Latest Newsletter Term 2 | Week 7

Key Information

Term 2 - Important Dates

Week 7

• Saturday 7th June - Youth Mass - St Colman's Parish - 5.30pm

Week 8 

• Monday 9th June - ALPHA Session 3 - 5.30pm - School Staffroom
• Tuesday 10th June - FACE Meeting - 3pm - Library
• Tuesday 10th June - Spirit in Action - 3 to 4.30pm
  
• Wednesday 11th June - Fire Drill - 10.30am
• Thursday 12th June - Assembly 8.30 - MMS - ATHLETICS AWARDS & Deadly Dancers - Cloncurry State School - 2.30pm
  
• Friday 13th June - Show Public Holiday - NO SCHOOL

Week 9

• Monday 16th June - ALPHA Session 4 - 5.30pm & Board Meeting - 5.15pm 
• Thursday 19th June - Bush Dance - 5.30pm - MMS

Week 10

• Monday 23rd June - Mid-West Athletics Trials - Hughenden & ALPHA Session 5 - 5.30pm
• Tuesday 24th June - Spirit in Action - 3 to 4.30pm
• Wednesday 25th June - Year 5 Retreat (periods 3 to 5)
• Thursday 26th June - Deadly Dancers - Cloncurry State School - 2.30pm
• Friday 27th June - Assembly - 8.30 - MMS & 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! 

Volunteers Needed - Showgate - Saturday 14th June

Tuckshop News

Staffing Update:
Miss Samie will be finishing up in the tuckshop at the end of the term. We're thankful for Miss Samie jumping on-board in Term 2 to get our tuckshop up and running. The advertisement for this position is now live and will close on Monday 23rd of June - please see the link for the advertisement here.  Your help in sharing this link would be greatly appreciated.  

Tuckshop Orders:
Please ensure orders are placed on https://myschoolconnect.com.au/ by Wednesday at 8.30am. 

Volunteering:
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. A friendly reminder that a tuckshop volunteer induction must be completed prior to volunteering. 

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 Week 7, 

At St Joseph's Catholic School, we are deeply committed to building a safe, respectful, and collaborative environment for all students, staff, and families. Mr James Delaney, Miss Hannah McCall, and I were disappointed to miss the athletics carnival today, but it was important that we attended mandatory safe persons training with other safe people across the Townsville Diocese. Your child has access to safe people across the school - we talk to your child about this being their classroom teacher, Mr Delaney, Miss McCall, myself, or another adult in the school that they can talk to if they don't feel safe. You will notice when you walk into each classroom there is a poster that explains this. 

As we move further into the term, I’d also like to take this opportunity to remind families of a few important policies and processes that support the smooth operation of our school and the wellbeing of all members of our community.

Student Protection
St Joseph's Catholic School is committed to the safety and wellbeing of every student, with a focus on the critical area of student welfare. All staff at St Joseph's are trained in student protection processes and reporting, and we follow clear protocols when responding to concerns. A part of Townsville Catholic Education, all schools have access to comprehensive Student Protection support. Parents can access information in relation to these processes and support, including School Safe Persons, FAQ - requesting information about your child, Townsville Catholic Education Student Protection Record of Complaint, and Child & Youth Risk Management Strategy, via the link below. Student Protection Processes. 

• Student Protection Processes
  

Volunteer Induction for Parents and Carers
We are grateful for the generous support of our parent and carer volunteers. To ensure all volunteers understand their responsibilities and our expectations, all helpers must complete our Volunteer Induction prior to assisting in classrooms or on excursions. You can access the training package online via the link below. 

• Link to Volunteer Induction 
  

Code of Conduct for Parents 
We expect all members of our school community to contribute positively to our culture of mutual respect. The Townsville Catholic Education Code of Conduct for Parents outlines the expectations for interactions with staff, students, and other families. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with the code. The Code of Conduct for Parents was re-published last year - please familiarise yourself with the changes if you didn't have a chance to last year. 

• Code of Conduct for Parents

Complaints Process
We value open and respectful communication. If you have a concern or complaint, we encourage you to follow our school’s complaints management process to ensure matters are addressed appropriately and constructively at the lowest level first. The Townsville Catholic Education procedure supports timely resolution through clear and respectful dialogue. A full outline of the steps to take is available here on our website. 

