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Dear parents and carers,
“I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for He wants us all to be united in one family.” Pope Leo XIV
This message aligns seamlessly with our school's mission to foster a nurturing environment where every member including students, staff, and families feels valued and supported. We strive to build strong family, school and community partnerships with initiatives that encourage collaboration and shared responsibility for student learning. At the end of this term, you will be invited to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss their progress and successes this semester. This is a valuable opportunity to receive feedback on your child’s learning and to engage in meaningful conversations about their goals and progress for the remainder of the year.
International Visitors
Last week St Joseph’s was visited by a group of principals and leaders from the Hamilton Diocese in New Zealand. They visited classrooms to see High Impact Teaching Practices and Explicit Instruction in action. The postive and affirming feedback we received from both the international visitors and also the curriculum team at Catholic Education was a credit to both our wonderful teachers and students.
Carpark safety
We cannot emphasise enough the importance of following our carpark rules to ensure the safety of our children. We continue to have cars parking in the drop off zone of a morning which causes congestion and frustration at the entrance to the carpark. If you need to exit your vehicle for any reason, please park in the parking bays which facilitates smooth running of the carline.
CEO sleepout
This year Mr Tarrant will be participating in the Vinnies CEO sleepout. On a cold winters night in June, he and many other senior leaders from Catholic Education will spend the night sleeping rough. To assist Mr Tarrant with fundraising for this very important cause, we invite all students to participate in a Pyjama dress up day on Friday 30th May. Students are invited to wear their pyjamas/Oodies in exchange for a gold coin donation. Please ensure appropriate footwear is worn. Further fundraising initiatives will be shared in the coming weeks!
https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/camerontarrant/actSchool photos
Please note that school photos are on Wednesday 28th May. Students must wear their full winter uniform for this day even if they would normally have PE lessons.
Punctuality/Attendance
We are still seeing a high number of students arriving late to school, missing both our morning gathering and the crucial start of the school day. Just five minutes late each day adds up to the equivalent of three full school days lost over the year. Learning begins the moment students enter the classroom, and even a few minutes missed can mean missing out on important instructions and setting the tone for the day. Punctuality is key to ensuring students start their day settled, connected, and ready to learn. With winter illnesses on the rise, we appreciate parents keeping children at home while they are unwell. We also encourage families to return children to school as soon as they are well enough, to ensure they don’t miss out on valuable learning opportunities.
Have a great end to the week.
Yours in Christ,
Beth Hawkes
beth.hawkes@cg.catholic.edu.au
RE News Week 2 Term 4 2025
We pray for Pope Leo XIV and ask God to give him the strength, courage, and a kind heart to lead the Catholic Church and the world to live in peace and harmony. Amen
Pope Leo XIV was inaugurated as the 277th Pope on Sunday, the 18th of May. In his greeting to the 200,000 pilgrims who had travelled from around the world, he emphasised the importance of working together to end hatred, violence, prejudice, fear of differences, exploitation of the world’s resources, and the marginalisation of the poor. He called on everyone to unite in communion, regardless of background or walk of life.
He reminded us that this journey begins at home—through our actions and words. I encourage you to speak with your children about being kind to everyone at school, using resources wisely, and supporting the poor in our community. You might also consider discussing why Cameron is willing to sleep out in the cold to support the homeless, before donating to the Vinnies CEO Sleepout this winter.
Some Fun Facts about our new Pope
· Pope Leo loves to play Wordle! He even managed to squeeze in a game before heading into the Conclave.
· Pope Leo has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics
· Pope Leo’s favourite sport is Tennis
· Pope Leo can speak in five languages and read two more
First Communion
If you would like your child to receive the Sacrament of First Communion and have not already enrolled them, can you please do this as soon as possible. First Communion is open to students in Year 4 of higher. Please either use the QR code or the link below to enrol your child.
