Principal's Message
Self control
In October we are learning about the gift of the Spirit, Self control. By learning self-control, kids can make appropriate decisions and respond to stressful situations in ways that can yield positive outcomes
Exerting control over our negative impulses, feelings, and temptations makes it possible to relate to others with patience, kindness, gentleness, and love.
Self-control and self-discipline are two sides of the same coin. Self-control restrains our negative impulses. Self-discipline takes positive action. Both include mastering our own feelings and actions for the good of others.
The fruit of the Spirit starts in love and ends in self-control, which itself is only made possible by looking beyond ourselves to the great love of Jesus, who suffered, died, and was raised to life for our sake.
Self-control is exactly what it sounds like: control over the self.
For Christians, however, self-control is not merely about temperament. It is about resisting the temptation to break God’s law (which includes losing our temper) and react to others without demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit in our thoughts and actions.
- It takes self-control to have godly joy when we are facing a difficult situation in life.
- It takes self-control to get along with others and make peace instead of constantly getting into conflict. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9).
- It takes self-control to be patient with others.
- It takes self-control to kindly look out for other people as well as ourselves
- It takes self-control to make good choices and follow the instructions from others.
- It takes self-control to be faithful.
- It takes self-control to be gentle,showing compassion and mercy to others, with real love as God does with us.
Talking to your child about the age restrictions for Social Media
As we approach 10 December, when the new Social Media Minimum Age law comes into effect, it’s important for families to start preparing for the changes.
If you have children under 16 who currently use age-restricted social media platforms, they will be directly impacted by the new law.
To support your children through this transition, it’s helpful to:
- Talk openly about the new age restrictions and why they’re being introduced.
- Understand how your child currently uses social media and explore how these changes might affect them.
- Reassure them that these changes are about safety and wellbeing, not punishment.
To help guide these conversations, eSafety has developed practical tips for parents and carers to start these conversations to support you in starting and managing discussions in a calm and constructive way.
For more information about this issue please see the esafety website.
https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions
Learning conferences
Feedback and reporting from teachers to parents plays a crucial role in a student's educational journey. The feedback and reporting loop between teachers and parents create a supportive educational ecosystem that benefits the student by addressing academic, behavioural, and social aspects of their development. This collaboration fosters a positive and enriching learning environment for the child. Bookings for our next conference are available now. Please book through Compass.
Unconformity
Art show
We are excited to be included in this event. In this space we are able to showcase some of the amazing art that our students are producing. This is possible due to the dedication and vision of Ms Alice Karpineic. Please come along to our open session between 10am and 2pm on Saturday to see some of the masterpieces created by the students.
Students will also have a connection to the necklace at the Galley museum. This piece was created through a visit from the curator.
Excursions
Friday many of our classes are heading out into the community to view the artworks from the talented artists in the Queenstown area. Students will need to have their school hats to participate. It would be helpful if students had their wet weather jackets in case of bad weather.
Hot lunches
Please see the list of hot lunches that will be provided for this term. If there are any changes to this list we will communicate to families via Compass. We are very proud to offer hot lunches at St Joseph's and we know that many children are trying foods that are new for them. Eating together as a school has provided us with many benefits. We are thankful for the work of Ms Sarah Myers for the hours she spends preparing, cooking and serving the meals. We have many others who help in the serving and cleaning up including, Caitlin Clarke, Anne-Maree Walker, Nicole Stubbs, Clare Hales. We are so lucky that so many of our staff go above and beyond in so many ways for hot lunches to happen. We are also thankful to the families in our community who support this by asking and encouraging their child/ren to participate or by providing suitable alternatives as needed.
