St Joseph's Primary School South Grafton eNewsletter

From our Leadership

Welcome

Dear St Joseph’s Families,

Welcome to the 2025 school year! Over the past weeks, our students joyfully returned to school to complete their Mathematical Assessment Interviews and commence classes for the year. It has been heartwarming to see them reconnect with friends and teachers, embracing the new academic year with enthusiasm.

We are deeply grateful for the peaceful and safe holiday break our families and community enjoyed. As we begin this new year, we pray that 2025 brings joy, health, and safety to us all.

Gracious God,
At the start of this academic year, we bring our hopes, expectations, and feelings to You. Help us to trust in Your promise: "I will always be with you."
Grant us a fresh perspective to see people, events, and academic challenges as opportunities to nurture and share the gifts You have bestowed upon us in service to others.
Bless us with peace, joy, safety, and meaningful learning experiences as we journey through the year together.
Amen.

As our new Kindergarten students embark on their 13-year journey of Catholic education, may their days be filled with fun, friendship, and excitement as they explore their new surroundings.

We invite all families and friends to join us on Friday, February 14 at 2:10pm for our first School Assembly.

Math Assessment Interviews (MAI) for 2025 and Letters Home

During the first two weeks of school, students in years 1-6 have participated in the MAI (Mathematics Assessment Interview), a one-on-one assessment that helps teachers gain insights into each student’s mathematical thinking and identify areas for improvement. The information gathered will be used to support each student’s progress. Kindergarten students are currently undertaking their MAI assessments this week.

After all assessments are complete, families will receive their child’s results summarising what their teacher has learned about their mathematical understanding, along with suggestions for how families can support their child at home.

Kindergarten Best Start- Literacy

The Best Start Interview is an important assessment tool used to gather valuable information about your child’s early learning and development. The data collected helps us identify strengths and areas for growth, enabling us to plan the next steps in your child’s literacy learning.

Once all assessments are completed this week, a letter will be sent home summarising the information gathered, along with suggestions on how you can support your child's progress at home. This data has already been shared in recent professional learning meetings, where our team used it to set clear goals and plan the next steps for each student’s educational growth. Please note that the automated cover letter may mention ‘numeracy’ results; however, Catholic Schools in the Lismore Diocese use the MAI Assessment in place of this.

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria (Writing)

As we work towards our new 2025 School Action Improvement Plan (SAIP) goal, ‘All students’ learning and engagement will be optimised through a consistent approach to curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and pastoral care,’ teachers will implement targeted strategies in the upcoming learning cycle. Each group will have clearly defined Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, outlined below. This year, we have included the name of each teacher to assist with identifying your child’s learning intention and success criteria.

The success criteria will help both teachers and students stay focused on achieving specific writing goals and personal targets, which have been created from analysis of students' most recent writing samples at each stage's Professional Learning Team (PLT) meeting this week. The success criteria will also guide teacher feedback, self-assessment, and peer reviews, encouraging a collaborative and reflective learning process.

Principal-Danny Rankin

Assistant Principal-Anne Forwell

Leader of Learning - Brooke Donoghue

Leader of Evangelisation - Matthew Green

Sport Coordinator - Caitlin Crispin

Term 1 Sporting Events

Week 3 Winter Sports Trials
February 24 Zone Swimming Carnival - Maclean Swimming Pool
March 4 Diocesen Swimming Carnival - Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre - Murwillumbah
April 4 School Cross Country

Good luck to our students attending the Zone Swimming Carnival on Monday, 24 February. The carnival will begin at 9:30am at the Maclean Olympic Pool.

Private Transport will be required for this event, please contact Mrs Crispin if you have any questions

Gumbaynggirr Language - Liz Hegedus

Ginnagay Ngujawiny -Hello You Mob,

Welcome to Term 1, 2025. This year I will be teaching Indigenous culture in HSIE lessons. I will be teaching four aspects of Indigenous culture on family, land, law, and language. Through these four aspects we broaden out to understand more about our Indigenous traditions, customs, protocols, values, spirituality, ceremonies, language, ways of knowing and being, and connections to the land and the life-sustaining resources of the land. What a great year we will all have.

Another important event on 13 February is the 'National Apology Day.'

On 13 February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly to the Stolen Generations whose lives had been blighted by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation.

The journey to National Apology began with the Bringing Them Home report–the findings of an inquiry instigated by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in 1995.

Between 1910 and 1970 thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families and communities by churches, welfare organisations and governments. The exact number is not known; however, is estimated that anywhere from 1 in 10 to 1 in 3 Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and fostered or adopted by non-Indigenous families or raised in institutions. These children are known as the Stolen Generations. Many experienced neglect, physical and sexual abuse and exploitative labour, and were denied contact with their families.

The apology to the 'Stolen Generation' by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, acknowledged that the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments had inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on the Indigenous Australians. Kevin Rudd also apologised for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

https://youtu.be/b3TZOGpG6cM?si=IDqGjcyjT5cvG9tn (Kevin Rudd's Apology)

Darrundang Ngiinda - Thankyou

Miss Liz Hegedus

Aboriginal Education Worker

School Notes

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS

Please be advised our School Office is open between 8.20am and 3.20pm daily.

VOLUNTEER NEEDED

Our school mower is currently out of service. We are looking for someone with a ride on mower who is available to volunteer their time to mow our school grounds during this time. If you are able to assist us please contact the School Office.

UNIFORMS

The school uniform is available to purchase through the Compass app.

Orders will be sent home with your child. If you would prefer to collect your order from the School Office please add a note to advise this.

Uniform collection times are Tuesday and Thursday between 8.30am - 8.45am & 2.30pm - 3.00pm.

MEDICATION

If your child is currently taking medication at school, parents are now required to complete the Medication Permission form available through the Compass app.

If you have previously provided a paper copy, you will also need to complete the Compasss online form to meet the new 2025 requirements.

ABSENCES

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.

Late arrivals - Parents are reminded to accompany your child to the Office to provide the reason for your child's late arrival.

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.

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

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.

Uniforms

School Calendar

TERM 1 2025

Week 2

Friday, 14 February - School Assembly 2.15pm

Week 3

Thursday, 20 February - Opening School Mass at St Patrick's Church 9.30am

Week 4

Monday, 24 February to Friday, 28 February - Family/Teacher Meetings

Friday, 28 March - School Assembly 2.15pm

Week 5

Monday, 3 March to Friday, 7 March - Family/Teacher Meetings

Wednesday, 5 March - Ash Wednesday

Week 6

Tuesday, 11 March - Parent Group Meeting 6.00pm to 7.00pm

Thursday, 13 March - Kindergarten Family Night 5.30pm to 7.30pm

Friday, 14 March - School Assembly 2.15pm

Canteen

Canteen Open every Wednesday and Friday

Canteen orders are placed through the Compass portal prior to 8.30am. Our menu has been updated and the following new items are now available to order: