Dear Lord,

We ask you to bless St Joseph's School Community.

We pray that you guide us to be just and to see,

listen, speak and act like St Joseph.

May we be inspired by our Founders to be the best
that we can be.

May we always keep Jesus at the centre of all we do.

St Emilie          Pray for us

St Marcellin      Pray for us

St Joseph         Pray for us 

And may we always remember to pray for one another.

AMEN

Dear Members of St Joseph's Community

It has been my absolute pleasure to witness the calm start to the year on both campuses. Our new students have fitted in beautifully to our School and I certainly hope they all feel welcome.  

At our Beginning of the Year Masses last week, our new Student Leaders for both campuses were inducted and received their badges.  I have no doubt that they will be wonderful representatives of our School. 

Theme 

This year, our theme has two words. The first word is Created - We recognise that we were Created by God, and God only creates things that are good and that he has a plan for everything that is created. We were created with the ability to know right from wrong and good from bad, we were made to be able see things from the perspective of others – and so from this wonderful gift of creation, comes our second word – Called. We are called to be all that God wanted us to be. God wants us to make the most of what we have and if we are our best self and make the most of the gifts and talents that we were blessed with, then we will truly shine. 

St Catherine of Sienna had a phrase that she used to say that we will use a lot this year because it sums up our theme … she said “ be who God wants you to be and you will set the world on fire”. 

Our badge this year is in the shape of a flame to help us remember that setting the world on fire is about being true to what God is individually calling us to do - right here and right now - sharing whatever gifts we have with as much love and compassion as we can manage. 

To read my introductory speech to the students from our Masses last week, follow the link: Theme introduction 2023 

Nut Aware

We would like to remind families that we are a nut aware school. We have many students who are highly anaphylactic to nuts and as a result we ask that families do not send whole nuts, peanut butter or Nutella to school in lunch boxes. 

Congratulations

Congratulations to Nicholas Furey (Yr 8) for being awarded the Chief Instructor Award within his Cadet unit. We are very proud of Nicholas. His citation is below: 

The Chief Instructor award is awarded to a cadet that has displayed a high standard of dedication and commitment to the Youth in Emergency Services Program, whilst assisting with the ongoing development of other cadets in maintaining their skills to the highest of standards. 

The recipient of the 2022 Award has shown significant personal growth and has become a highly valued and respected member of their team. They have ‘clicked’ in regard to cadets. Their behaviour and attitude towards cadets are to be commended. 

Congratulations to Cadet Nicholas Furey, in recognition of the incredible efforts you have put into not only your own development but that of your peers.  Well done! 

Nicholas was presented his award by District Officer Natural Hazards-Midlands Mr Ashley Smith, Representing Superintendent Goldfields Midlands Mr Damien Pumphrey. 

 

 

Year 6 GameChangers

Our second GameChangers Project task for 2022 was completed over the holidays for select students from the current Year 7's.

GameChangers Projects is a Marist Youth group that allows Year 6 students to complete a Social Justice Project over a 7 week Period. 'Projects' is a new initiative at St Joseph's and it allows Primary aged students the opportunity to serve in the wider community in a group situation.

The Term 4 Project that carried through to Christmas was focused on the aspect of us being the 'Spirit of Fire' similar to the connection of fire in our hearts kindled by the Holy Spirit. 

Our final task at the end of last year was to make gifts for children who were spending Christmas Day in Perth Children's Hospital. The gifts were incredibly well thought out and were hugely appreciated by the 'Starlight Foundation' staff on Christmas Day.

The students involved in 'Projects' would like to thank Mr Reidy for his guidance and the 'Starlight Foundation' for allowing us to deliver the gifts on Christmas Day.

Year 7 Retreat

On Wednesday 1 February our Year 7 students participated in their Retreat Day at the Church and Parish Hall. The students enjoyed a day of prayer and reflection on their emotional and spiritual state. Commitments to the service of others were made and special significance was placed on understanding the identity and significance of their House groups. 

