St Joseph’s Primary School - O'Connor
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Boronia Drive
O'Connor ACT 2602
Subscribe: https://sjo.act.edu.au/subscribe

Email: office.sjo@cg.catholic.edu.au
Phone: 02 6248 9818
Fax: 02 6247 1792

Week 2 Term 3 2023 Newsletter

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Week 2 Term 3 2023 Newsletter

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    Dear parents and carers,

    Each morning this week as I have braved the cold and darkness while walking the dog, I have longed for the sun to come up to give that incredible sense of warmth that it provides. It never ceases to amaze me just how much of a difference the sun makes on a cold Canberra morning. It is almost instantaneous when we step into the sunlight, often better than the heater we have been huddled around inside. Our faith can perhaps be seen in much the same way; nurturing, comforting, calming, and at times even life changing. As we move through the cold days ahead, may the warmth of God’s love surround each of us, and all those in our community, particularly those who are not able to get warm through the current challenges of life.

    Welcome Fr Anthony (Thonn) Riosa

    I am very pleased to officially welcome Fr Thonn to St Joseph’s Parish and to St Joseph’s Primary School. From the start of July, Fr Thonn and the Blessed Sacrament Fathers, have been entrusted to the pastoral care of the parish and school. Please see the attached statement from the Vicar General, Very Reverend Richard Thompson for a full statement. I encourage all families to head along to mass in the coming weeks to introduce yourselves to Fr Thonn and to join in the continued history of our parish.

    Registration

    Later this term we have Registration. This process takes place every 5 years and ensures that the school is meeting all obligations around administration and compliance, Catholic identity, teaching and learning, assessment and reporting, providing a safe and supportive environment, and developing community. A panel of members from Catholic Education and colleagues, visit the school to review documentation and spend time getting a sense of what we are about. This is a wonderful opportunity to share all that makes St Joseph’s special. Thank you to the Leadership Team and all staff for the effort that has gone into preparing for the Registration visit.

    As part of our readiness, there is a Working Bee on Saturday 5 August from 8.00am. Please come along if you are able to offer some time to help have the school looking great.

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    Rostrum

    Tonight Olivia D in 6 Silver is representing St Joseph’s at the Quarter Final of the 2023 Rostrum Primary School Speaking Competition being held at Turner School. Olivia was selected as our representative after all students in Year 6 prepared and delivered a speech in the second half of Term 2. Olivia has been practicing for weeks, ready to deliver her speech about 'Going Backwards' with great gusto. Good luck Olivia!

    Light Up Lyneham

    This Saturday is the annual Light Up Lyneham event. It promises to be a fun afternoon and evening of stalls and performances. Our St Joseph’s Bucket Drummers will be performing at the Lyneham Shops at 4.45pm, so come along and support our drummers!

    Car Park

    While having my office at the front of the school is a blessing as I get that beautiful Canberra sun, it also gives me a front row seat to some pretty concerning and, at times, dangerous driving. A reminder that there is no such thing as a near miss when it comes to safety in our carpark. The speed bumps are in place to ensure that cars do not move quickly while on the school grounds. Cars are not to avoid the speed bumps by driving between the drop-off lane and the basketball courts. There have been instances where cars have done this, while students have been getting in and out of their cars correctly in the drive through lane.

    Slow down… take every care… it is just too important!

    St Joseph's Carpark Guidelines

    Enrolments

    We are continuing to seek new enrolments into Foundation for 2024, as well as into some other grades across the school. If you have the opportunity to share with friends and families what makes St Joseph’s a great school, it would be wonderful to welcome more new families into St Joseph’s in the future.

    For our Year 6 families, please let your child’s teacher know the high school they will be attending in 2024 as we need to gather this information before the end of the year.  Likewise, if your child is in another year, and you are leaving St Joseph’s at the end of 2023, please inform the school as soon as possible to assist with planning for next year.

