Dear St Joseph’s Primary School Families,

I hope everyone is staying safe and dry during this storm season.

It is incredible to see so much water come down in only a short space of time. My prayers are with all of our families as they deal with the flooding of buildings, streets, farms and crops. I am praying that we can all have some settled weather and get back into good learning routines as soon as possible.

If any family needs any assistance during this period, please give us a call at 67954038 and let us know what we can do to help you.

Please see the following updates and news items from our school. Even though we are living through a very unsettled period weatherwise, there is still so much happening in our students' lives and within the school itself.

Week 3 Learning update

Any students that live outside the levy bank have been provided with a Learning Pack in the past week. Chromebooks have been issued to Stage 1 - 3 students living outside of the levy bank.

Our learning packs contain an overview of learning (simar to what we did during COVID). There will be activities posted on Google Classroom, and staff will be tasked with updating and responding to questions. There will also be other printed resources for students to practise skills already learnt. There will be opportunities for individual reading zooms etc if there is an extended period of isolation.

We will communicate any changes that need to be made regarding staffing and access to school. As with any organisation, safe access to school is a priority, and if people have to access flooded and unsafe roads, that becomes an issue.

Staff residing outside of the levee bank in Wee Waa will be attempting safe access to school each day, as well as utilising SES help when appropriate. However, if this is deemed unsafe due to our OHS policies, then they will be completing work from home.

Ultimately, the severity of the flood will dictate the number of staff we have on-site. Therefore there may well be changes to the supervision of children at school or different classroom structures.

We do not want to impact any child’s education, and we are doing our best to provide continuity where possible to reach all students learning goals.

Building Works

We have been blessed to have maintenance works funded by the Catholic Schools Office Armidale. The replacement of the stormwater system and the roof of the main building here at school will make a significant difference to the water that enters our school and how quickly it moves offsite.

Unfortunately, with the last two flood events, the initial construction works scheduled to be completed in the last holidays have continued into the school term. Thank you to students and families that have been utilising the main gates and working around disruptions in parking and space at school.

We hoped to replace the roof this week, but the rain has impacted this. When the construction team returns to complete these works, we will be replacing the roof in sections. That way, we can ensure that the building is watertight, as we are certainly in a storm season at present. No students will be working in a classroom underneath the section of the roof that is being replaced.

I thank each student, staff member and volunteer for their resilience and patience during this endeavour. I know it is a short-term inconvenience, but the long-term benefit to the school is great.

If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office at 6795 4038.

NSWPSSA State Athletics Championships

Congratulations to Edward Carolan who has placed a very impressive 9th in the state for 9 yrs the 100m sprint! We have all been cheering him on and watching him via the NSWPSSA State Athletics Championships Livestream this week in class. Well done!

Visit by Brayden Trindall

Earlier this week, we had a visit by Brayden Trindall from the Cronulla Sharks, who had dropped by to see his brother Jacoby on his way back to Sydney.

It was great to ask Brayden questions about his time in the NRL and what it is like being a footballer.

ATSI Catholic Schools NSW State Education Conference

Last week our AEAs, Darcy Lang and Caitlin Smith, travelled to the Blue Mountains to attend the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Schools NSW State Education Conference.

The theme of the Conference was ‘Transforming with the Spirit'. They participated in painting and weaving workshops, attended plenary sessions with singing and dance performances by CEDP students and speeches made by local Aboriginal Elders as well as Dr Aunty Miriam Ungunmerr Baumann (2021 Senior Australian of the Year and first fully-qualified Aboriginal Teacher in the Northern Territory), Brooke Boney (TV Personality - The Today Show) and Hon. Linda Burney MP (Minister for Indigenous Australians, Member for Barwon).

RealTalk postponed

Due to the current weather and road conditions, RealTalk has postponed their visit scheduled for today to our Year 4 and 5 students. A zoom session has been scheduled instead for Thursday 3 November.

Wii Gaay

Darcy and the Wii Gaay kids have spent the week at Bonny hill learning about song lines and how to make their own. Song lines are a way First Nations people navigated from one place to another using scarred trees and landmarks.

Please the following song lines made by Blaine Edwards and Bradley Hatton below:

P & F Meeting next week

This is just a reminder that the P & F will be holding a meeting at 6 pm next Monday 24 October via Zoom.

Topic: P&F Meeting

Time: Oct 24, 2022 06:00 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

https://armcatholic.zoom.us/j/63698251712

Moorambilla Voices the Bush Kids Choir

Please see the following Moorambilla Voices update and poem by Joanna Collett:

Moorambilla Voices visited our school earlier in the year during their regional skills development workshop tour and conducted fun, engaging singing workshops, involving all students from St Joseph’s, who wished to participate.

Several students were then invited to take part in the vocal residency camps that followed. Three children attended the camps held in Baradine and Dubbo during August and September. They were then part of a 235-strong children and youth choir, performing two concerts in Dubbo in September.

