Principal's Report

Dear Families

Welcome to Week 3 of Term 3!

It is hard to believe how quickly this year is moving, yet here we are already well into the term. It has been a pleasure to see our students so settled and deeply engaged in their learning. We are looking forward to an exciting few weeks, particularly as we prepare for upcoming activities such as Book Week, Showcase and School Excursions.

Feast Day of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop: 8th August

This week, we turn our attention to St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s first and only canonized saint, whose life and enduring legacy continue to shape the identity of Catholic Schools.

Mary is a profound beacon of inspiration to all Catholic educators, and for those of us serving in regional areas, her work remains particularly resonant. She was a true trailblazer who passionately advocated for the education of underprivileged children in remote communities where others either would or could not go, forever changing the landscape of Catholic education in our country.

As we honor her, we are reminded of her simple yet powerful call to "never see a need without doing something about it," a guiding principle that reminds us how important it is that  every student feels valued, supported, and heard. 

You are all invited to our Parish/School Mass this Saturday the 8th August at 6pm in St Joseph's Church. Our Stage 3 students will be hosting the Mass and we welcome students and their families to come and join our parishioners in celebrating the liturgy and this special Feast Day of Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

MacKillop Athletics

Well done to all of the students who competed in the Diocesan Athletics last week. We are proud of the students sportsmanship and achievements. A special congratulations goes to the students who have made it to the next level of competition in Sydney. This is an incredible achievement!

These students are:

Irie Brown: Shot Put

Madden Chisholm: High Jump

Hamish Halliburton: 1500 Meter Run

Thatcher Hedlund: 100 Meter Sprint

Leilani Latu: 100 Meter Sprint Prelims

SJJU Social and Fundraising Committee

A special thank you to all the parents who came along to our Term 3 Meeting last night at the Junee Hotel. We also have two exciting fundraising events approaching: our Father’s Day Breakfast on Friday 4th September, hosted by Year 6 families, and our biannual whole school Colour Run on Friday 25th September, hosted by Year 5 and Kindergarten.

Planning for these events is well underway, and parents will be reaching out soon for assistance and contributions. On the day of the Colour Run, our Friday Awards Assembly will move to an earlier time of 11:30am, followed by a BBQ lunch at 12:00pm and the run itself. It is an incredibly fun way to end the term, and we look forward to seeing you all there. 

A special thank you to our parents and families for the time, effort, and funds you so generously contribute; all money raised this year will go towards new sporting equipment for all our students and a customised gazebo for future sporting events.

Census

On Tuesday, families were sent information regarding Census this Friday 7th August and privacy of information. The Census determines the government funding provided to schools in the subsequent year (2027).

Uniform and Hats

Just a reminder that although we are currently undergoing discussions around uniform changes these will not be in effect for 2027 as there is a consultation process to go through and time has to be allowed for the transition of uniforms. Hence, if you need to purchase uniforms for 2027 they will still be the current uniform. Further surveying and information will come out about the next stage of the uniform change process after our next School Advisory Council Meeting.

Also, we have noticed a lot of children are not wearing hats or saying they don’t have one. Our school sunsafe policy requires students to wear hats all year around, to and from school regardless of the weather. If they do not wear their hats they will have to play in a specific area - under the cedar tree. Teachers are also going to be conducting regular spot checks on hats to check that students have their own hats - not someone else's! Please ensure your child’s name is marked on all of your child’s uniform including their hats. Thank you all for your assistance with this.

NAIDOC Week and Assembly

A notification went out this week about our school celebration of NAIDOC Week and our NAIDOC Assembly tomorrow 7th August from 2-3pm. The children have been busy preparing their performances for the assembly and I would like to thank our Aboriginal Educator Miss Velettah Cranston for her enthusiasm, planning and work with teachers and students this week. Families are invited to attend the assembly tomorrow and join our celebrations.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead.

God Bless,

Angela Scott

Principal