Newsletter 8, 29th May 2025

Principal's Report

Hello to Families and all in the St Joseph's School Community,

Wow – what a week we have experienced here at St Joseph’s School this week!

Catholic Education Week, Reconciliation Week and staff learning about DOBCEL’s Strategy to 2035!

On Monday we kicked off Catholic Education week with an OPEN MORNING at St Joe’s. It was wonderful to greet visitors from the past, present and future. Thank you to those who were able to call in and spend time in our classrooms, witnessing the dedication and skill of our collective staff. It was a fitting celebration of St Joseph’s School in what is an important week for all Catholic schools across the Ballarat Diocese.

The mission of Catholic schools is centred around the integration of faith, learning, life and culture. This does not just happen in the classroom, but through the witness offered by teaching and non-teaching staff, and through the experience of the student being part of a community which models this integration in a life-giving way.

Found at Life to the Full: The Mission and Purpose of Catholic Schools - NCEC

On Tuesday, teaching staff from across the Northern Zone gathered in Euston for a Network Collaboration Day. This day allowed time and space to connect, exchange ideas and explore how the DOBCEL Strategy 2035 might come to life in our classrooms and communities. The day was very engaging, with staff enjoying the possibility of ‘thinking outside the box’ to promote new ways of bringing ‘fullness of life’ to all students.

On Wednesday we joined with St Patrick’s St Arnaud and St Mary’s Donald to celebrate Catholic Education Week with our neighbouring schools. After a special celebration of Mass, we continued to the town hall where we were entertained by a MAD SCIENCE SHOW. Air forces, electricity and fire facilitated some fun experiments and demonstrations to the collective ‘Ahs’ and ‘Ohs” of the audience. A shared sausage sizzle and some playtime with new friends concluded the day.

Today we started the day with smoothies at our Breakfast Program. An accidental smoothie explosion caused much excitement! We also had Sam Meerbach, DOBCEL Education Consultant, working in the classes demonstrating an additional assessment tool for collecting valuable data about our students. Sam is also engaging staff on the importance and value of using manipulatives to facilitate hands-on learning in math lessons.  

Each of these moments, from visits to celebrations, reflect the ongoing work and shared purpose of Catholic education across the Diocese. I thank the amazing staff at St Joseph’s for continuing to work with compassion, courage and dedication to serve our school community.

We have also acknowledged National Reconciliation Week and this year's theme of Bridging Now to Next. This theme reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future. The theme Bridging Now to Next calls on all Australians to step forward together, to look ahead and continue the push forward as past lessons guide us.   

In faith & learning,
Have a great week,
Mary             

A Prayer for Catholic Education Week

Important Dates

June 6 - School Closure Day - professional learning in ATSI Perspectives
June 9th - King's Birthday Public Holiday
July 4th - End Term Two

DOBCEL Student-Free Guidelines and Procedures
Student-free days are days where students do not attend school within the gazetted attendance period but are designated for staff professional development, school professional development activities, planning and/or report-writing. Each year, the first day of term one and the last day of term four will be a student-free day in all schools. PLEASE NOTE THE STUDENT-FREE DATES FOR 2025. 
Friday 6 June - Staff professional learning - Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Perspectives
Friday 19 September - Staff professional learning - Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Perspectives
Monday 27 October - Staff professional learning - Structured Literacy

National Simultaneous Storytime

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 25th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

This year the story of The Truck Cat written by Deborah Frenkel, illustrated by Danny Snell and published by Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing was the chosen story.

The Truck Cat is a story about cats and humans, immigration and identity, and homes lost and found. Along with his human, Yacoub, Tinka travels roads wide and narrow, near and distant. But no matter how much they travel, home feels very far away – for both of them. When Tinka and Yacoub are  unexpectedly separated, they are determined to find their way back to each other – and, in doing so, might find more than they expected! 

A big thank you to the Charlton Neighbourhood House for providing a copy of The Truck Cat for each classroom at St Joe's, and to Mrs Olive for sharing the story with the students. Teachers followed up with activities in the classrooms. 

DOBCEL Strategy to 2035

Students of the Week

Foundation/1 Class Report

What a busy couple of weeks we have had! 

