Term 2, Week 4 Newsletter - 16th May 2025

From the Principal

Staffing Updates

I am delighted to welcome Miss Chloe Hartley, who spent time visiting our Year 6 Green class last week and officially begins her teaching role with us on Monday, 19th May 2025. Chloe comes to us with great enthusiasm and a strong passion for working with upper primary students. I know she’ll be a wonderful addition to our teaching team and confident she will contribute positively to the learning and growth of our students.

I would also like to share that Mrs Ashleigh Allen is expecting her third child. As part of our forward planning, we have already begun the recruitment process for a replacement teacher for Year 5 Green. Our goal is to appoint a new staff member before the end of this term to allow time for a comprehensive handover. This will ensure continuity in teaching and learning and a smooth start for students in Week 1, Term 3.

Mother’s Day Mass

A heartfelt thank you to all those who joined us at the Mother’s Day Children’s Mass on Sunday, held at Good Shepherd Catholic College. It was a beautiful celebration that honoured the important role mothers and mother-figures play in the lives of our children.

I extend our sincere thanks to Mrs Tenielle Blanco for her coordination of the Mass and to the staff  & students who attended from our school. These events remind us of the strength of our wider Mount Isa Catholic community, where collaboration and support are part of our shared identity.

It was heartening to hear students on Monday sharing how they showed appreciation to their mums—some cooked dinner, others cleaned the house or as one student informed me, cooked dinner for Mum by taking her to the Pub with dad. These moments of love and gratitude are what truly define our school values in action.

Congratulations to St Kieran’s Catholic Primary School

I extend our congratulations to St Kieran’s Catholic Primary School on the success of their Mother’s Day Fete held on Friday, 9th May. After returning from meetings in Townsville, I had the pleasure of attending the event and was pleased to see so many familiar faces from St Joseph’s enjoying the festivities.

Principal Peta Laffin shared with me that the event was not only well attended, but also a great celebration of community spirit. On behalf of all of us at St Joseph’s, we commend the team at St Kieran’s on a job well done.

Camp Fundraiser – Musical Bingo Night

Mark your calendars! Our Camp Fundraiser Musical Bingo Night is scheduled for Friday, 30th May 2025. This exciting event promises laughter, fun, and some friendly competition – all in support of our students attending camp later this year.

Details at a glance:

•  Tables of 8 – split into teams if you like

•  Fully licensed bar on-site (No BYO)

•  Bring your own snacks or order in your dinner

•  A variety of musical rounds to test your knowledge

•  Adults-only event (18+)

Funds raised on the night will go directly toward camp-related costs for our Year 5/6 students, helping make this experience accessible for all. We can’t wait to see you there and thank you in advance for your support!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/st-josephs-mount-isa-music-bingo-tickets-1357989155119?aff=oddtdtcreator

2026 Enrolments – Prep Open Night

Our Prep 2026 Open Night is taking place on Thursday, 22nd May 2025, from 5:00pm to 6:00pm. This evening is designed to be welcoming, informal, and informative for families considering enrolling their children in Prep next year.

Whether you’ve already made your decision or are still exploring your options, we encourage you to come along, meet our friendly staff, tour the school, and get a sense of the caring and dynamic learning environment we offer at St Joseph’s. Light refreshments will be available to help keep things relaxed and enjoyable. We look forward to seeing you there!

Welcome to Pope Leo XIV

Last week, we celebrated the announcement of Pope Leo XIV as the new spiritual leader of the Catholic Church. As a Catholic school community, we join with the global Church in prayer for his leadership and mission, trusting that he will guide us with wisdom, compassion, and strength. May this new chapter bring renewal to our faith and hope to our world.

School Fees Reminder

Term 2 School Fee Statements were issued to families on Tuesday, 6th May 2025, and are due by Tuesday, 10th June 2025.

Please check your inbox and reach out to the school office if you have not received your statement. If you need support with payment options or financial assistance, we encourage you to make contact early so that we can work with you confidentially to ensure arrangements are in place.

