Latest Newsletter Term 2 | Week 3

Key Information

Term 2 - Important Dates

Week 4

• Monday 12th May - Friday 16th May - Scholastic Book Fair
• Wednesday - Professional Photo Shoot & Virtual Tour Video - Formal Uniform
• Friday 16th May - Assembly 8.30am - CROSS COUNTRY AWARDS
  

Week 5

• Tuesday 20th May - FACE Meeting - Library 3pm
• Friday Term 2 Ride to School Day

Week 6 - National Reconciliation Week

• Monday 26th May - National Sorry Day
• Friday Assembly 8.30
  

Week 7

• Tuesday 3rd - Thursday 5th June - Aspiring Leaders

• Tuesday 3rd June - Shake & Stir Performance & Workshop - George’s Marvellous Medicine - 9am

• Friday 6th June - Athletics Carnival

Week 8 

• Tuesday 10th June - FACE Meeting - 3pm - Library
• Wednesday 11th June - School Officer Day
• Thursday 12th June - Assembly 8.30 - ATHLETICS AWARDS
  
• Friday 13th June - Show Public Holiday - NO SCHOOL

Week 9

• Thursday 19th June - Bush Dance - 5.30pm

Week 10

• Friday 27th June - Assembly 8.30 - Dress Like Your Teacher Day - LAST DAY OF TERM 2
  

Entering & Exiting - Friendly Reminder

We kindly ask all parents and carers to ensure that the gates are securely closed when entering or exiting the school, especially the gate closest to the Prep classroom, which is on Ham St. This gate is in close proximity to our younger classrooms, and keeping it closed helps ensure the safety of all our students.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe!

Opening & Blessing Painting - Please Contribute

To celebrate the opening of our new school buildings and to honour the stories, laughter, memories, and learning that occurred in our old school buildings we have created a special artwork. You’ll notice from the photos that the tree in our courtyard has been painted, made up of fingerprints from students, staff and invited guests present at the Opening and Blessing. 

We invite our community members, past staff and students to come into the school office throughout the term and add your fingerprint to the tree. In doing so, you honour your connection to our wonderful school – your memories, your impact, your story.

A big thank you to Mrs Jill Smith and Miss Shara Humes for bringing this vision to life! 

Tuckshop News

 Tuckshop is up and running with Miss Samie. Please ensure orders are placed on https://myschoolconnect.com.au/ by Wednesday at 8.30am. 

Our tuckshop relies on the generosity of volunteers each week. If you would like to volunteer in our tuckshop please join the school's tuckshop facebook group - St Joseph's Tuckshop Crew. 

Please keep an eye out on our Facebook page and future Newsletters for the Menu and any upcoming specials for Term 2. 

Please see the office if you need any help with ordering through the app or website. 

Uniform Shop

Our Uniform Shop is open to orders being placed via the app: https://myschoolconnect.com.au/

Please give us 24 hours to organise collection of your order; we usually contact you when your order is ready to collect.

If you would like to try on sizes, the Uniform Shop will be open on Wednesday mornings from 8.10-8.30 and Wednesday afternoons from 2.30-3.00.

Miss Heather 

Principal's News

Welcome to our second newsletter for the term - Week 3,

As we conclude another eventful week, we also wrap up the series of short weeks that have marked the beginning of Term 2. From here, we return to the consistency of full school weeks, with our next short week not arriving until Week 8, when we celebrate the Show Public Holiday on Friday, 13th June.

Professional Development - Principal Conference:
This week I have been in Townsville with Principals from other schools within our Dioceses’ focusing on the Catholic life of our school. We reflected on what it means to be a witness to faith—not only in times of strength but also in moments of challenge. As a community, we are all called to be role models for one another, embodying kindness, courage, and compassion in our daily lives. These moments of formation strengthen the heart of who we are as a Catholic learning community.

In a momentous development for the global Church, we also acknowledge the appointment of a new Pope, Pope XIV. As Catholics, this is a significant and spiritual event that marks a new chapter in leadership and vision for the Church worldwide.

Mothers Day Celebration: 
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to our incredible staff who put together the Mothers Day stall and Mothers Day Breakfast this week. As we approach Mother’s Day this weekend, we send love and gratitude to all our mums and motherly figures—those with us now and those whose love lives on in our hearts. Thank you for not only the contribution that you make to the lives of our students, but to our school with your generosity and involvement. 