We thank the House Captains and special guest, Mrs Rebecca Doughty, for their insights into how to be a person for others. 

Lloyd Reidy
Religious Education Teacher

Parish Sacramental Program

The Parish Sacramental Program Coordinator, Mrs Kathy Pollard, wishes to advise families that the Parish is considering holding the Commitment Ceremony for each Sacrament prior to or at the first parent/student workshop.  If you have any queries regarding the Sacramental Program, please contact Kathy on 0429 685 632.

Dear Families & Friends, 

Welcome back for 2023! To all of our new families, I hope you enjoy being part of the St Joseph’s community as much as I do. We have had a beautiful start to the year on the Primary Campus. The staff are refreshed, the students are energised and we are finally able to function without the noise of builders and machinery in the background.  

We listened to student feedback from the end of last year and have created a ‘chill-space’ outside the PAC. During lunchtimes, children can relax under the trees, play some outdoor games and chat with their friends. In addition to this, the P&F is funding the painting of some outdoor games around the school for students to use at break times. Thank you to the P&F for your support.  

2023 Parent-Teacher Meetings

At the beginning of 2022 due to COVID, we cancelled our beginning of year Parent-Teacher Meetings and instead posted Information PowerPoints on our school website. The feedback from this was positive, as it allowed for all families to access the same information regardless of work/sporting/other commitments. 
 
Therefore, we are going to trial the below process for 2023 and look forward to your feedback in planning for future years: 

• Monday, 13 February:  Parent Information PowerPoints will be available for families to access through the school website https://sjsnortham.wa.edu.au/
• Thursday, 16 February:  Teachers will be holding Open Classrooms from 2:45pm - 4:00pm. This is an opportunity for parents/guardians to visit their child's classroom and meet the teacher.  Any quick questions may also be asked during this time, however, if a detailed conversation is required we ask that you arrange an alternative time to meet with your child's teacher.  Please note this will be for Pre-Primary to Year 6 only.  
• Monday, 13 March - Thursday, 16 March:  Parent Teacher Interviews and IEP Meetings will be held across Week 7 for all students in Kindy to Year 6. Information on how to book in for a meeting with your child's teacher will be sent home closer to the date. 
• If you require any further information please contact our Front Admin Office. 

May you all have a beautiful weekend.  

Michelle Christian
Head of Primary

Head of Secondary

We have had a wonderful start to 2023 and are straight into a busy school year.

Week 1 saw us welcoming the many new students and teachers at our first Mass of the year.

Congratulations to our wonderful Secondary students for their respect coming into the Church and their reverence throughout Mass.

I would also like to welcome new teaching staff; Kathy Pollard to the Secondary Campus, and new to St Joseph’s School; Andrew Ellis, Natalie Williamson-Holley, Cameron Greenley, Michelle Ridout, and Dia Jacob. They have fitted in seamlessly and are a very welcome addition to our School. 

It is our second year starting Years 7, 11 and 12 a day before the rest of Secondary and it seems to greatly help our Year 7s adjust to new lockers and room changes and have not so many students in the hallways on their first day.  The Years 11 and 12 were wonderful helping them to learn their lock combinations and timetables before they began their courses for the year.  

Thank you to Mr Vogel for giving up his weekend to introduce the ViSN (Virtual School Network) students to their teachers and classmates at UWA last weekend. I’m sure the Year 11s had a bit of fun pretending to be Uni students for a couple of days and showing the staff how independently they are able to work. 

This weekend I head off to Camp Leschenaultia with the Student Leadership Team and the amazing Mr Vernede. This is an opportunity for the students to develop leadership skills and work as a team to promote their ideas in our school community. Thank you, Mr Vernede. 

Term 1 sees our Years 7 and 9 students completing NAPLAN earlier than previous years. This year we will start on 15 March and complete assessments on different days until 24 March. If your child is absent, then we will catch up with them at their next school day so that they are given every opportunity to complete the assessments. For Year 9s, a level of Band 8 is needed in NAPLAN so that they are not required to complete OLNA (Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment).  

