Mission & Learning at Joey's
CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH & HARMONY DAY
Last week, we celebrated two important occasions that bring our school community closer together. First, we honoured the Feast of St. Joseph, the patron saint of workers, fathers, and families. His unwavering faith, humility, and dedication remind us of the power of service and love for others.
We also come together to celebrate Harmony Day, a day to reflect on the importance of inclusivity, respect, and cultural diversity. It’s a time to embrace the rich variety of backgrounds that make our school community so special.
As we celebrated these two meaningful occasions, let us be inspired by St. Joseph’s example of selflessness and commitment to family, and by the spirit of unity and respect that Harmony Day encourages.
To make these important celebrations extra special, our wonderful Canteen put on some special treats to help us celebrate. Thank you Mrs Hagger.
ST JOSEPH'S FAMILY COMMUNITY GROUP: Cyber Safety Visit with David Smith from Ysafe - Empowering Our Community with Digital Safety in the online world
KEY TAKEAWAYS ....
On Monday 17th March, we had the privilege of hosting David Smith from Ysafe, Australia’s Cyber Safety Education provider, who visited our school to educate students, parents, and staff on the ever-evolving world of digital safety.
David’s visit was packed with valuable insights, as he shared essential tips and tools for navigating the online world safely. We thank all the families who came and listened to his session, and we hope you got some practical things you can do to support your family.
Key Takeaways from the Cyber Safety Session
His session ran through practical, strategy-rich content that covered the important points all families need to know about online safety, including key information about social media and gaming, parental controls, and how to set up a cyber safe home for children of all ages.
Some top tips;
- Communication is key! Talk to your kids about what is happening online
- We want kids to go to their parents and carers when something bad happens online.
- A B C of a Cyber safe Home… A- Manage Access, B- Set Boundaries, C- Openly Communicate.
- Look into parental controls- ‘putting the guardrails in place’
- Modelling- look at your own phone use and how much time children see you on devices.
- Model good online behaviour and social media use- how do your children see you responding to online posts? How do you react?
- Types of less well known types of negative online behaviour; doxing, exclusion, captioning abuse, bystander behaviour. Check out the Parent Hub for more information on any of these.
- Exposure to inappropriate content- managing access. (Shared devices- parents/family, social media feeds and messaging, gaming platforms). Need to be aware of this and monitor/ respond accordingly
- Australia is leading the way with the esafety commissioner- new laws coming into place November 2025
- Students don’t want to tell us when they are having a negative experience online because; lack of understanding, fear of consequences, shame and embarrassment. To combat this parents need to; demonstrate open listening, problem solving, and positive modelling. Who are the trusted adults for your children?
KENSUKE'S KINGDOM: SHIP ARTWORK - YEAR 4
We are reading the novel Kensuke’s Kingdom. It is about a young boy named Micheal who sails around the world with his family. We made our own ships inspired by our novel. First we painted a light blue background with a paint wash, then we cut out our boat shape out of cardboard. We then started to decorate our boat with recycled and craft materials. Some materials we used were pipe cleaners, shells beads, bubble wrap, mini cups, string and wool, glitter (we all went home covered in this!), straws, pom poms, tape, netting stickers and fabric. One of our artworks even has an old cut up phone charger. (we hope his mum and dad knew he brought it in). We had so much fun making our ships in groups. Daisy and Mackenna, 4H
RIDDLE ME THIS?
Our Writing Enrichment Group have been creating their own brain benders, below is a selection for you to ponder:
1. I am big and I am small. I have three arms and a head the size of a ball. I spin round and round. I sit in the one spot. What am I?
Olivia Carroll, Y6
2. I am alive. I live underwater. I can be home for many animals. I have lots of wobbly sticks on me. I can fade but regrow. What am I?
Tex Duncan, Y3
3. I have to be broken before I'm used. I can be tall or short. I'm fluffy but not always. I have a tail and head. I also wear shoes. What am I?
Iylo Kirk, Y3
4. I can be big or I can be small. I can be short, or I can be tall. I could be empty, or I could be full. I can be moved if you push me or pull. What am I?
Abella Raffaele, Y5
5. I have a face, I have arms. I start and stop. I am battery powered. I am used as a tool. I come to work and school. What am I?
Abella Raffaele, Y5
6. I am red. I am pink. I get broken and back together. When I die I am gone, and I stop forever. What am I?
Alexa Smith, Y3
7. I'm comfy and warm. I'm wide not tall. I love making you at home. I'm fluffy and big. What am I?
Peyton Watts, Y3
8. I can be long or wide. I love to swim, but I cannot breathe underwater. I have no tail. I eat plants but I'm dangerous. What am I?
Nicholas Simpson, Y4
ANSWERS:
1. A fan 2. Coral 3. A horse 4. A wheelie bin 5. A watch 6. A heart 7. A bed 8. A hippo
PARENT/TEACHER LEARNING CONVERSATIONS
Semester One Parent Teaching Learning Conversations have now commenced.
There are still some spots available on:
Wednesday, 2nd April, 2025 - 3.30pm - 5.00pm
These are 10 minute pre-booked meetings, booked through the Compass App. Please refer to the attached instructions on how to book your interview.
We encourage all families to book a time to meet with your child’s teacher, as it is a great opportunity to discuss all matters concerning your child’s schooling.
We look forward to meeting with you to discuss your child’s learning.
STUDENT THOUGHTS ON ATTENDANCE
