St Joseph's Primary School South Grafton eNewsletter

From our Leadership

Welcome

Dear St Joseph’s Families,

With less than 20 days left in the school year, it’s time to come together as a community and make each moment count!

As we prepare for the close of 2024, our calendar is packed with important events, including award ceremonies, award nights, Kinder 2025 transitions, Year 6 Graduation moments and festive classroom celebrations. These moments offer us the chance to reflect on a year full of learning, growth, and shared experiences.

In the spirit of the season, let’s focus on being especially kind, generous, and helpful. This time of year can be busy for everyone, so a small act of kindness—a helping hand, a thoughtful word—can make all the difference in brightening someone’s day. Students, parents, and staff are all encouraged to take time to support one another as we approach the holiday break.

Let’s end the year strong by celebrating our achievements, uplifting each other, and creating positive memories that will carry us into the new year with joy and gratitude!

We look forward to finishing 2024 with smiles, laughter, and a strong sense of community.

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak,

but their echoes are truly endless.”

Saint Mother Teresa

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

As the holiday season approaches, we are proud to support the St. Vincent de Paul- Vinnies Christmas Appeal once again this year. This initiative helps bring joy and hope to families in need during the festive season. We invite our school community to contribute non-perishable food items as per the poster attached to this newsletter. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

ADVENT
As we prepare for the Christmas season, on Sunday, December 1, we enter the beautiful time of Advent, a season of hope, peace, joy, and love.

Advent marks the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year and is a time for reflection, prayer, and anticipation as we await the celebration of Christ’s birth.

At St Joseph’s, we will be marking this special time in various ways:

Weekly Advent Prayer: Lighting the Advent wreath and reflecting on its meaning.
Classroom Activities: Students will explore the themes of Advent through prayer, art, and storytelling.
Acts of Kindness: Encouraging students to share kindness and generosity within their families and friends.

We invite you to join us in preparing for Christmas by reflecting on the true meaning of the season. Consider setting aside time for family prayer or lighting an Advent candle together at home. Let us journey together in faith, hope, and love as we look forward to the joy of Christmas.

2025 Staffing Announcements

We’re excited to announce the teaching team for each grade in 2025!

Our talented and dedicated staff are looking forward to welcoming students into their classrooms and embarking on a new year of learning, discovery, and growth.

Early Stage 1

Carly Delevante, Kristina Sanne; Release for Carly - Rebekah Kelly

Stage 1

Aleisha Hayward-Bryant, Michelle Vidler, Nerilly Thomas, Sharron Nay/Diana Westgate, Anne Forwell (9.00am to 1.00pm daily) Release for teachers - Caitlin Crispin and Rebekah Kelly

Stage 2 Carissa Pursey, Matt Green (9:00am to 1:00pm daily), Jayden Laurie, Elizabeth Hegedus; Release for teachers Caitlin Crispin

Stage 3

Joe Stewart, Larissa Deleuien (3days), Sandra Nelson; Release for teachers - Danny Rankin

Administration

Cheryl Mawhirt/Diana Westgate- Office

Canteen

Davina Green

Leadership Team members

Danny Rankin - Principal

Anne Forwell - Assistant Principal

Brooke Donoghue -Leader of Learning

Matthew Green - Leader Religious Educator

We look forward to a fantastic year ahead, knowing our students are in excellent hands.

We Offer Thanks

Donna Bancroft and Anna Smidt have offered their resignation for the 2025 school year. Sophie Donohue will also not be returning. A more complete thank you and acknowledgement will be offered to these teachers in the next newsletter.

Remembrance Day

On November 11, our School Captains represented our community at the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the South Grafton Cenotaph, honouring the bravery and sacrifices of those who served in the armed forces.

This day marks the end of World War I in 1918 and reminds us to pause at 11.00am for a minute of silence to remember those who gave their lives for peace

Rowing

Once again some Year 6 students chose to experience rowing on the mighty Clarence River. We thank the Grafton Rowing Club members for their tuition and the use of their boats. The students were indeed fine ambassadors for our school.

Parent Group

There will be no Parent Group Meeting in Week 7. This has been replaced, as there is a Parent Information Session for parents of Year 6 students.

Transition to High School Parent Information Session- Important information

WHO: All parents and carers of year 6 students at St Mary's and St Joseph's
WHERE: St Joseph's Primary School, Hyde St, South Grafton
WHEN: Tuesday, 26 November, 6.00pm-7.00pm

Refreshments provided and child minding is available.

Student Reports

Student reports will be published to families via COMPASS on Friday, 13 December.

The report will contain English, Mathematics and Key Learning Area comments that will outline your child’s areas of achievement and growth; and their future learning goals.

If your child is in Kindergarten they will receive an achievement level on a 3 point scale; working towards, working at, working beyond. For years 1 to 6 there is a 5 point scale; extensive, thorough, sound, basic, elementary.

If you would like a family teacher meeting after receiving your child’s report please make contact directly with your child’s teachers. This can be either through email or the school phone.

