23 October 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s News

Michael Gray, Principal

Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Students of our St. Joseph’s School Community,

A quality education is vital for each individual student in becoming who they want to be in this life. Schools are privileged environments and to this end the last fortnight has been a stunning week for both Catholic Education and importantly St. Joseph’s. Listed are some developments and achievements for your information.

National Apology: Respect, Support and Acknowledgement

Audrey Brown, Director of Education for the Ballarat Diocese and Fr. Kevin Moloney, Vicar General Dioceses of Ballarat have written to schools today confirming our diocesan community’s engagement with the Prime Minister’s National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse in Canberra on Monday 22nd October. This is a deeply significant time for our diocesan community and a time when we can all witness to our solidarity with survivors through prayer and observance. Attached to this newsletter is a message from our diocesan leaders. Of note Fr. John Fitzgerald, our parish priest, has also been a strong, public and very committed leader supporting many victims through listening, advocacy and help. St. Joseph’s Primary School has also supported a strong focus on student safety and wellbeing with both policy development, procedures and training of staff.

School Funding: Keeping a catholic Primary Education Affordable

With both Victorian State (November 2018) and Federal Government (before May 2019) elections on the horizons, the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria, Catholic Education Offices and schools have been working very hard to establish and improve our future funding. Of note is our system has secured a better Federal Government funding formula and at a State Government level both major parties have made commitments to parent choice, fair funding for all students and to Victoria being a leading education jurisdiction.

St Joseph’s Community Update:

I share the following information as a small glimpse into the unique community we are all part of here at St. Joseph’s. These examples are some of the ways our students, staff and families live a vision of engagement, hope and care.

• Congratulations to our students and staff support team on their wonderful achievement in winning the district spelling competition, see details in this newsletter.
• Congratulations to Will Johnston (Middle School Student) on his outstanding achievement on winning the State Championships at his age level recently in gymnastics.
• The Warrnambool Standard on Thursday 18th October contained three human interest stories that featured past and current families and students associated with our school. Well done to David Bennie (Parent) and his work in establishing the inaugural Bike and Rod Run from Warrnambool to Halls Gap supporting South West Health Care. James Kol (Past Student) has been providing Aerial Vision Services to the filming of Neighbours TV series and A big congratulations to St. Joseph’s Students and their work supporting BlazeAid, see details in this newsletter.

• Recently the 2018 ACRA Radio Awards were announced. In the Best Community Project category COAST FM hosts, and current dads of students at St. Joseph’s Matthew Stewart and Matthew Monk were recognised for their great work in the local Standing Tall project which supports young people being connected with a mentor.

Regards
Michael Gray, Principal

Deputy Principal’s Message

Jim Guinan, Deputy Principal

As reported in the Warrnambool Standard on Thursday 18th October, school leader representatives and I travelled to Cobden to the BlazeAid centre, to present a cheque to Julie, of Blaze Aid central command. The cheque represented the value of the funds raised by the 2018 Leadership group through a number of activities; a raffle, a cent-a-line and sponsorship from “Sleeping Rough”. All activities were under the guidance of Mark Gercovich and received you, the parent body’s, most generous support. In conversation, Julie said that she couldn’t think of any primary school in Victoria that has matched the donation given by St Josephs. Such activities make you feel so very proud to be associated with St Joseph’s community, teaching children concern for others through lived action and support. Thank you.

Also making us proud were the children involved in the spelling Competition last Thursday night. From Year 4 were Mia Slater, Jasmine Mehmi, Will Johnston and Jamieson Mueglitz. Year 5 were Sam Niklaus, Sam Joseph, Sophie Jellie and Matisse Batt. Year 6 were Jeff Collins, Matthew Gome, Ailish Murfett and Cigi Lual. Collectively these children took out the district Spelling shield for 2018. Jeff Collins took out champion male speller for Year 6. Jasmine Mehmi came in the top 3 for Year 4 girls and Same Niklaus top 3 for Year 5 boys and Matisse Batt was a top 3 girl for Year 5. An excellent effort for all involved.

Last Friday we celebrated Crazy Sock day and had lots of fun in our funky socks to raise money for the missions. Again, through your generosity, we raised over $600 for Catholic Mission. This year funds raised by Catholic Mission are going towards projects in Myanmar supporting children.

