St Joseph's Catholic School - Mundingburra eNewsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

We respectfully acknowledge the past and present traditional owners of this land on which we stand, the Wulgurukaba and neighbouring Bindal people who are the custodians. We pray that we can walk together to a better future.

From the Acting Principal

It appears that another term has passed quite quickly. Welcome to Week 10 of Term 3 as we look forward to the upcoming school holidays. The past few weeks have been filled with energy and excitement across our school, with a wonderful variety of events and activities taking place. From celebrating Father’s Day and welcoming families into our Open Classrooms, to the Sacramental Program, Year 2 Pirate Day, Year 1 HASS Day, Eisteddfod preparations, and RU OK Day.

Last week, we celebrated a significant milestone in the faith journey of some of our students who received the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion. Throughout the term, the children have engaged deeply in learning about these sacred sacraments, exploring their meaning, significance, and what it means to live as followers of Jesus. Their commitment, reverence, and enthusiasm has been truly inspiring. We congratulate each of them and thank Mrs Plant and their families, for the guidance and support that helped make this moment so special. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the presence of Christ in the Eucharist continue to strengthen and guide them always.

Throughout the past weeks our classrooms came alive with excitement and pride as we welcomed parents, grandparents, and carers into our learning spaces for our Open Classrooms events. It was a wonderful opportunity for students to share their work, showcase their learning, and speak confidently about the projects and activities they’ve been engaged in throughout the term. The joy on the children’s faces as they presented their work was matched by the smiles and encouragement from their families. We are so grateful to our school community for their ongoing support and for joining us in celebrating the achievements of our students.

Our teachers and students have been working hard preparing for the Townsville Eisteddfod, with performances from our guitar ensemble, choir, and class groups. Over the past few weeks, they’ve been rehearsing with dedication and enthusiasm, refining their musical pieces and poetry recitations. On Monday morning, our classes had the opportunity to perform their poems for the whole school, and what a fantastic job they did! It was fantastic to see their confidence and creativity shine. We wish all our performers the very best as they represent our school at the Eisteddfod. We are so proud of their efforts and the way they’ve embraced this exciting opportunity.

Next term, we begin Catholic Missions Month, a special time in our school where we focus on compassion, action, and solidarity with those in need. Throughout the month, students will learn about the important work of Catholic Missions around the world and how their efforts can make a real difference in the lives of others. We’ll be raising much needed funds to support communities facing poverty, hardship, and injustice, and encouraging our students to live out the Gospel message of love and service. Together, we can be a light of hope and kindness for those who need it most. Next term we will be asking for donations for our Mission Stalls of soft drink, chocolates, Lollipops, tombola, coloured hairspray and baked goods for the cake stall. These can be dropped off to the office anytime before Thursday 30th October (Week 4). More information will be sent out about this at the start of the term.

As we come to the end of a busy and rewarding term, I would like to thank students, families, and staff for their continued support, enthusiasm, and contributions to our school community. It’s been a term filled with learning, growth, and celebration. I wish everyone a safe, restful, and happy holiday break. I look forward to welcoming you all back refreshed and ready for another wonderful term ahead!

Holiday Prayer

Loving God,

As we come to the end of this school term, we thank You for the many blessings we have received through learning, friendship, and the joy of growing together.

Be with our students, families, and staff as we enter this time of rest and renewal. Keep us safe in our travels, peaceful in our homes, and mindful of Your presence in all we do.

May this holiday be a time to reconnect, recharge, and rejoice in the beauty of Your creation. We look forward to returning refreshed and ready to continue our journey together.

Amen.

May God’s blessing be with you, have a wonderful holiday.

Peta.

The Joey's Way

Star Students

From the Office

Swimming Lessons
Next term, our Prep, Year 3 and Year 5 students will be taking part in swimming lessons. These lessons will be held at Kokoda Memorial Pool on Fridays in Weeks 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7. Permission notes will be sent out via Compass in the coming days. We kindly ask families to complete these over the school holidays so students are ready to begin their lessons in Week 1.

Lost Property
As we approach the end of Term 3, please check the lost property located outside the tuckshop for any missing items. All items remaining at the end of Term 3 will be donated or disposed of.

