Dear Parents and Carers,

Week 8 is already here! This term is flying by. Our past few weeks have been jam-packed with various events such as Book Week, Father's Day Celebrations, the Wee Waa Show, and the Canberra Excursion. As we near the term's end, please note some of the upcoming dates and events.

Please see our Learning Gallery for Book Week and Wee Waa Show news and photos

Attendance

We have a current Attendance Rate of 89% (The number of days attended as a percentage of the total number of days we have been open for instruction.)
We also have 55% of students with an attendance rate equal to or greater than 90%.

This attendance rate has dropped by 1% over the past three weeks. If we all focused on this as a school community, we would be able to drive these figures higher.

Attending school is very important, especially as there is a direct link between attendance and achievement. If you have any questions regarding your child’s attendance rate, please contact the school office, and we can discuss this.

School Fees

This is a reminder that if you have not yet paid your school fees for this year, please consider doing so soon. We understand that circumstances can vary, and payment plans can be organised to make the process more manageable.

Monthly Compass school fee statements are communicated via email each month. If you have not received a copy of this, please contact the school office so we get this organised.

Summer Uniform Change-Over

The official change over to the Summer uniform is Monday, 9 October.

However, with the weather now warming up, parents and carers may choose for children to come to school in either full Winter or full Summer uniform starting tomorrow, Tuesday, 5 September. Please use your discretion depending on the weather.

If you require new uniforms, these are available to purchase from our Made for School online uniform shop via bit.ly/3P0OrHj

Please note that school hats and a limited supply of new and secondhand uniform items are available via the Compass app under the Canteen Menu > Uniforms (available each Wednesday)

Father’s Day Celebrations

On Friday, 25 August, we held our Father’s Day celebration. The St Joseph’s P & F organised a delicious BBQ Breakfast and a stall for students to purchase gifts. A big thank you to all the families who supported us on this day, as well as those who volunteered their time to help make and serve breakfast and wrap the gifts.

Canberra Excursion

On Monday, 28 August, our Stage 3 students and staff travelled to Canberra for the week for their annual excursion. It was a great week, and the students enjoyed participating in many enjoyable and educational activities. They visited many landmarks and venues, including Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, The Australian Institute of Sport, The National Museum, The National Zoo & Aquarium, CSIRO and Questacon. They even managed to have a game of Laser Tag and Bowling.

Students stated that one of the biggest highlights of the trip was the epic Laser Tag battle we had! All the students were excited and had a great time.

As a principal, my most significant highlight was seeing all of our students interact so positively and respectfully at all of the attractions we visited. The walk along the memorial path towards the War Memorial was particularly memorable as it helped instil a sense of reverence before we began our tour. However, I do wish we had more time to explore all the attractions, as it felt like we only scratched the surface of what Canberra had to offer!

More pictures are available to view on our Facebook page!

Annual Raffle

The St Joseph’s P & F Annual Raffle is now live via https://bit.ly/3YZfzeh

There are some great prizes up for grabs:

1st Prize $650 YETI Tundra Hard Cooler (kindly donated by Queensland Cotton)
2nd Prize $500 Why Leave Town Gift Card (Narrabri Shire) (kindly donated by Namoi Cotton Merah North Gin)
3rd Prize $200 YETI Rambler 3.8 L Jug (kindly donated by Queensland Cotton)

Tickets are $2 each and will close and be drawn on Friday, 27 October, at our Family Funraiser.

Tickets can be purchased online via RaffleLink or by cash sales form. Please note that a cash sales form and an envelope were sent home with your child tomorrow, Tuesday, 5 September.

Junior Joeys Bake Sale

This is a reminder that the Junior Joeys will be holding a Bake Sale this Thursday, 7 September, during Morning Tea.

If your family is able to donate some food, please bring it to the office on the morning of in a LABELLED CONTAINER. No Nuts, please.

All items will be sold for $1 each.

Glow Disco

The St Joseph’s P & F will be hosting a Glow Disco on Friday, 22 September (the last day of term), from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Wee Waa Bowling Club. All students (including kindergarten transition) are invited to attend.

Upon entry, all children will receive a glow stick and have the option to have their faces painted with glow paint. There will be snacks, Hot Dogs for dinner, and water and cordial available. This is a free event!

There will be music, dancing and prizes awarded for games.

Please note that all children must have adult supervision.

For further information and to opt-in for this event, access the Events page via your child’s profile on the Compass app, or, alternatively, go to https://stjosephsweewaa-nsw.compass.education/Organise/Activities/Events/ by Monday, 18 September.

Kindergarten Transition

This is a reminder that our Kindergarten Transition commences on Tuesday, 12 September.

Please see the schedule as follows:

Tuesday, 12 September, 9 - 11 am

Tuesday, 19 September, 9 - 11 am

Tuesday, 17 October, 9 am – 12:30 pm

Tuesday, 24 October, 9 am – 12:30 pm

Tuesday, 31 October, 9 am – 1:45 pm

Tuesday, 7 November, 9 am – 1:45 pm

Tuesday, 14 November, 9 am – 3 pm

Tuesday, 21 November, 9 am – 3 pm

Tuesday, 28 November, 9 am – 3 pm

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

Have a great weekend.

God Bless,

Alistair Stewart

Principal

St Joseph's Primary School

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Issue 13 · 04 Sep 2023

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