Principal's News
NAIDOC Day @ St Joseph's
From Mrs Whalan ...
Last Friday we held our NAIDOC celebrations.
We invited the preschool down to do arts and crafts,
making boomerangs and sand art. A "wall of fame" which held many talented indigenous peoples, and a space for the children to make their mark.
Followed by a smoking ceremony held by Uncle Kelvin Brown.
We had families attend and enjoyed a BBQ lunch with everyone!
It was a real day of coming together and connecting with family and community!
Congratulations, Kahlia on an authentic and successful celebration of First Nations culture.
You can view photos on JOEY'S YARNING PAGE.
Real Talk
I encourage all to consider the upcoming Parents and Caregivers Real Talk Zoom Sessions.
Wednesday 27 July 7:30-8:30 pm
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Thursday 28 July 7:30-8:30 pm & Monday 22 August (6:30-7:30 pm)
GENERAL PARENT SESSION
Tuesday 13 September 7:30-8:30 pm
YOUNG PEOPLE IN A HYPERSEXUALISED DIGITAL WORLD
Head Lice
Unfortunately, the head lice problem is a continuing problem at school.
Please check your children's hair and treat if necessary.
We have put measures in place at school to try and keep our children head lice-free. These include:
- no sharing of hats (even between siblings)
- recommending children with long hair to have their hair tied back
- avoiding close physical contact.
Remember prevention is better than cure.
If your child does happen to become infected with Head Lice and you need help with treating your child please contact the school and we can work together to combat the issue.
Headlice Treatmentprocedures.https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/headlice/Pages/default.aspx
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/headlice/Pages/default.aspx
Year One Phonics Screening Check
What is phonics?
Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds and is vital in learning to read. Some children struggle with learning to read so it is important that these children are identified quickly so teachers can plan for any specific support they may need.
What is the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check?
The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is a short, quick assessment that tells teachers how your child is progressing in phonics. Your child will sit with the class teacher and will be asked to read 40 words aloud. These words include 20 real words and 20 nonsense words. The test normally takes a few minutes. If your child is struggling the teacher will stop the check. The check is carefully designed not to be stressful for your child.
Why use nonsense words?
The assessment includes pseudo or nonsense words to see if the student is able to use their knowledge of blending to read a word rather than their memory of having seen that word before.
More information
Contact Mr Dimech if you have any further questions.
Minecraft Bees
Calling all artists! We are taking part in the town's Minecraft Bee art installation and are being given a number of light cement-rendered polystyrene blocks. The idea is to create large Minecraft bees that will go on display at the Honey festival on September the 17th. Warialda High School is supplying the blocks.
Could anyone interested in helping us create the bees see me?
We can organise a couple of afternoons to make our bees. After the Honey Festival, Gwydir Shire might display the bees around town for tourism purposes.
John Deere Ride On Mower For Sale
We are selling our old John Deere ride-on mower. It has performed many years of service to the school and parish. It is a 115 model automatic mower and has been serviced locally. Call the office if you're interested. Starting the mower and test riding it can take place on request.
Afternoon Pickup
In the interest of safety, we ask parents and carers to wait for their children next to our rose garden inside our school grounds.
Parent and Friends Committee
Our first P&F Committee Meeting will take place in the school hall on Wednesday the 27th of July at 5:30 pm.
Cathy Ible, CSO Parent Engagement Officer, will guide us through the election process.
At this meeting, interested parents and friends can nominate for these positions from the floor:
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary &
- Treasurer
These positions will be held for the rest of the year. Our P&F Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place in Term 1 each year. This will bring us in line with all other schools in our diocese.
Kinder 2023 Transition
Our fortnightly Kinder Transition sessions are off to a great start. David and Bella are learning about school routines and are taking part in our PreLit Program.
Here is our Term 3 Transition flyer:
Wishing you a great week.
Joe Dimech
Principal
