Prayer to Joseph,

Who is Known by Many Titles

Faithful Joseph:

Teach us to listen and not be afraid to trust

as you did in God's promise.

Loving Joseph:

Teach us to love courageously with a heart

that is free and just.

Protector Joseph:

Teach us to protect one another and all

that belongs to God.

 Dreamer Joseph:

Teach us to dream a world where all are neighbors;

a vision illuminated by God's light.

Teacher Joseph:

Teach us to keep the Word of God close to our hearts, and to proclaim it in word and action.

Gentle Joseph:

Teach us to be gentle with our power and

strong in our tenderness.

Parent Joseph:

Teach us to be for all persons a living lesson

of goodness and truth - a blessing for all

generations to come.

May we be inspired by St Joseph to be caring, honest and brave.

Amen

Japanese Student Visit

This week we are hosting 28 students from Doshisha School, Kyoto Japan. Thanks to all of our families who have opened their homes and hearts to our visitors. And a special mention to Mrs Lee who coordinates the trip from our end.

It was wonderful to see the Japanese children mingling with the St Joseph’s students at school yesterday each stretching themselves with language to communicate.

I can report though that Dodge Ball is a universal language that builds fun and relationships. Maybe it could be an Olympic sport.

St Joseph’s Feast Day Mass

We celebrated a beautiful mass at St Joseph’s church on Wednesday 19th March. The choir led the singing beautifully from the choir loft accompanied by Mrs Hyland on the organ.  A big thank you to Fr John who is always so inclusive and attentive to the children and to our parents and grandparents who joined us.  It was a very special experience sharing such a reverent occasion with 600 children.  Many parishioners have commented on the respectful nature of all of the children. They are to be congratulated.

Pupil-Free Week to Start Term 2

Investing in Staff Development

The first week of Term 2 includes two public holidays: Easter Monday and ANZAC Day (Friday). With the support of our governing body, DOBCEL, and our School Advisory Council (SAC), Tuesday 22nd April 22nd, Wednesday 23rd April and Thursday 24th April will be student free days. On these days, St Joseph’s staff will undertake the reflection and data examination stages of our school review.

On these two days we will be reviewing our progress in the five components of Highly Effective Catholic Schools; Catholic School Culture, Community Engagement, Teaching and Learning, Leadership and Stewardship and Wellbeing. We will work with Lee Schlooz, our DOBCEL Education Consultant, to identify our strengths, areas of challenge and identify priorities for our School Improvement Plan to guide our direction over the next four years.

Thursday 24th April: All of the staff members from the Catholic Primary schools between Colac and Portland and as far north as Mortlake (about 420 people) will be at St Josephs for a presentation of the DOBCEL Strategy 2035, titled "Pursuing Fullness of Life for All." This comprehensive plan aims to enhance the performance of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat over the next decade. The strategy will be presented to all staff members of DOBCEL schools by Executive Director, Tom Sexton, throughout Term 2. The purpose of this day is to ensure that every staff member in the Southern Zone of the diocese has a clear understanding of this strategy and its vision. This day will be a School Closure Day for all schools in the Southern Zone. The full Executive Summary of the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy is available on the DOBCEL website or hard copies can be obtained from the school office.

2026 Enrolments are Now Open

Enrolments for 2026 Foundation students are now open.  Please direct family and friends to the Enrolment tab on our website to book tours and complete enrolment forms.