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- PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
- TEACHER AWARDS
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY
- SPORTS REPORT, WEEK 7
- HOUSE COLOURED SPORTS TOPS
- LOWES 20% OFF SALE
- PSA MEETING
- SACRAMENTAL UPDATE
- RECONCILIATION PROGRAM (YEAR 6)
- HOT CROSS BUN DRIVE
- SMIGGLE AND EASTER RAFFLES
- SCHOOL FAMILY FIRE APPEAL FUNDRAISER
- ART SMOCKS
- LOST PROPERTY
- EMMANUEL COLLEGE
- COLLEGE OPEN NIGHTS
Michael Gray, Principal
Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, Students and the wider St. Joseph’s Primary School Community,
I especially thank staff and families for your support last week. Our students in Years 3 to 6 engaged in a school sports day of friendly competition, consistent physical effort and a focus on doing their best for their team and their own personal achievement. These attitudes and practices build character, develop resilience and remind us that effort produces results. Participating in athletic activity also builds skills, develops coordination and engages all in healthy physical activity.
Well done to our Year 1 and 2 students who stayed on for an extended stay at school on Thursday also. Again, this program builds student capacities in meeting other students across their year level, engaging in fun activities that promote respect, care and ‘having a go’. The program is also an excellent first step in preparation of our school camping program. The school camping program includes overnight stays from Years 3 to 6.
Thank you everyone again for supporting the important closure day on Friday. These days bring all staff together to build our teaching skills, develop the school curriculum and allow the Year Level Teams time to ensure our curriculum is meaningful for our students, focused on what is essential learning and is coordinated from Foundation to Year 6.
Important school updates
Principalship Appointment Process: The School Advisory Council met last Thursday with Mr. Lee Schlooz (Educational Consultant, Catholic Education). Lee is the coordinator of the principal appointment program. Lee outlined the process, which includes position advertising, community consultation, panel coordination, applicant interviewing and the final appointment recommendation. The steps include:
- National advertising of the principal position of St. Joseph’s
- The selection panel is made up of an educational consultant from the Ballarat diocese, a parish priest, a current practising principal and a school parent representative.
- Community consultation is a critical element of the recruitment program. The consultation and feedback process will include all staff and invite parents to complete a confidential survey by 4.00pm Thursday the 11th of March. Lee will collate these responses to inform the selection panel.
- Students from Years 3 to 6 will also be involved via school based workshops. The student’s voice will add insight to the formation work of the selection panel.
- The diocesan catholic education director, Mr. Tom Sexton, and local Bishop, Paul Bird confirm the appointment.
- To ensure leadership continuity between one Principal finishing and the next Principal starting the Education Director (Mr. Tom Sexton) has also made an interim principal appointment.
All the above information and links to documents were sent last week but are added again for your support information sent last Friday or below.
Interim Principal Appointment: On Friday all families and staff received a letter from Tom Sexton, Director Catholic Education in our region (Ballarat Diocese) to update all on the steps to ensure the St. Joseph’s school community is well supported as we transition to a new principal. Part of this support is to appoint an interim principal between me finishing and the new person taking up their appointment here at St. Joseph’s. Congratulations to Mr. Jim Guinan who will take on this role from the beginning of Term 2 full time. Jim is well placed to support St. Joseph’s in the interim period, he is well known by all students, connected to school leadership as the past Deputy Principal and highly respected by staff and parents alike. I thank Jim for taking on this role and offer him all our support. Once the new principal appointment is announced the starting date for that person starting will also be confirmed.
Parent Input To Principal Appointment: Parents were also invited on Friday to contribute to the new principal appointment process by completing a confidential electronic survey which has 4 questions seeking your thoughts. Lee Schlooz (Educational Consultant in the Warrnambool region) will collate these responses. The general feedback informs the principal selection criteria and the principal interview program. A copy of the link to this document is also included today.
Community opportunity to farewell the Principal: This will occur on the school St Joseph's Colour Fun Run Day, which will be held on Friday 26th March. There will be a community assembly and prayer liturgy, starting at 9:30 am in the school hall, followed by our colour fun run and activity day - All welcome.
