Term 4 Week 10 2024

As we draw the curtain on another remarkable year at St. Joseph’s, I reflect on our shared journey as a school community.  I am immensely grateful to our parents/carers, staff and students for their support and collaboration throughout this year. 

Whilst we are all looking forward to the upcoming Christmas break and time with our families, it is also a time of mixed emotions as we say goodbye to families that have been part of our school community for many years. This year, we farewell families as they either have their youngest child finishing Year Six or are moving away from the local area. We thank each family for everything they have contributed to our community during their time with us. We wish them all the best in their journeys ahead.

These families include:

Bullocks, Donohues, Jones, Walkers, Wheelers, Fedes, Higgins, Zurillos, Hallums, Haris, Jolleys and Wilsons.

I also extend my deepest appreciation to our entire staff—teachers, support staff, office personnel, and Josh, our maintenance/groundsman. Their unwavering commitment and hard work have been the backbone of our school's success this year.

This week, we also say goodbye to Ms Eliza Darlington, who replaced Mr Marshall while he was on leave this term. ELiza’s warmth and enthusiasm have been a tremendous asset to our school this term, and we wish her all the best in her move back to Bathurst to be with family. 

I would also like to thank Mrs Leanne Hyland for stepping into the Year 5 classroom teacher role when Ms Lulham went on maternity leave this year. We look forward to continuing your role at St Joseph’s as one of our casuals again next year.

Additionally, I would like to extend a special acknowledgement to the Leadership Team: Mrs Maria Wilson, Mrs Jessica Koenig, Mrs Kristan Nichols and Mrs Fiona Hayward for the enthusiastic way they have led school initiatives, coordinated school events and celebrations and guided and supported staff, students and families throughout the year.

Finally, I wish all our families the love, peace, and joy this time of year brings. May the celebration of Jesus' birth bring you closer to your loved ones and provide you with the opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. Let us look forward to 2025 with hope and excitement for what the future holds.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

Rick Galvin 

End of Year Awards Ceremony

All students across our school were congratulated on their efforts and achievements for a whole year of learning at Tuesday's End of Year Awards Ceremony. The ceremony was a heartwarming occasion, with a fantastic turnout from parents who came to celebrate the accomplishments of all our students. Awards were given in each class for achievement, effort and application in key learning areas. Additionally, special awards were given for the Premier’s Reading Challenge, Sport, Principal’s Pennants, Religious Education, and the Spirit of St Joseph’s award for year 6. Congratulations to Oliver Hallum, who received this highly regarded award this year. A list of all the award recipients and their photos may be viewed below.

As well as celebrating our students, the ceremony was an opportune time to express our gratitude to the individuals who gave their time, energy, and support to our school. We extended a special thank you to our School Community Group and our Class Parent Network Representatives for their tireless efforts and behind-the-scenes work that have been instrumental in the success of our school community events this year.  

End-of-Year Pool Party

We are thrilled to announce that the End of Year Pool Party event was a great success! The 'Aquascramble', alongside the tabloid games, were the undeniable highlights, bringing much laughter and excitement to all our students. Thank you to the School Community Group for providing a delicious sausage sizzle and for their dedicated volunteering throughout the day. Special appreciation goes to Mrs. Maria Wilson for her exceptional coordination of such a wonderful day.

Year 6 Graduation

The graduation dinner for our Year 6 students, held on Tuesday night, was a resounding success. Set against a beach theme, the evening was a touching send-off for our wonderful students as they prepare for secondary school. The night's highlight was the School Captain’s speech and the special Year 6 slideshow, which brought cherished memories and showcased our student’s journey through the years.  

We congratulate our Year 6 students for their commendable progress and achievements. They have been a credit to St Joseph’s and their families. Their dedication and spirit have left a lasting mark on our school, and we are confident they will continue to achieve great things. Their special week concluded with the traditional final bell ringing, with many smiles of success and tears of nostalgia and joy.

Best wishes from the leadership team 

	Mr Rick Galvin Principal
	Mrs Maria Wilson Assistant Principal Mission
	Mrs Jessica Koenig  Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching

For archived newsletters, please follow this link 

https://sjpslaurieton.schoolzineplus.com/archive

Awards Ceremony 

Class awards

Academic Achievement Awards

The Aunty Doreen Flanders Deadly Leadership Award &The Aunty Doreen Flanders Reconciliation Award 

Premiers Reading Challenge awards

Good Manners

Sports 

Mary MacKillop Award for Religious Knowledge and Christian Leadership

Principal awards

Spirit of St Joseph's

Year 6 Buddy Books

We have a long-standing tradition at St Joseph's where our Year 6 students design and write a children's story for their Kindergarten buddies. Year 6 has worked very hard to write these books, with half the class writing two books each. On Wednesday, Kindy and Year 6 joined for the last time to read their books.

Year 6 Graduation Night

Year 6 Ringing of the Bell

Guitar Lessons

School Brass Tutoring and Band - 2025

School Brass Tutoring and Band 

Brass Band Conductor and tutor Derek Moule will be back in 2025 starting back.

He will be available to tutor students in Tenor Horn, Trumpet, Baritone, Trombone and Tuba.

Small group tuition will cost $120 per term for Tutoring (Pro-rata for term 1), and $50 a term to be a part of the Brass Band. If you do not have an instrument, don't worry. You can hire one for $25 per term. You can use your creative kid's vouchers to pay for some of the fees.

Please contact Derek on 0404 431 022 directly to discuss your child's needs and complete this form to give permission for him to teach your child at school. 

Child's First Name *

Child's Last Name

Class *

My child would like to learn *

Tenor Horn

Trumpet

Baritone Horn

Trombone

Tuba

Not sure yet, I will discuss with Derek

Parent/Guardian full name

Parent/Guardian Email *

Phone

By signing this document, I the Parent/Guardian of the above named student, gives permission for my child to participate in the brass music tuition and/or band music program at St Joseph's Primary, I am aware of the cost associated with this music program. *

Undo

Clear

Write your signature above the line

Submit

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Thank you for your submission. The school now has this permission on file. Please contact Derek directly for more information.

As most existing families will recall, we begin each school year with a few days of one-to-one assessment interviews in Mathematics (MAI) with each student in Years 1-6. Each student is booked into a session where Teachers will work with your child for about 40 minutes. Where they will be asked to do various activities in relation to counting, place value, addition and subtraction and multiplication and division. This information allows us to plan for their learning and gather class and whole school trends in learning strengths and areas of need. You may book in online using the following information. Please do this as soon as possible so that you don't miss out on your preferred timeslot.

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/scw5j