Last Tuesday, we participated in National Simultaneous Storytime which had us gather as a school and read the book "The Truck Cat" at 12pm along with every other school nationwide. 
The students got to enjoy some craft activities including making their very own Truck Cat. It was a great opportunity for P/1 students to develop their cutting skills and following of instructions. 

This week is Catholic Education Week On Monday, we welcomed families into our school and classrooms to enjoy watching the students and teachers in action and to see all the amazing things we offer at St Joseph's. 
Our current students loved welcoming their families into the classroom to see what they do each day and enjoyed showing new families though our school. 

Phonics sessions are flowing nicely and progressing well. 
Numeracy has been focused on shape and capacity and they students are having fun with hands on activities to assist their learning. 
In Religion, P/1/2 have been learning about parables especially "The Parable of the Mustard Seed." They have been learning and wondering about the concepts of growth and how something can grow and flourish from small beginnings. 

Enjoy the rest of your week and please feel free to contact us with any worries or concerns you may be having.

Katie Brown 

Grade 2/3 Class Report

It’s been a busy few weeks in and out of the classroom in 2/3!

In Literacy, we have been learning about vertebrates and invertebrates. Over the past two weeks, we’ve focused on mammals - especially a unique group called marsupials! The students have been writing informative paragraphs about different animals. I’m so impressed by how confidently they’re using our new vocabulary in their writing. Great work, everyone!

In Numeracy, we’ve been focusing on 2D and 3D shapes, as well as chance and probability. Students have been working hard to master new mathematical language such as vertices and faces (for shapes), and likely and unlikely (for chance). Next, we’ll be moving on to explore four-digit numbers and place value.

Last week, we participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime, reading The Truck Cat. A big thank you to our guest reader, Mrs Olive! We also took part in a colouring competition - congratulations to Lila Lanyon, who was our 2/3 winner. Well done!

We also celebrated LSO Day - a huge thank you to Mrs Fitzpatrick and all the LSO staff in our school: Mrs Lanyon, Mr Heenan and Miss Lee. Your work is deeply appreciated and never goes unnoticed!

This week, we’ve been celebrating Catholic Education Week. We started the week with a lovely Open Morning on Monday - it was wonderful to share a part of our classroom experience with the families who were able to attend. On Wednesday, we travelled to St Arnaud to celebrate with a Mass, a Mad Scientist show, and a play with students from St Patrick’s and St Mary’s. What a fantastic day!

Grade 4/5/6 Class Report

Congratulations to Finn Schofield and Megg Fitzpatrick for receiving our Star of the Week Awards.

We would also like to say a HUGE Thank you to Mrs Lanyon and the other Learning Support Staff members who continually help our school be a better place. Our LSO’s are amazing and keep our school running smoothly.

We continue to learn Auslan throughout the week. This week we started Unit 2 A, where we are learning Yes, No, Stand in a Circle, Sit in a Circle, cross your legs, recess and lunch. The students enjoy learning online with Renee each Monday.

Tuesday 27^th May staff travelled to Robinvale to meet with teachers from the Northern Zone to learn about the new Strategic Plan for our school.

Wednesday the school travelled to St Arnaud to celebrate Catholic Education Week. More information will be given in the next newsletter.

The school came together for the National Simultaneous Storytime. Mrs Olive read the book ‘The Truck Cat’ to the whole school and then participated in activities for the afternoon. Congratulations to Patrick for winning the colouring competition and receiving a book.

During Literacy we have been looking at Quotation Marks and writing Narratives.

We have finished learning about addition and subtraction and will now move into looking at multiplication and division. During our Numeracy sessions.

Mrs Wright

Child Safety

The care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a central and fundamental responsibility of Catholic Education. St Joseph’s School is committed to strengthened practice for the protection of children in line with the Victorian Government child safety reforms.

Child Safety - digital images

Taking Photos/Video Footage
As we begin a new year a reminder to parents and family members to please ensure, when at school events, to take photos or video footage of your child/ren only. Please do NOT post photos of children, other than your own, at school events or wearing school uniform, on personal social media pages other than your own. Thank you for your cooperation in using social media respectfully helping to keep everyone in our school community safe online.  

Community News

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land.  We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We thank them for sharing their cultures, spiritualities and ways of living with the land, in this place we all now call home.