Term 3 Week 2 - July 30th, 2025

From The Principals Desk

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are already solidly into the throws of Term 3! It has been another positive start to term with staff and students all reinvigorated after the holidays.

Our Parent Teacher Interviews for classes K, 1, 3, 4 and 5 started yesterday afternoon and will continue on Thursday afternoon. It’s great to see so many of our families presenting for the interviews, if you haven’t yet booked we have reopened the booking sheet until 12pm Thursday for last minute bookings!

Our St Joseph’s representative athletes will be attending the Tweed Zone Athletics Carnival this Friday. The team will be catching the bus from school heading to Walter Peate Oval, Cudgen accompanied by Miss Fitzpatrick and Miss Daly. We wish them all well as they compete against the other competitors from our Tweed Zone Catholic schools.

The Tweed Regional Public Speaking Competition is taking place next week on Thursday 7th August. Our eight representatives will do us very proud I’m sure. Keep practicing those speeches team! I look forward to supporting you next Thursday!

As families would be aware from a letter sent out last week, Mr Tony Davis has his 4th Year of Assistant Principal Contract Appraisal on the 13th August. Mrs Vanessa Hughes will also be undergoing her similar appraisal process on the 27th August (a letter will be sent out to families soon). 

As mentioned in the letter to families, this is a formative process that provides quality feedback to Tony and Vanessa on the important work they do in our school. Staff all have the opportunity to provide feedback, but we would also like to hear from any parents who would like to provide feedback to our Assistant Principals. If you would like to provide feedback please contact the school to speak with myself as Chair of the Appraisal panel.

We are looking forward to another rewarding and fulfilling term of learning and growing together!

Please note there is no assembly this Friday due to the Zone Athletics Carnival.

Peace and blessings,

Jason Clarke

Principal

Sharing the Gospel

Mini Vinnies Walkathon: A Resounding Success!

A huge shout-out and heartfelt thanks go to our incredible Mini Vinnies team for their
outstanding effort in running last term's Walkathon! We were absolutely thrilled to see the
largest number of volunteers ever, with students from Kindergarten all the way to Year 6
participating.
This amazing achievement wouldn't have been possible without the exceptional leadership,
dedication, and tireless efforts of our Mini Vinnies captains, Isla Alley and Noah Bowley.
Their guidance and determination inspired everyone involved and truly made a difference.
Thanks to the hard work of all our students, volunteers, and the brilliant leadership of Isla
and Noah, we not only met our fundraising goal but exceeded it! We also extend our sincere
gratitude to everyone who generously donated, making it possible to purchase all the truly
needed items to support those who need it most in our community, creating a real, tangible
impact.

At assembly on Friday we presented Denise Banner (a long time member of Mary MacKillop Conference and St Vincent de Paul Volunteer) with $1100 of winter warmers and food vouchers.

Thank you to everyone who walked, volunteered, and supported this wonderful initiative by
donating to an incredible cause. Our Mini Vinnies continue to make us incredibly proud!

"S.O.L.E Superstar" Awards

Week 1 Term 3

Curriculum News

Celebrating Our Year 5 Students: Selected for the Diocesan Extension Maths and English Program

We are proud to announce that four of our outstanding Year 5 students have been selected to participate in the 2025 Diocesan Extension Maths and English Program. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to further extend and enrich their learning in these key areas.

Congratulations to Amelia, Esther, and Shelby, who have been chosen for the Extension English Program. Their strong reading, writing, and analytical skills have earned them a place in this highly regarded initiative.

In addition, Kaeden and Shelby have been selected to take part in the Extension Mathematics Program, where they will be challenged with complex mathematical concepts and problem-solving activities.

Each week, these students will attend lessons via Zoom, connecting with specialist high school teachers and like-minded peers from across the Diocese. These sessions are designed to stretch their thinking, build confidence, and prepare them for the academic demands of secondary education.

We are incredibly proud of the students for their hard work, curiosity, and commitment to learning. We look forward to hearing about their experiences and growth as they participate in this exciting program.

Well done, everyone!

SRC Representatives - Semester 2

Last Term we thanked our outgoing SRC representatives for their dedication and hard work throughout Semester 1. Their commitment to representing their peers and fostering a spirit of cooperation has truly made a difference in our school.

Thank you to all our representatives: 
Year 6 - Chayse McLeod
Year 5 - Peggy Wilkinson
Year 4 - William Polson
Year 3 - Tate Bannister

We welcomed our SRC for Semester 2.
Year 6 - Asher Morphett
Year 5 - Kaeden Jandura
Year 4 - Koen Jandura
Year 3 - Jasper Baartz

Together they are looking forward to another successful and rewarding semester at St Joseph’s!

Sports News

ZONE ATHLETICS:

This Friday 42 students will represent our school as part of the St Joseph’s Zone Athletics team.
They are traveling to Kingscliff to compete against the seven other catholic schools that make up
the Tweed Zone. Parents please note; spikes are allowed for all events except the 800m and Shot
Put. The top three competitors in all events will progress on to Diocesan which is set for Tuesday
26th August in Coffs Harbour. Following the Diocesan carnival, the Polding carnival is set for Friday
12th September in Newcastle.

Students who competed at our school carnival as an 8Yr, 9Yr or 10Yr are now combined into the
“Junior Age division”. For all competition after school level (Zone, Diocesan, Polding & NSW PSSA)
the age categories are as follows:
Junior (8, 9 & 10 years combined), 11Yr & Senior (12 & 13 years combined).
The top three will progress to Diocesan for all events. The 100m track event is the only event that is
held as an individual age division. All other events are held as Junior, 11Yr and Senior.
Wishing our team the best of luck on Friday and hope they enjoy the experience of
competing at Zone level!

