St Joseph's Primary School - Kilaben Bay eNewsletter

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we approach the end of the 2024 school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on and celebrate the remarkable contributions of our entire school community.

First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt thanks to Father Greg and Father Darryl for their unwavering support throughout the year. From guiding our staffing recruitment to leading us in prayer and reflection, as well as supporting our families through the sacramental program, their dedication has been invaluable. I encourage everyone to attend our parish Masses over Christmas, as I know both Father Greg and Father Darryl would love to see our students and families there.

This year, our Parish community has been a tremendous support to our school—assisting with events, BBQs, contributing to the improvement of shared spaces, and generously volunteering their time. Your efforts have played a crucial role in fostering a sense of welcome and connection here at SJKB, and for that, we are deeply grateful.

Looking ahead, I am excited to celebrate a significant milestone in 2025—40 years of our presence on this site. It will be a special occasion for our Catholic community, and I look forward to celebrating it together.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the staff of St Joseph’s for their tireless commitment and hard work throughout 2024. Your support for new initiatives and strategic directions this year has been extraordinary. To the SJKB teaching team, thank you for your collaborative spirit, genuine care, and dedication to ensuring each and every student thrives. We are truly blessed to have such an incredible team working toward a shared vision for student success.

A special acknowledgment goes to our support staff, who are the backbone of our school. To our dedicated learning support assistants and our amazing admin team—Mrs. Doran and Mrs. Gareffa—thank you for ensuring the smooth operation of our school and expertly managing its day-to-day functions.

To our parents, thank you for entrusting us with the care and education of your children. Your continued support and partnership have been essential in helping us navigate challenges and seize opportunities throughout the year.

To our students, thank you for your hard work, bravery, and willingness to take on new challenges, whether in sports or the creative arts. Your resilience, determination, and achievements make us all incredibly proud.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank our parent and grandparent volunteers. Whether assisting in the canteen, classroom, uniform shop, or at events like the athletics carnival, your contributions have been instrumental in enriching our school’s services. A huge thank you also goes to our dedicated P&F Committee members. Despite your busy schedules, you have given countless hours to supporting the school, and we are truly grateful.

As we close this chapter of 2024, let us celebrate the achievements of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the unwavering support of our broader school community. Together, we have made this year one to remember.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and joyful Christmas season!

Warm regards,

Nikki Norley

(Principal)

Infants Block refurbishment update

The classroom refurbishments are underway and are expected to be completed by the last week of the school term.

2025 SJKB Teaching Team

Vivace 2024- Aspire Concert band

Congratulations to our concert band director Mrs Pockran and the band students for your performance on the 2nd of December at the Newcastle Concert Hall. The Aspire concert band is an ensemble for students in Years 4-12 across the Diocese.

These students performed the musical items:

Eye of the Tiger by Survivor, Hound dog by Elvis Presley and Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes.

Well done to: Matilda B, Carys E, Arianna H, Lilly K, Harrison M, Eve R, Abigail S, Bohdi S, Xaiver S.

SJKB's Got Talent

After weeks of thrilling auditions, the excitement at SJKB has been palpable as we searched for the stars of SJKB’s Got Talent! The judges had the tough task of narrowing down the incredible acts to a final lineup, showcasing just how much talent our school community holds. Mark your calendars – the grand finale will take place next Wednesday, 18th December at 11:45. We can’t wait to see these amazing performers shine on stage!

Message from the REC

Christmas Play

Advent

We have entered our second week of Advent! Last Sunday the Peace candle was lit, representing Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

Advent is a season in the liturgical calendar that marks the time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. It begins four Sundays before Christmas and lasts until Christmas Eve. During Advent, Christians reflect on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love.

Advent is a time of expectation and preparation. It is an opportunity for us to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ.

As we celebrate the joy of Christmas and the close of another school year, let us reflect on our blessings.

Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, who brings hope and peace into our lives. May our hearts be filled with gratitude for the moments shared within our school community.

Guide us as we nurture our students in faith and compassion. Bless our families with joy and unity during this festive season, and may the New Year bring renewed hope and growth.

We pray for peace in our hearts and in our world, entrusting our school community to Your loving care.

In Jesus' name, we pray.

Amen.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Warm regards,

Taylor James

Religious Coordinator

Message from the Primary Coordinator

Young Scriptwriters

Three SJKB students - Audrey, Carys, and Kobe - recently showcased their creativity in the Young Scriptwriters program by writing their own original scripts over two terms. These scripts were brought to life as a readers' theatre performance by Year 10 and 11 students at the Warner's Bay Theatre. It was an incredible experience for our budding playwrights to see their work performed on stage, and the audience were captivated by the entertaining and imaginative short scripts. Congratulations to Audrey, Carys, and Kobe on this fantastic achievement!

Holiday Reading

School holidays are a great time for primary-aged children to explore the joys of reading and storytelling in new and exciting ways. Whether through books, audiobooks, games, or podcasts, there’s something to inspire every young reader.

