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

I had the privilege of attending the Northam Dawn Service on ANZAC Day with 13 of our student leaders from across both campuses. We were pleased to be part of such a moving service and I thank the parents of those students for making the effort to get them there.

Priests leaving 

We were informed recently that both our parish priests are being moved to new parishes. Father George is moving to the Thornlie parish after 9 years in Northam and Father Konrad is moving to the Kalgoorlie parish after nearly 5 years. We are very grateful to both of them for their contribution to the school and parish over such a long period of time and wish them well in their new communities. The parish is holding a farewell event after the 5:30pm mass on Saturday 13 May in the Kirby Hall. All are welcome to attend. 

Marist staff combined PD day 

On Monday 24 April, all staff from the three Marist schools in Western Australia came together for a day of faith formation at Newman College. It was the first time that something of this size has been trialed. It was lovely to spend the day with fellow Marists from Bunbury Catholic College and Newman College. 

Leonard House Day 

On Wednesday 10 May, we will be celebrating Leonard Day. Students from Kindy – Year 6 are invited to wear 'red' free dress to school and to bring some spare change to purchase red treats at lunchtime from our Student Leaders. Any students not wishing to wear red items of clothing to school on Wednesday are asked to wear their normal school uniform.

Murdoch University Visit 

On Thursday 4 May, I had the pleasure of escorting three Year 12 students to Murdoch University. These students are undertaking an alternative entry pathway that we offer, called Murdoch Flexitack. This visit to the university allowed them to tour the campus and take part in activities from various departments. It was exciting to see what is on offer for them in the near future. photo  

2022 Year book 

Last week, the 2022 St Joseph’s Yearbook was handed out to the youngest sibling. Thank you to everyone for the huge amount of time and effort that was put into this lovely memory for our students to look back on. If your family was at the school last year but has not received a copy, please either ring the Primary Admin on 9621 3500 or email jocelyn.spadaccini@cewa.edu.au 

Weekly Gospel Reflection

Please view the Gospel reflection for this week.

This week's clip has a focus on 'Jesus as the Good Shepherd' 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtZ23h6oWJ0

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 to Term 2, we have an exciting term ahead with everything from Cross Country Carnivals through to our first ever Founder’s Week. 

Lunch Times

Throughout the first five weeks of this term, for students in Years 1 - 6, we are trialling having students play first at lunchtimes and then eat. There is significant research in this area, with one study reporting: 

• 52% of students ate more of their lunch
• There was a 45% improvement in student behaviour
• 37% of students had an increased focus when eating 
• 27% reported a decrease in food waste 

We ask that families provide their child with daily Crunch & Sip options, so that students can eat a healthy snack during class if they are hungry. At the end of the five week trial, we will survey students and staff to make an informed decision for our school moving forward. 

Quest Clubs

Starting next week, students in Year 3 - 6 will participate in Quest Clubs. The purpose of Quest Clubs is to provide students with an opportunity to engage in an area of high-interest to further develop their passion as life-long learners. Quest Clubs will be held every Thursday and will cover a range of topics including orienteering, debating, cooking and Lego construction.

Mother's Day

Thank you to everyone who has purchased a ticket for our Mother’s Day Celebration being held on Friday, 12 May. If you have not purchased a ticket, you are still welcome to come along – you will just need to bring your own lunch. Assembly will begin in the PAC at 11:15am.

Wishing all the women in our community a beautiful Mother’s Day. Thank you for everything you do to make our St Jospeh’s community so special. 

Michelle Christian
Head of Primary

Class in Focus: 3 Gold

We hope this newsletter finds you well. It has been a busy and productive term here in 3 Gold, with us all getting straight back into the swing of learning new things and expanding our knowledge in various subjects.

In Religion, we completed our Easter unit at the end of Term 2 and created some wonderful artwork to display on our walls. We have now moved on to the special unit of Reconciliation, where we can start to form a beautiful relationship with God. We are proud to announce that some of our students will be participating in this, on June 1, and we wish them all their best for this special sacrament.

In Maths, 3 Gold have been learning about how to create and ask surveying questions, then we have been graphing our results. This term we will be learning about how to measure different objects. We planted some plants last week and hopefully they start to sprout with this lovely weather, so that we can measure their growth and graph the information. We are excited to see our plants grow and can't wait to share our progress with you.