2026 Enrolments:
Looking ahead, we are pleased to announce that enrolments for 2026 are now officially open. Our website and social media channels will be launching this announcement in the coming week. We warmly invite prospective families to join us at our Open Day on Saturday, 19th July. While 2025 enrolments will still be processed using paper forms (available at the Open Day), from 2026 we will transition to an online enrolment system to simplify the process for families.

School Attendance & Extended Absence:
A friendly reminder about the importance of regular and punctual school attendance. Arriving on time each day ensures students are present for all core learning, helping them to settle into their day smoothly, whilst supporting their academic and social wellbeing. If your child will be taking leave during term time, especially for extended absences such as holidays, it is essential that you notify the school. In some cases, a leave form will be required. We ask all families to plan holidays and leisurely trips during school holiday periods wherever possible.

Professional Photos & Video Notification:
Next Wednesday, we will welcome Karolien Kern, Senior Marketing and Communications Coordinator from TCE, along with a professional videographer and photographer, for a full day of filming and photography. This work will help us refresh our school’s banners, digital platforms, and promotional materials. It will also include updates to our Acknowledgement of Country video and virtual school tour. Please note that some students will not be included in these materials in accordance with the permissions provided on enrolment forms. If you would like to amend your preference, please contact the school office. All students are required to wear full school uniform on the day.

Drop Off / Pick Up / Visiting
It is important that all carers, parents, family members and friends are abiding by the signs when stopping their vehicle to collect a student or visiting the school. The parking spaces along Ham Street are a stop and go zone. A car should not be parked in this zone if the parent or carer gets out of the vehicle and leaves it to enter the school or collect a child. If you would like to stop and come into the school grounds please park along George Street or Sheaffe Street. 

We have also had several cars stopping past the no stopping zone on Sheaffe Street. This has meant that these cars are close to the crossing. It is important that these zone’s are left clear to ensure that oncoming traffic can see students who are about to walk out onto the road. The safety of our students, families and staff is our number one priority and we would appreciate your cooperation with this.

May God Bless you and your families for the weeks ahead, 

Mrs Samantha Kelley,
Principal 

Deputy's News/Curriculum

Literacy in Focus at St Joseph’s
At St Joseph’s Cloncurry, we’re continuing to strengthen student skills in reading and writing through two key programs—The Writer’s Toolbox and Accelerated Reader. Both programs support our whole-school approach to literacy and are used at set times each day to build consistency and routine.

The Writer’s Toolbox
Students from Years 3–9 begin each day with 10 minutes of writing during homeroom using The Writer’s Toolbox. This digital platform helps students learn how to write stronger sentences, organise their ideas clearly, and edit their work. It gives teachers and support staff live feedback on how students are progressing and where support is needed.

This program has now been part of our practice for a couple of years and continues to develop writing skills in a practical, structured way.

In Prep to Year 2, The Writer’s Toolbox looks a little different. Our early years classrooms use a mix of digital and hands-on tools to build foundational writing knowledge. One of the most popular resources is the Sentence Train. The physical version includes coloured cards (carriages) that students connect to build sentences, starting with a simple sentence — a single idea, with a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a verb (what they are doing). The digital version lets students create sentences on the screen, providing audio feedback and support as they learn.

Accelerated Reader
Our reading focus happens after first break each day from 11:20 to 11:30am. Accelerated Reader is designed to help students choose books at the right level and then complete a short quiz to check understanding. Teachers use this data to monitor progress and guide reading development.

This program is new to our school and is currently in the rollout phase. Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 are already up and running, with the remaining classes to complete their initial assessments in the coming weeks.

In Prep to Year 2, Accelerated Reader will look different depending on student readiness. For those who have already "cracked the reading code", it will be a great opportunity to extend their comprehension. For students still developing decoding skills, this reading time provides teachers and support staff with a valuable window to deliver targeted support.

Mr Dean Kelley
Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

Assistant Principal Religious Education

Happy Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day holds a very special place in my heart. Many years ago, I spent the first six weeks of motherhood visiting my daughters in the hospital. They were doing well, with only their tiny size keeping them there a little longer. Each day, I looked forward with hope and anticipation to the moment I could finally bring them home.

I still remember the joy and gratitude I felt when I was told they were ready — and it happened just in time for Mother’s Day. Each year, that memory reminds me of the love, wonder, and deep sense of blessing that comes with being a mum.