Audiobooks for Little Listeners

Audiobooks are a fantastic option for children who enjoy stories but find traditional reading challenging. With captivating narration and sound effects, audiobooks bring stories to life and make reading accessible. They’re perfect for bedtime or long car rides. Try classics like Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne, narrated by Stephen Fry, or The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, narrated by Kate Winslet. Libraries often have free audio borrowing options, and platforms like Audible or Spotify provide easy access.

Games That Build Language Skills

Turn reading into play with games like Bananagrams, Hangman, and Scrabble. These activities make learning fun and interactive while boosting vocabulary and literacy. Games like I Spy are perfect for younger children, combining reading with real-world association.

Podcasts for Curious Minds

Podcasts are an engaging way to introduce new topics and ideas. Primary-aged children might enjoy Wow in the World, which explores science and innovation, or Circle Round, which features folk tales from around the globe.

Encourage a Love for Books

Let your child choose books that interest them, whether from the library or a local bookstore. Stories connected to their hobbies or holiday destinations can make reading more relatable. Most importantly, share your love of reading with them – nothing inspires kids more than seeing adults enjoying books too!

Wishing you and your families a very safe and restful Christmas break!

Cassie Tuck

Library News

Class News

3/4 Blue

For the past two weeks in 3/4 Blue we have been investigating 3D objects! First we used play-doh to model different types of 3D objects such as prisms and cubes. We then used the donations of cardboard boxes to explore the nets of shapes. We broke the boxes apart, traced them onto paper and put them back together.

We imagined that we worked at Kellogg’s to design our own cereal boxes! To further extend the student’s knowledge of nets, MAB blocks were used to model nets of shapes to explore whether the net could be created into a prism. Well done 3/4 Blue for your creativity! ⭐️

Kind Regards,

Taylah Vinson

Year 3/4 Blue Classroom Teacher

As we come to the end of another school year, the Diverse Learning Team would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to you for your ongoing support, collaboration, and partnership throughout 2024.

This year, we have celebrated so many wonderful achievements, both big and small. Every step of progress, every breakthrough moment, and every new skill mastered has been a testament to the dedication and resilience of our students, families, and staff working together.

Your trust in us and your commitment to your child’s growth have been invaluable in creating an environment where every learner can thrive.

As we look forward to the holidays, we hope you find time to relax, recharge, and celebrate the wonderful young people in your lives. Please know that we are here to continue this journey with you in the coming year, with a shared focus on fostering success, inclusion, and well-being for every student.

Wishing you and your family a safe and joyous holiday season!

Warm regards,
The Diverse Learning Team

Children's University Graduation

A number of stage 3 students attended the Children’s University Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday November 26. These students were rewarded for their many hours of learning outside school. It was a wonderful occasion with plenty of pomp and ceremony. The students looked fantastic in their academic outfits and as always their behaviour was exemplary, being excellent representatives of our school community. Well done to all successful graduates!

Kind regards

Kell York

Children's University Convener

Pastoral Care

What a year it has been!! So many wonderful moments throughout 2024. We have almost made it through the 2024 school year.

I just wanted to thank you all for your support this year in the Pastoral Care space. I have had the privilege to meet and work with many amazing students and families this year. I am excited for what 2025 will hold.

Wishing all the year 6 students and their families a wonderful last couple of weeks as “Primary” students and wishing you a happy transition into High School. May this time be exciting and full of amazing moments for you all. Such a bittersweet time for parents. Enjoy the ride!

To any families that are leaving the SJKB community, I wish you well as you embark on your next chapter.

Please take care over the break and look after one another. Remember, self-care for you and the family. Self-care is anything you do to take care of yourself so you can stay physically, mentally, and emotionally well. Its benefits are better physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. Self-care can look different for everyone, but to count as self-care, the behaviour should promote health and happiness for you.

I want to wish you all a blessed, wonderful, and safe Christmas, and very happy and restful holiday break.

I'm not wishing for the Christmas and holiday break to go by quickly or for it to end. However, once the Christmas and New Year celebrations are behind us, and we're packing away the tree and decorations for another year, the start of the school year will be here before we know it.

Tips for Returning to School for the 2025 School Year.

Children experience a mix of emotions when it comes to going back to school.

Easing back after the holidays, students can range from feeling really excited and eager to feeling concern, fear or anxiety. Getting butterflies or general worry about going back to school is common.

Not thinking about school until it is time to go back is one way to enjoy the holidays. But for some, this can make going back to school more difficult.

Supporting children with back-to-school challenges can help reduce negative school experiences.

How can parents help their children to go back to school?

Talk about school

A lot of children deal with some level of stress or anxiety about returning to school. They have insight into their own school experiences, so find out what worries them by asking them directly.

You can offer support by normalising experiences of worry and nerves. Reassure your child the feelings they have are common and they will likely overcome them once they have settled in. Worries and courage can exist together.

Get back into the school routine

Restart the school routine a few days to a week before the return to school. Most children and young people work well with a routine in place; early to bed, earlier rise than what they have been having. Have a chat about what their routine will look like when they return to school; what time they will get up, getting dressed, having a healthy breakfast, and how they will get to school so it’s less daunting for them. Knowledge is power.

