Term 4, Week 8 Newsletter
18 October 2024
Term 4, Week 8 Newsletter
(Friday 1 November)
Absentee Line - 6350 2500 (option 2)
Dates to Remember - Term 4
Monday 2 December
- Last Day of Canteen
- Yr.1 & Yr.2 Excursion
- Yr.6 Excursion
Wednesday 4 December
- Kindergarten Liturgy 2pm
Thursday 5 December
- Yr.6 Graduation Assembly
- Yr.6 Graduation Ceremony 5pm
- Yr.6 Graduation Dinner
Friday 6 December
- Thanksgiving Mass (Whole School) 9am
- Last Day of Term Students
Friday 13 December
- Last Day of Term Staff
Principal's Message
Dear Lord,
This week we celebrate the gifts and talents of our students,
we thank You for the creativity, dedication,
and hard work that have brought them to this special moment.
We are grateful for the teachers, families, and friends
who have supported and encouraged them every step of the way.
We thank You for the joy and pride we feel
as we watch these students shine on stage, sharing their unique gifts with us all.
May they continue to grow in confidence,
knowing that their abilities are a reflection of the talents
You have entrusted to them.
Bless each student at St Jude's,
that they may always find the courage
to pursue their passions and share their gifts with the world.
We ask that You guide them in all their future endeavors,
and help them to always remember the joy of
creating and performing, whether on stage or in life.
Thank You for the joy they bring to our lives
and the opportunity to witness their incredible achievements.
Amen
A Spellbinding Christmas Performance
Wow! I’m sure that everyone who joined us for our Christmas performance, Straw and Disorder, was as spellbound by our students' incredible performance as I was. It was truly a showcase of the talent, creativity, and hard work of our students, and a perfect reflection of the excellence in teaching provided to your children every day at St. Jude’s.
A heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Murray and all the supporting staff for coordinating this spectacular event, making it one to remember!
Exciting Referral Opportunity
As we celebrate these memorable moments, we also want to encourage you to spread the word about our wonderful school to your family and friends. Don’t forget, we offer a $100 Refer-a-Friend Discount for families who refer a new student to St. Jude’s. If your referral takes a place at the school, the discount is applied to your eldest child's fees (conditions apply). And the great news is, this discount can be applied multiple times for multiple referrals!
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to more shared successes in the future!
End of Year Celebrations & Important Dates
Next week, we will wrap up the 2024 school year with some special events and important milestones:
- Thursday: Graduation Presentation and Dinner for our Year 6 students.
- Friday at 9am: Our whole school Thanksgiving Mass in the church.
Additionally, Semester 2 reports will be available on SEQTA Friday afternoon. We hope that you are as proud of your children as we are! We encourage you to review the reports with your child, take some time to celebrate their achievements, and then discuss possible new goals for 2025.
Teachers will be available Monday - Wednesday during the week beginning 9th December for any parents who wish to discuss reports. If you would like to arrange a meeting, please contact your child’s teacher directly.
Special Call-Out for Christmas Nativity Play Volunteers
On behalf of St Jude's Parish, we are reaching out for your help! Each year, the children of St Jude's School and Parish come together to perform a small Nativity play at the New Year's Eve Mass. However, this year, we are in need of more volunteers to make it a success.
We are especially looking for shepherds and angels to take part in the play. If your child would like to participate and be part of this beautiful tradition, please let us know by contacting the office.
Your support would mean so much in helping us bring this special moment to life for the parish community. We look forward to hearing from you!
A Sneak Peek into 2025: Classroom Visits!
Today, our students had the exciting opportunity to spend some time in their 2025 classroom, getting to know their new teacher and familiarizing themselves with the space. It’s always a fun and anticipatory time as we wrap up the year, and we’re thrilled to see how eager and excited our students are for what’s to come!
We hope that all of our students are looking forward to the new adventures and learning opportunities that await them in the year ahead.
Last Canteen Day for 2024 & Important Canteen Updates for 2025
A reminder to all families that Monday will be our last canteen day for 2024. It is also the final day for students to redeem their birthday vouchers, so be sure to take advantage of this before the year wraps up.
Thank you for your continued support throughout 2024! We’re excited to announce that canteen days will be changing to Thursdays and Fridays for Term 1 next year, so please make a note of that for 2025.
Parking in the Parish Car Park
Please remember that parking in the parish car park is a privilege, not a right. We ask that everyone respects the parking rules to ensure that this valuable space remains available for both school and parish activities.
Let’s work together to keep things running smoothly. Please do not be the one to jeopardize our ability to continue using this resource.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
Happy Birthday to the following students who have recently celebrated their special day!
Saran (K)
Nate (1)
Clairine (6)
Today, we also include all of our upcoming December birthdays!
Jayden (3-Year-Old Kindy)
Vedant (Kindy)
Raiena (PP)
Prabhnm (PP)
Jeremiah (1)
Joban (1)
Aarav (2)
Eileen (2)
Cyrus (2)
Aotea (2)
Azaa (4)
Nathan (5)
Felix (5)
Kaylee (6)
Glorious (6)
Rayna (6)
The winner of our Tidy Verandah Award this week was Year 1!
The following students won our final MJR Faction Prizes for this year:
Mercy - Nora (Year 5)
Foley - Lathvika (Year 5)
Petry - Ulrich (Year 4)
We hope you enjoy your prizes!
Important End of Year & 2025 Start Dates
A quick reminder about the end of the 2024 school year and the start of 2025:
- Friday 6 December: Last day of school for students.
- Friday 13 December: Last day of school for staff.
