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

First Holy Communion

Please check on your calendars once more for our celebration of First Holy Communion to be held this Sunday August 28 at 10:30am in St Joseph's church.

Where possible, we would love to have as many attend that can.

We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with the students, each other and the extended Parish community.

Weekly Gospel Reflection

Please view the Gospel reflection for this week.

"The Last Shall Be the First (Blamers vs Claimers)"

Religious Education

Year 4 Communion Retreat

On Tuesday August 23 the Year 4 cohort had the opportunity to experience a First Holy Communion Retreat with 24/7 Ministries. Students immersed themselves in a series of games, skits, short video clips and activities that stressed the importance of gathering as a community and the significance of Jesus in the Eucharist. Students made links with elements of community and the connections to Jesus in our lives.

The Year 4's had a great day and are very thankful to Anthony, Guilia, Maddi and Claire for facilitating the Retreat.

Year 11 Retreat

The Year 11 Retreat was held on Monday August 22.

Throughout the day, students were involved in reflection time, games, skits and Q and A sessions with the Youth Ministry Team of Western Australia.

The theme for the day was 'Life Choices' and specific topics covered were:

-Appreciating our uniqueness

-The complications of developing behaviour for the future

-Value and dignity

The day began with a Mass by Fr Geoff Aldous and ended with a Liturgy run by the Retreat group.

Our school community extends a huge thank you to YMT and the students look forward to seeing the team return to Northam next year.

Staff Service Day

On Tuesday August 16 the staff took part in a 'Staff Service Day.' The day revolves around our commitment to the MaJEC program at school.

Our staff were placed across various agencies and service tasks in Northam, York and Canningvale.  Staff helped the elderly, worked alongside people with mixed abilities, planted trees, cleaned roadsides and sorted charity donations.

Congratulations to all involved and we look forward to continuing to promote MaJEC throughout the rest of the year.

Marist Youth 'Connect' Night

On Tuesday August 24 some of our Senior Secondary students journeyed to Newman College to participate in the 1st Marist Youth 'Connect' Night in WA for 2022. Students gathered with students from Newman College and Bunbury Catholic College to discuss elements of life choices and avenues to identify how to respond to times of difficulty in Senior Secondary and beyond.

The night revolved around the charisms of Marcellin Champagnat and particularly his passion for developing 'Family Spirit' among communities.

The night included games, Liturgy and a Q & A session that allowed students to learn about God's plans for us in amongst a Marist setting.  Our students enjoyed the time away to reflect and develop as a group.  We wish to thank Issy Ochtman, Marist Youth Ministry and Newman College for hosting us during our visit.

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.

Head of Primary 

Dear Families & Friends, 

We have had yet another fun and busy week on the Primary Campus. We had a group of talented cross-country runners represent us at Meckering and the Primary Team walked away with the overall shield. Congratulations to the students for their amazing individual and team results and offer a thank you to Mrs Dymnicki and Mrs Gorbig for attending with the students. Thank you also to Ms Frost for preparing our students so well. 

This week has also been another busy Arts Week. Our Choir travelled to Sacred Heart Goomalling where they participated in a Music workshop with renowned musician Andrew Chinn. The Choir, along with the students from Sacred Heart, then performed a concert for the younger Sacred Heart students and our students from Years 1 & 2. 

Today, our Choir travelled to Perth to compete in the Catholic School’s Performing Arts Festival and they dazzled the audience with their energetic performances.  

First Holy Communion 

On Tuesday, our Year 4 students participated in a Retreat Day in preparation for First Holy Communion this Sunday. Please keep all of the children in your prayers as they celebrate this very special Sacrament. 

Junior Athletics Carnival 

On Wednesday, August 31 we will be holding our Athletics Carnival for students in Pre-Primary to Year 3. The carnival will begin at 9:30am on our Primary oval and families are most welcome to come along and support our students. Students from the Secondary Campus will be selling a range of delicious items for morning tea and Mrs Sandrini will be selling Hawaiian stuffed potatoes, pulled pork rolls and a sausage sizzle at lunch.  Please ensure that you have completed your lunch pre-order by Friday August 26. We look forward to seeing you all there. 

I hope you all have a beautiful week ahead. 

Michelle Christian
Head of Primary 

Class in Focus: Year 2 Gold

This term in Maths, Year 2 Gold has started to learn about multiplication. During our Math rotations, students have been investigating how multiplication is a repeated addition. The class has done this through creating their own arrays to practice their strategy of using repeated addition when solving simple multiplication sums. During one activity, students created their own apartments, demonstrating how they solved multiplication sums.  ‘Windows’ were used to represent the solution to their sum, which they had to arrange in equal sets. As a class we have a whole Array City.

