We thank you, dear Lord, for everything that is new and beautiful, for everything which holds promise and brings us joy. Bless us as we start this new school year with our friends and teachers Help us to make the most of every day.

May we show love to one another and to all. May the new beginning of this school year remind us that you give us chances to start over again and again. Help us to forgive others as we receive your forgiveness.

Help us to learn and to work together. Help us to listen when we should and to know the best words when we speak and when it is better not to speak. We thank you for our friends. Help us to be good friends this year. Help us to be patient with ourselves and with others.

Bless our school and keep us safe. Be with us as we travel each day. Help us to be aware of your love shown to us in the people around us. Bless all those who care for us in school and at home. Help us show our love and care for them in what we say and do.

Amen

OPENING SCHOOL MASS

Today we celebrated the beginning of our school year with mass. It was a lovely opportunity to welcome our new students and families to the school and Parish community

MERCY AWARDS

Our school Mercy Awards reflect our Mercy tradition and history. Every few weeks, students will be introduced to a Mercy value and learn about what we can do to reflect and live out this quality, just as the Sisters of Mercy did.

Our first Mercy Award value this term is “Courage”.

Sr Mary Austin was a Sister of Mercy and a very special person to the school community here at St Joseph's. She was someone who was very courageous in the decisions she made. We can be just like Sr Austin and be courageous too.

Some ways we can show COURAGE here at St Joseph's are:

being brave in our learning space and trying new things
making new friends
helping others make new friends
making mistakes and learning from them
not be afraid to share my ideas and wonderings with others
ask questions when I am unsure

The Mercy Award for Courage will be presented at our first assembly on Friday, 13th February at 9am in the Josephinum.

FRIDAY CLASS MASSES

Classes will be allocated to attend Friday Masses each week at 11:30am. All are welcome to attend. A timetable will be in the next school newsletter.

SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT:

This year the theme for Catholic Education Sandhurst is “Seek peace and pursue it.”

This scripture comes from Psalm 34.

The late Pope Francis once stated that, “Peace is not only the absence of war, but a tireless commitment to recognising, protecting and restoring the dignity of our brothers and sisters.”

On World Day of Peace in 2017, Pope Francis also said that, “To be a true follower of Jesus today includes embracing His teaching about nonviolence… This is not weakness; it is a conscious decision to build peace.”

These statements call on us all to remember that Peace is something that we are to actively chase after, to follow, and to seek out. Peace, that freedom that we all so long for, is not something that will just show up in our lives; we need to actively seek peace out, to chase peace, to follow peace.

CONFIRMATION AND EUCHARIST DATES

The dates for the Confirmation and Eucharist ceremonies are Saturday May 30th at 6pm and Sunday May 31st at 11am.

More details to follow.

SHROVE TUESDAY

Our school will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday on February 17th. Shrove Tuesday comes from an old English word meaning “to confess,” since it was customary to go to confession before the beginning of Lent. It was also customary to use up meats, fats, and dairy products before entering the Lenten period of fasting; this led to the day’s nicknames: Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) or Pancake Tuesday.

As part of this celebration, the school will be supplying a pancake and a choice of toppings for each student. We will gather together as a school for a short assembly at 10:30am to commemorate this day before the students enjoy their tasty treat.

Toppings will include: butter, maple syrup and strawberry jam. Gluten free pancakes will also be provided. If you wish for your child not to eat a pancake, please email their classroom teacher.

ASH WEDNESDAY

Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday, 18th February 2026. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we serve by giving alms and we practice self-control through fasting.

As a school, we will be attending Ash Wednesday Mass at 9.30am on Wednesday February 18th, at St Joseph’s Church. All parents and friends are invited to attend and celebrate this important season in our Church calendar.

When Lent begins, your child will also receive a Caritas Australia Project Compassion box to place any coins you wish to donate throughout the Lenten season. The theme for this year is, “Unite Against Poverty”. Any donations can be handed in to school. We thank you in advance for your generous donation.

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