Term 1, Week 8 Newsletter - 21st March 2025

From The Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians,

Welcome to Week 8. As we journey through the Lenten season, we are invited into a time of reflection, repentance, and renewal. Lent is an opportunity to pause, examine our lives, and draw closer to God through self-discipline, prayer, and acts of charity. As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, we are called to embrace transformation in all aspects of our lives.

Spiritual Transformation

Lent encourages us to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It is a time to renew our spiritual practices, seek reconciliation, and open our hearts to God’s grace. Through this renewal, we can experience a profound transformation of faith, drawing ever closer to the Divine.

Personal Transformation

This season provides an opportunity for self-examination and growth. It is a time to reflect on areas where we need to change—whether overcoming personal struggles, fostering virtues, or healing relationships. By realigning our values and priorities, we can strive to become the best versions of ourselves.

Social Transformation

Lent also challenges us to extend compassion, mercy, and justice to others, particularly those in need. As followers of Christ, we are called to confront social injustices, ease suffering, and promote peace and reconciliation. By living out these values, we can become agents of positive change in our communities and beyond.

As we embrace this season of renewal, it has been wonderful to see so many parents, carers, and guardians attending the Parent-Teacher Conferences. These meetings provide valuable opportunities to strengthen partnerships between home and school, ensuring the best outcomes for our students. A reminder that if you ever need to discuss matters related to your child’s education, our teachers are always available outside of these scheduled meetings—please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Staffing Updates

We are delighted to welcome Victoria Wamsley-Taylor, who has joined us as the new Year 4 Green Teacher this week. We look forward to the positive impact she will have on our students and school community.

On Wednesday, we welcomed Mr Jack Bower, who arrived from Victoria and has spent the past couple of days with Mrs Lani Wills, preparing for her transition to Year 1 Gold from Term 2. Mr Bower, who has been teaching since 2019, brings extensive experience in Years 3 and 4. He will be stepping into Year 3, ensuring a seamless transition for students. While he is new to Mount Isa, he has friends and colleagues in the region and is eager to become part of the St Joseph’s community.

We also wish to acknowledge Mrs Anna Taufa, who will be departing at the end of Term 1. Anna has been a valued member of our community since joining St Joseph’s in 2020 after starting with Townsville Catholic Education. Her dedication to our students and contributions in various roles have been greatly appreciated. We extend our best wishes to Anna and her family for the future.

Joining us in Term 2 as the Year 6 Green Teacher is Miss Alison Duncan, who is relocating from Burren Junction, NSW. Alison has experience working in small remote communities and ties to Cloncurry. She is looking forward to becoming part of the St Joseph’s community and supporting our senior students in their final year of primary school.

In leadership news, Lisa Marschke, who has been on maternity leave from the role of Assistant Principal of Pedagogy and Learning (APPL), has decided to extend her leave to spend more time with her family. During this time, Karlia Ryan will continue as Acting APPL until Term 4. However, Lisa will remain connected to the school, providing casual support in relief teaching and inclusive practices from next term. We sincerely thank both Karlia and Lisa for their dedication and flexibility in supporting our school.

As we prepare for these transitions, we appreciate the support of our school community in welcoming new staff members and ensuring a smooth handover process for students. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

URStrong

“What do I do if a friend makes fun of me?”

A common question we receive from kids is: “What do I do if a friend makes fun of me?”

If it’s a Friendship Fire®, we always encourage them to Talk-it-Out when the time is right and work their way around the Friend-o-Cycle. But, lots of times, it’s just a little moment (not a conflict) that simply requires one of our favourite strategies called: ASK & PASS.

ASK & PASS is one of our 4 strategies in our Friendology friendship skills curriculum for schools that teaches kids how to make new friends and deepen connections. ASK & PASS is specifically focused on helping them learn and practice the art of conversation. We explain to students that a conversation is like a game of catch: They ask a question (throw the ball), the other person answers (catch the ball), and then asks them a question back (pass the ball back). Ask and pass, ask and pass, back and forth.

However, when kids are ‘questioned’ about something that highlights a difference between them and their friends, it can sometimes evoke feelings of insecurity or they feel self-conscious. We need to remind children and teens that they’re not the same as their friends & they’re not supposed to be + when someone notices something ‘different’ about them, to simply ask them a question back.

Here’s how the ASK & PASS strategy works:

• Kid 1: “What’s that weird mark on your leg?”

• Kid 2: “It’s a birthmark. Do you have a birthmark?”

• Kid 1: “Eww! Do you like hummus? That’s gross!”

• Kid 2: “Yep, I love hummus. What’s in your lunch?”

• Kid 1: “I got 95% on the test. What did you get?”

• Kid 2: “I failed it, actually. Have you ever failed a test? Any tips for me?”