Townsville Catholic Education Complaints Process

Parents and carers can often feel uncomfortable coming into the school to raise a concern or a complaint, but please know that this form of communication is actually a positive relationship between school and yourselves. In education we're continuously reflecting on how we have managed a situation or event, and always welcome feedback - it is how we learn. Please always feel comfortable to come into school and engage in conversation with myself, your child's teacher, or one of our Middle Leaders. We're all here to make this school the best possible place for our young people and I am confident that we can do this together. 

We appreciate your continued partnership in upholding the values and standards of our school. By working together and engaging with these important processes, we ensure a safe, respectful, and thriving learning environment for every child at St Joseph's.

Communication:
Although our newsletter is our one-stop-shop for communication, I am mindful that outside of this newsletter we communicate mainly by facebook which may not be accessible to all parents/carers and can become confusing when trying to stay informed. In an attempt to provide a clearer communication method our staff will be making every effort to include any notifications or reminders that they post on facebook to your child’s compass newsfeed as well. This way you can open the compass app each day and look through the notices/reminders/events. 

I acknowledge that effective communication is important and I am grateful for the ongoing feedback and support from our families in providing this. Thank you for your time in our renewal sessions in Term 1 as your feedback is a very valuable improvement tool. 

Letters / Notices:
A friendly reminder that compass is the best tool to send notices to your child’s classroom teachers. There is a function in compass that allows parents/carers to email all of your child’s classroom teachers at once in the one email. 

If you’re unable to do so, please direct notices to the front office each day. As your child can be taught by several different teachers this will ensure all staff are informed. This will also alleviate the pressure on classroom teachers each morning as they receive a number of notices. 

School Board - EOI:
The St Joseph’s Catholic School Board is currently seeking Expression of Interest (EOI) from a Parent or Carer and St Colman's Parish representative.

Being a member of our advisory board is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the direction and future of our school. Board members work collaboratively helping to shape policies and initiatives that benefit all students.

If you are interested, please email your EOI to skelley2@sjctsv.catholic.edu.au by Friday of Week 8, 13th June 2025. In your email, please include a brief introduction of why you’re interested in joining the St Joseph’s Catholic School Board and what you believe you would bring to this position. 

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

Welcoming Aspirant Leaders to Cloncurry - Monday 2nd June:
On Monday, we had the pleasure of hosting the opening day of the Diocesan Aspirant Leaders Program—the very first time the program has ever been held in Cloncurry. We welcomed 20 teachers from across the Diocese, along with three of our own staff members: Rachel Delaney-Lovett, Mae-Louise Brock, and Mairin Borlase.

It was an incredible opportunity to showcase our school—not only our new learning spaces and innovative initiatives, but also the community and culture that make St Joseph’s so special. Many of our visitors shared how impressed they were by the professionalism of our staff, the learning-focused feel of our classrooms, and the warmth of the Cloncurry community as a whole.

The purpose of the course is to build the capacity of future school leaders across the Diocese, giving them the insight and tools to step confidently into leadership roles. Being chosen to host the opening day was a privilege; it allowed us to share our school and community with educators from across the Diocese. Hopefully, as participants return to their schools and speak fondly of their experience here, it may well encourage other high-quality educators to consider roles in our region in the future.

Strengthening Writing Through Professional Development:
On Tuesday, our teachers took part in a focused professional development session on best practice in the teaching of writing. This is part of our ongoing whole-school commitment to literacy, which has been a major focus over the past three years.

In this session, staff explored:
• The core elements of effective writing instruction
• How to provide clear, targeted feedback to students
• Planning sequences that build writing skills over time
• Creating high expectations for student achievement in writing

We firmly believe that when teachers grow, students thrive. Our team is continually engaging in high-quality professional learning because they know it translates into stronger outcomes for students. We’ve already seen incredible improvements in student writing across the school, and we hope parents are noticing this too—whether it’s in homework, classroom work, or how confidently your child is sharing their ideas through writing.

Accelerated Reader: Partnering With Parents
Strong literacy outcomes are built not only at school but also through partnerships with families. One of the key platforms we use to support reading growth at St Joseph’s is Accelerated Reader (AR), and next Tuesday (3:00 pm - 3:20 pm) at the FACE meeting, I’ll be offering a short 20-minute session for parents to learn more about how it works.

AR allows students to read books that are tailored to their level, take comprehension quizzes, and track their growth. It helps build fluency, comprehension, and motivation. Most importantly, it gives students ownership of their reading journey.

