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- Principals Welcome
- Welcome Kindergarten
- Religious Education
- Diocesan Launch of the Jubilee Year
- School Improvement Plan
- Term 1 2025
- Introducing Miss Gunn - Learning Support Teacher
- Class communication
- Successful Foundations
- Swimming Carnival
- Regional Swimming Carnival
- School Uniform Guidelines, Haircuts & Jewellery
- Bounceback - Wellbeing program
- School Psychologist
- Library Days
- Shared Table
- Choir
- Attendance Ladder
- Canteen Pricelist 2025
- Diocesan Sport Website
- School TV - Confidence and motivation with Dr. Michael Carr Greg
- Healthy Snacks
- King Street Road Closure
- 2025 Gloucester Show 21st - 22nd March, 2025
- Junior Tennis Competition Friday Evenings
- Gloucester Basketball
- Gloucester Show Fine Arts
- Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School
Welcome to the 2025 school year and first newsletter of the year. I trust all families had a safe and relaxing break.
We have had a very calm and settled start to the year. Our new Kindergarten students have made a great start and are settling in really well. We trust their time at St. Joseph's will be one of wonderful learning, friendship and support. Successful Foundations for learning, with a focus on building academic success and wellbeing, will be a part of the first five weeks of Kindergarten. Please see some more information on Successful Foundations included below in the newsletter. We also welcome Dakota and Indianna to 4/5/6 and 2/3.
Communication
- Your children’s teachers are the first people you should contact with any concerns about your child or other students. Teachers are very approachable and would like to hear of issues as soon as possible so they can be resolved.
- If at any time you feel unsatisfied with the result of a conversation or the follow-up from a conversation please contact me! There is nothing too small when it comes to our students and parents.
- I am very happy to meet with parents on confidential matters or matters they do not wish to talk about to anyone else. My door is always open for these discussions which can be slotted in if they are of an urgent nature.
Together we can ensure a wonderful, safe and successful learning environment and achievements for our students!
Peace &Best Wishes
Amy Maslen
Opening School Mass
Our Opening School Mass wil be held next Tuesday at 9.30am. This will be in conjuction with the normal Parish Mass. We welcome all parents to attend. Our Year 6 leaders, Georgia and Revel, will be presented with their badges at this Mass.
Sacramental Program
Every two years the Parish run the Sacramental Program for any students in Year 2 and above. Deacon John will guide any interested students through this process with a series of short lessons over the course of this term and next term. Students will then receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion at a special Mass later in the year presided by Bishop Michael. An information sheet was handed out to interested students today. The information session will be held at school on Monday 28th February at 3.15pm.
2025 is a significant year for the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle as we join Pope Francis’ invitation to celebrate a Jubilee Year.
You’re invited to a Sunday morning of family, fun, free food trucks and ice cream, amusements, entertainment, and an obstacle course taking over the Cathedral Precinct on March 2nd. It all begins with a walk from Foreshore Park all the way to Sacred Heart Cathedral (4km) at 8am with Bishop Michael – our chance to be Pilgrims of Hope! Walk side by side with families and staff from our parishes, schools, agencies and ministries and then join us for Mass at 10am before the Festival of Hope kicks off at 11am.
If you’ve made it this far, I encourage you to watch and share this video where I unpack it all in more depth for you - https://youtu.be/oruV5XWUI2M
Join us! You’re all so welcome.
Each year our school has a key focus in areas we would like to improve. This year, we continue to focus on our Catholic Identity and our new Vision & Mission, launched last year. This year will focus on embedding our Vision & Mission and formation for students.
Our curriculum focus will be on literacy and in particular continue to focus on writing. We are particulalry excited to work with a published author, Sam Bayly, in Week 5 so all students, K-6, have the opportunity to be involved in writing and illustrating a book.
| Term 1 2024 | |
| Week 1 | |
| Tuesday 4th February | Years 1-6 commence |
| Swimming Carnival/Sport day | |
| Thursday 6th February | Kindergarten commence |
| Friday 7th February | Canteen |
| Week 2 | |
| Monday 10th February | Regional Swimming Carnival |
| Friday 14th February | Canteen |
| Week 3 | |
| Monday 17th February | Shared Table - Nachos |
| Tuesday 18th February | Opening School Mass 9:30am St. Joseph's Church |
| Wednesday 19th February | Copeland Excursion |
| Library borrowing | |
| Thursday 20th February | Sport day |
| Friday 21st February | Canteen |
| Assembly 9:30am | |
| Week 4 | |
| Wednesday 26th February | Diocesan Swimming Carnival |
| Library borrowing | |
| Thursday 27th February | Sport day |
| Friday 28th February | Canteen |
| Week 5 | |
| Monday 3rd March | Author in residence (AIR Week)/ Sami Bayly author at St Joseph's Gloucester |
| Tuesady 4th March | Author in residence (AIR Week)/ Sami Bayly author at St Joseph's Gloucester |
| Wednesday 5th March |
Ash Wednesday Mass 9:30am Author in residence Week/ Sami Bayly author at St Joseph's Gloucester |
| Thursday 6th March | Author in residence (AIR Week)/ Sami Bayly author at St Joseph's Gloucester |
| Friday 7th March | Author in residence (AIR Week)/ Sami Bayly author at St Joseph's Gloucester |
| Week 6 | |
| Friday 14th March | Canteen |
| Week 7 | |
| Monday 17th March | NAPLAN Week |
| Friday 21st March | Canteen |
| Week 8 | |
| Friday 28th March | Canteen |
| Week 9 | |
| Monday 31st March | PUPIL FREE DAY |
| Thursday 3rd April | Minni Vinnies Fundraiser |
| Friday 4th April | Canteen |
| Week 10 | |
| Monday 7th | Holy Week |
| Thursday 10th | Sport day |
| Friday 11th | Final Day Term 1 |
Each class should have received a welcome letter from the teacher, outlining some information regarding their class. Also, SeeSaw logins should be received. SeeSaw is a class communication app that connects families to the classroom. Please contact your child's teacher if you have not received either of these.
