Yesterday we celebrated the feast of St Joseph.  He is an important person for us as at St Joseph’s as he has taught many things. While prayers and devotions are important to honor and remember St. Joseph, what is more important, is to imitate the life and example of the foster-father of Jesus. St. Joseph has long been seen as a role model for husbands and fathers. This is surprising for some people to learn. After all, Jesus’ true father is God the Father, and Joseph served as Jesus foster father during His time on  earth.

Joseph is a notoriously silent figure in the Gospels. Although we receive some accounts of his actions, especially leading up to the birth of Jesus, we do not get a single word from Joseph’s mouth.

St Joseph has taught us how important it is to teach our children.  Jesus learned the trade of carpentry from Joseph, which indicates that they spent a lot of time during Jesus’ formative years in a teacher/apprentice relationship. Joseph showed true investment in Jesus’ life by putting so much time and effort into teaching Him a trade. Today we all put in effort to teach children to learn, to understand the value of hard work, and put their God-given skills to use.  Joseph taught us that each and every child is a fully capable human being. A child who is at the centre and respected in all they are.

A Prayer to St Joseph

St. Joseph, watch over me and care for me just as you cared for the child Jesus; and by your help, may I come to know your Son, and so grow in strength and wisdom and the favour of God.

Amen.

Loaves and Fishes

Thank you to Caitlin Clarke and the Staff at school, who are working hard to prepare some scrumptious meals for our students.  We have been impressed with the quality of the meals and the engagement from students.  We welcome any feedback on this program as we look to integrate this addition of hot meals into our school timetable on a regular basis.

Teresa McLeod 

Principal 

Term 1: 3rd February - 6th April

Term 2: 26th April - 7th July

Term 3: 25th July - 29th September

Term 4: 17th October - 13th December

Emergency Practice

This term we will hold an unannounced emergency practice with staff and students to test our response to a potential scenario that staff identify as a threat, warranting the school to go into lockdown (opposite to evacuation).

We have plans in place to make this practice as least disruptive as possible.

If you have queries please contact Teresa McLeod on 03 6471 1139.

Children’s University Tasmania is one of the many programs that West Coast Regional Learning Officer Belinda Martin is involved with for the University of Tasmania in the region.

Children’s University Tasmania helps develop children and young people into adaptable, lifelong learners by providing and celebrating quality learning activities outside the classroom. This can take many forms and it is important to recognise that all kinds of learning are valued by the program.

The learning is voluntary, child-led and fun, and is open to all children and young people, from age 7 in member schools.

By encouraging children to try new experiences, develop new interests and acquire new skills, the program builds bridges to employment and higher education. What may have felt remote, or out or reach, becomes achievable.

The program – which is offered by the Peter Underwood Centre at the University of Tasmania – also fosters warm relationships for members and their families with schools and the University.

Members are given a `Passport to Learning’ in which they record their hours, and when they reach major milestones they graduate, receiving higher awards as their hours build.  Older children also have the opportunity to join the ‘Passport to Volunteering’ program which fosters leadership and mentoring skills.

Graduation ceremonies are a special celebration of these achievements, as West Coast graduates who have attended the ceremonies in Burnie during the past three years can attest.

Children’s University Tasmania is delivered through schools, with school-based Children’s University coordinators playing a pivotal role.

Belinda has begun meeting with schools and started working on a range of initiatives and activities to give new impetus to the program on the West Coast and grow both the Children’s University membership within schools and the learning hours achieved by members.

If you are interested in your child being a part of this initiative please

• Contact Mrs McLeod and /or
• Attend assembly 8 May and /or
• Complete the e-consent form attached below.

The School Board AGM will be held on Wednesday 22nd March at 7:00pm in the school Library. 

The school board convenes twice a term to discuss school initiatives including buildings, facilities, policy direction, staffing, finances, and educational programs. The School Board currently have positions vacant and are seeking expressions of interest from parents of St Joseph’s Catholic School for consideration for School Board membership. If you are interested in becoming a member of our School Board, please contact the school office on 6471 1139 for further details.

Loaves and Fishes

Loaves and Fishes Tasmania prepare healthy nutritionally balanced meals for various educational settings. They currently donate breakfast muffins towards our breakfast program to both our West Coast Catholic schools and fruit to St Joseph’s Queenstown.

Loaves and fishes Tasmania will be providing our students with nutritious lunches for all students who attend our school twice a week during school terms on Monday and Friday. The hot lunches will provide a sound base to the students eating throughout the week.  This program will educate the students about healthy eating and nutritious alternatives, this initiative aligns with our ‘Move Well Eat Well’ program. Students also learn to eat with others and learn socially acceptable behaviours. The meals are prepared meeting the guidelines for School Food Matters.  

Providing a school lunch for all children has many benefits.

• enjoyment of eating together and eating the same food.

• exciting how many different foods children will try when they are eating with friends.

• a nutritious meal is a great way to enable children to concentrate during the lessons after lunch.

• Teachers have indicated a calmer classroom when all children have eaten a balanced meal at lunch time.

• Parents have indicated that the pressure is not as intense in the mornings getting the children to school due to not having to make a school lunch box,

• and parents have peace of mind that their child will be fed well.

Please  note all students will be provided with a hot meal at lunch time on a Monday and Friday, students will only need to bring recess on these days.

The menu will be full of delicious, dietitian-approved recipes with ingredients locally-sourced where possible and a focus on sustainability. 

Our classrooms have been busy places over the last fortnight. 

In Blue Gum, the kinders have been focusing on working together, practising turn taking and sharing with others. During our card games, art and craft and general play, these important skills are becoming quite useful.

This week, Sassafras is brought to you by the letters m, s and t!
Every morning, during literacy, students are learning about different letters of the alphabet to help with their reading and writing. It is wonderful to see students are taking care in their writing and even mastering their own name! Outside of literacy, the Prep’s are happily learning about families in HaSS (History and Social Sciences) - discussing the importance of family and also what families need. In Science, students are still applying their knowledge of materials and categorising what is man-made and natural. 

Leatherwood have had a strong focus developing their oral language skills by creating presentations about their favourite books. Miss Holmes says that she has a class of learners who aren’t afraid to have a go! This week, we also commend our Year 1s and Year 2s for practising and delivering the Whole School Prayers. They took their learning about St Joseph and weaved it into a liturgy for us.

Myrtle is squeezing lots into the lessons and making the most out of every minute. In Maths, practice makes perfect as they learn and apply their multiplication and division knowledge. The Year 3/4 literacy intentions this week are about recognising when to add apostrophes to their writing. In HASS, Mrs Reynolds has been guiding students through the similarities and differences in celebrations and commemorations that have been experienced. This has also made a wonderful opportunity to link in with Lent and Easter in our Religious lessons.

King Billy’s highlights this week include their writing and their maths. Over the term, the Year 5 and Year 6 have had a strong focus on two genres in English - recount and narrative. More importantly, in their writing, it is the focus on the process that has greatly improved. Within the classroom, you could hear a pin drop as students work through the planning, drafting, editing and finally publishing their work. Maths is the other area that is generating a lot of excitement - particularly the mental maths strategies being employed during Number Talks and games.

Finally, a big WELL DONE to our Year 3 and Year 5 students who put in a top effort in their NAPLAN testing. Students had to complete four tests: writing, reading, conventions of language and numeracy.

Myrtle have been learning about Palm Sunday and created a comic strip to recount the story.