Newsletter 27 2023
Principal's Report
Hello to Families and all in the St Joseph's School Community,
We have had a busy start to Term Four with a full calendar over the past fortnight! Last Monday and Tuesday we had Kevin Cummins from the Ballarat Office, at St Joseph’s School, filming us all as we went about our daily work and play. Staff and students did a stellar job- even though it was tricky to pretend the camera or drone weren’t actually there! We all look forward to seeing the final result very soon. The aim of the video is to have something on our web page, and for general use, in promoting our beautiful, little school. We have also been busy with arts and crafts in preparation for the Charlton Art Show and the Charlton Agricultural Show, as well as attending the Bendigo Bank’s Charlton Community District Bank’s birthday celebrations. The Grade 4-6 students are in Boort today participating in a Kanga 8's Cricket competition, which all adds to the diversity of life at St Joe’s! On Thursday and Friday of last week, I attended the final two days of my Principal Induction for 2023. This continues into 2024 and 2025. I can’t believe how quickly the year is passing by and I have found these sessions to be extremely worthwhile in helping me develop and grow in my role of leadership. I hope the weather is kind and that all show-goers enjoy a great day celebrating the 140th birthday of the Charlton Agricultural Show!
BAPTISM
Foundation student, Sally Armstrong, and her younger sibling, Jack, will receive the Sacrament of Baptism at Mass this Sunday. Mass will be celebrated in St Joseph’s Parish Church at 10:30am. We congratulate Sally and Jack with our warmest wishes and welcome them into our community of faith. Best wishes on receiving this first Sacrament of Initiation and may you have an enjoyable day together on Sunday.
Creator God, We thank you for the gift of the lives of these children who are to be baptised. May your blessing of peace and joy be with them and protect them all of their days. We make this prayer in the name of your Son, Jesus. 
EVIDENCE BASED INTERVENTIONS
I am thrilled to let parents know that we have purchased both the MinLit Sage and MacqLit evidence-based interventions for the Junior Middle-Senior grades. Mrs Lanyon and Mrs Fitzpatrick are completing the training to be able to deliver these interventions to small groups of students, as needed. These literacy interventions are designed to boost those students achieving in the bottom 25% of their class and are supported by excellent statistical responses. I can’t wait to get started!
STOMP DANCING
STOMP Dancing was again, an outstanding success. I am always amazed at what the program’s teachers are able to achieve in five short days! The general feedback from students was that they enjoyed the sessions, and found Kira and Jess to be very engaging and likeable. The STOMP Dance Company promises an innovative, fun and energetic dance program and they certainly deliver! They are extremely professional and teach capabilities the students can apply in their daily lives. Bring on 2024!
WORLD TEACHER’S DAY
World Teacher’s Day will be celebrated on Friday 27th October. I take this opportunity to give thanks for the dedicated and professional staff we are gifted with at St Joseph’s School. Many teaching positions are unfilled state-wide and I am grateful each day that our small, rural school is blessed with a caring and passionate staff team. So a huge thank you to all staff members, teachers and education support staff, for being such a vital part in the daily lives of our students. You are each sincerely appreciated!
RELIGION NEWS
Mission Month
Traditionally, the Catholic Church uses October as Mission month. During October, Catholic Mission invites schools to familiarise themselves with a community in need of support. In 2023 the focus in on a number of projects within Timor-Leste, specifically in Venilale. Students will learn about Timor-Leste and also explore the work of missionaries, who work in areas of need, and the important role they play in helping communities to live independently and overcome different challenges. As a school community we will celebrate Mass on WEDNESDAY 25th OCTOBER at 10:15am and will keep you updated on any social justice service students might choose to undertake during this month.
Sacramental Program
This year, students in Grade 5 & 6 who are wanting to make their First Reconciliation will be given the opportunity during Term Four. First Reconciliation will take place on THURSDAY 7th DECEMBER at 6:00pm as a part of the Parish Advent Reconciliation service. Students will be prepared during school time by Mrs Hogan.
If parents have any questions regarding the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Eucharist & Confirmation, or regarding Reconciliation, don’t hesitate to contact Mrs Hogan at the school.
ASSEMBLY
Our weekly school assembly will be held each THURSDAY at 2:45pm. Parents, families and those in our St Joseph’s School Community are most welcome to join us in the Multi-Purpose Room at these times. We will share in prayer, celebrate birthdays, recognise student achievement, sing the national anthem and share school news.
SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS
Please note the following school closure days for Term Four. Students are not required at school on these days.
TUESDAY 31st OCTOBER – Structured Literacy Professional Development for all staff
MONDAY 6th NOVEMBER – Staff Report Preparation Day
TUESDAY 7th NOVEMBER – Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
TRANSITION PROGRAMS
Transition programs are an important way of making children feel more confident as they take the step to the next phase in their educational journey. These programs allow children to familiarise themselves, physically, with the new environment and to meet other students and staff members. The details for each transition are noted below.
Kinder to St Joseph’s School
- Information Session and School Tour for prospective Foundation students on Friday 3rd of December at 10:00am.
