St Joseph's Catholic College Katherine eNewsletter

Principal's Message

Welcome Back to Term 3!

How quickly the year is flying by! We hope everyone had a restful and refreshing holiday. Term 3 promises to be an exciting one, filled with opportunities for learning, celebration, and community.

We kick off the term with our much-anticipated College Fete this Friday! A huge thank you to our dedicated SRC, Ms Wardeiner Mr Milde, and Colleen Mactaggart for their planning and leadership. Thank you also to all staff and students who have worked so hard preparing stalls and activities — your efforts are appreciated, and we look forward to a fantastic day of fun and community spirit.

This term we also look forward to two major events: The Year 7 Camp, and the Camp to Tasmania. These camps are valuable experiences that allow students to build relationships, independence, and memories that last a lifetime. We wish all students and staff attending these trips a safe and enriching journey.

Spotlight on Wellbeing: Peer Pressure

Have a guess as to the title of this verse:

Sometimes in life it’s hard to tell,
What we should or should not do.
Just because my friends do something,
Does that mean I should do it too?
I want so much to be accepted,
I want so bad to just fit in,
Should I join in and just follow the crowd,
Although, what they do might be a sin?

If you guessed “Peer Pressure”, you’re absolutely right. This powerful poem was written by a young adult named Calvin Hart and captures the struggle many young people face.

Peer pressure can begin as early as toddlerhood and continue into adulthood, but its effects are most strongly felt during adolescence — a time when identity formation, independence, and the desire for acceptance are front and centre.

As parents, guardians, and educators, we play a crucial role in helping our young people navigate these challenges. Strong, open relationships built from early childhood can provide the foundation that supports them in making wise decisions — even in the face of peer influence.

We must continually remind our children that they are loved and accepted for who they are. This foundation of security helps them stand firm in their values, even when they differ from those of their peers — or from our own.

Respecting their developing beliefs, encouraging their voice, and guiding them in decision-making will empower them to choose well. Mistakes may happen, but with love, guidance, and space to grow, our children can emerge stronger and more self-aware.

Let’s also ensure they are equipped with accurate information, especially about risky behaviours. When their knowledge is grounded in truth — rather than peer myth — they are more likely to avoid harmful choices. Self-esteem and confidence are key shields against negative peer influence.

Adolescence can be a time of uncertainty, but with strong relationships, good communication, and unconditional love, our journey alongside our young people can be more of a “merry-go-round” than a “ghost train.”

Peace and best wishes for a wonderful Term 3.

Peace and best wishes,
Sunniva Antonucci
Principal

Primary News

Vibrant New Addition to Our Primary Play Space: The 120 Board Artwork

This colourful and engaging piece was created by the talented Adrianne Wade and her husband, who travelled from Darwin to bring this project to life. A very special thank you goes to Ms Walker, who coordinated closely with Adrianne throughout the planning and installation process. Her organisation, creativity, and commitment were key to turning this idea into reality.

The 120 Board is not only a striking addition to the space, but also an engaging educational tool. It supports the development of core numeracy skills, such as counting, number patterns, and place value, through active play. It encourages students to learn through movement, exploration, and fun - all while enjoying the outdoors.

To help tell the story of this exciting project, we’ve included a few photos showing the different stages of the artwork’s completion - from concept sketches and surface preparation to the final, eye-catching result.

Thank you to Adrianne, her husband, and Ms Walker for their time, creativity, and passion in making this beautiful and purposeful addition to our school environment.

Yr 5/6 - STEM

This term, our Year 5 and 6 students have been busy exploring the exciting world of engineering and innovation in Design and Technologies. As part of their hands-on learning, students designed and built their own moving robots and cars using DC motors. With creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills on full display, they brought their designs to life—watching their models zoom, turn, and move with pride.

A Warm Welcome Back to Ms. Campbell

We'd like to welcome back Ms. Jenna Campbell in the role of Primary Inclusion Support Coordinator. Jenna was in this role last year and has been on extended medical leave for the first part of 2025. We'd like to thank Sinead Walsh for taking on this role in Jenna's absence.

Please contact Jenna via jenna.campbell@nt.catholic.edu.au for all Primary Inclusion matters.

Library News

Little Joeys News

Little Joey's: Learning Adventures and Community Fun!

Over the past fortnight, we have been exploring shapes through play through interactive games that involve matching, spotting shapes around the classroom, and using magnetic tiles and large whiteboards to draw our own creations.

In our dramatic play area, the children have enjoyed a Health Precinct, inspired by our recent Healthy Harold visit. This space has encouraged imaginative role-play while building on our learning about health and wellbeing.

Outdoors, the children have been busy building cubby houses of all shapes and sizes, using loose parts to design and construct their own unique spaces. This has sparked wonderful teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity.

In our veggie patch, we explored what has been growing and changing. Using magnifying glasses and iPads, the children documented and recorded the exciting progress. Our tomato plants are now bearing fruit, and many of our flowers are producing. We have also been harvesting basil and mint to add a beautifully scented element to our playdough this week.