Looking ahead to 2025:
- Uniform shop open for Pre-Order Collection and New Families Only: Friday 31st Jan 1pm - 3pm
- Uniform shop open: Monday 3rd February 8am - 9.30am
- Staff return on Monday 3 February.
- All students, including Kindergarten, will begin on Wednesday 5 February
Have a great weekend!
Jonnda Simpson
Principal
1st Sunday in Advent
This weekend, we begin a new Church year as we begin the season of Advent and our count down to Christmas begins.
During the season of Advent, you will notice a special Advent wreath on display at the front of the Church. This wreath has four candles and each candle has a special story to tell as we prepare for the coming of Jesus.
The first candle, which is purple, symbolises hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ.
The wreath itself, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolises the eternity of God and reminds us that our soul lives forever.
Even the individual evergreens that make up the wreath have their own meanings that can be adapted to our faith. The laurel signifies victory over suffering. The pine, holly, and yew signify immortality and the cedar signifies strength and healing.
The pine cones that decorate the wreath symbolise life and resurrection.
The candles also have their own special significance. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent, and one candle is lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple because the colour violet is a liturgical colour that signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice.
'Straw and Order' - Christmas Musical
It was wonderful to see so many parents, families and friends join us for this year's Christmas Musical titled 'Straw and Order' under the direction of our amazing music specialist Mrs Gaylor Murray.
After a most beautiful song sung by our Kindy and Pre Primary students, classes from Yrs 1 - 6 put on a breath taking performance as this year's musical. The costumes prepared by Mrs Anne Parmentier were absolutely stunning and the students really embraced their characters and sung with such energy.
A special thank you to Mrs Murray for the hours and hours of time that was putting into not only preparing the students but in the behind the scenes tasks that made the night that extra bit special.
If you missed the performance, or would like to see it again on the big screen... you're in luck! You can find the recording of the musical on our St Jude's YouTube page or by clicking the link below:
Pixie Post Is Back!
If you have a Christmas Card for any of your teachers and friends, please place them in an envelope clearly labelled with your friend or teachers name and our special pixies will deliver your cards to the classes every afternoon next week.
Year 5 Leadership Day
Last week our Year 5 students spent a day focussing on leadership and what it means to truly serve those around you. The day began with a beautiful Liturgy prepared by our Year 5 students and continued with a variety of team building games and reflection. Thank you to Mrs Richter for preparing such an awesome day for our students and to Mrs Fonseca who joined us for this special day!
Parish Nativity - We Need You!!!
WA Young Salesian Summer Camp - Invitation to Year 6
Graham Maher
Assistant Principal
Merit and Mercy Award Winners
The winners of our Merit and Mercy Awards this week are:
Jeremiah (1)
Augustine (1)
Joanna (2)
Senuli (3)
Shenudi (3)
Sanjey (3)
Japinder (4)
Ekam (4)
Ashutosh (5)
4 Year Old Kindy
Please see Mrs Dique in the Office for an enrolment pack if your child will turn 4 years old on or before 30 June 2025. If you are aware of any families who would like a place in our fabulous Kindy, with Mrs Bollen and her amazing education assistants, please let them know to contact the school office on 6350 2500 for an enrolment pack or for more information.
Kindergarten days will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8.40am to 3.00pm in 2025.
3 Year Old Kindy
Half-Day Sessions Run on Tuesdays 8.45am - 11.15am
Our 3 Year Old Kindy is up and running with our AMAZING teacher, Mrs Trethowen. Our program is play based and provides meaningful experiences that promote the development of spiritual, social, emotional, language, intellectual, creative and physical skills. Your child must be 3 years of age to attend this session.
If you have a child who has turned 3 or will be turning 3 years old this year or next year and would like to be a part of this program, contact Mrs Dique in the office. The program is an excellent opportunity to settle and prepare the little ones for Kindergarten.
Enrolment packs are available at the office. Please call on 6350 2500 for any enquiries.
Kristy Madafferi
Assistant Principal
FOSJ News
Please note that Friends of St Jude's (FOSJ) have a new email address. You can contact us at: fosjemail@gmail.com
2024 Term Dates
Please note the following dates may be subject to change.
Term 4: Tuesday 8 October – Friday 6 December
Please visit our website for a 'live' calendar for the most updated dates and events.
Canteen News
Please note as we are approaching the end of the year there will be limited menu options available.
Last day for Canteen this year will be Monday 2 December.
Uniform Shop News
Summer Uniform from Term 4
We are now in Term 4 and the students are in Summer uniforms.
Summer Uniform List
Current Uniform Shop Hours
Monday 8.00am to 9.30am
Thursday 2.00pm to 3.30pm
St Jude's Parish News
St Jude's Parish Mass Times
Weekday Masses: Mon to Fri 9.00am, followed by Recitation of the Rosary
Weekend Masses:
6.30pm Saturday
7.30am Sunday
9.00am Sunday
5.30pm Sunday
City of Gosnell
Let’s light up our community! Decorate your house and street to share the Christmas spirit with your neighbours and the wider community.
Enter your home or street for the chance to win some great prizes.
Click here to enter or view the current 2024 entries!
The City of Gosnells is very excited to reveal the proposed Sutherlands Park Leisure, Aquatic and Sports Hub (SPLASH) facility. For details refer to the flyer below.
Extend Before and After School Care
Extend Before and After School Care are supporting the Humpty Dumpty Foundation to show appreciation to nurses across selected hospitals through a kind thank-you card campaign!
This will take place from Monday 28 October to Monday 25 November 2024.
More information is in the attachment below.