These students were Ava Collett, Campbell Collett and Lukah Bass. Since then, Moorambilla Voices have been invited to bring a choir to Sydney to take part in the 50th Anniversary Celebrations for the Opera House.

Lukah Bass and Campbell Collett have been honoured with selection to join around 40 other Moorambilla Children and will perform on the steps of the Opera House on the 29th and 30th of October 2022.

Moorambilla Riversong 2022

A lady from Coonamble had a vision for a song,

so, she formed a little choral group and invited kids along.

She travelled near and far and wide, with her gang of super aides.

They called on over 60 towns, 134 schools and 20 LGA’s.

From Wilcannia to Wee Waa and everywhere between,

skills Development workshops, were run to gather a team.

Students from year 3 to 12, took part in every town;

and Moorambilla Riversong was gaining musical ground.

Moorambilla is property, in North West NSW,

located near Coonamble, from where Founder, Michelle, hails.

In Country Wailwan and Gamilaroi, inspiration was humbly found,

it’s here the mighty Castlereagh, flows beneath the ground.

It’s a genuine oasis, full of birds and gums and creeks,

Where regeneration and respect; and inclusion kindly speaks.

It signifies rebirth and is imbedded in our Nation.

A “Place of fresh water” is the Gamilaroi translation.

From foundation during drought, in the year 2006,

regional kids have had a voice, with a creative twist.

Their infectious love of singing and enthusiastic youth,

was channelled into song and dance, with traditional flair to boot.

From workshops, kids were chosen to participate in camps.

Camp Cypress first at Baradine, where they sang and moved and danced!

Then they flocked to Dubbo, for another couple of days,

where all of their hard work and skills were proudly on display.

The Dubbo Civic Theatre was spiritually transformed.

The Culture and the Legacy of our Country felt re-born.

Our children put on magical shows, over two incredible nights.

Their performances were moving, there were no dry eyes in sight.

Their time at Moorambilla, taught many a valuable skill,

from performance and sight singing to self-discipline and goodwill.

With 235 fellow kids, their creative juices flowed,

just like our splendid rivers, to where inspiration is duly owed.

Moorambilla Voices deserves a curtain call.

Their whole team is immeasurable; they are gifted - one and all.

They gave our children competence and allowed them all to shine,

Thank you, Moorambilla Voices, we salute you til next time.

School Musical

The students have been busy continuing their practice for our upcoming school production, Christmas Recipe & Pirates of the Curry Bean, to be held at the Narrabri Crossing Theatre on Friday 25 November, starting at 6:15 pm (doors will open at 5:45 pm).

Please note that a Compass event has been communicated this afternoon regarding a request to travel to the venue via bus, and, as with previous years, a fee of $10 per student for costuming and makeup.

Please ensure that this is completed by next Friday 27 October. If you are unable to access the Compass app, please contact the school office.

As always, an event like this cannot be run successfully without the assistance of helpers. If you are able to volunteer to help out on the night with makeup and costuming (which would be greatly appreciated!), please complete the following form via

Tickets are available to purchase via https://www.trybooking.com/CCVOR for $10 per person until Thursday 10 November. We request that this is organised as soon as possible so that we can inform the Crossing Theatre of the correct number of seats etc.

We hope you are able to join us on this special night.

School Family Funraiser Night

This is just a reminder that the P & F will be hosting a ‘Family Funraiser’ on Friday 18 November at the school, starting at 5:30 pm.

It is set to be a fun-filled night with a BBQ, Jumping Castle, Water Pistol Park, Jar Raffle, ‘Adopt an Envelope’, Ham Wheel, Choc Toss, Snow Cones, Nachos and many more. The annual St Joseph’s P & F Raffle will also be drawn on this night.

Please see the following flyers for further information.

Annual Raffle

Please note that the St Joseph's P & F Annual Raffle is online this year!

There are some fabulous summer family fun prizes up for grabs! 1st Prize is a Hark Chubby Offset Smoker valued at $1,150, 2nd Prize is a $500 BCF Gift Card and the 3rd Prize is an Essential Summer Bag Pack valued at $250.

Tickets can be purchased for $5 each, 5 tickets for $20, 10 tickets for $40, 15 tickets for $50, and 25 tickets for $75 via https://bit.ly/3yTSf61 until Friday 18 November.

Thank you for your support.

End of Year Presentation Evening

As communicated via Compass at the end of the last term, we will be holding our End of Year Awards Presentation on Thursday 8 December at the Wee Waa Bowling Club, starting at 6 pm.

Further information regarding this event, and in particular RSVPs, will be communicated in the coming weeks.

God Bless,

Alistair Stewart

Principal

St Joseph's Primary School

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Issue 13 · 21 Oct 2022

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