Term 2, Week 6 Newsletter - 30th May 2025

From The Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and the Wider Community,

It has been an up-and-down fortnight across our St Joseph’s community. A number of students and staff have been unwell, our sporting stars have experienced great success, and unfortunately, our State lost State of Origin Game 1. Regardless, it’s certainly been a full and vibrant few weeks here at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Mount Isa.

Christmas Fair and Concert Planning
On Monday, 19th May, we held our first planning meeting for the 2025 Christmas Fair and Concert. It was wonderful to see a number of staff and families attend, ready to help make this year’s event another memorable one. Building on the success of last year, we plan to follow a similar format. Our next meeting will take place on Monday, 16th June 2025 at 5:00pm at the Isa Hotel. All are welcome to attend and contribute.

2026 Prep Information Evening
Last Thursday evening, we were thrilled to welcome so many new and prospective families to our 2026 Prep Information Evening. The turnout was excellent, and it was a great opportunity to showcase what St Joseph’s offers—not just as a school, but as a community. With applications now coming in quickly, we encourage anyone considering Prep for 2026 to submit their application as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

Pizza Popper & U8s Community Afternoon
Friday, 23rd May was a huge day at school! Our ever-popular Pizza Popper fundraiser returned, with over 10 parent volunteers helping make the day a success. Funds raised are going directly to support our Year 5 and 6 Camps. That afternoon, Miss Kantarius and Miss Troxel joined other staff at the Under 8s Community Afternoon at the Touch Fields, where many young visitors stopped by for a chat and a slice of fairy bread!

Musical Bingo – Friday Night!
This week ends with a bang, as we host our highly anticipated Musical Bingo evening tonight. Online bookings were filled early due to demand, but we do have a limited number of tables still available. If you’d like to join the fun, please call the school office on (07) 4743 4303.

Facilities Planning – Penola Centre
On Wednesday, visiting architects joined us onsite while in town for works at Good Shepherd Catholic College. As part of our planning for improvements to the Penola Centre and Carpark, we have begun exploring the long-held goal of air-conditioning the Penola Centre. This has been a shared dream for many staff, students and community members. While it may not be achievable this year, we are now in the early stages of planning around funding, resource allocation and infrastructure requirements.

Extended Absence and Holiday Leave
We’ve recently seen an increase in families taking holidays outside the designated school holiday periods. Please be reminded that extended absences during term time have a significant impact on student learning and must follow the appropriate approval process.

If your child will be absent from school for more than 10 consecutive school days, you are required to apply for an Exemption from Compulsory Schooling.

Exemptions may be granted for a range of legitimate reasons, including:

• A diagnosed terminal medical condition
• Illness or hospitalisation (including recovery at home) for a period greater than 10 consecutive school days, where the student is not enrolled in a hospital education program
• Temporary carer responsibilities
• A diagnosed mental health condition
• Temporary interstate or overseas relocation where the family intends to return to Queensland

To support continuity of learning, we kindly ask families to plan holidays during school holiday periods where possible. If you believe your situation may meet exemption criteria, please contact the school office or visit:
 Exemptions from Compulsory Schooling Procedure

Morning Drop-Off Reminder
A gentle reminder that supervision for students begins at 8:10am at the Penola Centre. If you need to drop your child off earlier, they must be seated quietly in the designated waiting area. Please note: students should not arrive before 8:00am unless prior arrangements have been made. For earlier care, please contact St Joseph’s OSHC to check availability.

Thank you once again for your continued support and involvement in the life of our school. Let’s continue working together to make Term 2 a positive and successful one for all our students.

Scott Murray,
Principal

Education In Faith

Laudato Si’ Week

This week at St Joseph’s we celebrate Laudato Si’ week. Laudato Si' Week began as a way to celebrate the first anniversary of Pope Francis' world-changing papal encyclical letter, “Laudato Si': On Care For Our Common Home.” This annual celebration has become a way for all Catholics to unite and rejoice in the progress we’ve made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life and to commit ourselves to further prayer and action for our common home. Catholics across the globe will unite their communities in action and learn more about how Laudato Si’ offers a blueprint on how to tackle the climate crisis. Globally, Catholics will come together as one family in prayer and action.

