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

Sacrament of Confirmation 

Last Sunday, 23 students took part in their final sacrament of initiation into the Catholic faith. Father Rubenson celebrated a beautiful Mass in the absence of a bishop and we thank him for his wise words. The entire school community congratulates these children on receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.  

Presentation Night 

Thank you to those families who attended our annual Presentation Night last week.  It was wonderful to come together as a community to celebrate the gifts and talents of our students and to farewell our Year 12 students. A list of award winners can be found here. 

Thank you to those who donated a gift this year. The gifts were donated to SMYL in Northam, who service the wider Wheatbelt, St Vincent de Paul Midland, who take the gifts to the Women’s prison so that the women are able to give their children a gift for Christmas, and also to St Joseph’s Care who distribute within Northam, Toodyay and Bakers Hill.  Your generosity has helped many people, thank you! 

 

Step up Day 

One of the most exciting days on the school calendar takes place on Monday 27 November as the Primary campus students meet their teachers for next year, this includes the Year 6s spending the day at the Secondary campus. New students for 2024 will also be joining us on this day. 

A full list of the Primary teaching Staff for 2024 can be found here. 

With only 3 weeks left of the school year, there is a lot happening every day. Please ensure that you are checking your emails and Seesaw messages to keep up to date with what is coming up.

Weekly Gospel Reflection

This week's clip has a focus on 'Being Ready' and that we should always be alert to positive opportunities.

Year 11 MaJEC Day

The Year 11s completed their MaJEC service day in Perth and Northam on Thursday 16 November.

Students contributed to Good Samaritan Industries, St Vincent De Paul Society, St Joseph's Primary and the Shire of Northam Rehabilitation Project. The students demonstrated a great amount of action and initiative and are to be commended for their excellent service to these vital institutions. All participants came back to school with a heightened sense of how good it feels to serve in order to make our communities better off.

Lloyd Reidy
Religious Education Coordinator

Dear Families & Friends, 

Across the past two weeks, we have offered a vast array of experiences on our Primary Campus. Swimming lessons continued for Years 2, 3, 4 & 6. Thank you to Wendy and her team of swimming instructors at Northam Pool for continuing to offer such a valuable service in our community. 

Last week, as part of our acknowledgment of Remembrance Day, students participated in an incursion with Graham Brooks from the RSL. Graham brought his ANZAC Trailer and shared a range of resources and memorabilia with our students. Graham also joined us for our Remembrance Day Assembly which was led by our beautiful Year One Blue class. 

Students from selected classes participated in a contemporary dance workshop with CO3 Dance Company. The state government funded CO3, to visit regional schools to immerse students in the world of contemporary dance. 

Students from Kindy, Pre-Primary and Years 2 – 6, also viewed two Constable Care Performances this week. Our junior classes viewed a show titled Fun Scary, which reinforced topics covered in Protective Behaviours such as recognising the difference between safe and unsafe feelings. Students in Years 4 – 6 viewed Screen Name, which explored how to make safe decisions online. 

Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Year 5 Camp at Swan Valley Adventure Centre. The purpose of the camp is to provide students with a one-night camp experience prior to our Year 6 Camp. Students had a wonderful time participating in a range of activities including kayaking, archery, crate stacking, beach volleyball and nighttime torch games. Thank you to Mrs Sandrini for her delicious catering, and to Mr Natkanski, Mr Chalmers, Mrs Curtis and Mr Patmore for helping to make camp such a memorable experience for our students.

May you all have a fantastic week ahead.   

Michelle Christian
Head of Primary

Class in Focus: Pre-Primary Gold

What a term it has been in Pre-Primary Gold! 

We hit the ground running with swimming lessons in Weeks 3 and 4. Luckily the weather was kind to us and it was a pleasure most days to be able to get in the pool for our lessons. All the students showed great perseverance and resilience throughout the lessons, even when they had to get in the big pool! Mrs Adams and Mrs Richardson also got to join in the fun on the last day of lessons, making a whirlpool and having a splash. 

Right in the middle of swimming lessons, the students managed to also pull off a fantastic Grandparents Day assembly. They did an amazing job in singing the praises of their grandparents, through song, poetry and video. While it was daunting being up in front of such a large crowd, all the students did a spectacular job! 

This term has also seen a couple of incursions we were lucky enough to be a part of.  Graham Brooks, "Mr Digger", brought his trailer full of war memorabilia to the school. The students had a great time looking at the food soldiers eat, different medals that were awarded and the model battlefield display, which was a class favourite.  

We were also lucky enough to take part in a dance incursion with the dance group CO3. Both Pre-Primary classes joined together to learn some new dances and different ways to move our bodies to cross a ‘river’. A great time was had by all. 