By understanding how to support your child with AR at home—whether it’s helping choose books, asking about what they’ve read, or celebrating quiz results—you’re contributing to a highly effective school-home partnership. I hope to see you Next Tuesday. 

Mr Dean Kelley
Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

Assistant Principal Religious Education

Pentecost
This weekend we celebrate Pentecost, which is an important celebration in the Christian calendar, marking the conclusion of the Lent to Pentecost season. The name "Pentecost" comes from the Greek word meaning "fifty," as it falls fifty days after Easter. It has a historical connection to the Jewish festival of Shavuot, which occurs seven weeks after Passover and commemorates the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.

The Church teaches that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, active in the world today, present among people and within them. As Jesus promised, God’s Spirit was given to the disciples and it changed them, turning their fear into bravery. The Church also teaches that the Holy Spirit continues to enter people’s lives, giving them strength and helping them to follow the path of truth. 

Gracious God, 

You promised your Spirit to those who believe. 

Send us out to be witnesses of your mercy and love in the world, 

but give us also the gifts we need to proclaim the gospel 

with joy and patience. 

We ask this through Jesus, our Risen Lord. 

Amen.

Notices
Our assembly next week will occur on Thursday 12th June as Friday is the Show public holiday.  The prayer assembly will be presented by Mrs Wall and the year 4 class.

In week 10, the prayer assembly will be presented by Mrs Koekemoer and the year 3 class.

St Colman’s Mass - Upcoming Schedule
Join us in celebrating the Eucharist. Below is the presider schedule for upcoming Masses:

Date                                    Mass                   Time                      Presider

 June 7, 2025                  Youth Mass        5.30 pm               Fr. Mick Lowcock

 June 8, 2025                 Sunday Mass       8.30 am              Fr Mick Lowcock 

 June 15, 2025                Sunday Mass       8.30 am             Fr Mick Lowcock       

God Bless,

Ms Lei Nelson
Assistant Principal - Religious Education

First Nations

Reconciliation Week at St Joseph’s ❤️🖤💛
During Week 6, our school community came together to learn, reflect, and celebrate during National Reconciliation Week. Through engaging activities, we deepened our understanding of the importance of strengthening relationships with First Nation peoples.

On Monday, the Year 5-9 students played a fun and friendly game of Touch Football. This was a great way to build connections and start the week with energy and teamwork. Thank you to Mr Delaney for refereeing this.

Miss Ansell visited classrooms on Tuesday and Wednesday to talk about Reconciliation Week and what it means to us. Each class shared their ideas and Vision for Reconciliation.

During lunchtime on Wednesday, students from a range of year levels got creative with sand art on the oval. It was nice to be outdoors and show appreciation for First Nations art and bring our artworks to life.

We welcomed Police Liaison Officer Mitchy at lunchtime on Thursday. Mitchy ran a beading session and talked with us about the colours used on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags and the meanings behind them.

We ended the week with some exciting First Nations based games. A favourite was Kolap, a game which originated on Mer Island in the Torres Strait. We also had heaps of fun in a lively kangaroo relay.

Reconciliation Week reminds us that every step we take together matters. Thank you to everyone who contributed to a powerful and positive week of learning and connection at St Joseph’s.

Reconciliation Week

Miss Leonie Ansell
Emerging Leaders Coordinator & First Nations Education Leader

Pastoral Care

TradeMutt Shirts

🎉Our TradeMutt Shirts Have Arrived! 🎉

It’s been fantastic to see our Thoughts In Motion TradeMutt shirts already making an impact in our community!

👕 If you pre-ordered a shirt, please contact the office to arrange payment and collection.

🛍️ Shirts will be available for sale and pick-up from the office. Men's and women's sizes available. 

Let’s keep the conversation going and proudly wear our shirts to help make mental health impossible to ignore.

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.

Supporting Positive Behaviour at St Joseph’s Catholic School

At St Joseph’s, we have high expectations for all of our students and are committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive school environment.

We encourage open communication between home and school. If your child comes home with any concerns about something happening at school, please reach out to their classroom teacher as a first step so we can look into it and support those involved. Early communication helps us respond quickly and effectively.

If you have any concerns or would like to get in touch, please feel free to contact me directly at hmccall1@sjctsv.catholic.edu.au.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students grow into kind, responsible young people.

School Uniform, Appearance, and Arrival Expectations
As the cooler weather sets in, we’d like to remind families of some important aspects of our school uniform and personal appearance expectations at St Joseph’s Catholic School, Cloncurry.

