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Welcome to our Week 7 newsletter. It is hard to believe how fast the term is flying by!
Garden Project Thanks
It was wonderful to witness a further transformation to the ‘Garden Project’ over the weekend, thanks to the productive working bee which occurred on Saturday morning, in aid of the Building Healthy Communities Challenge through Western NSW Local Health District. Thanks to all families and staff from St Joseph’s School, as well as other community members, who were involved in this. Many hands make light work. A special thanks to Mrs Caruana for all her work with the project to date.
Mufti Day
A reminder that the last Friday of every month is ‘Mufti’ day. Please ensure that your child is wearing appropriate casual clothing and footwear (enclosed shoes) and that they bring a gold coin donation to go to Project Compassion. Our next Mufti Day will be held on Friday 28th March.
Community Council Meeting
Please be advised that a School Community Council
meeting willbe held on Wednesday the 26th of March at 5 pm in the Library.
All parents are most welcome and encouraged to attend if able.
Cross Country Training
Our upcoming school Cross Country event will be held on Monday 7th April (new date) at the Grenfell Country Club. The distances are:
- Junior Category (8, 9, 10 years) 2km
- Intermediate (11 years ) 3km
- Senior (12 years) 3km
We hope to field a strong St Joseph’s team to represent us at the Western Region level to be held in Adelong on Friday 2nd May. We have many very capable runners who may like to train for this competition and we encourage parents to support a fitness routine if their child wants to build stamina and endurance.
Asthma and Allergy Plans
Please be sure to provide the school with an Asthma or Allergy plan from your GP if necessary for your child. Remember these need to be updated every year.
Illness
There are a number of illnesses going around at the moment. Please ensure that if your child is unwell they remain home to stop the spread.
Interim Reports & Interviews
Term 1 Interim Reports will be sent home with students on Monday 31st March. This report provides an opportunity for parents to see how their child has started the new school year and areas for development.
Parents will be invited to attend an interview with their child’s teacher on Tuesday 8th April, with meeting times available from 3:30 pm to 6 pm. Information on how to book a timeslot will be sent via Compass shortly. If you have any difficulties making the booking in Compass, or for alternative arrangements, please contact your child/ren’s teacher or the School Office.
Annual Improvement Plan
Our Annual Improvement Plan for 2025 is available to be read in full on our website:
https://stjosephsgrenfell.nsw.edu.au/documents
This year our teaching and learning goals continue to emphasise quality teaching and learning. Specifically our three Annual Improvement goals to improve student outcomes in 2025 are:
- High impact teaching practices are implemented in every classroom across the curriculum.
- St Joseph’s classrooms and playground are calm, purposeful, orderly and inclusive environments through the explicit teaching of expected behaviours and clear guidelines to support the development of positive behaviour.
- Enhance cultural proficiency and awareness of St Joseph’s students and staff, especially indigenous culture.
Welcome Spencer Waples
Congratulations to the Waples family who welcomed their new addition, Spencer, to the world. We hope Spencer is settling in at home. We know his doting sisters will be giving him plenty of cuddles!
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead.
Warm Regards,
Danielle McFarlane and Chelsea Harveyson
During this first week of Lent, the Gospel reading at Mass was all about Jesus being ‘transfigured’. The dictionary meaning of the word transfigured means to be ‘transformed into something more beautiful or elevated.’
We are so lucky to have a parent body like ours that is so generous with their time. Over the weekend the bare dirt of the front garden was ‘transfigured’ into something more beautiful and elevated. It was amazing to be part of the camaraderie and cooperation that occurred, working together to create a space that will be of benefit to our whole Grenfell community. This was mirrored in the work that occurred at the Grenfell Multi-Purpose Service (MPS) for the older members of our community to make a worthwhile contribution to the community.
In the same way, Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion Project at a school in Samoa transfigured the lives of the students and teachers. Until 2023, the school had no reliable access to fresh water. At times, teachers had to fetch water from neighbouring families, and this took considerable time out of the day and limited classes. It also meant that each class had a single bucket of drinking water for everyone to share. Thanks to the generosity of those that support Project Compassion, this has now changed. Education can continue uninterrupted.
Samoa may seem a long way away but let us think for a moment of some of the words Jesus said on the night before he died. He prayed ‘may they all be one.’ We see the high price of division and conflict in so many places. As we Unite Against Poverty, we are slowly creating the solution. Our actions are teaching the world to see possibilities more than problems. Just as his friends saw Jesus in a brilliant new light, so too must we see the whole human family with its true dignity.
Prayer
We pray for all those whose access to food and water is insecure. May the whole human family respond generously in creating lasting justice in the distribution of life’s necessities. May we respond to opportunities such as those presented by Project Compassion this Lent to Unite Against Poverty. May we all be one.
Amen
Adapted from School Reflections. Caritas Australia.
Warm regards,
Loyola Best
Religious Education Coordinator (Acting)
Parish News: SACRAMENTS of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation in 2025 (see below)
Parish Lenten Groups- Mondays 3.30p.m. during Lent in the School Library. All welcome. Contact Di Franks (0418619740)
Next Weeks Readings: 3rd Sunday of Lent: Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15, Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11, 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12, and Luke 13:1-9.
Library News
THANKYOU!!!
A big thankyou goes out to Jill Hamilton for all her work covering new books for the library!!!
N.B. The order for new contact has been placed so more covering to come!!!
FREE BOOKS!!!
We are currently weeding out some older resources from the school. If you would like to supplement your home library with any of these resources just let me know, either via phone call (63 431514) or email loyola.best@cg.catholic.edu.au
This offer is currently available until the end of Term 1, 2025.
Monday
Italian
Pizza with 2/3/4
Tuesday
Indian
Butter chicken with 5/6
Thursday
Australian
Fairy bread & party pies with K/1
Friday
Bush Tucker
Johny Cakes with the Whole School
Community Connections Through Gardening
This week 2/3/4 visited the MPS. We planted seeds and churned the compost with the residents. Once the seedings have taken hold and grown sufficiently they will be transplanted to the St Joseph's garden beds. Here they will be tended by the Joey's Garden Club until fully grown and ready for harvest. Then the seniors will cut and carry the produce to the Grenfell Food Hall as a donation to the community, completing the cycle until the next crop.