Prep Orientation
A friendly reminder if you have a little one commencing Prep in 2026, please RSVP to our office if you’ll be attending our Prep Orientation Morning on Thursday, 13th November.

Crazy Camel

Wishing all our students and families a safe and happy holiday break!

Toilet Reminder

Socktober

Townsville's Best Prep Teacher!

The Townsville Bulletin search for Townsville’s Best Prep Teacher is underway and our school has not one but TWO incredible nominees!

A huge congratulations to Emma Perticato and Kristin Cantoni for being recognised for their dedication, passion and positive impact they have on our youngest learners!

Voting is open now and closes on Monday 29th September. You can vote via the link below

https://bit.ly/45QbTRm

Guidance Counsellor

R U OK? Day - 11 September 2025

R U OK? Day is a national day in Australia that focuses on mental health promotion by encouraging people to have meaningful conversations about their wellbeing. It is held annually on the second Thursday of September. The goal is to empower everyone to check in with friends, family, and colleagues who may be struggling, and the day emphasizes that "Ask R U OK? Any Day" by fostering regular conversations and offering support, not just on the official day.

Key Aspects of R U OK? Day

Purpose: To inspire and empower people to start conversations about mental health and wellbeing.

Motto: "Ask R U OK? Any Day," highlighting that checking in should be a regular practice, not just an annual event.

How to Participate:

Ask: Start a conversation with someone you care about.
Listen: Give them your genuine, undivided attention.
Encourage Action: If they're struggling, encourage them to take action or seek further help.
Check In: Follow up to see how they're doing.

What You Don't Need:
You don't need to be an expert to ask if someone is okay; you just need to be a good friend and a great listener.

Why It Matters:

Connection: It helps foster connections and makes people feel supported.
Prevention: A conversation can be the first step in preventing someone from reaching a crisis point, as it opens the door for them to seek help.
Workplace Culture: It encourages a more supportive workplace where people feel comfortable discussing their mental health.

Library News

September has been another busy month and to end the term we have been enjoying great literature in the library. Our library was open for Indigenous Literacy Day and International Literacy Day 8^th September, 2025 celebrating reading and books. Students and parents enjoyed the amazing literature available to read to their children.

This year during Pirate Day the library joined, students and parents from years 2A & 2B, in the excitement of pirate clues, literature and information about pirates. Arrrr!!!! Focus was also placed on Child Protection Week and R U OK? day as well.

Author spotlight was on famous storyteller, Roald Dahl this week, whose birthday was on the 13^th September 1916 in Wales, Great Britain. Roald Dahl created the most amazing literature and had great talent seeing the world through children’s eyes and a passion for encouraging children to love and enjoy reading. His books are loved around the world for their wonderful humour, interesting characters, excitement, adventure and wonder.

Quiz: Did you know where Dahl’s inspiration for ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ came from?

Answer: When he was a student at Repton Public School, students were asked to test chocolates from the local Chocolate Factory.

SORA SCHOOL HOLIDAY READING!

Students are never without a book over the holidays, with access to our SORA eBooks and audiobooks from our school digital borrowing network.

How to access SORA:

Sign into your student intranet. Use your school user name and password to log in
.Click on Destiny Discover - Learning Resources - SORA icon.
.Click on our Catholic group network – ACEN (Australian Catholic Education Network) to access the SORA Student borrowing!
Start reading!

Never be without a book!!

Digital Technology News

Young Engineers Designing a Cleaner Future

In Digital Technologies, students have been learning about the serious impact soft plastics can have on our waterways when they don’t end up in the bin. They explored how innovative engineers around the world are designing ocean-cleaning robots to tackle this growing problem. Inspired by these real-world solutions, students then used Lego WeDo to design and build their own robots. Their creations included clever mechanisms with grab, drag, and sweep features to help "clean" the ocean, showing just how technology and creativity can work together to solve environmental challenges. Along the way, students strengthened their problem-solving, teamwork, and design-thinking skills while bringing their imaginative ideas to life.

Lego robots really did take on plastic pollution!