eNews Term 2, Week 1, 2025

From the Principal

Dear Parents, Carers, Teachers, and Students,

Welcome to the start of Term 2! As we transition into a new term, we reflect on our shared commitment to fostering a supportive and caring educational environment. This newsletter brings you important updates and highlights from our school community, ensuring you stay informed and connected with what is happening this term. 

Federal Election - Saturday, May 3

Please consider how your vote will benefit the whole community. It is essential that everybody who cares about Catholic schools understands the key issues. More information can be found here. 

https://ncec.catholic.edu.au/2025-federal-election/election-updates/

The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) is focussed on the following priorities: 
• Ensuring affordability and choice in Catholic education 
• Addressing hardship, wellbeing and disadvantage 
• Building and innovating for the future 

Catholic Education has released a Federal Election scorecard to highlight where political parties stand on issues of importance for Catholic schools. The scorecard has been developed for families and staff to easily identify the education policies and commitments of these parties. Catholic Education asked the Australian Labor Party, Liberal National Coalition, and the Australian Greens to provide their response to our priorities for Catholic education. Read their full responses via www.ncec.catholic.edu.au

The Easter Season – New Beginnings

Easter is a special time for many in our school community, marking a season of hope, renewal, and new beginnings. As we return to our classrooms, we carry with us the Easter message and our school values of kindness, compassion, community, cooperation, respect, and inclusion—values we strive to live out every day at school. 

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Jon Schulz will be teaching Year 1 for the remainder of the year. Mr Schulz has been a regular relief teacher and an employee of Camp Australia at our school site this year.

Thank you to Camp Australia staff for providing an excellent program over the holidays. When I visited, it was wonderful to see the children enjoying the activities.
A reminder that our duty of care takes place from 8:30 am each morning.  If you require care before this, please ensure you book your child into Camp Australia, which opens from 6.30 am.  Your children are supervised and provided breakfast.  Where children arrive before this time, there is no duty of care in place from our staff, and soon the childcare centre is about to open, with more traffic using Florence Street. 

ANZAC Dawn Service 

Thank you to our Senior School Captains, their families, and the school community for attending last week's Murray Bridge dawn service. The large crowd honoured those who served in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations worldwide, including the ANZACS at Gallipoli. Through these services, we remember and give thanks to those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and peace.  

Please check in with your child's teacher to stay informed about events and activities happening in the classrooms. 

Best regards,

Ros Oates
PRINCIPAL

Reminder: Pupil Free Days

• Term 2: Nil
• Term 3: Monday, 21 July,  Friday, 8 August
• Term 4: Thursday, 11 December and Friday, 12 December.

Welcoming Scout, Our New Therapy Dog

Meet Scout, the Border Collie, who is bringing a sense of happiness and calmness to St Joseph’s School, Murray Bridge.

A new canine friend has joined St Joseph’s School, Murray Bridge. Scout offers social and emotional support to students under the care of our inclusive education staff. His calm and friendly presence enhances the school experience for many students and staff.

Scout has a clear purpose at our school site, which is known by staff and students. He supports students with a flexible daily schedule and is cared for by his owner, Mrs. Cath McCole, a leader in the Middle Years building.

The benefits of therapy dogs are well-documented within educational settings, and Scout is already hard at work helping to support our students' focus and bringing a smile to everyone, especially those having a difficult day.

Scout motivates students to get involved in school activities and significantly enhances our support for everyone's well-being.

Our students are generally very excited to have Scout visit their classrooms, and he regularly visits with his adult leader and the yard during play times. Scout enjoys getting a pat from those confident enough to do so. We describe him as “a calm and gentle dog.” However, we also understand that some children, who are not familiar with dogs or are frightened of dogs, could be concerned. 

We hope to break down those barriers and ask parents and caregivers who are aware of this anxiety to communicate with the school via the QR code below, so that we are well informed and can reassure and avoid any possible stress.

The decision to introduce Scout as a certified support animal in our school environment was inspired by the positive responses and feedback observed when a previous allied health provider brought their border collie to assist several clients. We are also fortunate that Scout is owned by a staff member, who takes care of him in and out of school. 