Cold Weather Uniform
St Joseph’s Catholic School jumpers are available for purchase through the Uniform Shop. The uniform shop is open on a Wednesday between 8 to 8.30am and 2.30 to 3pm. If you would like to purchase an item from the uniform shop outside of the opening hours, these can be purchased on the MySchoolConnect website/app and you will be notified when your order is ready and collection can be made from the office.

The uniform shop also sells long navy pants. A large proportion of our families do prefer to purchase long tracksuit pants externally from the school, however, please ensure they’re navy.

We also have a limited number of second-hand jumpers in a range of sizes which are currently available for purchase from the Uniform Shop for $5 each.

Hair Expectations
We ask for your support in ensuring that student hair remains neat, tidy, and moderate in appearance at all times:
● Hair must be of a natural colour.
● Long hair must be tied back, using navy or school checkered scrunchies, hair ties, or clips.
● Styles such as undercuts, extreme fringes, scraggly hair, and other non-traditional or extreme styles are not permitted.
● Hair must be worn off the face and above the collar at all times.

Shoes and Socks
● Academic shoes must be fully enclosed black leather (no mesh or coloured
markings). Slip-on shoes, canvas shoes, and boots are not permitted.
● Sports shoes are to be worn only on designated PE and sports days and must be fully enclosed trainers or joggers.
● Socks must be plain white or navy, free from visible logos or markings, and must
cover the ankle.

Uniform Breaches and Communication
Maintaining these standards helps promote a respectful, consistent school environment and supports student wellbeing and focus. We understand that at times there may be valid reasons for not adhering to uniform guidelines—such as medical issues or damage due to unforeseen circumstances. If this occurs, a written or verbal explanation must be sent to the school office or your child’s classroom teacher.

● The Classroom Teacher (Prep–Year 6) and Homeroom Teacher (Years 7–9) monitor student uniforms.
● If a student is in breach of uniform expectations, teachers will communicate with families.
● Continued breaches of the guidelines may result in appropriate consequences for the student, in line with the school’s policy.

Arriving at School
Recently, we have noticed students arriving at school before 8:00am. Please note that students should not be on site until 8:10 am as there is no supervision before this time.

The only exception is Tuesdays and Thursdays, when Chaplaincy Breakfast begins at 7:45am.

We appreciate your ongoing support. If you have any questions or need assistance with uniforms, please contact the school office.

SchoolTV - Neurodiversity.

Neurodiversity emphasises the natural variation in how an individual's brain functions and how they perceive and interact with the world, leading to diverse ways of learning and communicating. While most young people are neurotypical, some exhibit variations in brain development, such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia, making them neurodivergent.

Embracing neurodiversity involves accepting, celebrating, and supporting neurodivergent children and adolescents without attempting to change or treat their differences. Using respectful language, challenging unhelpful attitudes, avoiding assumptions, and actively promoting inclusivity can help embrace neurodiversity effectively.

Acknowledging the unique ways neurodiverse young people do things and then adapting tasks and activities to ensure their full participation will encourage them to develop strategies that feel natural to them. It will help improve their mental health, wellbeing and sense of self. By recognising and nurturing their strengths, parents and caregivers can contribute to building an inclusive and compassionate society where all young people can thrive.

Learning more about neurodiversity, equips caregivers with insights into effective communication techniques, educational strategies, and parenting approaches tailored to the specific needs of their neurodivergent child.

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 Neurodiversity edition of SchoolTV:
 https://sjctsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/neurodiversity 

$1000 Board Fundraiser for UMY School Camp

Best regards,

Miss Hannah McCall
Pastoral Leader

Youth Ministry

Spirit in Action (SIA)
Last Tuesday, the SIA students helped Sr Lyn sort a bunch of donated stationery from Vinnies. These students are shining examples of our charism in action. Thank you to Sr Lyn for all you do for our community!

Next Tuesday, the SIA and Year 6 Mini Vinnies will be headed to Vinnies to help out around the shop. We will depart after school finishes and return by 4:30.

Year 6 Retreat 
Last week, the Year 6 students participated in a retreat experience centred around God’s love, mercy, and salvation. They participated in all activities and together, we had a great time. We even finished with a really cool imaginative prayer experience. Pictured below are a couple of the groups during a roleplay activity. 

Year 5 Retreat 
The Year 5 students will participate in a similar half-day retreat experience in Week 10. Parents and carers, I will send information out about this in the near future. 

