St Joseph's, Tara - Term 2 Week 8 2024 Newsletter!

Our Vision & Mission Statements

From the Principal

Welcome to the Term 2 Week 8 Newsletter!

Parent Engagement Network (PEN) Executive 

This week we held our first Parent Engagement Network Forum. During the forum we accepted nominations for the positions of Chair, Secretary, Working Party Coordinator and Parish Representative.  

The new PEN Executive Team is:- 

Chair: Ellen Andersen 

Secretary: Stephanie Smitham 

Working Party Coordinator: Krissy Aylott 

Parish Representative: Majella Hetherington 

The executive will work closely with me, as Principal, to promote, support and create changes and improvements for the benefit of the school and most importantly the students.  

PEN Forums are scheduled for once a term with the next one being Wednesday 14 August in Term 3. I strongly encourage all members of the school community to attend these forums as they are a time for you, as parents, to be consulted and provide your opinions and ideas on new policies and procedures, be informed of new educational models being implemented within the school, and educated on how you can support your child to be successful in their schooling years at St Joseph’s. 

During the meeting the new Working Party Coordinator, Krissy, proposed potential working parties (not all of them are fundraising events) to promote, improve and support parent engagement and fundraising.  

Many hands make light work, so Krissy will be promoting and supporting parents to participate in these events. If you do not feel that you can contribute time to help Krissy organise an event, then please show your support by attending the event on the day.  

Reconciliation Week/Sorry Day 

It was a wonderful week of commemoration and celebration for us all with Monday (Week 7) being the day we acknowledged Sorry Day and Friday (Week 7), attending TSSC to celebrate Reconciliation Week.  

A big thank you to Dorene Warwick and Anne Furniss for organising our Sorry Day activities.  

Our visit to TSSC for Reconciliation Week was indeed heart-warming and a positive experience for our staff to hear that what we, as a school, have been focusing on for over the past term and a half is being noticed by the community.  

Community comments included: - 

“Wow! Your students are so well behaved and sat quietly and respectfully listening to the guest speaker” 

“Your students look amazing in their uniforms. They obviously have pride in wearing it.” 

“The students of St Joseph’s spoke so respectfully to me when I asked them a question and was engaging in a conversation with them.” 

Of course, the morning also had its significance for our Indigenous community, and we look forward to continuing to build a whole school approach to helping students understand the Barunggam language and culture. 

Pick Up Routine 

Thank you to everyone for taking the trial of the new pick-up routine on board. We have had fewer incidents of students waiting in the wrong area, going home by the wrong mode of transport and missing buses.  

Thank you also to those parents who have provided feedback on this new routine, positive and negative. Please be assured that it has all been taken on board and considered. Given this new routine is ensuring that the safety of our students is at the forefront, we will continue with the current procedure of students waiting in the undercover area for parents to come inside the gate and school grounds to collect them from the eating area, allowing me (who is usually the one on afterschool pick up) visual access to the bus pick up area.  

If there is a reason why you cannot come in to the undercover area to collect your child, please ensure you make a time to speak to me about this. It may mean that your child/ren will need to wait until the final bus students have gone and they are walked to the gate.  

Jump Into Joeys 

It was with great excitement last week that we announced the free pre-prep program Jump Into Joeys which St Joseph’s will be hosting for the Tara Community. This is open to all children in the Tara and District communities who will be starting Prep in 2025 or 2026.  

The program will provide learning experiences for children to: 

develop knowledge and skills 

maximise their individual potential  

function in current and future learning environments  

prepare for a successful transition to school. 

Children must be accompanied by an adult.  Please bring a hat and water bottle. 

We encourage all our current families to help spread the word by letting family and friends with children who are eligible to attend know and by jumping onto the school’s Facebook page and sharing the flyers with your groups of friends.  

Enrolments for 2025 

We have started our 2025 enrolment campaign for all year levels this week. Like Jump Into Joeys, word of mouth is the best form of advertising for us, so please feel free to share what you love about our school with those in the community who may not know much about us. We are always open and welcome to providing tours for any parents who would like an introduction to our school community.  

We will also be looking at 2025 year level numbers and class structures at the beginning of Term 3. So, please ensure that you let the school know if there will be any changes to your child’s enrolment for 2025.  

