Jim Guinan, Interim Principal

Over the last month, I have been the very fortunate recipient, from both past and current families, of numerous letters and cards of well wishes of appreciation for my work as Principal of St. Joseph’s. I thank everyone for this support and taking the time to share with me your words of thanks. As the outgoing Principal of St. Joseph’s I feel valued and appreciated. This means much to me and I thank everyone.

I acknowledge our staff teams for their commitment to St. Joseph’s too. Great schools develop through shared leadership at all levels, commitment to the organisation's mission and a strong work ethic; brought to life in respectful relationships, openness and trust and working together. St. Joseph’s is blessed with teaching teams, administration teams, support staff, allied health teams and a facility crew that live daily our school values. I thank all these groups for their wonderful send off and support over the years.

Importantly though, I would like to especially thank all the students, both past and present, for sharing with me their beautiful thoughts and often great artwork; again in appreciation of my work helping all to learn, grow and build their attributes. The students are the gift and treasure of our school. Each student tries every day to be the best they can; as a school community of families and staff we could not ask anymore.

I will also treasure the last day; riding to school with an escort of police and the fire brigade was amazing! Arriving at St. Joseph’s to see many students lined up along the school fence cheering was very special. On arriving at the school loop all the younger students had also formed a guard of honour to farewell me. This experience was touching, very emotional, fun and heart-warming! I am extremely grateful for the student’s openness to arriving early to farewell me. This experience will live in my heart for a lifetime.

Being a Principal of a primary school is indeed a privilege. The support of each family, staff and students at St. Joseph’s has been overwhelming; I thank families for your trust, kindness and willingness to tackle what is required to help each and every student every day.

I wish everyone all the best for the new term, I know all will support Mr Guinan over the next five weeks as Interim Principal. Students, families and staff are all looking forward to welcoming Matthew O’Brien as our new principal. Matthew will start Week 6 of this term, Monday the 24th of May. I wish Matthew all the best and look forward to supporting him in his role as principal of St. Joseph’s.

Regards,
Michael Gray, Principal

Happy Birthday to children who celebrated their birthday over the holidays.

Luca Dwyer, Milla Riordan, Hayley Astbury, Will Molan, Maya Duynhoven, Daniel Jiang, Sophie Thornton, Amelia Dunphy, Archie Stewart, Harry Chapman, Grace Hickey, Williams Pearson, Lucas Sarra, Gano Akoch, Lillee-May Jennings-Reason, Sophie Parker, Sophie Price, Oscar Stewart, Chelsea Finneran, Jacob Ward,

Happy Birthday to children celebrating their birthday this week.

Jaxon Byron, Ned Russell, Johann Young-Akrawi, Jago Darcy, Jasmine Cox, Mason Murrell, Olivia Finnigan, Ned Swan, Frank Farley, Rylee Foreman, Brecken Schneider, Lucy Beaumont, Layla Kane, Sophie Brown, William Farley, Ella Monaghan and Fletcher Monaghan.

In Terms 2 we have the following school closure days:

• Thursday 6th May, 2021 (May Race Day Public Holiday)
• Friday 7th May, 2021 (School Closure Day)
• Monday 14th June, 2021 (Queen's Birthday Public Holiday)

Other important dates can be found on our SZapp which is updated on a regular basis.

Hello everyone and welcome back to Term 2.  Firstly, I would like to extend a big thank you to all our parents, staff and students who helped make our Junior House Athletics Sports a huge success.  Despite the warm weather, there was great participation and a wonderful atmosphere.  Congratulations Green House for taking out the House Trophy for the Juniors. 

Next Monday 26th April we wish our Senior 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Team the best of luck as they represent our region at the State Championships in Melbourne.  Mr Gray has offered to be our staff representative at te venue and we look forward to hearing how the girls swim!  The relay team consists of Isla Dixon, Niamh Ginley, Addison Conheady and Charlie Bowman. 