Very Important Up-Date, Community On-Site This Term
St. Joseph’s Day Colour Fun Run Friday 26th March and Junior School Sport Day Thursday 1st April.
As our community is very well aware, St Joseph’s, like every other business, community group or organisations have Covid Safe Plans to ensure we all stay healthy and that our school stays open for all.
Many locations have different guidelines, one critical outline for St. Joseph’s, compared to other schools is the government regulation around numbers on-site (capped at 1000). With 603 students and 80 staff St. Joseph’s could reach 1,000 on-site during special events easily. Hence our caution with programs this term and following the Covid safety guidelines.
The good news is our Covid Safe Plan does open up options from this week onwards now that our State continues to have very low case numbers, especially in regards to community transmission.
The arrangements for our Junior School Sports Day and St. Joseph’s Day Colour Fun Run community participation will be:
Families don’t invite large numbers to be on-site together but rather spread over the day as far as possible.
All school entry will be via the supervised gate between the school hall and middle school classrooms (School D Wing). Note no other entries will be open to the school grounds. Numbers will be counted at this entry station.
A QR code registration will take place, Covid Health and Hygiene arrangements will be followed.
Masks to be carried and only need to be worn on-site if you cannot social distance. Students are not required to wear masks but may do so as a health precaution as required. St. Joseph’s also recognises, for health reasons, some adults cannot wear masks.
School Sacramental Program
At St. Joseph’s sacramental programs are family based, parish coordinated and school supported. Normally each year the sacraments of confirmation, eucharist and reconciliation are celebrated in the parish. In this way the parish and school assist families to nurture spirituality, traditions and faith of our Church. The parish and school share this responsibility supporting parents as the primary educator; and so, together in partnership, the spiritual development of the child can be nurtured and grown. Sacraments are supported, but not restricted, to the following year levels and times of the year.
Year 6 - Reconciliation (Term 1and 2)
Year 3 - Confirmation (Term 2)
Year 4 - Eucharist (Term 3)
Covid safety impacted the normal program in 2020. Fr. John Fitzgerald has been working with our school religious education team and across the parish ministry district to develop a sacramental plan for 2021. The details are outlined by Mark Hyland (St. Joseph’s Religious Education Co-ordinator) below for family information.
Michael Gray, Principal.
St Joseph's Primary School, Warrnambool
Happy Birthday to children celebrating their birthday this week.
Amelia Austin, Roy Lucas, Bridget Ambrose, Joshua Bishop, Isaac Brown, Simone Lobos Boada, Gretta Heggie, Logan Wthe, Elsa Farley, Will McCarthy and Lewis Gommers.
Tennis
On Monday 22nd February we had 7 students who were successful after attending the trials and played at the District Competition. These included:
| Tomm McKane | Charlie Jellie | Monty Darcy |
| Tahlia Vesey | Charli Jago | Zoe Davis |
| Milla Perrot |
All students played well and displayed commendable sportsmanship.
Tahlia Vesey in Year 6 was successful at the District level to then progress through to the Division Competition at the Lawn Tennis Courts last Friday 5th March. She is congratulated for her efforts in winning 2 games and losing only 2 games.
Well done Tahlia!
Year 3 - 6 Sports Day
Thank you to everyone involved in making the Year 3 - 6 School Sports such a great success last Thursday. We are particularly grateful to all the parents who volunteered their time in order to assist our staff complete each event as efficiently as possible. Children who have qualified for the next stage, District Competition (Monday 29th March), will be notified soon after all trials have been completed. The new inclusions to the Program included the Year 6 circular Relay and the House Colour Ball Relay! Both were a great success and a lot of fun for everyone involved.
Congratulations to Green House for taking out the Shield as the overall winning House and to the following individual Age Champions:
9 year old boys - 1st Harley Kane and Cooper McCosh, 3rd Quinn Madigan.
9 year old girls - 1st Molly McNeil, 2nd Sibella Evans, 3rd Vivienne Smedts.
10 year old boys - 1st Patrick Ralston and Buddy Macdonald, 3rd Gano Akoch.
10 year old girls - 1st Amelia Austin, 2nd Daisy Martin and Abbey O’Keefe
11 year old boys - 1st Eamon Cottee, 2nd Monty Darcy, 3rd Jack O’Brien.
11 year old girls - 1st Charli Jago, 2nd Charlotte Smedts, Eva Madigan and Charlotte Wythe.
12/13 year old boys - 1st William Ralston, 2nd Toby Hellessey, 3rd Jordan Morrison.
12/13 year old girls - 1st Hannah McMeel, 2nd Bella Telford, 3rd Ruby McKinley and Isla Dixon.
Junior School Sports Day
Our Foundation to Year Two students will all participate in their School Sports on Thursday 1st April on Allen Oval. The program will run between 9:30am and 1:30pm approximately. If you can spare some time to help us out then please email us at sport@sjwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au and specify your preferred time slot to assist 9:15am - 11am or 11:30am - 1pm. Any assistance on the day would be greatly appreciated!
Swimming
Thank you to all the swimmers who tried out for this year’s swimming team, however the speed of the qualifying times were most challenging to break! Good luck to all our swimmers in the carnival this Friday 12th March.
2021 Swimming Team
|
Lily Harris |
Mia Pozzobon |
Harry McDonald |
Matt Bennie |
|
Leilani Baulch |
Mia Jackson |
Charles Northeast |
Lachlan Walters |
|
Zoe Davis |
Sophie Russell |
Casey Carlin |
Rupert Jenkins |
|
Zoe Benson |
Zeta Kane |
Kane Parsons |
Cohan Kane |
|
Isla Dixon |
Niamh Ginley |
Noah McDonald |
William Ralston |
|
Charlie Bowman |
Addison Conheady |
Toby Hellessey |
Zac Smith |
|
Edith Walsh |
Nellie Boyle |
|
|
Please make sure you wear the correct swimming attire. Strictly no long shorts for boys and one-piece bathing suits for girls. This is a Swimming Victoria enforced rule and any swimmer not abiding by the swimwear rules will be disqualified.
Photography and video strictly prohibited. Officials have the power to disqualify swimmers or schools if parents fail to abide by this rule. Mr McMillan, Ms Johnstone and I will be supervising on the day. Parents are required for time-keeping duties on the day and your help would be greatly appreciated. Please notify the school no later than Wednesday 10th March if you would be willing to help out. Please contact us at sport@sjwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au A roster of times will be made available and shared equally among helpers.
Cross Country
On Wednesday 5th May, in Week 3 of Term Two will be our Year 3 - 6 School Cross Country! (Friday 21st May will be the Foundation - Year 2 Cross Country).
Here is a link to some great tips that you as parents can use to support your child in preparing for the Cross Country. It’s also an excellent reason to get fit and active alongside your children.
Regards,
Mrs Emily Lloyd (Physical Education & Sport Co-ordinator)
Mr Matthew McMillan.
The new house coloured school sports tops are now available to purchase at Lowes. Lowes are still waiting for stock for their online store.
It was great to see so many children wearing the new top on Years 3-6 Sports Day.
The school PSA supported the introduction of the new house coloured sports tops and the school has developed an implementation plan for the introduction of them. It has been decided that the new style tops are a compulsory uniform item for Foundation students in 2021. All other year levels will have a phase in period of optional wearing in 2021 before being compulsory at the start of 2022.
School Sports Days: Students will be able to wear their new sports tops on their classroom sports day/s each week.
School Sports Representation: The school’s preference for 2021 is that if a student is participating in a school representative sport that they wear the new sports tops. The school has a limited number of the old style school sports tops available for students to use on representative sports days. As a result a student may be required to wear their normal blue school polo top to participate in.
School Representation Photos: The school’s preference for 2021 is that students who have represented the school in sport wear the new house coloured school sports top.
A reminder that this Tuesday 9th March, 2021 is our Week 7 PSA meeting which will be a face to face meeting in the school staffroom.
