Imagine arriving at school and being met at the gate by Willy Wonka with your golden ticket for learning!
That’s exactly what students from St Joseph’s Primary School Kingswood experienced on their first day of school for 2019! By all reports this creative start to the year has already reignited students’ enthusiasm for learning.
St Joseph’s Principal Trish Reilly said both parents and students were excited about having Willy Wonka at the school. “He greeted all the children and asked them whether or not they had a Golden Ticket. When they said no, he said: “Well you can’t come to school but lucky I’ve got one I can give you!”
Starting the school year with this surprise visitor was a result of Mrs Reilly going to see Charlie and The Chocolate Factory during the holiday break. “I was inspired to create a golden ticket for the children as they came back to school to an exciting year filled with great learning,” she said.
Feedback from parents has been very positive. “The parents reported when they arrived at school and saw all the golden balloons and streamers, any butterflies in their children’s tummies disappeared. There was lots of laughter and any tension or anxiety disappeared when they saw Willy Wonka," Mrs Reilly said.
Many parents commented, saying: “It was such a lovely, warm and inviting welcome”; “This was a great idea: thank you, my daughters loved it”; “This was brilliant!” and “I love this school - it is so welcoming and everyone is so friendly. What a fun way for my son to start his schooling.”
Thank you to Tim Martin (AKA Willy Wonka), a great friend of St Joseph’s and a member of the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta Performing and Creative Arts program Captivate team!
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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St Joseph's Advent Appeal Soon we enter the beautiful season of Advent, and we are reminded that this is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. Advent is a season of hope, peace, joy, and love—the same gifts we share when we reach out to help others in need. This year, our school community will be supporting Jesuit Social Services (JSS) through our Advent Outreach Program. JSS helps people in our community who are going through difficult times—offering care, friendship, and hope to young people, families, and adults so they can build brighter futures. Over the next week and a half, each grade will be invited to bring in specific items to support the work of JSS. These donations will be placed around our class prayer spaces as a visible reminder of our shared mission to bring the light of Jesus to others. Each act of giving is like lighting a candle that shines brighter as Christmas draws near. Items to be collected: Kindergarten: Breakfast cereals Year 1: Vegemite, Nutella, Peanut butter & other spreads Year 2: Tea, coffee & Milo Year 3: Pasta & pasta sauce Year 4: Tinned salmon, tuna, canned ham/turkey Year 5: Cake mixes, longlife custard & shortbread biscuits Year 6: Bathroom products (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap) Whole School Collection: Christmas cards, tinsel, napkins, bon bons, longlife pudding Together, let’s fill this Advent season with generosity and kindness—spreading the hope and love of Christ to those who need it most.
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