School News
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Handbook
PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning)
Ask your child about the weekly focus for students.
This week's focus:
Words have power!
Happy Birthday
We wish all our students a very happy birthday who celebrated their special day over the holiday period and the last week.
13 October - Louie B Year 3, Evelyn R Year 1, Riley B Year 1 and Cassian Q Kinder
18 October - Hannah P Year 1 and Dylan W Kinder
19 October - Kahu S Kinder
Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition
As some of you may know, in Term 3 the year 5 and 6 students were busy creating their wonderful artworks in response to the Christmas story. The Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition takes place every year and has done so for many years now. It is designed to celebrate and explore children’s creative and artistic ability in illustrating the Christmas story.
Last term we celebrated those students from St Joseph who were selected to represent our school.
| Year 5 | Zarli A, Chloe C and Jacob K |
| Year 6 | Charlotte L, Adelle S and Eliza S |
In the Wollongong Diocese there were around 175 entries in total with only 44 making it through the shortlisting process. One of our Year 6 students, Charlotte Liplyn, was successful and her artwork is currently on display alongside the other 43 shortlisted works at the Wollongong Art Gallery. These amazing works of art will be on display until later this month.
To access these online please click on the link below:
Charlotte L (Year 6) with her artwork titled ‘Jesus, the Gift that Shines’
Grandparents and Great People Day at St Joseph's-Friday 27 October
Grandparents and Great People Day will soon be here. We look forward to warmly welcoming all grandparents. Those students unable to have a grandparent visit are welcome to invite another great person in their lives.
SEND IN A PHOTO
Students are invited to bring a photo of themselves with their grandsparent/s to school. This needs to be provided digitally. Kinder to Year 3 photos need to be emailed to the school office - info@sjbdow.catholic.edu.au
Students in Years 4 to 6 should have them on their iPad ready to provide to their teachers. All photos need to be at the school by Tuesday 24 October.
Grandparents Day timetable:
- 11:30 am: Liturgy
- 12:15 pm: Classroom visits
- 1:00 pm: Grandparents are invited to a picnic lunch. Bring along lunch and treats for lunch with the grandchildren. (You might like to bring a picnic chair as well)
Please note that parents are also welcome.
ICAS - Science, English, Writing, Mathematics and Spelling Bee
Congratulations to all students who participated in the ICAS Science, English, Writing, Mathematics and Spelling Bee. The following students will be presented with their certificates at assembly on Thursday 26 October 2023 (Week 3) - NOTE DATE CHANGE
SCIENCE
| Distinction | |
| Toby M | Year 3 |
| Harry M | Year 4 |
| Ethan A | Year 6 |
| Credit | |
| James R | Year 3 |
| Felix P | Year 4 |
| Thomas S | Year 4 |
| Merit | |
| Lewis B | Year 3 |
| Leo B | Year 5 |
ENGLISH
| Distinction | |
| Toby M | Year 3 |
| Abigail C | Year 4 |
| Ned S | Year 5 |
| Daniel N | Year 6 |
| Credit | |
| Elizabeth K | Year 4 |
| Harry M | Year 4 |
| Ari W | Year 5 |
| Henry A | Year 5 |
| Leo B | Year 5 |
| Sophie M | Year 5 |
| Juhan R | Year 6 |
| Rachel C | Year 6 |
| Merit | |
| Isaac W | Year 6 |
| Year 5 |
WRITING
| Credit | |
| Henry A | Year 5 |
| Sophie M | Year 5 |
| Finn P | Year 6 |
| Merit | |
| Toby M | Year 3 |
| Elizabeth K | Year 4 |
| Harry M | Year 4 |
| Thomas S | Year 4 |
| Daniel N | Year 6 |
| Juhan R | Year 6 |
MATHEMATICS
| Distinction | |
| Toby M | Year 3 |
| Keon W | Year 4 |
| Credit | |
| Hamish B | Year 3 |
| Louie B | Year 3 |
| Lewis B | Year 3 |
| Noah P | Year 3 |
| James R | Year 3 |
| Noah D | Year 4 |
| Henry A | Year 5 |
| Ned S | Year 5 |
| Ari W | Year 5 |
| Ethan A | Year 6 |
| Charlotte L | Year 6 |
| Daniel N | Year 6 |
| Merit | |
| Harry M | Year 4 |
| Felix P | Year 4 |
| Finn P | Year 6 |
| Isaac W | Year 6 |
SPELLING BEE
| Distinction | |
| Louie B | Year 3 |
| Rachel C | Year 6 |
| Credit | |
| Abigail C | Year 4 |
| Kirby G | Year 4 |
| Henry A | Year 5 |
| Sophie M | Year 5 |
| Daniel N | Year 6 |
| Finn P | Year 6 |
| Merit | |
| Felix P | Year 4 |
| Leo B | Year 5 |
2024 School Student Travel
Students who need a School Opal card or travel pass for 2024 can apply here. A new application will need to be submitted if they are applying for the first time, or if they are requesting additional travel entitlement because of new shared parental arrangement (e.g. joint custody).
Students who change address, school, campus location, have repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should renew or update their details before the end of Term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications, and entitlements remain valid for the start of the 2024 school year. School Opal card holders will have the changes applied to their existing card.