We say to students, “When it feels like someone is making fun of you or asking you a question that makes you uncomfortable, don’t hold onto the ball. Throw it back by asking them question!” It helps take the focus off them and the conversation keeps on rolling.

URSTRONG SCHOOLS: Check out our interactive, digital card game in the Resource Centre!

URSTRONG FAMILIES: Pop on this video for your child to teach them how to stand up for themselves like a Friendship Ninja!

Written by: Dana Kerford
Founder & Friendship Expert

Scott Murray,
Principal

Education in Faith

Jangawala

A huge thank you to the small but mighty group of helpers who joined us at Jangawala on Sunday! Your time, effort, and generosity made a real difference, and we truly appreciate your support. It’s always special to come together as a community, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

Harmony Day - Family Picnic

On Friday, March 21st, we will celebrate Harmony Day and our cultural diversity here at St Joseph’s with a Harmony Day Family Picnic. We encourage students to wear an orange shirt or come dressed in their cultural attire to showcase the rich tapestry of cultures represented at our school. It will be a wonderful opportunity for students, parents, and staff to come together in celebration of our differences and shared values. Please bring along a picnic blanket and some snacks to enjoy with your family during this joyful gathering. Let's make this Harmony Day a memorable and inclusive experience for everyone!

Lent

During Lent, we are continuing to fundraise for Project Compassion to raise money for Caritas (an aid agency of the Australian Catholic Church to eradicate poverty and injustice). As a school, we have already raised over $100 from our fundraiser. 

How can your family help support Project Compassion this Lent? All students have also received a project compassion box which is to be collected back from them at the end of Lent. Any donations that students/families raise, will help to go towards class and school fundraising totals.

We will also be running our St Joseph’s Easter raffle again this year. The Easter raffle is drawn on the last day of school, Thursday 3rd April. Raffle tickets are 50c each, with a limit of 20 tickets per child. Tickets can be purchased from students’ classroom teachers from Monday 31st March. All proceeds will be going towards our project compassion fundraising appeal. 

For the Easter raffle to be effective, we are asking for donations of easter eggs from families to go towards the prizes drawn. Donations can be brought in to the front office by Friday 28th March.

Breakfast Club

Fr. Nnaemeka, our school chaplain, launched our Breakfast Club Wednesday morning, ensuring our students start the day with a healthy snack. A huge thank you to Coles Mt Isa for their generous donation of fresh fruit! Breakfast Club will be held each Wednesday morning from 8:10am.

Tennielle Blanco,
APRE

Foundations in Education

Learning Breakfast – See the wonderful things St Joey’s has been learning about!

We are excited to invite all families to our first Learning Breakfast of 2025! Join us on Thursday, 27th March, as classrooms open from 8:10 am for a special opportunity to see the amazing learning that has taken place this term.

We encourage you to visit your child’s classroom, explore their work, and celebrate their achievements with them. To make the morning even more enjoyable, we will be providing fresh fruit for a light breakfast, thanks to a generous donation from Coles.

We look forward to welcoming you on this special morning and celebrating a wonderful term of learning together!

NAPLAN 2025

Congratulations to our Year 3 and 5 students who have completed the 2025 NAPLAN assessments. All students worked hard during this testing period and showed dedication throughout the testing window and the term. 

A special thank you to our incredible Year 3 and 5 teachers for their guidance, support, and commitment to ensuring our students were well-prepared and confident in their abilities. 

We are so proud of the overall effort and resilience shown by all students this year. We look forward to using the valuable insights from NAPLAN to continue supporting students on their learning journey at St Joseph's. 

Karlia Ryan,
APPL

Wellbeing and Diversity

Hi everyone! I'm Cassandra, the new Guidance Counsellor at St Joseph’s Catholic School. I'm excited to be here and look forward to working with students, teachers, and families to support everyone's well-being and growth. If you ever need someone to talk to or need guidance, I'm here to help!

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.

In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Managing Screen Time edition of SchoolTV
https://sjmtsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/managing-screen-time

Cassandra Little,
Guidance Councilor

In the Library...

A Wonderful Week in the Library

What a fantastic week we've had here at school!

Our upper classes have been making the most of their library borrowing time by joining in on our Fiction Frenzy. They’ve been exploring lots of great fiction books, and we've challenged them to forgo the extremely popular graphic novels and delve into the fiction shelves. We hope they're really enjoying the chance to discover new stories. It’s been lovely to see them spending time quietly reading in the library.

Our younger students have been doing a fabulous job remembering to bring their library bags on borrowing days. They are so eager to find new books, and we’ve been having fun discovering all the different areas of the San Jose Library together.

Lunchtimes in the library have also been a big hit, especially with the hot weather. Students have been coloring, playing games, and building with magnetic blocks and Lego. It's a great way to cool off and have some creative fun!

It’s been a wonderful week in the San Jose Library, full of reading, exploring, and making the most of our beautiful space.

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