As part of their transition for going to Year One next year, the Pre-Primary students have been engaging in recess and lunch breaks with the rest of the school. It has been amazing to see how well the students have settled into the big playground, joining together with friends and siblings to explore the school. 

We are looking forward to finishing the term off with a bang, especially getting stuck into our Christmas activities and starting the Advent count down. Pre-Primary Gold are planning on finishing the year off in style! 

Ruth Adams 
Pre-Primary Gold Teacher 

Class in Focus: Year 2 Gold

In Term 3 we had many fun events both in our classroom and as a school, including building a minion scarecrow for the school scarecrow competition, Pyjama Day and a Circus Workshop. In our class we were also very lucky to have a bunny rabbit visit where students got to pat and feed ‘Mama’ the bunny rabbit! Our class ended the term with a water balloon fight as a reward for the amazing progress made in reading.  

Term 4 had a focus on spelling and writing narratives and paragraphs. As our theme this term was ocean animals, students choose their own ocean animal to write and illustrate their own story book about. Students also had lots of fun investigating different types of ocean animals and facts through research, art projects, and investigative play. 

This semester, students also got to experiment with their creative side, as art was integrated into many subjects such as Talk for Writing, Religion and Spelling. During our poetry unit reading the text “Aliens Love Underpants” students created their own aliens using clay. They also created a worm farm when investigating recycling and sustainability. 

We have enjoyed our swimming lessons and are looking forward to the Community Mass that will involve Year 2s in the reading this weekend. Year 2s are also going to visit AQWA towards the end of the term 4, which we are all excited about. 

What an awesome way to end 2023! 

Carly Allen
Year 2 Gold Teacher

Year 5 Camp

What a wonderful camp experience for our intrepid Year Fives to experience, full of ups, downs and plenty of bravery! 

Beginning our trip, we made our way to the front of the office to have our fabulous group picture (as well as check if anyone was missing haha!). 

We packed the bus and headed down the Great Eastern Highway, spending our hour and a bit drive sharing stories, laughs and having a mini dance party on the Mr Natkanski and Mr Patmore bus.

Arriving at the Swan Valley Adventure Centre, we jumped right into morning tea to fuel up, ready for a day full of activities. We participated in four various outings, aimed at testing our trust, communication, kindness and courage; splitting into four groups under the leadership of Mrs Christian, Mr Natkanski, Mr Chalmers and finally Mrs Curtis with the help of Mr Patmore.

Our daring activities, three on Thursday and one on Friday, included: 

• Archery - a test of patience, focus and strength.
• The Crate Stack - a game of teamwork, communication and steady hands.
• Beach Volleyball combined with quiet games - to test hand eye co-ordination, agility, and of course to have some fun!
• Kayaking - an experience to test our bravery, steadiness and sometimes our swimming!

To prepare ourselves for dinner, the students were given an opportunity to blow off some steam, prepare their rooms for the night, and have a reflection of the experiences thus far in the afternoon sun. 

We were delighted with the skills of our BBQ masters Mr Natkanski and Mr Patmore, cooking us up a delicious Sausage Sizzle for the first night’s dinner. Yummo! After our sizzling dinner, students were able to prepare for some night games, with plenty of jackets, bright torches and of course plenty of laughs! 

Following a spot of dessert, students made their way back to their bunks, ready for a shower and plenty of rest ready for the next day. 

The morning came, and with it a hearty breakfast of toast and cereal, which helped pump up the students for Friday’s activities. During the day, we were blessed by the skills of our lovely canteen workers, and enjoyed a delicious lasagne prepared ahead of the camp for lunch. Yum! 

Following a touch more free time after lunch, giving students time to really enjoy each other’s company, we began to pack up and clean up the dorms, ready to leave the Adventure Centre. 

Following a final, final, final check, we made our way to the buses, loaded up, and headed back towards Northam; enjoying a quieter sound level bus on one, and a party on the other (provided by Mr Natkanski’s amazing tunes!). 

Arriving back at school, we unpacked, said our goodbyes, and prepared for a much-needed and relaxing Weekend. 

What an experience for everyone, wouldn’t you say? 

A huge thankyou to the teachers for the incredible effort you put in to keeping the students safe and happy, our lovely canteen workers for the back-breaking help in feeding us all, and to the students for their respect and kindness towards one another, even when things were tough. 

Michael Chalmers
Year 5 Gold Teacher

As the Year 11 and 12 students finish their examination blocks, the Year 9 and 10 students commence theirs. Good luck to all of our students completing examinations today and next week.

