School News

Happy Birthday

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

13 September - Aleia D Year 3

14 September - Ayla W Kinder

15 September - Ivy B Year 3

16 September - Zachary C Year 1, Zane N Year 4

18 September - Max P Year 2 and Aria S Year 2

20 September - Kodi L Kinder and Mason K Year 1

22 September - Aspen G Year 2

25 September - Alyssa H Kinder

Social Media and Online Communication

In our last newsletter, I mentioned concerns about some students in Years 3-6 accessing social media platforms and messaging apps at home. Although these interactions take place outside of school, the resulting anxieties often spill over into the school environment, affecting students' well-being and learning. We urge all parents to remain vigilant by regularly checking their children’s iPads and other devices to ensure their online activity is safe, appropriate, and in line with both our school’s expectations and our Catholic values.

This week our focus is Instagram. 

Instagram, available on iOS and Android devices, is designed for users aged 13 and older, with terms that strictly prohibit younger children from creating accounts. This is for good reason. The platform, while creative and social, exposes users to mature content and adult interactions that are inappropriate for younger students. Even though Instagram’s guidelines require users to enter a birth date and its AI attempts to verify this information, it is still possible for kids to bypass these restrictions.

For primary school students, the risks are high:

• Inappropriate Content: While Instagram prohibits sexually suggestive photos, it does not block violent content, profanity, or drug-related material, which can surface in photos, videos, or even in comments.
• Privacy Risks: Instagram defaults to public accounts for users 18 and older, meaning any photos, videos, and personal information can be visible to everyone unless privacy settings are manually adjusted. This could expose young children to unwelcome attention.
• Disappearing Messages: Features like Vanish Mode allow users to send disappearing messages, making it difficult to monitor what kind of conversations or content your child may be exposed to.
• Direct Messaging and Status: Instagram allows private messaging between users, and a green dot shows when someone is active on the app. These features can be exploited by strangers, and it's not easy for a younger child to navigate these risks safely.

Why Primary School Students Shouldn’t Use Instagram:

The emotional and developmental stage of primary school students makes them especially vulnerable to the pressures of social media. Instagram is not just about sharing photos; it includes complex social interactions, the potential for online bullying, exposure to commercial marketing, and pressures to conform to online "likes" and trends. These challenges are not appropriate for younger students and can have long-lasting impacts on their mental and emotional well-being.

I strongly encourage you to not allow Instagram for primary school-aged children. Instead, engage them in safe, age-appropriate activities online and offline. Teaching them digital literacy in a controlled environment, where you can model healthy habits, will set the stage for responsible technology use in the future.

As always, we are here to support you with resources and guidance as you navigate your child’s online world.

Public Speaking Finals

Congratulations to all the stage 3 speakers who have worked hard on their presentations.

Many thanks to the Year 4, 5 and 6 audience and to Michael, Louise and Tony from Toastmasters who adjudicated the competition.

Pria and Sophie will compete in the South Eastern Regional Competition Friday 25 October 2024 at St Therese, West Wollongong.

NAIDOC week events previously postponed

Please see the flyers for event information 1 October 2024 Warrawong and 2 October 2024 Sandon Point.

UNSW ICAS

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded Distinctions, Credits and Merits.  These certificates will be awarded at tomorrow's assembly on Friday 27 September 2024.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

ENGLISH

SCIENCE

Miguel Aguilera

Assistant Principal

2024 Grade Spelling Bee Competition

What is a Spelling Bee? 

A spelling bee is a contest in which participants are asked to spell words in a round-robin format where each person gets a turn to spell a word.

Students will receive a list of words to practise at home. Students will be tested on these words in a written test to source the top ten spellers per class. Each class will hold an oral competition with their top ten spellers to determine the 3 participants for the Junior/Senior Spelling Bee Competition.

The School Junior/Senior Spelling Bee Competition will be held on Week 5 Wednesday 13 November 2024. An unseen word list will be used for the Junior/Senior School Spelling Bee Competition.

Say it, spell it, say it! 

In the Grade Spelling Bee competition, the teacher will pronounce the word and use it in a sentence then repeat the word. The competitor (participant) will then say the word, spell the word, and say the word again. For example, “Snowflakes… S-N-O-W-F-L-A-K-E-S….. Snowflakes.” A scribe will write the letters as the competitor says them. 

Rules

• A participant is eliminated from the grade oral spelling bee competition as soon as they incorrectly spell a word.
• Once the word is said at the end of a participant’s attempt, they cannot go back and self-correct. 
• Upper case letters are required  as in Wollongong – Capital W-o-l-l (double –l-)
• If a competitor spells a word incorrectly but “self-corrects” within 15 (junior) or 20 seconds (senior) or self corrects before saying the word the second time that participant remains in the game. 
• The timing begins once the participant has said the first letter of the word he/she is attempting. If a word is not spelled out within the 15 seconds (Juniors) and 20 seconds (Seniors), 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 correctly, he or she remains in the competition, waiting for his or her next turn. If the competitor spells a word incorrectly, he or she is eliminated from the competition and the next participant is given a new word from the list.
• The teacher’s decision is final.

Spelling Bee Timeline

Number of the Fortnight

SJB Grandparents Day - Friday 25 October

Library News

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

Sports News

WEEK 10

Sports Uniform Days - Term 3

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.

NSW/CPS Mackillop Athletics Selection Trials 2024

On Wednesday 25 September, five SJB students attended the NSW/CPS Mackillop Athletics Selection Trials 2024 at Sydney Olympic Park. The level of competition was outstanding and the girls shared that they had a great day representing Wollongong Diocese and SJB. Congratulations to Lorelei G, Ella R, Molly P, Summer H and Chloe M  for their representation at this level of our sporting pathways and fantastic results. 

We proudly announce the Senior Girls relay team came 2nd overall and Chloe M came 3rd (Long Jump & 200m Multiclass) which sees them progress on in the pathways to compete at the NSWPSSA event in Term 4 in Week 2. We wish them the very best of luck in their upcoming endeavours. 

Senior Girls Relay team- Lorelei G, Ella R, Molly P & Summer H

Basketball Gala Day

Eight teams from St Joseph’s participated in the Basketball Gala Day on Thursday 19 September (Juniors) and Friday 20 September (Seniors). For some of our students, it was their first experience of playing basketball and some of our more experienced players were able to put their skills to work on the day. They set such a great example for their teammates and ensured that everyone on their team was involved in the game play. There was lots of encouragement, enthusiasm and cooperation and they definitely lived out the gala day philosophy by having a go and having fun. By the end of the day there were many smiles and lot’s of red faces. The students represented St Joseph’s extremely well with their positive attitudes, willingness to have a go and good sportsmanship. Well done to all of the students who participated.

Many thanks go to the teachers who helped to prepare the students and to the parent volunteers who managed teams on the day. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Mrs Brooks and Mr Walker

MacKillop Cricket 

Congratulations to Will G in Year 5 who was selected in the MacKillop Cricket team. 

Well done Will on an outstanding achievement!

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:

Be responsible with equipment.

A BIG congratulations to Gold House who were Term 3’s PB4L token winners with a total of 351 tokens. To celebrate great playground behaviour choices Gold House can wear Gold mufti to school tomorrow, Friday September 27. 

Keep up the fantastic work!