Term 2 Week 10 - July 2nd, 2025

From The Principals Desk

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we wind out the final days of Term 2, it is with every sincerity that I commend our students and staff on another successful semester of all respecting self, learning, others and the environment! I’m sure our captains, Bonnie and Indigo, would also share my sentiments after their reminders of our school rules at assembly each Friday!

Having read all of the students' semester reports prior to releasing them to families tomorrow, it is my hope that each student and family read the reports with pride. Each report will have areas of commendation along with areas for growth and improvement. It is important to celebrate the gains and achievements, while also acknowledging the teacher’s guiding statements on areas for growth over the next semester.

I would also encourage giving your child the opportunity to talk to/about their report to you eg. If engagement in learning is high or low in an area, why do you think so? If achievement is high or low in an area, why do you think so?

The more explicit your question, the better the opportunity for your child to respond with more than a simple ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘I don’t know’.

All families have either had the opportunity this week (Years 2 and 6) or will have the opportunity early next term (Kinder, Years 1, 3 , 4 and 5) to discuss your child’s report with the classroom teacher at our formal Parent Teacher Interview evenings. Bookings are available now through Compass.

Our students enjoyed a well deserved morning of fun activities as reward for their hard work throughout the term during our SOLE Celebration Reward Day today. Well done on a great term students and staff!

Our St Joseph’s Public Speaking Competition was finalised on Monday of this week. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all students who put themselves forward to participate in the competition. Each year we have approximately 50% of the students opt in! I commend every participant on their courage and confidence! All final results are below. We wish our winners well when they participate in the Regional Public Speaking Finals early next term. 

My sincerest gratitude is expressed to our adjudicators Mrs Deborah Walker and Miss Hazel Egan (former student and drama extraordinaire!). It is never an easy task to adjudicate, let alone to do so at such a brisk pace all morning. Thank you for accepting the challenge! 

The final day of term is tomorrow, Thursday 3rd July. Friday is a Staff Professional Development Day for all staff and we will be off site for the day. 

First day back for students for Term 3 will be Monday 21st July.

I wish everyone a safe and happy two week break from school.

Peace and blessings,

Jason Clarke

Principal

Public Speaking

Early Stage 1

Kyah Kaleyias           My Cat - FIRST
Taydem Heterick    Lizards - SECOND        

Stage 1 - Finalists 

Darcy Ahern        How Dads Are The Best -  FIRST
Delilah Cleak       How To Train Your Parents - SECOND
Alice Walsh          Swimming With Whale Sharks
James Polson       Cars
Jacob Hoffman   Japan
Bella Moore         Dogs

Stage 2  - Finalists 

Will Polson                    Screen Time -   FIRST
Zander Gale                   Electricity - SECOND
Eli Rudman                    My Teacher
Meadow Chapman      A Positive Mindset
Revie Cambridge         My Dogs
Scarlett Walker            Whales
Ariella Donaldson       Homework

Stage 3 - Finalists 

Shelby Walsh            The Truth - FIRST
Pippa Bourke             Kick it to the Olympics - SECOND
Esther Cambridge    As Sweet as Chocolate
Isla Alley                      More Than Just A Game
Ace Colleton               The Illegal Pizza Topping
Indigo Cleak              Epic Australia: where Wonders Never Cease

Sharing the Gospel

 HOLY COMMUNION RETREAT & SACRAMENTS

The past six weeks have been a period of significant spiritual growth for our students as they progressed through their Sacramental journey, hand-in-hand with their fellow students in our Parish. A particularly memorable moment was their Retreat Day at Sacred Heart Church in Week 8. It brought their instruction to a close and prepared them for receiving their Holy Communion on Saturday and Sunday. The warmth and joy of these celebrations were deeply felt and shared by all within our Parish community. It has been a true honor to accompany these students and their families on this special path.                      Congratulations, Scarlet, Meadow, Beau, Zander, Bailey, Carter, Eli C, Archer, Aria, Kobe, and Milania.

Kinder Co-Created Liturgy

Stage 2 Co-Created Liturgy

Stage 3 Co-Created Liturgy - Led by Faith, Inspired by Creation

Last Thursday, Stage 3 students came together to lead a powerful co-created liturgy around the theme: “As stewards of the Earth, we are called to care for and protect our common home.”

This wasn’t just any liturgy—this was one designed by the students. Each class was given just one hour to plan their section. They chose Scripture, wrote thoughtful prayers, created beautiful artwork, and prepared meaningful reflections that reflected their deep connection to God’s creation.

Through this liturgy, our students didn’t just talk about their faith—they lived it. They showed how Gospel values like respect, service, and responsibility come alive when we work together to honour the world God has given us.