Those Year 10 students not completing examinations next week have an exciting timetable of vocational workshops and information from TAFE, Apprenticeships and work placements that they will be able to work towards when they are in Year 11 and 12. Thank you to our incredible VET Coordinator Mrs Caroline Marriott for all of the work she puts in so that our non-ATAR students have plenty of variety and opportunities in Northam. 

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the teachers who have worked in their own time to start a Breakfast Club on a Thursday and Friday morning on the Secondary Campus. Thank you to Mrs Carol Farson, Mr Daniel Matthys, Mrs Michelle O’Driscoll and Mrs Caroline Marriott for setting up and feeding all of our hungry teenagers. Many of whom are coming in for the all-important “second breakfast”.

Over the last two Mondays, Mrs Marriot has taken Year 10s (6 Nov) and Year 9s (13 Nov) down to Perth to experience life at some of our universities. This is a wonderful opportunity for students, whether they have made the decision to go to university or not.

The Year 6 transition to High school continues on Monday 20 November. Please remember that the Year 6s are starting the day at the Secondary campus. We ask that they come in their Sports Uniform and bring Recess with them. At the end of recess, they will be escorted back up to the Primary campus. 

Lastly, a big personal thank you from me to all the families who attended our Presentation Night. We really appreciate you showing your support for this school function. It really does show our students that we are a community working together for them.  

God Bless

Sharon Cusack
Head of Secondary

Secondary Canteen

The Secondary Canteen will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for both Recess and Lunch for the remainder of Term 4. 

Please note that the online ordering system will not be operational on Monday 20 November.

Curriculum Matters 

Year 7 Science - Perth Zoo Excursion

On Friday of Week 4, our Year 7 students attended a curriculum-based excursion to the Perth Zoo. After a little reluctance from some students to be visiting the zoo “again”, the students soon realised there were many different areas to investigate and information to collect.   

The students commenced the day participating in a workshop on animal classification at the education centre, getting into the details of using a dichotomous key to identify a specific animal. After a successful talk, the students then toured the zoo in smaller groups investigating with a greater depth, three classes of animals: amphibians, mammals, and reptiles. For each of these, students needed to find out about the diets, lifestyle, conservation status and adaptations of several animals. This information was annotated on worksheets and then discussed further at school leading to a report submission. Everyone had a great day and were well behaved, with some of the favourite areas visited being the penguins and the African savannah with the meerkats.  

I would like to thank Mr Yengkopiong, Mr Gargano, Mrs Beglin, Ms Graham and Mrs Budas for their support and supervision of groups throughout the day. 

Andrew Ellis  
Science Teacher 

Digital technology - 3D Printing 

The Year 9 and 10 Digital Technology students have been printing 3D models they designed using computer software. During Semester two, students designed their model using MS 3D Paint, then exported the model to Blender where they animated it and then exported it again to Unity to incorporate it into a computer game that they coded using C sharp. The final step in the process was printing their models using the school’s 3D printers. The school now has purchased a new 3D printer, so we have three in total. The students enjoyed the experience and the fact that they could take their model home once it was printed. 

Mike Hillyer
Head of Mathematics & Technologies

RSL HASS Visit

On Thursday 9th November, we had a visit from Graham Brooks, also known as "Mr Digger", from the RSL and his trailer of memorabilia from past wars and Australian military services. Students from Year 7-9 HASS classes had the opportunity to listen to his stories and develop a deeper understanding of the impact of the work of the RSL in Australia with people who have survived war. We look forward to his next visit in May of next year.

Gerhard Vogel
Head of Humanities & Social Sciences

Secondary Sporting News

Northam Interschool Sports Carnival  

On Friday 10 November, a large group of Year 7 to 10 students attended the first Northam Interschool Sports Carnival at Northam Senior High School. 

The students participated in Floorball, Basketball and Netball competitions in mixed and single sex competitions. The Basketball started the day with both St Joseph’s Year 7/8 girls teams taking home the win and securing the first division of the day. The floorball soon took over with three teams from each school playing in a round robin to determine the finals players. It came down to the wire in an exciting final between Northam Senior 1 and St Joseph’s 1. St Joseph’s stared off strong securing a 3 - 1 lead, but Northam were too strong coming back to win the game 5 – 4. With Northam securing the Floorball division all eyes turned to the Netball Court with the Mixed boys and girls playing to decide on the overall result. Remarkably the Netball division was a draw with both Northam Senior and St Joseph’s winning 2 of the 4 games played. Although there was no overall school winner for the day, we can say the carnival was a success and we are excited to see it grow in the future.