    Year 6 Excursion

    Year 6 students from our school recently undertook an education learning experience at Old Parliament House and New Parliament House. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

    The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit institutions in Canberra as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $5 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

    Please read two students review of the excursion below:

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    P&F Trivia Night

    Rockstars & Royalty, will be sure to test punters’ knowledge on all things music and monarchs, with awesome prizes up for grabs. BYO food and beverages, and dress in your best Rockstars or Royalty get-up, for a fun night out!

    Saturday 26 August, 7PM @ St Joseph's School Hall

    Single entry: $20 each 

    Table of 10: $180

    Tickets available now on Qkr!

    Have a great end to the week.

    Yours in Christ,

    Cameron Tarrant

    cameron.tarrant@cg.catholic.edu.au 

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    Religious Life of St Joseph’s

    Prayer and Worship

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    Welcome Fr Anthony Riosa

    We warmly welcome Fr Anthony Riosa, who has been appointed administrator of St Joseph’s after Fr Paul’s departure in February. This year which has presented our community with some uncertainty, I have prayed for a priest who wants our children to see a place for themselves in our church and God has heard these prayers. Fr Riosa has only been with us a few weeks and already has a clear vision of working with our school. We look forward to Fr Riosa visiting our school to meet the children over the coming weeks.

    St Mary Mackillop

    Saint Mary Mackillop and her Sisters of St Joseph have a long legacy in our school. In the lead up to the Feast of St Mary Mackillop on August 8 we learn about her life and focus on her in our prayer life. Our social action as a school is also focused on her saying of ‘Never see a need without doing something about it.” On August 8 we will celebrate Mass as a whole school at 12.00pm.

    Saint Mary Mackillop was born in 1842. She was a fine teacher, the founder of schools and a religious order. Saint Mary Mackillop chose St Joseph because he was humble and got the job done. She devoted her whole life to following Jesus and helping others, especially poor children. Many people who knew her could tell she was extraordinary. Mother Mary radiated God’s love and energy to everyone she met. Mary and her companion Fr Julian Tenison Woods dreamed of a new kind of school, open to anyone whether their family was rich or poor. Children from poorer families would be provided with clothing and school supplies for very little cost or for free. They could learn enough reading, writing and maths so they could get out of poverty and have a better life.

    When Mary wrote the lessons and timetable for her schools, she made sure there was time for prayers and hymns, which in those days were not written in English, but Latin. But she made sure these weren’t too long so that the children wouldn’t find prayer time too difficult or too boring. Her pupils must have been grateful for that! Her life wasn’t always easy and she had lots of problems sometimes, but she was happy because she firmly believed in God and that her true home was not here on earth but with God in heaven. She was very cheerful and didn’t want her sisters going around with frowns on their faces.

    St Mary Mackillop is currently our only Australian saint. When I was in Rome a few years ago I was privileged to be taken on a tour by our own Archbishop Christopher Prowse of where Mary lived in 1873 when she travelled to Rome to meet with Pope Pius IX. Saint Mary Mackillop travelled to Rome to gain official approval of her religious order, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart. As I walked through the streets that she would have walked I could not help but be in awe of how challenging it must have been for her and how determined she must have been to make that journey at that time.

    Class Masses 

    Week 2, 24 July

    Tuesday 9.15am 2 Magenta and 6 Silver

    Thursday 9.15am 4 Green and Foundation Red

    Week 3, 31 July

    Tuesday 9.15am 2 Yellow and 6 Lime

    Thursday 9.15am 4 Gold and Foundation White

    Week 4, 7 August 

    Tuesday Time 12.00pm St Mary Mackillop Feast Day 

    Week 5, 14 August

    Tuesday Time 9.15am Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

    Week 6, 21 August

    Tuesday 9.15am 1 Purple and 5 Blue

    Thursday 9.15am 3 Navy and ELC Geckos

    Week 7, 28 August

    Tuesday 9.15am 1 Teal and 5 Orange

    Thursday 9.15am 3 Black and ELC Frogs

    Social Action & Justice

    Our Term 3 Social Action focus is always linked to our Josephite Charism, and to ‘See a need and do something about it.” This year the need is people who require emergency care. At St Joseph’s we will work to do something about this need in our local community by supporting St Vincent de Paul by donating Dignity packs. We are asking families in each class to donate different items, which will be compiled to create these dignity packs. Our goal is to create 50 packs to donate to St Vincent de Paul by the 8th of August. Please send in the following items with your children.

