Term 4 Week 8

Principal's Report

Week 8 already!  It's almost time to put up the Christmas tree and write out our wish lists.  It has been a busy week. Let's hope the weather improves soon... or it is going to be a long harvest this year! 

This week we welcome Harry Darmanin and his family to St Joseph's.  Harry will be in Grade 5.  We wish him all the best at St Joes and hope he enjoys our little school.

On Tuesday we had Samantha Meerbach from CEOB here to begin the planning process for 2023, and yesterday we had Murray Macdonald our Education Consultant here to  work with me on the Annual Action Plan for 2023.  The Grade 5/6 students began their puberty programme yesterday as well and were then lucky enough to take part in the Dream Seeds Programme which was organised through the NCLLEN.  The students learnt all about aspiration, resilience and connection.  The students gained some valuable tools to help them when moving into secondary school and beyond.

Please ensure your children are in the correct school uniform at all times.  There are no exceptions, although I do understand that at this time of year parents don't want to buy new shoes.   This is fine, but please make sure you send a note or let me know in advance.  All of the uniform is available through the school office (except shoes.) Can you please double check that your child's name is clearly marked on their hat and jumpers.  We are finding a lot of unnamed uniform around the school.  I also ask that you please make sure boys are all wearing blue socks and girls white socks.  

We have been practising for Carols by Candlelight and Graduation Mass.  We have a variety of costumes this year for Carols.  Hopefully your children have told you what they will be dressed as.  We have 3 new songs that the children have really enjoyed learning.  It should be lots of fun.    I will be sending the readings home next week with the children that have a reading job at Graduation Mass this year.  Every child has a job of some description so can you please let me know ASAP if your child will NOT be attending.  If you have any extra family members attending the BBQ after Graduation Mass, please let me know by the 7th December for catering purposes.  

Cate Olive

Acting Principal

Information

Carols By Candlelight.  Carols by Candlelight will be held on Sunday 11th December at the Rex Theatre.  Time to be confirmed at a later date.

Graduation. The Graduation Mass will be held on Tuesday 13th December at 6:00p.m. Followed by a BBQ in the quadrangle. 

Transition Days. The transition days for next years foundation students continue today.  

Swimming Programme 2023. There has been a change of plan for our swimming programme for next year.  Charlton College have asked us if we would like to join with them for their swimming programme next year.  We have decided to go ahead with this plan for 2023 and see how it goes. More info will be provided in the new year but at this stage it will still run the first 2 weeks back at school next year.  We will possibly join the college for their swimming sports as well.  

Prep/1/2 Class News

This week in the junior classroom we’ve been busy working on our editing skills in writing. The students have been encouraged to re-read their writing in class and check to see if it makes sense/sounds right, that their sentences start with a capital letter and end with the correct punctuation mark and for the older students, that they are using commas, apostrophes and even having a go at using speech marks to show dialogue. It’s been good to see the students working so hard to improve their writing and striving to make it more interesting and complex. Well done everyone!

In Maths, we’ve finished up our units of learning around measurement and money and the students have completed their post assessments. It’s been good to see that the students have taken in the content being explored in class and shown improvement with their Maths skills. In money, the students have learnt how to order a collection of coins, they’ve been able to identify the value of Australian coins and notes, and they’ve been working on choosing appropriate money to pay for items, calculating change from an amount and much more. In measurement we’ve explored both informal and formal units of measurement (blocks, popsicle sticks, rulers, measuring tapes, etc.) to measure the different lengths and widths of things around our school. We’ve also had a look at measurement in terms of volume and capacity to explore how much different things weigh and the liquid weight something can hold, etc.

We were lucky to have student teacher Ms. Lara Thompson with us for the past three weeks and sadly it was Lara’s last day with us on Friday. Lara was a valued member of staff during her time at St Joseph’s, making a lasting impression on the students as they positively responded to her manner, teaching style and approach to learning during her time here. We wish Lara all the best with the rest of her studies and be sure to say hello to her in town if you see her. 

3/4/5/6 Class News

This week students are reading about the seven modern wonders of the world. They are discussing how and why these iconic landmarks were chosen. They are constructing these structures visually in their heads using the facts given and unpacking vocabulary such as 'terraced' to ensure their understanding of the text. Students are revising their understanding of persuasive writing structure and are collating their knowledge and skills of persuasive devices to construct a text about which of the modern wonders is the best and why. 

In Maths students are continuing to revise, revise, revise! Students are concreting their knowledge and recall of their multiplication tables and related division facts through practice activities in class. Students have been finishing their work on Chance and interpreting data set to them. Students have been revising the four processes and how to use these to problem solve set questions. 

Students are practicing their Christmas carols and graduation songs as a whole school and are sounding wonderful.

Homework contract 34 and spelling words are due Friday please. 

Community News

Humour

Two leprechauns went to the convent and begged an audience with the Mother Superior. “Well, how can I help you little people?” asked Mother Superior.
The larger and more intelligent looking of the leprechauns asked “Oh Mother Superior, would you be knowing of any short statured nuns here at the convent?”
“No,” says Mother Superior, “I don’t have any short statured nuns here at the convent.”
“All right then, Mother Superior, would you be knowing of any short statured nuns in all of Ireland then?”
“No, no,” replied Mother Superior, “I don’t know of any nuns who are also short statured in all of Ireland at all.”
“Well then Mother Superior, in all of nundom, in the whole world of all the nuns, would you be knowing, then, of any short statured nuns?”
“No, I would not; there are no short statured nuns in the whole of the world!” replied Mother Superior, “and would you please tell me what this is all about!!?”
The asking leprechaun turned sadly to the other leprechaun and said “See, it’s as I told you all along… you’ve been dating a penguin!”