Thank you to Jovan Duricic, the staff involved and Northam Senior for hosting the Carnival and the great sportsmanship shown from all students involved. A special thank you to Mr Ryan Sinclair, Mr Cameron Greenley and Mrs Michelle O’Driscoll for helping coach and run the day for St Joseph’s. 

Adrienne Suckling
Head of Health & Physical Education

Sporting Achievements

A huge congratulations to Kale Treloar, who competed in the WA All Schools Athletics Championships at the beginning of November and won a silver medal in the Under 16 Boys 400m. The winner was the same boy who beat him at the ACC carnival, however Kale shortened the margin and almost got him this time! 

The achievement of finishing in the top two in this event now qualifies him for the National All Schools Championships, which is being held on the 8- 10 December in Perth. We wish him all the very best.  

Kale also placed 4th in the 200m Hurdles & competed in the 200m, but did not qualify for the finals. 

From the VET Office 

Congratulations to Demi Collins in Year 11 who has fast tracked her Certificate IV Prep for Health and Nursing qualification, completing it in the first year of study. Not only was Demi the first year 11 student in 2023 to fast track this qualification, she was also a late enrolment at the start of the year so this was an amazing effort in every way. Unfortunately, Demi’s certificate took a long time to come through (perhaps even the TAFE computer system was in shock!). Finally, however, we get to see Demi’s smiling face in the school newsletter and recognise her fantastic result. 

Year 10 University Visit

In Week 5, the Year 10 students visited Edith Cowan University and Curtin University to participate in a campus tour and hear about the many courses on offer for higher education and the many pathways available to students to enter university after finishing high school. Students visited the WAPPA learning spaces at ECU to learn about the many pre-production, production and post production career paths that are possible. After lunch, students visited Curtin University and participated in an Amazing Race activity which enabled them to visit many different campus departments and win prizes. 

Year 9 University Visit

As part of the Year 9 Career Taster program, students visited Murdoch University to participate in a campus tour and two hands-on activities related to Digital Media and Science degrees. Students created a 3D model of a human cell and used Proscope microscopes attached to iPads to look at different kinds of plant and animal specimens. Later, students listened to a guest speaker who was studying computer animation and game design and learned about the steps involved in making a computer animated game. 

Caroline Marriott
VET Coordinator

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 to download from 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 the Primary or Secondary Admin Office and Ms Quinn will arrange for the deduction of the Levy from your School Fees Account.

Sharon Quinn
Business Manager

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

During Term 4, students are required to wear their summer 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.

Disclaimer:

All returns and or exchanges of uniforms to be made within the school term (3 months) of initial purchase.

Uniform information for the end of 2023 and start of 2024

Final day for ordering this term: Wednesday 6 December (Week 9). Items can go home with students on Friday 8 December, or be collected from Primary Admin by Thursday 14 December.

PLEASE NOTE: The online shop will be closed and unavailable for ordering from Thursday 7 December 2023, and will re-open Monday 1 January 2024.  Orders placed during the January holidays will be available for collection from Primary Admin from 9am on Tuesday 23 January 2024. 

2024 Opening

Tuesday 23 January, by appointment only. 
Current families - 9am to 12pm
New families - 1pm to 4pm
To make an appointment, please call Primary Admin on 9621 3500.

Thursday 25 January - 2.45pm to 4.15pm.

Monday 29 January, by appointment only. 
Current families - 9am to 12pm
New families - 1pm to 4pm
To make an appointment, please call Primary Admin on 9621 3500.

Michelle James 
Primary - 9621 3524

Primary Canteen

Our Term 4 Summer menu has now been finalised and is available on our website.

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.

Christmas Treats

Christmas Treats will be available from the Primary Canteen at Recess on Thursday 23 November - 50c to $2.50 - cash only - 2 items per student limit.

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: the new Term 4 Volunteer Sign-up Page is up and running - click here. 

Our Primary Canteen Helper Roster for Term 4 is below. Thank you to those who have signed up. More 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 Sandrini
Canteen - 9621 3525 

Secondary Canteen

The Secondary Canteen will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for both Recess and Lunch for the remainder of Term 4. 

Please note that the online ordering system will not be operational on Monday 20 November.

Next P&F Meeting

Our final P&F Meeting for 2023 will be on Monday 27 November at 6pm at The Rec - all parents and caregivers are welcome to attend and we encourage everyone to come along. 

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.

We welcome anyone, and 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

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 via the School or by phoning 0424 288 354. 

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

Casey Pearse
P&F President

Parish Priest - Fr Stephen Jean Paul Victor

Assistant Priest - Fr Rubenson Cardona

Mass Times ~ Saturday Vigil @ 5.30pm

                      ~ Sunday Mass @ 8.00am  

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

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