    Grade Class Class
    ELC

    Blue Geckos - Children's Dignity Items

    Green Frogs - Children's Dignity Items

    Foundation

    Red - Hairbrush 

    White - Toiletry Bag

    Year 1

    Purple - Wipes

    Teal - Soap/ Face washer

    Year 2

    Yellow - Toiletry Bag

    Magenta - Hairbrush 

    Year 3

    Black - Soap/ Face washer

    Navy - Wipes

    Year 4

    Gold - Toothbrush/ Toothpaste

    Green - Toothbrush/ Toothpaste

    Year 5

    Blue - Shampoo / Conditioner

    Orange - Deodorant 

    Year 6

    Silver - Deodorant 

    Lime - Shampoo / Conditioner


    Yours in Christ,

    Melanie Stratford

    Religious Education Coordinator

    melanie.stratford@cg.catholic.edu.au

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    Sustainability in Action

    This week I would like to take a moment to remind our community of the recycling collections we do at our school. Also, help is always needed in bringing collections to Fyshwick (Lids4Kids), OfficeMax and Aldi (batteries) if you would like to assist with this process. We would greatly appreciate it!

    We love when our school community contributes to our unusual recycling collection. This year you can bring in your old:

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    1. Batteries - We will take them to Aldi for you!
    2. Oral Health Care - Old toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and floss sticks are accepted and sent to Terracycle.
    3. Writing Tools - We can have these recycled through Officeworks’ recycling program.
    4. Lids and bread clips - These are donated to Lids4Kids. We ask that you clean and dry your lids before you drop them off. This might include taking the foam insert out as well.
    5. Disposable face masks!
    6. Bread bags and tags of any brand can go inside the newly added Wonder boxes. We can earn points for our school and redeem them for sports equipment!

    The Special Recycling Centre is located outside the staff room near the school entrance.

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    “Recycling is good, but reducing is better!” -Mrs. McGee and all Joeys

    Ryan McGee

    Sustainability Coordinator

    ryan.mcgee@cg.catholic.edu.au

    Hello Parents,

    I hope everyone enjoyed the break, I sure did, the kids kept me on my toes last term. The Canteen is super busy and is continuing to grow, I could really use the help of some more volunteers. Anyone that can help Wednesday to Friday feel free to pop in anytime and all help is welcomed.

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    Next Friday's Special will be Mini Pepperoni Pizza $5.00

    There will be a limit so get in fast!

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    We have managed to secure a paper shredder! Big thanks to Sarah M and family for your donation, this will be a massive help in reducing waste from the lunch order bags. We will be able to use the shredded lunch bags in the compost and bedding for the chickens. Students, remember to bring your lunch order bags to the canteen and put them in the crate for recycling.  How nice has it been to not see any more plastic icy pole wrappers blowing around the school! Remember to do the right thing and put your Eco Block sticks in the tins provided, these will be recycled as well (dont worry, not for reuse with the Eco Blocks).

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    Thank you 

    Julie-Anne

    sjo.canteen@gmail.com

      Uniform Shop News
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      P&F Trivia Night

      2023_Trivia_Night_Email_Banner.png

      Rockstars & Royalty, will be sure to test punters’ knowledge on all things music and monarchs, with awesome prizes up for grabs. BYO food and beverages, and dress in your best Rockstars or Royalty get-up, for a fun night out!

      Saturday 26 August, 7PM @ St Joseph's School Hall

      Single entry: $20 each 

      Table of 10: $180

      Tickets available now on Qkr!

      Congratulations to the Week 2 award recipients. 