Since then, Mother’s Day has always reminded me of how precious those early moments were and how quickly time passes. From sleepless nights and very tiny baby clothes to school bags, packed lunches, sports shoes, dance and gymnastic bags to growing independence. It all seems to move in fast forward.

In the Catholic tradition, we look to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who carried out her role with quiet strength and deep faith. She is a model of love, trust, and courage for all mothers.

A prayer for Mother’s everywhere

Loving and faithful God, 

who is both father and mother to us, we thank you for our mothers and the women in our lives who nurture us, care for us and love us.

Help us to value and appreciate those who are mothers to us and to see your presence in our lives through them. 

May they continue to walk with grace and courage, guided by the love of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who understands both the joys and the trials of a mother’s heart. 

We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Welcoming Pope Leo XIV
We are delighted to share the news that the Catholic Church has elected a new pope being Pope Leo XIV. This is a moment of great celebration for Catholics around the world. Pope Leo XIV is the first American to be selected to the papacy. 

Pope Leo XIV is expected to carry on this mission, addressing key global challenges such as climate change, poverty, and the pursuit of peace. Let us keep Pope Leo XIV in our prayers as he begins his papal journey, and may his leadership be marked by wisdom, compassion, and courage.

God Bless,

Ms Lei Nelson
Assistant Principal - Religious Education

First Nations

Dear Families,

Our First Nations students from Years 3-9 have been invited to participate in the Deadly Dancers program at Cloncurry State School. This program will be run by Uncle Hombre Major and Lyndsie McDermott (CSS performing arts teacher). I am seeking expressions of interest for students who may be interested in participating.

During Terms 2 and 3, there will be rehearsals every second Thursday afternoon from 2:45 - 3:45 pm. These rehearsals have begun and will continue in Weeks 4, 6, 8, and 10. They are being held in the Cloncurry State School’s Performing Arts room. Students will perform at various events in Cloncurry including the Term 3 NAIDOC Day event, after the town march. 

Students will depart St Joseph’s at 2:30pm and walk to Cloncurry State School, arriving by 2:45pm. They will need to be picked up from the front office of Cloncurry State School at 3:45 pm.

By joining Deadly Dancers, students must be committed to the program and are required to attend all rehearsals. Students that do not attend rehearsals will not be allowed to take part in future performances.

Please confirm your child/ren’s expression of interest by sending me an email.

If you have any questions, please contact me (lansell5@sjctsv.catholic.edu.au)

Miss Leonie Ansell
First Nations Education Teacher and Emerging Leaders Coordinator

Guidance Counsellor

Hi everyone! I’m Cassandra, the new Guidance Counsellor at St Joseph’s. I also work at St Joseph’s and St Kieran's in Mount Isa. I moved to the region from Townsville in January to embark on my career and am excited to work with students, teachers and families in this amazing community. I am on campus at St Joseph’s Cloncurry every Wednesday, and every second Tuesday on the even numbered weeks. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here to help!

In this edition of SchoolTV - Online Gaming 
Games are an integral part of human behaviour. It is normal and healthy for young people to engage in play as a part of their daily lives, including playing games online. And like most activities, online gaming can have both positive and negative outcomes. 

In the media, gaming often gets bad publicity because most coverage tends to concentrate on the minority of gamers who play to such an extent that it compromises all other areas of their life. However, online gaming can teach young people many skills including teamwork, concentration, communication and problem-solving. It requires a level of interaction and skill from the player; unlike watching television, which is more passive.

Online communities provide opportunities for young people to feel socially connected and have a sense of belonging. At healthy levels, gaming can increase their self-esteem and social acceptance. However, any behaviour, when taken to extremes, can also have a negative impact on a young person’s everyday life. Understanding what your young person experiences online and knowing the warning signs if they are at risk, will help nurture a more positive relationship with online gaming and help your family find the right balance.

If you are concerned about your young person’s online gaming habits, it’s important to consider a number of factors. This edition will provide strategies in how to deal with any issues you may be experiencing.

Here is the link to the Online Gaming edition of SchoolTV

https://sjctsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/online-gaming

Pastoral Care

Friendships and URSTRONG 
At St. Joseph’s, we are commencing the URSTRONG program. STRONG's whole-school friendship strategy has improved the social climate in schools around the world, connecting over a million kids, parents, and teachers with a common language of friendship. We are proud to be a URSTRONG School and are committed to empowering your children with friendship skills.

