Term 3, Week 4
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
Dear Parents/carers,
As we continue the 2024 school year, there is a real sense of enthusiasm and optimism at St Jo’s in Kununurra. Renowned as the small school with a big heart as a great choice for both educators and students, our school has commenced the term with a diverse range of engaging activities and opportunities, with students excelling in their learning and academic pursuits. The exceptional support from parents has been truly remarkable, highlighting their understanding of the significance of their children’s involvement in a myriad of extracurricular activities. These experiences collectively contribute to our students crafting a narrative of achievement and confidence, equipping them to enter the world as healthy individuals and the future leaders of tomorrow.
Term 3, week 4 has been nothing short of outstanding. Our Mary MacKillop Feast Day Celebrations were the highlight of community, sharing and acting on need in our community. Wednesday afternoon’s interactive life story of Mary MacKillop was an absolute riotous hour of fun-filled activities exploring the wealth of service that Mary offered to education. Thank you to our very own Sister Julianne for her commitment to retelling a legacy that engenders awe about one person’s extraordinary contribution to young peoples lives with the establishment over 100 schools to serve communities in need.
We were fortunate to have Sr Maree and Sr Maura attend our beautiful Mass on Thursday morning this week. Thank you Fr Vinu and Sr Julianne for another special Mass shared with our school community. On Thursday afternoon students participated in activities to celebrate activities that Mary may have partaken in when she was at school. It was lovely to see the smiles on children's faces as they played games together to celebrate Mary Mackillop's vision for education and faith.
We celebrated two Baptisms at Mirima last Saturday and welcome any families to meet Fr Vinu and Sr Julianne at the Mirima Holy Place this Saturday 8:30am for more Baptisms and Mass.
Thanks to Miss Eileen for organising our Book Fair next week (week 5) in the school library every afternoon from 2:15pm. Please come in and see the books available for purchase to support students and our school. Also in week 5 is a Parents & Friends meeting on Tuesday 13th August at 4pm in the school library. We welcome any carers/ families connected with our school to attend, as this is a valued aspect of our school community.
We are continuing to celebrate books in week 6 with many fun events planned to help engage children in literacy activities. Thanks to Miss Sophie for planning fun events such as Stories Under the Stars (Wednesday 21st August at 5:30pm) and a costume parade on Friday 23rd at 8:15am. If any parents/ carers/ community members would like to read a story at our Stories Under the Stars event, please let us know soon as we would love to have a multitude of cultures and readers at the event.
Another event coming up soon is our Kindy Open Day. This event is planned for Thursday Week 7, and we invite families to visit our early years space in the morning to learn more about the great opportunities our school offers.
Wishing you a safe and happy weekend ahead!
Cindy Ahearn
Principal
Up Coming Events
Book Fair - Monday 12th to Friday 16th August, 2.15pm each day in the school library
Parents and Friends meeting - Tuesday 13th August, 4pm in the school library
Book Week Events:
Stories Under the Stars - Wednesday 21st August, 5.30pm

Costume Parade - Friday 23rd August, 8.15am
Dates & Reminders
Term Dates 2024
Term Dates 2024
Term 1: Wednesday 31 January - Thursday 28 March
Term 2: Tuesday 16 April - Friday 28 June
Term 3: Tuesday 16 July - Friday 20 September
Term 4: Monday 7 October - Friday 6 December
Public Holidays During Term Time 2024
Monday 4 March: Labour Day
Friday 29 March - Good Friday
Thursday 25 April: ANZAC Day
Monday 3 June: Western Australia Day
Pupil Free Days 2024
Monday, 15 April
Wednesday, 24 April
Monday & Tuesday, 24-25 June
Monday, 15 July
Monday, 26 August (Catholic Day)
Monday, 4 November
Assemblies
Our assemblies are every second Friday afternoon at 1.10pm.
9th February - Leadership presentations
23rd February - Year 5/6
8th March - Year 4/5
22nd March - Year 3/4
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.
Cross Country Event
St Jo's annual Cross Country event was a great success. The conditions were ideal and the crowd was very enthusiastic. The event commenced with our sports prayer, read by Mr Jamie and all the runners were fired up and gave their best. The event finished by recess and gave the students an opportunity to have a rest, a bite and plenty of water. This event could not have happened if it was not for the assistance of staff and students on the track and especially for all the students who cooperated with teachers and staff.
I almost forgot!!! Here are the faction results:
First Place: Ord
Second Place: Ivanhoe
Third Place: Pentecost
Fourth Place: Argyle
Steve Italiano
Specialist Teacher
Australian Maths Competition
On Thursday, after recess, 9 students participated in the Australian Maths Competition. It was a one-hour online assessment. The consensus was that the test was fun and that students recommended the competition. This was our first attempt at the AMC. We look forward to participating in greater numbers and with more state and national competitions.
Steve Italiano
SpecialistTeacher
Next week is our Book Fair! It will be in the school library from 2:15pm from 12th to 16th August.
Please come along and support our school and students!
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please don’t hesitate to contact me, through the school office, at any time if have queries or questions about our Religious Education program.
Sr Julianne
Sacrament Coordinator
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 3 2024
School Bus Contact Details
The School Bus Contractors are Dylon and Chelsea Lodge.
Chelsea: 0450 250 691
Dylon: 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.
