Term 4, Week 9
Vision Statement
Inspired by Mary MacKillop, we strive to achieve excellence in education and pastoral care, foster well being, develop strong values and include all cultures and community members.
Mission Statement
Following Jesus' example, we support all cultures and needs by building trusting relationships and fostering high expectations that inspire and empower our children to be compassionate, lifelong learners.
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGES
The First Sunday of Advent - Hope
O God of Joy, Emmanuel, send your light into our hearts at this time.
Help us to be ready for the time of Christ’s appearing.
Fix our hearts and our minds upon those things you have done and those you have promised to do – that we may have the joy you have promised.
As we worship you, strengthen us so that we may always do your will and so bless you and the world you have made.
Amen
Dear Families,
On Sunday, Bishop Michael and Father Vinu led us in the Eucharist for our first week of Advent. On the First Sunday of Advent we light the first candle, the candle of hope to remind us that Christ came and is coming again – so that all people might have a rich and abundant life. We thank God for the hope he gives us, for the peace he bestows, and for the joy he pours into our hearts. The candle for the First Sunday of Advent is purple to remind us of the coming joy of the birth of Jesus Christ.
As I write our final newsletter for the year, I wish to take the time to thank all staff, students and families of St Jospeh’s for our year together. For those of you moving on in 2025, we wish you well in the next chapter of your life. For those returning, we look forward to working, learning, and sharing with you again. You will always be a part of the St Joseph’s School Family.
This last Friday we held our End of Year Graduation Mass for our departing 2024 Year 6 students. This was a wonderful opportunity for us all to gather and celebrate our year together.
Our current Year 6 School Captains also led our final assembly. We will congratulate new school leaders early in the 2025 school year. The Xmas concert was a sellout, and I can still hear the giggles and joy in my head! So much support for our students from the community and thank you to all the parents who cheered a long with love in their hearts. I promise my Christmas concert goal is under-an-hour for 2025!
Our final days do not mean the programming stops. A couple of incursions to finish of our last school week. Year Y4/5/6 had a Biosecurity Blitz incursion and Y5/6 Police Laser tag incursion. Excitingly, a special visit from the man in the big red suit on Thursday capped off a wonderful year of learning and engagement.
Sister Julianne and Cindy will also attend the new Bishop Installation in Broome Wednesday evening. Just a quick overnight trip to celebrate our new Bishop Tim Norton arriving in the Broome Diocese. We look forward to introducing him to our community early 2025.
We hope that you can join us on weekend mass, as we continue to celebrate Advent.
Thank you everyone for your very generous donations for our Christmas Hamper Appeal. We will be presenting your donations to volunteers and families in need in the coming weeks.
Thank you to our Year 6 Leadership Team for their commitment and work over the course of the year. Congratulations to School Captains, Amirah Farrer and Libby Simmons who have both proven to be great leaders of our school throughout 2024. Thank you and best wishes to our graduating Year 6 students Dale Brooking, Anthony Pepper, Libby Simmons, Javen Ward and Josiah Winton. As a special day for our Year 6 students with our graduation mass and awards ceremony followed by a shared lunch, swimming and games. Together and individually, you have all achieved so much. We wish you well as you head into High School.
Academic Reports are now accessible via SEQTA. If you are having any issues accessing them, please contact Admin for assistance. Please take the time to read over with your child and celebrate their achievements. I enjoyed reading all comments and achievements of our students. All students should be proud of what they have accomplished this year. Where there are areas of focus, it is important to discuss as a family. If you have any queries, please contact your child’s classroom teacher before school holidays and set up a time to meet and discuss.
I thank all staff of our school who continually strive in providing the finest learning opportunities for our students. We thank and acknowledge those who are leaving at the end of this year, Ms Elle Tierney, Ms Sophie Bordoni, Ms Rebecca Sherriffs, Mr Darcy de Vries and Ms Marion Roberts. We thank you for your contributions in your time with us and wish you well in 2025 for your new adventures.
We welcome our new staff for 2025 – new Assistant Principal, Clinton Wearing; and class teachers Sian Moncrieff, Meghan Hawkins and Helen Wearing.
We have seven classes in place for 2025 school year. An announcement of how this will look will take place prior to school resuming. Please do not hesitate in contacting me as required around this.
As a reminder when coming onto school grounds, whether to drop off your child or participation in a school event be sure to:
Check in on arrival at the office. It is important that we are always aware of people on site. If your child is late to school, they must also sign in and get a late pass on their way to class. This allows us to update attendance live.
As this is our final newsletter for 2024, I wish you well for Christmas and the holiday season. Please take the time to look at the photo gallery of our students on our newsletter. May God bless you all and keep you safe. I wish all members of our school community the very best into the future as we continue ‘To Live, To Love, To Grow in Christ”.
