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

Acts of Kindness

In the lead up to Advent, Mrs Stratford has placed an Act of Kindness calendar in our main corridor. On Monday the act of kindness was to say hello to everyone you pass, Tuesday was to give a meaningful compliment and today is to make a gift for someone. It has struck me that whilst these are indeed acts of kindness, they are actions that I encounter and witness every single day at St Joseph’s. We are certainly a school that welcomes, celebrates and embraces our community. Perhaps our challenge should be to take these acts of kindness into the wider to community and extend our St Joseph charism to the stranger we meet, the friend we have lost touch with, the new colleague or to the neighbour whose dog barks day and night.   

 “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”

- St Therese of Lisieux - 

Sustainability Award

This morning, Mrs McGee, Mr Tarrant, the Green Team and Josh O from Year 4 attended the Actsmart Sustainability Awards. Congratulations to Mrs McGee, Savidu, Serafina, Tashneet, Leo and Josh for your nominations in the categories of Leadership Award (Green Team), Student Leadership Award (Josh), Teacher Leadership Award (Mrs McGee), Project Award (Chook Family) and Sustainable School of the Year Award. You are all winners in our eyes! Our school is far richer and far more sustainable thanks to your amazing efforts.  

Highly Accomplished

Congratulations to Mrs Kerri Kerr who yesterday received news that she has been successful in gaining Highly Accomplished teaching status. Highly Accomplished teachers are recognised as highly effective, skilled classroom practitioners who routinely work independently and collaboratively to improve their own practice and the practice of colleagues. Gaining Highly Accomplished status is an arduous process involving a collection of evidence and an onsite assessment by an external agent. Well done Kerri!

Staffing News

At the end of this year, Mrs Lynn Wilkinson and Mrs Jill Lambert will be retiring. Jill has taught at the ELC for the past 5 years and Lynn has worked as a Classroom Support Assistant for the past 20 years! They will both be greatly missed as they venture into the next phase of their lives, no doubt enjoying some very well-earned quality time with family. Thank you both for your tireless contributions and dedication to the St Joseph’s community.

Family Photos

Are you looking for the perfect Christmas present to buy for the grandparents or extended family? Stop trawling the shops and came to the Front Office to purchase your family school photos for only $15.   

Sport Jerseys

As we are coming to the end of the school year, could we please ask that you return any St Joseph’s sport jerseys that you may inadvertently still have at home from carnivals throughout the year. Thank you!

Schoolzine

As we continue our rollover to Schoolzine as our only communication platform, please note that school alerts and messages will no longer be sent via Skoolbag. Absentee notes should also be submitted via Schoolzine. To ensure you are kept up to date with alerts and messages please download SZapp. The instructions to download the app are attached and also available on the school website.

SZapp_Instructions.pdf

I hope you have an enjoyable end to the week.

Yours in Christ,

Amy Doszpot

Assistant Principal

amy.doszpot@cg.catholic.edu.au  

On Monday, Father Paul joined us for morning assembly to bless the statues of St Joseph and infant Jesus that I purchased for the school when I was visiting the Vatican in July. Each class now has a statue of our Patron Saint for their prayer tables.

Prayer and Worship 

Student-Led Christian Prayer

Each Friday after first break, Year 6 lead classes in prayer with a focus on the Gospel for the coming Sunday.

Liturgical Season: Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Liturgical Season Colour: Green

This week the focus is on the Gospel: Luke 23:35-43

The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, and above him hung a sign which said: “This is the King of the Jews.” A crowd had gathered to watch, and they laughed and made fun of him saying, “If you are so great, save yourself now!”

At the same time, two thieves were crucified with Jesus, one on either side. One of the thieves jeered, “You call yourself a king! If you had any power, you could save yourself and us as well!” But the other thief said, “Leave him alone. We deserve to be punished, but he has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, do not forget me in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “Today we will be together in heaven.”

At home, we invite you to read the upcoming Gospel as a family and discuss our focus question for the week.

1. How would you describe a king to someone?
2. Who in the Gospel reading believed the sign that was on Jesus' cross?
3. What did Jesus say would happen to him?

Lord Jesus, you come to share the good news

of God’s Kingdom with the whole world.

May your love reign in our hearts always.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Celebrating Liturgy and Sacraments

Social Action & Justice

As Advent approaches, we think about how we will prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus? At St Joseph’s this week, we started a 25 Days of Kindness calendar. The acts of kindness for Week 6 are:

 

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

Next week, students will bring home information about donations for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas appeal. Donations of Christmas food can be brought in from week 7.

Ethos and Charism

Our strategic priority to deepen our St Joseph’s identity means to deepen our understanding of our Josephite Charism.  We can learn much about our Josephite Charism through quotes from Saint Mary Mackillop.

Evangelisation and Faith Formation

Faith Formation

St Joseph’s Parish has begun its annual Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).

If you are curious about God or the Catholic Church, were baptised as a child but did not receive Eucharist or Confirmation, visit the parish one Sunday and speak to Fr Paul.

If you have questions about the RCIA process, please email Alwyn Dantis on alwyndantis@yahoo.com or ring 0467 243 363.

Come and experience the joy Christmas at this year's Live Nativity Play and Carols.

The Christmas Carol sing-along starts at 6pm, then live camels and manger animals join local talent to reenact the events of the very first Christmas.

Entry is free and all are welcome to attend.

A wonderful night for the whole family.

6pm

Friday 13 December

St Joseph's Primary School Grounds

The Live Nativity is proudly bought to you by the Neo-Catechumenal Communities of Canberra.

Yours in Christ,

Melanie Stratford

Religious Education Coordinator

melanie.stratford@cg.catholic.edu.au

Sustainability in Action!

Today, our school was awarded with 5 nominations for our sustainable efforts throughout the year. Josh O received a nomination on behalf of his work with ridding the canteen of straws, as well as awards for Sustainable School of the Year, Leadership in Sustainability, Student Green Team and Sustainability Project (our fabulous chickens!). We are looking forward to bringing home the prize next year, and have already come up with some outstanding ideas to take our environmental impact to the next level! Congratulations to our lovely school community, for being recognised as a school that has come together as a community in all of our eco-friendly initiatives.

“The moment we decide to fulfil something, we can do anything.”- Greta Thunberg

Ryan McGee

Sustainability Coordinator

ryan.mcgee@cg.catholic.edu.au 

stjosephscanteen@gmail.com 

Happy birthday to these students celebrating their birthdays this week:

Theondrupe W

Benjamin L

Max M

Liam O

Angus W

Madison A

Mary C

Ebenezer A

Zoe P