Term 3 Week 5
Principal's message
Dear Parents and Carers,
Life is a precious gift and the staff at St Joseph’s Taree have high expectations and hopes for every student enrolled at St our school. The investment we make in your child builds on the work of you, their families, who are their primary caregivers and first educators. It has been my privilege to work with so many parents and carers already at St Joseph’s who share these high expectations for their children and have watched the magic happen when we combine to support their child. We are a team, and together with the support offered through our system of schools, the community or with the allied health specialists, we provide a great start for your child in their education.
The Little Joey’s Transition to School program offered for students enrolled in kindergarten for 2026 has so far been a huge success. It has been an initiative of our school to support our youngest of students as they begin their educational journey. We are laying the early foundations for school success and are very proud of these early learners who are adjusting to life as a ‘Little Joey’ in our setting. If you have a child ready to start school in 2026 and have not yet enrolled to take up this wonderful opportunity, please make contact with our office.
Last week, eight members of our staff trained to become Rock & Water facilitators. This program has the potential to be a game changer in the wellbeing of students through experiences that support a pathway to self-awareness, and increased self-confidence and social functioning. I am looking forward to working with staff to plan the implementation of this program across the school community.
All of our Year 5 and 6 students and staff joined many schools across the region at the Taree Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Community NAIDOC Day celebration held at Chatham High School last Thursday. This year’s NAIDOC Theme, ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy’, was evident in the number of young people involved in celebrating culture through dance and activities designed to pass on knowledge and skills to others and to share culture with non-indigenous Australians. It was great to see so much support from the community on this day. I have included some photos to share some of our experiences with you.
Taree Community NAIDOC Celebration
As I conclude my newsletter item, I would like to acknowledge the passing at the end of last week, of an ex-student, Jay Jay Clarke. His sudden loss will have a ripple effect across our community. I pray that his mother Tara and family are held in the palm of God’s hand during this difficult time. The precious gift of a child is not something you expect to lose in your life and we will provide support for members of our school community, students and staff who need it in the coming days and weeks.
Eternal rest grant unto Jay Jay O lord and may perpetual light shine upon him. May Jay Jay's soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
Yours sincerely,
Brooke Stephens
Assistant Principal Report
ICAS
This week marks the final week of the ICAS assessments, with our students sitting the Mathematics test. It has been wonderful to see over 40 assessments completed in ICAS this year, showcasing our student’s skills and commitment across a range of subject areas. We are very proud of their efforts and achievements, and we look forward to building on this success with even more participants in 2026. Congratulations to all of our students who represented St Joseph’s with such enthusiasm and dedication!
Safeguarding
At St Joseph’s, the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. Safeguarding is a shared responsibility, and it is vital that any concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing are reported immediately. We strongly encourage all families to speak up and share any concerns they may have, no matter how small they might seem. Working together ensures that every child feels safe, valued, and supported. For additional resources and guidance for parents, please click on this link:
Resources for Parents & Carers
Yours in kindness
Mrs Kia May Wall
Religious Education Coordinator
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop
On Friday, 8th of August, our students gathered to celebrate the Feast Day of Australia’s first saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Each year on August 8, we honour her dedication to making education accessible to all, especially children in rural and disadvantaged communities.
Thank you to our Year 6 staff and students who led the beautiful liturgy. It was wonderful to also see our Little Joeys attend!
The liturgy reminded us of Mary MacKillop’s powerful motto: ‘Never see a need without doing something about it.’
Father Kevin’s Anniversary of Ordination
This morning, some staff were able to gather with Father Kevin for a beautiful Mass of Thanksgiving to celebrate the anniversary of his ordination. It was lovely to join him in prayer and gratitude for his many years of faithful service to our parish and school community. We thank Father Kevin for his guidance, care and dedication, and we pray that God continues to bless him in his ministry.
Primary Coordinator
PB4L
This fortnight’s focus will continue to be on using friendly language. After looking through our data, there are still examples of our students using unfriendly or disrespectful language towards one another at break times. We will continue to focus on this in the classroom by using role plays and class discussions about how we address others respectfully in challenging situations. Unfortunately, there are quite a few instances of students using disrespectful language towards teachers as well.
Supporting Respectful Communication at Home
At school, we are working with students to build respectful relationships through kind and thoughtful communication. We know that children learn best when these values are reinforced both at school and at home.
You can support your child by:
- Modelling respectful language: Children learn a lot by watching and listening. Using polite words like please, thank you, and excuse me in everyday conversations helps set a strong example.
- Talking about feelings: Help your child name their emotions and talk about how others might feel. This builds empathy and encourages more thoughtful interactions.
- Practising turn-taking and listening: Encourage your child to wait their turn in conversations and really listen when others are speaking.
- Using role-play: Practise common social situations at home, like asking to join a game or solving a disagreement, using respectful words and tone.
- Praising respectful behaviour: When your child speaks kindly or shows good manners, let them know you noticed and appreciate it.
Together, we can help children grow into confident, caring communicators who treat others with kindness and respect. Thank you for your continued support!
