Dear parents and carers,

As we journey through the season of Lent, we are provided an opportunity for spiritual growth, renewal and a deepening relationship with God. During Lent, we focus on self-discipline, sacrifice, and charity, following Christ’s example of love and service. I encourage families to participate in this time of reflection and prayer, helping to build a stronger, more compassionate community. May this Lent inspire us all to grow closer to God and to one another.

Running the Room

Running the Room, by Tom Bennett is a book that all staff are currently using to engage in purposeful professional dialogue around teaching students how to behave, the same as teaching any other area of the curriculum. Last year a number of staff attended Tom’s Bennett’s workshop around the same themes, and again this year he is touring Australia, with more staff hopefully attending the workshop.

There are many great take aways that we are building into our practices as a staff, but I wanted to highlight one paragraph that is worth noting when considering why students ‘don’t enjoy behaving at school’ and perhaps why we are seeing more anxiety in our students.

Students face a day full of assessment of their character, judgement, knowledge and skills by (teachers), their peers, friends and strangers. If a student fears looking (silly) or inadequate in some way, it is natural to assume they may not view the school day with joy. Even able students can be made uncomfortable by the dislike of being judged, if they derive more anxiety from the fear of failure than from the joy of success. (Pg. 67)

As teachers, and as parents, we can sometimes wonder why there is a reluctance to try things or to take risks, even when a child seems to be successful, or why behaviours present as a way to avoid ‘being assessed’. Having an awareness of some of these anxieties, assist us to work on understanding why students lack motivation.

2025 Kahoot! Online Trivia Night

A reminder that the School Community Council online trivia night is being held this Friday night. All families and fiends are invited to join this fun evening of quiz questions, games and activities – all in the comfort of home. Please see the flyer below and RSVP so we can plan for a great event. More details sent out via Compass.

School and family Counsellor

St Joseph’s has a School and Family Counsellor working at the school every Monday and Tuesday. Michelle is very keen to be active and known in the school and has visited classrooms to introduce herself and to get to know a little more about the students. Please feel free to touch base with Michelle if you have any questions or concerns relating to the counselling service at the school - michelle.motha@mccg.org.au

Please use this link to complete a referral for Michelle to make contact with you - https://catholiccare.force.com/housing/s/school-referral-form

Happy Families

A reminder that St Joseph’s is subscribed to the Happy Families School Membership!

We will 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 a recent Insights article on Bullying. St Joseph’s, as all schools do, experiences times of challenging behaviours and occasionally, bullying. The key messaging that is important to highlight is the need for open and honest communication between home and school to address any concerns. This article clearly outlines some points that support this communication and strategies for dealing with bullying behaviours.

Navigating the Bullying Maze

Have a great end to the week.

Yours in Christ,