Compass is our whole school communication platform for whole school notifications, notes, absence recording and reports.
We had a fantastic day at our Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 4thFebruary. It was wonderful to see all children have a go in many of the events, encourage each other and do their best. Thanks to Mrs Clare and all staff for organisation of this event.
Congratulations to Eli Fenning, Remi Ashby, Hamish Macgregor, Elliot Banyer, Josie Banyer, Freya Macgregor, Ava Wiencke, Jack Butchers and Georgia Morton who represented our school at the Manning Regional Swimming Carnival in Taree on Monday. All students represented our school excpetionally and we thank Mr McCann, Miss Emerson and parents who supported students. Progressing on to represent St. Joseph's at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival at The Forum Aquatic Centre on Wednesday 26th March will be
- Eli Fenning, 3rd 11 Years 50m breastroke and PP5 Relay
- Elliot Banyer, 3rd 50m breastroke
- Hamish Macgregor, PP5 Relay
- Remi Ashby, PP5 Relay
- Jack Butchers, PP5 Relay
Well done Eli, Elliot, Hamish, Remi and Jack!
St Joseph’s takes pride in our students wearing the correct school uniform in a proud and tidy manner. This ensures that all students represent our school to the highest standard at all times within the school and wider community. As a parent/carer, you can assist this by ensuing that your child has all the required uniform items.
- Hair that is long at the back must not go past the collar.
- Long hair goes up for safety reasons.
- Earrings must be silver or gold studs or sleepers.
This is linked to the PDHPE syllabus and outcomes and will be incorporated in lessons this year.
Our School Psychologist/Counsellor, Mrs Larissa Collins will be here in Weeks 3 and 5. In Week 6 we will welcome Sarah Isaacs as our new School Psychologist/Counsellor. Sarah will be at St. Joseph's weekly on a Thursday. Sarah is available to discuss social, emotional issues or support and regarding your child. A referral form is required for students to see our School Counsellor and can be accessed through the office. Please feel free to make an appointment through the school office to see the School Pyschologist.
Library days will be on a Wednesday this year. Students will need to pack a Library bag on Library day.
We require new Volunteers for Shared Table to continue Shared Table for the 2025 school year.
If you are available to spare an occassional Monday morning for 3 hours, please contact Lisa to discuss.
Volunteers are required to complete a registration on the following site https://www.mn.catholic.org.au/people/volunteer/
With the addition of Food Saftey requirements in December 2024, we ask volunteers to complete the Food Safety Basics training and provide the school with a copy of the certificate. The training should take no longer then an hour, is free and a certificate is printable on completion.
We are very excited that Ms Michaelie Fry has volunteered to coordinate a choir for interested students at St. Joseph's. Michaelie will be at school most Wednesdays for the second half of lunch commencing in Week 4 to coordinate choir.
Why Attendance Matters
Regular school attendance is essential for students to fully engage in their learning and make academic progress. Here are some key reasons why attendance matters:
- Academic Success: Attending school regularly allows students to benefit from consistent instruction, participate in classroom discussions, and complete assignments on time. This contributes to better academic performance and helps students achieve their educational goals.
- Building Relationships: School attendance provides opportunities for students to build meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers. These connections enhance the learning experience and contribute to a positive school environment.
- Developing Essential Skills: Consistent attendance helps students develop important life skills such as time management, responsibility, and resilience. These skills are crucial for success both in school and in future endeavours.
- Preventing Learning Gaps: Missing school, even for short periods, can lead to gaps in learning that may be difficult to overcome. Regular attendance ensures that students receive continuous instruction and stay on track with their learning objectives.
It is essential for children to attend as much school as possible if they are to get the most from their education and achieve their full potential. Being absent or late to school means a lost learning opportunity for your child.
The Impact of Missing School
While the importance of good attendance is clear, it’s also essential to understand the negative consequences of missing school:
- Academic Challenges: Students who are frequently absent often struggle to keep up with their classmates academically. They may miss important lessons, fall behind in their learning, and experience difficulty mastering essential concepts.
- Decreased Engagement: Chronic absenteeism can lead to disengagement from school and a lack of motivation to participate in learning activities. This can result in decreased academic performance and lower levels of achievement.
- Social and Emotional Impact: Missing school can also have social and emotional consequences for students. They may feel isolated from their peers, experience increased stress or anxiety about falling behind, and miss out on valuable opportunities for personal growth and development.
- Long-Term Outcomes: Research has shown that students who are chronically absent are more likely to have lower graduation rates, decreased earning potential, and higher rates of involvement in negative behaviours such as substance abuse.
We are committed to promoting good attendance and providing support to ensure that all students can attend school regularly. We encourage all families to join us in prioritising attendance and recognising its importance in shaping the future success of our students.