Our Art classes have been especially enjoyable, and we have worked with Mrs Smith to create a beautiful class mural that puts a smile on our faces each morning. It has been a fun and collaborative project, and we are proud of the result. We are looking forward to creating some more amazing artwork to be displayed for everyone to see.

Language was very busy and we learnt a lot. We finished our narrative and poetry units and you may have read some of our fantastic stories. We created Trolls and wrote stories about what they got up to. This term we will be focusing on informational reports. Our current topic is the fascinating cactus fish, and our students are learning a lot about these unique creatures.

The Year 3 Gold class are excited to share all our new skills and knowledge with you, and we can't wait to see what other fun activities that are in store for the rest of the year.

Helen Sullivan
3 Gold Teacher

Class in Focus: Year 6 Blue

Wow! How can it be the end of week two already? This term the students have been working hard to quickly get back into routines and expectations. In the coming weeks, the students are super excited about so many up and coming events such as the Cross Country, Founders Week and most importantly - the Winter Carnival. The Carnival will be held on Friday Week 4 at the Recreation Centre, where our students will be participating in either soccer or netball against the other Northam schools. We would love all the participants parents to support and watch their child play.   

In English, we are learning about how to develop explanation texts with the focus on hooking the reader in and informing them about the provided topic. Each student is beginning to learn the skills to independently write their own explanation.  

In Mathematics we have been focusing on the different types of fractions such as proper, improper, mixed, and equivalent and how we can play these on a number line. Over the next couple of weeks, the students will begin to put their knowledge into practise by designing and creating their own board game.  

In Religion we have been learning about Penance and how we understand ours' and others’ emotions. Over the past week we have looked at how we can show or identify empathy in everyday situations. We will be using this unit as a time of reflection on how we as a class, and individuals, can become better people at home, school and within the community.  

This term in HASS our theme is the characteristics of Asian countries and how they are related with Australia. So far, the students have learnt about the 6 different regions of Asia, and they have researched in detail about the history and culture of China. Over the next couple of weeks, the students will be starting their first research project for the year based on a particular Asian country. I can’t wait to see what the students come up with.  

Overall, the students are thoroughly enjoying the current term and are eagerly anticipating what lies ahead. 

Cameron Watson
Year 6 Blue Teacher

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope everyone had a relaxing time. 

On our first day back to school, the Year 9 students, with the help of Mr Lloyd Reidy, presented a moving commemoration to the ANZACs. It was a beautiful morning sitting in the quad while we listened to prayers, poetry, and a song from Mr Reidy. Thank you to Mrs Renee Marasco and Mrs Kylie Parker for organising a truly beautiful morning.

Thank you to the parents and guardians that either had phone calls, online meetings and face-to-face meetings Monday and Tuesday with Secondary teachers. Teachers gain valuable insight into a student’s life through these meetings which enable us to improve our teaching for your child.

We had a wonderful turnout for the Champagnat Cup on Tuesday. It was great to see our students compete against Newman College and show such sportsmanship. I will leave the details to Miss Suckling to discuss.

Our Year 10s will be starting their journey to upper school pathways on Monday with the Head of Learning Areas discussing the available options during classes.  

Our information evening will be on Wednesday, 17 May at 6:30pm. If you are the parent of a Year 10, please come, with your child, as there is a lot of information to discuss. Year 10s will start the day with an Open Day at the TAFE where they can explore the available options for a General Pathway. 

Finally, we have our Year 8 Mother’s Day morning tea next Friday, 12 May at 10am at the Secondary Campus. If you are the mother, grandmother or significant woman in the life of one of our Year 8s, please come along. They have made lots of lovely treats for you. Please RSVP to 96213550

God Bless

Sharon Cusack
Head of Secondary

From the Teaching and Learning Office

Upcoming Tertiary events

Edith Cowan University at Joondalup have organised a few upcoming evenings to showcase their Engineering faculty. The dates are Thursday 8 June and Friday 8 September, running from 4.30 pm until 6.30pm and are repeat sessions. Year 12 students are encouraged to attend either of the sessions if this is an interest area for you, as this will coincide with your university application process. In addition to facilities tours and demonstration of laboratory work, they will also present materials about industry connections and available scholarships. Additional details can be obtained through email at; seadmin@ecu.edu.au

With a lot of opportunities on offer about courses and careers, now is the time to consider this, take charge and attend a few sessions. You may even discover a new course that will take you on an exciting future career pathway.

