Today I am attending the Religious Educators Network Day in Canberra. It is wonderful opportunity to attend a variety of workshops and sessions to further develop the Religious Life of our school.

Archbishop Christopher Prowse is presenting a session entitled – ‘Nourishing the Soul.’ Other workshops include ‘Understanding the Mass’ , presented by Fr Trenton, ‘Prayer and Spirituality’, ‘Moral Formation’, as well as ‘Understanding the Belief Strand of the Curriculum” presented by  Professor Peta Goldburg. I look forward to sharing the learning from this day with the staff at St Joseph’s.

Christian Meditation

On Monday, Helen Bramanathan from Catholic Education will visit our school to introduce Christian Meditation to the staff and students. Christian meditation is a form of contemplative prayer that aims to teach children to find God in stillness, silence and simplicity. We look forward to embracing this form of prayer which is often called the ‘prayer of the heart.’

Children’s Mass

The school children will present Mass on Sunday 16^th May 2021. We would love as many families as possible to come and share this Parish Mass. If you are able to attend, and would like your child to participate, please email me so that I can distribute the Readings. (Elizabeth.murray@cg.catholic.edu.au)

St Joseph The Worker Feast Day

Did you know that St Joseph is honoured with two feast days?

St. Joseph has two feast days on the liturgical calendar. March 19th for Joseph the Husband of Mary, and May 1st for Joseph the Worker. 

March 19^th, is the most commonly celebrated feast day for Joseph. On this day Joseph is remembered as the “earthly” father of Jesus, husband of Mary and patron of the dying, families and the Universal Church.

In 1955, Pope Pius XII announced the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker to be celebrated on May 1^st.  This feast day emphasises the work of St. Joseph as a carpenter and we reflect upon Joseph’s hard work, persistence, patience and courage. St Joseph is the Patron Saint of workers – especially those people involved in manual labour such as carpenters and stone masons.

- Liz Murray

Religious Education Co-ordinator

In Religion this term the students in Years 2 and 3 are learning about ‘Rituals, Traditions and Prayers.’ They commenced the Unit by discussing their own family traditions for birthdays and special celebrations, and are now thinking about traditions in our community. The class have enjoyed a range of activities including sorting images into rituals and traditions, learning about the traditions associated with Anzac Day and creating a variety of artwork with Mrs Dawson.

The class found out that the meaning of the different coloured poppies associated with Anzac Day.

Red Poppies – a symbol of war remembrance the world over. People in many countries wear the poppy to remember those who died in war or are serving in the armed forces.

White Poppies - remembrance for all victims of war and a commitment to peace.

Purple Poppies - to remember animals like horses, dogs and pigeons that were drafted into the war effort.

The class created the beautiful banner hanging on the fence at the school entrance as well as fantastic silhouette pictures.

This year our Athletics Carnival is set down for week 5 (back up date week 6) at the Tumut Bull Paddock due to the track and the long jump pit set up.  Students will catch a bus over to Tumut.  Further dates and a note will go out in the next week.

In early 2021, our school, along with thousands of others across the country will begin preparations for the fifth Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).

The AEDC gives us a national picture of the development, health and wellbeing of children in their first year of full-time school. Since 2009, the census results have helped communities, schools and governments plan services and develop better policies to target support for children and families.

Children don’t miss any class time, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information for the census. The AEDC gives us data at a school and community level - it isn’t an assessment of individual children.

Some teachers have also noticed that completing the assessments made them more aware of the needs of individual children and the class as a whole and that the census results are useful in planning for transitions to Year 1 and developing class programs.

Participation in the AEDC is voluntary. Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.

To find out more about the census and how communities are using the data to help children and families visit the AEDC website: www.aedc.gov.au.

If you have any questions, you can contact Kirsty Beavan on 02 69462170 or kirsty.beavan@cg.catholic.edu.au

Gymnastic lessons are underway at St Joseph's, we are lucky to have Ben from Little Champions visiting the school this year.  Students will continue to wear sports uniform each Monday whilst gymncastic lessons are on.

Keep up to date with events happening at St Joseph's via our electronic school calendar (please note dates can be subject to change).