2 September 2025 (Week 7 Term 3 2025)
Dear St Joseph’s Community
It has been a very busy past two weeks in the life of the school community!
I was sorry to miss Family Day this year, as I was away presenting research on behalf of the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools at a conference. From all reports, it was a wonderful success – perhaps our biggest yet!
This year we made some changes to the morning assembly to encourage greater engagement with families, and I have heard how much energy and fun this brought to the start of the day. A huge thank you to Mr Crosby and Mrs Jones for their leadership in my absence, and to all of our staff who gave so much of their time and effort to ensure the day ran smoothly.
Thank you also to all of our families who contributed in different ways – from donating a book to our library (helping us to keep it a rich and high-quality resource for students) to volunteering in the canteen, supporting the bake sale, or baking treats at home. Your generosity and support make such days possible.
Through these combined efforts, we also raised over $500 for St Vincent de Paul – a fantastic outcome and a real example of our community working together for others.
Over the past two weekends, a number of our students celebrated the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. This is such a significant milestone in their sacramental journey, as it marks their full participation in the Eucharist and deeper communion with the Catholic Church. We extend our warmest congratulations to all of the students who received this sacrament. We pray that they may continue to grow in faith, hope, and love, supported by the guidance of their families, teachers, and parish. May this step on their faith journey be one of joy and blessing for them and for our community.
Over the past two weeks, our students have achieved some terrific sporting success, both at the Diocesan Athletics and during the Stage 3 Gala Sports Days. Their effort, teamwork, and enthusiasm were wonderful to see, and you can read more about their achievements in Mr Seymour’s Sports section below.
Congratulations to our school choir on their fantastic achievement at the Lismore Eisteddfod. The choir performed with joy and energy, winning first place in both of the sections they entered. This is an outstanding result that reflects their commitment and teamwork. Beyond the trophies, what stood out most was the confidence our students displayed on stage. A special thank you to Mrs Jones and Kate Webber for their leadership and encouragement, and to the families who supported rehearsals and performances. We are so proud of our students for the way they shared their gifts with such confidence and joy.
Our recent poetry recital and public speaking competition was a wonderful showcase of our students’ talents and hard work. Their excellent efforts highlighted their growing creativity and confidence. A sincere thank you to Mr Crosby for organising the event and serving as judge. His support and encouragement helped create such a positive experience for our students. We congratulate all participants on their excellent work, and we now look forward to our finalists proudly representing us at the regional competition on Thursday, 18 September.
Reminder - Raising Calm and Connected Kids Workshop Next Tuesday!
We warmly invite all parents and carers to a special workshop presented by our Occupational Therapist, Rachael Jennings:
🗓 Tuesday, 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 attached flyer.
New Shirt for the Uniform
Thank you to all the families who provided feedback on the two uniform design options shared last week. We received 46 survey responses, which gave us a strong sense of community preference.
The design most similar to our current shirt received an average rating of 2.4/5, while the newer design (shown below) received an average rating of 4.5/5. This was the clear favourite for almost all respondents.
We will therefore move forward with the new design. It offers a smart, modern look that will serve our students well for many years to come.
Uniform Reminder
A general reminder to please send students to school in the full and correct uniform. We ask students to wear the school bomber jacket if they are cold, rather than non-school uniform items. Jewellery is not allowed, however students who have pierced ears may wear sleepers or studs; these should be plain. Sleepers should be small enough so as to not allow a finger to accidentally enter when playing sport, so we can avoid injury.
Arriving to school punctually
A gentle reminder of the importance of arriving at school punctually each day. Our morning session is vital, with teachers outlining the day and beginning the Literacy Block – a key part of our learning program.
When students arrive on time, they begin the day calmly, settled, and ready to learn. Building this routine helps set them up for success and ensures they don’t miss out on important learning opportunities.
School Community Group Meeting
Thank you to those parents who joined us for our School Community Group Meeting last week. Thanks to Mr Crsoby for sharing the work our teachers and students have been doing in numeracy fluency. Here is the link to the notes from the meeting. Thanks to Kirsten MacDonald for taking the notes.
Please save the date for the next meeting in Term 4 - Thursday, 13 November 6:30 - 7:45pm.
Father's Day Reflection
Father’s Day is a time to give thanks for the gift of fathers and all those who show us a father’s love. We celebrate the men in our lives who guide, protect, and encourage us, often in quiet and humble ways. Their presence reminds us of the strength that comes through love, patience, and faithfulness.
As Christians, we look to St Joseph as a model of fatherhood, the Patron Saint of fathers. Though in the Gospels, Joseph is silent, his actions speak volumes. Joseph was a man of trust, courage, and compassion, who protected Mary and Jesus, nurturing them with steadfast care. His example reminds us that fatherhood is not only about responsibility, but also about presence; being there in the everyday moments of family life.
On this Father’s Day, we pray for all fathers, grandfathers, and father-figures in our community. We ask God to bless them with wisdom in their decisions, gentleness in their care, and joy in the love they share with their families.
May this day be an opportunity for us all to give thanks for the love we have received, and to continue to show that same love to others.
