St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Primary School

Building Updates…..

Stage 2A continues to be on track to be completed in August. Preparation for external concreting has taken place this week along with the preparation for our two basketball courts. Not long to go!

Approval for Stage 2B also came through this week with building set to hopefully begin in July. This will see the construction of another four learning spaces!

We can’t wait to use our new learning spaces.

💙🤖 A Heartfelt Thank You 🤖💙

Our school community would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mansour Dannaoui and Charlie Dannaoui of Smokin' Joes Pizza & Grill for their extremely generous donation in support of establishing a robotics program at SJB.

Their kindness and commitment to supporting our students has enabled us to purchase the resources needed to launch our robotics program, including LEGO Education SPIKE Prime Robot Sets, charging stations, and RoboCup competition tiles. These resources are already making a significant impact, providing our students with hands-on opportunities to explore robotics, coding, creativity, and problem-solving in an engaging and meaningful way.

Students in Years 4–6 have enthusiastically embraced these new learning opportunities as part of our STEM curriculum. It has been wonderful to witness their excitement, curiosity, and confidence grow as they work collaboratively to design, build, and program their robots. We are also incredibly proud that our Year 4–6 students are preparing to represent our school at the RoboCup Regional Competition this August.

From all of our students, staff, and families, thank you for your generosity and belief in our students. Your support is helping to inspire the next generation of innovators, creators, and problem-solvers, and for that, we are truly grateful.

Our Year 4–6 students recently completed the PLAY LEADERS program, a full-day leadership experience designed to equip senior primary students with the skills, confidence, and strategies to run safe, inclusive, and engaging games for younger students.

Throughout the program, students developed valuable leadership qualities including empathy, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and responsibility. They explored how play can strengthen wellbeing, social connections, resilience, and a sense of belonging within our school community.

We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm and maturity our students demonstrated during the training and are excited to see them put their new skills into action next term as they lead games and activities during recess and lunch.

Well done to all our new PLAY LEADERS—we can't wait to see the positive impact you'll make across our school!

Our Year One students had an exciting adventure on Tuesday when they visited Twisted Science in Moorabbin!

The children explored hands-on science activities, discovered fascinating experiments, and learned about the wonders of the world around them through play and investigation. From interactive exhibits to mind-bending demonstrations, there were plenty of smiles, questions, and "wow" moments throughout the day.

It was wonderful to see our young learners so engaged, curious, and enthusiastic about science. Experiences like these help bring classroom learning to life and inspire a lifelong love of discovery.

A big thank you to the staff at Twisted Science for making our visit so enjoyable and educational!

Stage 2A = 88% completed!

Getting so close now. We are looking forward to having lots of new spaces to use and explore.

Stage 2B will also commence at the end June.

Always lots happening at SJB. 💚🧡🖤

On Tuesday, SJB acknowledged National Sorry Day through class prayer services and meaningful reflection on the importance of healing, understanding, and reconciliation.

Students also created a hibiscus flower artwork, symbolising unity, hope, resilience, and healing.

We are proud of the respectful way our students engaged in this important day.

Today our Year 1 students were fortunate to welcome Year 10 students from St Peter's College Cranbourne, who shared the significance of the Rainbow Serpent story as part of acknowledging National Reconciliation Week.

It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about and celebrate Aboriginal culture, storytelling, and the importance of reconciliation. Thank you to the St Peter’s College students for sharing their knowledge and engaging so thoughtfully with our students. We loved having you at our school.

Our Catholic school communities across the Diocese of Sale will mark National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June) by deepening their understanding of our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and reflecting on how we can all contribute to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

This year’s theme, All In, invites everyone to play a part in building respectful relationships and a more united future.

Throughout the week, students and staff across our schools will engage in prayer, learning, and activities that honour and celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

To finish off a wonderful Catholic Education Week at SJB, our Year 4-6 class were fortunate to welcome Father James into their classroom. He spoke with the students about his life, his journey to becoming a priest, and the ways he supports and helps others through his role in the parish.

His visit connected with our Peace in Action unit, and students were able to make meaningful links to the Catholic Social Teaching Principles they have been exploring in class. It was a wonderful session, with students leading the discussion through their thoughtful questions and curiosity to learn more.