Youth Mass

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 began on May 26. 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

Sport & Extra Curricular

A big thank you to our volunteers for your assistance at the Athletics Carnival today. Events like today wouldn't be possible without your generosity. We look forward to celebrating the achievement of our students in Week 8 (Thursday 12th June) at our assembly - 8.30am in the MMS. This is where we will present Age Champions and a house points update at the assembly. 

Nominating for Additional Events - Google Form - Aged 10 years and over:
A Google Form has been sent today for students aged 10 years and over to nominate for additional events to be run at our school carnival. These events are designed for students who wish to be considered for the Mid West Track and Field Trials, which will take place in Hughenden on Monday, 23rd June 2025. Please note that it is the parent/carer's responsibility to transport and supervise their child at these trials if selected.

As part of this nomination process, the High Jump trials will be held after school on Tuesday 17th June, commencing at 3:00pm. An optional after-school training session will also take place on Thursday 12th June, and all participating students will have at least one PE lesson to practise high jump technique and rules beforehand.

Prep

Dear Parents and Carers,

We’re excited to begin Week 7 and continue building on the wonderful progress the students are making!

This week in Math, we will keep working on number identification and counting to and from 20. The children are becoming more confident each day! We’re also exploring “Friends of Ten”—numbers that add together to make 10. These foundational skills are helping students build strong number sense.

In literacy, we’ll continue writing simple sentences and encouraging students to use capital letters, finger spaces, and full stops. We’ll also be introducing the new letter and sound /g/ as in Gary Gecko. Be sure to ask your child about the sound and see if they can spot objects that start with /g/ at home!

In Religion, we will continue our unit of work all about Jesus. Over the coming weeks, we will explore who Jesus was and learn all about his life and teachings. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of kindness, compassion, and community.

Little Leaders Website
For photos and regular updates 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. On Monday in Week 6, we will begin to send readers home to each student as well as letter and number tracing cards, however, for more activities please check out the Home Learning 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). Assembly next week will however be on Thursday due to the show holiday on Friday.

Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement at home. Let’s have another great week of learning!

Yours in fun and learning,

Miss Mae-Louise Brock, Miss Renee McConachy, Miss Josie and Miss Rachel

Year 1

Hello Parents and Carers,

This term in English, students have chosen one of three focus books to explore in depth. They are diving into the sequence of events, getting to know the characters, and practicing how to retell the story in their own words. 

In addition, students have been working hard on bumping up their sentences—adding more detail, variety, and structure to improve their writing. They've been collaborating with classmates to create stronger sentences together, as well as working independently to apply what they've learned. It's been wonderful to see their creativity and confidence grow!

In Math, students have been exploring 3D objects and their properties. This week, they moved around in groups to investigate the attributes of different shapes, including the number of vertices, edges, and faces each one has.

They especially enjoyed making connections to the real world—sharing examples of everyday objects that match different 3D shapes. It’s been a hands-on and engaging way to deepen their understanding of geometry!

In HASS, students have been exploring what life was like in the past and how it compares to life today. As part of their learning, they created two interview questions to ask a parent or grandparent about their childhood experiences.

Students loved hearing the stories and responses. We were also very lucky to have an old phone brought in, which gave everyone a hands-on look at how technology has changed over time. It sparked some great discussions about the ways daily life has evolved.

Here are some great photos: 

Reminders:
Next week will be the last week of homework for the term! 

• 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’s been a productive few weeks in Year 2, with students smashing their learning goals!

In Math, we’ve been focusing on addition, and what a brilliant job the students are doing! They’ve been using different strategies to solve problems and are growing in confidence every day. It’s been fantastic to see their improvement. 

In Science, we have been continuing to learn all about our solar system, and the students can now name all the planets in order! They’ve also learned about the different moon phases and can talk about how the moon changes over each month.

In English, we’ve started exploring narratives. We’ve been looking at the key features that make up a great narrative – including characters, settings, problems and solutions. Students have also begun learning about the different types of narratives, from fairy tales to adventures, and are starting to create story ideas of their own.

Our exploration of significant people and places has continued in HASS. We recently learned about Burke and Wills, exploring why they are significant. Next, we’ll be learning about Ernest Henry and his importance. 

Reminders: 

• Monday: Art
• Tuesday: Library
• Wednesday: House Shirts
• Thursday: Sport
• Friday: Technologies

Kind Regards, 

Tess Motti 

Year 3

Welcome to Week 7!

