Catholic Identity
Gratitude
This afternoon, while sitting with Year 3 at Mass, I gazed around to see the many families of our St Joseph’s Community in attendance. Thank you to all our families for the commitment to attending our many school and parish events and Sacraments. Only a few weeks ago we had Year 2 students celebrate the Sacrament of First Reconciliation and the amount of families who attended was record breaking. It is clear evidence that parents have a huge role to play in the faith formation of their children and that parents are the first and primary educators of their children.
Although the year is not over, I look forward to what 2026 brings and continuing to build strong bridges between school, families and parish. - Thank you!
You’re invited!
All students and families of St Joseph’s are warmly welcome to our School/ Parish Mass this Sunday 23 November at 8:30am. We are very blessed to have the choir and musicians leading our singing and music.
We look forward to seeing you all there.
Christmas Story Art Exhibition
This week, we feature two students in Stage 3 who were selected as finalists in the Christmas Story Art Exhibition. We are exceptionally blessed to have such experienced teachers working alongside our students in the Creative Arts.
A Jealous King
Aasha P
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, BULLI
YEAR SIX
I took inspiration for my artwork from ‘The Visit of the Magi’ (Matthew 2:9-12). I wanted to highlight the journey of the Magi as they followed the star in the East. During their journey the Magi meet with King Herod and share their plan to visit the newborn King. Herod asks them to return to let him know this new King’s location so he can pay homage. Little did they know how truly jealous King Herod was. Only after being warned in a dream about Herod’s evil intentions did they decide to travel home by another road. I too have been on different journeys in life and have seen people with bad intentions. Like the Magi, I try to avoid trouble and choose the right path to follow.
I used green in one of the polaroid pictures to represent the jealousy King Herod showed. Light blue was sewn in another to represent the peace of the three Magi. I decided to use the technique of sewing for my artwork as sewing can symbolise the process of gathering and uniting various pieces of life and experiences. Sometimes in life the path you choose can lead you in different directions.
Jesus, the gift below the tree
Archer T
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary school, BULLI
YEAR FIVE
My artwork is inspired by the scripture passage ‘The birth of Christ’ (Matthew 1:18-25). This passage portrays Jesus, our saviour, being born for all mankind. Every year my family and I join together to decorate our Christmas tree. We spend time together and enjoy moments of laughter and joy. This is why I chose the design of my artwork to be in the shape of a tree, connecting to my family's tree. Jesus was the gift sent by God to the world - a gift for all. In my artwork I decided to leave baby Jesus faceless to symbolise that with a little kindness we can all be the spirit of Jesus in the world today.
For the background I blended cobalt blue and a light shade of purple to create a midnight sky effect. I used a small paint roller to create shadows and clouds surrounding the new King. I used masking tape to section off a triangular shape then used downward brush strokes to give the effect of light resonating from the star above. For baby Jesus and the manger I used dark and light brown poscas, blending them together to create a wooden effect.
Catholic Mission update!
In our last newsletter, we shared about the brilliant “Socktober” Day, raising money for Zambia. At the end of the day, we fell short of our target goal, by $30.00. After seeing a need and doing something about it, some students in Year 5 baked brownies and sold them to their known neighbours. They were extremely excited to share their initiative with me and in doing so, raised $30.00!
We are very proud of you boys and this is a testament to the genuine Christian outreach and service of others that our students show.
Upcoming dates in Term 4
Sunday 30 November - First week of Advent (HOPE)
Tuesday 2 December- Christmas Mufti and Gourmet Food item (Raising money for St Vincent De Paul)
Monday 8 December at 9:30am- Whole school final Mass with Parish: Immaculate Conception of Mary
Wednesday 10 December from 6:00pm- Christmas Concert- Free Sausage Sizzle provided by the P&F- All are invited to attend
Tuesday 16 December at 9:30am- Year 6 Final Liturgy in the Church- Year 6 Families are invited.
Suggestions and ideas!
In planning for next year, I am always seeking support and ideas on how we as a community can continue to grow the Catholic Life and Culture of the school. If you have had an opportunity to reflect on the year or have suggestions for other ideas, I would love to hear from you!
Mr Alexander Walker
Religious Education Coordinator