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MESSAGE FROM THE LEADERSHIP TEAM
New Executive Director of CEWA
Welcome back to Term 2
We have had a wonderfully smooth start to the term on both campuses and I have loved hearing about all the holiday adventures our students have been on: camping, sleepovers and sleeping in, easter egg hunts, attending Anzac Day services and many family gatherings.
This week we have reflected on the remarkable leadership of Pope Francis. Known for his humility, compassion, and commitment to social justice, he encouraged people of all ages to care for the poor, protect the environment, and live with kindness and mercy. As a school community, we can continue to be inspired by his example to act with love and integrity, and to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
We also pass on our prayers to the family of David Carter Snr on his recent passing. David was a Parish Representative on the School Board and from all accounts brought a great deal of knowledge, discernment and integrity to the role. As a past parent, he was involved with the school for many years and his contributions have left a lasting impact to our School community. David will be remembered with gratitude and respect.
Next week, we celebrate Mother's Day on the Primary campus with a pancake breakfast so make sure you've booked your tickets. This will be followed by the Year 1 Blue assembly. Year 8 students will also welcome the special women in their lives to join in a morning tea at 10.00am on the Secondary campus.
We are still on the lookout for a rental for a new staff member and her family. Please contact our Admin if you know of any family properties available, thank you.
Uniform Reminders
- Terms 2 & 3 are winter uniform terms and that the summer dress is not an item to be worn. Shorts, long pants or the skirt are the winter uniform items that are to be worn on the bottom half. The white or blue formal tops along with the tie make up our Winter uniform.
- School jumper and soft-shell jacket can be worn with the formal uniform all year round on those chilly days.
- Ensure that you have the correct leather lace up school shoes
Events in the Next Week
| Friday | May 2 | Liturgies for Pope Francis |
| Saturday | May 3 | |
| Sunday | May 4 | |
| Monday | May 5 | P&F Meeting: 3.30pm on the Primary Campus |
| Tuesday | May 6 | |
| Wednesday | May 7 | Mothers Day Events: Primary & Secondary |
| Thursday | May 8 |
Mother's Day Stall at Primary (gifts $5.00) **Secondary Parents |
** There will be a large funeral in the Church Thursday afternoon of May 8. Parents are asked to pick up their children after school from the back of the Town Hall (a staff member will be in attendance). Thank you.
Term 2 Dates for your Diary
| Sunday | May 11 | Mother's Day |
| Wednesday | May 14 | Year 11 2026 Parent Information Evening |
| Thursday | May 15 |
Year 11 & 12 ODE Overnight Camp |
| Monday | May 19 | Wellness Week at Secondary |
| Tuesday | May 20 | Champagnat Cup @ Newman College: Years 10-12 |
| Thursday | May 29 | Sacrament of Reconciliation 6.00pm |
| Friday | May 30 | Pupil Free Day |
| Monday | June 2 | Public Holiday: WA Day |
| Wednesday | June 4 | Year 12 Camino & Nahra Retreat (3 days) |
| Wednesday | June 11 | School Photos: Primary & Siblings |
| Thursday | June 12 | School Photos: Secondary |
| Week 10 | Jun 30 - Jul 4 | Founders' Week |
| Friday | July 4 | Term 2 concludes |
Employment Opportunities
Gospel Reflection
This week's Gospel Reflection is in memory of Pope Francis.
Sacramental Programs
If you would like your child to participate in the Sacramental Programs this year please complete the form attached to the image below and return it to the school addressed to Mrs Kathy Pollard along with the registration fee (cash please) , thank you.
If you have any queries regarding the Sacramental Programs or if you would like to begin the process with a Baptism, please contact Kathy Pollard at kathy.pollard@cewa.edu.au.
Upcoming Events at Primary
Details:
Staff will be serving Pancakes, Tea/Coffee/Juice. All people attending are required to purchase a ticket using the CDF Pay App. Look for the ‘Mother’s Day Breakfast on Primary’ event.
