrival or departure.
Safe Technology Use - Upcoming Workshops
Parents are invited to attend an informative and practical session with renowned online safety expert Kirra Pendergast on Tuesday, 26 August at Woodlawn. Kirra will speak honestly about the risks children face in the digital world—such as predators, cyberbullying, image-based abuse—and provide advice for managing group chats, gaming, and social media.
Refreshments from 5:30 pm | Session begins at 6:00 pm
To register, scan the QR code on the flyer.
Our parent assembly team are also working with the DLCS to have a technology focus for our next School Community Group Meeting on August 28th. Mrs Janita Thomson will run a session on The Tech Diet for Your Child and Teen by Brad Marshal. This should be a very informative and practical session, particularly as we look towards December, when social media will become illegal for those under 16.
Ballina Allstars Athletics – 2025–26 Season
Whether you’re new to athletics or chasing a personal best, there’s a place for you at Ballina Allstars! 
Event Nights: Wednesdays, 4:00pm – 6:30pm
Location: Kingsford Smith Park, Ballina
Season Starts: 8 October 2025
Mid-Season Break: 18 December 2025 – 14 January 2026
Final Club Night: 18 March 2026
Tiny Tots Program (ages 3–5):
Starts 8 October, 4:15pm–5:00pm
10 weeks of play-based movement, games and fun – guided by accredited coaches.
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT – Register before 31 August and save $10 with code BAA10
Register Now: www.ballinaallstars.com.au/
Palace Cinemas Free Ticket opportunity
FREE Tickets for Students Under 18yrs old to Damon Gameau’s new documentary FUTURE COUNCIL - For one weekend only. Join us this SATURDAY AUGUST 9 & SUNDAY AUGUST 10 at Palace Ballina Fair Cinemas.
TICKET OFFER TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The offer applies at all sessions of Future Council at Ballina Fair Cinemas on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August 2025. Those receiving the free ticket must be students aged 18 or under. To redeem the offer a current student ID must be shown when purchasing tickets. One paying adult must attend with each student to redeem a free ticket – up to 2 FREE Students per transaction. The offer is not available for online transactions and tickets must be purchased at the cinema box office. Tickets available to purchase from Monday 4th August over the counter. Please Note: Future Council will no be screening at Palace Byron Bay.
Trailer: Future Council | Palace Cinemas