Scott Murray,
Principal

Education In Faith

St Joseph the Worker - Feast Day

On Thursday, 1st May, our school community came together in the Penola Centre to celebrate the Feast Day of St Joseph the Worker. Fr Mick and Fr Nnaemeka led us in a beautiful and meaningful liturgy that invited us to reflect on the life and example of St Joseph.

During the celebration, we were reminded of the humble, faithful, and hardworking life that St Joseph lived. He led by quiet example – as a loving husband, a devoted father, a man of deep faith, and a committed worker. As a simple craftsman, he taught Jesus the value of hard work and showed us all how we can glorify God by giving our best in everything we do.

Each year, teachers have the honour of presenting the St Joseph the Worker Award to one boy and one girl from their class. These students are recognised for embodying the spirit of St Joseph – showing faith, responsibility, humility, and a strong work ethic in their everyday school life.

It gives me great pleasure to announce the 2025 St Joseph the Worker Award recipients:

Prep Gold - Michael Briant & Baiyleehj Mitchell

Prep Green - Don Senula Randira  

1 Gold - Lennox Tully & Mufaro Nhamoinesu

1 Green - Charlie Webb & Summer Bhattarai

2 Gold - Cameron Briant & Evaliah Schulz

2 Green - Jayden Duke & Sage Garcia

3 Gold - Mynhardt Jansen & Rejoice Makonese

3 Green - Hunter Webb & Sione Pretorius

4 Gold - Mason Donegan & Ava Faulkner

4 Green - Elias Brant & Abigail Baxter

5 Gold - Arrun Poch & Jaime Angon 

5 Green - Srijit Lahiri & Kara Stalling

6 Gold - Isaac Elrick & Rebekah Makonese

6 Green - Charlie Braes & Ellie McConachy

Congratulations to these students for their outstanding example and dedication. May we all be inspired by the life of St Joseph to work with purpose, lead with kindness, and live with faith.

At St Joseph’s, we not only celebrate the hard work of our students but also take time to acknowledge the dedication of our staff. We are proud to announce that the 2025 Staff St Joseph the Worker Award has been awarded to Mrs Mellissa Stretton. Mrs Stretton embodies the spirit and values of our school community. She gives her time selflessly, is always willing to lend a hand, and plays an integral role in the life of our Joey’s family. Her generosity, care, and quiet leadership continue to inspire those around her.

Mother’s Day Parish Family Mass

A thank you to all the families and choir members who joined us for our very first Parish Family Mass on Mother’s Day. It was a beautiful celebration of faith, family, and love. Your presence and participation made the morning extra special, and we look forward to sharing many more meaningful moments together as a school and parish community.

Christmas Concert Planning Meeting

We are excited to begin planning our Community Christmas Concert — and we’d love for you to be part of it! Whether you have ideas to share, would like to help out, or are simply curious about what’s involved, everyone is welcome.

Date: Monday 19th May

Time: 5:00 PM

Location: Outside near the playground at the Isa Hotel

Healthy Harold

We are excited to announce that Healthy Harold from Life Education will be returning to St Joseph’s in Weeks 7 and 8 of this term! Each class will have the opportunity to take part in an engaging and age-appropriate session focused on health, safety, and wellbeing.

Here are the topics each year level will be exploring:

Prep – My Body Matters

Year 1 & 2 – Harold’s Online World

Year 3 – The Inside Story

Year 4 – bCyberwise

Year 5 – Decisions

Year 6 – Take a Breath

We are pleased to offer these sessions free of charge, thanks to the generous support of Communities for Children (CFC).

If you do not wish for your child to participate, please email your child’s classroom teacher as soon as possible.

NEW POPE
We are delighted to share a historic and joyful moment with our school community – the Catholic Church has a new Pope, Pope Leo!

Following the tradition of the papal conclave, cardinals from around the world gathered in prayer and discernment at the Vatican to choose a new spiritual leader. After white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the world waited in anticipation to hear the words, “Habemus Papam!” – “We have a Pope!”

