Dear Parents,

On Tuesday evening, we held our 2026 Foundation Information Night. Our 2026 Foundation teachers: Renee Felmingham, Sandra Ramos, and Donna Zammit joined Rebecca Todisco and I as we welcomed our 2026 Foundation families. It was wonderful to see such a great turnout and to share information about our school and upcoming transition program, which begins next week. We are looking forward to getting to know our new students and families.

Transition Dates:

• Wednesday, October 29, 2025: 9:00 – 10:00 am

• Thursday, November 6, 2025: 9:00 – 10:00 am

• Tuesday, November 11, 2025: 9:00 – 10:00 am

• Monday, November 24, 2025: 9:00 – 10:00 am

• Friday, December 5, 2025: 9:00 – 10:30 am
  
  

Another highlight next week is our annual Mini Vinnies Fete. Our Mini Vinnies representatives are working hard, along with students from all classes, to prepare for this special afternoon. Fete tickets are available for purchase via the CDFPay App. Please see the St Joachim’s website for information on how to use the app.

Next week will also be a busy one for our students, with our senior students heading to John Paul College on Monday for the rescheduled Lightning Premiership Games, and our junior students off to the Moonlit Sanctuary on Wednesday for their excursion.

Term 4 Important Dates

• Tuesday 28st  October  -  Annual Mini Vinnies Fete 3:15pm - 4:15pm 

• Monday 3rd November  -  School Closure Day 

• Tuesday 4th November  -  Melbourne Cup Day 

• Friday 21st November  -  Italian Day 

• Friday 28th November  -  School Fun Run 

• Friday 5th December  -  Christmas Assembly 1 (afternoon) 

• Tuesday 9th December  -  Year 6 Mass / Graduation 

• Friday 12th December  -  Christmas Assembly 2 (afternoon) 

• Tuesday 16th December  -  End of Year Awards Ceremony / Students Last Day

Have a great weekend, 

Irene Stewart 

Mini Vinnies Fete – Tickets Available Now! 

This is a reminder that Mini Vinnies Fete tickets are available for purchase via the CDFPay App.

Once purchased, tickets will be delivered to your child’s classroom. 

Tickets will also be available at the event. 

However, as the fete runs for only one hour, we encourage you to purchase tickets online to avoid queues and ensure your child has the maximum time to enjoy the activities.

For more information about the CDFPay App, please visit St Joachim’s website.

MLR’s Mass - Thursday 23 October.

(30th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME )

Mass Reflection:

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells us the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. As a class, we discussed whether it was more important to follow the rules while looking down on others, or to make mistakes yet be humble and sorry. We reflected on moments in our lives when we may have been like the Pharisee. We reflected on Jesus’ message of the importance of empathy, humility and self-reflection. Together, we created a ‘My Heart Message’ jar, and filled it with prayers in the shape of hearts. When writing our prayers we thought about times we may have been like the Pharisee; boastful and unkind. We asked God to help us be more humble and empathetic just like the Tax Collector. Over the last few days we have begun reading our prayers during our morning prayer time. Student, student and student would now like to share their prayers with you.

Prayers of the Faithful:

We pray for the Church; that it may share God’s love and forgiveness with all. Lord, hear us.

Dear God, help us to pray with humble hearts. Teach us not to think we are better than others, but to love and respect everyone. Lord, hear us.

We pray for our parish, family and friends: that we may recognise our own mistakes and do our best to show love and kindness to all. Lord, hear us.

In this Jubilee Year, we pray that we may be signs of hope in our world through all that we do and how we treat one another. Lord, hear us.

Everyone has come back to Term 4 ready to learn and use their creativity in Performing Arts.

We are looking forward to our 2 Christmas Assemblies which will be held on:

Friday 5th December and Friday 12th December at 2pm

7 classes will be performing a Christmas Song in each assembly. We will let you know which classes will be performing in which assembly in the next newsletter.