Religion this term has focused around the importance of prayer in our daily lives. The last 5 weeks we have been discovering that when communicating to God or those we love, speaking and listening are invaluable skills. Our Prayer Unit has allowed us time as a class to reconnect every lesson through prayer, song, or communicating with one another. It has also allowed students to share their thoughts and feelings when participating in tasks. One lesson that both students and teachers enjoyed was when everyone was asked to paint what they pictured or though of when praying. There was so much excitement and focus in the room, and each painting was unique.

Year 2 Gold has also started a Design unit in Design and Technology. The first few weeks we researched what design is and how it helps to meet a need within our local community. As a school we have all been undergoing construction at the Primary Campus, so as a school community, we have a need for more classrooms. The students first design project connects to this theme as it centres around them drafting then creating a plan for their ‘ideal school’. Students have spent weeks researching, organising, drafting and drawing their designs. This week students have completed their project and have started the self-assessment process. The teaching staff are so proud of the enthusiasm and effort that all Year 2’s have put into their project. Great job, Year 2’s!

Carly Allen
Year 2 Gold Teacher 

Class in Focus:  Year 6 Blue

This term, the students have been working hard to develop their organisational skills. Each student has learnt how to read their timetable and how to organise their books for each day in preparation for next year.

Over the term, the students have enjoyed many events such as the Athletics Carnival, Book Week and their assembly item. However, the most exciting and talked about event is yet to come... Camp! Most conversations outside of work have been about camp. Each student is super excited about what it will bring and the possible new friendships they will each make.

In English we have been learning about how to develop suspenseful narratives with the focus on hooking the reader in and keeping them on edge. Each student has developed their own suspenseful narratives, with some exploring different plot twists and scenarios such as experiencing a natural disaster, exploring an alien’s ship and walking through a haunted house.

In Mathematics we have been focusing on adding, subtracting, and multiplying mixed and simple fractions. Over the past 6 weeks, students are putting their knowledge and understanding of fractions to play to build their own fraction board game.

In Religion we have been learning about the Eucharist and how the Eucharist calls us to serve to help others and God. We have used 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 events that have shaped the world. The students have learnt about the Ancient Olympics and the invention of the Model T. The students are mid-way through researching their own event and finding out the interconnections between that event and people around the world. Some events that students have chosen are the invention of YouTube, the NBA Championship Games and the invention of Netflix.

In Science, we have been discovering how we can transform energy in the form of wind and hydropower into renewable energy sources. The students have been researching how wind turbines and hydropower stations work to store energy.   

All students have enjoyed this term and are excited about what the remaining year will bring.

Cameron Watson
Year 6 Blue Teacher 

Head of Secondary

Week 6 has come to a close. Wow, the term has gone so quickly!

We would like to thank the wonderful 3rd Year pre-service teacher, Faith Versaci, who has been working as part of our Health and Physical Education Department for five weeks. She has been a wonderful addition to the School and we are very sad to see her go - especially her Year 11 Outdoor Ed students pictured below.

We would also like to thank Janine Wallis, our 2nd Year pre-service teacher in HASS, who also spent a week with us on her prac. It is wonderful to welcome them both into the school and a delight to see the enthusiasm and genuine love of teaching that they show. 

OLNA (online literacy and numeracy assessment) starts next week with writing. This is only for those students who have not yet met the target set by SCSA (School Curriculum and Standards authority). Only those students who received a timetable from me are completing the assessments. Results will be sent out in Term 4. 

Warm regards 

Sharon Cusack
Head of Secondary

Learning Areas in Focus:  

Secondary English

Year 7 English

Year 7 students have enjoyed learning about film codes whilst viewing Star Wars and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Students are now working on writing their first essay for high school. They are combining their knowledge of film codes and paragraph structure to construct their essays. This is a writing skill which will assist them through their future high school years.

Year 8 English

Year 8 students have been working on informational speeches related to a chosen documentary which has included note-taking and working in pairs. Students have developed their skills in developing a powerpoint presentation as a visual aid to their presentation.

Year 9 English

Year 9 students have been revisiting their childhoods as they learn about Traditional Fairy Tale Conventions. We have read and analysed Traditional Fairy Tale, such as Little Red Riding Hood, explored subverted Fairy Tale, such as Shrek and The Paper Bag Princess, and we have discussed Modernised Fairy Tales. Students are now selecting a Traditional Fairy tale which they will either subvert or modernise and present in a format of their choice.