Walk Safely to School Day

On Friday morning, 16th May, some of our students took part in Walk Safely to School Day. We met bright and early at Captain Cook Oval at 7:50am and set off together at 8:00am, enjoying a safe and healthy walk to school.

Thank you to all the students, families, and staff who joined us and helped promote road safety, health, and environmental awareness.

Upcoming Events

• Monday 26th May - Sorry Day
• Monday 27th May - Reconciliation Week commences
• Friday 30th May - Buddy Picnic - All Welcome
• Monday 2nd June - School Photo Day
• Tuesday 3rd June - Life Education visits commence
• Friday 6th June -  School Photo Day
• Saturday 7th June - First Holy Communion commences
• Wednesday 12th June - Under 8s Day
• Thursday 12th-13th - Athletics Carnival
• Sunday 15th June - Jangawala

Tenielle Blanco,
APRE

Foundations In Education

Join Our Inclusive Education Committee

As part of our ongoing commitment to inclusive education and achieving positive outcomes for all students at St Joseph’s, we are establishing an Inclusive Education Committee, aligned with TCE directives and the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD).

We are currently seeking expressions of interest from two parents to join the committee. Our first meeting will be held on Tuesday, 24th June at 4:30 pm.

If you are passionate about inclusive practices and would like to contribute to this important work, please get in touch with me via email or phone as soon as possible.

Email: kryan6@sjmtsv.catholic.edu.au

Phone: 4743 4303

Save the Date! - Term 2 Learning Breakfast

Our Term 2 Learning Breakfast is coming up on Thursday, 19th June from 8:10–8:30 am! Join us for a bacon & egg roll and celebrate all the amazing learning our students have been doing this term.

We can’t wait to share their wonderful work with you! We’d love to see you there!

St Joseph’s - Under 8’s Day

Join us for a fun-filled celebration of curiosity, creativity, and discovery at our 2025 Under 8’s Day, where this year’s theme is "Unleashing Scientific Thinking Through Play."

Inspired by the United Nations’ declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, we’ll be celebrating the many ways young children explore, question, and make sense of their world through play.

We’re excited to partner with the early years sector to create engaging experiences where children can observe, predict, test, and uncover scientific concepts, all through child-led learning and joyful exploration.

Families, friends, parents, and carers, we’d love to see you there!

Karlia Ryan,
APPL

Wellbeing And Diversity

CYBER SAFETY

Young people today are growing up in an increasingly connected world where technology is part of their everyday lives –– for learning, socialising, and entertainment. While the digital world offers enormous benefits, it also comes with serious risks. From cyberbullying and online predators to inappropriate content and screen time concerns, navigating the online environment can be challenging for young people and their families.

Cybersafety is not just about blocking access –– it's about empowering young people with the knowledge and skills they need to use technology responsibly and safely. This includes understanding privacy settings, recognising scams, and developing healthy digital habits. At the same time, it's important for parents and caregivers to stay informed, have open and judgement-free conversations with their children, and lead by example through positive online behaviour.

In today's digital age, safeguarding a child's wellbeing must also include protecting their online life. This edition of SchoolTV will help you better understand the digital landscape your child is navigating and offer practical strategies to help them stay safe, confident and in control online.

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 Cyber Safety edition of SchoolTV
https://sjmtsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/cybersafety-au

Cassandra Little,
Guidance Councilor

Sport @ Joeys

SOCCER GALA DAY

On Thursday 15th May, St Joseph’s had two teams participate at the Soccer Gala Day. Both teams played well on the day, showing off some exciting football skills as well as great teamwork and sportsmanship. St Joseph’s Green won all 6 of their games and St Joseph’s Yellow ended the day with 3 wins and 3 draws. 

Congratulations to St Joseph’s Green, who were named the winners of the tournament.

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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.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

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...