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Dear parents, carers and the St Joseph’s community,
On Saturday evening, we had 28 candidates from our Year 6 cohort and the St Joseph’s Parish make their Sacrament of Confirmation. This important and special occasion in the children’s faith journey brings them into full participation in the Church. Through this sacrament, the candidates receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Fortitude, Counsel, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. These gifts are not to be hidden or ignored but celebrated and acted upon. Through this, they bear fruit, the fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. These are qualities we want to see in our children, as they grow and engage with the world around them. Please keep our candidates in your thoughts and prayers at this time.
How we speak to others
As we head into the end of Term 3, I want to reflect on a comment that has arisen in recent weeks in relation to our school. It was about the amount of racist and derogatory remarks that are made between the students on the playground. As with almost all societal challenges, our classrooms and our schools are often tasked with addressing and educating student behaviour in an effort to continue developing informed and caring young people to enter the wider world. This is a much valued and necessary role within schools. However, it is not one that rests solely on the school, and such poor language and behaviour that at times does present itself, is not condoned or ignored here at St Joseph’s. Unfortunately, our world is experiencing tremendous political and ideological upheaval, and there is a great deal of media coverage that our students become aware of directly, and indirectly. There is protest and there is solidarity, all of which our young people are trying to make sense of. To assist with this, I would ask that parents take notice of what their children are seeing and hearing and to discuss what is, and what is not, appropriate to say to others. Often there is a lack of understanding of the situation or the ramifications of hurtful comments, but together both school and home can support a message of tolerance and valuing of ‘others’.
Musical
Things are starting to come together for our upcoming musical, Dr Doolittle. Over recent months, our lead cast members have been learning their lines and rehearsing with Mrs Fletcher. It is all sounding good. Early in Term 4 we will be working on the backdrops, so please keep an ear out for calls for helpers! As we move closer to the opening performance, please keep an eye out for information from the classroom teachers about items for costumes and also the opportunity
to purchase tickets. There will be a matinee and evening performance on both Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 October.
Happy Families
A reminder that St Joseph’s is subscribed to the Happy Families School Membership!
We regularly share resources available through our membership with you, including Insight Articles and Webinars. You can also access your resources at any time using the below URL (unique to our school) and password.
URL - https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/login/stjosephs
Password – happysjps
Please make the most of this membership by accessing and perusing the great articles and past webinars. If there are resources that you find useful, please share these with other parents and let me know, so I can promote them across the school.
This week I have included the most recent Insights article on ‘Little Niggles Can Lead to Big Dramas: Why Parents Should Act Early.’
Sometimes, it’s not the big meltdowns or obvious problems that cause the most stress in family life—it’s the little things. The constant whining. The bedtime battles. That one child who just won’t listen. It’s these small, everyday frustrations that slowly wear us down.
Robo Cup 2025
Excitement filled Caroline Chisholm School on Saturday 13 September as students, teachers, and parents gathered for the RoboCup event. The event marked the end of an inspiring journey into robotics, igniting innovation, creativity, and problem-solving skills for our St Joseph’s students.
The RoboCup program is a new initiative at St Joseph’s; with Years 4-6 teams competing against 83 teams from across the territory. This year’s event continues the tradition of fostering interest and intrigue for STEM fields by encouraging students to build robots from scratch. Students were continually challenged with various problems such as detecting different colours, code faults, ramps and sporting commitments but displayed tenacity throughout.
A highlight of the event was seeing children exposed to new challenges they hadn’t encountered such as navigating tight corners, speed bumps and ramps. These tasks promoted teamwork, critical thinking, and perseverance with our St Joey’s teams finishing mid-way in their respective competitions. A fantastic result for our first time competing in this area.
Behind the scenes, the RoboCup committee worked tirelessly to ensure the events success. A special thank you to Liz Mihalopoulos, Vess Groat and Michael McAllister for giving up their spare time and weekends to provide a valuable experience for our learners.
Term 3 Break
Thank you to all of the students and parents for another great term. Term 3 was once known as the ‘quiet term’, but I am sure that this is no longer the case. I hope that all families take some time during the break to rest and re-energise, ready for a wonderful Term 4. A reminder that Thursday 25 September is the last day of Term 3. Friday is a Pupil Free Day.