- Transition sessions on 9th November (10-11am), 16th November (10am-1pm), 23rd November (9am-1pm) and November 30th (full school day).
- See flyer below.
Grade 6 to Charlton College
- Year 6 Information Session at Charlton college at 5:30pm 0n 21st November.
- Year 6 transition day at Charlton College on Tuesday 6th of December.
Please, don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or concerns relating to either transition processes.
VIC KIDS EAT WELL
St Joseph’s has joined the Vic Kids Eat Well movement! This organisation is a community that is passionate about making sure children and young people have the fuel they need to learn, play, grow and thrive. My aim is to get our Community Garden operating effectively, allowing students to be involved in the planting, harvesting and cooking of the food sources we produce. We have already been gifted some cooking equipment, a toaster and a blender! The organisation will also help with student cooking sessions and providing opportunities for students to try new foods (eg sushi). If anyone is interested in helping to tidy up the Community Garden, please contact Mary Hogan at the School Office.
SCHOOL CAMPS & EXCURSIONS
Grade 3 & 4 students will join their peers from St Arnaud and Donald Catholic Schools, to go on camp to the Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill on the 27th & 28th of November.
F-2 students will have a day excursion to the Halls Gap Zoo on Tuesday 5th of December..
Further details to follow.
STUDENT ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL
Under Department of Education Regulations, typically the only acceptable reasons for absence from school are illness and medical or dental appointments that cannot be arranged outside of school hours. In accordance with the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, schooling is compulsory for children and young people aged from 6-17 years. It is a legal requirement that parents contact the school regarding any student absences or lateness.
In the event of any absence or lateness, a note, phone call, text message or email to the school is required. This must be done before 9:30am on the day of absence, explaining the reason for absence on that day.
Important Dates
October 25th - Mission Month Mass at 10:15am
October 27th - School Dentist Van visit
October 31st - SCHOOL CLOSURE - Structured Literacy
November 3rd - School Information Session for prospective students
November 6 & 7th - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS - Melbourne Cup
November 21st - Year 6 Information Night at Charlton College
November 27 & 28th - Grade 3 & 4 Camp to pioneer Settlement
December 5th - Junior Excursion to Halls Gap
December 6th - Year 6 Information Session at Charlton College 5:30pm
December 7th - First Reconciliation at 6:00pm
December 12th - End of Year Mass and Dinner
December 15th - Students last day for Term Four
Mary Hogan
Principal
Student of the Week
Foundation/1/2 Class Report
It's been lovely to get back into a routine in the junior classroom with our literacy and numercy sessions really starting to develop and the students building on their knowledge and learning new things everyday. In Numeracy the students have been learning about addition and subtraction strategies. So far we have explored: counting on, known facts, bridging to 10, near doubles and the compensation strategy - all effective strategies for helping to add and take away more efficiently and effectively. We've also been reviewing the student's speed and accuracy with skip counting by 2's, 4's, 5's and 10's.
In our Literacy classes we have been working through our 'no-nonsense phonics' daily phonological awareness activities in two targeted groups led by myself and Mrs Lanyon. The students have done really well with learning their single and combined sounds and working on their tasks before the group reads a shared text all together, that is packed full of their previously learnt and newly learnt sounds. In writing we've started to explore the difference between a fact and an opinion and the language used to write about each. The students have been practising using vocabulary to describe something - an animal, an object, etc before we start working on information reports about a chosen animal in the next few weeks.
In Religion we've continued to explore 'Joy' and what this feels like, looks like and why it is important to experience joy in our lives. The student's have joined in a range of activities that promote feelings of joy including physical activities, music and creative experiences and we've reflected on these experiences and how people felt during their participation. We've also talked about how although it's nice to feel happy and 'joy', it's just as important to experience all of the other emotions too, so that we can learn and grow through these experiences. Over the next few weeks we'll start to unpack the story of Christmas and the 'joy' that the birth of Jesus created amongst the people who were involved.
In Humanities we've been exploring the concept of 'Celebration' - with the students sharing their experiences of traditions with birthdays, other special events throughout the year and traditions that are special to their own family. This has been a fitting unit to explore as this week we were lucky enough to be invited to the Charlton Bendigo Bank's 20th Birthday celebrations at the 'Traveller's Rest' for a bbq and cake. The students have also been working on artwork for the Charlton Show and to 'celebrate' the show's 140th year, we've been creating something extra special to display for the show's milestone birthday this year.
Grade 3/4 Class Report
In Literacy we have been working on information texts in our writing. We have been learning about sustainability in our integrated studies class and have applied this knowledge to our writing. Students drafted, created and presented an information poster on the program Canva on how people can be more sustainable in their homes, schools and communities. This week in particular we are writing reflections on the Charlton Show, including memories, what they are looking forward to and detailing some regular events/traditions at the show. In our structured literacy, students have been revising their learning from the last few weeks in a daily review with the whole class- the phonemes ‘y’ as in ‘y and u’ and ‘oo’ as in ‘boot’, commands, doing verbs, proper nouns, noun groups and verb tense. Our focus for this week is ‘z’ as in ‘z, zz, s, se’. We are continuing to focus on handwriting, paired fluency reading, spelling strategies and rules focused on these phonemes through activities in our No Nonsense Phonics. Students will also be in revision mode this week with grammar revision based around verbs, adverbs, nouns, tense, statements and prepositional phrases.
