3rd July, Week 10, Term 2

From Our Principal - Mrs Kristie Coster

Dear St Joseph’s Families and Friends,

As we wrap up another successful term, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to students, families, staff, and community members—for your hard work, support, and commitment. This term has been filled with growth, learning, and memorable moments, and none of it would have been possible without the involvement and enthusiasm of our community. We’re so proud of everything our students have achieved and look forward to finishing the term on a high note!

Living the Gospel Through Kindness and Friendship

Lately, we’ve been speaking with our students about the importance of kind words and actions. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be friends—to treat others with compassion, respect, and love.

In the Gospel, we hear of Jesus appearing to His friends, who come to recognise Him in the simple yet powerful act of breaking and sharing bread. This reminds us that Christ is present in the ordinary moments we share, especially when we come together in friendship.

As a Catholic community, may we strive to live the Gospel by embracing one another’s differences and remembering that each of us is made in the image and likeness of God.

Let us pray today that we grow in kindness, and that our friendships reflect the genuine love Jesus calls us to share.

Thank You and Welcome

As Mrs Katie Manning prepares to go on maternity leave for Terms 3 and 4, we want to take a moment to thank her for the incredible dedication, care, and enthusiasm she has brought to our Stage 3 students. Her passion for teaching and the positive relationships she builds with students have left a lasting impact on our community. We are so grateful for everything she has contributed to our school family. We send her off with our warmest wishes as she embarks on this exciting new chapter. May this special time be filled with love, joy, and beautiful memories.

We are delighted to welcome Miss Eboni Flaherty to our school community as she joins the Stage 3 teaching team. Eboni is known to many in our school community from teaching here previously. She brings with her great enthusiasm, a passion for learning, and a commitment to supporting every student to grow and thrive. We look forward to the positive energy she will bring to our school and are excited to have her as part of our team. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome!

Celebrating NAIDOC at St Joseph’s

This week, St Joseph’s came together as a community to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2025 — a special time to honour and recognise the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

On Wednesday we gathered with Coraki Public School and our community for a ceremony which began with a Welcome to Country given by Peeches, a talented local artist who painted the front walkway mural. Noah and Taylor read a meaningful prayer and welcome, and our Aboriginal students created a video highlighting culture. Stage 1 also shared a story they created using Bandjalang language. A shout out to Aunty Bonnie for helping us with language.

At lunchtime we shared bush tucker - chicken soup, kangaroo stew and fried bread. Thank you to Aunty Vanessa for making the kangaroo stew and fried bread. The bush tucker was enjoyed by all!

Our students then joined in cultural activities including painting, turtle weaving, caring for country and Indigenous games, adding to the fun and connection.

A heartfelt thank you to Binny and Will, our Aboriginal Education Workers, staff, and to all the students and families who contributed to making this a joyful and respectful celebration of culture, community and connection.

Tell Them From Me

We are pleased to share that the results from the 2025 Tell Them From Me parent survey have now been returned. A sincere thank you to the parents who took the time to complete the survey—your voice is valued and plays a vital role in shaping the future of our school. Congratulations to Ayumi and Sam who were the winners of the $50 Spar voucher!

The data highlights many areas of strength within our school community, and we are grateful for the affirming feedback received. In the coming weeks, we will take the time to engage deeply with the results, looking closely at areas that present opportunities for further improvement and development.

Below is a summary graph of the key findings.  The survey includes seven separate measures, which were scored on a ten-point scale. 

Thank you for partnering with us in the mission of St. Joseph’s—in deed not word.

Athletics Carnival

The Athletics Carnival last Friday was a fantastic day of school spirit and friendly competition with our friends at St Joseph’s Alstonville. It was lovely to see our families join us in the sunshine (despite the freezing wind) with their children. A huge thank you to Mr Farr and Mr Seymour from Alstonville for organising the carnival along with staff who supported the events throughout the day.

On behalf of our school community, we pray that you have a restful, safe and enjoyable holiday break.  We recommence school for Term 3 on Tuesday, July 22nd.

Blessings for a safe and happy holiday.

Kristie Coster

NAIDOC 2025

Mission News

Gospel Reflection-  14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God, instructing them to trust in divine providence and offer peace. This mission reflects our call to evangelize, sharing the Gospel in our daily lives. Though they faced rejection, the disciples returned joyful. Jesus redirected their joy, emphasizing that their names being "written in heaven" was the ultimate reason for rejoicing. Our deepest joy comes from our relationship with God and eternal salvation, motivating us to be joyful missionaries.

Whole school Masses Term 2

Tomorrow we celebrate the end of the Term with Mass prepared by Stage 1. Parents, families and friends are invited to join us at 9:30 for this celebration of another Term of learning and friendship at St Joseph’s. 

Term 3 Celebrations

Friday August 15 Mass for the Feast of the Assumption 

Friday September 5 Father’s Day Breakfast and Liturgy

Friday September 19 End of Term Mass

Sports News - Athletics Carnival 2025

Library News

Children have been asked to return library books this week please, if there are outstanding books , a Dojo or a note has been sent home. Thanks again for your support.

Exciting news! Our Book Character Parade is booked for Wednesday 20 August. So, start thinking about costumes….

Wishing you all a Happy and safe holiday! Mrs Verrall

         

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

Indie Verrall 

Canteen News

We are still looking Canteen volunteers for Term 3. Without volunteers we are unable to offer the full canteen menu. Please keep an eye on Compass for any menu changes