From Mrs Scott's Desk

Dear Parents and Carers,

I trust all the amazing Mother’s, Grandmother’s and special female role models in our school community had a wonderful and well deserved Mother’s Day.

Our Mother’s Day High Tea last Friday was a beautiful way to acknowledge and thank the special women in our students’ lives who not only do so much for the students but also our school community. I was really moved by the beautiful feedback and the joy that was evident at our event. The students were so excited to be performing for you all and I thank the teachers for their time and effort in preparing the performances.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Brady, Mrs Felicity Maloney (coordinator of the event) and all the amazing Kinder Mum’s who worked so tirelessly to cook, set up and clean up for the Mother’s Day  High Tea. Plenty of time and effort went into the event but what was so rewarding to witness was the way the event brought our mums of the kinder children together. The afternoon was outstanding and such a credit to you all.

Finally, I’d like to thank our guest speaker for the afternoon Mrs Shannon Corbett. Shannon is mother to Harriet in Yr 6 who is the last of her four girls to attend St Joseph’s. Shannon spoke at the Mother’s Day High Tea about the ‘Yeah sure’ movement or culture which drew attention to the various stakeholders at St Joey’s who continue to contribute making St Joey’s the nurturing and caring school community we are, always putting the needs of our students, families and staff first. Shannon, you were so right about our incredible little school community and we are truly blessed to have people like yourself who remind us how special our ‘Big heart in a little town’ really is.

Staffing Announcement

We welcome Miss Kate Bradley to our staff starting Monday 20th May until the end of term. Kate will fill Amanda Fitzgerald’s role as a Teacher Assistant while Amanda is on leave this term. 

Kate was a past student of our school and is currently studying a Bachelor of Education (K-12) at Charles Sturt University and has been working casually as a Teacher Assistant since last year. 

We hope Kate has an enjoyable term as I know she is very excited to be filling this role.

Family Fun Day

On Friday, a Family Fun Day was held at the Junee Rec Centre. Some of you may have remembered attending this event last year. It is a fun evening for all families and includes free food, games, jumping castle and much more. 

St Joseph’s hosted a drinks stall where soft drink, water and juice could be purchased. A big thank you to Emma Hedlund and Sarah Macaulay who kindly offered to coordinate this event. We also had our Yr 6 girls assisting with the serving on the night which we were very grateful for. 

We hope you had fun if you attended. It’s a wonderful way to bring our Junee families together. 

Winter Uniform

All students were required to change to their winter school uniform as of Monday 13th May. Please ensure all clothing is marked clearly and that the students are in correct uniform. 

If a student borrows clothing from the school we ask that it is washed and returned to school please. Any uniform enquiries can be directed to the school office.

Sickness

This autumn weather we have had over the last week has been remarkable as we prepare for the winter months ahead. However, there are lots of virus’ including Covid prevalent at the moment that are making students and staff ill. Please ensure if your child is unwell that you keep them home until they are free of symptoms so they do not infect others. 

Open Day

Our Open Day on Thursday was a huge success and I’d like to thank Mrs Duck, Mrs Riley, Mrs Brady and Mrs Salmon for their assistance in organising and presenting on the day. 

Our school is continuing to grow and we have a lot interest in our Kinder 2025. Our enrolment period is now open will close soon. If you have a child you are wanting to enrol in Kinder 2025, please complete our online enrolment forms here so that you can secure a place for your child/ren. Please do not hesitate to contact our school office if you have any queries or if you would like to speak to me regarding an enrolment.

E- safety

We all want our children to safely navigate their digital world and educate them to avoid harmful online experiences. 

As a parent, if you are unsure or require guidance in understanding more about e-safety, I encourage you to hop on the e-Safety Commissioner website which provides ongoing current information and support to parents.

The three key strategies they suggest parents to offer support and guidance to give their  children the confidence to make sound decisions online – and ask for help when they need it. 

1. Be engaged, supportive and open
2. Set some rules
3. Use technology yourself and be informed about it

These strategies can be explored further on the website: 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/online-safety-basics

I have included information for parents who may have incurred an online incident with their child and want to ensure the child’s ongoing safety online or otherwise is protected. I encourage all parents to read this regardless, to keep you informed on what steps to take should your child be at risk.

Pentecost

On Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost which is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church. It is celebrated 50 days after Easter (if we count both Easter and Pentecost).

Christ promised His Apostles that He would send His Holy Spirit, and on Pentecost, they were granted the gifts of the Spirit. The Apostles began to preach the Gospel in all of the languages of the Jewish people who were gathered together, and about 3,000 people were converted and baptised that day. This is why Pentecost is often called "the birthday of the Church." 

God Bless,

Angela Scott