Wednesday 18th December

Procedure for collecting your child early

• Collect your child/ren from assembly or their classroom
• Sign your child out (either via PAM, using the school iPad or with office staff)

If, by arrangement, you are taking another person's child we must receive either verbal or written permission (note in diary) from the child's parent.

Matthew O'Brien, Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, Students and the wider St. Joseph’s Primary School Community,

Advent Reflection

This Sunday marks the second Sunday of Advent. A time when Christians around the world focus on a deepening relationship with the Creator.  It is often marked by a calendar or wreath and each new week begins a new focus; hope, peace, joy and love.

Week 4 Love

Sometimes to help understand more about a concept it is helpful to consider what it is not.  I think this works for love.

Eliezer "Elie" Wiese (1928-2016) is a writer and professor. As a teenager he was interned in Auschwitz and later Buchenwald concentration camps. In these camps his family was murdered which he only learned after being liberated from the camp in 1945.

It was Elie who wrote:

“The opposite of love is not hate: it is indifference.”

This is a curious observation for someone who has experienced such hate.

Bishop Robert O’Neill an Episcopalian Bishop writes:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it is fear.”

He went on, “For fear is the breeding ground — the simmering cauldron so to speak — of all the resentments, bitterness, anger, and destructive behaviors that constitute and give rise to hate.”

At this time of Christmas we know that we should be feeling and sharing love. I wonder if considering our indifference and fears can be any help.

Or maybe we should just defer to another great philosopher; Tina Turner who wrote:

What's love got to do, got to do with it?

What's love but a second-hand emotion?

What's love got to do, got to do with it?

Updated School Closure Days 2025

Please see the revised school closure dates for 2025.

Please note that there will be no school for children in the first week of second term.

This change comes in response to a Professional Development Day to launch the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy on Thursday April 24th. St Joseph’s had communicated a further two days in term two to undertake our full school review.  In order to cause least disruption to families and classes we have moved those two dates to Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd April. These days combined with Easter Monday and ANZAC Day creates a full week without classes for students.

• Monday 21st April - Easter Monday Public Holiday
• Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd April - Full School Review
• Thursday 24th April - Professional Development Day
• Friday 25th April - Anzac Day Public Holiday

I hope that with this early notice families are able to take advantage of the extended break.

2025 School Closure Days

Friday 7th February – Digest your Class Day

Tuesday 11 March – Structured Literacy Professional Development

Tuesday 22nd April - School Review

Wednesday 23rd April -  collaboration with Lee Schlooz re: school review

Thursday 24th April – Southern zone Collaboration Day

Monday 18th August – Catholic School Culture

Monday 6th October – Structured Literacy

Final Assembly

All families are invited to join us at the final assembly to farewell our Year 6 students, present some awards, farewell staff and share in some Christmas music. 

Many families will take the opportunity to take children home at the conclusion of the assembly. Please remember sign your children out via the office. 

Merry Christmas!

Matthew O'Brien, Principal

Staff

Maryanne Evans

Maryanne is beginning a new chapter of her life as she leaves St Josephs after 18 years. Maryanne is a living example of a lifelong learner having studied as a teacher whilst working as a nurse and raising her family.

Maryanne is a passionate and skilled teacher who has enjoyed a speciality of teaching young children to read, write, calculate and most importantly belong.

As a classroom teacher she has been a great friend and mentor for her colleagues.

In the later part of her teaching career Maryanne undertook further study, a Masters of Wellbeing. Maryanne carved out a new role here at St Joseph’s which has been replicated across the state. In this role Maryanne has been a support and guide for all staff, students and parents particularly those in the most need. 

Much of the work she has done goes unnoticed, without fanfare as she is so respectful of the privacy and dignity of all in her care.

Personally, Maryanne has been a wonderful sounding board for me. She is frank with advice, honest in opinions and generous with her time and wisdom.  One of Maryanne’s gifts is to see the funny side of things and her sharp, dry wit will be missed in our staffroom. Our school is a much better place because of Maryanne’s passion and vision. She will be missed.

Good luck Maryanne and thank you!

Yuichi Deguchi

Yuichi has had an enormous impact on our whole community. It was Yuichi who began the Japanese Language Program across the Catholic School Network for East Warrnambool to Port Fairy. Yuichi’s legacy is a thriving and vibrant language and cultural program which immerses children in music, food, games and history.

Yuichi is a leader in the Japanese Language Teachers Association of Victoria who annually presents at their conference.

Most importantly, Yuichi has enabled a cultural exchange by coordinating visiting Japanese students to be hosted in Warrnambool. These visits have added to the fabric of our school community. Yuichi has also been a part of the team who has collaborated with our Sister School Doshisha to facilitate trips to Kyoto, Japan for primary school children.

I have enjoyed reading the comments online about Yuichi from past students on the Standard Facebook page.  They show what an impact he has had across the years and across the community.

Good luck in your next chapter Yuichi. You will be missed by us all.

Rachel Creely

Rachel is heading back to Melbourne to take up a full time classroom role after teaching Music, Dance and Drama to our Foundation students. Rachel has also been a flexible and generous CRT at St Josephs this year.  Good luck Rachel.

