Dear Families & Friends,  

As we approach the end of another exciting term, we’d like to reflect on some of the significant events that have brought our community together over the past few weeks: 
 
NAIDOC Week
Last week, we celebrated our NAIDOC event, beginning with a reflective liturgy. There were classroom visits from Mrs Moody, who shared her cultural insights with our Early Years students. Students participated in Indigenous-themed sports and enjoyed a door decoration competition as part of the festivities, with Miss Allen’s Year 2 class taking home the win.  

R U OK?
We also acknowledged R U OK? Day, where students and staff wore yellow accessories, encouraging meaningful conversations around mental health and support.

Northam Show
Each class also contributed displays to the Northam Show, showcasing the creativity and dedication of our students. Their impressive work stood out and highlighted their hard work and enthusiasm. 

Lenihan Day
We also honoured Monsignor Lenihan by wearing green to celebrate his contributions and remember his values of strong perseverance. 

Footy Colours Day
To close out the term, we celebrated by wearing our favourite sports colours. It was a lively and energetic end to a productive and memorable term. 
 
Spirit of Jesus Moments: 

• Seeing our Year One students lead a heartfelt Liturgy in the PAC, creating a special moment of connection with their families.
• Witnessing the responsibility and leadership displayed by our Year 6 students, who worked hard selling green items at their stalls and playing with younger students.
• Observing the amazing sportsmanship shown by the three teams representing St Joseph’s at the hockey carnival. 

Thank you to the Primary School community for your ongoing support and engagement in the important school events this term. We wish all our students and families a restful and safe break and we look forward to seeing everyone in Term 4. 

In faith and unity,

Jessica Morris, Rebecca Curtis, Ruth Adams & Michelle Smith
Primary Leadership Team

Class in Focus: Year Two Blue

It has been a busy and exciting term in Year 2 as we’ve been diving into some fun and hands-on learning activities! Here's a glimpse of what we’ve been up to.

Literacy
At the start of this term, our students were captivated by the story of Farmer Tom as part of our Talk for Writing program. The engaging tale of a farmer who loses his sheep has sparked their imaginations and served as an excellent foundation for developing storytelling and writing skills. During the Innovation Phase, students added their own creative twists to the story, and it was incredible to see the wide range of ideas and conversations that emerged. This phase allowed students to modify the text, giving them the opportunity to personalise the narrative and bring their unique versions of Farmer Tom to life.

Fractions Fun 
The students have been learning how to recognise and create fractions by dividing objects into equal halves, quarters, thirds and even eighths. From sharing playdough 'pies' to cutting paper shapes, the kids are really getting the hang of it! Feel free to ask your child how they would divide their favorite treat into equal parts—they’re becoming fraction experts!

Time Travelers 
Learning to tell the time has been an adventure! We've turned into time travelers, using our handmade clocks to explore both analog and digital time. Students have been practising telling time by reading the clock to the quarter-to and quarter-past. We’ve also played many fun games in class to make learning time extra fun. Next time you’re out and about, try asking your child to help you keep track of time!

Super Shapes
Our exploration of 2D shapes has been filled with discovery! We have completed a variety of fun and engaging activities, including making shape robots, playing bingo and many more fun and exciting activities.

Marvelous Measurement
This term, we've also been learning about measurement—particularly length, area and volume. The students have been using informal units such as blocks, counters, paperclips and a variety of other units to measure how much the length of an object is, the distance around an object and the space things take up. Who knew measuring could be so exciting?

HASS 
This term we’ve been exploring the theme of Connections to Country, focusing on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have deep spiritual, cultural and physical connections to the land, seas and skies. This unit has been a meaningful journey for the students, providing them with valuable insights into Indigenous culture and their rich connection to the environment. We have explored Dreamtime stories, examined local Indigenous groups and investigated the significance of their connection to Country.

Kayla Hyde
Year 2 Blue Teacher 

Class in Focus: Year Six Blue

Week 10!

We have made it to the end of our second last Primary School Term! We kicked off this week with Lenihan Day, selling plenty of green coloured treats and raising almost $1000. What a success!

We finalised our Talk for Writing Units on Letter Writing – creating recounts about our double lives as secret agents. We have also completed our Geography unit, learning about natural disasters like the Boxing Day Tsunami and how it created a connection between Australia and the effected countries through relief efforts and fundraising.

Tim Natkanski
Year 6 Blue Teacher

NAIDOC Week

Last week, our Primary School community came together to celebrate NAIDOC Week with a special liturgy, honoring the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The liturgy opened with a Welcome to Country, a traditional acknowledgment of the land’s original custodians. We were privileged to have a local Indigenous Elder, Debrah McGuire, offer this welcome. Students listened intently, gaining a deeper appreciation for the rich history that surrounds them.

The ceremony was filled with student-led prayers, readings and reflections, all centered on this year's NAIDOC theme, 'keep the fire burning'. In the spirit of inclusion and respect, the primary school came together in prayer to ask for guidance in continuing to walk hand-in-hand with First Nations people, honoring their cultures and fostering reconciliation.

The NAIDOC Week liturgy was not only a time for reflection but also a call to action—reminding us of our shared responsibility to build a future founded on mutual respect, unity and understanding. It was a meaningful celebration for all involved, reinforcing the importance of educating our students about Australia’s deep and diverse cultural heritage. Thank you to all the students for their beautiful readings throughout the liturgy.

We are proud to have celebrated this special week with such enthusiasm and respect, ensuring that the message of NAIDOC Week resonates deeply within our school community. Throughout the week, a variety of activities, storytelling sessions and games took place inside the classrooms to celebrate and honor Indigenous culture. On Friday afternoon, students in Pre-Primary to Year 2 completed a series of Indigenous Games.

Kayla Hyde
Teacher

CSBP Hockey Carnival

On Tuesday 17 September, 24 Year 4-6 students attended the CSBP Hockey Carnival at the Northam Hockey Turf, competing against Quairading DHS, York DHS, West Northam Primary School, Northam Primary School and each other.

The day kicked off with a training session led by Aleisha Power, goalkeeper for the Australian Hockeyroos. When the games started everyone played so well, showed great sportsmanship, and displayed true grit in the heat!

Congratulations to Team 1 for winning their pool and Team 2 for winning theirs. Team 3 came 2nd, so a very successful day out. A huge thank you to Louise McPherson, Cat and Bailey Naughton and Michael Hooper for coaching the teams. Thank you to Mrs Holton, for being our first aider, and Ms Hince for umpiring throughout the day.

Rebecca Curtis
Teacher

Sporting Schools

Thank you once again for the magnificent support we received from all our families while running our Sporting Schools activities. This term we ran hockey and basketball with overwhelming interest in our basketball sessions!

Thanks to coach Jarred Patmore for joining us and sharing his skills! I’d also like to thank Peter Matthys, Kayla Hyde, Mikala Thomas and Kylie Gorbig for assisting! We will take a break in Term 4 and see you again next year! 

Ali Hince
Sporting Schools Coordinator