Catholic Education Week

This week we join with 64 Catholic primary and secondary schools across our diocese to celebrate Catholic education.

Our schools are unique places that continually strive to make our world a more just place by celebrating the most precious gifts of our community, our children. Together we respond to the example of Jesus’ life to grasp what this looks like in following and enacting God’s dream in the modern world.

We pray that St Joseph’s and all our Catholic school communities inspire from within to be places of peace, hope and love.

Congratulations to Mark Gercovich who will be presented with a 30 Years of Service Award at the Catholic Education Week dinner this Friday. Other than one year in Ballarat, Mark has spent his entire career here at St Joseph’s Primary School. On behalf of our school community I thank Mark for his generosity, professionalism and good humour.  Mark’s impact goes well beyond the classroom. For many years he coordinated our school sport program and dedicated many hours to coaching various teams. Mark is a team leader at our school and his classroom is characterised by a strong sense of fun and belonging.

School Loop - Pick Up and Drop Off

I was pleased to be contacted by a concerned parent who observed a child exiting their car using the right hand door in the loop. Concerned about student safety I spent some time in the front loop and tennis courts to observe and listen to our duty teachers.

I was really pleased with the behaviours of the students and drivers and this was the feedback from the duty teachers as well.

In short drivers are:

• Pulling up at the furthest point in the loop
• Driving slowly and cautiously
• Showing patience and care

Children are:

• Waiting sensibly
• Watching for their car
• Waiting for cars to stop
• Entering cars quickly
• Older siblings/children are being helpful and setting good examples

As wet weather approaches more children will be using the loops. We will maintain our current pick up areas based on surnames. In the case of a short shower at pick up time the teachers will hold the tennis court children undercover while the shower passes. In the case of rain really settling in we will send all children to the front loop so that they can wait under shelter.

Wet days are particularly dangerous around schools with poorer vision, more traffic and longer braking distances required. Please continue to be vigilant as winter approaches.

Parent School Association PSA

Election Day BBQ

Thanks to everyone who volunteered for the Election Day BBQ and to those who baked and donated cakes. We made just over $1.500 profit on the day.

St Joseph’s Fair 2023?

Please come along to our community meeting on Tuesday 7th June. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and decide on the future of our school fair. In order to proceed with the Fair for 2023 and beyond we need to reinstate the Fair Committee. The Fair Committee meets monthly in the year leading up to the fair then more frequently as the fair nears. The Fair Committee is largely made up of stall coordinators e.g. cake stall, fill a basket, food, rides, devonshire teas, market garden etc. and an executive who oversees the coordination of the event. In all the committee is about 20 people strong.

We are particularly reaching out to past coordinators to attend the meeting to share their expertise.

The fair requires the commitment of our whole parent community. Every family is asked to donate goods and to volunteer their time across the fair weekend. 

Please indicate your attendance at the community meeting to begin shaping the 2023 fair.

Please note that should the PSA think that we do not have the personnel to run the fair then it will not proceed in 2023.

Adrian Benson PSA Chair

ReLATE  Parent/Student Survey

Monash University have contacted our school in order to gain insight into the Reframing Teaching and Learning (ReLATE) initiative.  Parents are invited to complete the following 15min survey with their Year 4-6 children.  he survey is anonymous and will provide feedback to MacKillop Family Services on the program. 

Regards
Matthew O'Brien, Principal