Scout has now completed his regular visits to St Joseph's as part of his certification and a few school events to familiarise him with the school environment and educate students and staff on how to interact with him.

Beginning this term, Scout's arrival marks a new strategy in our commitment to student well-being at St Joseph’s School Murray Bridge. We look forward to his positive impact on our school community.

Reminder from Term 1 - School Uniforms

This term, we are aiming for 99% of our students to adhere to the correct school uniform guidelines. I ask that all students wear the correct uniform items, sold at Vinnies, by the start of week two of the term. 

New and second-hand uniforms are available from the Vinnies clothing store for those families who need to purchase them. I thank the parents and carers for their support in ensuring all students are wearing the correct school uniform and not wearing jewellery and/or items of clothing that are not part of the school uniform. Please note that 1% of some students have been granted permission by the principal for uniform adjustments due to sensory issues; however, navy remains the primary colour requirement. 

Beginning in week 2, text reminders will be sent to parents and carers to address non-compliance with the uniform policy. We have ‘new’ added items, without emblems, that are affordable, ensure warmth and flexibility during the colder months. These are displayed in the school office. This includes, pictured below, a long-sleeved navy top (can be worn on its own or under the current t-shirt) and a different styled navy tracksuit alternative. More school 100th birthday beanies will be arriving for purchase in the coming weeks. Please see the added items below. 

REMINDER MID-TERM ENROLMENTS

In 2025, St. Joseph's School will continue to offer mid-year enrolments. If your child turns five between 1 May 2025 and 31 October 2025, they can start school at St. Joseph's in Term 3, 2025, and the school fees are free. Children starting in Reception mid-year will have a minimum of 6 terms in Reception. Please let friends and family know that enrolments are open for mid-Year 2025 starting Term 3. An information session for the parents/carers will be held early Term 2. 

2026 ENROLMENTS

Enrolments are also open for the beginning of 2026. Children who turn five from 1 November 2025 until 30 April 2026 can begin school in Term 1 of 2026.  Please contact the school administration to register your interest and book a Principal's tour. Our JOEY’s transition program is available from Term 3, 2025 for all children beginning school at the start of 2026. This is also a free program for those students. Information about JOEY’s will become available soon, however, registration of interest in this program is now open by contacting Luke Woods in our administration office.

Thank you 

Welcome to Term 2

I hope all families had the chance to recharge the batteries during the break, especially during Easter. Today I commenced in my new role as Assistant Principal: Religious Identity and Mission (APRIM), which I am excited about. This role is combined with my teaching role. I will have three days devoted to my leadership role and two days for my teaching role. I have held various leadership roles in the past including Religious Education Coordinator, APRIM and two stints as a principal in small Catholic schools. I have also taught all year levels either as a classroom teacher or as a specialist teacher. I commenced at St Joseph’s School Murray Bridge in January of this year as a Year 5 Teacher. My role will include working as a part of the school leadership team, leading and working with staff in Religious Education and Catholic Identity, including the Crossways Religious Education Curriculum and supporting the Parish Sacramental Program. Please feel free to contact me regarding any questions about Catholic Identity.

Pope Francis’ Death
This school holidays, sadly, we endured the news of the passing of Pope Francis at the age of 88. He left us on Easter Monday morning at 7:30 am in Rome, a relevant time that echoed the resurrection celebration of Easter. Pope Francis made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday, bringing joy to many with his presence in St. Peter's Square.

Pope Francis was a remarkable man, known for his consistent stand against self-interest, self-promotion and self-centredness, which guided his vision and mission. He had a unique ability to make the life and teachings of Jesus accessible to all, ensuring everyone had a place at the table. His compassionate leadership extended beyond the Church, impacting families, politics, economics, education, and communities worldwide.

I encourage all to light a candle in memory of Pope Francis and let his teachings inspire us into the future. 

In the coming days and weeks, the Cardinals (Church Leaders) of the Catholic Faith will meet to discuss, vote and elect a new Pope.

May Pope Francis rest in peace, carried home by angels.