First Communion Enrolment
• Wednesday the 4th of June – 5:30 to 6:30pm
• Wednesday the 11th of June – 5:30 to 6:30pm
Sacrament Date: Saturday 21st of June – 6pm in St Joseph’s Parish Church
Parish Masses
Next week, we commence our class parish Mass celebrations. Each class will join with its buddy class to attend Mass at 9:15 a.m. with the St Joseph Parish community once per term, according to a roster. Students from the older class will be selected to proclaim the readings of the day, serve at the altar, and bring forward the offertory, while the younger class will read the Prayer of the Faithful. Below are the roster dates for Term 2:
- 27 May – 6 Lime and 2 Yellow
- 29 May – 4 Green and Foundation Red
- 3 June – 6 Silver and 2 Magenta
- 5 June – 4 Gold and Foundation White
- 10 June – 5 Orange and 1 Teal
- 12 June – Both Year 4 classes
- 17 June – 5 Blue and 1 Purple
- 19 June – Both Year 4 classes
- 24 June 3 Black and ELC class
- 26 June 3 Navy and ELC class
St Joseph’s Parish Assembly – Save the date – Sunday 15 June 2025
Everyone is warmly invited to St Joseph’s Parish Assembly on Sunday 15 June 1-3pm (followed by afternoon tea).
The Assembly will examine how St Joseph’s community can realise our Catholic mission of evangelisation and discern a way forward for the union of Canberra’s Inner North Parishes. The Assembly will use the Conversation in the Spirit framework to provide a prayerful gathering that allows the Holy Spirit to guide listening, reflection and discernment. Additional information on the Conversation in the Spirit process will be provided in advance of the Assembly.
Please register by Sunday 7 June 2025 via email to Warwick (St Joseph’s PPC Chair): warwick.mcdonald3@bigpond.com
Exploring the online experiences of boys and young men
The E Safety Commission has just released a new online webinar that goes into how the internet can offer boys and young men connection and guidance as they figure out what it means to be a man today. But it also comes with risks—like harmful content, online exploitation, and toxic ideas about gender. This webinar is being run on the 27th of May at 12:30pm.
This 45-minute webinar will help parents understand:
- social and cultural forces influencing boys
- how boys interact online and the risks they face
- the effects of social media, gaming, and influencers on their identity and behaviour
- practical ways to encourage critical thinking, challenge harmful messages, and have open conversations to help boys stay safe and respectful online.
Please use the following link to register for one or more of the available webinars from the E Safety Commission.
Understanding and using parental controls to help protect your child online
Kirstie Buckley
Religious Education Coordinator
Defence Kids Club has seen some fabulous marble run constructions these past two weeks and lots of crafting. We have also enjoyed delicious fairy bread making (and eating!).
Popping into classrooms and when possible, some one on one time is part of my role and it’s always delightful to see the work our students are undertaking in class, or if we can grab some time together and the weather is good, time outside often enjoying a game of handball (that Mrs Bauer is always sure to lose!).
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Resources
Duntroon Community Centre
Bouldering at Blochouse, Fyshwick - Saturday 31st May, 5-7pm
Open to adults and children over 8 years old. Tickets available here: https://duntrooncommunitycentre.tidyhq.com/public/schedule/events/72097-school-age-event-bouldering-at-blochaus
Reptile day - Saturday 14th June at Duntroon Community Centre, Campbell, two sessions: 10am -11.30am or 11.30am - 1pm
Tickets available here: https://duntrooncommunitycentre.tidyhq.com/public/schedule/events/72096-reptile-day-at-dcc
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Wishing you all a wonderful week.
Lisa Bauer
Defence Support Mentor
Congratulations to the Week 4 award recipients:
|
Foundation Red |
Juliette Tobias Charlie |
Foundation White |
Miguel Rio Joni |
| 1 Purple |
Willa Eloise |
1 Teal |
Aiden Sarah |
| 2 Magenta |
Rudy Maeve |
2 Yellow |
Scarlett Ignatius |
| 3 Black |
Monique Aaron Jordan |
3 Navy |
Aurora Grace Danny |
| 4 Gold |
Humphrey Mia Kyan |
4 Green |
Ella Lola Louis |
| 5 Blue |
Sebastian Ivy |
5 Orange |
Bhavin Ayla |
| 6 Lime |
Patrick Amelia Laura |
6 Silver |
Mae Sara Jacob |
|
Sport Spanish |
Sophie D Lyon R |
Defence |
Charlie S |
Happy birthday to these students who celebrated their birthday this week:
| Finn M |
| Thomas S |
| Ishane D |
| Ayla A |
| Isabella M-P |
| Giovanni B-A |
| James P |
| Christopher A |
| Mason K |
| Eli T |
