Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back for Term 3! Firstly, thank you for your assistance this week abiding by the current restrictions in place for Queensland.  We greatly appreciate your support.  We are hopeful that restrictions will lift as expected. The lifting of restrictions should assist with the building disruption over the coming weeks.  We also take time this week to remember students, staff and families across greater Sydney and parts of New South Wales who have started another school term in lockdown and returned to homeschooling.  We pray that they can return to normal as soon as possible.

On Tuesday I shared an email with all families regarding the work that will begin at the main entrance to the school, including the footpath.  The goal of the work is to improve both access to and functionality of this area.  If you could look for this email over the coming days it would be appreciated.  Again there is a level of inconvenience associated with the work but the results will again outweigh this short period of construction.  As always should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Our Year 5 campers have returned safely after an amazing time on Magnetic Island.  A huge thank you to our very dedicated staff who not only made the camp a great experience but managed to organise and reschedule camp on very short notice.  An amazing effort!

A reminder also regarding the upcoming Parish celebrations on the 24th and 25 of July.  This year and over the next 2 years will see both our school and parish celebrate significant milestones.  This year our church turns 100 years old, in 2022 the parish will turn 150 as will St Joseph's in 2023. In 2023 our parish has agreed to join with St Joseph's to mark 150 years.  This will also be a huge milestone for our school and parish community and for our Diocese.  

The Centenary of our church is also an amazing event.  For our beautiful church to remain as it is today for over 100 years, is an incredible achievement and one that reflects dedication, stewardship and sacrifice.  It has undergone many changes in that time, all of which have been diligently overseen by many different groups of committed parishioners, priests and diocesan leadership.  This continues today, and while much of it takes place behind the scenes, a dedicated group still oversees the maintenance and operation of our church.  Their goal is to ensure that our parishioners have a place to gather and celebrate, have access to services and most importantly, our ministry.  This includes our school and St Patrick's.  We are incredibly fortunate to have both immediate access to our church and such an amazing facility.  

On the weekend of the 24th and 25th, the Centenary will be marked with a dinner on Saturday night and on Sunday, mass celebrated by our Bishop, Timothy Harris.  I would ask our families to consider attending one or even both of these events.  We don't only gather to celebrate the history of our church, but the inexorably linked history of our school and parish. We gather to celebrate the commitment and dedication of people who have overseen, nurtured and maintained the building and the services it has been central to offering our school and wider parish.  We gather to celebrate the many special occasions that have taken place in our church, events that are key moments in many of our lives. We gather to celebrate the past and look forward to the future and perhaps most importantly, the chance to grow as a community.  I sincerely hope you are able to join us next weekend.  If you would like to book a ticket or a table for the dinner or register for the mass on Sunday then please contact the parish office on 47213765.

Have a great week.

Tim

Welcome back for Term 3.  It was lovely to see so many smiling faces on Monday as our families returned to school.  A special welcome to those families and students that are new to our school this term.

Over the past week, many of us have been involved with some wonderful
NAIDOC celebrations held around Townsville.
Throughout Australia, NAIDOC Week was celebrated from 4th - 10th July.

Our St Joseph's School will celebrate NAIDOC Week 19th -22nd July. We will begin the week with a whole school liturgy at 8:45am. All are welcome to attend the liturgy. 

Each class will participate in activities throughout the week, reflecting upon this year's theme; 'Heal Country! Heal our Nation'. 

Celebrated annually in Week 3 of Term 3, Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all 309 Catholic schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos.  Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.  Catholic Education Week in 2021 will be celebrated in Queensland from 25 July – 31 July.  The theme for 2021 celebrations is 'A Spirited Tomorrow'.

Schools around the Townsville Catholic Diocese will come together to celebrate on Monday, 26th July at the Sacred Heart Cathedral for a Mass. Our school will celebrate with a liturgy on Wednesday, 28th July at 8:45am. All welcome. 

Hope all have a wonderful week,

Trina