Attendees can choose to purchase a ticket for $5 which includes a Pancake breakfast, or a free ticket to attend and BYO breakfast. Primary students are welcome to participate in breakfast, however, a $5 ticket must also be purchased for each child.
Ticket sales will close at 5:00pm on Sunday May 4. If you require any further information, please contact our Primary Admin. We look forward to seeing you there!
Celebrating ANZAC Day
Booking link: https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/bwfau
Event code: bwfau
URSTRONG School
We are proud to be a URSTRONG School. Starting in Term 2 we will be teaching Friendology - a whole school friendship strategy. Watch this clip and check out the flyer to see more information.
SAVE THE DATE
LANGUAGE OF FRIENDSHIP (Online Parent-Child Workshop)
Thursday May 22, 2025
6:00pm - 7:15pm
hosted on Zoom (link advertised closer to the date)
This workshop helps get parents/carers speaking a common ‘language of friendship’, reviewing core concepts taught in our Friendology curriculum.
Upcoming Events at Secondary
Secondary Technologies
It was a busy Term 1 for our students in Technologies. Here’s a quick look back.
Year 9 Food Science students explored how food looks and affects our enjoyment, making colourful canapés that tasted as good as they looked. Year 10 students learnt about café culture, including menu planning and pricing meals. They also designed and baked their own pies. Year 11 students focused on knife skills, mastering cuts like segmentation and batonnet.
In Digital Technologies, Year 7 students have been using ‘Scratch’ to create animations. Through computer programming, they’ve been controlling the movement and interaction of characters by using different control structures to make them respond to user input. Year 9 and 10 students have been choosing one project in the areas of robotics, CAD, game development, and coding. They’ve followed a process of investigating, designing, testing, and reflecting to complete their projects in their preferred area of interest.
In Design and Technologies, Year 7 students have learnt how to use a coping saw to make personalised acrylic keyrings. Year 10 students built hallway tables using techniques like mortise and tenon joints. Year 11 students focused on the design process, as well as building on their previous years' skills to craft coffee tables.
It’s been a productive term with lots of hands-on learning. Well done, everyone!
Career Conversations for Parents
As key influencers of young people’s career decisions, parents need to begin career conversations much earlier than secondary school. We encourage you to start having conversations with your child about career decisions early on. Finding the right career requires a level of self-awareness and a lot of career exploration. Are you unsure about how to have career conversations with your child? The Department of Education are providing free seminars for parents in our region this term. Please see details below:
Career Conversations: Regional events
Northam: Tuesday 13 May. Northam Rec Centre Hospitality Room (6:00pm to 7:30pm) Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1377283
York: Thursday 15 May. York Townhall (6:00pm to 7:30pm) https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1377311
Online event for families (5:00 pm to 6:00 pm) Tuesday 10 June https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1381020
The Uniform Shop days for in-term appointments this year have changed to Monday & Wednesdays.
UNIFORM REMINDERS FOR TERM 2
Term 2 means a change over to our winter uniform for those students in Years 3 - 12:
- Blue (or grey) skirt, shorts or trousers
- Blue school shirt for Years 3 - 10 & white school shirt for Year 11 & 12s
- School tie
Ties are to be worn over Terms 2 and 3 with the formal uniform for Years 3 -12. Old style can still be worn, with these still available for purchase from the uniform shop via CDFPay app.
Soft-Shell Jackets will not be available to order from Perm-a-Pleat until mid-late May. We will advise via Facebook and the school newsletter when we have sample sizing jackets in stock.
Sports Uniform
This can be purchased from the uniform shop, via the CDFPay app. We still have stock of the older style house shirts available for sale in various sizes. Please note that the incoming tracksuit pants will have the school’s name on the upper left thigh. Currently, only youth sizes 6, 8 and 10 have this, with other sizes being phased in as we sell out of the previous stock.
Pre-Primary - Year 2 Tracksuit
At this stage, we do not have a delivery date for these new items. However, please know that students can wear the tracksuit pants and jackets we still have available for sale in the uniform shop, via the CDFPay app.