Important dates for 2025 commencement:
Staff PD days Mon 4th & Tuesday 5th February
Welcome back day for students 2025 Wednesday 5th February
Office will be open Monday 3rd February
Blessings,
Dr Cindy Ahearn
Principal
The first day of school for students for 2025 is Wednesday 5th February
The school office reopens Wednesday 29 January 2025
Dates & Reminders
Term Dates 2025
Term Dates 2025
Term 1: Wednesday 5 February - Friday 11 April
Term 2: Tuesday 29 April - Friday 4 July
Term 3: Tuesday 22 July - Friday 26 September
Term 4: Tuesday 14 October - Friday 12 December
Public Holidays During Term Time 2025
Monday 3 March: Labour Day
Monday 2 June: Western Australia Day
Pupil Free Days 2025
Monday 28 April
Monday 21 July
Monday 25 August
Monday 13 October
Monday 3 November (Catholic Day)
Assemblies
Kindy Days
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
7.50am - 2.00pm
Description Title
We are ready to collect your recyclable containers. Our drop off point is located in the staff carpark, just inside the fence. Money earned goes towards Mini Vinnies.
If you change your phone number, please tell us. We many need to contact you if your child is sick or doesn’t get picked up after school.
Most school age children are eligible for free dental care in Kununurra School Dental Clinic.
Primary School children become eligible to attend the School Dental Service in the year they turn 5.
High School children are eligible to attend the School Dental Service until they complete Year 11 or the day they turn 17 (whichever occurs first).
If you changed your address or phone numbers, please advise dental clinic staff. Missed appointments may result in suspension from the School Dental Service.
We are located on the hospital grounds in the Dental Health Building, 69 Coolibah Drive and are open Monday to Friday 7:30 to 3:30.
Please feel free to call us on 0419 939 179 or email: kununurramobile@dental.health.wa.gov.au to organise an appointment.
Moving House?
If your child won't be returning to St Joseph's next year, please let us know.
It will be helpful with our classroom planning for 2025. Thank you.
School Report Information
Dear Parents and Carers,
Please read this important information regarding accessing your child's reports and please contact the school if you have trouble creating a password or logging in. Reports will no longer be emailed to you. You will access them through SEQTA Engage (as explained). Thanks!
Marion Roberts
Assistant Principal
Year 6 Graduation Mass
We had an amazing time celebrating the Year 6 graduation at Lily Lagoon today! It was a day full of laughter, memories, and joy.
Christmas Carols & Awards Night

Congratulations to our Deadly Miriwoong Speakers who received awards at this week's assembly.
Airnorth Santa Visit
Police Laser Tag
On Thursday, Fr Vinu, Miss Cindy and Sister Julianne travelled to Broome for the Induction of Bishop Norton.
We look forward to his visit early next year.
Warmun 23 December 5.00pm
Wyndham 24 December 5.00pm
Kununurra 25 December 8.30pm
SACRAMENTS and other matters
Sacraments
As in previous years, all classes will learn about Sacraments and rites of initiation in their Religious Education programs. For students of the Catholic faith, there will also be an opportunity to receive these Sacraments at St Vincent Palloti Catholic Church.
Fr Vinu is available for Baptisms at any time throughout the year. Baptismal forms can be collected at the school office and returned to Sr Julianne with a preferred date during the week, or by contacting Fr Vinu directly on 0475 846 331. Please also let family and friends know about Baptisms, if you aware of Pre-school children needing to be Baptised.
Other Sacraments will be celebrated as per below:
- Confirmation, Term 3 - Year 6 children (date to be advised)
All classes will complete a unit of work on Sacraments in the term they occur. This will then be followed by the celebration of the Sacrament, if requested by family, at St Vincent Pallotti Church with specific dates to be advised. We are aware that some children have missed sacraments in previous years due to sickness, absence etc, and we can make arrangements for those celebrations also.
Religious Education
As we have had many new families arrive throughout this year, there may be some families who would like their children to receive the sacraments, that have already been celebrated at St Joseph’s..
Please contact Sr Julianne to make arrangements.
Baptism – as requested
First Reconciliation Year 4
First Eucharist Year 5
Confirmation Year 6
Mass Times
Mass is held each weekend, at St Vincent Pallotti Church on Saturdays at 5.30pm and Sundays at 8.30am. Weekday masses are held from Tuesday to Friday at 5.30pm. On Sundays, we have Children’s Liturgy during mass.
Fr Vinu is available for Reconciliation on any day, usually from about an hour before mass.
Juniper Aged Care Facility Visits
Each week a class visits Juniper Aged Care Facility and share an activity with the residents eg singing, lego, painting, reading etc. A permission form, and other information, will be sent home prior to the visit.
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Please don’t hesitate to contact me, through the school office, at any time if you have queries or questions about our Religious Education program.
Sr Julianne
Sacrament Coordinator
Healthy Eating
~ Please send your child to school with a lunch box full of healthy foods ~
These foods help your child to learn and remain calm These foods reduce your child's capacity to learn and
and focussed in the classroom. can
contribute to anxiety and behavioural disorders.
School Bus Pick-ups and Drop-offs
Streamlining the Bus Run
This year we've had extraordinary numbers for the bus runs. One day we did two full trips, plus one in the school car. On the bright side, it is a credit to our families that they're being so diligent in regularly sending their children to school. THANK YOU!
