Our School in Focus – No. 23 – 2026

This week has been all about the preparation for our Year 4-12 Inter-House Athletics carnival being held tomorrow, Friday 14^th. There have been quite a few field events held during class time and these results will be added to the overall totals for each house. A huge thank you in advance to Ms Srah Lynch and Mrs Georgia Haddrill for their work in preparing for this carnival. It is a huge logistical event and they have put many extra hours in to ensure that the day runs smoothly.

The following information was emailed home to families regarding requirements for the day:

• All students from Year 4-12 are expected to attend as it is a compulsory school event. Even if your child is not athletic, there are lots of team games and events for them to take part in to earn points for their house.
• Pick up and drop off is directly at the Rec Centre. Buses will stop at the Rec Centre morning and afternoon. Please have students there between 8:20-8:30am so they can sign in with enough time for the carnival to begin at 8:45am
• Students must be dressed in the correct school sports uniform items. Coloured accessories can be worn but must be removed to take part in events. Year 12s are allowed to wear dress ups but must have the sports uniform underneath for competing.
• Food will be available to purchase on the day – Beef and Gravy rolls, two types of soup, muffins, cookies, juice boxes and water. EFTPOS will be available
• A coffee van will be present for adults only
• We ask parents NOT to purchase take away food and bring it to the carnival for their children. Likewise, the students will not be allowed to leave the oval to purchase from takeaway places
• While we do not encourage students leaving early, if this needs to happen, parents must sign their child out at the sick bay/admin tent on Jubilee Oval. This also applies to older students, who will not be given permission to drive themselves away any earlier than the end of the carnival.
• Students must ensure they have plenty of food and water for the day as well as their school hat as it looks like being a sunny day.

The sports carnival is a compulsory event for students and we ask that parents support the school by ensuring that their children attend. There are many opportunities for them to compete, watch and cheer on their House, or help out at stations.

What a busy and exciting start to Term 3 Year 4 has had! We had loads of fun celebrating Marcellin Day in Week 1, followed by a wonderful Grandparents Day on Friday. It was so special to welcome our grandparents and special visitors into the classroom to join us for activities and morning tea.

We have also been busy preparing for this week’s Athletics Carnival with some extra practice sessions, which we have absolutely loved! In English, we have jumped straight back into our spelling groups, have been getting to know our narrative characters in depth, and have begun reading ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Each chapter either leaves us feeling hungry or hanging on a cliffhanger, eager to find out what happens next!

In Maths, we have been focusing on time and discovering just how quickly it seems to pass these days! Students have been learning about leap years and developing their skills in reading both analogue and digital clocks in a range of real-life situations.

Our HASS lessons have seen us exploring water usage and its importance, and we are looking forward to delving into some history. In Science, we have been investigating how objects move by exploring forces, motion, pushes, and pulls. Students particularly enjoyed learning about gravity and were fascinated by the space station video we watched.

Religion is especially exciting at the moment as many of our students prepare to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. It is a very special time in their faith journey.

We are looking forward to all the upcoming events, opportunities, and exciting learning experiences as we continue charging through Term 3!

Little Joeys Stay & Play will return in Term 3.

It is a free playgroup for children aged 0 – 4years, offering fun, music, crafts and stories.  Everyone is welcome and you don’t need to be a current family to attend – we love meeting new faces!

Please click on this link and complete the form.

It is always wonderful to celebrate students who embrace language learning with enthusiasm and determination. During Week 2, St Joseph’s Primary and Secondary students studying Italian participated in the Education Perfect Languages Championships, competing online against students from 114 schools across Australia and beyond.

We are incredibly proud to announce the outstanding achievements of our students and the school.

St Joseph’s School placed:

6th Overall out of 114 participating schools

2nd Overall in the 251-500 students category (out of 42 schools)

1st Overall in Italian (out of 54 schools)

These results are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion shown by our students throughout the competition.

Special congratulations go to Ben O’Sullivan and Eve Retallack, who achieved exceptional individual results by placing in the Top 50 competitors.

We would also like to recognise the following students for their award achievements:

Bronze Award Recipients                      Credit Award Recipient

Ben O’Sullivan                                                  Christal Don

Eve Retallack

Jake Jemraj

Cordell Marris

It was wonderful to see the passion, engagement, and commitment displayed by students during their Italian lessons and throughout the competition. Their efforts have brought great pride to our school community.

Congratulations to all students who participated!

The Primary Canteen is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Both the school and P&F Facebook pages are updated regularly and I encourage everyone to check both pages for up to date information.