Year 11 ATAR English

Students have been completing their own persuasive and interpretive texts focusing on how text construction is linked to specific audiences and contexts. Over the next few weeks, students will investigate narratives of migration through the picture book The Arrival by Western Australian artist Shaun Tan as well as other multimodal texts.

Year 12 General English

Students have completed their topic about Australian Stereotypes and have learned to identify traditional stereotypes within a variety of texts. Additionally, students have developed their skills to identify and analyse how the current society challenges the original stereotypes. General students have now commenced creating a documentary which will highlight issues faced by people living and working in the Avon Valley. This will involve several interviews and discussions and will support the students’ learning of Film Codes, interview techniques and group work.

Year 12 ATAR English

Year 12 ATAR students are currently analysing and comparing the concepts and elements of Jasper Jones with a text of their choice. This involved exploring the societal issues raised in both texts, the representations being made and the perspectives, attitudes and values being promoted. Students are creating powerpoints and writing speeches in preparation for this assessment. Excitement builds as Year 12s work towards their final couple of assessments for the year and start preparing for their Semester 2 Exams.

Year 10 English

Year 10 English students have been learning to identify and interpret language features used in texts. At times they have worked in groups to complete their writing tasks and analysis.

Daniel Matthys
Head of Learning Areas: English and the Arts

From the VET Office

Student Successes

Congratulations to Jack Howlett and Jordi Smith for the completion of their Certificate II Community Services qualification.  Community Service workers provide support to individuals and groups making positive impacts on their lives.  Jordi and Jack have learned the skills and knowledge to provide a first point of contact to individuals when meeting their needs and are prepared for a variety of job roles across different sectors. Well done, Jack and Jordi.

Caroline Marriott
VET Co-ordinator

Secondary da Vinci Club

The da Vinci Club are now into their new rotations, where under the guidance of specialist staff, the students get to extend themselves in areas of interest developing a greater depth of understanding and skills, while having a little fun as well. 

The Debating group have started with the basics of public speaking and have practiced including important elements such as rhetorical questions, examples and even humour. Students had a go a producing a quick improvised speech on fun topics such as ‘Why ducks are the ultimate pet’, ‘Which came first – the chicken or the egg?’ and also ‘The Cinderella story proves that a good pair of shoes can change your life’!

This week, students will be learning about how a formal debate is structured and the art of good rebuttal. 

The Robotics and Coding students have started using the Arduino Uno microcontroller kits.  They are working through the projects that include a spaceship interface, keyboard instrument, crystal ball and a colour mixing lamp.  In a couple of weeks, they will begin designing and implementing their own projects.  They are quickly releasing a microcontroller can make life much easier by automating tasks such as a wind screen whipper, a house gate or even the curtains in your home.

The Astronomy and Astrophotography group are learning how to use Stellarium to locate key objects in the night sky. The students are beginning to work with astronomical concepts such as declination and right ascension to be able to find specific objects and select suitable targets to image using remote robotic telescopes. The students will be working with two staff from University of WA, alongside the Year 11 Physics students next week to develop their coding and first imaging run for the year using the Spirit telescopes, operated by UWA. 

The Biobarcoding team have developed a background understanding of cell theory and has their first run of extracting DNA, with everyday strawberries. The students will now be moving onto more advanced techniques and using the electrophoresis equipment to extract and identify DNA strands.

Our school recently competed in the annual da Vinci Decathlon at UWA. Students competed in a range of academic disciplines against up to 27 other schools in their year group.

The Year 7 team with Sophie McKenzie, Jeremy Parker, Ayla Grogan, Akshi Jayakumar, Bailey Naughton, Jayden Oliver, Madison Potocznyj, Ezra McLaughlin collected a 6th place in Engineering.

The Year 8 team with Fraser Horsburgh, Emily Street, James Marwick, Jianna Matres, Alan John, Chloe Bye, Jonti Leeson, Wani Yengkopiong obtained a 9th place in Ideation.

The Year 9 team with Susu Phung, Josna Jojo, Fredrick de Beer, Ben Retallack, Leah Morrell, Swaka Yengkopiong collected an 8th place in Science and an 8th place in Engineering.  

The Year 10 team with Zackary Bowles, Antoinette Matres, Zsavinah Teodoro, Madison Longmire, Callam Salter, Balin Bradford, Patricia Moyo obtained a 9th place in English and 10th place in Science. 

