Dear Parents and Carers,

Week 5 is drawing to a close, and we can now say that we are halfway through Term 2! The academic year is definitely in full swing. It has been a pleasure to observe the learning in each stage over the past week.

As a parent and principal, I enjoyed spending time with my boys last Tuesday for our Catholic Schools Week open morning. Being able to connect with my boys was a joy, but what was even better was watching other children's faces as they got to share what they were learning with their families. It was so wonderful to see so many families here last Tuesday. Photos and further details of the week can be found in this newsletter.

Lake Keepit Excursion

Last Monday, 15, and Tuesday, May 16, our Stage 2 students, myself, Mrs Elise Avery, Mr Matthew Hamblin, Mrs Karlee Hatton, Mrs Dannika Schwager and Mrs Leanne Schwager, travelled to Lake Keepit for their annual excursion. They all had a fantastic time and participated in various activities, including the mud run, night archery, and kayaking. It was wonderful to see the students bonding with each other and being pushed out of their comfort zones by these challenges. As a principal, I was delighted to witness the strong bond between our students and teachers during the activities. Due to COVID restrictions, it has been tough to organise overnight outings in recent times, which is why we were thrilled to be able to go ahead with this excursion. Many of our Stage 2 students are already counting down the days until next year's night away!

ACSP Conference

Last week, I attended the Association of Catholic School Principals Conference in Wollongong. This conference is held every two years, with over 350 Catholic principals from around NSW. The conference theme was “New Hope and New Growth, a Celebration of Catholic Educational Leadership”. There were international speakers who inspired us, like Professor Andy Hargreaves from the University of Ottawa, Ben Walden, an educationalist from London and Pak-Tee Ng, a principal leader from Singapore.

What was exciting for me was to share our school story as a keynote on the first day of the conference. I created a presentation called ‘Wandering the Plains’, which took principals through the journey of what it has been like to lead a Catholic School in a regional or remote area. The focus was on how we, as a school, have an expectation to support families through whatever is happening in the community. I discussed the drought, mice plagues, great harvests, flooding, and COVID implications.

What was also affirming was hearing the stories from other principals and system leaders in regional and remote dioceses. They let me know how important it is to share the stories of what makes up life in our sphere of the world, as colleagues in metro dioceses do not necessarily face the same challenges. They were excited as it was not just the journey of St Joseph’s Wee Waa but the journey of all schools in regional and remote NSW.

I also need to pass on a special thank you to the families that provided me with photos of their properties in drought and flood, as these images highlighted the message I was conveying to the audience.

ADPSC Cross Country

Last Friday, 19 May, selected students travelled to Barraba to compete in the ADPSC Cross Country. Congratulations to all the students on their efforts and sportsmanship, and to Miss Lucy Suttor and the parents for your support.

A special mention to Edward Carolan, who placed first in his division and has qualified to compete in NSWCPS Podling Cross Country selections in Sydney on Tuesday, 13 June. Well done!

Future Enrolments Parent Information Night

On Monday, 22 May, we held our annual Future Enrolments Parent Information Night. It was great to meet members of our new Kindergarten families and share what is special about St Joseph’s Wee Waa.

If you have a child starting Kindergarten next year and have not yet completed an expression of interest or Kindergarten Transition registration, please go to bit.ly/40Pc1uo or contact the school office.

Catholic Schools Week

This week our school celebrated Catholic Schools Week with the theme of ‘Renew with Hope’. On Wednesday, it was great to see so many families visiting classrooms, joining us for a special assembly and a shared morning tea. Then, yesterday, our School Captains, Cameron Baird and Emma Gleeson, represented the school and attended Catholic Schools Week Mass at the Saints Mary and Joseph Cathedral in Armidale with Mrs Elise Baird and Mrs Karlee Hatton.

Winter Uniforms

Due to the colder weather, students may wear their full winter uniform starting this Monday, 29 May. Please note that we have a limited number of new and secondhand stock onsite via Compass. If you require any new uniforms (excluding Navy Pinafores), these can be ordered via bit.ly/3LsxCEL

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

National Reconciliation Week

Next Week, from 27 May to 3 June, is National Reconciliation Week. This year's theme is ‘Be a Voice for Generations’, encouraging all Australians to be

“a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live, work and socialise”.

School Photos

Please note that our School Photos will be held on Monday, 19 June. Therefore, students must wear their full winter uniform on this day.

Please see the Compass Newsfeed for further information on ordering.

ADPSC Rugby Union trials & Gary McSweeney Cup

Lastly, I wish good luck to Cameron Baird, Demi-Renee Cruickshank and Percy Hayes, who will participate in the ADPSC Rugby Union trials next Monday, 29 May. This is a special day as it is the inaugural Gary McSweeney cup day. Gary was a passionate sports leader within our diocese. He was the Principal of St Edwards Primary School Tamworth for over 20 years. Members of the Leadership team of the Catholic Schools Office, as well as principal colleagues, plus some of Gary’s friends and family, will be present to see the dedication of the Gary McSweeney Cup for our diocese.

Have a great weekend.

God Bless,

Alistair Stewart

Principal

St Joseph's Primary School

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Issue 7 · 26 May 2023

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