We are now in a position to inform families about the Sacramental dates for 2021.
As you may be aware, St Joseph’s parish is now coordinating the Sacramental program for our school, as well as West Warrnambool, Dennington, Koroit and Port Fairy. Hence things have taken a little longer to organise.
Sacramental programs are family based, parish coordinated and school supported. Each year the sacraments of Confirmation, Eucharist and Reconciliation are celebrated in the Parish. The Parish and School assist families to nurture the faith of the Catholic Church. The Parish and School share this responsibility supporting parents as the primary educator; and so, together in partnership, the spiritual development of the child can be nurtured and grown. Sacraments are supported, but not restricted, to the following Year levels.
- Year 6 - Reconciliation (Term 1 and 2)
- Year 3 - Confirmation (Term 2)
- Year 4 - Eucharist (Term 3)
2020 Catch up
For the children who prepared for Confirmation and First Eucharist in 2020 and did not receive the Sacrament due to COVID restrictions, you will be able to receive your Sacrament in Term 2. These children would have completed a registration form, made payment and worked through the sacramental booklets over a 4 week period during the Remote Learning Program in 2020.
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Confirmation from 2020 (Year 3s in 2020)
|
Thursday 29th April, 7:00pm Friday 30th April, 7:00pm
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First Eucharist from 2020 (Year 4s in 2020)
|
Sunday 16th May, 8:30am, 10:00am and 6:00pm
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2021 Dates
Reconciliation (Year 6)
|
Registrations close |
Tuesday 16th March, 3pm |
|
Parent meeting |
Tuesday 16th March, St Joseph’s Church, 7:30pm |
|
Sacrament of Reconciliation |
Tuesday 20thApril (First week of term 2) |
Confirmation (Year 3)
|
Parent meeting |
Tuesday 27th April, St Joseph’s Church, 7:00pm |
|
Celebrating the Sacrament |
Thursday 3rd June, 7:00pm Friday 4th June, 7:00pm Saturday 5th June, 11:00am |
The Confirmation program is also open to any Year 4s who did not register in 2020.
First Eucharist (Year 4)
|
Parent meeting |
Tuesday 20th July, St Joseph’s Church |
|
Sacrament of First Eucharist |
Sunday 29th August, 8:30am, 10:00am and 6:00pm |
The First Eucharist program is also open to any Year 5s and 6s who have completed their Confirmation.
Senior Reconciliation is a Sacramental Program for Year 6 students who have completed their Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist Sacraments.
Please complete this form and make $20 payment through CDFpay (our online ordering system).
At least one parent is required to attend the Parent Information meeting at the church.
Contact Leanne at the Parish on 5562 2231 with any queries.
Key Dates
3pm, Tuesday 16th March 2021 - Registration and payment closes
7:30pm, Tuesday 16th March 2021 - Parent information meeting
5:30pm, Tuesday 20th April 2021 - Sacrament of Reconciliation
Our PSA are once again holding a Hot Cross Bun Drive. Brown's Bakery will be supporting this event with orders now open through CDFPay. Please place your order against the eldest child in your family with orders now open.
Orders close at 10am on Friday 26th March, 2021.
Delivery dates
Tuesday 30th March, 2021 (Years Foundation, 1 and 2)
Wednesday 31st March, 2021 (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Tickets to everyone's favourite Raffles are now being sold in the foyer at the school.
$1 per ticket. Children can purchase tickets before and after school.
This fundraising appeal is to support a family in our school who lost all their belongings in a house fire.
A reminder that all students must have their own Art Smock for use at school. This can be a purpose made Art Smock or an old oversize long sleeve shirt.
The shared art smock supply that children have previously used is no longer available.
Art Smocks can be purchased at Lowes either instore or online.
A reminder to parents to ensure that their childs Hat and Jumper/Jacket are clearly labelled. Lost Property is starting to fill up already.
A special reminder to label your childs new house coloured sports top.
At the office we have a “special lost property” some small and/or valuable items. Please take a look at these photos and let the office know if anything belongs to your family.