Our dinosaur and volcano small world invited the children into wonderful sensory exploration. They enjoyed creating imaginative scenes, feeling different textures, and acting out prehistoric adventures, which sparked rich conversations and collaborative play.

We continued to explore number recognition and counting to 10 through flower stem threading, which encouraged fine motor skills, patience, and careful counting as each flower was added.

In preparation for the school fete, we worked together to make colourful jelly cups. This activity provided opportunities to explore concepts around safety when using hot water and to investigate why the jelly crystals disappeared. The children loved being hands-on and contributing to our community event.

The children had a wonderful time at the fete, proudly practising our school values of Respect, Resilience, and Relationships in their interactions. Favourite experiences included trying their luck at the Million Dollar Barra and meeting the friendly animals at the petting zoo.

After the fete, we had an amazing afternoon of sensory exploration with slime! The children were fully immersed in its gloopy goodness, exploring the textures in a variety of fun and creative ways outdoors. We had slimy fingers, feet and hair. Some used it in the mud kitchen while others explored it in tubs big and small. What a wonderful way to wrap up a Friday!!!

Next week, we are looking forward to riding the big bus to visit the Katherine Fire Station. We will also begin preparing for Book Week, with plenty of exciting literacy-inspired activities planned.

We have also been selected as a trial preschool to conduct the Preschool Outcomes Measures National Trials next month. This week we have been engaged in training regarding the trial and are looking forward to help gather data to shape the design of the future POM national tool for coming years.

Sports News

Basketball Tryout - Big River Region

Important Dates

Wednesday 13th August 3 x 3 basketball tournament at the Katherine town courts. 9-1pm

School News and Updates

2026 Year 7 Orientation - Parent Information Evening

We welcome prospective 2026 Year 7 students and families to our Parent Information Evening on Tuesday, 12th August at 5 pm at the College Library.

You will get to meet our wonderful teachers, learn more about the college and have a tour while you are here.

2026 Year 7 Orientation Days

Students are invited to join us for a series of orientation days over the next two terms. These days will support students to transition into high school. They will have many opportunities to experience different classrooms, timetables, teachers, and subjects, including science, visual arts, wood technology, food technology and physical education.

We encourage students to explore and seek answers to their burning questions so that they are prepared for their transition to the next stage of their schooling.

Term 3

Tuesday 9th September (week 9)

Term 4

Wednesday 15th October (week 2)
Wednesday 29th October (week 4)

School starts at 8:15 am – 1:15 pm; morning tea will be provided each day. Local school students will be transported back to primary school at approx. 1:15 pm on each of these days. Students are to make their own way to school on these days; parent drop off or via the School Bus.

PISA Assessment to Take Place in Week 5, Term 3

On Tuesday, August 12, twenty-five of our students will participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This international study measures 15-year-olds' ability to use their reading, mathematics, and science knowledge to meet real-life challenges.

Participating students should meet in the IT Lab at 8:30 a.m. They should bring a snack, a drink bottle, and a book to read in case they finish early.

The assessment will run through recess and into Period 3. Students will be returned to their regular classes after a short break. We wish all our students the best of luck with their assessment!

A Reminder About Our New Mobile Phone Policy

This week, our new Mobile Phone Policy came into effect. This policy applies to all students and was put in place to help us maintain a focused and respectful learning environment.

As a reminder, here are the key changes:

No phone use during the school day: Students are not permitted to use their mobile phones at any time during school hours, including during recess and lunch breaks.
Confiscation for misuse: If a student is seen using their phone, it will be confiscated. A parent or guardian will need to collect it from the front office.
Canteen payments: Phones or personal devices cannot be used to purchase food from the canteen unless it's before the official start of the school day.

Thank you for your support in helping your child understand and follow these new guidelines. We believe this policy will help create a more productive learning environment for everyone.

Primary Secondary Mobile Phone Policy

Tell Them From Me Surveys

We are excited to announce that our school will once again be participating in the Tell Them From Me surveys. These surveys provide valuable feedback from students, parents, and caregivers, helping us to better understand our school community and identify areas for improvement.

Student Surveys

In the coming weeks, students in Years 4-12 will complete a survey during class time. The survey asks students about their experiences at school, including their well-being, engagement, and relationships with teachers and peers. The feedback they provide is crucial for us to create a positive and effective learning environment for everyone.

Parent and Caregiver Surveys

We also invite all parents and caregivers to share their feedback through a separate, anonymous survey. Your unique perspective is essential for us to understand how we can best support our students and families. The survey window for parents and caregivers to complete the survey is from Monday, August 11, to Friday, September 17.

We will provide a link to the parent survey closer to the start date. We encourage you to take the time to complete it, as your input is highly valued and will help shape the future of our college.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support.

15 Sep	VETIS 15 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

19 Sep	Last Day - Term 3 All day

St. Josephs Catholic College Katherine eNewsletter Term 03 - Week 04