Parents, Year 2, Mr. Clarke, and Mrs. Hughes joined us in this uplifting celebration and left inspired by the leadership, creativity, and faith that shone through every part of it.

What a Day for Our Mini Vinnies Walk-a-thon!

What an incredible turnout we had today—not just from our wonderful community, but from the weather too! The sun was shining as we walked together along the beautiful Murwillumbah Rail Trail, soaking up the Vitamin D and the good vibes.

A heartfelt thank you to Mr Sandall, Mrs Hughes, and our dedicated Mini Vinnies team who have been working tirelessly during their lunch breaks to bring this event to life. Their passion and effort in finding ways to support St Vincent de Paul is truly inspiring.

A huge thank you also goes out to all our families, friends, grandparents—and even the doggies!—who walked with us and donated so generously. Your support means the world.

Events like this are more than just a walk—they’re a chance for our students to learn the value of compassion and generosity. Following in the footsteps of Jesus, we teach our children that giving without judgement is one of the most powerful things we can do.

 There’s still time to donate! If you’d like to contribute, we’ll be accepting donations until Thursday of Week 10.

What a wonderful day of community, kindness, and purpose. We can’t wait to share our fundraising total with you—and we’re already looking forward to doing it all again next year!

Walk-a-thon Fun

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"S.O.L.E Superstar" Awards

Week 8 Term 2

Week 9 Term 2

Curriculum News

Year 5 Leadership Training – Building Tomorrow’s Leaders

“Leadership is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

 With this inspiring message, our Year 5 students launched into their Leadership Training in preparation for their roles as school leaders in 2026.

Guided by Mrs Quinn and Mrs Martin, the students took part in a dynamic day filled with hands-on challenges, team-building tasks, and leadership discussions. They explored what it means to lead with integrity, compassion, and courage.

Throughout the day, students showed great enthusiasm, collaboration, and a willingness to step outside their comfort zones. Their energy and maturity reflected a strong readiness to take on future leadership responsibilities at St Joseph’s.

We’re proud to be nurturing a group of thoughtful, capable young leaders who are already showing they have what it takes to make a positive impact.

Stage 3 Homework Showcase

Every single Stage 3 student took part in our Space Homework Showcase—and the results were truly out of this world! With 100% engagement, students wowed us with creative models, interactive displays, animations, posters, and digital presentations that explored the wonders of our universe.

They proudly presented their projects to the entire school and our visiting families, transforming the basement into a galaxy of learning, colour, and imagination. It was a brilliant celebration of effort, creativity, and enthusiasm for learning—Stage 3, you took us on an unforgettable journey through space!

We also received some fantastic feedback from the students themselves:
“Can we do this next term?” – Loki
“Really liked the topic.” – Will
“I really liked the structure.” – Lyla
“The layout was really easy to follow.” – Archer
“Can we choose our own topic next time?” – Levi
“I liked the different options.” – Kaeden
“I liked we could do 3D models.” – Lorenzo
“I liked that the weeks were all broken into different topics.” – Ella
“I like that you can work at your own pace.” – Shelby
“It challenged us.” – Nakoha
“I like that we are doing different topics each time.” – Bonnie
“I liked the creative aspect in each week.” – Owen

Student voice is always valued—and judging by their reflections, this project was a launchpad for learning, challenge, and fun!

COLLECTING DATA WITH YEAR 4 AND KINDER 

 Last Friday Mrs Trace and Miss Nance realised that that both their Kinder and Year 4 Class were learning about collecting Data. We had a great idea of joining together to collaborate and collect data on “What is the most popular breakfast cereal in Year 4 and Kinder?”

 Our year 4 students had created a table and decided to conduct a survey with tally marks to gather the data while Kinder are learning how to use tally marks. We did some voting and it worked out that most students in Year 4 love toasties for breakfast, whereas our Kinder’s love smoothies!

 The year 4’s task was to create a column graph to represent the data, looking at the important parts of a graph- the title, labels for our x and y axis and deciding whether to use a “many to one scale”. Kinder looked at the tally’s and learnt how to find out what was the most popular and the least popular.

 We had so much fun we decided to join forces again in the Kindergarten room and vote on a “how to draw”. Pancakes was the winner and all the kids had a go at drawing this yummy breakfast! 

 We had such a good time together. School can be very busy at this time of year, but it was nice to give our year 4 students the opportunity to feel like leaders and practice being a leader before heading into Stage 3. Its important to give the kids the opportunity to work together and have fun while learning, which was exactly what we did!

It was a wonderful way to end Week 8 and we will be sure to do this again.

Now parents, you better start the toastie and smoothie maker! 

St Joseph's Students Shine at STEM Day 

Last week, some enthusiastic Year 4 & 5 students took part in an exciting STEM Day at St Finbarr’s Primary School. The day was packed with hands-on activities designed to inspire collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving—key skills that are essential in today’s world.