You are invited to take advantage of a FREE Parent Membership to access hundreds of resources – including an 8 session video series. This will allow you to learn the same language & strategies being taught in the classroom through the Friendology 101 curriculum. We hope that, as a URSTRONG Family, you will reinforce the important messages of empowerment, self-compassion, & kindness at home.

As a next step, we would recommend:

• Click here to view an overview of URSTRONG.
• Activate your FREE Parent Membership and explore all the resources available to your family.
• Explore the hundreds of resources available to you!
• We believe that empowering our students with these skills will create a culture of kindness at our school and we hope that, together, we can support your children to have healthy, feel-good friendships.

In this edition of SchoolTV - Anxiety
Most young people today experience anxiety at some point in their life. Sometimes that slight rush of anxiety that occurs prior to an exam or sporting event, can enhance their performance. However, experiencing too much anxiety, over long periods of time, can be extremely damaging to their health and wellbeing. There is a difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ anxiety.

Statistics show, that the psychological health of young people today is far worse than it was a generation ago. This is having an adverse affect on children in both primary and secondary levels. Some of their issues of concern include stress, school, study, body image and friendship.

Parents need to be aware of the warning signs of ‘bad’ anxiety. There are preventative measures parents can implement as well as teaching kids the skills to cope more efficiently with their anxiety.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Anxiety edition of SchoolTV
https://sjctsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/youth-anxiety

Homework Club for Year 7-9 Students
In the Lowcock Room every Thursday afternoon 3 - 4pm. Students can use this time to receive tutoring for any subject or complete homework. Afternoon Tea is provided.

$1000 Board Fundraiser for UMY School Camp

Best regards,

Miss Hannah McCall
Pastoral Leader

Youth Ministry

Spirit in Action (SIA)
Next Tuesday (13/05), the SIA students and Year 6 Mini Vinnies will be heading to our local Vinnies shop for an after school excursion to help out! They will meet Ms Nelson, in my absence, at 2:50 in the UMY eating area and depart by 3:00 to walk down to the shop. Afternoon tea will be provided for these students. They will arrive back at school by 4:30 PM to be collected by parents and carers. Thanks a bunch to this group of dedicated faith leaders in our school!

Last week’s session with Sr Lyn was a success and the students enjoyed their work - we look forward to inviting Sr Lyn back in Week 6 for a follow-up lesson in rag cutting. 

Youth Mass
On Saturday evening of Week 4 (17/05), beginning at 5:30 PM, we will be hosting a youth Mass at St Colman’s parish. I have sent communication to the parents and carers of our SIA and Mini Vinnies students about helping with the preparation and leading of this event. In addition, if you would like to attend, and your child would like a role in the Mass, please contact me via email. There will be a BBQ to follow, under the Mary MacKillop Shed. 

Year 7 Retreat
The Year 7 students will gather for a retreat day experience on Wednesday 21/05 (Week 5) during Periods 3 to 5. The title and theme of this experience is The Amazing Race which is aimed at helping students with the transition to high school, centered around the three Great Truths: God is love; Christ saves you; and He is alive. I will send out further communication and details to parents 

Alpha
St Colman's Parish is running a course in Christianity called ALPHA. It can help people to understand the ways of Jesus. It is being held on each Monday from 5.30pm to 7.30pm with dinner included. It begins on 28th April. The school office has forms and info about it to sign up or to ask questions. Please think about this opportunity to share about our faith and to ask any questions. This exciting opportunity is open to all staff, parents, and community members!

Yours in faith, hope & love!

Mr James Delaney ❤️‍🔥
Youth Ministry Middle Leader

Library News

Ahoy, mateys! Set sail for adventure at our Bookaneer Book Fair!

More books mean more treasures to discover, giving kids the freedom to choose the stories that ignite their imagination. The right book can spark a lifelong love of reading, so we invite families to chart a course together toward our Bookaneer Book Fair!

Reading isn’t just a pastime—it’s the key to unlocking new worlds, expanding young minds, and fuelling creativity. So, gather your crew, hoist the anchor, and embark on a journey to our Library to discover your next adventure.

• Book Fair dates: 12 – 16 May 2025
  Shopping hours: Before School: 8:00am – 8:20am
  1st Lunch: 10:50am – 11:20am
  After school: 2:50pm – 3:30pm

2025 Premier's Reading Challenge:
We're excited to announce that St Joseph's Catholic School, Cloncurry, will be participating in the Premier's Reading Challenge again this year. This is a fantastic initiative that encourages children to read and engage with text's at home. Each student who completed this challenge will receive a certificate. The challenge commenced this week on Tuesday the 6th of May. Keep an eye out for a letter which will be sent home with your child this week/early next week. 