The OLNA enables students to successfully meet the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) requirement of demonstrating a minimum standard of literacy (reading and writing) and numeracy. For those Years 11 and 12 students who have not yet met the requirement, we will be completing OLNA between 27 February and 10 March and then again in September. 

God bless and thank you.

Sharon Cusack
Head of Secondary

Teaching and Learning

Welcome to 2023, a new, fresh academic year full of exciting possibilities. We can take a moment to reflect on our past performance and our successes last year, in addition to the results and successes of others, such as the Year 12 graduating class of 2022 and their positive ATAR results.  The solid results obtained highlight the determination and perseverance of our students in the learning process and the commitment and dedication of each and every staff member involved throughout the year, and the many previous years, engaging with the students’ establishing skills and knowledge to enable this success.

Just like a new year’s resolution, what new academic year resolution are we setting for ourselves this year?

The year is going to throw some challenges at us, encouraging us to be flexible and adapting to change perhaps a little quicker than we would like, but now is the time to ask, ‘How successful will my 2023 be?’

Certainly, we have seen everyone starting off in a positive direction, with fresh minds and fresh books. What we should see as time progresses is less of the latter, those books should not be so fresh!

Notebooks should have notes and textbooks are great resources, read them, complete the questions, transfer key points, tables and graphs to your notes. Use your resources and use them wisely, if you are not sure that is where your subject teacher can help you.  What notes do I need to make, what are the important points, what do I need to study, these are great questions to receive an answer to before it all becomes too overwhelming.

As expectations and commitments grow, this feeling of being overwhelmed can lead to unnecessary stress. Everyone has deadlines and commitments, such as assignments due and tests to complete, but without planning and preparation these can pile up and lead to anxiety.

Think of it like holding a glass of water, it doesn’t weigh much, not a problem. Well, if you continue to hold it in front of you for a minute, two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes, well now it begins to be a problem.  A little thing like a few hundred millilitres of water, suddenly it begins to weigh you down, all you can think about is that ‘heavy’ glass of water, it is making you anxious and tense and eventually it does become too overwhelming, and you cannot hold it anymore.

This is a lot like your student career, this is built up of lots of little tasks (some bigger than others) so plan ahead, don’t let these tasks sit there or it will weigh on your mind, especially if you are juggling many tasks. If you don’t deal with these matters as soon as possible, this added weight may make an impact on your academic success or even your general well-being, where all you are worried about is the work which is due, or perhaps even overdue.

Now that fresh content is being covered and preparation leading into the first assessments is occurring, this is the time to make a good choice. A choice to do your best, leading to your personal success at school this year and being the best student that you can be.

Mark Gargano
Year 7 - 12 Teaching and Learning Coordinator

Learning Area - English Department

Year 7s:

We are looking forward to beginning high school with our new Year 7s. Students will be looking at short stories and will learn some of the tricks and techniques of creative writing. We have the additional challenge of NAPLAN Testing, which has been moved to Term 1 so we are slowly preparing students for their first round of NAPLAN testing in high school.

Year 8s:

The Year 8 students have begun the year with a study of poetry. Students will be introduced to a wide array of poems and will analyse writing techniques including figurative language, rhyme, and rhythm. Students have already shown some of their creative potential in crafting similes and using alliteration in their classwork.

Year 9s:

Year 9 students have begun their English studies by looking at the representations of war and conflict across a number of different texts. Students are working towards their novel study which will be Australian author John Marsden’s Tomorrow when the War Began, which explores how ordinary teenagers might react should conflict ever reach Australian shores.

Year 10s:

Race and prejudice are the themes of study for the Year 10s at the start of this year. Students are reading a number of short stories by well-renowned authors including Shirley Jackson and Tim Winton. These stories explore the nature of prejudice and the human tendency to secure social status by putting down others. The assessments for this unit of study will challenge students’ analytical and creative skills with students critically analysing and then creating their own short stories.

