On Monday 15th August we celebrated The Assumption of Mary into heaven. We held liturgies in our teams and pods to celebrate this special occasion.

This Thursday evening 25th August at 6pm, students from our school and parish will make their First Reconciliation. Please keep these students and their families in your prayers this week.  

This week we welcome Ludmila and her family to our school. She has joined the Kea Team – we hope that she’s had a great first week at St Joseph’s!

St Joseph’s Cross Country/ Fun Run 2022

Week 7 – Tuesday, 6th September

Saver Day – Thursday 8th September

We will be having our 2022 Cross Country/Fun Run morning for the whole school on Tuesday 6th September. 

Students are welcome to come to school in costume! Think superheroes, tutu’s, crazy hair, pom poms etc. If students do not want to dress up they can wear house colours (Alphonsus: Yellow; Patuone: Red; McAuley: Green; Pompallier: Blue), sports clothes or PE uniforms. 

Format for the runs:

Students in Year 0 – 2 will run in their year levels all together.

Students in Year 3 – 6 will have the option of running in the: 

• Competitive race (placings will be given)
• Fun run (no placings will be given)

Note: Only children in the competitive race will have the option to represent St Joseph’s in Cluster events. 

The order that the year levels will run is:

9.15am: Year 0 girls then Year 0 boys

Followed by:

• Year 1 girls, then Year 1 boys 
• Year 2 girls, then Year 2 boys
• Year 3 girls, then Year 3 boys (competitive first, then fun run)
• Year 4 girls, then Year 4 boys (competitive first, then fun run)
• Year 5 girls, then Year 5 boys (competitive first, then fun run)
• Year 6 girls, then Year 6 boys (competitive first, then fun run)

Finish: 11:30sh (approximately)

The runs begin and end on the lower field. Parents are welcome to come and support/cheer the children on for the event. It should be all wrapped up by approx. 11:30am (please note that this is an approximation). As this event is taking place in ORANGE level, we ask that all spectators please wear a mask.

Students will need to:

• wear good sports shoes for running in
• bring a drink bottle
• bring a jumper and track pants for before and after running to keep warm
• bring a change of shoes in a plastic bag for afterwards as the grass is very muddy at this time of year

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, 6th September at 9:15 am.

**If the weather is not looking too flash, we will make a call at 8:30am and send an email out to the parents/caregivers.

At the end of Term 2 I let you know that I would be on a Principal Sabbatical for this term. Primary Principals are offered the opportunity, every five years, to take a ten week (one term) sabbatical. The sabbatical provides principals the opportunity to carry out a research project around teaching and learning. The research can include professional reading, courses and visiting schools.

I am doing a piece of research on home school relationships and how they support student learning. I will be completing a Harvard University online course, professional reading and visiting schools to look at what their home school relationships look like.

I look forward to returning and greeting the students, at the morning drop off, on the first day of Term 4.

Alister Bridgman

Thank you for your patience at the end of day pick-up on a wet day. We are in a season where there is a high chance it will be raining at pick-up time. Parents are welcome to come into the quad to meet their children, and teachers will call the children from their learning space.

Alternatively parents can arrive after 3 pm, when the gate will be open, and the teacher on duty will call your child down, as they will be waiting in their learning space, out of the rain. 

This process takes slightly longer and we are grateful for your understanding and support.

Today marks four weeks since we returned back to school after the holidays and also the date that we said we would review the guidelines around mask wearing at St Joseph’s. We continue to see an increase in sickness due to winter illnesses and we know that mask wearing (along with other measures) assists with reducing the spread. Following public health advice, we still strongly recommend that children in Years 3-6 wear masks when indoors.

School Board Elections – Voting Now Open

Voting papers have been distributed by post for the school board elections. If you haven’t already received yours, they should be arriving shortly.

A postage paid envelope is included with your voting papers; and a ballot box is located just inside the school office door.

We encourage everyone to review the information provided by the nominees and to vote for your choice of Board members. This is your chance to have your say on who helps govern our school for the next three years.

Have your say – vote today!

Please check out the latest community notices that are on our school website.