6 November 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message

Michael Gray, Principal

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

Remembrance Day (Special School Assembly this Friday)

Each Friday classrooms across our school take a turn leading our whole school assembly. Visitors to our assembly are always a very supportive audience. Everyone recognises this is an important, safe environment to express your ideas, classroom learning and to experience performance. Our staff and students appreciate this atmosphere and do really try to do their best. Effort, confidence, commitment and performance all grow and blossom in this environment.

The last two weeks have been wonderful examples of our classroom communities in action at assembly. Younger and older students have shared stories, sung beautiful songs, celebrated effort, shared humour, presented certificates of endeavour and celebrated many examples of individual excellence. Xavier Keilar (Middle School) was recognized for a second place in the South Australian State Championship of BMX riding and next week we will see a video clip of Will Johnston (Middle School) performing at the Victorian Gymnastic finals recently.

I mention assembly specifically today because this Friday 9th November our assembly will have a special and significant focus on Remembrance Day and the 100 year marker of the Armistice. This year the 100 years recognition will “Honour Peace and Remember Sacrifice.” The assembly will be led by our senior students and will focus on the historical significance of this event and why we remember the day on the 11th November at 11am.

I mentioned to our students several weeks ago the German Chancellor (Angela Merkel) summed up the importance of memory and learning from history with the following quote, “When the generation that survived the wars is no longer here, we’ll find out whether we have learnt from history.” By remembering this historical event we are attuning our young generation to the sacrifice and the importance of living peacefully. The event also highlights the importance of dialogue and that peace between people should be a pre-eminence concept we all embrace for us all to survive and then thrive.

Parent Contribution

Each school term we have several parent committees working to support St. Joseph’s. These groups advise our school leadership, contribute to decision making, build school community, support programs and help us all learn and grow.

PSA (Parent School Association)

Our PSA contributed $50,000 to our school budget helping with literacy, numeracy, language study, parent education and resourcing. This is a stunning effort and appreciated by everyone. Essentially this keeps fees down, helps all students and provides some great fun experiences for our students.

At our last meeting we:

• reviewed our class grouping arrangements
• discussed curriculum including Heath, Sport and PE
• evaluated our PSA budget
• received Principal and Staff reports
• celebrated the fantastic results of the Art Mug program
• planned Orientation Day and
• discussed our AGM and Christmas meetings.

If you are interested in joining this team you are most welcome. It is not a select group. It is parents supporting and helping each other to support learning, friendship and fun. Adrian Benson (Parent) is our Chairperson and is always keen to support anyone getting involved. Bring a friend and meet the team. We are specifically looking for someone to help plan the Art Fundraiser. Louise Hope (Past Art Fundraiser Organiser and school parent) is ready to help with the idea, planning so that the program continues to develop for our students and families.

School Advisory Council (SAC)

This school leadership team is also a way to help our school. At our last meeting we:

• reviewed policy; specifically student behaviour management
• updated our school budget which at the next meeting will focus on fees
• received reports
• examined class grouping, school banking and government correspondence.

St Joseph’s is fortunate to have many people who contribute their time, skills and ability to help. Your gifts are valued and appreciated. Support can range from canteen, classroom reading, attending Father’s Day, respecting parking and road rules and supporting class and school events. Even this morning we had about 100 parents at school farewelling the Middle School off on a camp. This is a really great way to support our students. This support models engagement for our younger generation. Reality is that not everyone can get to everything; this is ok too. Do not feel guilty about this but rather look for any opportunity that is manageable and seize that chance.

Class Grouping

We have commenced planning for the next year. Placement of each child into a classroom is an important element of our work in Term 4. Finding the optimum environment for each child is our objective. Learning, social emotional development and school resourcing all work together to support each student. The full overview and school structures for next year are linked to this newsletter for your information. Any specific questions that are not addressed in the grouping letter can be directed to either your child’s classroom teachers or our Deputy Principal, Mr Jim Guinan.