Goal Setting for Term Two

Yes, we have completed a term and yes, we have already received a report, but it is still very early days and there are three terms to go for this year, so what can we do about this? 

I would like to remind one and all that we do not celebrate mediocrity which comes about from a lack of effort. All students are capable of achieving high standards, and becoming the best version of themselves and success presents itself in many forms. Success, however, requires commitment, believing in yourself, and doing your best. I would like all students to reflect on comments relating to your Interim Report and the recent Parent-Teacher Interviews, and consider what you can do in order to improve this term. 

This is a busy term, with excursions, incursions, guest presenters, interschool challenges and in the middle of the term, examinations for Year 9-12 students. This is the time when perhaps a bit of additional stress is felt, please be mindful of this and be mindful of each other. This is where we need to demonstrate respect for each other. Please be mindful about the way you speak to and treat one another, both in and out of the classrooms. Be responsible young adults and take responsibility for your own actions, this means being punctual, being an active participant in class and completing schoolwork, homework and submitting assessments on time. 
So how do you succeed, what is your reaction when you get a disappointing assignment mark? 
 
We all have times when we think we have done brilliantly then get an assignment back and end up being really despondent instead. You could just feel miserable, or you could try these steps: 
 
-Review your understanding 
 
The first step is to work through the feedback and work out what went wrong. 
• Did you not meet the criteria? 
• What feedback were you given from the teacher? 
• Do you understand the feedback? 
If you don’t understand why you got the mark you did, it is essential you ask your teacher for clarification. If not, you will keep making the same mistakes over and over again. 
 
-Accepting or making the change 
 
Once you understand what the issue was, you can either accept it, or make the change. 
 
If you feel upon review that the mark was actually fair enough, then it is time to move on. There is no point tearing yourself up any more about the achieved mark, instead you need to treat this as a learning process.

The people who are the most successful don’t let their mistakes get them down, they see mistakes as an opportunity to learn more and to improve next time around. 
 
-Learning something new 
 
The only way to improve, is to work out what you did wrong, then try and fix it. It is actually a really good idea to re-do part of the work once you have reviewed, like doing test corrections. Not everyone has the commitment to do this, but if you do, you will really see the benefit in your future results. 
 
Observe what you have done and learn something new from it and apply this the next time you are being assessed on this skill. 
 
Don’t forget teachers are there to assist, if you are quite unsure, it would also be a great idea for your next task to ask your teacher, discuss with them your plan for your essay, how you might solve those equations, take something that you have created to them for review and comment. Don’t just say "I don’t understand". Having something concrete in front of you for the teacher to check and then provide feedback to will enable very specific guidance and increase your understanding of the task and content, even before handing the assignment in.  

Tutorials

For our Year 11 and 12 ATAR students, there are opportunities on offer for free after school tutorials. After school tutorials for Year 11 and 12 ATAR classes have been established to allow students with specific questions and Learning Area subject issues to have an opportunity to have an intensive time with their course teacher to revisit and explore topics previously covered.  

We recommend that these sessions, while not compulsory, are highly endorsed as they will enhance the content and skills developed in class and provide opportunities for the student to further increase their understanding.  

Students are asked to speak with their course teacher or check the tutorials information letter for details, including the specific day that each course session is running.  

Exams

As mentioned earlier, Term 2 is the time for secondary examinations. These are occurring for all our Year 9 and 10 students and our Year 11 and 12 ATAR students.

Year 9 and 10 examinations are occurring from 26 May to 06 June, with the subjects being examined Religious Education, English, Mathematics and HASS. All Year 9 and 10 examinations are of 90 minutes duration, plus 10 minutes of reading time.  

Senior Secondary examinations are running from May 25 to June 08. All Senior Secondary examinations are three hours (and 10 minutes reading time) long unless directed otherwise. Senior Secondary students are not expected to be at school on the days or times where they do not have an examination.  

Examinations are an important part of the teaching, learning and assessing cycle. A positive performance in exams demonstrates a successful competency level of key content and skills in each relevant Learning Area. Please utilise all materials and any study guides provided to enhance your chance of maximising your marks and therefore your grades. Details such as being aware of the structure for each of the examinations (multiple choice, short answer, comprehension, vocabulary, essay), mark allocation, topics, suggested questions and areas of focus will assist with sound preparation. 