The learning intention for the day was clear: to work collaboratively, think critically, and solve STEM challenges creatively. Students were divided into small teams and presented with a variety of engaging tasks that tested their ability to work together, analyse problems, and develop innovative solutions.

One of the highlights was a “build the tallest tower” challenge, where groups had to use everyday items like newspaper and tape. It was amazing to see their creative engineering and how they adjusted their designs after testing stability and strength.

Their big challenge was to design, build and code a carrier/transport device that can be towed by their chosen robot and deliver the medical supplies to a remote village. Their teamwork was evident as they discussed ideas, divided responsibilities, and encouraged each other throughout the activities. Critical thinking was at the heart of every task, pushing students to question, experiment, and refine their approaches.

Teachers were impressed by the students’ enthusiasm and resilience. Many remarked on how well the children demonstrated problem-solving skills while maintaining a positive, cooperative spirit.

The STEM Day at St Finbarr’s was more than just a fun event—it was an opportunity for our students to develop essential skills that will help them engage confidently with STEM learning in the future. We look forward to seeing how these young innovators continue to grow and apply their skills throughout the school year.

Well done to all the participants: Amelia Bedser, Esther Cambridge, Kaeden Jandura, Loki Jenkins, Will Polson, Shelby Walsh & Peggy Wilkinson for their fantastic effort and teamwork!

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Write On Writing Competition

Congratulations and good luck to Clara and Will Polson in the Write On Writing Competition. Clara and Will have had their writing submitted in this year's competition. The theme is ‘Could They Be Changing?’

This statewide competition celebrates writing and helps students develop their skills to express their ideas, with the potential to become published authors.

                                      Good luck, Clara and Will.

SOLE Celebration Day

What a fantastic SOLE Celebration Day we had today for Term 2!  Our incredible Stage 1 team pulled out all the stops, organising a morning packed with fun to celebrate all the hard work, success, and achievements of our amazing students this term.

Our kids had a blast rotating through STEM challenges, building epic card stacks and intricate LEGO mazes in teams against the clock!  They also got creative with arts and crafts and even braved the windy weather for some outdoor games. After lunch, the whole school gathered to watch a super fun Benchball match between our Year 6 stars and the teachers – so many laughs!

It's so important for us to celebrate our students' dedication, and today was the perfect way to let our hair down and have some well-deserved fun! We're so proud of them all! 

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Sports News

ZONE ATHLETICS:

The Zone Athletics Carnival is set for Term 3 - Week 2, Friday 1st August. I will send out a list of events showing who is competing in what events for zone before the term breaks up.
To progress onto Zone, the 8Yrs, 9Yrs & 10Yrs are combined and are classified as the “Junior Age Group”. The top two times progress onto Zone in the following categories:
Junior, 11Yrs & Senior. The 100m event is the only event that takes the top three place getters in individual ages    ie; 8Yrs, 9Yrs, 10Yrs, 11Yrs & 12Yrs.
** Students in the 11Yrs or 12Yrs who received a 1st or 2nd ribbon for their events are straight through to zone or received a 3rd for the 100m are also through to zone.
** Students who competed as a 8yr, 9yr or 10yr and received 1st, 2nd or 3rd for 100m are straight through to zone. I will need to identify the top two in the Junior events for all other events (800m, 200m, Long Jump & Shot Put). This will be published before we break up for school holidays.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY RUNNING CLINIC AND ATHLETICS WORKSHOP:

The amazing athletics and running coaches (Jack and Courtney) are putting on a fantastic holiday workshop for any interested students these holidays! Please see the attached flyer for full details. A great way to fill in time over the holidays and prepare for the up coming athletics season/Zone/Diocesan and beyond!

Library News

General News

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

Lost Property

If your child has lost any of these items, please call into the office to claim.

Please ensure all items are clearly marked with your child's name.

Canteen News

A reminder for canteen changes next term- The canteen is open on Thursdays only, for lunch and recess- On Thursday morning bring your order in an envelope or paper bag with cash (or eftpos orders from 8:30). Place your order in your classroom basket.- Compass ordering will no longer be operating- We are also looking for some extra volunteer helpers on Thursdays.

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

Friday 4 July               6:00 am - Adoration & Holy Door Open
                                        9:30 am - Legion of Mary | Parish Meeting Centre
                                       12:00 pm - Mass
Saturday 5 July         9:00 am - Rosary
                                       4:30 pm - Rosary
                                       5:00 pm - Vigil Mass
Sunday 6 July
                                       8:30 am - Rosary
                                      9:00 am - Mass
                                     10:00 am - Cuppa | Morning Tea

Health & Wellbeing

Parent News

~JULY VACATION CARE~

Community News

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