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Michael Gray, Principal
Dear Parents, Carers, Staff, Students and the wider St. Joseph’s Primary School Community, welcome to another busy school week after a very successful last week.
A special thanks to the many families who also contacted us about the Remembrance Ceremony, the importance of celebrating NAIDOC Week and the fun focus on culture, language and the country of Japan. Significantly also last week 48 Grade 6 students completed their Reconciliation sacramental experience with Fr John Fitzgerald, Fr John Corrigan and Fr Bill van de Camp.
Life At School This Week
Book Week: This week we celebrate Books! Why are books important one may ask? In my opinion books provide new experiences, awareness building about the world outside home; improves our communication skills, help us build greater vocabulary, supports speech patterns and enunciation; improves concentration, shares the magic of story and promotes a life skill; a life skill that can bring knowledge, enjoyment, learning and support to all our careers. Promoting books with young people encourages a love of reading and the wonder of books! A reminder dress up day is this Friday.
Grade 6 Engagement Program: All the best to our Grade 6 students as they participate in our school designed retreat week of engaging, fun and interesting personal development activities. The program started well this morning, even considering the strong wind with archery moved in the hall.
The Warrnambool Youth Council are supporting young people in this region to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic impacts, the link to their support is listed on the Warrnambool City Council W2040 web page.
School Transition and Orientation
Programs will continue for all students except modifications will apply due to Covid-19 restrictions. The key students and families impacted by this program for 2020 will be our new Foundation students for 2021 and the Year 7 students for 2021.
An update is listed below:
Current students attending St. Joseph’s for 2021 (this year's Foundation to Grade 5) will have their Orientation Day as normal on Tuesday 8th December. The program will start in current classrooms and then move to 2021 rooms from 9:30 am until lunch time. Students are to attend in uniform and will be provided with a Zooper Dooper and BBQ sausage prepared on-site by school staff. School will conclude as normal at 3:25 pm.
Foundation students for 2021 have now been sent a letter with their detailed Orientation Day arrangements. Their orientation experience has been shifted to the last week of the school year, starting Tuesday 15th December. Details will be in each families letter. Each student will have their time indicated in this personal correspondence.
Year 7 students will be contacted by their 2021 secondary school. If the orientation day for the Year 7’s does not occur on Tuesday 8th December the students are to attend St Joseph’s primary school as normal.
Employment Update at St. Joseph’s for 2021
After a comprehensive employment process, advertised across Victoria, interviews and appointments were held last week and endorsement by Fr. John Fitzgerald (Parish Priest) for our new leadership structure. I can now announce the following appointments for three years of our Assistant Principal roles. Congratulations to:
Assistant Principal Curriculum, PLC Co-ordinator Mrs. Candice Grant
Assistant Principal Students, Learning Diversity, Mrs Maryanne Evans
Assistant Principal, Administration, Daily Organiser, Mr Pat Allen.
I offer these three staff our hearty congratulations and all the best in these new roles as we continue to embed a culture of learning, collaboration and outstanding learning and teaching at St. Joseph's.
I personally appreciate this new team's commitment to leadership at St. Joseph's school and their support to us and the wider school community. We are indeed fortunate to have people of vision, commitment and humility prepared to lead our school community.
Other Important Staffing Updates
Congratulations and returning for 2021; Kristy Haberfield (returning from parental leave), Camille Sargent (returning from parental leave) and Kara Ward (returning from Western Australia, leave without pay).
Welcome and congratulations also to our new Learning Support Officers (LSO's) who have recently been appointed to St. Joseph's to work supporting our Learning Diversity program and classrooms. Congratulations to Megan Harle and Simone Bell. Both Megan and Simone have children at St. Joseph's. I thank Megan and Simone for their interest in our community and offer them our professional support and friendship. We all look forward to working with our new staff.
All the best to two staff taking up new teaching opportunities in other schools in 2021
Congratulations to Cara Watt who has been successful in gaining a full-time teaching position, Grade 5/6 at St. Malachy's in Edenhope. I also congratulate India Thomas who has been offered a teaching position for 2021 at East Warrnambool Primary School.
I congratulate Cara and India and wish them both all the best with these new opportunities. In a very short time at St. Joseph's, India and Cara have made significant contributions to student learning, teacher professionalism and our school teaching climate. I also acknowledge the Aboriginal Perspectives work Cara has completed for our staff teaching teams and Units of Work in our classrooms. I know both schools will prosper and grow with these new staff members; it is indeed heartening to see young teachers engaging with professional opportunity.
Obviously, we will formally congratulate Cara and India at our final school assembly, along with Jo Pangrazio who all are aware is off to Bendigo. As per previous communication we will also recognise Jim Guinan and Monica Currer for their significant leadership contributions at St. Joseph’s at the final school assembly. Monica and Jim will still work at St. Joseph’s in 2021 in a reduced part time capacity.
School Closure Day: Report Writing
Last Friday we held a report writing day in preparation for the end of the school year reports. Again COVID-19 has impacted the learning and teaching program this second half of the year; however, we understand this and do appreciate student, family and school staff support to ensure accurate, quality assessment and for all our students.
Regards,
Michael Gray, Principal.