All the best to the students for the examinations and for Term 2. 

University accommodation

All Senior Secondary students on a university pathway attended a presentation discussing university accommodation this week. This was presented by Tom Mitchell from St Thomas More College and outlined comparisons between independent living costs and residing in university accommodation, including areas such as not having to deal with additional bills, such as utilities, tutoring fees, gym memberships and main meals, in university accommodation. As highlighted during the talk, for many of our students, living away from friend and family networks is going to be difficult enough when in tertiary education, even before factoring in looking after yourself and conducting a rigorous study regime, some are still struggling with the latter this year. 

The students saw a snapshot of the life and times at St Thomas More College, with the various events, activities, sports teams, social events and formal gatherings that occur, providing an understanding of additional support structures for students as they move to study in Perth after a life in the country living at home.  

As the term progresses, Year 12 students will be considering and then selecting their university preferences. Something else that needs to be contemplated is, once I get my course of choice, where am I going to live? 

Mark Gargano
Year 7 - 12 Teaching and Learning Coordinator

Family and Community Incursion

On Tuesday 2 May the Year 11 Children, Family and Community class were lucky to receive a visit from a local Midwife, Judi Turner. She spoke to the students about the Midwifery Unit and Northam Hospital along with the facilities and services they provide.

Pregnancy, birth and what happens following birth was discussed. The students were very interested and asked some excellent questions. It was a great opportunity for students to understand from an expert the process involved in maternal health and post natal services. Thank you Judi! 

Carol Farson
Home Economics Teacher

ASDAN Excursion

In Term 1 the secondary ASDAN students from Years 7 to 9 planned, designed, and built the beds for a fruit tree and vegetable garden behind the pre-primary building at the primary campus.

On Tuesday 2 May the students went on an excursion to Glen Forrest Community Garden and Wundowie Plant Nursery. The students completed a scavenger hunt worksheet, recording plant varieties, plant growing habits and companion planting.  Students used a plant identifier app to help recognise unfamiliar plants. Next, the students shopped for trees and plants at Wundowie Plant Farm. The nurseryman explained cross-pollination to the students and helped them select varieties of fruit trees that were dwarf size for the pre-primary garden including apples, mandarin, lemon, apricot, and peach.

Thanks to Doug for driving the students on excursion and looking after our trees until we can plant them in the ground during Week 4.

Caroline Marriott
VET Co-ordinator

Silly Sock Day

On 4 May the Secondary Campus raised important funds for LifeLink by wearing their silliest socks and bringing a gold coin donation. It was great to see students and teachers rocking their socks for the day to provide support for those in need!

Kate Gentle & Stephanie Irvin
Student Leaders

Secondary Sporting News

Champagnat Cup   

On Tuesday 2 May, St Joseph’s hosted the annual Marist Champagnat Cup. Students from Newman College travelled to Northam to compete against our senior students in Football, Basketball and Netball.  

The day started well with St Joseph’s girls winning the basketball game at school, Newman then showed their dominance taking home the win in the Football, Boys Basketball and the Netball, and the overall trophy. All students involved enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, display of talent and competition. Congratulations to Mr Lloyd Reidy and Mrs Marnie Barrett for coordinating such a successful event it was great to see both schools in Northam having such a good time.  

Thank you to Mr Lloyd Reidy, Reagan Abbey, Kody Elliot, Demi Collins and Cody Taylor for umpiring throughout the day and Mr Ryan Sinclair and Mr Cameron Greenley for coaching.

Year 9/10 Physical Recreation Walk around town for the ANZAC’s

This semester Physical Recreation has been added to the Year 9 and 10 electives list. The students have been participating in a number of recreational physical activities, aiming to enhance their physical activity and knowledge of keeping active.

On Wednesday 26 April, students participated in a walk around town paying their respects to service men and women who have served for our country. Students started at St Joseph’s and travelled to the Northam Memorial Hall where they reflected on the number of lives lost for our country. We then continued on around the Avon River combining recreation with the history of Northam. 

Adrienne Suckling
Head of Learning Area - Health & Physical Education

School Calendar

The school calender is accessed via the School website or the Schoolzine app. Please ensure that you keep refering to this calendar throughout the year.

You are encouraged to check the calendar for upcoming events that may involve your family.

Andrea Woodgate
Principal

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
• 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 - the forms can be dropped into either Admin Office and Ms Quinn will arrange for the deduction of the Levy from your School Fees Account.

