Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. This day commemorates Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven and occurs 40 days after Easter (therefore always on a Thursday). After Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, Scripture tells us, he was seen for forty days before he ascended into heaven to be “seated at the right hand of God the Father.” This is significant as it shows that he returned to Heaven after completing his mission on earth. After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples awaited the promised Spirit in Jerusalem. The Ascension marks the end of the Easter season, and Pentecost follows ten days later.

The Church has obtained permission from the Vatican to move observance of the Feast of the Ascension from the traditional Thursday to the following Sunday.  It will be wonderful to celebrate this feast day with our students leading the Parish Mass on Sunday.

Parish Mass

Our school community is invited to celebrate Mass on Sunday 16^th May in St James Church at 10.00am. Thank you to the families who have responded and the students who have nominated that they would like to read at Mass. All readings have been sent home for the students to practise before Sunday. We look forward to celebrating Mass together.

Religion Lessons

Students in Years 2 & 3 have been discussing Rituals and Traditions in our community and the Church. We are focusing on the rituals of Baptism and would love the students to bring in photos of their baptism, christening or naming day to share with the class. You are welcome to email them to Elizabeth.murray@cg,catholic.edu.au.

- Liz Murray

Religious Education Co-ordinator

Thank you to all our mum's who joined us last Friday for the children to spend time with them during class Mother's Day activities.  It was a fantastic afternoon.

Reporting - Semester 1 2021

Our teaching team has begun the process of creating each child’s Semester 1 2021 report.

 In Semester 1:

For Kindergarten students:

• Achievement in each subject will be reported using a four-point scale (Well Above Expectations, Above Expectations, Meeting Expectations and Working Towards Expectations).

For Year 1 to Year 6 students:

• Academic grades for each subject using a five-point scale from A-E will be reported using the NSW Common Grade Scale.

For all students:

• Strand Achievement will be reported in English, Mathematics, Human Society and its Environment, PDHPE and Creative Arts using a five-point scale (Excellent, High, Sound, Basic, Elementary).
• Engagement with Learning statements, which are taken directly from the Australian Curriculum, will provide specific information about your child’s Critical and Creative Thinking, and Personal and Social Responsibility, using a three-point scale (Beginning, Developing, Consistently).
• Individual student comments will not be used in the Semester 1 Reports.

Dialogue is an important feature of reporting. The Semester Report in this format encourages parent engagement and conversation about student learning. We want the report to be the entry point for parent-teacher interviews where we can engage in genuine conversation about your child’s strengths, challenges, effort and areas for growth.

You are encouraged to attend parent teacher interviews which will be conducted early in Term 3.

The new approach to Academic Reporting is a developing process. Further work will be undertaken in the coming months to determine how progress and achievement is best reported based on what we know to be important information about a student’s learning and progress.

Literacy

Kindergarten have been enjoying a variety of activities to develop their letter and sound knowledge in Literacy groups this week. They have been ‘catching’ their ‘tricky words’ with fly swats, painting pictures to illustrate words that commence with the letter of the day, reading decodable texts and blending sounds with their letter tiles and sound boxes. All the students received a certificate this week to acknowledge their fantastic progress with letter and sound identification.

The Community Council is running a street stall on Friday 21 May

For the raffle on the day Carly and Will Bowden have kindly offered to donate a load of wood and Ian and Donna Robson are donating some apples. 

We are seeking people to help sit on the stall for the day and also any cooking anyone may be able to do. If you could click on this link (click here) and let us know what you are able to do, that would be greatly appreciated. 

Working Bee at the school on Saturday 22 May starting at 3pm, which will be followed by dinner at the Royal Hotel. If you could please RSVP to a community council member so that we can give the pub an idea of the numbers coming. 

Thank you to those parents who have already popped their name down on the roster to sit on the stall or bake goods and offered to help at the working bee it is greatly appreciated.

Due to the integration of COMPASS within the school, a form will be sent home for parents to check if their student information is correct and up to date.  This will include family address, phone numbers, emails, emergency contact details and medical information.

In the covering letter it will outline the importance for the school to hold up to date Medical Alerts and Asthma Action Plans. 

The sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion will be held in St James Parish in 2021. I am working with Father George to finalise the dates and will let families know as soon as they are set.

Confirmation will be held in Tumut at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, on Thursday 17^th June 2021. Students in Year 6 are invited to register for this Sacrament.

Please email me if you would like your child to make a Sacrament or you require any further information. Students in Year 3 are eligible for Reconciliation and Year 4 and above for First Communion.

Thank You

Liz Murray (Elizabeth.murray@cg.catholic.edu.au)

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