Number Fluency Program- Parents invited
On Friday, 12 September, starting at 1:50pm (before our assembly begins), we would like to invite parents to visit our classrooms to observe our Number Fluency Program in action. Our fluency program runs for 10-15 minutes daily at the start of each maths lesson. It is a dedicated time to work specifically on fluency. Students practice and consolidate essential skills covering: Subitising, Part-Part-Whole, Additive Thinking, Place Value and Multiplicative Thinking.
The Number Fluency Program is based on the individual student taking ownership of their learning journey. It focuses on students improving their personal best by setting goals and practising regularly. The Number Fluency Program is designed to provide regular, low-stakes opportunities for targeted practice and review. The short, sharp sessions become part of the classroom routine and build confidence and self-efficacy in maths.
We look forward to having parents see this program in action.
The Power of Number Lines: A Tool for Mathematical Understanding
At school, we use different tools to help students understand mathematical concepts. One of the most powerful tools is the number line, a visual model that helps kids develop a strong sense of numbers and their relationships to one another.
A number line represents numbers based on their distance from a zero point. This tool isn't just for counting; it's a great way for students to visualise how numbers relate to each other, like how far apart they are.
Two Types of Number Lines
There are two main types of number lines used in the classroom:
- Structured Number Line: This is a standard number line with evenly spaced markings that represent proportional segments. It's useful for helping students learn to count the spaces between numbers, not just the numbers themselves.
- Empty Number Line: This type of number line only has markings for the numbers that are needed for a specific problem. It supports students' visualisation of their thinking when adding or subtracting, and it's introduced once they have a firm grasp of a structured number line.
How You Can Help at Home
Using number lines at home can be a simple and quick process. You don't need a special ruler—you can draw one on a piece of paper or even on the back of a receipt. Here are a few ways to use this tool with your child:
- Practice Counting and Sizing: Draw a number line with your child and ask them to point to different numbers. Ask questions like, "Which number is bigger?" or "How far is it from 50 to 75?" This helps them see the relative size of numbers.
- Draw empty number lines using chalk. Put some question marks on the line and ask your child what number should go there.
- Solve Everyday Problems: Use a number line to help with simple addition or subtraction.
- Connect Maths to the Real World: Number lines aren't just for maths class! You can point them out in everyday life. For instance, a thermometer is a vertical number line used to measure temperature, and a timeline for a family holiday is a number line that organises dates.
By using a number line, you're helping your child build a strong foundation in mathematics by connecting numbers to a visual model they can understand. This consistent practice helps them transfer their math skills to other areas of life and learning.
Check out this Number Line Game for more practice.
Family Day Colouring Competition
Congratulations to Maddi and Cati, who won the Family Day Colouring Competition.
Family Day Passport Draw
Congratulations to Lachy and Edward, who won the passport draw from Family Day. They each won a beautiful book chosen by Mrs Graveson!
First Communion
Diocesan Athletics Carnival
On Tuesday last week, we had 12 students attend the Diocesan Athletics Carnival in Coffs Harbour. We congratulate all of these students who not only represented our school, but also our Zone with great pride and sportsmanship.
We congratulate the following students who were successful in their events, and will progress to Polding Athletics in Newcastle in Week 8 this term.
Jonty Allen - 1st place MC 100m, 1st place MC Long Jump, 1st place MC Shot Put
Harvey Emery - 3rd 100m
Jack Kubils - 3rd Discuss
We further congratulate Jonty Allen who was awarded Senior Boys Age Champion Runner Up.
On Friday, our Stage 3 children participated in the Stage 3 Gala Day with other children from our Zone. This year Soccer was postponed due to the bad weather so just MultiSport and Netball went ahead. Our children had an amazing day competing against 9 other schools from our Diocese.
We look forward to the Stage 3 Soccer Gala day hopefully taking place in Week 8.
I want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that came to Family Day and visited the Library to celebrate ‘Book an Adventure’. It was so lovely to see everyone enjoying the books and all of the children’s artwork and writing.
Another HUGE thank you to all the families who purchased books for their children and donated books to our School! We had over 70 books donated, which will be available for the children to borrow in the next couple of weeks. Also, we raised over $1,400 from these book sales to be used towards more Library resources!
Thank you to all the staff and the parent helpers ... our Book Week couldn’t have been achieved without your support.
Lismore Eisteddfod success - congratulations to our winning Choir!
Congratulations to our school choir, who won First Place in two sections at the Eisteddfod. Our special thanks to Mrs Kate Webber for her incredible work preparing the students! The time, energy and love you give our choir is extraordinary. Thank you!
Learning growth can occur when your child attends school every day
By attending school every day, students maximise their exposure to educational opportunities, engage in meaningful learning experiences, and lay the foundation for continuous academic progress. Regular attendance provides students with the opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification, and collaborate with others, enhancing their understanding of the material.
Parents and educators play important roles in fostering an environment that promotes and values regular attendance, contributing to the overall success and wellbeing of students.
Extended Absences from School
Families wishing to remove their child from School must request prior approval from the Principal for any absence longer than 10 consecutive days. This is called an Exemption from School Attendance - please complete Extended Leave Notification (Form 01) and forward to alstp@lism.catholic.edu.au for School Principal approval. Approval will not be given for family holidays. This will be seen as an absence from School (or unapproved leave). We kindly request families schedule family holidays in school holiday periods as even a small number of days absence has a significant impact on student learning.
SAVE THE DATE !!!