Rock and Water Program
Last week we were very fortunate to have 8 staff attend a 2-day Primary School Training session in Rock and Water.
Rock and Water is a course that is delivered over a number of lessons to students in primary or high school. A series of exercises and games are practised to develop confidence and self-reflection. The games are diverse, and many have a martial arts origin. The program has a strong appeal to students who enjoy the active nature of the many games and drills. Students learn to stand strong, negotiate using “rock” or “water” verbal approaches, walk away from trouble, consider alternatives to aggression, and develop understandings about who they are, their intuitive feelings and their personal direction.
The program has a strong connection to the Respect Matters Australian Curriculum. Schools that employ the Positive Behaviours for Schools model find that the program is effective at any level of intervention from Tier 1 general behaviour to Tier 3 intensive intervention. The Rock and Water Program fits appropriately into the NSW PD/H/PE Curriculum, particularly in the domains of Self Management and Interpersonal Skills.
The Four Key Threads
1 Grounding, centring and focusing. Learning how to stand firm and relaxed. How to concentrate your breath in your belly and focus attention (first external, later transformed to an internal goal).
2 The golden triangle of – body awareness – emotional awareness – self-awareness. Emotions are expressed in the body by way of muscular tension high breath/ low breath etc. Therefore, increasing body-awareness can lead to more insight and experience of one’s own patterns of reaction which, in turn, can offer a chance to deepen and further develop emotional awareness and self-awareness.
3 Communication. The development of physical forms of communication as a basis for the development of other, more verbally oriented, forms of communication.
4 The Rock and Water concept. The tough, immovable rock attitude versus the mobile, communicative water attitude. This concept can be developed and applied at various levels: the physical, the mental and the social level. At a physical level it means that an attack can be parried by firmly strained muscles (rock) but also — and often even more effectively — by moving along with the energy of the attacker (water). At a social level — for instance in a conversation — it is also possible to choose between a rock or a water attitude and the same choice applies to the way in which one maintains relationships with others. Finally, at a spiritual level, the apparent opposites between rock and water disappear. Insight and experience come about when a realisation occurs that both ways are needed to reach self-fulfilment and that people, in their deepest essence, are connected to each other and travel along a path together.
We are truly excited about partnering with Rock and Water Australia to implement and then further develop the skills of our educators in delivering the program her at St Josephs. We are looking forward to introducing some practices and the shared language with our students before we use this program within our school day. We will also be sure to keep our parents informed along the way.
If you are interested to learn more about Rock and Water Australia please follow the link below.
Rock and Water Program - Teaching Self-Awareness and Self-Confidence
Gifted Education Mentor
Last term, Virtual Academy (VA) students showcased their Semester 1 Discovery projects at the University of Newcastle, joining peers from across the Diocese to share their learning and celebrate their achievements.
In Term 3 our four year 5 students, Levi, Lachlan Max and Kiera continue their VA journey with the Leadership unit. The unit last for 15 weeks and conclude with the Virtual Academy Showcase where they share what they’ve learnt over the last 4 months.
In the unit they are exploring the central inquiry: “How do leaders navigate challenges and decision-making processes to achieve their goals?” Through this unit, students will critically examine the qualities, strategies, and ethical considerations that define effective leadership. They will investigate real-world case studies, engage in collaborative discussions, and reflect on historical and contemporary examples of leadership across various contexts.
Key themes include resource management, community dynamics, equality, and conflict resolution. Through self-reflection and strategy application, students develop skills to overcome obstacles and define their leadership style, aiming to become effective change-makers.
I asked 2 of the VA students what they thought of the leadership unit so far.
Levi: I’m finding Leadership important because some leaders are good role models like Albert Einstein because he looked for the positives in his life.
Max: I’m enjoying leadership because it’s a lot of fun and even covers sport. I’m learning more about the leaders and what it takes to become a good leader like Pat Cummins.
Supporting Your High Potential and Gifted Child: A Guide for Families
The High Potential Gifted Education blog offers practical strategies to help parents understand how their child learns, foster emotional wellbeing, and build strong partnerships with schools.
Supporting Your High Potential and Gifted Child: A Guide for Families | Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle
Thanks for your continued support in nurturing our HPG learners.
Giftedness is not just about academic achievement – it’s about nurturing the whole child. Together, with understanding and strong partnerships between home and school, we can help our children thrive.
“Every child deserves to be known, to belong, to grow.”
– Catholic Schools of Maitland-Newcastle
Sports News
Diocesan Athletics
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the students who proudly represented the Manning region at this year’s Diocesan Athletics Carnival. Their hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship were truly inspiring throughout the competition. Each athlete showcased exceptional talent and determination, contributing to a memorable and successful event. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and the positive way they represented our community. Well done to all!
All schools Cup
Last week, our students proudly represented our school at the Netball School Cup in Taree. Both our Stage 2 and Stage 3 teams played exceptionally well, demonstrating great skill and sportsmanship. A special congratulations to our Stage 3 team who have qualified for the Port Macquarie Netball School Cup next week! Go Joeys!
Yours in Sport
Tarnya Jones
Sport Coordinator
Awards