Year 11s:

The Year 11s begin their last two years having selected either an ATAR, General or Foundations pathway. Students have been introduced to their varied programs and will receive every support to achieve credit towards their WACE Certificate. Year 11 General and Foundations students have begun with a unit that looks at sales and advertising with students to prepare their own sales and advertising pitch for an “impossible” object. Year 11 ATAR students meanwhile have begun their study exploring the role of technology in society through the classic short story “The Pedestrian” and a far more contemporary treatment of the same theme in the Black Mirror episode “Nosedive”.

Year 12s:

Year 12 students are being offered every support as they begin their final year of high school. The ATAR English class has begun their course with a study of genre and has focused specifically on Gothic Fiction. Students have begun reading the Gothic classic Dracula and will investigate how the genre has changed and adapted itself throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Year 12 General students have begun their year looking at persuasive texts and the contemporary debate surrounding the date of Australia Day. We wish all our Year 12 students luck as they begin this important year in their schooling.

Daniel Matthys
Head of Learning Areas: English and the Arts

School Calendar

As we have transitioned over to our new website, you will be able to access our School Calender via the website or the Schoolzine app. Please ensure that you keep referring to this calendar.

There are many events planned for Term 1, and you are encouraged to check the calendar for upcoming events that may involve your family.

Andrea Woodgate

Fee Concession Eligibility

If you have a current (eligible) Family Health Care Card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) you may be entitled to a reduction in your school fees.  Applications for this assistance need to be submitted to our Finance Department by the end of Week 7, Friday 17 March 2023.
 
You will be required to complete the following documents and provide us with your current HCC or PCC to enable us to take a copy of your card.  These documents can be found on our website in the Enrolment Section under the School Fees tab or by clicking on this link: Link to Forms

• HCC Tuition Fee discount Scheme Form

• 2023 Secondary Assistance Scheme - Years 7 to 12

Please submit to our Finance Department before the advised cut off date.

Parent Participation Scheme

Did you know that the school offers a reduction in your school fees?

Families have the ability to work off a portion of their fees through voluntary help at the School. This is a great way to get involved and set a wonderful example of vollunteering for your child.

Whilst assisting in the Canteen is an obvious way to help, other activities encouraged include:

• Classroom assistance
• Reading assistance
• Officiating at swimming & athletics carnivals
• Gardening
• Attending P&F or School Advisory Council Meetings
• Running or assisting with fundraising activities
• Covering books for the Library

Forms and pamphlets are available from the Primary Office or download through the website at https://sjsnortham.schoolzineplus.com/_file/media/86/parent_participation_card.pdf

Once completed, please hand in to the Business Manager, Ms Quinn, by the end of Term 3.  Forms can be dropped into either Admin Office and Ms Quinn will arrange for the deduction of the Levy from your School Fees Account.

Ms Sharon Quinn
Business Manager

The Primary Canteen has a new Summer Menu in Term 1 - please check the current menu and daily specials before ordering. 

You are encouraged to order online.  If we experience connectivity issues with the online ordering, please revert to using lunch bags to place orders for that day. 

Recess or snack items ordered online are available for students to collect from the Canteen at their Recess break.  Milo pops and icypoles can be collected from the Canteen following the second lunch bell.  

Colour Run - Canteen Closed

Please note that on the day of the Colour Run, Friday 17 March that the Primary and Secondary canteens will be closed. A special Colour Run Menu has been sent home to students to preorder and we ask that you send cash only with your order please.

Canteen Support - Volunteers Required

Due to high demand on our quality food and service we need helpers to ensure that our kids get their lunches on time.   In order to function to our highest potential, we ideally need 2 or more  volunteers a day.  Volunteering is a great way to teach your kids about giving, modelling them for the future.  Also, every shift you do at our School helps you towards qualifying for a Parent Participation discount on your annual fees.  

