2023 Week 5 Term 4

Dear Parents

At 11.00 am on the 11th day of the 11th month each year we remember the moment in 1918 when World War I came to an end. On Remembrance Day, we honour Australian men and women who served in war and peacekeeping activities. We remember the courageous men and women who gave their lives during wartime and as a result of war.  As we reflect on the lives that have been lost, let us promise each other to work for the freedom of all who are oppressed in the world today.

Remembrance Day does not glorify war – it honours the memory of all those who laid down their lives for Australia. Our staff and students were very respectful of this moment and occasion, it was a reflective time for us this today. Friday.

Class Placements - 2024

I am very grateful that, for the most part, our parents trust staff and the decisions we make for their child’s class placement. Children will be asked to complete a sociogram to identify friendships they believe they work well with, and teachers will ensure that every child is placed with at least one of these friends. Considerations include, but are not limited to, assessment data, peer dynamics, learning and behavioural needs and the ratio of boys/girls within classes. Teachers on specific classes will announced at this time and requesting a classroom teacher for your child cannot be assured.

If you believe that teachers need to consider a specific factor for your child to be a successful learner, please submit a written response to the Principal by (Monday 20 November 2023). You can email to: brendan.kiely@lism.catholic.edu.au

Please understand that requests from previous years will not be referred to and only written responses received by Monday 20 November 2023 will be considered.

Leadership - School, Mission & Sports Captains

Student Leadership Policy

Our school is a partnership between teachers, parents, students and the wider community.  Student input into formal decision-making is integral to our mutual success as a school. Our student leadership is formed in a collaborative process which begins with identitfying our leaders and encouraging the behaviours we want our leaders to portray at St Joseph's School. 

Our Year 5 cohort, last week, have expressed their willingness to each other to be considered as the next School, Mission and Sports Captains of St Joseph's school which is a real honour and priveldge to hold.

We invite our parents to join with us to listen to the nominated children of Year 5 present their captains speeches. 

School Captains speeches -  Monday 20th November 2023 

Ogilvie Hall, 9:00am - All Welcome

Mission Captains speeches - Wednesday 22nd November 2023

Sports Captains speeches -  Wednesday 29th November 2023

Operation Christmas Child - Donations

(picked up by Graham- Samaritan's Purse)

Thank you to all the families who donated to this wonderful cause. Thank you to Miss Cain for overseeing the coordination of the operation and donations recieved. 

Summer Sports Trials

Year 4 & Year 5 students represented our school wonderfully at the Zone Summer Sports trials. Well done to all students for their best effort. Congratulations to Livio, Rose and Jett who will now represent the Hastings Zone at the Lismore Diocesan Summer Sports in the sport of Basketball and Riley in the sport of cricket.

NRL 9's

Congratulations to our Stage 2 and Stage 3 students who represented our school at the NRL 9's in Port Macquarie. We had three tackle teams and a league tag team who performed well against other local schools. All children displayed amazing sportsmanship, teamwork and gave their best. Thank you for representing our school and making us all proud. 

Netball Gala Day

Students from Stage 2 attended a Netball Gala Day in Port Macquarie. The students enjoyed a wonderful day competing against other schools. A highlight for the girls was playing against each other.

Polding Athletics

Congratulations to Owen and Peyton who competed at the Polding Athletics Carnival. We are immensely proud of their achievements. Owen and Peyton both competed in the 100m and 200m spring events. Peyton placed 2nd in the 200m and 4th in 100m. Owen placed 4th in 200m and 5th in 100m.

Furthermore Peyton participated at the PSSA Athletics Carnival in Sydney in the 200m event and we are incredibly proud of her achievements. 

Kindergarten -  Year 2 NRL

This Term Kindergarten - Year 2 have been participating in an In-School NRL Program. The program equips students and teachers with the tools to play a modified version of Rugby League. Activities use story which builds on students' fundamental movement skills where they learn through active play and minor games in a fun and safe environment. K -  Year 2 participated in a gala day showing off their skills learnt over the term.

Kindergarten 2024 - Attending PreLit

Exuro - Youth Hub Port Macquarie

Socktober

Children's Liturgy - Saturday 21 October

Year 6 - The Good Man Project

Year 6 - Girls with Attitude

Lemonade Day

Youth Mass

Whole School Write

STEM Club - Turing Tumble

Whole School Assembly - Hosted by Stage 1

2024 School Uniforms - available to order

New uniforms are now available to order via FlexiSchools App. Thank you to those parents who have already placed an order, this will ensure a smooth transition. Please note the bucket hat design will remain the same, and can be worn 2024. Surf hat design will no longer be part of our uniform once the new uniform becomes compolsory. 

Uniforms purchased will be available at your child's MAI assessment Week 1, ready for their official start of school year 2024 in Week 2 - 2024.

A New Look for St Joseph's Primary Wauchope

Dear Parents

We are thrilled to introduce an exciting change at St Joseph's Primary School, Wauchope for the upcoming 2024 school year. As a result of your valuable feedback, we have made the decision to update our school uniform to better meet the needs of our students and families. This change will provide a more practical, comfortable, and cost-effective uniform while preserving the school's identity and the high standards we uphold. We are committed to enhancing the overall experience for our students and parents alike.