Well done to all our participants and we look forward to hearing about your da Vinci Club exploits throughout the term.

Mark Gargano
Teaching & Learning Coordinator Years 7-12​

Secondary Sporting News

2022 Meckering Cross Country

St Joseph’s students from Year 1 to Year 12 attended the annual Meckering cross country event on Friday August 19. Students were selected based on their achievements in the ACC cross country event earlier in the year.

Upon arrival, students were required to walk the track for the distance they would be running and once this was completed by all age groups, we were straight into the action.

All students represented themselves and the school very well, with the Primary School producing some outstanding results to claim the Primary Shield on the day. The Secondary Campus came a close runner up, losing to Cunderdin DHS by only 2 points. Special congratulations must go to Lily Parker (Year 10) who won the Year 9/10 and Open age groups on the day, bettering her times from the previous year, and Marley Ferguson (Year 6) who took out the Year 5/6 girls’ event. Well done to all competitors.

Thank you to the Meckering P&C and Primary School for producing such an organised event and well-run event.  Our students, staff and parents had a great day and can’t wait to return next year.

Adrienne Suckling
Secondary Sports Coordinator

School Calendar

We advise the school community that the 2022 School Calendar on the website is still a work in progress.  In the meantime, a PDF version of the 2022 Term by Term calendar is available from the Class Information page and also attached to the newsletter. https://sjsnortham.schoolzineplus.com/calendar

There have been several events updated since Term 3 commenced, and you are encouraged to check this for upcoming events that may involve your family.

Andrea Woodgate

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

Canteen Support - Volunteers Required

The Primary Canteen continues to operate with the Winter Menu with Soup added to the Friday options. With next term's new menu being planned, this is the last chance to try yummy winter food.

You are encouraged to check out the daily options before ordering lunches.  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.  

Due to high demand on our quality food and service with record numbers of lunches being ordered, 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 canteen 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.

This year is a busy year and we would love to have some new faces in our canteen.  If you are able help, please sign up online at https://signup.com/go/xTdBXsh

Our Primary Canteen Helper Roster for the next two weeks of Term 3 is below.  Volunteers are urgently needed so please consider offering an hour or two one morning.   

Primary - Week 5  

Primary - Week 6

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 

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.

Term 3 Activities

A School Community Movie Night is planned for Friday September 16 - anyone interested in joining our sub-committee to help with the organisation is welcome to contact us.  

Please contact the Primary Admin or message us on our Facebook page leaving your name and contact details and the event/s you are happy to assist with.  We will be in touch with you to provide more information on what is required.

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!

Primary Disco

This Friday afternoon is our Primary Disco at St Joseph’s Parish Hall. If you have not purchased your tickets yet, these will be on sale before school by the Year 6 student leaders. Door sales are available if you don’t get a chance before-hand. Tickets are $5 each child (which includes entry, a drink and packet of chips). If you would like to pre-purchase a ticket, please send your money to school in an envelope with your child’s name and class on it. Pre Kindy to Year 3 is from 4.00-5.00pm, Years 4 to 6 is from 5.30-7.30pm. Parents will need to sign their children in and out at our check in desk, and we ask if you have arranged for your child to get a lift with another parent, can you please let us know in advance by contacting Rebecca Potocznyj on 0427 441 035 or Peta Norrish on 0409 842 309.  Parents of the younger session are encouraged to stay outside the Hall, and we will also have drinks and nibbles for parents while they wait.

School Family Night

On Friday September 16, we will be holding a free Family Movie Night at our Secondary campus grassed area near the new classroom off Duke Street. This will replace our annual Family Games Night run by the school Chaplain this year. This is a great opportunity for us to finally come together as a whole school community after the last two years. Entry will be from 6.00pm, with a 6.30pm sharp start. You are welcome to bring blankets and pillows to sit on, or low lying chairs – if you wish to bring a camp chair, we ask you to position yourself at the back of the grassed area. This event will be a BYO food and drinks, and we will have a popcorn and fairy floss station available. More details are to come – including the reveal of the movie!

Sports Carnival

Thank you to all the parents who volunteered their time towards the running of our canteen during the sports carnival on Friday August 12. We could not have run the canteen as well as we did without the hands that helped with prep and service – our kids almost ate through all our food!

Our next Meeting is being held on Monday August 29 from 6.00-7.00pm at the Secondary Admin building. We would love to see some new faces if you can make it along.

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

Lauren Holten
President