Important information for Year 2 students going into Year 3
If a student’s distance eligibility has changed based on their grade (i.e. grade two to grade three), the system will automatically update their entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, we will send them an expiry notification via email.
Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.
Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply.
Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their Student Opal card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2024.
Students living in rural and regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator. It may come via the school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.
Ready to Learn Ready to Play
St Joseph’s promotes healthy, safe and active lifestyles and encourages students to engage in fun and social playground activities. Running games are permitted where it is safe to do so, typically in the park and grass areas. Chasing games like tip are not encouraged due to safety reasons. Often children don't look where they are running and this can result in head clashes and other injuries.
We have a number of playground games for students to use during breaks 1 and 2 along with popular lunchtime activities and passive play in the library. The variety of activities provides the opportunity for all students to engage in play based activities to develop and practise their social emotional skills learnt within the class environment.
On the basketball court students have the opportunity to practise basketball and netball skills or play handball.
On the concrete area students engage in skipping or playing handball. Jenga, Dominoes and Checkers are also provided.
On the western end of the grass area, students can use stilts, play passing games, bucket ball, hula hoop or skip. Students also have elastics and quoits.
On the eastern end of the grass area students can play passing games, skip, hula hoop, use the stilts, climbing frames, tunnels as well as play quoits.
On the adventure playground, students have access to the climbing ropes, rope ladder, slides, sandpit and wooden obstacle course.
At the park, students engage in major games aligned to the PDHPE Syllabus such as soccer and cricket games. Students can also have the opportunity for skipping, playing elastics or kicking footballs.
Each term, students also have the option to join in special lunchtime activities facilitated by the teachers. Activities often include the music club, dance club, craft club, kindness club or robotics, lego/origami and meditation.
Library News
Term 4 Library Days
2023 SJB Book Fair
The St Joseph’s Book Fair will commence on Monday 23 October to Friday 27 October. The library will be open for browsing and purchasing, during lunch and after school Monday and Tuesday. It will also be open all day for purchasing on Thursday and Friday, 9:00am - 3:00pm.
Classes will have the chance to attend the Larrikin Book Fair during their library session and have the opportunity to make a ‘wish list’; younger students will receive help with this. The wish lists will then be sent home so you can review them.
REVIEW THE BOOKS YOUR CHILD’S CHOICES
You will be able to review your child’s choices and pre-order online using click & collect at https://larrikinhouse.com.au/collections/book-fair-range. You will also have the option to purchase items at the Book Fair in person.
CLICK & COLLECT ORDERING
- You can ONLY order from our 'Book Fair Top 200' range/page below.
- In the cart below your selection add your Child’s Name and Class in the 'Click & Collect Information' field.
- At Checkout be sure to select 'Click & Collect' as your Shipping Method.
- Carefully Choose your School Name from the list.
- Print / show your order email at the Book Fair as proof of purchase by the closing date.
PURCHASE AT THE BOOK FAIR
We will also be accepting regular cash and credit card payments on site during the Book Fair too.Although every effort will be made to ensure your child brings home the correct item/s there could be a lack of stock or change of students’ minds. If there is a discrepancy, please contact us and we will resolve it asbest we can.
MAKE A DONATION TO THE SCHOOL LIBRARY
If you would like to donate a new book to our school library, please visit the school library or contact the school office.
VOLUNTEERS
On Friday 27 October we are looking for parent helpers for the following tasks:
- Helping student shoppers at the Fair
- Checkout
- Packing up the Fair
If you can assist please contact Mrs Holly Pirie, St Joseph’s Librarian via the school office.
PREFERRED PAYMENT METHOD IS VIA EFTPOS
Mrs Holly Pirie
Teacher Librarian
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.
Year | Days required to wear sports uniform |
|---|---|
Kindergarten | Wednesday & Friday |
Year 1 | Monday & Wednesday |
Year 2 | Monday and Thursday |
Year 3 | Tuesday & Thursday |
Year 4 | Wednesday & Friday |
Year 5 | Monday & Wednesday |
Year 6 | Tuesday & Friday |
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)
Catholic Care
OOSH, Out of School Hours care at St Joseph's
Email: bullioosh@catholiccare.dow.org.au
Mobile: 0437 713 067
Service hours
Before School Care
7:00am – 8:30am
After School Care
2:45pm – 6:00pm
If you require the use of OOSH for your child/ren you need to be enrolled in the service prior to commencing.
Casual bookings
If your child already uses the service and you requireacasual booking please do this viathe Xplor app.
Before School Care: Bookings are to be made no later than 5:30 pm the night before
After School Care: Bookings are to be made no later than 9:00 am that morning
Casual booking must be made as per the times above to ensure enough staff. If notice is not provided within these time frames and the service does not have sufficient staff your child/ren will be sent to the office for collection. This is something that we all wish to avoid, so please keep in mind the time frames to help support the service.
If there is an emergency and care is needed please phone and leave a message and we will see what we can do.
If you do have any questions, need clarification, or have any feedback please feel free to contact the service mobile during operating hours on 0437 713 067 or Jacinta, Team Leader – 0407 759 720.
Strengthening Relationships
Community Notices
NSW Football - Dads & Daughters Football