School Funding and Data Collection

Also linked to this newsletter is a letter from the Australian Government to advise you that as part of the funding of schools the Commonwealth Government Department of Education and Training requires schools to provide a “Statement of Address” in accordance with the Australian Education Regulation 2013 (Cth). The statement will contain student residential address (not names). Student grade level, names and residential address of the student’s parent(s) and/or guardian(s).

Regards Michael Gray
Principal

Teacher Awards

Week 3

Week 4

Gold Box Winner

Congratulations to Gold Box winner Rorie Miller for excellent listening at assembly.

Congratulations to Gold Box winners Eve McGrath for being kind and caring to an injured classmate and to Sam Joseph for agreeing to go into another cabin group for camp.

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

Healthy Moves

Congratulations to the following Healthy Moves winners: Logan Brown who won a helmet and Max Collins, Olivia Porter, Mason Marshall, Indy Henry and Billie McDonald who won drink bottles.

Warrnambool Show Art Prizes

Last week, Year 5 and 6 students were invited to enter artwork into The Warrnambool Show art section. Students completed drawings around the theme of "Warrnambool".

Grace Biggs won 1st prize, Amarlea Conheady won 2nd prize, and Sophie Jellie and Charlize Wiffrie received Highly Commended certificates for their contributions.

Thank you to all of the students who submitted artwork to represent our school. Their efforts have allowed St. Joseph's to win books to the value of $100, donated by Collins Booksellers, for being the "Best Overall Primary School Entries" for Year 5/6 classes.

Grace Biggs’s prize winning artwork

Armistice Centenary

Belinda Wrigley and Louis O’Connor

Honouring our families WW1 service people

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 to 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)

St. Joseph’s children will take time to honour, remember and thank those who have served. It is a time to learn and reflect on Australia’s wartime history and the nation’s contribution to international peace.

There will be a display on the pin board near the entrance to the library marking the 100th anniversary of Armistice. If you would like to remember a person who served in WW1, their photo and information will be displayed on this board. It is hoped that children will learn some more about these important people and the role that they played in defending Australia.

Please attach a photo and information about them, such as their name, where they served and their relationship to the family or child at St. Joseph’s. Children are able to remember more than one member of their family so please feel free to photocopy this sheet.

Thank you.

Regards
Belinda Wrigley and Louis O’Connor

(spare copies available at the office)

Sport and Team Photo Catch-up Day

Thursday 8 November, 2018

You will recall that recently we had the St Joseph’s 2018 sports and academic team photos taken. Unfortunately some children missed being a part of this day through no fault of their own. MSP Photography have agreed to retake the photos effected this Thursday, November 9th. Children in the Athletics team, Maths team, Spelling team and Volleyball team will have their photos re-taken. Students will need to wear either correct school uniform or sports uniform depending on which photo they are in.

The photographers will print both photos so you can choose to purchase whichever photo your child is in. This is in case your child was here on the first day and is absent on Thursday. We are sorry for the confusion and upset this may cause.

I thank our school photographers for their support of this re-take and all the students and families for your co-operation and support of the re-take.

Regards
Michael Gray, Principal

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.

PSA AGM

7:30pm, Tuesday 20 November, 2018

Our final meeting for the PSA is our AGM at 7:30pm on Tuesday 20th November in the staffroom at school. All welcome to attend and thank our outgoing committee and receive nominations for our 2019 Committee.

Parish News - Nativity Exhibition

Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December

Do you have an interesting, beautiful, old, new, small, large nativity scene to display? Are you able to help with the set up? If you would like to be involved, please contact Parish Office.

Year 6 Swimming Fee

During 2018 the State Government have decided to cover the cost of all year 6 swimming programs within the state of Victoria. As a result of this a $40 credit has been applied to all fee accounts of students in year 6. If your youngest is in year 6 and your fees have been paid already this money will be refunded to you.

If you have any questions regarding this you can contact Cathy Duynhoven on 55611343.