Sharon Quinn
Business Manager

Donations needed - Newborn clothing and toddler items

We are running a new course in Year 11 called CHILDREN, FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY.  It teaches students about the development of children from conception to age 12. As such, we will be purchasing a reality baby.  Therefore I am requesting some donations of newborn clothing that anyone may be wanting to get rid of. I am also seeking baby and toddler-age toys and books that you may be wanting to donate. If you are able to help, please drop donations into the Secondary office.

Carol Farson
Home Economics Teacher

Early Years School Entry Health Assessment

The Avon and Central Wheatbelt Community Nurse, Aimee Leeson, has provided each Kindergarten student with a Confidential Enrolment/Consent Form and asks that parents/guardians complete the Form and return this to School as soon as practical. 

This important Early Years Health Assessment will be undertaken during this year with students being withdrawn from class.  Should you have any queries regarding your child’s Assessment, please contact Aimee Leeson, Community Health Nurse Avon & Central Wheatbelt Primary Health, phone 9690 1320 or email:  aimee.leeson@health.wa.gov.au

With the start of Term 2 the canteen has now moved to the new WINTER MENU - please check the current menu and daily specials before ordering.

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.  

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/client/invitation2/secure/99628346012/false#/invitation

Our Primary Canteen Helper Roster for Term 2 is below, as you can see we are a bit light on with the start of Term 2 and are in need of helpers.  Volunteers are urgently needed so please consider offering an hour or two one morning.   

Primary - Week 3  

Primary - Week 4

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 Sandrini
Canteen - 9621 3525 

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

It is now Term 2 and students are required to wear their winter uniform.

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

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.

Colour Run Success

Welcome back everyone to Term 2! I hope you enjoyed your holidays and are ready for another term of school! 

There are some exciting events being held this term in which the P&F will be assisting with. Any help is very much appreciated and can be used in conjunction with the Parent Participation Cards.  

Easter Raffle

Thank you again to everyone who donated and helped out in the Easter raffle. It was a huge success! We raised a total of $842.

Primary Disco

Due to conflicting events, we have had to postpone the Primary Disco. Please keep an eye out for the new date of the disco once it is confirmed! 

Class Catch Ups

Throughout Term 2, class reps from each year will be organising class catch ups for individual year groups. This is a great way for new families to meet other parents in their child’s year group. Each year group will be notified of these events through their Facebook group pages.

Class/Library Book Covering

Ever wanted to help from the comfort of your home?

We have boxes of books processed and ready to be covered, all supplies (tape and plastic) provided. Pick-up is from our Primary Campus Library.

Welcome to anyone new, grandparents and friends can cover on your behalf.  All support and help is appreciated.  

Please remember to complete your parent participation form.

Email Kylie Dymnicki, Education and Library Assistant: 8605svc_library@cewa.edu.au

Canteen Assistance

A reminder about Canteen assistance - if parents have an hour to spare after dropping off their kids, or between 11.30am and 12.50pm, Angela would appreciate any help you can offer her.  The number of lunch orders coming in is the highest it's ever been, which means more food to get ready.  You can also have these volunteer hours marked off on your Parent Participation Card, which deducts $100.00 from your school fees.  Your kids will also love seeing their parents at School!

Next P&F Meeting

Our next P&F meeting will be held later this term (date to be confirmed). All parents and caregivers are welcome and we encourage everyone to come along and see how you can help out! 

Follow us on Facebook

To stay up to date with the P&F please follow our Facebook page. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

See our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1764507137145087 for more updates.

Casey Pearse
P&F Chair

School Dental Van

The Hills Rangers Football Club is looking for Year 4, 5 & 6 girls to join our 5/6 girls AFL team.

Training is at Elsie Austin Oval, Mt Helena on a Wednesday from 4:30 - 5:30pm and games are played on a Friday night.

Please contact the coach Kate Davitt for further information on 0409 884 416

2023 CBCA WA Make Your Own Story Book

The 2023 CBCA WA "Make Your Own Story Book" competition is for all the budding young writers and artists in your lives.

Closing date for entries is Friday 9 June 2023.

Details plus very helpful videos (made by local author/illustrator Sean E 
Avery) are available on the CBCA WA Branch website.

https://wa.cbca.org.au/make-your-own-story-book.html

They look forward to receiving lots of entries in 2023.