Dear Parents and Carers

As we reach the halfway point of Term 2, we are certainly beginning to feel the colder weather settling in across our community. While the crisp mornings remind us that winter is near, we are also very grateful for the recent rain we have received and hopeful for more blessings of rain in the weeks ahead.

Feast of Pentecost

This weekend, the Church celebrated the Feast of Pentecost, which we also honoured together at our Whole School Mass on Friday. Pentecost marks the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, filling them with courage, faith and wisdom to share the message of Jesus with the world. As Fr Paddy reminded us, Pentecost is often referred to as the “birthday of the Church,” as it marks the beginning of the Church’s mission that continues today over 2000 years later.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

National Reconciliation Week & Sorry Day

This week also marks National Reconciliation Week, a significant time for all Australians to reflect on our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to consider how we can contribute to reconciliation in our communities. Tomorrow we acknowledge National Sorry Day, remembering and recognising the experiences of the Stolen Generations and recommitting ourselves to healing, understanding and respect. As a Catholic school community, we are called to walk together in truth, compassion and justice for all people.

The theme for this years Reconciliation Week is ‘All in for Reconciliation".

Sacrament of First Eucharist

This Sunday 31st May, 19 children will be celebrating the Sacrament of First Eucharist. This is a very special milestone in the faith journey and on Thursday they will conclude their preparation with a retreat day. I would like to thank Mrs Salmon and Fr Paddy who have prepared the candidates over the last 6 weeks and all are invited to join the celebration at 9.30am this Sunday in the church.

Improvement to Drainage & Cul de Sac

You may have noticed that Junee Council has recently sealed the Vaughan Street cul-de-sac leading into the Hall carpark, with additional guttering and new drainage installed to improve water flow and prevent erosion in the carpark area. The final stage will involve the school constructing a concrete entrance into the Hall carpark to further assist with drainage. Once completed, we will move to Stage 3 of the Hall Carpark Improvement Plan, which will involve resurfacing the carpark with suitable gravel.

School Advisory Council News

Last Wednesday evening, the School Advisory Council held its Term 2 meeting. The Social & Fundraising Committee and Maintenance Committee are branches of the School Council, with dedicated representatives attending meetings and reporting back regularly.

Our fundraising efforts across Terms 1 and 2 have raised an outstanding profit of $14,903.04, including the Mother’s Day High Tea and Deb Ball. This incredible result reflects the generosity and commitment of our families. Funds raised will support improvements to student play areas, including a new shade sail over the Infants playground, repainting playground poles, and the installation of a water pump for the mud kitchen area. A new shade sail and sandpit cover will also be installed on 9th June.

Looking ahead, future fundraising will support the installation of new heating and cooling in the school hall, which will become a major focus for 2027.

Deb Ball

As mentioned in our last newsletter, the School Advisory Council and Social & Fundraising Committee decided that 2026 would be the last time St Joseph’s hosts the Junee Deutante Ball. Whilst this ends an era of St Joseph’s Primary School hosting the local Debutante Ball since 2008, it appears that another organisation in town will hopefully continue to host the Deb Ball so our local girls can still make their Debut.

School Canteen

Mrs Moloney and Mrs Skewes with their wonderful group of dedicated helpers have our canteen running so efficiently and at a profit, providing this wonderful service to our families. This has assisted us in purchasing new equipment and making improvements to the canteen to ensure the environment is comfortable, suitable and safe.

Since 2022 we have had:

New reverse cycle unit put into the canteen to ensure the climate is comfortable for those working there
Additional pie warmer has been purchased
New upright freezer
Two new fridges
Hand held vacuum for cleaning
Another sink installed for hand washing only to meet the food health and safety standards.

I would like to also thank all our families, including our Transition to Kinder families, for supporting our canteen by having the students purchase food but also to those families who bake food to be sold or volunteer to serve in the canteen. You have all contributed significantly to the success of our canteen. This is just another example of the incredible school spirit and support we are so blessed with at St Joseph’s.

Uniform Survey

Thank you to all families who completed the recent uniform survey. We received an overwhelming response, which will assist in our ongoing review of the school uniform.

To clarify two points from the survey:

We are not considering changing from a button-up shirt to a sports polo; only the colour of the shirt is under review.
The question regarding ties referred only to Terms 2 and 3 as part of the winter uniform, not year-round wear. We apologise that the question was misleading.

We appreciate your feedback and will ensure future surveys provide greater clarity.

Thank you once again for your continued support of our wonderful school community.

God Bless

Angela Scott

Awards & PBL