Berry Street Model - Wellbeing Update

As has been mentioned in previous communications, St Joseph’s staff have been involved in professional development training through the Berry Street Educational Model (BSEM). All teaching staff have now completed the 4 modules with School Officers beginning their training this week.  

BSEM is a trauma informed model where strategies are embedded across the whole school which directly addresses positive engagement and support for students, families and the community.  

As a staff, we have determined the first group of key pedagogical strategies that will be used in every classroom, every day so that there is a consistent, predictable routine which students are  

These strategies and routines include:- 

• Morning welcome circle which includes time to regulate our minds and bodies so we are ready for our day, prayer, a positive primer and messages to support their day.  
• Ready to Learn Scale check-ins – in each classroom students have regular check ins to ensure that their minds and bodies are ready to take on new learning 
• Brain Breaks at regular intervals 

These are our beginning steps to a whole school approach and as the year progresses, we will introduce new strategies and language to support the students in self-regulating their emotions, accepting and owning their behaviour, choices and mistakes and celebrating their efforts.  

This is a very exciting space which we are embarking on as a school community, and we encourage all parents and carers to support the school by using some of the same routines and strategies at home.  

Year 4-6 Camp 

Preparations are well and truly underway for the up-and-coming Year 4-6 camp. This year the students will be travelling to Toowoomba to participate in a Josephite Experience Camp. We will be staying at St Joseph’s College and making a visit to Mary McKillop College while there. Students are looking forward to the range of extra activities such as ten-pin bowling, mini-golf, cobb & co museum which we will participate in while in Toowoomba. Stay tuned to Facebook to see updates while we are away.  

God bless,

Kylie Williams

"Always remember to help and be of service to others." ~ Mary MacKillop.

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." John 15:12

From the APRE

Tarcoola Visit 

The MacKillop Club Leaders visited Tarcoola again last week. With the residents, they participated in a game of bingo. With chocolates as the prize for winning top line, full cards, corners, small numbers, there was a great deal of anticipation and excitement from both students and the residents.  

The students are getting to know the residents by name and are excited to see them, talk to them and share stories. We will continue with our visits in Term 3 with the hope that we can also take some Preps and Year 1s with us.  

Brad Smith's Funeral 

It was with much sadness that last week some staff attended the funeral of Brad Smith, husband of our long-term staff member, Ann Smith. Brad passed away with his family around him and we pray that Ann and her two children find comfort in knowing that Brad is now at peace.  

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.  

Fr Jack Update

The school was made away this week that Fr Jack is currently in St Vincent's Hospital after having a minor stroke. He is being well cared for by the medical staff and we will keep you all upated as we know more. Please keep Fr Jack in your prayers for a speedy recovery. 

Learning at St Joeys

Specialist Subjects

Prep - 1 

Drama - This term, students explored The Arts strand of drama. They viewed and adapted drama performances from familiar stories. Students acted as familiar characters within improvisation situations and performed their drama productions in informal situations.  

Physical Education - This term, students in Prep-Year 1 explored ‘Running and Jumping’ which developed their understanding of different ways of travelling and different types of jumps. They learnt to travel at different speeds by walking, jogging, running and sprinting, and developed an understanding of when these speeds are most useful. By using different pathways and moving in different directions, the students explored how to use a working space. Students built their knowledge of jumping by looking at jumping for distance and height. They explored a variety of other ways of jumping, applied these skills to jumping games and created jumping sequences. The importance of landing safely after jumping was a key focus for this unit, and the students learnt the importance of landing steadily with control. Students were encouraged to think about the changes that occur in our bodies when we exercise, why we need to warm up and cool down, including how we can best do those things. 

Digital Technologies - This term, students have learnt and applied digital technology knowledge and skills through guided play. They collected, explored and sorted familiar data and used digital systems to present the data creatively to convey meaning. Students described, followed and applied a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) in non-digital and digital contexts. They developed foundational skills in computational and systems thinking when solving problems. Students worked with others to create and organise ideas and information and share ideas, information and solutions in a safe online environment. 

Year 2 - 3 

Drama - This term, students explored The Arts strand of drama. They viewed, created and performed drama productions. Students explored drama productions across cultures and created a small group drama presentation. They rehearsed and performed their productions for their peers. 

