Dear Parents & Carers,

Thank you to parents and family members who have been able to attend our recent events, Father's Day Breakfast and Book Week Parade. It was wonderful to see so many of our Fathers and Grandfathers attend Father's Day Breakfast. Thank you to all of our staff who organised and helped. Book Week was another highlight this year, with the theme, 'Book an Adventure'. We celebrated with a production of the one of the award winning Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) book The Garden of Broken Thnings, and a visit from author, Therese Lloyd (Arki and the Land of Light). Thanks to Mr McCann and Mrs Shultz and families for their organisation and support of this parade. Book week celebrations are always a highlight in our school calendar. 

This week students in Years 3-6 worked with Anna Kerrigan, Education Officer from ASPIRE (Drama and Creative Arts) on a production of a book, 'Fire in the Tops', which is due to be released and shared with our community in Term 4. It was an amazing opportunity for our students to work with Anna and we look forward to working with her team into Term 4.

Congratulations to Eli Fenning, Jack Butchers, Harrison Morton and Elliot Banyer who represented St. Joseph's at Polding Athletics Carnival today, 12th September. What a wonderful achievement for this team to progess through to both the Regional and Diocesan Athletics to progress to Polding. The boys did their best and were excited to attend and represent St. Joseph's. Well done!

We also extend a very warm welcome to two new students who joined our school community last week: Evie Abraham, Year 3 and Mason Abraham, Year 5. We're thrilled to have them and their families as part of St. Joseph's and welcome them into our community. 

Our new school sign on Denison Street is being currently being erected and finalised. We look forward to when this will be completed and display our new school crest. In the meantime, this week we celebrated three birthdays; Happy Birthday to;

Josie - 10th September - 8 Years old!

Henry - 12th September - 10 Years old!

Harry - 13th September - 12 Years old!

Peace & Best Wishes,

Amy Maslen

Princpal

A big thank you to Therese Lloyd who visited St. Joseph's on Thursday and talked to the students about her books, Arki and the Land of Light and her new book; Arki and the Cursed Caves. Therese talked to students about being an author and how she comes up with the ideas for her books. We were very luck to have Therese visit us and look forward to welcoming her again.

    

Next week, we wish Years 5&6 all the best on their excursion to Sydney. Our students will attend with Years 5&6 from St Joseph's Bulahdelah and be visiting Mary Mackillop Place, Luna Park, the Rocks and Parliament House. We look forward to hearing all about the excursion in Week 10. 

TERM 3

Students will change to wearning uniform in Term 4. Plese see the office should for new or second hand items required. 

The rise of mental health concerns among young people, including anxiety, depression, and self-harm, is a pressing issue amplified by factors such as academic stress, social media, family dynamics and societal expectations. It is therefore crucial to prioritise early intervention, de-stigmatise mental health discussions, and provide accessible and effective support to address these concerns and promote the wellbeing of young people.

This year R U OK?Day falls on Thursday 11 September, an annual National Day of Action and a reminder that every day is the day to check in with your friends, family and colleagues.

‘EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS: Shifting Conversation to Action’

This year’s theme highlights that while open discussions are crucial, words alone are not enough: we must turn dialogue into meaningful action.

NAPCAN acknowledges that while conversations can raise awareness, challenge harmful norms, and spark new ideas, real change happens when we take steps to create safer environments for children that prevent them from harm.

This year, we are focusing on moving beyond conversations to concrete actions that prevent harm and instead, focussing on strengthening support systems, and empowering communities to actively protect children.

By shifting from conversation to action, we can ensure that every child not only feels heard but also experiences real safety, care, and protection.

For more infomation, webinars adn events, please see National Child Protection Week website