15th August, Week 4, Term 3

From Our Principal - Mr Sam Irvine

Dear Parents & Carers,

It has been a wonderful last couple of weeks at St Joey’s with many exciting things going on. I am really starting to settle into your beautiful little community and everyone has been very warm and welcoming to me. I am getting to know all of the students a little bit better each day and I think they are also getting to know me a little bit better. I am now about halfway through my stay at St Joey’s and will finish at the end of Week 8. As I always mention, please do not hesitate to give me a call or an email if there is anything you would like to chat about or if I can help in any way (sam.irvine@lism.catholic.edu.au).

A few celebrations and some further school information:

Feast of the Assumption

Today we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption in the church with a mass for our whole school and some parishioners. This special day is what is called a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church. This means it holds special significance for us and all Catholics are strongly encouraged to attend Mass if they can. This special Feast Day celebrates Mary ascending body and soul into heaven. Mary is very much a cherished figure in our church as the mother of Jesus and her unwavering commitment to God.

Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop

Last Thursday was the Feast of Australia’s first and only saint, Mary MacKillop. As someone who deeply admires Saint Mary MacKillop's legacy, I'm inspired by how she founded Catholic education in Australia to ensure that every child, especially the poor, had access to quality schooling. Her dedication to providing education in rural and underserved areas is a testament to her unwavering commitment to helping those in need, a mission that continues to guide our work today.

Father’s Day Breaky

On Friday 30th August we will hold our Father’s Day Breaky from 7am. We will celebrate this special day with our Stage 3 students cooking bacon and egg burgers, serving tea and coffee and also making healthy salad and meat rolls. Whether you are a dad, a father-like figure, a mum, a nan or a carer - you are all very welcome and encouraged to come along and celebrate our breaky with us. We will hold a Father’s Day liturgy at 9am after breaky.

New COLA

We have finally had the new COLA (Covered Outdoor Learning Area) installed on the bottom playground and it looks fantastic!

Demountable

By the end of this term, we are very hopeful to have a new demountable installed on the top playground near the fence. This will become the new home for the before and after school care, provide a space for our teachers to run learning activities with the students as well as a parent meeting room. 

Ondreyah Hippi - Diocesan Athletics Carnival

A big congratulations to Oncreyah Hippi who participated in the Senior Girls shot put at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival in Coffs Harbour on Tuesday. Ondreyah is the first St Joey’s Coraki student to make it this far in Athletics for around 8+ years - what an achievement from Ondreyah! 

Mini Olympics

For the last two weeks our students have jumped, thrown, ran and cycled their way to a number of Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for our Mini Olympics. We have run this to celebrate the Paris Olympics and the students have really enjoyed being involved in some healthy competition. Well done to the boys from the ‘Bahamas’ who won our Mini Olympics and have earnt themselves the prize of some free time on Friday.

Tomorrow we will hold our Mini Olympics party which I promised the students we would have if Australia won more gold medals at Paris than at the last Olympics. We will celebrate this together with hot chips, a can of drink and an icy pole.

Parent Information - What is Bullying?

Understanding Bullying: It's crucial for students and parents to distinguish between regular conflicts and actual bullying, as this ensures the right support is given when needed. Bullying is characterized by repeated, intentional actions meant to cause distress, often stemming from an imbalance of power—such as differences in social status, physical strength, or belonging to a dominant group. Recognizing these patterns helps avoid confusion and ensures timely intervention.

What Bullying Is—and Isn’t: Bullying involves ongoing, harmful behaviors that exploit power imbalances, with the intent to cause harm. However, not all negative interactions qualify as bullying; mutual disagreements, a single act of rejection, or isolated incidents of aggression do not fit this definition. Understanding these distinctions helps in identifying true cases of bullying.

Preventing and Addressing Bullying: Parents are key in preventing bullying by teaching values like dignity, courage, empathy, and inclusion. Recognizing indirect forms of bullying—such as spreading rumors, gossiping, social exclusion, cyberbullying, and discreetly stealing—enables parents to have informed conversations with their children, using correct terminology to encourage open dialogue and provide the necessary support.

Student Awards - Week 3

Mission News

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Catholic Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, was taken up body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. As a Church we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15 each year.

We gathered today as a Catholic community to celebrate the life of Mary and her assumption, body and soul into heaven.

Sacrament of First Eucharist 2024

The Sacrament of First Eucharist is the final Sacrament of initiation in the Catholic Church. Students who have completed the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Reconciliation are able to participate. Enrolment forms and learning packs have been sent to those students who have so far completed their Sacraments in our Parish Church. If you are unsure of where your child is up to or would like more information regarding participation in the Sacraments please contact Mrs Campbell. 

Save the Date

30th August Father’s Day Liturgy 9am

15th September Sacrament of First Eucharist 930 am

20th September End of Term Mass

Library News

Next Wednesday 21st August, Book Character Parade at 10am, all are welcome to attend. Followed by a Hot Dog Lunch at 11am, please get your lunch orders in by Friday 16th. Book Fair will also be opened from Monday.

Sports News

Upcoming Sports Events

Tuesday 20th Aug - Dio Athletics Carnival. Good luck to Ondreyah Hippi

Thursday 22nd Aug - Indigenous Youth and Cricket program , Windsor Park Coraki  (please see Compass event)

Friday 30th Aug - Stage 3 Multi Sports Gala Day, Hepburn Park Goonellabah (please see Compass event)

Thursday 19th Sep - Zing End of Term Dance Performance (more details to come)

General Business

Happy Birthday to the following who have celebrated their birthday since our last newsletter: 

Blake Charters, Izabell Stevens, Ashar Youman-Auger,  Miss Baker, Zain Mabood

P&F & Canteen News

Term 3 Canteen Roster still has some unfilled spaces, we would love to see some new volunteers, if you are able to spare a few hours on either a Wednesday  morning please contact the office 66832248.