Physical Education - This term, students in Prep-Year 1 explored ‘Running and Jumping’ which developed their understanding of different ways of travelling and different types of jumps. They learnt to travel at different speeds by walking, jogging, running and sprinting, and developed an understanding of when these speeds are most useful. By using different pathways and moving in different directions, the students explored how to use a working space. Students built their knowledge of jumping by looking at jumping for distance and height. They explored a variety of other ways of jumping, applied these skills to jumping games and created jumping sequences. The importance of landing safely after jumping was a key focus for this unit, and the students learnt the importance of landing steadily with control. Students were encouraged to think about the changes that occur in our bodies when we exercise, why we need to warm up and cool down, including how we can best do those things. 

Digital Technologies - This term, Year 2 and Year 3 students explored and manipulated different types of data and transformed data into information. They created a digital solution that presents data as meaningful information to address a school issue, such as how lunch waste can be reduced. They examined different types of data and represented the same data in different ways and accessed and presented data as information using simple software, such as spreadsheets. Students explored and described how a range of common information systems present data as information to meet personal, school and community needs. They developed skills in computational and systems thinking when solving problems and creating solutions.  

Year 4 - 6 

Drama - In Years 4-6, students explored, created, performed and viewed a variety of drama productions that have been created by professionals, classmates and the classroom teacher. Within a group, they collaboratively created a script, rehearsed and created props and backdrops. Students used elements of drama to convey the story and performed this for their peers.   

Physical Education - During this term, students participated in an Athletics unit during PE. Students developed their existing running, jumping and throwing skills. They were running for speed and endurance as well as learnt the technique for the standing vertical jump. Students learnt the technique for throwing the one-handed push throw for shot put. The students also had the opportunity to take part individual, paired and group activities and games.  

Digital Technologies - Years 4, 5 and 6 this term defined problems and algorithms and explored how solutions satisfied design criteria and user stories. They processed data and showed how digital systems represent data. Students designed algorithms involving complex branching and iteration and implemented them as visual programs including variables. They identified their digital footprint and recognised its permanence. 

From the Parish

St Mary Of The Angels - Tara

New Mass Times

Tara: Sunday: 9am

on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month

Meandarra: Sunday: 11am

on the 3rd Sunday of the month

St Joseph's Awards

Bronze Awards

Flynn Burgess and Eleanore Aylott 

Students Of The Week

Week 7 - No Awards due to - Sorry Day

Week 8 - Brett Allen, Cash Hawkins, Rory Taylor, Kaileigh McChrystal, Donnie Alonso Field and Cooper Davis

From the Administration Officers

If you need any financial assistance, be sure to come in and see myself or Kylie to see how we can help. It is completely confidential!

HOW TO PAY YOUR SCHOOL FEES:

*Cash / Cheque, at the office.

*BPoint, in person at the office or over the phone.

*Direct Deposit:
Bank: ADF
Name: St Joseph’s School
BSB: 064-786
ACC: 100-025-583
Reference: Your Name                         

*Centrelink Centrepay Deduction Payments can be made fortnightly or monthly.                     The School’s CRN: 555075545A 

*Direct Debit: COMING SOON!!

Not Sure how it’s done?  Ask at the office for assistance.

Term Dates

2024

Term 1 2024 – Tue 23 Jan (Public Hol 26 Jan) - Thur 28 Mar

(Good Friday 29 Mar)

Term 2 2024 –(Student Free Day 15 Apr) Tue 16 Apr - Fri 21 Jun 

Term 3 2023 – (Student Free Day 08 Jul) Tue 09 Jul - Fri 13 Sep

Term 4 2023 –(Kings B'day 07 OCT) Mon 30 Sep - Wed 04 Dec

(Travel Day's Thur 5 Dec & Fri 6 Dec)

Wellbeing Matters

Student Safety

EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE

It is a legislative requirement that all non-state schools have at least two nominated staff members to whom a student can report the behaviour of another staff member that the student considers inappropriate.  We call these specially trained staff members School Student Protection Contacts, or SSPCs.  Each SSPC has been nominated by the principal in recognition of their integrity, approachability and knowledge in the area of student protection.  Whilst students are encouraged to speak up to any trusted adult in the school community, it is important that they know they can access these specific staff members at any time should they have worries, queries or concerns. You will have noticed posters throughout the school depicting our current SSPCs.  The SSPCs are also published on our school website along with information about our student protection processes.  In everything we do at St Joseph's Tara student safety is our highest priority, therefore the SSPCs at our school are key personnel in our overall safeguarding processes.  Please see the poster below depicting our current SSPC team.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT