Dear Parents and carers

The end of another wonderful term for our students has very quickly arrived.  What an amazing week last week was for our school!  Our Year 4 students enjoyed a wonderful culminating activity, presenting a live museum of early colonial life in Australia.  They did an amazing job and were rewarded with a lunch of ‘oldies food’ as one student described it to me.  I’m pretty sure it was a lunch involving food from that time period, not a reflection of what he thought I should be eating. At least I hope that is what he meant.

Our Rugby League team travelled to Palm Island for the Obe Geia Challenge and once again provided a stand out performance. Amidst what was a very talented field, St Joseph’s made it to the final undefeated, only to be narrowly defeated by St Clare’s.  The most pleasing part of the team’s achievement on the day was their incredible sportsmanship.  So many people have commented on their conduct on and off the field and it is a wonderful credit to them and their wonderful coach Mr Meekin.  Win, lose or draw, our students do so with the same spirit.  Congratulations!

Finally, we finished the week with Joey’s at Sunset. Those who were able to attend would agree that it was another terrific night with great food, great music and great company.  Again an enormous thanks to the performers who entertained us, the wonderful food trucks that attended and our P&F for their assistance in making the night a success.  I would also thank Jason Bennett for coordinating the night and ensuring that our school community once again had the opportunity to come together and enjoy themselves. It was a wonderful way to draw our term to a close.

Included in the newsletter this week is a letter from the Parish Council.  I would ask that you take the time to read the letter and consider assisting if possible.  The connection between the school and the parish is a vital one.  Our school benefits from being involved with and having access to our church and parish.  My study this year revolved around the question; how do catholic schools remain catholic?  There are indeed many aspects to this question, however, my time overseas highlighted the need for a school- parish connection to assist with ensuring catholic schools remain authentically catholic.  Where this connection was lost, so too was an important part of the life of the school community. 

We are indeed fortunate to have had a priest to minister to our school, a church to worship in and a parish community committed to building a strong relationship with our school community.  Many schools do not have what we enjoy.  Please take time to consider the letter and how you may be of assistance.

I hope all our families enjoy the September break.  I would like to thank you our parents and carers for your support throughout the term.  Again, we could not achieve all we do without your assistance.  The last term is only 9 weeks long and as you know is always a busy one.  Staffing, class allocations and end of year reporting, combined with many other events serve to make this period of the year quite hectic.

It is around this time of year where I ask for your patience and understanding.  We have processes and procedures in place that we follow to finalise staff and classes for the coming year.  I understand that this information is important to families and it has been the school’s practise in recent times to ensure that announcements are made to our community as soon as practicable.  There are always changes, both known and unknown, but these will be acted upon.  I would ask you not to speculate about what may or may not happen when it comes to staffing as this can cause both staff and students unnecessary angst.  I ask for your patience and an understanding that our community will be informed as soon as possible.  Thank you in anticipation of your support.

Have a great last week.

Tim

Sunday’s Gospel

Luke 15:1-32 - Jesus responds to those who criticize him for keeping company with the unworthy.

Read or retell in your own words, the three stories from the Gospel. Ask your children to recall games they play that involve losing or hiding something and then finding it. Talk about how exciting it is to find the person or thing being looked for.

Ask your children if they have any memories of losing something special or being lost themselves. Share the stories as well as the fears or feelings. Then tell them that just as you would go to any length to find and bring them home if they were lost, so too would God. That is what Jesus is telling us in the three stories. No matter what we do, no matter how wrong we are, God, our loving father, is always anxious to forgive us and welcome us back home.

https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/liturgical-year/sunday-connection

After such a busy Term 3 I hope that you all have a relaxing, restful and safe holiday break.  Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you all in Term 4.

We thank you Lord, for this term.

For the challenges, the successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt.

Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends.

Give us strength and courage to do what is right: to be witnesses of our faith.

Help us to be a practical Christian these holidays, to appreciate what others do for us, to give time and effort to help others.

To be peacemakers in our family.

Keep us safe in our activities; give us good rest and good fun.

Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term.

We thank you for our classmates, teachers, parents

And a community that cares for us.

May we always be conscious of you in our lives.

Amen

Have a wonderful week

Take care and God Bless

Amanda