However, because we have so many children on the bus, some of them don't get home until 3pm and some of them arrive at school too early. To make their day easier:
- If you are able to bring your child to/from school by car it would be appreciated.
- Please be out the front of your house ready for the pick up:
- Town run - 7am – 7.30am
- Community run - 7.30 am – 8.00 am
Just waiting an extra 1-3 minutes at every house can extend our trip by half hour. Unfortunately we cannot toot the horn, due to complaints from neighbours.
- At the end of the day, please be visible outside your house and wave to us as we drop off your child. We need to be assured that someone is home. Having to stop, take the child to the door, knock and wait for a response, extends the trip by half hour. This is unfair on those children waiting in the heat on the basketball court for the second bus run. If a family member is not at home, it is our policy to bring a child back to school and ring you. We are unable to make another trip to drop them off.
While we learn the 2024 bus route, which is still changing as new families continue to enrol, we may forget to stop at your house. Please call the school office, and we can collect your child on the next run.
Dropping off Your Children
For the safety of our children, we would like to remind parents that children catching our white Coaster school bus will be dropped off in the afternoon ONLY at the address from which they are picked up in the morning.
Attempts to accommodate parents who ring during the day asking that their children be dropped off elsewhere have resulted in an number of confusing situations, whereby children have ended up going home to an empty house or to a house where they are not expected.
Children who live in Lakeside or out of town may not catch our bus home to a different address.
Your child can only be dropped off at a different address if it is an emergency situation (eg you have an emergency visit to the hospital and an arrangement has been made for your child to be cared for by another family member or friend).
Many thanks for your cooperation.
Get Vaccinated!
Community Health offers free vaccines for:
- COVID-19 Boosters
- Japanese Encephalitis - Residents of Kununurra & Wyndham only
- Influenza - all children 6 months - 12 years; all Aboriginal people 6 months or older; all people with a chronic disease; all people 65 years and older.
Call Kununurra Community Health on 9166 4321
Send Your Kids to School
Send your kids to school - it is the best possible way they can get a good education.
If your child misses one 1 day per week of school,
by the time they are in Yr 4 they will have missed 1 whole year of school.
Already they will by 1 year behind expected learning!
It may take some tough love, but it is worth the effort to make your child go to school every day.
Set a good routine from Kindy, don't let them miss a day.
It will give them the best start in life.
Containers for Change
Thank you to those generous families who have donated their recycling money to our school through Containers for Change!
School Recycling Bags
CHECK FOR THE 10¢ MARK
We've ended up with a lot of non-recyclable containers in our school recycling bags.
Which means we have to sort through the bags to remove them.
It's easy to save your 10¢ containers from landfill so they can live another life — just check for the 10¢ mark!
Most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel, and liquid paperboard drink containers that are 150ml to 3L are accepted.
This includes:
- Most single-serve water and fizzy drink containers up to and including 3L.
- Most single-serve alcohol containers, like beer bottles and pre-mixed spirits.
- Flavoured milk containers that are 150ml to 999ml.
- Coconut water, pure fruit, or vegetable juice containers that are 150ml to 999ml.
~ Make sure you take off the lids ~
~ Bring the lids into the school office and we'll recycle them separately ~
Items that we don't accept include:
- Glass bottles or jars of any sort - too many get broken when dropped into the recycling bag
- Plastic milk bottles
- Unflavoured, plain milk cartons
- Cordial bottles
- Non-food plastic containers (eg laundry detergent)
- Steel food cans
St Joseph's School Calendar Term 4 2024
School Bus Contact Details
The School Bus Contractors are Dylan and Chelsea Lodge.
Chelsea: 0450 250 691
Dylan: 0415 945 330
Please note that cash payments for Book Club are no longer accepted at St Joseph's. All orders should be placed through Book Club Loop.
See: https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/
St Joseph’s Student Code of Conduct
The St Joseph’s Student Code of Conduct was developed by the students of St Joseph’s.
At St Joseph’s School, Kununurra we want to feel Safe.
1. In order to feel Safe we will follow school rules.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will ask an adult for help.
2. In order to feel Safe we will listen and follow instructions.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will ask an adult for help.
3. In order to feel Safe we will help and care for others.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will ask them why they are feeling that way.
4. In order to feel Safe we will keep our hands and feet to ourselves.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will ignore them or walk away.
5. In order to feel Safe we will treat others the way we would like to be treated.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will remind them of the golden rule.
At St Joseph’s School, Kununurra we want to feel Happy.
1. In order to feel Happy we will smile, laugh, sing and dance.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will ask them if they are alright.
2. In order to feel Happy we will be kind to others.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will ask an adult for help.
3. In order to feel Happy we will make friends and play with them.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will play with and include them.
4. In order to feel Happy we will come to school everyday.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will look after them.
5. In order to feel Happy we will listen to the teacher and other adults.
When someone isn’t feeling this way, or there is conflict, we will try to make them feel happy.
Our Code of Conduct prohibits bullying, harassment and other forms of peer-to-peer abuse and we require respect for the privacy and human dignity of other students.