Mrs Jamie-Lea McConachy
School Librarian 

Prep

I cannot believe we are already three weeks into the Term! 

Looking ahead to Week Four and Five, we will consolidate our learning of the letter names and sounds of o, c, d, h. We will also revise our learnt 'Tricky Words', I, the, my, a, is. 'Tricky Words' are words that occur most frequently in written material. 

Our Little Learners will revise their learning of Rhyme. Over the past weeks we have  listened to/for and identified rhymes, letter patterns and sounds in words. We have orally blended and segmented phonemes in single syllable words.

Looking forward to the remainder of the Term in Religion, students will listen and respond to stories of, and about Jesus in the Gospels that tell of Jesus’ life as a Jew. They will also describe ways in which believers pray together during special celebrations and rituals that mark important times in the life of believers and in the Church Year. 

We will also spend Week Four consolidating students knowledge on Shapes. Our Little Learners have sorted, named and created familiar shapes; recognising and describing familiar shapes within objects in the environment, giving reasons.

Little Leaders Website
This Term I have created a website as a one stop shop for information on what is happening in the Prep space. Please click the link attached for access to the Little Leaders Website. Through this link you will also be able to access two pages, a Semester One Page with general information as well as a Home Learning Page. Later this Term we will begin to send readers home to each student as well as letter and number tracing cards, however, if you would like some ideas on activities you can do at home with your child, please feel free to read through this page.

Reminders:

• Monday: Mrs Jill Smith will take our little learners for Art in Period 5.
• Tuesday: Miss Borlase will take our students for Sport in Period 5
• Wednesday: Miss Pucciarmati will take our Prep students for Technology in Period 5
• Thursday: Mrs McConachy will be the classroom teacher
• Friday: Every second Friday we will have an assembly at the Mary MacKillop Shed (Week 2,4,6,8,10)

Yours in fun and learning,

Miss Mae-Louise Brock, Mrs Maggie Doody, Miss Josie Smith, Miss Rachel Adcock and Mrs Renee McConachy

Year 1

Hello parents and carers,

In Literacy, we’ve begun exploring how to make our sentences more engaging by using adjectives. Students have been practicing with descriptive words to expand their writing and add excitement to their work.

In HASS, we’ve started exploring the concepts of past, present, and future. During our ‘Explore and Wonder’ lesson, students took part in a gallery walk, examining photos of various objects from the past to spark curiosity and discussion.

In Science, students have been learning about different types of weather and the changing seasons. We focused on clouds and rain, and the students took part in a hands-on experiment where they created their own rain clouds. Using shaving cream to represent clouds and food colouring as rain, they explored how precipitation forms. The activity was a hit, with students thoroughly enjoying the chance to make their own mini weather cloud. Here are some photos:

Reminders: 

• Miss Haley will be away next Friday! Book Fair next week!
• Tuesday: Technology and Art
• Wednesday: House Shirt
• Thursday: Sport (Sport uniform) 

Have a wonderful week,

Miss Erin Haley and the always fun Year 1’s 

Year 2

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a busy few weeks of learning in Year 2! In Science, we’ve continued our exploration of the Solar System, and the students have shown so much curiosity. To support their learning, we’ve created a Solar System corner in our classroom, complete with lights and a collection of themed books to spark imagination and discovery. We've also been learning about the phases of the moon and have started our own moon diaries, recording the moon’s changes each day.

In Maths, we’ve been practising our skip counting skills, focusing on counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s. In English, we have continued to look at Poems, with students exploring rhyming words, sharing creative ideas, and learning to write poems using the AA BB rhyme pattern. 

Reminders: 

• Book Fair Week 4.
• Monday: Art
• Tuesday: Library
• Wednesday: House Shirts
• Thursday: Sport

Miss Tess Motti

Year 3

Year 3 has had a vibrant and hardworking couple of weeks, settling into new routines and making fantastic academic progress.

As many of you are aware, the class has now been split into two groups for Mathematics and English lessons. We’re pleased to share that the children have adapted incredibly well to this change, and the transition has gone smoothly.

In Mathematics, we’ve recently completed our unit on Angles and Objects and have now moved on to the exciting topics of Time and Money. The learners are engaging with the material enthusiastically and showing great curiosity. Please encourage your learner to tell the time, both digital as well as analog, calculate how many minutes to, or past and how many minutes to go before it is the next hour.

