Student Leadership and Team Building Day

Our Year 6 crew headed to the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club for team building day. The children listened to an inspiring story from Ben Harkin who has thrived after being born without arms. Remarkably he is a local swimming instructor. One of his key messages to the children is “to focus on what you have, not what you don’t have.”

Ben Walsh (Emmanuel College and Western Bulldogs Football Club) led the children in a session to develop our theme for 2025. See below. The children worked in teams to consider the great things about St Joseph’s, what our opportunities are and then bundled that all together into a slogan or theme for the year.  There were lots of creative ideas and the student representatives have combined the ideas to create the St Joseph’s Theme for this year. (see above)

The final session involves 3 team challenges before the Year 6 children were presented with their Year 6 polo tops (another PSA initiative) which make them easily identifiable as our school leaders for 2025.

PSA Trivia Night

Building community within schools is a crucial aspect of creating a positive and supportive learning environment. When schools prioritize community-building, they foster a sense of belonging, safety, and collaboration among students, teachers, and families. Our Parent Support Association (PSA) is extremely active in taking a lead in developing a strong, supportive community in our school.  This year the PSA are hosting a key event to build on the strength of our community in running the Inaugural Parents and Friends of St Joseph’s Trivia Night.  This will be a fun night of music, dance, competition and a true test of those useless facts that lay hidden in our heads.

I urge everyone to come along and to bring a friend. Join your child’s classroom table or make a table of your own.  Reach out to your kid’s friends and to those families new to St Joseph’s.