Dear Parents and Carers,

We have a had a wonderful week at school! It is so hard to believe that we have nearly finished Week 8!

Congratulations to Lochie and Toby Roots and Fred and Arthur Roche who came second in the small schools’ relay at Homebush on Tuesday. They swam some of their best times and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Special mention of Culley Reynolds who helped get the team to Homebush by swimming a successful leg at the Western Region Carnival. I would like to sincerely thank Leanne Turnbull for providing extra training for the team.

St Joseph’s Community Council

The Council held their second meeting of the term last night. Thank you to Jenna Roots, Belinda Roche, Michael Campbell, Lauren Roche, Jess Reynolds and Lachlan Roche who have accepted executive positions for another year and to the parents who came along to the open meeting. There was much discussion about fundraising, which ultimately goes to providing resources for the children. There will be times this year when we ask parents to help either in attending events or assisting with the organisation. If you could commit to just one event that would be wonderful. All parents are welcome to attend the open meeting each term and put forward ideas or ask questions. If you can’t attend the meetings but have something to offer, please contact one of the Council members.

St Joseph’s Day

We held a lovely celebration of St Joseph’s Day last Friday. Fr Namora celebrated Mass and many families joined us for lunch. Thank you to Rick Singh who supplied an enormous box of hot chips for the students to share! What a generous gesture!

School Mass

Thank you to the students who were able to assist in the celebration of Mass on Sunday. I believe they did a wonderful job. Special thanks to Miss Braun for organizing the Mass and to Mrs Murray who had to step in at the last minute to help! I know it is difficult to get to Mass on Sunday mornings because of other commitments but it would be lovely to see more families come along and be a part of the parish.

Covid and Vaccinations

It has been gratifying to see a number of students receive their second vaccination this week. Some schools are still experiencing high numbers of infections, so I believe we are very lucky in our little corner of the world to be Covid free! We still have a number of testing kits available so please contact the school if you would like to have some on hand, and we can send them home.

NAPLAN

Year 3 and Year 5 students will be participating in NAPLAN this year from the 10th– 20th May. This comprises of 4 online exams in writing, reading, grammar and punctuation and numeracy. The teachers will provide opportunities for the students to complete practice tests to ensure the IT network can cope with testing requirements and the students understand how to complete the tests. This shouldn’t be an anxious time for students, it is a snap shot of their progress in these areas at this time and can be influenced by many external factors. Teachers are continually assessing, reviewing and providing feedback to the students about their learning. The NAPLAN data provides an additional source of information that can be used to determine areas of need.

K/1 Parent Teacher Interviews

Thank you to the K/1 parents who have made time to speak to the teachers about their child’s progress. It is so important for students to see that you value their education and that home and school are working as team.  My thanks also to the staff who ensure that they communicate regularly with families to provide ongoing support for the students.

God bless,

Katrina McGrath

Acting Principal