Dear Parents and Carers

And nowthe end is near... It is hard to fathom we are at the end of another year.  It has certainly been a challenging and disrupted year due to Covid changes and restrictions. Despite the many challenges 2023 has also been another highly successful year for our school community.  Our students have excelled once again in every arena and have represented our school with pride and distinction.

I cannot express my thanks enough to our amazing staff.  Their dedication and committment to our school is second to none.  I am incredibly proud of what they have achieved this year and what they do each and every day for our students.

To the staff, students and families that are leaving our school community, thank you for all you have contributed during your time at St Joseph's.  I hope you take with you fond memories of your time and remember that you are always welcome here.  I hope to see you all at the 150th celebrations in 2023!

Thanks also to our fantastic Board and P&F.  Thank you for your for support and dedication to our school and for building our school community.

For those continuing on at St Joseph's in 2023 we have another massive year ahead of us.  It will be a time to celebrate this amazing community that has endured from the earliest days in Townsville.   I am looking forward to an amazing year and to sharing this with you.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Holy New Year.

Have a great break!

Tim

Christmas

As we busily prepare for Christmas: planning, cleaning, spending, giving, attending breakups and various events, it is important we take a moment and reflect on what it all means for us and our families. The season of Advent encourages us to reflect and prepare for the coming of Jesus who came to show us a new way of being with God, ourselves and each other.

THE ADVENT WREATH

The Advent wreath is a traditional centrepiece of the Christmas season. A candle is lit on each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas.
The first candle (violet) represents hope, the second (violet) peace, the third (rose)
joy and the fourth (violet) love. The central white candle is lit on Christmas Day and represents Christ. The word ‘advent’ means ‘coming’; lighting the candles on the Advent wreath symbolises the coming of Light (Jesus) into the world. The Advent Wreath teaches us about Christian preparation for celebrating Jesus’ birth and making our hearts truly ready to receive Him. Making an advent wreath and praying a blessing each week with your children is a wonderful way to countdown to Christmas.

The Advent Wreath teaches us about Christian preparation for celebrating Jesus’ birth and making our hearts truly ready to receive Him. Making an advent wreath and praying a blessing each week with your children is a wonderful way to countdown to Christmas.

Vinnies Christmas Appeal

On Thursday, the local conference for St Vincent de Paul was gifted with donations from Joey's families. These donations will help the society to provide food and gifts during the Christmas season.

Thank you to all our families for thier generous donations.

A special mention to our Year 6 student, Audrey Burbidge. Audrey planned and organised the Christmas Hamper to help raise some additional funds for Vinnies. On Tuesday, with the help of some friends, Chloe and Abbie, Audrey went shopping with the money raised to add some grocery items that make Christmas feel special and exciting.

Congratulations Audrey on showing such care, kindness towards others and stepping up to make a difference within the Townsville community. You are a true example of the Joey's Mercy Values of Love, Community and Excellence. 

Christmas Hamper

The winner of the Christmas hamper has been announced. Congratulations Stella!

We hope you enjoy the many wonderful gifts within the hamper with your family and friends. 

A very sincere thank you to all Joey's students and families for their support throughout the year with many fundraising events to help those less fortunate, from  buying icy cups, wearing colourful socks and buying raffle tickets. I am truly blessed and privledged to be part of a school community who recognises needs within the community and seeks ways to provide help.

I hope all families have a restful and relaxing holiday with plenty of joy and happiness. 

Merry Christmas, 

Trina

Last Tuesday evening, we celebrated the success and achievements of our Year 6 cohort and wished them well as they embark into secondary school.

Congratulations to the following students for thier award recognising thier extraordinary achievements during their time at St Joseph's. 

We wish all our 2022 Year 6 students all very the best for future. 

What a Year! 

If I could summarise the year, it would involve 3 words:

Engagement, innovation and exhaustion. 

Thank you to our wonderful teachers and school officers who have provided our students with engaging and meaningful learning experiences throughout 2022. Our expert team enabled our students to 'Step IT Up' with every aspect of their learning journey - from facing their fears to taking risks. 

We are very fortunate at Joey's to be blessed with such kind, well-mannered and compassionate students who attend our school. They are true 'Joey's Kids', and make us want to improve our practice.

Parents, thank you for supporting your children with their learning. Attending PT interviews, reading with your child and attending our school functions helps us with providing the best opportunities for your child.  It takes a community to raise a child, and we are lucky to have you as part of the team.

Tim and Trina, thank you for your support, guidance (and funding) to ensure our practices are evidence aligned and meet the needs of our students. 

Have a wonderful Christmas.

Julie Wallace

Semester Reports

Semester Two Reports will be published via Compass today, Friday 2nd December at 12pm. You will need your Compass username and password to access these reports. Please see the office if you do not have this information. 

If your child is in Year 6 or if you are leaving our school please download your child's report from Compass before 30th December. After the 30th of December, access via Compass will not be available.

For instructions on how to access your child's report, please follow the steps outlined in the document below:

Nothing says it is almost Christmas than our Prep classes telling The Christmas Story. 

Congratulations to all the prep students and their teachers for their wonderful effort.

For further information about the 2023 Sacramental Program at St Joseph's Church, please contace Joanne at the parish office.