      Foundation Red

      Griffin M

      Amaryss G

      Foundation White

      Max B

      Arfan H

      1 Purple

      Amarieah D

      Antonino R

      1 Teal

      Lily B

      William A

      2 Magenta

      Humphrey G

      Ryder W

      Jack L

      2 Yellow

      Filipa F

      Audrey G

      George H

      3 Black

      Evelyne C

      Claire A

      Madeline O

      3 Navy

      Sebastian P

      Droduel T

      Hugo T

      4 Gold

      Kendryck M

      Karma L

      Evie M

      4 Green

      Amani N

      Sophia T

      5 Blue

      Zach B

      Sebastian R

      Genevieve G

      5 Orange

      Ricky B

      Anna S

      Shamita B

      6 Lime

      Lily P

      Olivia O

      6 Silver

      Emmett J

      Stefano V

      Sustainability

      Mira K

      Happy birthday to these students who celebrated their birthday this week:

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      Mason I
      Blake B
      Kayla N
      Alice P
      Xavier P-E
      Amari P
      Kendryck M
      Margot S
      Scarlett P

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      TENNYSON’S COOKING CLASSES

       

      WHAT TO EXPECT: 

      Tennyson aims to change one’s perspective on family meals. With the hope to encourage families to spend quality time together whilst enjoying the process of creating a tasty healthy meal followed by the united joy of eating. An opportunity to switch off the television, ditch the takeaway and enjoy a quick, healthy meal, prepared by all family members at the dinner table.  

      Growing up Tennyson predominately ate pescatarian and through her love of cooking she developed tasty ways to make common vegetables the hero of each dish. Teaching little peeps how to enjoy their food and the flavours so they grow up knowing how to make a healthy tasty meal but also having a healthy relationship with food is important to Tennyson.

      Tennyson will also demonstrate how fruits and natural sweeteners can replace sugars without affecting the flavour of the sweet or dessert being made.

       

      The key focus is taking cheap, pantry staple ingredients and showing your young ones how to prepare them in a fun, inventive way. Your children will leave the kitchen feeling motivated and well educated to start making dinner with the family, incorporating minimally processed ingredients into their everyday lives! Who knows- you may even get the occasional night off from cooking!

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      WHATS INCLUDED:

      • 2 1/2-hour cooking workshop targeted for children.
      • Complimentary smoothie or juice on arrival.
      • Afternoon tea will be provided to children.

      Note: Please alert teacher if your child has any food allergies prior to class

      • All children are welcome to take any leftovers home.
      • Takeaway containers are supplied.
      • Recipe book to take home (including meals/snacks) prepared during the cooking lesson.
      • Aprons (can be purchased upon arrival).

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      WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT TENNYSON’S CLASSES:

      • Tennyson is enthusiastic, fun, and passionate about what she does.
      • Each child is encouraged to actively participate in all activities.
      • Recipes and tips will change from week to week.
      • Each lesson focusses on a different food category.
      • All things sweet- Sure to satisfy your child’s sweet tooth but without the hidden nasties!
      • Recipes will cater for all seasons of the year.
      • Vegetables will become something that your children will enjoy.

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      COST:

      • $ 210 (for three cooking classes)
      • $85 per class

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      WHERE TO MEET?

      Nourish and Breathe, Dairy Road, Fyshwick. 

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      PARKING?

      Dairy Road is located five kilometres southeast of Canberra’s city centre and three kilometres from the airport. If you’re driving, access by exiting the Monaro Highway at Newcastle Street or from South Canberra via Ipswich Street. There’s plenty of parking on site.

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      TIME AND DATES:

      Please ensure that you arrive five to ten minutes before the class begins. A fifteen-minute grace period will be provided, guests will be turned away after this. 

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      WHAT TO BRING/WEAR: 

      • Closed footwear
      • Container for any leftovers (saves disposable plastics)
      • Apron (option to purchase one on arrival)

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      CONTACT DETAILS:

      Tennyson Wheeler 

      Mobile: 0497281049

      tennysonjeanwheeler@gmail.com