Term 4, Week 2 Newsletter - 17th October 2025

From the Principal

Welcome back to school for our final term of the year! It has been a busy start, with Year 5 and 6 School Camps, Rock Pop, and preparations for our upcoming Community Christmas Evening all well underway. I am incredibly grateful for the staff, families, and community members who continue to give their time and support to make these events possible.

This term, we also welcome Mr Lincoln Fitch, who joins us as the new Year 4 Gold Teacher. Mr Fitch brings many years of teaching experience, most recently from Cairns, and has already shown great enthusiasm in getting involved with our school community. We are very pleased to have him on board.

I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the staff, parents, and community members who have supported our students during the recent Year 5 Camp to Paluma. This week, Miss Tanisha Bird, Miss Kirra Naylor, Mrs Leanne Munns, Mr James Coghlan, and Mr Daniel Sheehan accompanied the students, and from all reports it was an enjoyable and educational experience for everyone.

Next week, we wish our Year 6 Campers all the best as they head off to Magnetic Island. Thank you to Mrs Chloe Aitkens, Miss Imogen Perkins, Ms Karlia Ryan, Mr Robert Gattera, and Mr James Coghlan for generously giving their time to support our students once again. We look forward to hearing about their adventures upon their return.

Community Christmas Fair

Next week also brings one of the highlights of our school calendar — our Community Christmas Fair. A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed their time, sponsorship, or donations to make this event possible. Each class will perform an item on the night, and we can’t wait to see what our students have created.

Families are encouraged to bring chairs or picnic rugs to enjoy the performances. Once performances conclude, chairs can be returned to cars if needed before re-entering the event area. Please note that no alcohol purchased at the Fair may be taken beyond the school gates.

Parking will be available around the Penola area and along Twenty Third Avenue, with entry through the available gates. There will be plenty of rides for children, and even a mechanical bull for the older kids! Mrs Blanco has sent out information regarding ride passes — please pre-purchase your unlimited ride wristbands as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

Thank you again to everyone involved in planning, setting up, and supporting this event — it’s a wonderful example of what makes our St Joseph’s community so special.

Family Departures

As we approach the end of the school year, we understand that some families may be moving away. To assist with our planning for 2026, we will soon be asking families through Compass to confirm whether their children will be continuing at St Joseph’s next year or departing at the end of 2025. We appreciate your cooperation, as this information is vital for class organisation and staffing.

Rock Pop

Finally, I would like to wish all of our staff and Rock Pop participants the very best of luck for tonight’s performance. I’m looking forward to watching the hard work of our students and staff come to life on stage.

Thank you to everyone — staff, parents, and carers — who have given their time and energy outside of regular school hours to support this event. Your efforts never go unnoticed, and our students are the ones who benefit most from your dedication.

Scott Murray,
Principal

Education In Faith

Upcoming Events

This term, we have many exciting events planned to celebrate the religious life of our school. Last week marked the start of Rosary Week, as October is dedicated to the Rosary in the Catholic tradition. The Rosary is a special form of prayer in the Catholic Church, involving repetition and meditating on key events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. It holds deep significance for Catholics, particularly in their devotion to Mary. To honour this, students received their own set of rosary beads. 

Socktober

This term, we will also be celebrating Catholic Mission Month. Students are encouraged to donate items to help make ‘Socktober’ balls for our annual ‘Socktober’ soccer challenge. Throughout October, Zooper Doopers will be sold every Friday, and there will be a Crazy Sock Day and Socktober Shoot Out on Friday, 31st October. All funds raised from Socktober will support Catholic Mission.

Upcoming Events

Sunday 19th October - Jangawala Service

Friday 31st October - Crazy Sock Day, Socktober Shoot Out

Saturday1st November - All Saints Day

Sunday 2nd November - All Souls Day

Tuesday 11th November - Remembrance Day

Sunday 16th November - Jangawala Service

Tenielle Blanco,
APRE

Foundations In Education

Welcome back to Term 4! It’s shaping up to be a busy and exciting term filled with extracurricular activities alongside our regular school processes, such as assessment and reporting, swimming lessons, school camps, Rock Pop, and end-of-year excursions, just to name a few.

We would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank our dedicated teachers and school officers who, often in their own time, volunteer and support our students to participate in these special events. Your commitment and enthusiasm make these opportunities possible.

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of leading some of our Year 6 teachers in the Quest for Knowledge competition. This event was conducted via Zoom using the Google Forms quiz maker function within our Quest for Knowledge Google Classroom. The competition was open to teams of four Year 6 students, Marty, Georgia, Rebekah and Harper, who all did an amazing job and demonstrated outstanding teamwork. Together, they solved a range of challenging problems and completed research-style questions using the Britannica Schools Online platform. The quiz covered five questions from each topic area, including Religion, Numeracy, Literacy, Literature, Indigenous Studies, Our Country - Australia, The World, Sports, Science and Technology, Music, The Arts, and General Knowledge.

On Thursday, we were fortunate to host a Headspace transition session for our Year 6 students. This workshop focused on increasing mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and helping young people understand their own wellbeing needs as they prepare for the transition to secondary school.

That evening, we also hosted a parent information session in the library. This workshop helped parents and carers recognise signs that a young person might be struggling with the transition process and offered practical strategies to connect, communicate, and provide support. It also highlighted where to access professional help if needed. A heartfelt thank you to all the parents and carers who attended and continue to work in partnership with our school to support our students as they prepare for this next exciting stage of their educational journey.

Karlia Ryan,
APPL

Wellbeing & Diversity

Grief & Loss

Grief is a natural response to loss. It might be the loss of a loved one, relationship or even a pet. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief is likely to be. Children and adults grieve differently due to their developmental stage, and this can prove difficult for parents to understand.

Young children fluctuate in and out of the stages of grief rapidly, as they may not comprehend the permanency death. They express their grief more physically. Teens on the other hand may not know how to express their grief and will need some space to process their loss. Some may choose to grieve alone, not wanting to stand out or be seen as not coping. Whilst others, who may have a greater understanding, can start to question their own mortality.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents can learn how to acknowledge their child’s feelings and the best way to support them through the grief.

Here is the link to your Edition https://sjmtsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/grief-loss

Cassandra Little,
Guidance Councilor

School News