End of Year Celebration

On Thursday, 12 December at 5:30pm, here at school we will be celebrating the conclusion of another wonderful school year. This night will see each stage present an item that will definitely entertain everyone.

Our formal school awards ceremony will also be held on this night.

Important Information about School Fees 2025

In 2025 Diocese of Lismore Catholic School [DLCS] will have responsibility for the collection of school fees. You will receive an email directly from DLCS asking you to nominate the frequency in which fees are to be paid. The options will be weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly and annually. Please note that in the future fees not paid at the primary school will be carried over to the secondary College.

If you are currently on an arrangement with the school for reduced payments please read the following on Fee Assistance.

We recognise the financial pressures that families may face and strive to offer flexible payment options to accommodate different circumstances. For more information and to contact our Diocesan Fees Team, please visit the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools.

Principal-Danny Rankin

Assistant Principal-Anne Forwell

Leader of Learning - Brooke Donoghue

Leader of Evangelisation - Matthew Green

Sport Coordinator - Caitlin Crispin

On Friday, 15 November, we held our Swimming Carnival at the Maclean Olympic Pool. Well done to all students who competed on the day. We had a great time cheering on our fellow students.

Ribbons and Age Champions will be announced at our next assembly on Monday, 2 December.

This Monday, 25 November is the last week for the K-2 Intensive Swimming Program. Thank you to all students who participated in this very important program.

Gumbaynggirr Language - Liz Hegedus

Ginnagay Ngujawiny -Hello You Mob,

During Indigenous Lessons we have been talking about Barrmarrany (Family).

Aboriginal Barrmarrany is a collaboration of mobs composed of mothers, fathers, grandparents, uncles, aunties, sisters, brothers, cousins and so on. It is also known as an extended family.

All of these Barrmarrany members are involved in helping raise each other's family members as if they were their own child. It is expected that all Barrmarrany take a role in helping raise the younger generation by passing down their expert advice, skills and knowledge to ensure their culture lives on. This is through dance, stories, hunting, gathering, music, medicine, cooking and understanding lore. It is expected that the younger generation has great respect for the older generation and will understand that all Barrmarrany play a major role in their lives.

Stage 3 have been talking about their family cultures. We have lots of students with many different cultures. This week we had the opportunity to learn about Charlotte's family.

Charlotte has Polish background and has been learning how to cook by her grandmother.

We had the opportunity to taste some of her Polish cooking. We ate potato pancakes and shortbread biscuits.

They were absolutely delicious! There wasn’t a crumb left and the boys were trying their hardest for seconds and thirds. Thank you Charlotte for sharing a part of your family history.

Darrundang Ngiinda - Thankyou

Miss Liz Hegedus

Aboriginal Education Worker

School Notes

SCHOOL FEES

BPay is the preferred payment method for school fees.

Scheduled payments can be set up using BPay. The Biller Code and your personal reference number can be found on your Fee Statement.

Paying through BPay ensures that your payment goes directly to your account. Any enquireies please contact the School Office.

Reminder

As per the email sent to families, please complete the short online form to provide your preferred payment frequency.

Please complete the form by no later than 30 November 2024. If no preference is indicated, the quarterly payment option will be set as your default choice.

ABSENCES

Please notify the School Office if your child will be absent for an extended period of time, Principal approval may be required.

Only full day absences are to be entered into Compass, for partial absences - arriving late or leaving early please phone the School Office to notify.

Change to afternoon travel arrangements may be emailed to the school if before 12.00pm sjpgraf@lism.catholic.edu.au

After 12.00pm please phone the School Office on 6642 2899 with any changes.

Book Club

Book Club Issue 8 is out now! If you would like to order through the school, please return your orders to school by Tuesday, 3 December.

Remember you may also order online through the link below.

https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/parent.aspx

13.12.2024_Hot_Dog_Lunch_Order_Day.pdf

Getting to School by Bus in 2025

Will your child be catching the bus to school next year? Applications are now open for a Bus Travel Pass. As it’s a busy time of year, we highly recommend you make this application before the end of the year. It’s also good to check the bus timetable to make your child’s journey to school as easy as possible. Here is how it works:

Bus passes

All students catching the bus in 2025 will need a school travel pass.
Under the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS), eligible students can apply for free or subsided travel between home and school.
For more information about the School Student Transport Scheme and how to apply for a school travel pass, visit https://apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts/#/ from a desktop computer.

Bus timetablesBusways is the school bus operator that runs your schools’ bus services. To find your child’s school bus timetable visit the Busways website by using the following steps:

Go to busways.com.au/nsw
Click on ‘school services’ in the navigation bar and then proceed to ‘school timetables’
Enter the school’s name in the field that says ‘enter a school name’
Select the school’s name and the timetable should open on your device. If you are unable to find or search for the school’s name, use the drop-down menus on the same web page to find the school.
Once the timetable is opened, you will be able to identify which school bus services are available in your area for your child to use.