Matthew O'Brien, Principal

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

Great to be back at school and to be able to see all of the children’s and teachers’ smiles.  I hope that everyone had a relaxing break and enjoyed the Easter holidays.

Yesterday Eve McGrath and Blair Lyons (student leaders) laid a wreath on our behalf during the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. In Warrnambool RSL secretary Mick Little’s address he focussed HMAS Warrnambool, a minesweeper engaged during and after WW11. Sadly four of its crew lost their lives in 1947, 2 years after the war had ended, in a mine clearing operation.

He concluded:  

“This highlights the dangers faced in peacetime not just by the navy but by all members of Australia’s Defence Force. The crew would have worn a sailor’s cap with a HMAS Warrnambool telly band around it.  They did not just represent the Royal Australian Navy, they also represented our town and will always be part of our community, forever. ANZAC day is a day of remembrance. We must never forget the men from the HMAS Warrnambool and we must never forget the sacrifices of all of the Australian Defence Force personnel make to keep our nation safe, whether in times of war or in times of peace.

Lest We Forget

Assembly

Assembly returns this Friday at 2:40pm. Room F4 will be leading an ANZAC reflection. Student Leaders will finally be presented with their badges for 2022. All parents are welcome to attend.

Uniform

A reminder that during terms two and three children are to wear their winter uniform.  Hats are still to be worn until the end of this month. 

COVID Update

The Victorian Government has announced some important changes to COVIDSafe measures for schools that will apply from the start of Term 2.

Face masks

From 11:59 pm Friday 22 April, face masks, while recommended, are not required in any school setting. This means students in grades 3 to 6, staff and visitors in primary schools are no longer required to wear face masks. Any student or staff member who wishes to wear a mask may do so, including those who are medically at risk.

Screening requirements

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19, and have completed their 7-day isolation period, now do not need to undertake rapid antigen test (RAT) screening for 12 weeks after their release from isolation. This was previously 8 weeks.

Household contacts

Students who are household contacts of a COVID-19 case are not required to quarantine. They may return to school as long as they undertake rapid antigen tests (RAT) 5 times during their 7-day period. They are required to notify the school that they are a household contact.

Students aged 8 years and above who are household contacts are required to wear face masks when indoors at school unless they have a valid exemption.

If a student household contact returns a positive RAT result, they must isolate for 7 days.

Vaccination requirements for visitors to schools

Parents, carers and other adult visitors (not performing work) are no longer required to show evidence of two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

RAT screening program reminder

The testing recommendations will remain the same this Term for students and staff with to test at home twice a week. RATs were sent home at the end of last term. Should you have not received yours please contact our office.

Notification of Positive Cases at School

Parents and carers will be notified of positive cases in their child/children’s classroom.  This change means that most families will not receive a daily update. 

Thank you for your ongoing support in keeping our school safe and open.

Regards
Matthew O'Brien, Principal

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

Amelia Dunphy, Izzy Langley, Archie Stewart, William Pearson, Lucas Sarra, Gano Akoch, Lillee-May Jennings-Reason, Sophie Parker, Sophie Price, Oscar Stewart, Chelsea Finneran, Eloise Langley, Jaxon Byron, Johann Young-Akrawi, Jago Darcy, Safia Dwyer, Jasmine Cox, Mason Murrell, Olivia Finnigan, Ned Swan, Frank Farley, Brecken Schneider, Lucy Beaumont, Layla Kane, Harper Pimblett, Sophie Brown, William Farley, Ella Monaghan, Fletcher Monaghan, Alexis Hernan, Bella Reid, Nicholas Mugavin, Lenny Buckle, George Evans, Jessica Happ, Henry Lloyd and Mason McArthur.

Students can now move to wearing their winter school uniform for Terms 2 and 3. We allow a two week grace period for families to get organised.

• Grey trousers or grey shorts to be worn with grey socks
• Navy tunic/skirt or navy trousers to be worn with white socks or navy tights (No leggings)
• Blue polo
• Navy windcheater
• Black shoes or fully black runners

Sport

• Blue school shorts or navy trackpants (no logos, brand names or stripes)
• 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.

Wednesday 4th May, 2022

We are looking forward to our school cross country day. Parents, carers and family members are welcome as spectators on the day. Children compete in their event at the nominated time and then return to class. 

An approximate timetable is shown below. Hopefully we will be able to stick to these times, however sometimes due the wet weather forecast it might have to be adjusted. 

Timetable (approximate times)

What to wear

Sports Uniform

• Navy Blue school logoed shorts
• House coloured Sports polo (compulsory in 2022)
• Navy Blue logoed windcheater, vest or coat
• School logoed hat
• White socks (no logos)
• Runners
• Parents may like to pack a change of socks and runners.

No hair colour, sleeveless tops or coloured zinc permitted.

Spectators

Spectators are welcome at our cross country. Enter via the gate near the school hall. Spectators are not to enter the school building (with the exception of the School Hall for toilet access)

Parking

On street and tennis court parking is available. Please obey parking rules.

Photography

Please read the St Joseph’s Primary School Photography Guidelines for Parents and Carers. 

Sign your child out

A reminder that if you are taking your child home early, they must be signed out at the office. 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.

Good luck to all of our cross country competitors.

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.

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.

This is a Parish run program supported by the school.

Key Dates

We now invite all CURRENT families only to login via our school website, to complete the enrolment form for any 2023 Foundation children.

Enrolments for all other families will open on Monday 16th May, 2022.

Dear Parent/Guardian

The Lions Eye Health Program is offering Free Vision Screening for St Joseph’s Primary School for Foundation, Year 3 and Year 6 students.

The screening will be conducted by the Warrnambool Lions Club on Tuesday 24th May and Thursday 26th May.

Over 80% of what children learn is processed through their eyes. Untreated eye conditions can affect a child’s development. It is estimated 1 in 5 children in Australia have undetected vision problems. Screenings can help identify children who may require further eye review/testing.

Members of the Lions Club have been specifically trained to perform 4 vision screening assessments including:

1. Visual Acuity – using a Lea 3m – 15 Symbol Chart
2. Colour Vision – using a quick 6 – Basic Colour Screening Book
3. Depth Perception – using a Stereo Fly Screening Tool
4. Spot Vision Screener – State of the art portable machine designed to screen the Myopia (near sightedness), Hyperopia (far sightedness), Astigmatism (blurred vision), Anisometropia (unequal refraction power), Strabismus (eye misalignment) and Anisocoria (unequal pupil size).

The individual screening takes just a few minutes to perform. There is no physical contact made with the child and no eye drops are administered. Individual reports will be distributed. If a vision problem is detected, this will be written on the child’s result sheet and you will be encouraged to seek a further eye assessment with an eye health professional.

If you would like your child to participate in this vision screening program, please complete the linked form.

Please note: If your children is already under the care of an optometrist it is recommended they do not participate.

Kind Regards

Sue Amos

Warrnambool LEHP Facilitator.

As Mothers Day will come around very quickly after the holidays, we have opened up the online shop (via CDFpay) for children and fathers to start placing orders for their Mothers Day gift.  Each gift is $5 and students will get to personally select their own gift.

The "shop" will operate on Monday 2nd May, which means all orders need to be placed by 9:00am on that date.  As this gift purchase is optional for each family, if an order has not been placed, students will not be able to select a gift on the day; any leftover gifts will be available for purchase the following day if children would like to purchase a second gift for another important person in their life.

St Joseph's Recycling Centre is now available for:

• Bottle Tops
• Bread Tags
• Home Printer Catridges
• Batteries.

Children can place items in the recycling centre in the school foyer before and after school.

School Canteen Support