Happy Birthday to children celebrating their birthday this week.
Eve McGrath, Pia Morrissey, Jackson Porter, Harper Coverdale, Bella Gubecka, Luke Robson, Oscar Saywell, Audrey Russell, Harrison Williams, Noah Willoughby and Sulli Maddern.
7:30 pm, Tuesday 17th November, 2020
Moving Forward - Supporting Learning
The PSA are holding a 2021 planning meeting. We are inviting all families to be involved.
Our forum involves small groups, running special activities i.e. Pizza Day, Mothers Day Stall, Raffles, St Joseph's Day, Father's Day Breakfast, etc. These events are activities that are well established with excellent back bone support and resources.
We just need teams of people, happy to support any of these events. All are welcome to join our Planning Meeting via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/96743987051?pwd=alAzTm9SRDdFbXZpbzhLS0w1VHJVUT09
Meeting ID: 967 4398 7051
Passcode: Xsr25e
Welcome to St Joseph's Book Week and Book Fair for 2020!
Are you a Curious Creature or do you have a Wild Mind??
It doesn’t matter as we celebrate all the wonderful ways books can fire your imagination, take you to different places and introduce you to new people and ideas.
Our Book Fair has arrived and is set up in the Library. It will be here until the end of day Wednesday 25th November 2020.
During this week all students will be browsing through the fair during Library and Digital Technology lessons, writing down any items they wish to own on their Wish List sheet. This will be taken home for you to see and discuss and if you wish to purchase any of the items you can do it in the following ways:
- Go online to scholastic.com.au and click on book fairs, choose the items you want and pay online for them. Fill out the receipt number you are given and return it to school and the books items will be sent home with your child.
- Pay with your card on our eftpos machine at the Library after and before school times?.
- Cash can be taken but correct payment amount will be needed.
Please remember that the school does earn a percentage of each sale to purchase resources for the students. And with Christmas coming up it is a great time to stock up! As Santa knows books can be a fantastic gift!
The Walk to School Day on 30th October, was an amazing success. Nine South West primary schools also took up the challenge. We had 571 students participate, with 83% of all students walking and riding to school. This meant we had the third-highest participation rate of all the schools. We were behind Woodford Primary, with an impressive 92% of students and Merrivale Primary School with 87%.
Last week Sophie Ierodiaconou won a helmet. We have another two bike helmets and a voucher to give away as rewards for our third place win.
Thanks to the Healthy Moves Ambassadors who promoted the day to all the classes at St Joseph’s.
Now that the weather is improving, we would like to see the numbers stay near this level. Also if you walk and ride, you can go out any exit you want!
From Harper Coverdale, Micheli Sypott, Bridget Graham, Bridget Cameron and Mr El-Hage
This year, St Joseph's Primary School were fortunate enough to receive a grant to implement a project of our choice to promote 'Languages' in our school. We decided to use the funds to ensure all Classroom Teachers could actively participate in the Japanese classes. We also provided every student with a set of chopsticks, hired kimonos, bought prizes and headbands for the Junior Students.
We would like to thank all the teachers, students and parents for supporting our week and our ambition to increase the Japanese language used in our school. We hope the students talked about the different activities and that they look forward to continuing in this subject in the future. Here are just a few photos that capture the week.
Mrs Catherine Lee, Mr Yuichi Deguchi and Mrs Emily Lloyd
Photo orders are now open
Images can be purchased as digital downloads or prints. Images can be purchased from the gallery with the student names template or as unnamed prints.
Named Prints
Print size of images with student names template are: 10x8 inches (25.4x20.3cm).
Unnamed Prints
Unnamed prints are: 12x8" inches (30.5x20.3cm).
Note: Unnamed prints should be ordered as 12x8" only to avoid the image being cropped on sides.
Delivery
Prints will be delivered to the school for collection if ordered by Monday 23rd November.
Prints ordered after 23rd will be posted directly to your home address, the additional cost will be added at checkout.
The access password to view and purchase images as digital downloads and prints is: STJG2020
Raffle tickets for our school raffle have been sent home with a copy of our 2020 Fair Sponsor booklet which highlights all valuable contributions made by various businesses to our school.
There will be 3 tickets in each book to be sold for $10 each. The raffle will be drawn at 12 noon on Friday 11th December, 2020. We thank families for their support with this fundraising activity which is supported by the school's PSA.
1st Prize
Thermomix TM6 (latest model) valued at $2,268
2nd Prize
$300 voucher from the Fair Sponsor of your choice (see sponsor booklet)
3rd Price
$200 voucher from the Fair Sponsor of your choice
Parents of all 2020 Year 3 and 2020 Year 4 students are required to indicate their requirements for their child in relation to a Chromebook device for 2021. Please read the attached form and indicate your requirements.
A separate form needs to be completed for each child.
Thank you.
A reminder to please label your school coats clearly to ensure we can return them to your child. Could you please check that your label is CLEAR for someone else to read.
Coats are often taken off at school as the day warms up and left in the playground, drama room, hall, etc. Labelling the coat will ensure it is returned to the child.
School Windcheaters
We currently have over 30 windcheaters in lost property, many labels are unreadable. Also a reminder if you are purchasing second hand uniform items could you please update the label.