Pope Leo brings with him a deep love for God and the Church, a heart for service, and a commitment to leading with humility, compassion, and faith. As Pope, he will guide more than a billion Catholics around the world, encouraging us to live lives filled with hope, peace, and love.

At school, we will keep Pope Leo in our prayers as he begins this important mission. May the Holy Spirit guide him in his leadership and unite us all as one Church family.

Let us celebrate this special moment with joy and faith!

Tenielle Blanco,
APRE

Foundations In Education

Welcome to Week 4!

It’s been a busy and productive couple of weeks for both staff and students as we settle into the term. Teachers have been actively engaged in collecting and refining NCCD evidence, participating in school-based NCCD moderation sessions, and continuing to build their familiarity with the Version 9 Australian Curriculum. There has also been a strong focus on implementing evidence-based programs, with particular attention to rolling out tailored intervention strategies from Prep to Year 6. Thank you to all staff for your continued dedication and commitment to supporting student learning and inclusion.

Story Champs Launch in Prep–Year 2

As part of our ongoing commitment to high-impact teaching and improving student outcomes, our Prep to Year 2 teachers and school officers have recently completed professional training in Story Champs, an evidence-based, multi-tiered language curriculum that is both fast-paced and highly effective.

Story Champs is designed to explicitly teach young learners the essential skills of oral and written language through the use of engaging storytelling. By focusing on narrative structure and complex language features, this program helps develop the foundational language skills that are critical for academic success across all learning areas.

A key part of our successful rollout has been the close collaboration with our school-based speech pathologist. She has played an instrumental role in modelling Story Champs lessons in classrooms and providing ongoing coaching and support to our teachers and school officers. This partnership has ensured that the program is implemented with fidelity and that staff feel confident and well-equipped to deliver high-quality language instruction.

What makes Story Champs stand out is its simplicity and flexibility in implementation. The program equips teachers with tools to deliver clear, consistent language instruction in a way that is developmentally appropriate, engaging, and aligned with curriculum standards. It also allows for differentiation, ensuring that all students including those who need additional support have access to the same high-quality instruction.

We are already seeing our early years classrooms transformed into rich language-learning environments where students are confidently retelling stories, using more sophisticated vocabulary, and developing their comprehension skills. Teachers have embraced the program with enthusiasm, noting the positive impact on student engagement and the ease with which they can integrate it into their daily teaching routines.

We are excited to continue this journey and look forward to seeing the lasting benefits Story Champs will bring to our students as they grow into confident communicators and successful learners.

Save the Date – Under 8’s Day is Coming!

We are excited to announce that our annual Under 8’s Day celebration is just around the corner! This year’s theme is "Unleashing Scientific Thinking through Play", and we can’t wait to see our students exploring, discovering, and having fun through engaging, hands-on activities.

We are calling on our wonderful school community to get involved! If you have any special talents, skills, or ideas that could help bring this day to life, or if you would simply like to be part of the fun, please let us know.

Email your interest to: kryan6@sjmtsv.catholic.edu.au

Let’s make this year’s Under 8’s Day one to remember as we spark curiosity and joy in our youngest learners

Karlia Ryan,
APPL

Wellbeing And Diversity

Neurodiversity 

Neurodiversity emphasises the natural variation in how an individual's brain functions and how they perceive and interact with the world, leading to diverse ways of learning and communicating. While most young people are neurotypical, some exhibit variations in brain development, such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia, making them neurodivergent.

Embracing neurodiversity involves accepting, celebrating, and supporting neurodivergent children and adolescents without attempting to change or treat their differences. Using respectful language, challenging unhelpful attitudes, avoiding assumptions, and actively promoting inclusivity can help embrace neurodiversity effectively.

Acknowledging the unique ways neurodiverse young people do things and then adapting tasks and activities to ensure their full participation will encourage them to develop strategies that feel natural to them. It will help improve their mental health, wellbeing and sense of self. By recognising and nurturing their strengths, parents and caregivers can contribute to building an inclusive and compassionate society where all young people can thrive.

Learning more about neurodiversity, equips caregivers with insights into effective communication techniques, educational strategies, and parenting approaches tailored to the specific needs of their neurodivergent child.