Year 3 has been a hive of activity, with learners working hard across all areas of study. We are now well into the term, and the focus has shifted toward completing assessments and consolidating our unit work.

In English, we are continuing our work on Informative Texts, with an emphasis on using verbs and clauses correctly in writing. Our Accelerated Reader program is progressing well, and we’re thrilled to see a number of students showing great improvement in their reading skills. Please encourage your child to read as much as possible at home, and where you can, support them in reading out loud to build fluency and confidence.

In Mathematics, we are wrapping up our unit on Money. Learners will complete their Money Assessment during Week 7. It’s important that students continue to practice adding and subtracting money amounts, as well as calculating and giving change. A homework worksheet will be sent home this week to help reinforce these skills.

In Science, we have explored the fascinating topic of shadows — how they are formed and how they change depending on the Earth’s movement. Our Science assessment will take place in Week 7 or 8.

In HASS, we’ve been learning about the Australian states and capitals, and will now move on to study Australia’s mountain ranges, rivers, and other natural features. The HASS Assessment will be held at the end of Week 8.

In Religion, we have completed our first assessment, and most learners did an outstanding job creating PowerPoint presentations on our Parish and the various role players within the Church. We are now beginning a new unit of study.

Thank you for your continued support at home. We’re proud of the hard work Year 3 has put in so far — enjoy the week ahead!

Warm regards,

Mrs Deirdre Koekemoer, Mrs Sharon McLauchlan, and Miss Sonnie
The Year 3 Teaching Team

Year 4

Hello everyone,

Maths: Over the past two weeks, we’ve been exploring area and perimeter through a range of hands-on activities using different measuring tools. Students have embraced the challenge, demonstrating strong understanding and engagement. They’re not only learning how to calculate area and perimeter, but also recognising real-world situations where these skills are essential. We’ve also been focusing on developing their reasoning by asking, “Does this answer make sense?”—a key part of building confidence in their problem-solving skills

HaSS: In HaSS, we’ve been learning how to write effective inquiry questions to explore concepts more deeply. I’ve been really impressed by the thoughtful and insightful questions many students have developed, as well as their growing ability to research and find meaningful answers. It’s been great to see their curiosity and critical thinking skills in action!

Religion: In Religion, we’ve been exploring the Ten Commandments and reflecting on how they relate to our everyday lives. Through class discussions, students have been considering how these teachings guide us to live with kindness, respect, and integrity. We’ve also talked about how the commandments help us to live in harmony within the various communities we belong to—at school, at home, and beyond.

Gardening: Last week we finished putting the lovely smelling manure in our garden beds and they are now ready to give us some great produce. So far we have cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, snow peas, cucumbers, bok choy, just to name a few. Thanks to Jen Crimeen who donated some seedlings and thanks to the students who put in the hard work to transfer the manure.

Mrs Lesley Wall and Miss Sonnie 

Year 5

Hi Year 5 Parents and Carers,

During Writing, students have been using Writer’s Toolbox to help them create Lawyer Paragraph for writing persuasive texts. They’ve learned the four steps to doing this - make your point, say why it matters, show your evidence, and sum it up. Your child can access Writers Toolbox at home - have them show you through the platform. 

In Maths, we’ve been working with large numbers, using a range of strategies to multiply by one and two digit numbers and to divide large numbers by single digits. In Religion, students have been exploring Communities of Faith in Australia. We have been discussing how the work of St Mary MacKillop inspires Catholics today. Our Science unit has sparked curiosity with our exploration of light—where it comes from, how it travels, and the different ways it can be manipulated or changed.

Reminders:

• 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, 

It was great to see so many of you at our Athletics Carnival today. This week, we had a visit from the Shake & Stir Theatre Company. They performed my favourite Roald Dahl text - George's Marvellous Medicine, so of course I had to locate the book to read some of it with the class.

Mathematics - We have continued our work on percentages and calculations for 10% and multiples of 10. Our Think Mentals work has focussed on division and multiplication strategies - particularly dividing by 10, 100 etc. The digits all move one place to the right as the number becomes 10 times smaller. e.g. 34.8 divided by 10 would be 3.48. We also began to investigate prime, composite and square numbers. We needed to work through our 100 square to identify the prime numbers - numbers with only two factors - 1 and itself. This work required us to utilise our understanding of multiplication facts, multiples of numbers and later division (with the aid of a calculator where required). Students developed their understanding that if the number had a third factor (three or more), it became a composite number.

