Thank you to families who have completed the survey and advising of your families interest in accessing the St. Joseph’s Primary School, Government and Catholic Education Commission of Victoria’s initiated on-site ‘Care and Supervision’ support, during the World Health Organisation’s declared coronavirus pandemic.

For vulnerable students or those where no other arrangements can be made please complete the following form for School Business Manager, Cathy Duynhoven.

This program will run within school hours and will not be a full classroom educational program but adjusted as per all our students.

A detailed letter containing arrangments for onsite care and supervision will be emailed to families who have registered for this program.

Michael Gray, Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Staff and our Wider School Community.

Strategic Planning 2020-2024 Workshop, Developing Catholic Education across our Diocese.

 The Catholic Diocese of Ballarat Education Office will be holding Strategic Planning 2020-2024 Workshops in Colac and Warrnambool. These workshops are open to staff, parents, parish and community members and will be held in Colac on Monday 29 July and Warrnambool on Tuesday 30 July. We look forward to your participation in the planning for 2020-2024. Come and Join Us!

Parish News

Fr. John Fitzgerald heads off on his sabbatical to the Holy Land, including Jordan and Egypt today and will be away for a couple of months. We wish John all the best for what will be a time of renewal, learning and challenge. John's major focus will be an ecumenical experience (religions learning from and about each other). He will study at Tantur (Notre Dame Campus in Jerusalem).

A warm welcome to Fr. Peter Murnane OP who is with us while John is away. We trust his time here at St. Joseph’s will be fulfilling one. We also welcome Fr. John Corrigan who has recently been appointed as an Assistant Priest to this area and will support our parish sacramental program and the parish of Koroit and Port Fairy.

Fortunately, we also have to stay with us Fr. Edward who is a traingJesuit priest completing his pastoral experience. Fr. Edward is from Zimbabwe. Edward has an amazing story to tell; he lives and works is a parish on the edge of Lake Victoria in Africa.

Election Update

A reminder that St. Joseph’s Hall is a polling venue for the Federal election this weekend. As the Commonwealth is the predominant funder of non-government schools, including St. Joseph’s, the National Catholic Commission (NCEC) has endorsed the following document to share with our communities. The Commission (NCEC) is the body that presents catholic schools funding issues to governments for consideration.

This linked document presents the three main parties answers to the key questions about funding our sector. The document includes the response of the Coalition, Labour and Greens in the interest of sharing this information. Of note also Dan Tehan, our local member, is the current education minister.

Parent Notifications: Update on Home/School Communication Process

As we now have most parents set up on PAM (Parent Access Module), we will start sending notification letters home to parents for sickbay attendance and for students that are out of uniform.

Visit To Sick Bay

The previous ‘Pink Slips’ that used to come home with your child to say they had been administered Ventolin or had attended sick bay will now be replaced with a notification that will be sent via your PAM account.

Out of Uniform

Any student that is wearing the incorrect uniform will have a letter sent to the parent/guardian via your PAM account. This will support families, staff and students keep a better ongoing record of these actions.  The school will also be aware that parent/guardians will have received the notice. Paper often is left languishing in the school bag or tub.

General Uniform Reminders

In regards to uniform, all transition periods for the school coat are now finished and the only coat that can be worn at school is the navy blue school coat, school shorts must be our school shorts or navy shorts that have NO logo at all on them. Hair longer than collar length must be tied back by all students.

Very Important: Medical Profiles for First Aid/Excursion/Camp

Our aim is to move our most important communication (Health and Wellbeing) to electronic systems. This will include medical permissions for events like camp/excursion/first aide next term. To support this transition to happen we need all medical profiles completed within PAM. This needs to be for all students, not just those that have a diagnosed medical condition.  It is simply replacing the medical information page of the enrolment form and will allow parents to update this information at any time.  This will then mean that teachers will have the most up to date information on your child if they are on excursion or camp.

Conclusion

Your help with this is extremely important and if this can be completed by the end of the term that would be greatly appreciated.  If we don’t have this section completed on your child, they won’t be able to join in any off-site excursions.

If you need any help with this or have any questions please feel free to contact the school office.

A message from Fr John Fitzgerald

Grade 3 children who have been baptised will have the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation this term.

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 Grade 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.

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 need to wear a school hat for all outside play and activities until the end of April.

Andrew McCombe, Physical Education and Sport Co-ordinator

Congratulations to Nic Van Zelst winner of the Fair Fill-a-basket Raffle.

Michael Gray with Emma Winnell and Alice Moloney drawing the Easter Raffle.

Wednesday 8 May 2019

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. 

On the day after the stall children can come to the school office if they wish to purchase a second gift for a grandma or special person. This is subject to availability.

Gifts are $5.00 per student. Orders open via CDFpay (online ordering system) on Monday 8th April and will remain open to just prior to the stall. The stall will be held at school during the day on Wednesday 8 May 2019.

The PSA are conducting a Second Hand Uniform Sale for all school uniforms. If you have any good quality uniform that reflects current St. Joseph’s uniform policy and standards this day could be for you. You can either donate items to be sold to the school for sale OR price them accordingly and have a % of your sale go to the school’s PSA.

If you would like to participate you can do so by one of the following two options.-

OPTION 1- If you are donating any school uniform items for sale please bring these along to the school office. Volunteers will price all items accordingly and all sales will be donated to our schools PSA.

OPTION 2- If you have any good quality uniform that you are wanting to sell please name clearly with your family name, grade of the eldest child, size and price. All tags are to be pinned on the garment and removed when sold. It has been determined that 70% of the sale will go to the family and 30% to the PSA.

Second hand school bags are also able to be sold on the day providing that they are in appropriate working condition.

Bring donations and sale items into the office between Wednesday 24 April to Wednesday 1 May.

The sale will occur on Friday 3 May, 2019 from 2:00pm till 3:30pm (before and during School Assembly) in the School Hall foyer. This is a fantastic opportunity to purchase good quality second hand uniforms.

Warrnambool Secondary College Closing Dates

Kings College Open Day

Mothers Day at Bunnings