Newsletter 30 2023
Principal's Report
Hello to Families and all in the St Joseph's School Community,
This weekend we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, which means Christmas is quickly approaching! In the Catholic Church calendar, the time leading up to Christmas is called Advent. Advent, is a Latin word meaning “coming.” Christians mark the four Sundays in Advent as a way to prepare their hearts for the coming of Jesus at Christmas time. Advent is a time of waiting, expecting and hoping! On the first Sunday of Advent one candle, which symbolises hope, is lit.
In this season of Advent, inspire us to be people of hope.
Encourage us not to be greedy for material possessions, but for justice and truth.
Enflame us with a love for others, which crosses boundaries of race, religion and nationality.
Stir within us a desire to fight for the integrity of creation and appreciate the immense beauty of the earth.
Be with us, Lord, at this time, that we may be a people of hope.
Amen.
Last week I attended Swan Hill on Thursday and Friday for my final Principal’s Meeting for 2023. We were privileged to be hosted by the Principal of St Mary’s School, Kate Quinn, who gave us a tour of the school. They are just completing a classroom refurbishment, adding four new classrooms and updating four, at a cost of about 3 million dollars!!! It was great to see a big school in action (around 600 students) and to grow ideas for beautifying our school grounds and play areas! It was the final time our cluster of principals would meet together as the zones of the Diocese are being restructured in 2024.
GRADE 3 & 4 CAMP
The Grade 3 & 4 students enjoyed an overnight camp to The Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill this week, together with their counterparts from Donald and St Arnaud. I visited the group on Monday evening and was lucky enough to catch the sound and light display. From all the “Ohs & Ahs” around me I would say it was enjoyed by all! The students are commended for their excellent behaviour and participation over the two days. A huge thank-you to Mrs Armstrong for her excellent organisation of the camp and ensuring all things ran safely and smoothly. Thank you also to Mrs Fitzpatrick for attending the camp and joining in the fun! You can read more about the camp in the Grade 3 & 4 Class Report.
DOBCEL BOARD VISIT
The DOBCEL Board aims to have board members visit all schools within the Ballarat Diocese within each school year. Last Tuesday, we were fortunate to have Mr Steve McArdle and Mr Barry Bennett visit us at St Joseph’s. They enjoyed morning tea with the staff and met with me to learn about the successes and challenges experienced in my role of leadership. The highlight of their visit was surely catching a sneak peek at the students practising their songs for the upcoming Christmas Carols!
SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES
School assemblies are held at 12:45pm each Monday. This makes sense to prepare for the week ahead and to present awards based on the previous week’s work and activities. All members of the St Joseph’s School Community are most welcome to pop in and join in our assemblies.
RELIGION NEWS
Sacramental Program
Charlie, Clancy, Liam, Rosie, Darcy & Henry will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on THURSDAY 7th DECEMBER at 6:00pm, as a part of the Parish Advent Reconciliation service. Students have worked with Mrs Hogan today, in preparation, and were joined by Fr Gerry this afternoon, to have a chat about the actual celebrating of Reconciliation. Thank you Fr Gerry!
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.
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
Today we welcomed our three Kinder students for a full school day on their final transition day. They were fortunate enough that the rain had stopped and they could go on a Teddy Bears’ Picnic!
Grade 6 to Charlton College
Year 6 have a full transition day at Charlton College on Wednesday 6th of December.
Please, don’t hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or concerns relating to either transition program.
UPCOMING EXCURSIONS
F-2
F-2 students will have a day excursion to the Halls Gap Zoo on Tuesday 5th of December. They will be leaving school at 8:45a.m. amd returning by 3:00p.m. All children to wear school uniform.
Grades 3-6
Grades 3-6 will travel to Bendigo by coach, on Tuesday 5th December, for a Ten Pin Bowling session as part of our Sporting Schools grant allocation. They will leave school at 9:00a.m. and return by 3:15p.m. All children to wear school uniform.
END OF YEAR MASS & GRADUATION
St Joseph’s School will hold a Mass of Celebration to conclude the school year.
The Mass is on TUESDAY 12th DECEMBER at 6:00pm.
This Mass is a special celebration to give thanks for the 2023 school year and to farewell our Grade 6 students and families who are finishing their time at our school. Grade 6 students will present a shared speech as part of the formalities. If students have prepared speeches at home they are invited to bring them to school to share their ideas, but this is not compulsory. Student awards for the year will also be presented. Students may wear casual clothes and will sit together in the Church. I hope that all families will be able to attend and join in our celebration. Please let the Office know if your family is unable to attend to assist us when allocating roles for the Mass.
Mass will be followed by a BBQ in the multi-purpose room and school quadrangle area. All family members, parishioners and community members are warmly invited to attend and join in our celebration.
LIBRARY BOOKS
Staff are currently doing a stocktake of Library books and beginning to chase up books students may have borrowed. Please check at home for any Library books and return them to school so they can be accounted for. Shortly, families will be sent a list of outstanding books borrowed, for those which have not been located. Many thanks for your assistance in this area as any number of missing books equals dollars lost!
SCHOOL FEES
It is coming to the time of year when all things relating to the 2023 school year need to be finalised. This includes the payment of any outstanding school fees, so families are asked to finalise any outstanding fee amounts before the end of the school year. A statement of fees owing will be sent home today.
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT
The children have been practicing their songs for Carols By Candlelight on Sunday 10th December at the Rex theatre and they are coming along nicely. We ask all children to wear red, white and green clothes, Christmas clothes if you have them. We haven't been notified of a time for Carols by Candlelight just yet but will let you know as soon as we know.