Teacher Awards

Week 1

Week 2

Gold Box Winner

Congratulations to Gold Box winner Quinn Madigan for being organised and persistent at swimming lessons and Jayden Wells for being an amazing buddy to C2 at Mass.

Congratulations to Paige Rae for always being willing to help and give her time and to Blair Roberts for being good at church.

Winners of our Gold Box get to go for a swim at the pool.

Healthy Moves

Congratulations to Angus Down, Felix Wright, Atticus Delaney, Summer Riddle and Charlie Kent who won a drink bottle as part of the Healthy Moves program.

2019 Chromebook Orders

Closes Tuesday 23 October 2018

This information is relevant to parents of this year’s Year 4 students.

Please follow this link and complete the form to indicate if you wish the school to order a Chromebook for your child for 2019 OR will be using a secondhand Chromebook

PSA Meeting

7:30pm, Tuesday 23 October, 2018

All parents are welcome to attend our first PSA Meeting for the term to find out more about what is going on in the school and contribute ideas and suggestions towards various activities run by the PSA.

School Team Photos

Thursday 25th October, 2018

School Team Photos will be taken on Thursday 25th October 2018 for all sports and academic teams.

All students who took part in a team will be included within the photo and must be wearing the full team uniform.

All sports team students will need to wear their sports uniform on this day and the relevant team top will be supplied to them (if you still have them you will need to bring them along).

Parents will have the opportunity to order a photo of a team sport or school activity that their child participated in throughout the year. Parents will be issued with a login code to use to order the photo’s online via MSP Photography.

Photos being taken will include:

• Football – Senior School (Boys and Girls)
• Cricket (Boys and Girls)
• Soccer – Senior School
• Netball
• Basketball – Middle School Boys and Girls
• Basketball – Senior School Boys and Girls
• Athletics
• Cross Country
• Golf
• T-Ball
• Hockey
• Lawn Bowls
• Individual Sports (Tennis, Swimming)
• Volleyball
• Academic (Spelling and Maths)
• Young Vinnies
• Choir

Farmer in a Beanie Fundraising Day

Catherine Lee, Community Liaison Coordinator

Thank you to our families for your support of "Farmer in a Beanie" day last term, which raised money for:

• Buy A Bale
• Daffodil Day
• Carrie's Beanies for Brain Cancer

The total raised was $2,100.40

Congratulations to Ellie Holden, Hannah van de Camp and Natasha Barker from the Senior School, for their work with the fundraiser and highlighting the need to support these causes.

Operation Christmas Child – Extended

Return by Wednesday 31 October

Belinda Wrigley

St. Joseph’s Primary School has been invited to once again take part in Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse. Families are invited to fill a box with items which is then sent to a child in need. Boxes can be collected and returned to Room B7.

There is a $10 postage charge. Boxes can be returned to the school up until Wednesday 31 October.

Thanks.

2019 Pipe Organ Scholarship – Applications Extended

Applications for the Pipe Organ Scholarship have now been extended until mid-January 2019.

Bears to School - A Legacy of Learning

Armistice Centenary 1918-2018

The 100th anniversary of Armistice is the most significant world-wide event of the 2014-2018 Centenary of the Great War. It is a celebration of peace and a remembrance of service and sacrifice. It is a time we will honour and remember.

On Monday 11 November 1918, at exactly 11 o'clock in the morning, marked the agreement between both sides to stop fighting for a while. The fighting in 1918 didn't start again and on 28 June 1919 a peace treaty was signed to officially end the war. (WW1)

Great War Bears are proud to be part of 'Bears to School', a national not-for-profit initiative to help primary school children connect to lessons about service and to commemorations that honour those who serve. Visit the link below and select St Joseph's Primary School - WARRNAMBOOL to send a bear to school. In the hands of teachers these bears animate lessons in a way that respects the ages and learning needs of our youngest. Proceeds from donated bears are given to support veteran and military charities.

Term 4 Pizza Day

Wednesday 14 November, 2018

Orders are now open via CDFPay (Online ordering) for our Term 4 pizza Day. Orders close at 3pm on Monday 12 November. Sorry, no late orders can be accepted.

School Sponsors

Term 4 enrolments are now open at Kip McGrath