This term we will send representative teams in the following sports:

Cross Country, Football, Netball, Soccer, Tee-ball and Golf.  Preparations and tryouts for Girls Football, Volleyball and Basketball will also commence in Term Two in preparation for tournaments early in Term 3.

Division Athletics

The last week of Term 1 was a busy week with 51 students representing St Joseph’s at the District Athletics.  We had most students gain a place in an individual event, however it is only the first place getters who advance to the Division Competition.  (Except for the long distance events where the top 2 students can advance through.)  We are still waiting for confirmation of the inclusion of the Hurdles’ event at the Regional Competition.

Congratulations to the 13 athletes who have qualified for the Division Athletics Finals.  A wonderful achievement to have advanced to this level. 

 There will be practice during lunchtime Tuesdays and Fridays for relays and from 2:45pm each Monday afternoon for individual events.  The Division Finals will be held on Friday 7th May, which is also a school closure day.  We have arranged to share the cost of a bus with another school and Mr McMillan will be supervising the day.  Please look out for a digital permission note that will be sent out this week with further information.                                                                                      

Winter sports – football, netball, tee ball and soccer (Year 5 and 6 only)

Children in year Six will be sent home a note with preferences for winter sports this week.  Please ensure that your child chooses their preferences carefully.  These preferences will be used to organise tryouts and practice sessions in the coming weeks.

District Golf (Year 5 and 6 students)

The District Golf competition is fast approaching on Friday 14th May at the Warrnambool Golf Course.  If your child is interested in trying out for this day then please fill out the following form.

We will use this information in addition to the skills demonstrated during P.E lessons to determine the students who will represent the school at District level.

Regards, 

Mrs Emily Lloyd (Physical Education & Sport Co-ordinator)
Mr Matthew McMillan. 

Mark Hyland, Religious Education Co-ordinator

The Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for our senior students, will take place this Tuesday 20th April, beginning at 5:30pm, in St Joseph’s church.

Try to be there 10 minutes beforehand so the children can take time to settle and think of what they will say to Father John or one of the assisting priests.

Children are to wear their white sacramental stole with the purple Reconciliation symbol.

In the Sacrament of Reconciliation God calls us to live in “RIGHT RELATIONSHIP” or harmony, with OURSELVES, OTHERS, OUR EARTH and OUR GOD.

Jesus calls us to repent and live as he showed us how to live. Jesus accepted all people, he even ate with outcasts, he healed those people who needed physical or spiritual healing and he often told parables that show us how to behave.

In the Lord’s prayer we say “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” When we all live as Jesus taught us to, then God’s kingdom will have come, everyone and everything will be in “Right Relationship”.

We are human so we really have to work hard at living as Jesus taught us to live, but (lucky for us) God loves us “no matter what”. God’s love is unconditional and God’s forgiveness is never ending.

Family Prayer

Loving God who dances in creation,

Who embraces us with human love,

Who holds us in our joy and grief,

Who shakes our lives like thunder,

 

Help us claim our strength and need,

Our awesomeness and fragile beauty.

Help us stay open to your love

So that hope may be renewed.

Bless us, show us the way.

Amen

Iron on transfer

Parents will have received an iron on purple Reconciliation transfer for their child. The photograph below is an indication of a suggested placement of all three Sacraments - Confirmation, Eucharist and Reconciliation. Wear the stole with the Baptism and Diocese transfers on the right side.

Registration closes: 3:00pm, Friday 23rd April, 2021

Note: The parent meeting scheduled for 7pm on Tuesday 27th April, 2021 is now a Student and Parent meeting and will still be held at St Joseph's church.

A message from Fr John Fitzgerald

Year 3 children who have been baptised will have the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation in Term 2.

If you desire and are ready to support your child in his/her faith please complete the Registration Form. Parents should not feel pressured to enrol their child just because they are in Year 3. The celebration of Confirmation is a celebration of faith and needs to be seen in the context of Church and not merely as part of the school curriculum, even though the faith of the child is very much supported by the school.

Year 4 children who did not register in 2020 may choose to register and participate this year with the Year 3 children.

Registration is available online as well as nomination for preferred family group meeting times. Payment for the program ($25.00) materials etc can be completed via CDFpay (online ordering system).

Key Dates

A reminder that children should now be wearing winter school uniform. We allow a two week grace period for families to get organised.

Boys

• Grey trousers or grey shorts
• Blue polo
• Navy windcheater
• Grey socks
• Black shoes or fully black runners

Girls

• Navy tunic/skirt or navy trousers
• Blue polo
• Navy windcheater
• White socks or navy tights (No leggings)
• Black shoes or fully black runners

Sport

• Blue school shorts or navy trackpants
• Blue polo or school house coloured sports top
• White socks (NO logos)
• Runners

Purchasing Uniform items

There is a tile on our SZApp for Uniform information including:

• a link to Lowes online
• Lowes pricelist
• 2nd hand uniform orders
• suggested pricing for 2nd hand uniform items
• label template to attach to 2nd hand uniform items.

A reminder that children are still required to wear their hats at school whilst outside at recess, lunch and sport.

All children will require hats in Term 2 until 1st May.

No Hat = No Play.

Children without hats will have to stay in the undercover area during lunch and recess. There will be no "grace period".

Monday 3rd May 2021

To celebrate Mother’s Day our PSA provides a Mother’s Day Stall. Penny Walsh from the PSA organises a wide variety of gifts ranging from Candles, Mugs, Gardening Tools, Photo Frames and novelty items. Children then attend the stall and select a gift that they know their mothers or special person will love. 

Gifts are $5.00 per student. Orders are now open via CDFpay (online ordering system) and will remain open to just prior to the stall.

The stall will be held at school during the day on Monday 3rd May 2021.

Term 2 arrangements will be:

• Normal Covid general hygiene still applies for visiting school site
• Drop off procedures for mornings still apply with gates opening and loop supervision commencing at 8:30am.
• Pick-Up area allocations remain in place for walking, scooting and car pick up.

Pickup locations for family surnames:

• A-G School Loop
• H-M Queens Road
• N-Z Tennis courts

Foundation, Year 1 and 2 can now collect their child/children from the classroom doors after school. No prolonged visiting in the classroom. If attending in the building for longer than 10 minutes this must be an arranged booking via administration and QR code sign in. Our younger students have developed excellent resilience skills and are very capable of walking to classroom and from classrooms to collection points. The opening up of classroom collection is very much there to support parents meeting each other etc.

Once students are collected from the classroom door please move off site ASAP.

Tickets are onsale in the school foyer for our Mother's Day Raffle. There are 6 beautiful hampers to be won.

Drawn at an assembly prior to Mother's Day.

Congratulations to the winners of the Easter Raffle.

• Sienna Addinsall
• Lyn Hyland
• Blair and Neve Lyons

The Smiggle Raffle was won by Amelia Austin.

Term 2 Roster

Volunteers

We rely on our volunteers and are also in need of more parents to assist. Training is arranged by our Canteen Co-ordinator Tania Hughes. Please consider volunteering, even if only once per term, all help most appreciated.

Emmanuel College

Subsidised kinder for three-year-olds on the way

Research shows that two years of kindergarten are better than one.  In a kindergarten program, children enjoy play-based learning guided by trained teachers.

The Victorian Government is now subsidising kinder for three-year-olds and in June 2021 Council will start taking enrolments for 5 hours of funded three-year-old kinder for the 2022 year, across its kindergarten facilities.

To enable council to understand the needs of the community better, we are seeking input from the community to help determine sites, models and resourcing.

We’re asking people who have a child eligible to attend three-year-old kindergarten in coming years to complete a survey.

To have your say on the kindergarten program for three-year-olds go to www.yoursaywarrnambool.com.au

To learn more about the three-year-old kindergarten program go to www.vic.gov.au/three-year-old-kindergarten-victorians

The survey closes on April 19