In Maths this week we are looking at the topic ‘location and transformation’. We are focusing on reading, interpreting and understanding 2D maps. Students have worked on understanding what a legend is and what a scale is and how to use it. Year 3 students are also revising their understanding of symmetry. Everyday students are working on their mental maths strategies and applying these across various topics in their Mental Maths booklets. We are revising our multiplication facts everyday (particular focus on x8 this week), focusing on speed and accuracy.
In Integrated Studies we are learning about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use their environment sustainably.
In Religion we are learning about the idea of ‘solidarity’ and how we need to promote the rights of all peoples.
We have been busy putting together our Charlton Show display. Well done to the students for their hard work and cooperation in completing this. We can’t wait for you all to see it on Saturday.
We walked down to the Art Show on Monday to see all the artwork. Well done to all of the artists and students that entered their work.
Thank you to the Bendigo Bank for having us on Tuesday for a lovely 20th birthday celebration.
Grade 5/6 Class Report
Grade 5 & 6
Students have headed to Boort Park this morning to participate in the Kanga 8s Cricket competition. They have scored a beautiful day to be outdoors enjoying some off-site fun. Students have been preparing some art work for the upcoming Charlton Show and have based it around the event’s 140th Birthday. We also visited the Charlton Art Show display on Monday morning and attended the 20th Birthday of the Charlton District Community Bank on Tuesday! Last week students starred in our filming session with Kevin Cummins, DOBCEL Employee, making a video of life at St Joseph’s. We look forward to seeing the final cut very soon!
ENGLISH
During Literacy time we have been completing short, more direct writing pieces of varying genres. Our main focus has been on vocabulary exposure and expansion. Students have been encouraged to investigate words and to replace ‘ordinary’ words in their writing with more ‘extraordinary’ words! We have focused on the humble comma and its many uses (separating words in a list, surrounding added information, after an introduction, in direct speech, to provide a break in a sentence…). Our reading focus has aimed to lead students in looking beyond the literal meaning in a text and explore more complex thinking and investigation. Questions such as “What did the author mean when they wrote….?” and “How could the author have portrayed that feeling in a different way?” encourage students to think more critically and analytically.
MATHEMATICS
Students have enjoyed working with Mrs Wright to gather data, interpret data and represent data in different ways. I have noticed some plotted line graphs around the room and in the students’ books! Each day we have been working to revise fractions and decimals; counting with them and operating with them. Explicit teaching has centred around the connections we can make between common fractions, decimals and percentage. It is beneficial for students to have rapid recall of the following table:
Fraction | Decimal | Percentage |
¼ | 0.25 | 25% |
½ | 0.50 | 50% |
¾ | 0.75 | 75% |
1 | 1.00 | 100% |
Students have identified the times table facts they need to nail before the end of the term and are practising these in various ways each day.
HOMEWORK
Students have weekly spelling to learn and a reader for nightly practice. Please note that some list words may be easy to spell but are included to develop vocabulary and meaning. The HOMEWORK HOUND online homework will continue to be available for any students who wish to use this at home. I also continue to provide a homework sheet for students, which is due back each Friday. Please prioritise reading, spelling, tables practice and homework sheet, in that order, completing what you are able to.
Mary Hogan.
Kanga 8's Cricket
Today we sent 2 cricket teams to Boort to attend the Kanga 8's Cricket Day. St Joseph's 2, captained by Charlie Zagame, finished in first place for the day. St Joseph's 1 came in fourth place. Congratulations to all of the children and thanks to Mrs Wright and Mrs Fitzpatrick for coaching the 2 teams today.
Community News
Donald Junior Cricket Association 2023/24 Season
DJCA is calling for names of interested players: boys born 1/9/2007 to 1/9/2013 and girls born 1/9/2005 to 1/9/2013. All interested players please submit your interest in playing as we investigate different options for the coming season.
Games will be played on a Friday night with the structure of the competition, grades, location of games and team allocation (mixed teams or towns to enter teams) to be decided once the numbers of players are known.
Please message names and date of birth to Jack Tellefson 0430 143 915, Xanthi Rice 0407 555 152 or Hayley Soulsby 0418 518 892. Closing date for interest is Monday October 23rd so decisions around the competition can be made.
We are looking forward to a successful season of junior cricket,
DJCA Committee
Child Safety
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.
THE 11 CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
Standard 1
Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 1
Standard 2
Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 2
Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 3
Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 4
Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 5
Standard 6
People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 6
Standard 7
Processes for complaints and concerns are child-focused.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 7
Standard 8
Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 8
Standard 9
Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 9
Standard 10
Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
Click here for details about Child Safe Standard 10
Standard 11
Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.
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.