Filter Content
Michael Gray, Principal
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Staff and our Wider School Community
Mid term and activity for the second half of this term
Our Term is moving along as all are well aware; with a dash of wild winter weather bringing cold, wind and rain. Care around travel to and from school is important for safety; a reminder our school introduced an excellent coat that helps keep us warm, dry and identifiable by our community. A uniform that is neat, identifiable and reasonably priced ensures we can supervise and nurture our students with clarity, care and confidence. Our uniform supplier has coats for sale and over the years this coat will make its way into our second hand sale system. Well cared for the coats will make a quality second hand item.
Another update to share is that Arts Week is fast approaching. This is an opportunity to celebrate and engage with the Arts. These programs bring learning to life with music, song, movement, colour and high levels of engagement.
To teach art in schools can be obvious to some. How can we go without? What if kids have an artistic talent to be discovered? For others, the debate can go the other way. Why is art important to teach? If student time, and school budgets are stretched, is it more important to focus on math and reading, and cut art altogether? Of course art comes in various forms when taught at school. It can be visual (like painting, design, drawing etc.). But it can also be performance; like theatre, dance, music, poetry and writing too. While Arts skills, knowledge and understandings are intrinsically important to teach other crucial reasons to teach art also include:
- Art teaches students skills that can be used in other disciplines (Eg Creativity)
- Art teach students’ brains how to think and develop
- Art can also give students’ the opportunity for self-directed learning without boundaries.
To support the program we will also have an Arts Assembly to conclude our focus week. I encourage all to be involved. To keep the “dress up” aspect of the program manageable for families, staff and students we have realigned Book Week and Arts week to a two year cycle. This year we will have an Arts Week dress up and then in 2020 a Book Week dressup.
Having said that, our senior leaders have organised a casual day, for students to dress up if they like on Friday 23 August. The day is to support the Warrnambool Special Development School (SDS) in acquiring a playground for students at their new site. This dress-up day has a "What Makes Me Happy" theme to it. Students can come casually dressed, dressed as a colour, dressed as something that makes them happy or dressed as a book week character. Dressing up is, as always, optional. A gold coin donation is requested.
Of a final note I would also like to especially thank everyone for the amazing experiences of our school disco and grandparent’s day. Students come alive when people share care, fun and learning in safe well organised and happy environments. Thanks all.
Regards
Michael Gray, Principal
A reminder to families that Friday 16th August is a school closure day.
Please refer to our online calendar which is updated regularly with important dates for 2019, there are also some 2020 dates shown. This calendar can be accessed via our App or website.
Note: Middle School Hooptime is also on Friday 16th August. Parents to transport their child to and from the event with teacher supervision during the event.
As the next part of our Senior Leader's Project, we wish to raise money so the children of the new SDS school can enjoy a playground like us.
We are so lucky to have a great playground and outdoor facilities here at St. Joseph's. It makes us happy!
So we have decided to have a “Wear what makes you happy” dress-up day on Friday 23rd August. Gold coin donation.
As the name suggests, you can wear whatever makes you happy. It might be something colorful, something comfortable, a book week character, a sports theme ... whatever “makes you happy.”
In conjunction with this, to appreciate our playground as part of the fundraiser, Foundation classes will have some time with the school leaders on the playground that day.
The rest of the school will take part in the “St. Joseph’s Playground Warrior” over the next few days in their class, with the winners from each room facing off on Thursday 12th September.
Last Wednesday Year 1/2 students enjoyed experiencing a live stage production of ‘Annie Jnr’ performed by students from Brauer College.
Year 2 student Myeisha Morden pictured with Annie and Sandy the dog.
We have had an excellent response from families who wish to participate in the First Eucharist Sacramental Program.
Please contact the Parish Office on (03) 5562 2231 if you have any queries.
Key Dates
| 7pm, Tuesday 13th August 2019 | Parent Meeting at St. Josephs Parish |
| Week of Monday 19th August (4 weeks) | Family Homegroup meetings |
| Sunday 18 August, Sunday 25 August, Sunday 1 September and Sunday 8th September | Participants and their families are encouraged to make a special effort to attend Sunday Mass throughout this preparation time. |
| 8:30am, 10:30am and 6:00pm - Sunday 15th September 2019 | Celebration of the First Eucharist Sacrament (nominate your preferred time at the Parent Meeting) |
Middle school swimming program is due to commence in Term 3 Week 6. As part of this program parents and volunteers are encouraged to support St. Joseph’s Primary School and our students by volunteering their time to help at the swimming. If you would like to volunteer your time please ensure the office has a current Working with Children Check (WWCC), this is Victorian Government legislation.
7:00am - 9:00am Friday 30 August
Orders Close 3pm, Monday 26 August via CDFPay, sorry no late orders.
Volunteers
We rely on the assistance for volunteers on this day. Please complete the volunteer form if you are able to assist with setup on Thursday after school or on the Friday morning for cooking, serving or cleanup.
Photos
The Harvey Norman Photographer will be at the Father's Day Breakfast. Fathers have the option of having photos taken with their children, if they wish, all photos can then be purchased via the Photo Centre at Harvey Norman.
Be Green
Dads are encouraged to bring their coffee keep cups (with lids) to reduce the use of disposal cups.
Please make use of the FOGO bins in the hall for any Food waste.
Thank you to all our canteen volunteers. We are in need of a few more volunteers for Term 3. Training is provided and one shift a term is all you need to commit to.