Tuesday 14 October is the first day of Term 4.
Have a wonderful break and we look forward to seeing the students return for Term 4.
Yours in Christ,
Cameron Tarrant
Congratulations to Our Confirmation Candidates
On Saturday, 20th September, many of our Year 6 students celebrated a very special milestone in their faith journey as they received the Sacrament of Confirmation. We thank Father Richard Thompson for making the evening one to remember.
The school community prays that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide and inspire you and encourage each of you to share the gifts you have received brightly in the St Joseph’s community.
Acts of Charity
In the Catholic Church, charity is more than simply giving to others — it is the greatest expression of love. Founded in Jesus’ command to “love one another,” charity calls us to see the face of Christ in every person and to respond with generosity, kindness, and compassion. It is through acts of charity that we live out our faith, strengthen our community, and bring God’s love into the world.
At St Joseph’s, we encourage everyone to live out their faith through simple acts of charity. By lending a hand to a friend or classmate, showing kindness in everyday activities (opening a door, giving someone a smile) and by raising funds for those in need. An act of charity doesn’t need to be a big thing; it is through our small actions where we can make a big difference to someone. By teaching and practising charity, your children will not only help others, but they will also grow in compassion, empathy, and develop a deeper understanding of how they can bring Christ’s love into the world.
Why not make it a holiday goal to perform an act of charity everyday with your children?
Some acts of charity ideas:
- Help set the table or clear the dishes without being asked.
- Share toys or games kindly with siblings.
- Write a thank-you note or card for a parent, grandparent, or neighbour.
- Pray for someone who is sick, lonely, or going through a hard time.
- Donate used clothes or toys.
- Offer to help with small chores like folding laundry, sweeping, or feeding pets.
- Give a compliment to brighten someone’s day.
- Save a portion of pocket money to support a charity.
- Listen patiently and kindly when others are speaking.
- Make a simple drawing or craft to give as a gift of love
Key Dates for Term 4
16th October - 4 Green & Foundation Red Parish Mass 9:15am
21st October – 6 Silver & 2 Magenta Parish Mass 9:15am
4th November -5 Orange & 1 Teal Parish Mass 9:15am
6th November – 3 Black & ELC Parish Mass 9:15am
11th November – Remembrance Day Liturgy 10:30am School Hall
13th November – 6 Lime & 2 Yellow Parish Mass 9:15am
18th November – 5 Blue & 1 Purple Parish Mass 9:15am
20th November – 4 Gold & Foundation White Parish Mass 9:15am
2nd December – 3 Navy & ELC Parish Mass 9:15am
Religious Education Coordinator
What a great last two weeks of term we have had at Defence Kids Club. Creative biscuit decorating (and eating!), lots of playing and today our end of term pizza and popcorn party.
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Resources
Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation
Upcoming events include: 27 September - National Zoo: 4 October - Alpaca Magic: 17 October - Outward Bound Camp. For more information visit: Defence Kids | Kookaburra Kids
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Duntroon Community Centre
31 October - Halloween at Duntroon. To find out more about programs, activities and events and to register please visit: Events | Duntroon Community Centre | TidyHQ
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Childcare Services in Defence
One Tree Community Services (OTCS) has been confirmed as the preferred provider for childcare services in Defence, taking effect 1/01/26. DMFS look forward to continuing their partnership with OTCS to provide quality childcare services & dedicated support for families.
The new contract includes the Childcare Connect Service (formerly known as Individual Case Management) – a free service that helps you find the right care options in your new area. Under the new agreement, the provider will assist families to find available care including: - Long daycare - Family daycare - Australian Government In-Home Care Support Agencies - Before & after school care - Vacation care and the service now includes the option to consider informal care providers upon request. These can include nannies, au pairs and occasional care providers. Members can also access 16 long daycare and 3 ‘out of hours’ school centres nationally on or near military bases, providing priority access for ADF members. Services will continue without interruption and no action is required from families. For more information, call the DMFS helpline on 1800 624 608 or visit: https://www.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/family-programs-services/support-for-children/childcare
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Wishing you all a peaceful holiday break and hopefully lots of sunshine.
Lisa Bauer
Defence Support Mentor