Background

In September, we reached out to all parents to seek your opinions on the quality and suitability of our current school uniform. Your overwhelming response indicated that the current uniform, particularly for the girls, was impractical and outdated. In response to this feedback, we established a uniform committee comprising Principal, teachers, parents, and members of our Parents & Friends (P & F) Association to address this issue effectively. After much consultation and the wonderful work of the uniform committee, some decisions have been made in relation to the uniforms from 2024 onwards. Student representatives were consulted, and tried the new items during the final stages of the decision-making process.

The New School Uniform

The new school uniform will offer several improvements, designed to address the concerns raised by parents and ensure the comfort, ease of care, and affordability of the uniforms. Our new provider will be Team Spirit in Kempsey.  Team Spirit has been contracted by the school to produce our new school uniforms. Although these will be produced and supplied by Team Spirit the purchasing of our school uniforms will be through the Uniform Shop onsite at St Joseph’s School.

Key Elements of the New School Uniform:

• Navy and Gold Cotton Blend Polo (Monday - Friday wear): A comfortable and stylish polo shirt the students will wear every day to display pride in our school.

• Choice of Microfiber Navy Shorts with Emblem or Skort with Emblem (Monday - Friday wear): Practical and comfortable options for both boys and girls.

• Navy Bucket Hat with Emblem (Monday - Friday wear): To protect students from the sun while showcasing their school identity.

• Navy with SJW Logo Socks (Monday - Friday wear): Completing the look and reinforcing our school's identity.

• Optional School Bag: Families can choose either the official St Joseph's school bag or one of their own preference.

• Optional Library Bag: Students can use either a St Joseph's Library bag or choose one of their own liking.

For Cooler Days:

• Navy and Yellow Track Jacket with Emblem: A warm and stylish option for colder weather.

• Navy Track Pants with Emblem: Comfortable and practical track pants for added warmth.

• Navy Sloppy Joe with Emblem: A cozy option to keep students comfortable during the cooler months.

Transition to the New Uniform

To ensure a smooth transition, the new uniform will be introduced in a phased manner. Kindergarten students starting in 2024, and all new enrolments, will be required to purchase the new uniform. Students in Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 will need to purchase the new uniforms when replacing their existing uniforms. As of Monday 22 July 2024 (Day 1, Term 3), it will be expected that all students will be wearing the new uniform in its entirety and no mixing of old and new uniforms will be allowed.

Please note - Current uniform stock will be available to purchase until the end of Term 4 at a discounted 50%.

Old uniform stock will not be available post 2023.

Year 6 students/families only - we understand the dilemma facing Year 6 families who may not wish to outlay funds for new uniforms.  The transition period for Year 6 students has been extended to the end of Term 4, 2024.   Year 6 Class shirts are to be worn on sport days and either the new uniform or current uniforms on normal school days.

Purchasing the New Uniform

We have simplified the uniform ordering process to make it as convenient as possible for parents. You can continue to use Flexi Schools as the preferred method for ordering. Uniforms will be available for ordering from Week 3, and they will be packaged and sent home with your child during their MAI assessment in Term 1, 2024.  Students will wear their new uniforms on the first official day of school. To assist you in choosing the correct size, a sizing guide will be available on Flexi School and via the Newsletter. Additionally, we will have a display with sample sizes for trying on in our uniform store. Sample sizing will be available to families, as a staggered approach, with regular Uniform Shop hours remaining unchanged. More information will follow once the new stock has arrived.

Updates

We hope that this advanced notice and detailed information will enable you to plan your uniform purchases for the 2024 school year effectively. Thank you for your valuable input, which has played a significant role in this important change for our school. We look forward to enhancing the comfort and satisfaction of our students and the convenience for our parents with this updated school uniform. 

Please stay tuned for further updates through our school's Information Book, Compass, and Flexi Schools. If you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the school on (02) 6585 1745. Your partnership in this exciting change is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards 

Brendan Kiely

Principal

Week 6 - Book Fair in the Library

Tuesday 14 November, Wednesday 15 November  and Friday 17 November 2023

8.35 am  to 9.00 am and 

Lunch 1 and Lunch 2

Wednesday morning is for PreLit students and parents only

Thank you

Thank you to all our amazing families who put their culinary skills into action and baked some incredible lemon treats for Lemonade Day. This is a very special day for our school and one that we are very proud to support. Watching so many happy faces with a handful of treats and a heart full of inspiration - brings us all so much joy.

P & F Volunteer Invitations to attend a thank you dinner were emailed to all volunteers last week. Please RSVP if you are able to attend.

Christmas Carols and Swimming Carnival Meal Deals will be available to purchase via FlexiSchools App from Monday 13 November 2023.  Please order early.

Thank you for your continue support of the Canteen and our school.

Renate Pope

Account Lockout or Password reset

Incase you experience an account lockout or require a new password reset for your Compass account, please call the Office 6585 1745 or email waup@lism.catholic.edu.au