Bishop Joe’s Ordination 

Wow! What an event to witness! Thank you to those that joined us in the Flexible Learning Space on the night and travelled to Cairns to represent our school. It was a special occasion for our diocese. We look forward to meeting Bishop Joe in person next term when he visits Weipa with Fr. Dariusz. It sounds like he is a keen fisherman, so he will be looking forward to fishing while he is here. 

NAIDOC 

On Monday 12th August we were invited to the WCC NAIDOC Opening Ceremony. We went to represent our school with two of our Year 6 Leaders, Paetyn and Marley S. We were treated to a beautiful traditional song sung by local elders and the WCC choir, local dancers and viewed some of the students’ amazing NAIDOC artwork. 

Then on Friday 16th August we were invited back for their NAIDOC Closing Ceremony. This time we went with all Year 5 and 6 students. We watched many different talented First Nations dancers dressed in traditional clothing, from the local area and the Torres Strait. The students also enjoyed watching the Rugby League match against the senior students. 

Rodeo 

Thanks to our staff who donated their time to (wo)man the gate at the Weipa Rodeo on the Saturday night. With the money we raised going to support the Reynolds family. This photo only shows some of our staff on the night, there were many more covering the different shifts throughout the night.

We celebrated all our St Joey’s father figures with a Father’s Day liturgy, smoko and play on Thursday 29th August. It was heartwarming to see our church packed full of love on this morning. The students gave our visitors a blessing and loved having them join us for the morning. St Joseph, a wonderful father figure to Jesus, would be pleased that a church in his name was so full of fatherly love. 

Staff Retreat 

Our Pupil Free Day on Friday 30th August was well spent with our staff having a Laudato Si’ experience run by Nadine, a member of our Identity and Outreach Team in Cairns. The day helped us to better understand the deep connection First Nations people have to country. We related the First Nations peoples Caring for Country to the Pope’s Encyclical Laudato Si’ and it allowed us to contemplate actions that we can take in our personal and school life to live Laudato Si’. We spent time at Gongbung Beach, Achimbun Cultural Centre and school. 

What is Laudato Si’ 

It is an encyclical of Pope Francis published in May 2015. It focuses on care for the natural environment and all people, as well as broader questions of the relationship between God, humans, and the Earth. The encyclical’s subtitle, “Care for Our Common Home,” reinforces these key themes. An encyclical is a public letter from the Pope developing Catholic teaching on a topic often in light of current events. Laudato Si’ is addressed to “every living person on this planet” (LS 3). Hence, it is offered as part of an ongoing dialogue within the Catholic Church and between Catholics and the wider world. 

Visit: https://laudatosimovement.org/news/whats-the-best-2-page-summary-youve-seen-of-laudato-si/ to learn more 

Indigenous Literacy Day 

This year, Indigenous Literacy Day celebrates the theme ‘Be A Proud Voice for Country’. It’s an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Stories, Cultures, and Languages. Indigenous Literacy Day is held on the first Wednesday of September ‑ this year Wednesday 4 September. The day is about sharing the diversity of First Nations languages and cultures with audiences across Australia and some of the deep and diverse ways children, Elders and families connect with Country; and the significance of Country in Aboriginal Communities. 

In celebration of Indigenous Literacy Day, Year 1 shared their knowledge of a locally written Indigenous story, ‘We Look, We Find’, with the rest of the school. This book can be purchased from the Achimbun Cultural Centre in Weipa. 

Jump Rope for Heart 

After 5 weeks of fundraising and skipping we celebrated all our skipping efforts with a Jump Off Day last Friday. Not only have our students had a blast learning some cool skipping tricks and getting fit, as a school community we raised $6800 for The Heart Foundation!!! What an effort! Thank you to all the families that donated to make this possible. I still remember participating in Jump Rope for Heart when I was a kid, which of course wasn’t that long ago... so I’m sure this is an experience our students will remember for years to come!

Year 5 Leadership Day 

This Monday I spent time with the Year 5 students for a Leadership Day. We are changing the structure of our Student Leadership and this day was a good way to introduce students to what it means for them next year and what it means to be a leader. The students participated in activities based on leadership, values and teamwork. They looked at the qualities of great leaders and reflected on their own qualities that they would bring to a leadership role next year.  

R U OK? Day 

We will hold our R U OK? Day on the last day this term. All students can wear yellow to bring attention to the day and will participate in some wellbeing activities.   

Ask R U OK? Any Day because life happens every day.  A lot can happen in a year, a month, a week.  Whether it’s your friend, family member, colleague, partner, or teammate, the people you care about go through life’s ups and downs every day. By having regular, meaningful conversations, you build trust and normalise talking about what’s really going on, so when the people in your world find themselves struggling, they know you’re someone they can talk to. 

So whilst R U OK? Day only has one National Day of Action, we encourage you to Ask R U OK? Any Day of the year because a conversation could change a life. 

Thank you for all your support this term. Happy holidays! 

Mrs Julie Dore 

Assistant Principal Religious Education (APRE)