Reintroduce the Sleep routine

No doubt that this will be a tough one to reintroduce, but helping your child return to their normal sleep routine in the weeks before school resumes will be essential in their ability to settle back into school life. Having consistent bed and wake-up times helps.

A strict sleep routine will be important specially for little children. They will be facing longer days and more formal teaching style which is very tiring – so be firm about early nights.

Reconnect with friends

Reconnecting with school friends will help you and your child manage any worries and feelings related to transitions or school resuming after the Christmas break.

Play Stations, Xbox, Ipad’s, mobile phones…off!

Playing computer games and spending time on devices can often get increased over the holidays as they have more free time. You might want to reduce their time gradually and make sure all electronics are off an hour before they go to bed. This will help them to wind down.

Look at the positives together

It is helpful to talk about some of the positives that have come out of the Christmas break. Also, talk about some of the things that you and they are looking forward to when school goes back, this may alleviate some of their worries.

Do your best to show excitement about them returning to school and any possible changes (ie friends in class, teacher). This will be reflected in your child’s own feelings – and when children feel excited, they take readily to new tasks and challenges.

An activity such as heading to the shops with your child to buy a new school bag, shoes, lunch box or drink bottle can be a great way to get children feeling positive.

Get them involved

Give your child a sense of responsibility and let them help choose what they want for their packed lunch and recess. Ask you child to assist you or make their own lunch and pack their own lunch box and bag for school.

Make yourself available

Create opportunities and a safe space for your child to talk to you in different ways, as they may want to come and talk to you at a time when you least expect. When school returns try to make time to discuss your child’s day with them – what they’ve learned, the highlights and things they found hard. It’s good to encourage a dialogue that can continue throughout their time at school, showing them that you are interested in what they’re learning and are there to support them.

Prepare yourself too

It’s natural for parents to feel anxious when they drop their children off or put them on the bus for their first day back at school, to a new school or to high school – but try not to let your own feelings show! Say a loving but quick goodbye and allow them to head off without too much delay. When children arrive in the classroom with their classmates, they generally settle very quickly.

One solution doesn’t fit all. You know your child/ren best and they all can react differently. Make sure there is an open dialogue and trust yourself.

If a problem arises, after a few weeks into the new school year, and you feel that your child is not feeling settled and is not able to cope with school challenges, it is recommended that you speak with the class teacher about how best to support your child.

If you have any doubts about how your child is going at school, please ask their teacher and talk to your child.

We have supports here at school that we can put in place through learning support, pastoral care and school counselling.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Take care

Mel Dobosz

Pastoral Care Worker

Sport News

School Fees Information

Just a reminder that school fees can be paid through the holidays using the Bpay number on the statement that gets sent home every month. You can finish payments from this year or get ahead for payments for next year.

A reminder that a copy of current Health Care Cards needs to be sent to the office every year, please start sending a copy through to admin@kilabenbay.catholic.edu.au.

Many thanks and Merry Christmas

Linda and Susie in the School Office.

Volunteering at SJKB

We regularly need volunteers for various roles within our school. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at our school, please follow the instructions on the link below:

Volunteering

If you have been a volunteer in the past and your WWCC has expired, you can renew it for free at Service NSW.

Once you have been cleared, you will need to come in for a site induction (approx. 40mins). We appreciate you all so much!

courtney.porter@mn.catholic.edu.au

PLUS

The PLUS Second hand clothing shop runs on Monday and Friday mornings from 8.20am to 8.50am during school terms.

We have wide selection of secondhand uniforms available. All uniform items are $5 and jackets are available for $10. All payments can be made via Qkr! After your order has been received, we will attach the amount owing to the order.

Alternatively you can order online and we will send your order home with your child via the link/QR code below.

Hats can also be ordered via our system, please specify new or used in the comments.

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR CHILD'S NAME AND CLASS in the message as our volunteers do not have access to the different family surnames to make connections to students - therefore use your child's name first, then your name, especially if different surname. Payment is via the Qkr! app.

Thank you!

THE PLUS TEAM

Canteen News

The last operating day for the canteen is Friday 13th December. I will be in on Monday so will be able to sell ice blocks at recess and lunch on that day.

We are always looking for new volunteers to help in the canteen, especially as we say goodbye to some longstanding volunteers. With our new lunchtime the volunteers are only required to be here between the school drop off time and 11.15am. We ask any new or current Parents or Grandparents if they could offer a couple of hours once or twice a term in the canteen so that the children can receive this service. They will love you being here too!

Qkr! cut off times have been changed recently so please ensure Qkr! orders are placed before 8.00 am each day.

If you would like to volunteer please call or email admin@kilabenbay.catholic.edu.au or tracey.ryan-ward@mn.catholic.edu.au

Thank you to all the Volunteers who have helped me in the canteen this year, the children and the staff all appreciate all the time and effort (and probably money!) that you have put in.

Wishing you a very wonderful Christmas and holidays.

Kind regards

Tracey Ryan-Ward

Canteen Supervisor