Parents, Carers and Students

Welcome back to term 4.

Year 12 2020 - Congratulations on finishing the formal lessons of school. Thank you to all those who contributed to the wonderful assembly for Year 12. The students have started the exam period with a really good attitude and I wish them well for this time and I am looking forward to the celebrations at the formal night on the 12 November. 

Year 12 2021

Our new Year 12 have started the term well and received their jackets which they are wearing with pride. I would remind them that during this term and term 1 they are only permitted to wear them on Thursday and Fridays. Blazers are required for the rest of the week. From Term 2 onwards (next year) it is anytime unless we have formal occasions and given COVID that is probably limited. 

Year 11 Semester 2 reports have been made available through Compass.  If you have any difficulties accessing your child’s report, please contact the school office for assistance.  

Year 10 

I would take this opportunity to remind parents as announced at the information night at the beginning of the year the school does not support a year 10 formal. It is not a function of the school. We do not supervise or take any responsibility for the event  and as such the liability is held by the sponsor of the function. This is an anachronistic function as most students are continuing into senior schooling. 

COVID 

Our COVID cleaning is continuing into this term. Students are reminded to make sure they use the hand sanitiser and wash hands frequently. DO not share drinks or food. Where possible please keep your distance. 

As a school we are noticing that students are becoming less resilient as these COVID conditions are continuing. Please, as parents and care givers, if you are noticing changes in your child’s behaviour seek help and support. As parents and care givers, if your resilience is dropping please seek help for yourself. You cannot help your children unless you are in a good head space. 

A reminder for those families experiencing genuine financial difficulty there are concessions available through school. Please do not remove students from the school for financial reasons  as it is not a barrier to being here.  If the cases are genuine I am happy to help and support. 

Please keep our European neighbours in your prayers as the COVID infection and death rates through Europe are increasing at the moment. We need to be aware and maintain our safety whilst looking to maintain as much normalcy as possible. This is a very difficult balance point. 

Canteen

This term, our school canteen has been open at recess and the students have been excellent and respectful and from week 4 it will be open at lunch as well, initially for only the first half - till the majority of the crows have  finished.   Online ordering is also still available.  

Thank you to all our volunteers and the Canteen ladies for this service to the students.   

Mary Mackillop

It is the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Mary Mackillop . On Friday our new student leaders ran their first fundraiser and activity selling Mackillop cookies and giving out kindness cards. Well done. 

Mary had a theme of ‘never see a need without doing something about it’ this is the Joey's way to honour the work of the sisters of St Joseph who have tirelessly worked for education of students across the country and here at St Joseph’s. We honour our first Australian Saint every morning during prayer.

Ms Amanda Wilson
Principal

Mental Health Awareness Month

October 2020 is Mental Health Awareness Month which aims to promote awareness across all groups in our communities about mental health and wellbeing. The excerpt below from Wayahead's website provides some detail about the Mental Health Awareness Month theme. 

http://mentalhealthmonth.wayahead.org.au/about-mental-health-month/

Tune In

Tuning In means being present, being aware of what’s happening within you, and in the world around you.  

Tune In to your senses – what can you sense right now? What can you feel? 

Tune In to your communities – what’s happening that you can be part of, or that you can help others be part of? 

Tune In to stigma – how do attitudes and understandings of mental health and wellbeing impact people’s ability to live the lives they want? 

Taking a moment to Tune In can help still and focus your mind, it can help you understand what’s going on for you and others. Tuning in can help you find a new perspective, and it can help you reflect and be present. 

Tuning In has been shown to help build self-awareness, help make effective choices, reduce the impact of worry, and build positive connections. Tuning In to communities and the impact of mental health stigma can help ensure that people who need support have safe places to talk about their experiences and reach out. 

Tune In to Mental Health Month and help create a world we can all Tune In to.

Representative Sport Update - Term 4 Week 2

Aspiring & Elite Athlete Program 

Following the success of our inaugural Aspiring & Elite Athlete Program, we have launched the 2020/2021 Program. This sporting program provides an opportunity for aspiring and elite athletes to train and improve at their sport with the help of a professional team at BaiMed Performance. Last term our athletes attended their excursion to BaiMed Performance Centre where they undertook fitness and musculoskeletal testing. They were issued strength and conditioning programs and shown how to use them. The first excursion for the 2020/21 program is taking place next Friday 30th October from 8.30am-1.00pm. The team of mentors from St Joseph’s and BaiMed staff are looking forward to working with this dedicated and talented group of athletes over the coming 12 months. 

