Dear parents and carers,

Dear Lord, Your Word often talks about people in need finding safety. We pray today for people experiencing homelessness, that children and families in need with no place to call home will be guided to places of peace and security.

Scripture tells us so many times that people who believe in You are to be kind to those who are in need and make sure they have enough to eat. We pray that You help us remember Your command and support children and families with access to food and other resources.

(https://www.worldvision.org/christian-faith-news-stories)

St Vincent de Paul CEO Sleepout

Tomorrow night I will be joining with 167 other CEOs and leaders in bringing attention to the challenges faced by so many in our community. Across the ACT and surrounds, over $600k has been raised, which I know will make an enormous difference. https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/event/act-24/home

However, as I have shared with the students over recent days, I have been able to make the choice to spend one night being cold and very uncomfortable, after which I will come back to school and return home to a warm bed. Many others do not have this chance. The work done by Vinnies goes a long way and any support we can provide, I hope, will help those in most need. Thank you to all in our school community who have helped me raise almost $6200!

https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/camerontarrant/act

School Community Council

Tonight at 7.00pm all parents and carers are invited to join the School Community Council Open Meeting. A Compass alert was sent to all parents on Tuesday 18 June with an agenda and supporting documentation. The meeting will also be hosted online - Join the meeting now

In the hope of promoting and broadening the reach of the Council Exec, below is an introduction to each member of the Exec. A new email address has been set up for the School Community Council – sjo.schoolcommunitycouncil@gmail.com that allows for all parents to be able to contact the Council Exec, provide feedback and comment, and to raise any items for the Open Meeting Agenda.

Parish News

Positions on the St Joseph’s Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Council are open for self-nomination by members of our parish and school from 1 July 2024.  Father Thonn needs a reliable group of people to help with the organisation and improvement of our parish.  The councils currently meet monthly at 6pm on a Tuesday in the parish centre.  If you have skills that you would like to put to work in service of St Joseph’s parishioners, please email Father Thonn Anthony.riosa@cg.org.au with your name, and a brief description of the gifts and talents you would like to share with the parish.

Rostrum

Congratulations to Maddison D who represented St Joseph’s at the Rostrum ACT Primary Schools Speaking Competition quarter finals. Maddison was one of 8 speakers who presented at Lyneham Primary on Monday night, her speech highlighting the current challenges of gender equality. Maddison spoke brilliantly and can be very proud of the quality of her presentation and the depth of her chosen topic. Well done Maddison!

Dads and Grandads State of Origin Night

All dads and grandads are invited to come along to the school on Wednesday 26 June from 7.45pm to watch the second State of Origin game on the big screen. Please see the flyer below for further details. Currently there are only a small number of responses.

Please RSVP - https://bit.ly/4bVRMBK

Parent / Teacher Interview and Semester 1 Reports

Bookings are now open for Week 9 Parent Teacher Conferences and are available to be made via Compass. These 15min conferences are an opportunity for you to receive feedback on your child’s academic progress throughout Semester 1. Meetings are in person at school; however, Teams meetings can be arranged directly with class teachers after bookings have been made. 

On Wednesday of Week 10, Semester 1 student reports will be made available via Compass. These reports do not include a written comment, instead the focus is on teachers speaking to the report / grades in the meetings the week prior. As was introduced across all Catholic schools in 2023, the Semester 2 student reports will include a written comment.

Interschools Snowsports

A reminder that we are seeking interest from families wishing for their child/ren to enter the 2024 Interschools Snowsports races this winter, and to represent St Joseph’s. For more information, please see the attached flyer.