Easter Season

During the last week of Term 1, classes attended Easter Plays, which were led by the Year 4 and 5 cohorts. Well done to these students, who acted out the events of Holy Week and Good Friday, which concluded in the sad, difficult and tragic death of Jesus. A Special Thank You goes to Mrs Lynne Liebich for directing the play - the quality was terrific. As Easter Sunday took place during the holidays, students will be reminded, as they enjoy their chocolates, that the eggs represent Jesus' resurrection, a surprise for us all that his spirit rose from the dead and that he promised eternal life. Below is an Easter Prayer.

Easter Prayer

Lord God,
Your name, we bless for the love you have shown.
Bless the name of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us.
At Easter, we celebrate that he rose, in resurrection and for the love that he shared.
Fill our hearts with joy during the Easter Season and for all of our days.
Amen

Term 1 was a fantastic start to the year at St Joseph’s, as our teachers and students enthusiastically embraced our school-wide implementation of High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS). Our key focus was ensuring clear and consistent communication of learning intentions and success criteria. This means that in every classroom, students clearly understood what they were learning and how they could succeed, supporting their confidence and helping them stay focused and engaged throughout lessons.

Additionally, we successfully introduced a whole-school attention signal, greatly improving how effectively students transition between activities and maintain concentration. This consistent approach across the school has created an environment where students feel secure, know what is expected of them, and are ready and eager to learn.

As we move into Term 2, we are excited to deepen our commitment to full participation. Building upon the explicit instruction model we successfully implemented last year in partnership with the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO), we will be enhancing the way lessons are structured to maximise student involvement.

Throughout Term 2, our teachers will participate in targeted professional learning sessions to refine their instructional practices. In the early weeks, teachers will closely focus on the "I Do" phase, where teachers demonstrate new concepts to students. Teachers will engage in observing modelled lessons, provide feedback, and video their own lessons for reflective practice. Leaders will support teachers through structured observations and individual coaching conversations to enhance instructional clarity and student participation.

In the second half of the term, we will complete the same coaching cycle for our teachers with support from the Leaders, although our attention will shift toward the "We Do" and "You Do" phases. During the "We Do" phase, students will collaboratively practice new skills with guided support. The "You Do" phase then allows students to independently apply what they have learned, demonstrating their understanding. To support this, we will use targeted questioning and formative assessments to monitor comprehension, alongside a Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS), ensuring every student receives the necessary support to achieve success.

We look forward to sharing updates with you as we continue to strengthen our learning environment and help every St Joseph's student to achieve their best.

The Year 5s have been learning about the passing of Pope Francis. They have been focusing on the kind of person he was and the legacy he has left. The students have reflected on his impact by producing artistic candles displaying his values.

The Canteen will be changing items on the menu to be in line with the Right Bite Food and Drinks supply standards for Schools.  This will be a slow change over the year, and we will endeavor to keep you updated as the changes happen.

Baked Spuds on Tuesdays and Thursdays, there are two options for the baked spuds

• Bolognaise Spud $5.50 – Baked Spud with homemade Bolognaise sauce with grated cheese.  There are two add on options for the Bolognaise Spud – Supaslaw for .50 cents and Sour Cream for .20 cents
• Supaslaw Spud $5.50 – Baked Spud, Supaslaw, Grated cheese and Sour Cream

Hot Dogs will now only be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays effective immediately with the view of slowly reducing days hotdogs will be available.

Soup and dinner roll will be reinstated on Wednesdays for $4.00.  There will be only two soups available, Chicken Noodle and Pumpkin Soup.  Both these are Homemade soup and will be available during Term 2 and Term 3. Starting in Week 3.

Zooper Doopers will be replaced with Quelch Icy Fruit Juice Tubes – made from 99% Fruit Juice

Life Saver will no longer be available .

We would like to encourage you to use the QKR app for ice blocks instead of giving cash to your Child.

Thank you for your understanding and we welcome your feedback and suggestions that could assist in providing healthier options for the students.

I am pleased to send you The Southern Cross newsletter and the online edition of The Southern Cross April 2025.