Congratulations

Congratulations to the students below on their selection in the following squads, teams and academies:

• • Blake Smith (Year 12) - 2020 Greater Illawarra Male Zone Cricket Academy.
  • Grace Pomery (Year 9) U16 Womens NSW 2020 State Cross Country Merit Team (would have attended the Australian XC Championships but these were cancelled due to Covid)
  • Matt Leembruggen (Year 9)- Illawarra Academy of Sport Swimming Squad
  • Tayissa Buchanan (Year 9)- Illawarra Academy of Sport Lonestar Squad
  • Robert Frew (Year 9)- Illawarra Academy of Sport Hockey Squad
  • Charlee Buckman (Year 8) & Zali Schofield (Year 9)- U15 NSW Field Hockey Squad.

Term 4 Lunchtime Sports Competition

Due to the update of the Covid-19 Sport and Physical Activity Guidelines and the subsequent easing of restrictions, we are now able to commence our Term 4 Lunchtime Sports Competition. It is hoped that this will commence in Week 4. We are able to run competitions in stage groups and have more flexibility now with the sports we can offer. Our sports captains Telina and Maddy are organising this competition. Please complete this Google Form Survey by 3.25pm Monday 26th October to vote for the sport you would like to see chosen for your stage group. 

Representative Sport Update

Selection trials for the St Joseph’s 2021 Representative teams will also commence this term. Students interested in representing the school in Term 1 2021 in Touch Football, Tennis and Soccer are asked to sign up by completing the Google Forms below by next Friday 30th October. 

Touch Football Sign Up Form

Tennis Sign Up Form

Soccer Sign Up Form

Key Dates for Term 1 Representative Sport:

Do you have a good news sports story? I would love to hear from you. Please email them to garbuttm01@dow.catholic.edu.au

Michelle Garbutt

Representative Sport Coordinator

IMPORTANT OPAL CARD INFORMATION - FROM TRANSPORT FOR NSW

From January onwards, there will be a number of School Opal cards expiring, as the physical card has reached its lifespan.

These are cards for students who will be in years 8 to 12 in 2021, and only those Opal cards which haven’t been replaced in the last five years.

Impacted students and/or their parent/guardian will be contacted directly by Transport for NSW via email or post. They will be asked to confirm their details online in order for a new School Opal card to be sent to the correct postal address in time for the new school year.

If contacted by Transport for NSW, details should be submitted online by December 1, 2020 at the latest. Affected students who do not confirm their details in time will have a new School Opal card posted to the address we currently have on file.

2021 SCHOOL TRAVEL APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN

Applications for student travel in 2021 opened on Monday 12 October 2020.

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass for 2021 can now apply online. A new application should be submitted if a student is applying for a school travel pass for the first time or requesting an additional pass as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation (e.g. joint custody).

Students who have changed school/campus, changed address, repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should re-apply or update their details.

Where there is a change of distance eligibility based on a student’s grade, the system will automatically update a student’s entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, they will receive an expiry notification via email.

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition which is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply.

Applications need to be submitted before 31 December 2020 to ensure that current student entitlements are updated and their current entitlement/card remains valid. If their application is submitted after 31 December 2020, the system will automatically cancel an entitlement/card and a new one will need to be issued.

Students in the Opal network applying for a SSTS or Term Bus Pass entitlement for the first time will receive their card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2021.

Students residing in Rural and Regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the commencement of the new school year from their nominated operator, this may be distributed via the school or sent direct to their address. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/Parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Please refer to flyer attached for further information.

image002.jpg

image002 _jpg 260.20 KB

SCHOOL FEES

UNIFORM SHOP 

Year 7 and 11 in 2021 are required to make a booking for their uniform shop fitting. Please see attached information for further details.

Year 10 parents are required to make an online booking for their Uniform fitting. Year 10 students can be booked in on a Thursday whilst at school if they do not need parent assistance. The student will leave class for the booking at the selected time. Each booking is for 30 minutes. Parents of year 10 students already fitted can then buy online if the child does not pay on the day. They are provided with a sheet listing all the sizes of the items they were fitted for on the day.

Please see attached information advising how to make your booking online.

Monday 12pm-4pm

Thursday 8.30-1.30pm

New Uniform Shop phone number is: 0413 441 892

CANTEEN ONLINE ORDERS

An information flyer is attached to order your lunch online.

If you do not have an account, please click here to access an online form.