Sophia and Asher, our two Performing Arts captains have been busy painting and putting together a new display to help brighten up the area outside the Music Room. It will be on the wall very soon.

The year 6 students are starting to put together their plans for the Graduation Video which will be shown at the Graduation ceremony. Filming for the video will take place on MONDAY 24th NOVEMBER. It is important that all year 6 students are at school on that day dressed in sports uniform. 

Our senior students have been working hard learning to play the ukulele during the Performing Arts lessons this term. 

Newsletter (Senior School)

This term, our Grade 5/6 students have launched Book Club as part of our Reading program! Book Club encourages students to read more widely and explore new titles they may not have discovered on their own. It brings together readers from different friendship groups and year levels, giving them the opportunity to share peer recommendations, exchange thoughtful reviews, and engage in respectful, meaningful discussions.

Through Book Club, students are not only strengthening their reading skills but also developing confidence in public speaking and collaboration. It’s a wonderful space where students can feel safe, valued, and knowledgeable as they connect over their shared love of reading.

Mia & Gabby (Book Club experience)

Book club newsletter - Gabby

In senior school, everyone has been doing Book Club. We are put into small groups to read a book together and do fun activities. Everyone has a different role and is responsible for their part. Before we start reading, we all make predictions about what we think will happen next. Then we read and complete our roles.

I think Book Club is really fun because we all get a turn to read, we each have a different role, and we get to do it with our friends. This week, I took on the roles of Summariser and Discussion Director. As the Summariser, I write a short summary to share with the class the next day. As the Discussion Director, I ask my group questions about the book. Some of the other roles are Artist, Word Wizard, Connector, and Character Captain.

Book Club is amazing, and I think everyone in the school should do it!

Book Club Newsletter | Mia

The seniors have been doing something called Book Club for a few weeks. Book Club is when we get into small groups and read an assigned book. I have four people in my group, and we are reading The Boy at the Back of the Class. Before we read, each group makes a prediction, we use our prior knowledge to guess what might happen next in the book. My group reads two pages each, and then we do our activities. This week, I was the Artist, so I had to draw a picture of a part we read that day.

Book Club is so fun and exciting, especially when you get to do activities with your friends after reading part of the book. In my class, there are six groups, and we all read different books. If any of the groups find an interesting word, we can write it on the window using a window marker in our group’s spot.

Book Club is really fun, and I can’t wait to read more with my friends!

Example of Book Club roles: 

NATURAL BORN LOSER by Oliver Phommavanh

A boy called Raymond goes to Barryjong Primary School. They have a new principal, and students are trying out for a spot as prefects. Raymond goes to his cousin’s house to use their air conditioning. His cousin’s name is Kayla, and she is a school captain at another school. She likes to show off her badge in front of Raymond.

Kayla’s mum, Aunt Angelica, doesn’t think Barryjong is a good school and speaks badly about it in front of Raymond’s mum.

Raymond has an opportunity to try out for a perfect position. He tries out and gets the role along with three other students. When Gina sees Raymond out in the playground, she and her friends ask him lots of questions. When he gets home, his mum looks proudly at his shiny badge and can’t believe Raymond is a prefect. She tries to pick him up but ends up tickling his armpits. Raymond can’t believe he got the role either.

Predictions: Chloe

PREDICTIONS

Book Title: The dog with Seven  Names 

Author: Dianne Wolfer

Before reading the next chapter, make a prediction about what might happen next. You need to use evidence from the text to support your prediction. 

Term 4 6/10/25 : We have not read the book yet, but the title is The Dog With Seven Names, so I think the book is about a dog that might have had many owners, or the owner might not be able to decide on a name. I also think the book might be about a dog that lives near the beach because, on the front cover, the dog is on a pier by the ocean.

9/10/25
This is my prediction for the second chapter: I think that Dave, who is looking after the dog, will give him another name since the book says the dog has seven names. I also think that the other owner, Elsie, might never come back.