Dear Parents, Carers and the St Joseph’s Community,

Mary Mackillop Prayer

Ever-generous God,
You inspired St Mary MacKillop to live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and constant in bringing hope and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely, or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence and joining with St Mary MacKillop,

we ask that you grant our request….(name your request).
We ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit so that we too,
like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust, and openness.
Ever-generous God, hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Monday 8 August is the Feast of Mary Mackillop. As a Josephite school, the feast of Saint Mary Mackillop holds a special meaning to our school community. Mary devoted her life to caring for and educating children and it is from her dedication and determination that Catholic education in Australia is what it is today.

There are many inspirational quotes by Mary Mackillop, my favourites are:

 “We have much for which to be thankful for”

“We must teach more by example than by word”

“Find happiness in making others happy”

“Never see a need without doing something about it”

I wonder if any of these speak to you? 

Pupil Free Day

A reminder that this Friday, 5 August is a Pupil Free Day. Catholic Education have given all Catholic schools in Canberra two pupil free days this term - Friday August 5 and Friday September 9. Camp Australia will be running a care program on both days, for parents who may require supervision for their child/ren (bookings are essential).

Hats Back On

A reminder that as we have entered August, students are now required to wear hats during break times and when outside with their class. We will have a transition period this week before we reimplement our “no hat, no play, no fun today” policy next week. Please ensure that all hats are clearly labelled.   

Unexplained Absences 

Today, reminder notifications were sent via Compass for current Term 3 unexplained absences. If you have any queries regarding absences please do not hesitate to contact me or your childs classroom teacher. Most discrepancies occur when students arrive after the school bell and have not been signed in by a parent. It is imperative that any late arrivals are signed in at the Front Office. A reminder that Compass is the required method for entering student absences. Information on how to do this can be accessed here . 

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you require support with any aspect of using the Compass Parent Portal. 

Social and Emotional Learning - Honesty 

My current schoolwide focus from the Kindness Curriculum is honesty.  

Honesty is defined as fairness and straightforwardness of conduct when one speaks the truth and acts truthfully. Honesty is not just about telling the truth, it means our actions are truthful too. Honesty promotes openness, gives clarity, and empowers us to be authentic. It is essestial for creating and maintaining healthy relationships and safe environments. Being honest requires courage, realism, trust and it definitely takes practice!