Daisy, Josh, Chloe and Bridie

Farewell to our team of trainees who have brightened our school this year. We wish you well in your future endeavours.

George El-Hage and Steve Guthrie are both taking a year of leave and we wish them well for their endeavours in 2025.

Year 6 Graduation Students

Congratulations to all of our Year 6 students who are graduating from St Joes and embarking on the next part of their educational journey. 

I include here my thanks and wishes in an except from my final address at their ceremony last week.

Let me extend my heartfelt congratulations to you all as the graduating class of 2024. Your hard work, dedication, and positive spirit have brought you to this significant milestone. Today is not just a recognition of academic achievements but also a celebration of the character, friendships, and personal growth that you have experienced during your time at St Joseph’s.

As we reflect on the years gone by, we are reminded of the numerous challenges you faced and overcame – from mastering the fundamentals of reading, writing, and maths to developing a sense of curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. You have not only grown academically but have also demonstrated the qualities of curiosity, teamwork, and kindness. 

Graduates of 2024, as you embark on the next chapter of your educational journey, remember the lessons you've learned at St Joes. Cherish the friendships you've formed and the memories you've created. Embrace new challenges with the same enthusiasm and determination that has brought you to this moment.  

Today is a day of celebration, of looking back with pride and looking forward with anticipation. Congratulations once again, graduates of 2024!  May your future be filled with success, happiness.  And wherever you go, wherever your gifts and talents take you, I am sure that  place will be a better place just because you are there.

Families

Thanks to the following families for your contribution to St Josephs across the years. These family's youngest child leaves St Joseph's this year.

On behalf of the PSA I would like to wish all St Joseph’s PS families a wonderful time in the break with much celebration and many memories made.

I would also like to thank all those who volunteered their time and efforts to assist with many of our community building events and special days for both our children and our parents. Highlights of 2024 include our regular Pizza Days, The School Disco, Mother's and Father's Day Breakfasts just to name a few. 

2025 is looking like a bumper year packed with activities, with some new events being planned and some old favourites returning. Keep your eyes out early in the First Term for a Parent's Social Trivia Night being planned in the school hall, which will be a great way to come together at the start of the year and welcome any new St Joseph’s PS families to our school community.

A brief reminder that all our fundraising efforts through this year are going towards the new middle school playground. Planning for this is well underway thanks to a small and dedicated team following up with suppliers and getting potential designs ready to present for feedback to the student body. We are at approximately 40% of our fundraising target for this fantastic new piece of infrastructure, and with the bumper schedule of events planned for next year we are looking forward to delivering a fantastic play space for our St Joseph's students for many years to come.

I look forward to providing you with more information on all of these activities early in the new year and invite you to get involved with the PSA or the school community in any way you can.

Kind Regards

Leon Senchenko, PSA Chair

School report folders will be sent home with your child on Monday 16th December with the report being accessible via PAM from 4pm on the same day.

School report folders contain samples of the students work and tasks. The actual report can be accessed via PAM. 

Contact the office if you require any assistance with PAM.

Foundation - MacKillop Christmas Gift Appeal

As the conclusion to our Term 4 Religious Education unit, the Foundation children and their families participated in the MacKillop Christmas Gift Appeal. The students explored the topic of Joy and were invited to donate Christmas gifts or vouchers for children and families in our local community.

We had an amazing response with a huge amount of thoughtful gifts being donated by the Foundation children and it was beautiful to see their excitement as they brought them into school.

Alana Umbers from MacKillop Family Services (and a parent here at school) wanted to pass on her thanks to all of the families who contributed to their appeal, “Thank you so much again for your support of our Christmas Gift Appeal, please pass this onto the prep families this year. These gifts truly go to children in foster care in the south west as well as supporting services and organisations who work closely with vulnerable families ensuring children receive much wanted gifts for Christmas.”

If any other families in the school wish to make donations of new, unwrapped Christmas gifts or vouchers, they can be dropped into MacKillop Family Services in Lava Street.

On Wednesday 11th December, the Year Two students and teachers welcomed many parents, grandparents and friends to school for a final gathering. The students received a certificate marking a conclusion to their time in the Junior School. Following this celebration, students invited their visitors into their classrooms for lunch.

A big thank you to those who were able to attend at such a busy time of year!

I just wanted to express my sincere gratitude for all those families who were able to find those overdue and missing library books to return to the Library these past few weeks. You still have until Thursday to return any Library books, and we’re especially urging any families leaving the school to make a real effort to return any books.

We could not run our Library service without the volunteering role of parents, in re-shelving books, covering books and helping change our displays.  For this role, I am truly grateful.

Big Summer Read

In the build up to Summer Holidays, I would lastly like to promote the State program known as the ‘Big Summer Read.’

If you think your child/children would be keen to register and be in the running to win some great prizes:

It will be a fantastic opportunity to maintain their literacy skills that they’ve developed this year and instil a love of reading for life!

Feel free to email me with any questions at elloyd@sjwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

Mrs Emily Lloyd, LRC coordinator

Special Lost Property held at the office.