Dear Parents, Carers and the St Joseph’s Community,

School Musical Working Bee

Students and staff are busy preparing for our upcoming school musical which will be held in Week 10 this term. As you can imagine there are numerous props to make, paint and construct. If you are handy with a paintbrush, hammer or glue (or even if you are not) and are free on Saturday 10 August for an hour or so, we would love your help. We will be at school from 10am to 3pm. If you are able to assist, please email Laura Knight laura.knight@cg.catholic.edu.au

Don’t forget to put the Musical in your diary: Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 of September.

 Hat Back On

This Thursday, 1 August marks the return of ‘Hats on’. The sun's ultraviolet radiation is the major cause of skin cancer but it is also our best source of vitamin D. During the months of June and July, students do not wear hats as a way to ensure they receive enough vitamin D during winter. Between August and May, we get enough vitamin D through incidental sun exposure in our day to day activities, as such, from Thursday, our focus in now on sun protection. Please ensure that your child’s hat is clearly labelled with their name and class to minimise lost property that we cannot find a home for.  

Boorowa Touch Football and Netball Carnival

Following our successful participation in last year’s Boorowa Carnival, we will once again be offering this opportunity to students in Years 2 – 6. The carnival will be held on Friday 25 October at the Boorowa Showground. For us to participate in the carnival we will need coaches and manages of all of our teams, so please consider offering your assistance. Permission notes were sent out last week and need to be returned no later than Tuesday 13 August. If your child did not receive a note, they can get a copy from their classroom teacher.

Benchmark Rewards

Last Friday, our House Groups meet to decide on their benchmark reward for Term 3. This term the benchmark has been set at 1500 points. Once houses reach the 1500 point benchmark they will be able to have a free clothes day on their chosen theme.

Fatima – Sport Jerseys

Lourdes – Pyjamas

Madonna – Movie Characters

Louretto – Favourite clothes

100 Days of School

Congratulations to all our Foundation students for being at ‘big school’ for 100 days. I started at St Joseph’s on the very same day as these students and I can assure you that I felt as nervous and excited as they did. It has been wonderful to see how well they have transitioned into school routines, opened themselves to new learning experiences, challenged themselves to try new things and become 100 days smarter!

School Satisfaction Surveys

An annual satisfaction survey of parents, students and staff will be conducted on behalf of all Catholic schools in the Diocese this term. The surveys are designed to gather feedback from parents, staff and students about our school and will be used to inform school improvement. Responses are confidential and individuals can not be identified. 

The surveys were launched via email on 29 July and close on 9 August 2019 using the email addresses supplied to the school. If you do not receive an email with a link to the survey, you can access and complete the survey at the following link.

Survey Link

Skoolbag Update

Around 12 months ago, SkoolBag released a new version of their app.  To ensure a smooth transition from the individual school apps to the new app, they made both apps available for a period. From 1 August, they will be actioning Apple's new guidelines and will be removing these outdated, individual school apps from the Apple App and Google Play stores. To ensure you will be able to access the new SkoolBag App, please access the download instructions.

Download Instructions

P&F Meeting Cancelled

Please note that the P&F Meeting scheduled for tonight has been cancelled.  

In closing, following on from my Week 10 Newsletter, I wonder how you went during the holidays to minimise your distractions. Did you manage to find some time to open yourself to time with God to receive the gifts of faith, hope and love?

Yours in Christ,

Amy Doszpot

Assistant Principal

amy.doszpot@cg.catholic.edu.au 

In Communion at St Joseph’s

Last week, I shared with you a reflection on the power of prayer. This week, I would like to share with you a reflection on my journey as a part of a faith community on the Leading the New Evangelisation study tour. The beautiful part of going on a journey with people who share your faith, is that you have a sense of communion in your experiences. Communion can be defined as the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a spiritual level. As Christians, we are not meant to walk or sustain our faith journey alone.  We are made to be in communion with each other. Those of us who spend our days at St Joseph’s are blessed to be able to be in communion with each other in faith on a daily basis.  This weekend we have a beautiful opportunity for families to be in communion with each other at our first Family Mass on Sunday 4 August at 9am which will be led by Year 4 students and their families. All members of our St Joseph’s community are warmly invited to join us in prayer and worship at Mass and afterwards for morning tea.

Catholic Liturgical Life

Liturgical Season: Ordinary Time

Liturgical Season Colour: Green

In the Gospel for this coming Sunday, the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Luke (Luke 12:13-21) shares the message that the value of a person's life is not in their possessions as we can not take them with us to heaven. Through a parable, Jesus tells us that everyone who stores up treasure for himself or herself is not rich in what matters to God.

Student Prayer Focus

As we strive to deepen our St Joseph's identity, our student and staff Prayer Focus in Week 2 and 3 is a Saint Mary Mackillop Novena to prepare us for our St Mary Mackillop Feast Day on Thursday Week 3. A Novena is a type of prayer that consists of 9 days of prayer and is often prayed in preparation for a feast day or for a specific intention. Through praying each day of this Novena we are invited to reflect on various qualities of St Mary MacKillop. The Novena can be prayed individually or in a group each day. The aim is to prepare ourselves and our students for our St Mary Mackillop Feast Day through prayer and reflection while deepening our understanding of our Josephite Charism. You can access the Novena at the following links:

St Mary Mackillop Day 1

St Mary Mackillop Day 2

St Mary Mackillop Day 3

St Mary Mackillop Day 4

St Mary Mackillop Day 5

St Mary Mackillop Day 6

St Mary Mackillop Day 7

St Mary Mackillop Day 8

St Mary Mackillop Day 9

Sacraments 

Sacrament of Confirmation

Students in Year 6 can now be enrolled in the Sacrament of Confirmation at the link below. Please add the Sacrament of Confirmation and preparation session dates and times to your calendars. A reminder that the Sacrament of Confirmation will take place with Archbishop Christopher Prowse on the last Sunday of the holidays before Term 4 commences.

Please enrol at http://bit.ly/sacraments2019

If you do not have a Google account you can use your child’s school account to register. Please contact Father Paul if you have any questions about the Sacrament of Confirmation at:

paul_nulley@hotmail.com

Social Action and Justice 

Next week, on Thursday 8 August we will hold our Market Day to raise money for our Global Partner School, Riamabana. This week, during break times I will meet with interested children to discuss how I can support these children to run their market stall successfully.

This year, we have been asked to support the building of an additional toilet block as the Riamamana Orphanage has outgrown the existing facilities. This will significantly improve the conditions for the children and will cost $2 500.

Melanie Stratford

Religious Education Coordinator

melanie.stratford@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Sustainability in Action

Stop! Don’t throw that old toothbrush away! Bring it Joey’s and we could win a free garden patio set, garden beds and a $500 gift card to Bunnings! Participants in the Colgate Challenge are asked to send in any oral care waste (tubes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.). The contest ends 30 September, so let’s start brushing and collecting!

Speaking of collecting, we are also seeking your egg cartons. On Friday, students will celebrate National Tree Day by planting sunflower seeds in a class tray. They may bring them home in the weeks to come via a small pot/egg carton.

Your contributions are appreciated!

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children,” Native American Proverb.

Ryan McGee

Sustainability Coordinator

ryan.mcgee@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Happy birthday to these students celebrating their birthdays this week.

Scarlett P

Santiago K

Sophia A

Ava J

Chelsea P