English/HASS - We have continued to develop and edit our Anne Frank Biographical Recount text as a class, while students continue their research into a significant human. Students have begun to create their own biography about their chosen person. In reading, we have read texts about Carbon Footprint and Liquid, Gas or Solids, which sparked discussions about the freshwater on planet Earth! In spelling, our investigations have been with words containing the common graphemes for the [igh] sound - [i, igh, ie, i-e, and y]. We have studied the suffix -ify which means 'make' so solidify means to make solid. The spelling rule is if the word ends with -e, we need to 'usually' drop the -e before adding the suffix. e.g. simple becomes simplify. There has also been continued discussions about homophones (words that sound the same but are spelt differently and mean different things) idol/idle, site/sight etc.

Religion - Our focus has been on the Scripture of Samuel from the Old Testament. We have investigated the story of Samuel, from small boy to Prophet of the Lord. Students have performed the text and have begun to create questions for their interview with a prophet.

Wishing you all a wonderful Week!

Mr Mike Tarleton & Mr Larry Cullen

UMY Subject Spotlight

Digital Technology Year 7/8
This term in Digital Technology, our Year 7 and 8 students have been developing their Python programming skills, focusing on how to use control structures such as loops, conditionals, and functions to create interactive programs.

Students explored how to use iteration to repeat sequences of code and learned how to combine sequence, selection, and iteration to build more complex programs. They were introduced to writing their own functions and discussed the difference between functions and procedures.

To apply their learning, students began designing and coding their own text-based game: The Gauntlet of Riddles. This assessment task challenged them to plan their game logic using flowcharts and pseudocode, then implement their ideas using user input, conditionals, and loops. It’s been great to see their creativity and problem-solving shine through!

Design Technology Year 9
This term, our Year 9 students have been exploring the science and creativity behind food preservation and how it can support healthy, sustainable eating. Through a range of guided experiments students investigated how different methods impact food structure and nutrition.

Students participated in a collaborative research task to become “experts” in one preservation method, before teaching their peers and comparing findings. They also explored the differences between pickling and fermenting through guided readings and hands-on recipe experiments like sauerkraut and pickled carrots.

Using feedback from a self-designed survey (distributed to Years 5–9 and staff), students analysed preferences around taste, price, and packaging to inform their own product development. 

Assessment tasks have included recipe trials, business planning, and packaging design, supported by reflections in their assessment booklets. It's been a fantastic blend of science, culture, and creativity—and we’re excited to see their final products come together!

Miss Hannah McCall
Pastoral Leader & UMY Tech Teacher 

Year 7 & 8 Arts
This term in Media Arts, our Year 7 and 8 students have been exploring the world of storytelling through the lens of stop motion animation. We began by looking at what Media Arts actually is, and why it is such a big part of our everyday lives. To put it simply, it all comes back to being a way in which we communicate with one another and share stories across time and place. Students also learned about early forms of animation—including having a go at making their own thaumatropes (those spinning toys that create an optical illusion when they move!)—as an introduction to stop motion. After all, stop motion animation is simply a series of still images played in rapid succession. Working together in small groups, our students have planned, filmed and are now beginning to edit a short stop motion animation of their own creation. It has truly been a fun, hands-on experience for them to engage in, and we’re looking forward to seeing the final products in a couple weeks!

Year 9 Arts
Meanwhile, our Year 9 cohort have been exploring a different aspect of Media Arts: Podcasting. We have stepped behind the microphone—with plenty of light hearted complaints about listening to our own voices being recorded—to explore why this form of media has grown in popularity. In fact, that was where we began. What is a podcast and why is it so popular? One aspect is for sure because of how entertaining they can be, especially with the likes of Hamish & Andy being one of the most listened to podcasts in Australia. We also discovered that it can be a powerful way for people to share their stories and news with others around the world, and that there are many different genres to best fit an individual’s preference. Armed with this knowledge, our students started their assessment task. Working together in small groups, they have had to plan their own podcast - from picking a genre and theme, to scripting, and now recording and editing the final product. It is phenomenal to see the ideas of each group come to life as they enter the final weeks of the term, and the work each student has put in is to be commended. While they’re not quite polished yet, I cannot wait to hear their short episodes in the coming weeks as we close out a wonderful term of learning.

Miss Shara Humes 

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