We look forward to our school presenting Mass with the Parish this weekend, as we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thank you to the students who have volunteered to read and serve on the altar, and to the families supporting our school community.

4/5/6 Religion

In religion lessons this term the 4/5/6 class are completing an inquiry unit entitled ‘How organisations promote social justice’. The essential questions the students are investigating include:

How do values and beliefs impact governing systems?

What is social justice?

How is social justice promoted?

The class have discussed how family beliefs and attitudes impact our decisions and revised our school values. They have researched human rights and will look at how Jesus promoted human rights by reading the parables in the bible. The students will discover the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and research organisations that promote Social Justice – such as St Vincent de Paul, Caritas and Catholic Mission.

Thank you to the Community Council for purchasing a class set of Bibles that all the students will be able to use when class groups unpack the Gospel readings.

Parish News

The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be held on Sunday 19^th September in St James Church. The children will make the Sacrament before 10.00am Mass. Students in Year 3 and above may enrol.

First Communion will be held on Sunday 17^th October 2021 at the 10.00am Mass. Parents who have enrolled will receive an Information package at Mass this Sunday. Families will be given workbooks to work through with their child and I will contact families about a time to meet after school for lessons – preferably on a Wednesday. We will need to follow all Covid guidelines with our lesson preparations.

Please contact Liz Murray if you have any questions regarding the Sacraments.(Elizabeth.murray@cg.catholic.edu.au)

- Liz Murray

Religious Education Co-ordinator

On Tuesday the 10th August we were all waiting to go on the excursion. Ding Ding, Ding Ding there the bell goes. I raced down, washed my hands and lined up. I was first to get my clipboard and line up “off we go” I shouted as I was standing next to my friend Lily. We walked down to the museum. On the way we had to look for dates on the old buildings. At the museum Margaret showed us around the museum. We saw an old model of the Adelong Falls. The thing that interested me the most was the Baby Scales, the Horse Blinkers and the Country Women’s Association Banner. We saw an old Rock Crusher, a tiny model of a Wagon and an old Pan and Wheels they used to crush even more rocks with.

There was a spot to tip the rocks down to be crushed. Then they would go into the little Pan with Wheels to get the gold out of it. Then the Wagon would come along and collect the old rock. I also found bark straps, a priest box, proper horse shoes, a board with names, C.W.A. banners and aprons, a pram, a marble, handcuffs, baby Scales and a bullock whip. 

The dates I found were 1905 which was on the School 1837 which was above Better Home Living. On the way back we didn’t find many dates.

- By Alice

Book Week will begin on Monday 23rd August with our Book Week Parade on Wednesday 25th August starting at 9:30am.  Students will have the opportunity to look at the Book Fair on Monday 23rd August in their classes and make their wishlist.

This week, Years 3-6 presented their speeches for the annual Archdiocese public speaking competition. The teachers are so proud of the effort all students put into writing and presenting their speeches. As per the rules of the competition, two students from each year were selected to participate in a speak off against St Mary’s Batlow, which will take place next Wednesday at St Joseph’s, with independent adjudicators. The selected students are: Ainslie and Charlie (Year 6); Arthur and Toby (Year 5); Fred and Culley (Year 4) and Laura and Lily (Year 3). We wish them all good luck for next week.

PRC Rule Adjustment update

It is getting close to the end of the Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2021, and students in greater Sydney, who are learning from home, may have some additional challenges when completing student reading records. 
 

To support all students, the following adjustments have been applied to the Challenge in 2021. A full list of changes for 2021 can be found on the PRC rules page. 

• The Challenge closing date has been extended to allow extra time to finalise student entries and coordinator validations. The new closing dates are:
• Challenge closes for students: Friday September 3, 2021
• Challenge closes for coordinators: Friday September 17, 2021
• Students on all Challenge levels will be able to read 10 choice books. 
• Students on all Challenge levels will be able to include books on their reading records that they read collaboratively as a class, in person or online with their teacher or at home with their parents/carers. 

We appreciate all the work you do to support students in their participation in the Challenge. The following documents on our PRC support site may assist you with your coordination tasks in the coming weeks.

• How do I find books for students to read from home? 
• How can students add choice books to their reading records?
• How are student reading records validated?
• How can I check on the progress of students at my school?

If you have any further questions, please email us at prc@det.nsw.edu.au

Kind regards,
Tamara Rodgers
NSW Premier's Programs Officer, Reading and Spelling

The Community Council has a street stall coming up on Friday 20 August.

All help would be appreciated and if you are able to do a time slot, please click on the link and pop your name in. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-vG8tGrt_D5svl-U1tv2iyp1f01DDxdJLvKFfRPzbnA/edit?usp=sharing

Keep up to date with events happening at St Joseph's via our electronic school calendar (please note dates can be subject to change).