**PLEASE REMEMBER!**
All 'old' uniform, or combinations of old and new uniform items, can be worn until the end of the 2026 school year.
Perm-a-Pleat News - Week 1!
- Size 12, 14 and 16 blue (Year 3-10) relaxed shirts are out of stock and won’t be available until mid to late May
A reminder that Perm-a-Pleat do not deliver to Post Office Boxes. If you do not have a street address, please use the school address of 1 Lance Street NORTHAM 6401. When it arrives here, it will be popped into your child’s class/homeroom basket. Please be advised that Perm-a-pleat orders are taking around one week to be processed.
Perm-a-Pleat Returns
If you have received something which doesn’t fit, you are welcome to send the item/s back to school and we will return it to Perm-a-Pleat for you. Please complete the ‘Product Exchange Form’ available on the Perm-a-Pleat website and return that with the item/s to St Joseph’s.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS MUST BE WITHIN THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS OF RECEIVING YOUR ORDER, TO ENABLE US TO RETURN IT TO PERMAPLEAT WITHIN THEIR TWO-WEEK RETURN TIME-FRAME.
CDF Pay School Orders News!
Due to the high influx of online orders for the uniform shop, items are taking up to one week to make it home. Thank you for your patience.
- Kindy shirts more sizes of Pre-Kindy and Kindy shirts will be available in a few weeks.
- PP-Year 2 tracksuits we have not been advised of availability of these items.
We will advise via the newsletter and school Facebook page when these are in stock.
Uniform Shop Information
** Year 6 leavers shirts should be in mid-late next term. Year 6's will have sample sizes early next term to try on.
Please note that we are no longer accepting donations of preloved uniform at school. Current uniform preloved items will still be available outside the uniform shop on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, until further notice.
Disclaimer:
All returns and or exchanges of uniforms to either Perm-a-Pleat or the St Joseph’s uniform shop are to be made within 14 days of initial purchase.
More information to come regarding return/exchange of Perm-a-Pleat items.
Michelle James
uniform@sjsnortham.wa.edu.au
9621 3524
Welcome back to term 2! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and are back ready for another term. While this term will be quieter for the P&F, we do have some events coming up that we are excited about it!
Quiz Night
Camino Walks
We are excited to once again be helping out with the Camino walks. These will be occurring through out Terms 2 and 3.
Year 12 Camino: June 4
Year 6 Camino: June 30
Year 7 Camino: June 30
Year 8 Camino: July 1
Year 10 Camino: July 2
Year 9 Camino: July 3
Year 11 Camino: September 24
It will be held in PAC at primary campus. All caregivers are welcome to attend the meetings and it would be great to have as many people there to help support our school! We have so many great events coming this year, I can’t wait to share it with you!
Parent Year Group Contacts
The P&F will be reinstating Parent Contacts for each year group. These contacts will be in charge of monitoring each year groups Facebook page, coordinating class catch ups and liaising with the P&F about class matters. If you feel this position would suit you please contact me to discuss. If you would like to join your year group's Facebook page please send an email 8605svc_pandf@cewa.edu.au and I can send you the link for your class’s page.
click on image to access the P&F Facebook page
Both the school and P&F Facebook pages are updated regularly and I encourage everyone to check both pages for up to date information.
P&F Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1764507137145087
School Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sjsnortham/
St Joseph's School Northam Buy, Sell and Swap 2nd Hand Uniforms & Text Books Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1967136320152007
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 new to your year please add them in!
If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to reach out! I look forward to working with you all this year!
Casey Pearse
P&F Chair
Raising Children Network
Children are as individual and as different as their parents and making decisions about what’s best for raising children is very personal.
The Raising Children website offers up-to-date, research-based material on more than 800 topics spanning child development, behaviour, health, nutrition and fitness, play and learning, connecting and communicating, school and education, entertainment and technology, sleep and safety.
