Dear Parents and Carers

I am sure you have looked on this week in disbelief and shock as a mass shooting in the United States claimed the lives of 19 primary school students and 3 teachers.  While these types of events are now a part of life in the US, when a school or young children are involved I cannot help feeling as though it is close to home.

I have seen a number of reports on the news and online that detail this tragedy and I have struggled with it throughout the week. The senselessness, the pain, the aftermath and the incredible challenge for that community to move forward.

There is little to say and little that we can do, and sometimes it seems that good intentions and hope feel like hollow sentiments when considered against the enormity of loss this community has experienced.  I know that at times like this I am reminded to be grateful. Grateful for where I work, the people I work with, what we try to achieve each day and hopeful that the students we teach and care for, will grow up to be courageous enough to work for change.

I am grateful for where I live and that we do not live in fear of things like this happening in Australia.  We are not perfect, we all complain about things we wish were better, I know I did it today.  It is easy to do, we get busy, stressed, and tired and it is the easiest thing to fall into at times.  I know for a fact that someone asked me how I was today in passing and I answered with, 'what day is it? It's a crazy time of year, I'm flat out - all giving the same negative impression. 

It came very easy and I could hear myself saying the words.  I should have taken the chance to be thankful, for a stunning day, for a job I enjoy, for friends and family.  These are simple things that we can take for granted, that can be overlooked when we are predisposed to notice or look for the negative.

When I listened this week to a Year 2 boy recount how he and his classmates hid in their school and survived and saw images of parents wondering if their children were coming home from school, and the grief of those that knew they weren't, I was reminded that my inconveniences were inconsequential.

In the wake of events like this and others taking place around our world, we should continue to hope, work and pray for change, for healing and for peace. I will also be trying to be more grateful for what I have, what I can do and for what has been given to me.  I hope we all can.

Thank you again for all you do for our school.  I am genuinely grateful for our school community, for you our parents and carers, our students and our staff.

Have a great week

Tim

Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week

Pentecost

Happy birthday to the Catholic Church! 

We're all familiar with our own birthdays, and we celebrate them because they mark the day of the year in which we entered into this life.  And our Catholic Church has a birthday also and it's called Pentecost! The day when the Catholic church 'began'. 

The word Pentecost is Greek and it means "50th day." Fifty days after Easter Sunday, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and their followers, and the beginning of the disciples' ministry to spread the news of Jesus to all those in the world.

Pentecost is also a Jewish holiday, which the Jews use to celebrate the end of Passover. Jews celebrate the gift of the law to Moses at Mt. Sinai on this day.

At Pentecost, Mary, the Apostles and their followers were gathered in a room. Jews from all over the world were gathered with Peter, the leader of the Apostles and the Eleven. At this time, a great wind blew and a flame appeared as a tongue of fire, which split itself into many individual flames above the heads of all those present. The Holy Spirit filled all present with the strength and willingness to go out into the world and begin the Catholic Church.

Our school community will celebrate the feast of Pentecost with prayer within classrooms on Monday, 6th June. 

The Amazing Race

To celebrate the completion of NAPLAN, Year 3 and Year 5 students completed a race unlike any other....it was AMAZING!  

Students worked in groups on an orienteering style hunt.  Students were given a map of the school with checkpoints marked.  They interpreted the map to solve mathematical problems and answered riddles and puzzles.  Some checkpoints involved physical challenges of an obstacle course, posing for photos to represent a problem-solving strategy and sorting numbers.

Congratulations to the winning teams:

Year 3 team - Gangsters

Year 5 team - Kid Jobs

NAPLAN

Our Year 3 and 5 students worked incredibly hard during their NAPLAN tests and must be commended for their efforts.  Results will be distributed in August/September.  Thank you to all teachers who prepared students for these standardised tests.

SEMESTER REPORTING

Presently, teachers are beginning to gather information for Semester One Reports.  These reports will be published via Compass on Friday 24th June.  You will need your Compass username and password to access these reports.  Please see the office if you do not have this information. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Julie Wallace

Interschool Cross Country Carnival 2022

Congratulations to all of our brave competitors that represented our school on Tuesday at the Townsville Primary Schools Cross Country Carnival. This is the only carnival in which all schools compete together at the same time at one place. Our school excelled at this carnival, with each competitor giving it their all on the long Bicentennial Park Course. This year incredibly surpassed our recent Interschool Cross Country Carnival results. We had four top ten finishes from our eighteen strong team. In the 10 Year girls, we came home with first and second place (Ivy Ryan 1st and Amelie Vincent 2nd). In the 10 Year boys, Rocco Donovan finished in 9th place. Lucy Whelan managed 3rd placing in the 12 Year girls. These competitors now go through to the North Queensland Trials on Tuesday 31st May. Our whole Putney team deserve recognition for their outstanding achievements in representing St Joey’s. When you consider that all events had such a huge number of competitors, we achieved a great team result. 

NQ Netball Cup

Term 2 Fees

Just a reminder that Term 2 Fees are due for payment Friday 27^th May.  If you require any assistance with payment plans or any other detail relating to your account, please do not hesitate to contact the office to discuss.

If you have a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card please present the card to the office as soon as possible.  The card must be current, concessions will not be given without a current copy.

If you have not been receiving statements each term, please contact the office for investigation.

BEACHATHON has launched!  Our theme “Step I.T Up.” will raise money to purchase resources for Innovative Teaching and Technology - allowing St Joey’s to continue to adapt to modern learning systems and strategies. Very exciting! 

Sponsorship forms for students came home on Wednesday.

Any money your child raises is due in by Wednesday 15 June to their class teacher, alternatively can be deposited into the school bank account.

(Please use your child’s full name and Beachathon as reference).

All money raised will count towards a class total.

There are some fantastic lucky draw prizes to be won on Beachathon Day!

A Beachathon Silent Auction will be launched soon!  Keep a look out for updates to register and place your bid for some great items from businesses in our community. Stay tuned for future announcements around upcoming fundraising market events and raffles.

THANK YOU to these local businesses (many being families in our school) for your support of Beachathon to date.  Your financial donations, silent auction prizes or lucky draw prizes for students are fantastic!!  

If you have any questions about Beachathon, please contact: beachathon.sjnwtsv.catholic.edu.au

Thanks for supporting St Joey’s fundraiser!

Thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors for Beachathon;