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“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” John 14:6
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend an overnight retreat at St Clement’s Retreat Centre in Galong with a group of Assistant Principals. The theme of the retreat was Anchored in Truth – Leading with Wisdom and Integrity. Throughout our time together, we explored the concept of the transcendentals, with a special focus on truth.
One of the key messages that emerged was that truth is not just about facts, it is deeply personal and relational. Seeking truth is a sacred journey, one that draws us into deeper communion with others and with God, who is Truth itself.
In the school context, these reflections invite us to lead with integrity, transparency, and a deep respect for each person in our community. As educators, we are called to model what it means to seek truth with humility, to speak honestly with compassion, and to make decisions that are guided by wisdom. By anchoring our leadership in truth, we strive to create a learning environment where students and staff feel safe, respected, and inspired to grow not just in knowledge, but in character and faith.
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Parent Engagement Evening
On Tuesday 29th July, we are hosting local psychologist Allana Weir, who is presenting a parent information session on Childhood Anxiety. The evening will commence at 6pm and drinks/nibbles will be provided. See the attached flyer for more information.
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Semester Reports
Yesterday, Semester 2 Reports were made available via the Compass portal. If you experienced any problems accessing the report, please contact us.
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WANTED – BOARD GAMES We are looking for good quality board games to use during our lunchtime clubs. If you have any board games at home that you are no longer using, we would happily love them. Please make sure the box and pieces are intact. Please leave games at the front office. Thank you, Jo Krippner |
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Happy Holidays
On behalf of the St Joseph’s community, we wish all our families a safe and happy holiday break. The final day for students is Thursday 3rd July and they return on Tuesday 22nd July.
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Yours in Christ,
Beth Hawkes
Youth Ministry Team Attends Illuminate 2025
On Thursday, June 26, 2025, our newly formed Youth Ministry Team - Eddie, Mirabel, Tresa, and Mae - attended Illuminate, a special youth ministry gathering where students from various schools come together to work, reflect, and pray as one community. This event was a wonderful opportunity for our Year 6 students to deepen their understanding of their role in the life and mission of the Church.
Our Youth Ministry Team is now preparing and planning to lead mini retreats for students in Foundation to Year 2 during Term 3. Here’s what the students had to say about their experience at Illuminate:
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We began the day with a song, “My Lighthouse,” to warm up our voices and prepare our hearts to participate. We were also very lucky to meet the new Executive Director, Mr David de Carvalho, who shared that Youth Ministers in schools have a special role—to be bright stars so others can see Jesus’ shining light through them. I had the chance to speak about how wonderful our school is and what we, as Youth Ministers, hope to achieve at St Joseph’s in 2025.
Eddie was selected to play a fun game of reverse charades, where the whole group had to work together to help him and others guess different objects. After morning tea, we reflected on the courage it takes to share our faith with others. Mirabel showed great courage by dressing up as a tiger with an umbrella and parading around the group with confidence!
Later, we joined in workshops where we learned about rosary beads, heard inspiring testimonies from a student and a member of a Catholic Youth Ministry team, and created origami palm leaves to remember Jesus’ triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. After lunch, we took part in a prayer liturgy, where each of us received a special blessing.
- Eddie, Mirabel, and Mae
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Illuminate 2025 was an unforgettable experience. The day was filled with team-building activities, meaningful talks from Youth Ministry leaders, and time for personal reflection. The activities helped us think more deeply about our values, our purpose, and how faith shapes our daily lives. I especially appreciated meeting students from other schools and hearing their stories. The whole day encouraged us to think about the bigger questions in life.
- Tresa
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We are incredibly proud of our Youth Ministry Team and the way they represented our school with faith, confidence, and joy.
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Have a blessed holiday and restful break.
Kirstie BuckleyReligious Education Coordinator
Decorating coasters, lots of beading, drawing and enjoying time out of the cold have kept us busy and happy in week 9 and 10 of Defence Kids Club. Plus of course our end of term pizza and popcorn party was delicious and lots of fun.
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Resources
Duntroon Community Centre
Movie Day at Palace Electric - How to Train your Dragon - Friday 11th July
For more information or to book tickets visit: Movie Day At Palace Electric: How To Train Your Dragon LIVE ACTION | Duntroon Community Centre | TidyHQ
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RSL Lifecare Queanbeyan Veteran and Family Hub
Tuesday 8th July - Kokedama workshop, Queanbeyan. For more information visit: Kokedama workshop for Canberra veteran families - Families of Veterans Guild
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ADF Families event - ADF equip for parental absence
Friday 18th July - 10am and 1pm
This program is for current serving ADF family members. The sessions will focus on tips and support for coping with parental absence: An ADF Families Event: ADF Equip - Parental Absence (5-8 year olds) Tickets, Fri, Jul 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite
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Wishing you all a warm and restful holiday break.
Lisa Bauer
Defence Support Mentor