In English, the focus has been on finalising our Persuasive Writing pieces. The children have worked diligently to express their ideas clearly and creatively. Alongside this, we’ve continued to build our skills in Phonics and other foundational areas of literacy.

We’ve also made great strides with our Accelerated Reader programme. Most learners have completed their Star Reading Test, which helps us more accurately determine their reading level. Using this data, we can highlight books that match both their ability and interests. Learners earn points toward their personal reading goals by completing quizzes with at least 80% comprehension after finishing a book. This element of competition often sparks excitement and motivation to read more. The school library has now colour-coded books to help students easily choose ones that are just right for them. Please continue to ask your child about their progress and encourage daily reading at home.

In HASS, a big thank you to the parents who have already supported their children in researching an inspiring woman. For those who haven’t submitted the task yet, we kindly ask that you remind your learner of the importance of handing it in as soon as possible.

In Science, we’ve been exploring the fascinating relationship between the Earth, Sun, and Moon. We’ve discussed how each moves in orbit, and how the Earth rotates on its own axis. To bring this learning to life, we will soon be building sundials and tracking the movement of shadows—making important links to our studies on time.

Well done to all our Year 3 learners for their continued effort, enthusiasm, and positive attitude!

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Mrs Deirdre Koekemoer

Year 4

Hello everyone,

Gardens
With all these short weeks our Year 4 class has been working very hard to keep up in all subject areas. That hasn’t stopped us from setting up some gardens for our class and the Preps to plant some vegetables. If anyone has any suggestions for where we can get some decent soil to fill these garden beds it would be much appreciated. Just drop me an email.

Accelerated Reader
This week our students have completed the assessment for the Accelerated Reader program. This is a way of monitoring and managing students’ independent reading whilst motivating them to read for at least 20 minutes a day. When they finish a book they complete a quiz online and if they answer successfully they receive points which move them further towards their goal. In the Library Miss Jamie-Lee has been gradually coding the books in the Junior Fiction section with coloured sticker which correspond to the reading ages. I will be encouraging students to borrow books at their reading level. They even get points if the book has been read to them so if you would like to help them along while modelling good reading feel free to read with them.

English
Last week the students learnt about the features of information texts and this week we are looking at the type of language that is used. Students have also been practising using ‘precise’ language such as proper names for characters and place names as well as objects.

Congratulations to Audrey and Thomas who were our very deserving students of the week recipients last week!

Have a great week,

Mrs Lesley Wall

Year 5

Hi Year 5 Parents and Carers,

This fortnight in Year 5, we have been revisiting persuasive texts. Students have revisited the features and purpose of persuasive writing and explored how language can be used to influence and convince an audience. We’ve also started investigating bias in texts, learning how word choice can subtly (or strongly!) sway a reader’s opinion.

We’ve also enjoyed spending time in the library, borrowing and engaging with a variety of texts to support our reading. The students have been working hard to earn points through the Accelerated Reader program by reading regularly and completing comprehension quizzes.

In Mathematics, our focus has been on adding and subtracting fractions. Students have been building their confidence working with both like and related denominators through a range of activities and problem-solving tasks.

Reminders

There have been a few changes to specialist lesson days and teachers

• Sport uniform: Tuesday
• Technologies: Tuesday
• Arts: Tuesday
• HASS: Tuesday and Wednesday
• House shirt: Wednesday
• Sport: Wednesday - taught by Miss B
• Health: Thursday - taught by Miss Humes
• Languages: Friday

Have a great rest of your week!

Miss Leonie Ansell

Year 6

Dear Families, 

When half the class disappears for a day at Julia Creek, what would be acceptable for those left behind? We started our day with some photos for our Drone Pilot licenses! Then there was the opportunity to test out our new equipment with some STEM exceptional learning taking place. In the last two weeks we've also had our Cross Country, some finishing off our St Joseph's the Worker construction task and some of us started our sweet Rock Crystals in science.