It covers grown-ups, newborns (0-3 months), babies (3-12 months), toddlers (1-3 years), preschoolers (3-5 years), school-age children (5-9 years), pre-teens (9-11 years), and early teens (12-15 years).
There are tips, videos and other useful resources.
The Raising Children Network provides information that can help parents with the day-to-day decisions of raising children. It also provides information to help parents and carers look after their own needs. The information is based on the best science in parenting, child health and development, presented in language we can all understand.
This is a website for Australian mothers, fathers, grandparents and anyone else who has responsibility for the care of children: www.raisingchildren.com.au
For Primary Parents
Maintaining a high level of immunisation within our community is very important in controlling many communicable diseases in Australia.
It is important for parents to make sure that their children have received all of the childhood vaccinations. This includes Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (whooping cough), and polio vaccines as soon as your child has turned 4 years old. If you are unsure, phone 1800 653 809.
If your child has missed out on vaccinations, a doctor or immunisation nurse can provide ‘catch-up’ vaccinations.
Make an appointment with a GP or visit the local (free) immunisation clinic run by our Child Health Nurses at the Northam Hospital - Ambulatory Care Building (Phone (08) 9690 1320 to arrange an appointment).
For Secondary Parents
If you have any concerns about your child’s health, development, or well-being, please contact me through the school office, or through the contact details noted below.
School health services are an easy way for secondary students to access health care and health information for issues including;
- mental health and wellbeing
- healthy lifestyle – nutrition and physical activity
- development and growth
- relationships and sexual health and
- alcohol and other drugs.
School Health Nurses are skilled in assessing adolescent health needs. We engage in health counselling with young people to identify issues, risks and protective factors, provide advice and brief intervention, assist with access and referral to other services, and provide follow up care. Young people can arrange an appointment to discuss health and wellbeing issues.
Young people are always encouraged and supported to talk to their parents or guardians about significant health issues. The services provided are free and confidential. I will be at the school with my team of nurses for the Year 7’s in Week 7 and Year 10’s in Week 8 of Term 2 for their immunisations, information will be sent out in Term 2.
If you have a concern about your child’s health or wellbeing please contact me at aimee.leeson@health.wa.gov.au or on 0400 182 654
Aimee Leeson
Clinical Nurse | School Health (Tuesday’s & Wednesday’s)
WA Country Health Service - Wheatbelt
Robinson Street, Northam WA 6401
PO Box 337, Northam WA
P (08) 96901320 M 0400 182 654
| Grandcarers Support Group | Monthly Catch-ups (next April 30) |
| Protecting Your Family Workshops | May 13 & 14 |
| Autism Inclusive Webinar | May 14 |
| Beat the Bedtime Battles | May 28 |
| Tiny Tots First Aid | June 11 (in Dowerin) |
'Mental Health for Family and Friends' plus 'Conversation with a Young Person'
School Dental Therapy Centre
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE, IT’S TIME TO ENROL!
Every year Dental Health Services (DHS) offers parents and carers the chance to register their kids for free dental care at the School Dental Service (SDS). The offer is open to every student from the year they turn 5 until their 17th birthday and includes check-ups, fillings, and simple extractions.
Your child will soon bring home an envelope with an enrolment form, Frequently Asked Questions, and reply-paid envelope from DHS. Just fill in the enrolment form, pop it in the reply-paid envelope, and put it in your nearest post box.
Once we receive your form at DHS our team will register your child and arrange for you to receive an appointment in the mail.
If you would like further information on DHS services and the SDS please visit our website: www.dental.wa.gov.au or scan the QR code.
Northam Dental Therapy Centre
c/- Northam Primary School (entry via Duke Street)
0458 644 530
NorthamDTC@dental.health.wa.gov.au
Aus Kick & Little Tykes Registrations
Registration has opened for these AFL programs. The Little Tykes program is also looking for group leaders and we strongly encourage and support high school students to participate and achieve MaJEC hours. Registrations for group leaders can be made through the Little Tykes registration site.
click on images to access registration sites
Community Events
NOTICEBOARD