School News

Happy Birthday

Wishing all our students a very happy birthday who celebrated their special day overthe last fortnight.

25 October - Ashton B Year 5

26 October - Liam L Year 1

28 October - Max W Year 2, Woody C Year 3 and Gabriel A Year 5

29 October - Poppy I Year 6

30 October - Liam C Year 1

31 October - Audrey T Year 2

1 November - Aleira G Year 4 & Mason G Year 4

3 November - Benjamin G Year 1 and Liam P Year 5

6 November - Indigo P Year 3 and Ashby S Year 4

7 November - Jagger G Year 4

South Eastern Regional Public Speaking Competition

Last Friday Pria (Year 5) and Sophie M (Year 6) represented St Joseph's at the public speaking competition held at St Therese, West Wollongong. There were 16 outstanding speakers in each grade level competition. Both girls spoke exceptionally well with strong speeches and gained a lot of experience from listening to their competitors. Well done!

Sophie M was placed 2nd in the Year 6 category and today represented our school in the Diocesan Grand Final being and placed 3rd!!! This is a wonderful achievement and we are so very proud!! 

Mathematics News

Year 3 Array Challenge

Year 3 were challenged to find the total number of spots in some arrays around the school. An array is arranged in rows and columns. Arrays are a stepping stone to learning and consolidating multiplication facts.Year 3 were asked to use known facts to break down the large array and calculate the total. Look at all their thinking.

Poem Forest Competition

Well done to all the students who participated in this wonderful creative competition. All your poems have planted many trees across Dharawal and Wodi Wodi country.

Congratulations to Theo and Charlotte R  from Year 3 on being shortlisted in the Wollongong Community Greening Local Prize category of the POEM FOREST Prize! Their poems 'The Gentle Giant Genius of Trees'  and 'The White Oak Tree' were selected from over 5,400 entries from students and teachers across Australia. Both students are invited to plant their own tree in the POEM FOREST on Dharawal and Wodi Wodi Country in Wollongong!

What happens next?

These students poems are now in the careful hands of our judges, celebrated Yankunytjatjara poet Ali Cobby Eckermann, Kamilaroi man, STEM champion and founder of DeadlyScience Corey Tutt, horticulturist and Wollongong Botanic Garden Education Officer Penny Hoswell & 2023 POEM FOREST Threatened Species highly commended poet Pardis Mahmoudian.

They are also in the running for a share in $5,000 worth of prizes including $500 cash, book packs, seeds, garden tours and more! 

Year 5 Leadership

On Monday November 4, Year 5 students participated in a valuable day learning about leadership, facilitated by Mr Cameron Brown. This engaging, inspiring and challenging program supported the learning and leadership journey of Year 5 students in preparation for them to become school leaders in 2025. The program fostered a shared language, awareness and appreciation of purposeful leadership skills, attitudes and behaviours, while celebrating each individual’s ability to make a difference in their own and others’ lives. 

Students learned valuable leadership skills and perspectives achieved through experiential learning, hands on experiences with reflection, allowing students to deepen connection to self, others and the world around them. 

Some significant and inspiring quotes that stood out to us are:

• “Leadership is about trying, not winning; showing people, not telling.”
• “Bravery is not a solo act, you can’t be brave without first being afraid.”
• “A great leader does great things, even when no one is watching.” 

We thank Cameron for sharing his expertise and are confident in the leadership qualities that our students will show in 2025. 

Second Hand Book Stall In The Library

Hello, Parents and Carers,

Our names our Eden and Josie and we are in Year 2. We have started a charity book stall in the library and we need your second hand book donations so other students can buy them for $1. Please send the books into the Library at school.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Video on Sorry Business

The Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee has created a powerful video to help school communities better understand what Sorry Business means to Aboriginal people. This is a very informative 5 minute video.

Important Update: New Visitor Management System for School Sign-Ins

We are excited to announce the implementation of a new Visitor Management System designed to streamline and enhance the safety and efficiency of signing in at our schools. This system will change the way parents and visitors sign in, ensuring a smoother and more secure process.

Important Steps for All Parents:

1. Token for Onboarding Process: If you have previously provided the school with your Working With Children’s Check number you will receive an email with your token via email shortly. If you would like to start volunteering, please click on the link provided below to complete the new onboarding process.
   https://apps.dow.catholic.edu.au/vms/onboarding/new
2. Clearance for Volunteering: Once you have completed the onboarding process, you will receive clearance from the Child Protection team from the Catholic Education Office, allowing you to volunteer in our schools.
3. Quick Sign-In App: To make the sign-in process even simpler, we have introduced a quick sign-in app available for download from both the App Store and Google Play Store. This app will allow you to sign in quickly and efficiently whenever you visit the school.
   • https://apps.dow.catholic.edu.au/quicksignin

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we transition to this new system. Our goal is to ensure the safety and security of all students, staff, and visitors. Should you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the school office

SJB Legionnaire Hats - Price Increase

Our SJB Legionnaire hats have had a price increase.  