English/HASS - We have now started our targets for reading in Term 2. Each time a student reads a school library book and completes the quiz on Accelerated Reader, they earn points towards their personalised target. Developing positive attitudes to reading is so important, encouraging the students to read as much as possible at home makes a significant impact on their learning - we recommend a minimum of 20 minutes each day. We have started to investigate different people from history, with the aim of writing a short biographical recount - introduction, early life, later life, significant events, and conclusion are used to structure our writing. We are investigating Anne Frank, Dr Jane Goodall, Sir David Attenborough, Sir Henry Parkes and Eddie Mabo. In spelling, we have continued to use the Sound Waves programme to investigate the common graphemes for the long [ay] phoneme. We inquired into the suffix [-ation], which means action, state or the result of. e.g. observation is the action, state or result of being observed. Usually we drop the -e before adding this suffix. I presented our Accelerated Reader program at our PD on Friday in Week 2 - the video below showcased what our Year 6 students think of their reading experiences in class this year and how they have started their journey with AR.

Science - We started our Rock Candy crystallisation activity to discuss how some changes are reversible. It was a boiling water and sugar mixture on the stove, so we discussed safety in the kitchen and there was extreme adult supervision while other students completed the construction task with Mr Larry outside. We used up all the glass jars I had, so if anybody has 9 more jars, please send them in! Our crystals have started to form in some of the jars already and fingers crossed we get to make observations for all the jars in the next few weeks.

Mathematics - We have been rounding decimal numbers to the nearest whole number or one decimal place (1dp) which have supported our addition and subtraction of money and other decimal numbers. Our work on percentages and how they connect to decimals and fractions began. We are investigating the sugar content for familiar household food items - biscuits, drinks, lollies and cereal. On the packaging we are using the per 100g/100mL and using this to connect our percentages learning. If you happen to be shopping with your child in the next few weeks, get them to calculate some percentage discounts!

Wishing you a great week and to all the mothers out there, we hope you have a lovely day on Sunday (and hope your children are nice to you every other day too!)

Mr Mike Tarleton & Mr Larry Cullen

UMY Subject Spotlight

Year 7 English
In Term 2, Year 7 students are diving into Australian history and storytelling through our novel study of Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly. They’ll explore different perspectives on Ned’s life—was he a hero, a villain, or a victim? Through reading, discussion, and writing, students will examine how stories can shape the way we view historical figures. They’ll build their thinking through weekly reflections, explore key events in Ned’s life, and eventually create their own response from a historian’s perspective. It’s a powerful way to combine reading, history, and critical thinking!

Year 8 English
This term, the Year 8 English students are diving into the powerful documentary A Life on Our Planet by Sir David Attenborough as the foundation for their new unit of work. Through this thought-provoking text, students will explore how language and structure are used in informative texts to shape meaning, build awareness, and spark action on real-world issues like climate change and biodiversity loss. 

Students will analyse a range of factual and multimodal texts, strengthen their skills in research, synthesis, and presentation, and consider how humans can be agents of positive change. Using what they’ve learned, students will eventually design their own informative text — encouraging others to engage with global environmental challenges. 

I look forward to seeing their creativity and insight as they become not just readers, but changemakers.

Year 9 English
This term, Year 9 students are engaging in a rich and expressive unit titled Voices in Verse: Exploring Identity and Emotion through Lyrical Poetry. Students will explore how poets and songwriters communicate deep ideas about identity, belonging and emotion through language.

From dissecting the powerful imagery in music lyrics to unpacking poetic techniques like metaphor, repetition, and symbolism, students are building both analytical and creative skills. Students will  curate and present their own personal poetry anthology — a reflection of texts that speak to who they are and how they see the world.I am excited to see the depth of thinking, reflection and creativity that will emerge from this poetic journey!

Mrs Delaney-Lovett

Year 7 Science:
This term, Year 7 students are learning how scientists organise and classify living things. They'll explore the differences between living and non-living things, investigate classification systems (including those used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples), and learn how to use tools like dichotomous keys to identify organisms.

Later in the term, we'll move into ecosystems—focusing on food chains, food webs, and how changes (like pollution or introduced species) impact environments. Students will also examine how science communication influences how we respond to these issues.

Year 8 Science:
This term, Year 8 students are exploring the structure and function of cells, the building blocks of life. They’ll compare plant, animal, and fungal cells, learn to identify organelles, and use microscopes to observe real cells.

Students will also study how plants carry out photosynthesis and transport water and nutrients, before shifting focus to human body systems like the respiratory and circulatory systems. The unit concludes with a look at how scientific understanding has changed over time and the impact of biotechnology and health developments on society.

Our main assessment will take place in Week 8 and will test students' understanding of cells, organ systems, and their role in supporting life.

Miss Mairin Borlase

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