Boys: Leo Robinson, Archie Ahern, Darcy Wilkinson, Tate Bannister, Ali, Carter Alexander, Bailey
Clarkson, Corey Bray, Hamish Walsh, Luca Anderson, William Polson, Kobe Robinson, Xavier
Workman, Kaeden Jandura, Sam Stovold, Misha Reed, Nakoha Heterick, Jaxon Mann and Archer
Twyford.

Girls: Jayli Walsh, Clara Polson, Darcy Ahern, Delilah Cleak, Millie Anderson, Selene Owen, Revie
Cambridge, Meadow Chapman, Sierra Casagrande, Ayla Bourke, Amelia Bedser, Shelby Walsh,
Peggy Wilkinson, Amber Miliken, Aria Dunning, Pippa Bourke, Lyla McMahon, Annabel Casey,
Lalyta Brockbank, Amira Folkers, Isla Alley, Ruby Carter and Bonnie Lindsay.

SOCCER & NETBALL TRIALS:
We are busy selecting our three teams for the Stage Three Gala day (Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer
and Girls Netball) which is in Week 9, Friday 19th September. Last Friday the Boys Soccer team was
finalised which means the next trial will be to select our Girls Soccer team followed by the Girls
Netball team.

Congratulations to the boys in Year 5 & 6 who are now part of the St Joseph’s Boys Soccer
Team: Will Hoffman, Nakoha Heterick, Misha Reed, Nate Linkins, Archer Twyford, Levi Campbell,
Ace Colleton, Frank Ahrens, Chayse McLeod, Asher Morphett, Noah Bowley, Kaeden Jandura,
Sam Stovold, William Owen and Xavier Workman. A big thank you to Liam Payne who will help us
prepare for the gala day by coaching the team starting this week during the students’ afternoon tea
break Tuesdays and Thursdays – we are so grateful to have your expertise and dedication!

ELECTIVE SPORT – TERM 3:
This Term for School Sport on Fridays, students in years 3 -6 will be participating in Elective Sport!
Students ranked their choices from 1 -4 on the nomination note and groups were then formed ready
to start in Week 3. Please remember to give permission for your child to attend these sessions on
Compass so we are ready to go for next week! More information regarding the four sporting options
are detailed below:

1) The Murwillumbah Combat Club is excited to offer a full and varied program called All Styles
Martial Arts. This exciting program will cover Wrestling, Kicking, Judo and Karate in a fun and
dynamic striking art that builds fitness, strength, coordination, and flexibility. In conjunction
with conditioning exercises, partner drills and fun kickboxing games, students will learn basic striking techniques, footwork, blocking and movement with a variety of training tools including
punching bags, mitts, Thai pads, shields and will get to train in a real boxing ring. This activity is
offered at beginner level and is non-contact.
Cost: $40 for 5 sessions

2) Red Box Gym: Testing out a different gym this year as Envision gym were not able to offer
sessions on the days we needed. After speaking to the programming coaches at Red Box Gym, we
are assured that there will be lots of exciting ideas planned for the students who select “Gym” for
their Elective Sport! Sessions will be a mix of indoor classes and classes set outside on premises
or in the area across from the gym in Knox Park. All these sessions are designed to give students a
taste of what Red Box can offer at age and skill appropriate levels.
Cost: $40 for 5 sessions

3) Hoopla Circus: Suzie’s Hoopla Circus is a fun, high energy circus session where you learn a
mixture of gymnastics and circus skills! Her equipment ranges from the floor length trampoline
(to help get the height you need for flips and tricks) to the volt, silks, stilts, juggling tools and the
list goes on!
Cost: $40 for 5 sessions

4) Basketball: Students who select Basketball as their Elective Sport will walk to Knox Park and
use the basketball courts there for games and other fun basketball activities such as Golden Child,
Dribble Knock Out etc. This is the only Elective Sport option that is completely free!
Cost: $0

Library News

General News

Baby News!

* Dates are correct as of today. However they may change going forward.*

Canteen News

Thank you to families for your support of our new canteen system last week.  
Debbie and Wendy were kept on their toes with lots of orders on the first day!!  St Joseph's green & yellow iced cupcakes were popular.

The canteen is open on Thursdays only, for lunch and afternoon tea. On Thursday morning bring your order in an envelope or paper bag with cash or a prepaid debit card such as Spriggy. Parents can also pay by eftpos at the canteen between 8.30-8.45. Place your order in your classroom basket, guided by your teacher.

A couple of reminders to help our canteen workers:
*Please include your students' year level on your order
*If placing both a lunch and afternoon tea order please put these on separate pieces of paper / write on separate bags.

Compass ordering will no longer be operating.

We are also looking for some extra volunteer helpers on Thursday Week 5.

Compass Help for Parents

Compass absence notes

Parents can let the school know of student absences in advance through the Compass app using the shortcuts icon at the bottom of their homepage.  

Parish News

Wednesday 30 July    NO Mass 
Thursday     31 July     NO Mass

Friday 1 August         6:00 am - Adoration & Holy Door Open
                                         9:30 am - Legion of Mary | Parish Meeting Centre
                                        11:00 am - Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
                                       12:00 pm - Mass

Saturday 2 August    9:00 am - Rosary
                                         4:30 pm - Rosary
                                         5:00 pm - Vigil Mass

Sunday 3 August
                                         8:00 am – 11 am Holy Door Open
                                         8:00 am - Pilgrimage Walk 
                                         8:30 am - Rosary
                                         9:00 am - Mass
                                       10:00 am - Cuppa/Morning tea

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