We would love to welcome you into our fun, and busy environment and see the smiles on your children’s faces when they see you in their school.  If you are able help, please sign up online at the new sign up link https://signup.com/go/TTaUbeJ 

Our Primary Canteen Helper Roster for Term 1 is below.  Volunteers are urgently needed so please consider offering an hour or two one morning.   

Primary - Week 7  

Primary - Week 8

I look forward to working with you.  If you have any queries, you are always welcome to contact the Canteen on the number below.

Angela
Canteen - 9621 3525 

Opening Times:                           Mondays -   3.15pm to 4.45pm       
                                                     Thursdays - 2.45pm to 4.15pm    

Families wishing to access the Uniform Shop are advised that the online shop is the preferred method of ordering uniforms.  If items are required to be tried on, then an appointment should be made by contacting the Primary Admin on 9621 3500.  We are continuing to limit numbers in the Uniform Shop so an appointment is preferred.  Please note we can not accept email or telephone orders.

Please also keep in mind when ordering, that your items will go home Tuesday and Friday of each week, as Monday and Thursday are the days the Shop is open.  When placing an order via the Online Shop, it will appear on a report the following day.  For example; if you place your order on Monday, the report issues on Tuesday which means it will not be organised until Thursday, and will go home on Friday.

Michelle James 
Primary - 9621 3524

Secondary Soft Shell Jackets

Secondary Jacket orders are due in by Friday 17 February. Jackets are available for students to try on for sizing in the Secondary Office during lunch and recess only.

Orders can be made online via the school website at https://sjsnortham.wa.edu.au/uniform

Parish Priest - Fr George James

Assistant Priest - Fr Konrad Gagatek

Mass Times ~ Saturday Vigil @ 5.30pm

                   ~ Sunday Mass @ 8.00am  

Presbytery Phone: 08 9622 5411
Email: northamcatholicchurch@iinet.net.au
Website:  www.northamchurch.com

Parish News ~ Children's Liturgy 
Children’s Liturgy sessions are held during the 8.00am Sunday Mass.

Welcome everyone to the 2023 school year! For those families that are new to the school, I would like to extend a huge welcome and for those families returning welcome back! I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you all your P&F Committee for 2023.

Chair:  Casey Pearse

Vice Chair:  Fiona Newton

Secretary:  Peta Norrish

Treasurer:  Katie Candeloro

School Advisory Council Rep:  Kate Morgan

The P&F help run some of the major events held throughout the school year. I encourage all families and parents to get involved in the P&F; many hands make light work! It is also a great way to get to know other parents and families especially if you are new to the school!

Some key dates for our events this year are below:

Friday 24 February - Swimming Carnival

Friday 17 March - Colour Run

From Week 9 - Easter Raffle

More information about these events will follow soon.

Each year has their designated class reps who will organise class catch ups as a way of introducing new families to their individual year groups.

Both the School’s and P&F Facebook pages are updated regularly and I encourage everyone to check both pages for up-to-date information. We also have a great addition with the P&F Uniform and Books Sale Facebook page for families wanting to buy/sell uniforms and text books. We also have the individual year Facebook groups, if there are any parents to your year please add them in!

Our first P&F meeting will be held next Monday 13 February at 3.20pm in the Kindy room.  Please note everyone is welcome to attend the meetings and it would be great to have as many people there to help support our school!

I look forward to working with you all this year.

Casey Pearse
P&F Chair

JUNIOR TENNIS COACHING

2023 GIRLS FOOTY

The Northam Junior Football Club are supporting Girls Footy in the Wheatbelt with a Come and Have a Try Day on 16 February 2023.

-Starting from 5pm on Jubilee Oval Northam

-Open for girls from Year 3 and above

-Meet the coaches and managers for the year

-Run some drills and make new friends

-Registrations for pre-season training open

For more information contact: Northamjuniorfootballgenw@gmail.com