As at 1 November 2024 our SJB Legionnaire hats new price will be $20.

School Fees Due by 1 December 2024

Thank you to those families who have finalised their 2024 school fees.  The November statement has been sent.

If you are paying via instalments, please ensure these are up to date.  For anyone with an outstanding amount on their instalments, you will be contacted by the end of this week via email.

All fees must have  ZERO balance by 1 December 2024.

Should you be experiencing any difficulties in finalising your  school fees, please contact the school office to arrange a meeting with the Principal

Book Club Issue 7 - NOW CLOSED

Orders for Issue 7 are now closed.  Delivery for Issue 7 will be in the week commencing Monday 11 November. 

Thank you to SJB families for supporting the Book Club this year. Our school earns 15% in Scholastic Rewards on all book club orders. Due to your support we have raised $776 so far during 2024, to be used towards new library resources, including books and learning materials.

UNSW ICAS

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded Distinctions, Credits and Merits.  These certificates will be awarded at today's assembly .

Writing

Miguel Aguilera

Assistant Principal

2024 Grade Spelling Bee Competition

The School Junior/Senior Spelling Bee Competition will be held Wednesday November 13 (Week 5). The Junior School Spelling Bee will take place at 9:30am. The Senior School Spelling Bee will take place at 11:30am. An unseen word list will be used for the Junior/Senior School Spelling Bee Competition.  Parents are welcome to attend

Say it, spell it, say it! 

In the School Spelling Bee competition the Master of Ceremonies will pronounce the word, use it in a sentence, then repeat the word. The competitor must say the word first. This is done to let the MC know that the competitor has heard the word correctly. This also begins the 15 or 20 seconds of timing depending on age group. The competitor will then spell the word. A scribe will write the letters on a whiteboard as the competitor says them. During this time the competitor can self correct. When the competitor says the word a second time when spelling is completed, this tells the MC that they are happy with their spelling choice and no further changes can be made. The competitor has 15 seconds (Junior) and 20 seconds (Senior) to spell their word. 

The process is as follows:

MC: “snowflake… The snowflake fell to the ground….. snowflake.” 

Participant: “snowflake… S-N-O-W-F-L-A-K-E….. snowflake.” 

Rules

• A competitor must say the word before spelling it within 5 seconds of hearing the word.
• Once the competitor states the word a second time at the end of their spelling attempt they cannot go back and self-correct. 
• If a competitor spells a word incorrectly but “self-corrects” within 15 seconds (Junior) and 20 seconds (Senior) or self corrects before saying the word the second time the competitor remains in the competition. 
• Upper case letters are required for Proper Nouns as in Wollongong – Capital W-o-l-l-o-n-g-o-n-g
• The timing begins after the competitor says the word he/she is attempting. If a word is not spelled out within the 15 seconds (Junior) and 20 seconds (Senior), that competitor no longer remains in the competition.
• It is required that a competitor says the word at the end to show they are finished spelling. For example: “fuel   f-u-e-l   fuel”
• If a competitor spells a word incorrectly they are eliminated from the competition. The next word on the MC’s list is given to the next competitor.
• The judge’s decision is final.

2024 Finalists for School Spelling Bee Competition 

Wednesday November 13 (Week 5)

School Student Travel - Year 3 2025

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their School Opal card at their nominated postal address from mid-January 2025.Students progressing from year 2 to year 3 and from year 6 to year 7 do not need to re-apply if they:

• are continuing at the same school, and
• are residing at the same address, and
• have not been sent an expiry notification from Transport for NSW.

Where a student meets the new distance eligibility, the system will automatically update their entitlement. If they do not meet the new eligibility, they will receive an expiry notification.  Students who change address, school, campus location, have repeated a year or received an expiry notification for their school travel entitlement need to renew or update their details before the end of Term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications, so their travel entitlement can remain valid for the start of the 2025 school year.Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

Library News

Kindergarten will borrow on Fridays and will be visiting the library on alternating Tuesdays.

Sports News

Sports Uniform Days - Term 4

Students are required to wear sports uniform as outlined below.

Please be advised that students will be required to wear their sports uniform the following days.

Canteen

Open Monday to Friday for recess and lunch.

Cash purchases for snacks and drinks can be made at recess and lunchtime. Snacks and drinks can also be ordered via the new platform FlexiSchools.

Lunch orders

Orders for lunch can only be made through Flexischools.  Please note that orders close at 9.15am daily.  Orders cannot be placed after this time.

Flexischool Parent Support Line - 1300 361 769 (Hours: 7.00am-12.00 noon)

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Handbook

2024 Bus Timetable (Premier Charters)

PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning)

Ask your child about the weekly focus for students.

This week's focus:

   Let’s be stewards of creation and keep our school beautiful!