Term Four - Week 3
Our Vision and Mission
Vision Statement
With Jesus Christ as their role model, all children can and will achieve.
Mission Statement
Inspired by Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop and in partnership with parents, our Parish and the wider community, we aim to impart a holistic education on all children in our school. We endeavour to live by the values of our school motto.
Learning, Understanding and Peace.
St Joseph’s is distinguished by a great sense of belonging, where each person is valued and where learning is enjoyable.
Prayer of the day
Romans 9:1-5. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem – Ps 147:12-15, 19-20. Luke 14:1-6.
Courage to effect change
Jesus always has a pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to doing good. He knows the laws and customs thoroughly, and while he pays them deference, he does not follow them slavishly if there are necessary tasks to complete. In our prayers today, let us ask God for the courage to change what we can, when we can, the strength to accept what cannot be helped, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Attention Joeys business owners!
Please consider sponsoring our annual yearbook. Donations from $50 - $200 buy you a business card size ad in our yearbook directory and the artwork can be emailed to you for further use. Please see details on flyer and contact Liana today."
SCHOOL NEWS
World Teachers’ Day
Today we celebrated World Teachers’ Day — a special opportunity to recognise the incredible effort, dedication, and kindness our teachers bring to St Joseph’s every single day.
Our teachers go above and beyond to support, inspire, and guide our students, and we are so grateful for everything they do to make our school such a caring and vibrant community.
A massive thank you to all of our wonderful teachers at St Joseph’s — your hard work and passion make a difference every day!
And a big Thankyou to the P&F for providing delicious treats to celebrate World Teachers Day.
Whole School Excursion
What a busy and exciting day we had in Orange on Thursday! Our first stop was the Civic Theatre to see “Beanstalk”, a creative retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk from the giant’s point of view. After a quick snack in the park, we enjoyed exploring the Art Gallery, Library, and Museum, where students had the chance to discover, learn and be inspired. We were even lucky enough to spot some incredible artworks created by a few of our very own parents and grandparents! A huge thank you to our wonderful guides for making the day such an enjoyable and educational experience for everyone.
Book Club Orders
A reminder that all book club orders are due next week - Wednesday 5th Nov is the last day to hand them in.
Student Of The Week
CRAFT CLUB
Magazines
Calling out to all families, we are in need of old unused magazines. If you have some laying around at home or work, we ask if you could please send them to school with your child, so the students can get creative in next weeks craft club.
WELLBEING
Student Wellbeing Survey Results 2025
This term, students from Years 3–6 participated in the Resilient Youth “Connected, Protected, Respected” Survey, which measures key areas of wellbeing and compares them to national Australian norms.
We are pleased to share that students at St Joseph’s reported very strong levels of connection, safety, and optimism, with results consistently above or in line with national averages across most areas.
Connected – Feeling Belonging and Support
Students reported that they feel well cared for by their teachers and encouraged to try their best.
- Year 3–6 students all indicated that they care about their school and try hard in class, scoring above national norms.
- Friendships were a particular strength, with students reporting that they have good friends and know how to work through disagreements positively.
- Family support remains a key protective factor, with all year groups rating love, safety, and encouragement at home highly.
Protected – Safety and Mental Wellbeing
Students across all year levels reported that they feel safe at school and at home, with bullying levels below national averages.
- Our students showed strong resilience and emotional wellbeing, particularly in their ability to manage worry and find enjoyment in daily activities.
- Year 5–6 students, in particular, recorded higher-than-average results in mental wellbeing and healthy lifestyle choices, including physical activity and sleep.
Respected – Hope, Confidence, and Coping
A wonderful outcome across the school was the high level of hope and confidence students expressed about their abilities and future.
- Most students said they believe they are “doing pretty well” and can “find ways to solve problems.”
- Students in Years 4–6 scored significantly above national norms in hopeful attitudes and self-esteem.
Areas for Continued Focus and Improvement
1. Managing Worries and Emotional Regulation
- Some students, particularly in the younger year levels, reported that they sometimes struggle to manage feelings of worry or anxiety.
- Building emotional vocabulary and coping strategies through programs like classroom mindfulness,the resilience project and second steps will continue to be a focus.
2. Confidence in Help-Seeking
- A small group of students indicated they were unsure who to talk to when they felt sad, worried, or unsafe.
- Strengthening help-seeking behaviours through explicit teaching, role play, and promoting trusted adults at school will help address this.
3. Sense of Student Voice and Empowerment
- While most students feel connected and respected, some reported wanting more say in decisions that affect their school life.
- Expanding opportunities for student leadership, peer support programs, and classroom decision-making will enhance student agency.
4. Online Safety and Digital Wellbeing
- Older students (Years 5–6) showed slightly lower confidence in managing online behaviour and digital safety.
- Continuing to embed digital citizenship lessons and open conversations about respectful online interactions will support this.
5. Building Persistence and Growth Mindset
- Some students expressed frustration when faced with challenges or mistakes.
- Reinforcing growth mindset language (“I can learn from mistakes,” “I can try another way”) will strengthen resilience and perseverance.
Our results highlight a caring and inclusive community where children feel safe, supported, and optimistic. The data will continue to guide our wellbeing initiatives as we help every child grow in confidence and connection.
FROM THE REC
All Saints Day
On November 1st, we celebrate All Saints’ Day, a special feast in the Church calendar that honours all the saints who have lived holy lives and now share eternal life with God in Heaven.
All Saints’ Day reminds us that we are all called to holiness. The saints were ordinary people who followed Jesus’ example through kindness, prayer, and love for others. Their lives inspire us to live out our faith each day by showing compassion, helping those in need, and doing our best to make the world a better place.
As a school community, we give thanks for these inspiring role models and pray that we, too, may reflect God’s love in our words and actions.
“Let us be saints who bring joy to the heart of God.” – Pope Francis
Upcoming Masses:
- NO MASS Week 4
- Infants Mass Wednesday, 12th November 2025 9:30am Week 5
Miss Woodhouse
Religious Education Coordinator
P & F / CANTEEN NEWS
P&F News.
A massive thankyou to all those who helped out with catering for the Molong Players production last Saturday night.
Our meal was very well received and the feedback was excellent!
A special thankyou to St Johns Ambulance volunteers for helping us serve on the night and to all those who donated food items.
Thanks to Renee Reid and Paige Bohringer for organising the sign-up list, the Compass notifications and managing the admin of this event.
Special mention to those people below who gave up their time to help on the day and night. Many of these people worked for several hours to make this event work, particularly Belinda Bunting and Natalie Dowling who were the drivers on the day. We will report the final amount raised for the school in the coming weeks.
Belinda Bunting
Natalie Dowling
Dennis and Alice Druve
Loren Bennett
Nadia Murray
Jacqui Duncan
Natasha Neville
Michelle Murphy
Sally Brazier
Amanda Wood
Kelly Ostini
Gus Shannon
Pam Jasprizza
Kate Toynton
Canteen Menu
HEALTH MATTERS
COMMUNITY
