General Information

Welcome Back to School

Welcome back to Term 1. Just a reminder that students should wear their summer uniform Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Sports uniform is to be worn Wednesday and Fridays. Please make sure all students come to school with the school hat, bring a water bottle, morning tea and lunch.

School Swimming Carnival

Our school swimming carnival is being held this Friday 3rd February 2023 at Scully Pool West Tamworth. Please see the Sport Section of the newsletter for all the information regarding the format of the day as the students will not be at the pool all day.

Hair

Students hair should be neat and tidy. Patterns shaved into hair, dyed hair or 'rat's tails', 'horsey', undercuts or mullets are not permitted at school. Children with long hair should wear it tied up off their shoulders in a ponytail or braid, and only school-coloured (navy, gold/yellow ribbons or bows are to be worn in their hair.

Afternoon Pick Up - Crown Street

Students who are being collected from school in the afternoon are to wait inside the school gate for their parent/carer. Students are not permitted to walk to parked cars for obvious safety reasons. Parents/carers may wait in the Church grounds and, when sighted by the teachers on duty, students may walk to their parent/carer.

Mobile Phones and Other Electronic Devices

At St Joseph's we acknowledge that parents may wish their child to carry a mobile phone for personal safety reasons however, once students arrive at school they must hand in their mobile phone, smart watch or other electronic device at the school office. Devices will be returned to students at the end of the day. All electronic devices that are brought to school are at the owner's risk. No liability will be accepted by the school in the event of loss, theft or damage of the phone.

NAPLAN

This year, the dates for the NAPLAN Online assessment are Wednesday 15 March to Monday 27 March. It is extremely important for students in Years 3 and 5 to be in attendance at school during the testing period.

Students in Years 3 and 5 will have the opportunity to explore the Public Demonstration Site at school in preparation for NAPLAN. Parents and students may also access this site at home in order to further familiarise themselves with the different question types. Link to the Public Demonstration Site:

https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

Canteen

Canteen will be available again this year on Thursdays and Fridays, commencing next week (Thursday 9th February). In order for the Canteen to operate, we need parent volunteers. If you are available to assist please contact School Reception on 67654079.

Kinder Parent/Carer Morning Tea

New Kindergarten parents and carers are invited to stay for a quick cuppa in the hall after dropping your child off for their first day on Friday, if you have time. This is a nice opportunity to meet other new members of our school community.

P & F Meeting-AGM

Our next P & F Meeting will be held Tuesday 14th February at 5:30pm in the School Staff Room. This is our AGM and all positions will be available. All parents and carers are welcome to attend and be apart of this valuable school fundraising organisation. It is a fabulous way to gather as a school community to assist the staff and students of St Joseph's Primary School. Our P & F Meetings are held on a Tuesday once a term throughout the year unless otherwise advised.

School Advisory Council-AGM

Our next School Advisory Council Meeting will be held on Wednesday 15th February at 5:30pm. This is our AGM and all positions will be available. The School Advisory Council provides the opportunity for members of the school and parish community to support the mission of Catholic education in the school.

New Financial System

Our school has transitioned to a new financial accounting system. The new system allows you to make payments to the school using Bpay, Compass Pay, EFTPOS and direct debit.

Shortly you will receive your new fee statement and included on the statement will be your Bpay payment details. You can easily set up regular payments directly from your bank account to the new school Bpay account. Bpay is our schools preferred method of payment for school fees.

Payments for school fees and events can also be made via the Compass App. Please contact the school if you require assistance with the Compass App.

All canteen purchases will continue to use QKR.

Compass

All new families should have received their log in details. A reminder after downloading the Compass App, please search Tamworth, then choose St Joseph's School. Please contact the office if you have any issues.