Here is the link to the Neurodiversity edition of SchoolTV

https://sjmtsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/neurodiversity 

Cassandra Little,
Guidance Councilor

School News

FINANCE

School Fees: Term 2 School Fees were issued on May 6th. If you have a payway or direct debit authority in place please note the statement is for your information only. Term 2 School Fees are due by June 10th 2025.

Years 5 & 6 Camps: Just a friendly reminder that the second installment of camp fees are due June 20th. If you have a payment plan in place, please disregard this message.

PENOLA CENTRE NAME PLAQUES

We will be placing an order for name plaques in June. If you wish for your student/s to have a plaque, please place your order and make payment at the finance counter in the office. Plaques are $12 each.

TIME TO SHINE

We’re pleased to share with you an exciting opportunity for our Year 6 students, offered by Good Shepherd Catholic College – the Time to Shine Extension Program.

This program is open to all Year 6 students across Mount Isa and is designed to spark curiosity, build higher-order thinking skills, and develop a love of learning across a range of subjects including Science, Design Technology, Physical Education, English, Humanities, the Arts, Religious Education, and Maths.

Key Details:

• Dates: Wednesday 14 May and Wednesday 21 May (3:15pm – 4:15pm)

• Venue: Good Shepherd Catholic College

• Uniform: Students are to wear their current school uniform with enclosed shoes

• Cost: Free of charge

• Activities: Students can select their preferred areas of interest

All students will need to be dropped off and picked up at the Mary Street entrance of the college.

This is a great way for students to experience secondary school facilities, meet future educators, and explore areas of passion in a hands-on and engaging environment.

To register, please scan the QR code in the flyer attached or visit www.goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au for more information.

If you have any questions about participation or logistics, feel free to reach out to us.

NQ School Photography will be visiting our school on Monday 2nd June for school photos.  Flyers have been distributed to parents.  

School photos can be ordered and paid for online at www.nqsp.com.au using the shoot key provided.

Sibling photos can also be ordered and paid for online at www.nqsp.com.au using the shoot key provided.

They can accept late orders at any time.All students will be photographed on the day regardless of an order.

Community News

Enrol Now for Year 7, 2026 at Good Shepherd Catholic College!

At Good Shepherd Catholic College, we are excited to welcome a new group of students into our caring and vibrant community for Year 7 in 2026. If your child is currently in Year 6, now is the time to begin planning for their secondary education journey with us.

Our enrolment applications are open now and are available on the College Website. We encourage families to submit their applications early as Round 1 applications close at 12pm on Friday 27 June 2025. If applications are not received by 12pm on Friday 27 June, families will be placed in Round 2 of enrolments, and there is no guarantee there will be positions available in the second round.

We offer a range of engaging transition opportunities, including:

• Open Day – Join us on Friday 13 June for a first-hand look at life at Good Shepherd.
• Transition Days – Set for Thursday 11 and Friday 12 September, these days help your child feel comfortable and confident as they prepare to start high school.

Round 1 interviews will be held from Monday 28 July to Thursday 7 August, with offers released on Friday 15 August.

Please note: Siblings of current students do not receive automatic enrolment. A separate application must be submitted for each child, and we encourage families to do so as early as possible to avoid missing key dates.

If you have any questions or need assistance, our friendly team is here to help guide you through the process.

Regards,

GSCC

enquiries@goodshepherd.catholic.edu.au

MOUNT ISA SHOW

Feeling Artistic? That’s good – we would like to show off your talent to our community….

Or maybe you love gardening, then we would love you to enter your best produce!

Have you been snapping away taking photos of the countryside, family, friends, pets, constructions or events. Then why not share them with us.

Or for those that love to cook, then stir the pots, crank up the stove and get the Judges taste buds hopping with your entries in our cooking categories.

We encourage all ages to enter, check out our extensive list of categories, from lego to quilting; cooking to needle work; woodwork to photography; art to macramé, to collectables to scarecrows – there is something for everyone to enter.

See below for full schedule...