Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back to a very exciting Term 2 for our school.  In a matter of a few short weeks, we will be celebrating 150 years of our school and parish.  This is an incredible milestone in the history of our school community.  I know you will have received a lot of information regarding the weekend of the 19th to the 21st of May however, I would like to take this chance to personally invite you all to join in the celebrations over the May weekend.  While these events are often highlights for past students and families they are also an important opportunity for existing families to gather and celebrate.  We have an amazing school and an amazing school community.  We have worked together to continue building an exceptional school.  What has been achieved in the past and up to this point is worth celebrating together.

Next week our school will take part in the ANZAC Day parade and in recognition of our 150th-year celebrations, St Joseph's will be the lead school.  I hope you are able to join us on the day for the march, honouring our service men and women.

Parent/ Teacher interviews will also take place next week.  These are an excellent opportunity to discuss your child's achievements with their teacher.  If you are able to arrive before your appointment this will give you time to look through your child's portfolio and see first hand the work they are producing.  Teachers have also worked individually with each student to set some goals for their learning which can be discussed at the meeting.  I look forward to seeing you at the meetings.

Finally this week I would again like to thank Trina Neilson and Julie Wallace for their leadership during my time away.  I am very grateful to them and the staff for ensuring that our first term was another highly successful one.  I am very glad to be back and looking forward to another fantastic term.

Have a great week.

Tim

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day is a significant day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand. It commemorates the first landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli. On Tuesday, the 25th of April, we will pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of ANZAC soldiers who fought for our freedom and way of life.

Our school is proud to participate in the Townsville City Council ANZAC Day Parade on Tuesday morning. Students from Years Three to Six will march, and we will lead the parade to celebrate St Joseph's 150 years of service and contribution to the Townsville community. We welcome families to join the Townsville community and watch us march past.

In addition to the parade, our school will hold a whole-school liturgy on Monday, the 24th of April, at 8:45 am. The liturgy will be led by Year 3 students, and everyone is welcome to attend. All students will receive an RSL ANZAC Day ribbon to wear on Monday and Tuesday as a way to commemorate the day. 

Life Education

Our school is excited to welcome the Life Education program as part of our health education program, from 8th to 15th May. Life Education offers a unique environment for students to learn about leading a healthy lifestyle through age-appropriate lessons on a variety of health-related topics, including healthy eating, medicine, bullying, resilience, and social skills. 

The sessions are interactive and enjoyable, with the much-loved Healthy Harold mascot making an appearance. We believe this experience will extend and develop the children's understanding of the topics covered.