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 - please note some corrections
November 30th - Kinder Transition #4 - full day
- Reconciliation preparation day
December 5th - Junior Excursion to Halls Gap
- Grades 3-6 Ten Pin Bowling in Bendigo
December 6th - Year 6 Transition day - Charlton College
December 7th - First Reconciliation at 6:00pm
December 10th - Charlton Christmas Carols - Time to be confirmed.
December 12th - End of Year Mass at 6:00pm followed by a BBQ dinner
December 15th - Students last day for Term Four
Mary Hogan
Principal
Student of the Week
Foundation/1/2 Class Report
As the end of the school year quickly approaches we've been finishing off with assessments and reflecting on the skills that each student has learnt throughout the year. In our assembly this week, Mrs Hogan talked about 'change' in connection with the upcoming Advent season and the students have taken this on board and have been embracing the changes that will take place in the future - new Preps joining our class, the Grade 2's moving into a new classroom, learning new content and more. It's been nice to look back at photos from the start of the year and compare them to how the students look now - noticing changes in their physical growth too! Mrs Lanyon and I are very proud of the learning, growth and goals reached by each individual in our classroom this year. Well done everyone!!
In our Numeracy sessions we've finished up with our 'Addition & Subtraction' unit and have now moved onto 'Measurement' - first focusing on measuring length with both informal and formal units, comparing units of measurement and being able to choose an appropriate tool/unit for measuring, i.e. would it be better to measure the length of classroom with a 30cm ruler or a 1 metre ruler? The students have enjoyed this hands on unit, moving around the classroom to estimate and then measure things and recording the collected information into their workbooks. Over the next week or so, we will move into measuring mass (weight) and capacity (how much something holds).
In our afternoon sessions throughout the week, the students are building on their knowledge through integrated learning experiences:
In History we've explored the concept of 'Celebrations' - learning about ways that different people celebrate across the world and then more personally how the students celebrate with their own family - birthdays, weddings, Easter/Christmas and more. It's been nice to hear different traditions and to develop an awareness of how other people celebrate and being able to find similarities and differences in these.
In Science we've continued to explore 'Force' with the students manipulating objects to see how they can be moved and also changed. The students have made statements about something that they could push, pull and something that was 'still' or unmoveable on their own. We discussed the story of 'The Giant Turnip' and how the man couldn't pull the turnip out of the ground by himself, but as each character joined the line and they all pulled together - through their combined strength they were able to pull the turnip out of the ground! We've then talked about how humans have a limited strength and that sometimes we need to use objects or machines to help us move things, i.e wheelbarrow, cart, tow truck, crane, etc
In Music we've been working on rhythms, beats, tempo, following a pattern and creating music for someone to follow along to. The students have been exposed to sheet music and have learnt that the symbols/notes on the lines represent the tune that is being played by the musician. The students have enjoyed writing their own music with different coloured glasses of water at different levels: first drawing coloured dots on sheet music and then having their partner follow the pattern by hitting the corresponding coloured glass to produce the note. We've also done this with body percussion (hands and feet) and a range of actual music instruments - lots of fun, but also requiring multiple skills to read and play the music in unison. The students have also enjoyed playing the part of 'DJ' when experimenting with a choice of pre recorded sounds and beats through the online app 'Incredibox'. Each student created a musical piece and then we presented these to the group.
Our transition days with the new Preps have continued to be a great success. Last week exploring the well loved text by Julia Donaldson, 'The Gruffalo'. The students were given the opportunity to participate in a range of literacy and numeracy based experiences which all had the theme of our book and it was a lovely day building friendships, learning school routines and having a taste of what school learning feels like. We are very excited for our Teddy Bear Picnic this week & our final full day with our 'lil Joeys before they join us fulltime in the new year.
Grade 3/4 Class Report
What a start to our week!
The 3/4 students had an amazing time on camp at the Pioneer Settlement at Swan Hill. Students were very excited on Monday to meet and reconnect with other 3/4 students from St Patrick’s in St Arnaud and St Mary’s in Donald. St Joseph’s travelled on Start’s Buslines with the St Mary’s and some of the St Patrick’s students. The remainder of the St Patrick’s students travelled on the mini bus from St Patrick’s school. We arrived at the Pioneer Settlement Burke and Wills Lodges at 10:30am to unpack, attend a safety briefing and commence our first day of activities. Over the course of the two days students were involved in blacksmithing, pioneer laundry, Aboriginal Culture studies, pioneer schooling, pioneer travel through the ages, pioneer building and housekeeping, pioneer music, experiencing horse and cart and early car rides, scavenger hunts, the ‘Legends of the Murray/Heartbeat of the Murray’ light show and butter churning. All of these activities were met with enthusiasm and respect. Well done to all students on your conduct during the entirety of the camp.
We even had a special visit from the Swan Hill police who entertained the students with the siren, lights and allowed students to look in the back of the divvy van. The officers were lovely and answered many questions that the students had.
I’m sure that there were a few tired people on Tuesday night.
A big thank you to the students, the Pioneer Settlement staff for their activities conducted and the meals that they provided and to the teachers from all three schools who helped prepare and facilitate the camp.
Students this week are continuing to work on their endangered animal information texts. Students have collected their information and completed their research. They are working on constructing an information report which they will put into a book for the classroom.
Students are continuing to read daily and be heard, consolidating their knowledge and skills.
In Maths, students are continuing to revise their learning in all areas and address any misconceptions that students still may have. Students are focusing particularly on their understanding of shape and mental math strategies.
Grade 5/6 Class Report
Over the past couple of weeks, Grades 5&6 have been provided the opportunity to engage with their peers at Charlton College. We have combined to enjoy a sports afternoon in the College Stadium and completed the Dream Seeds workshop at St Joseph’s this week. This week students completed the second, and final session of the Puberty Program, with school nurse, Kerrie McCosh.
TRANSITION
If families have any questions following the Information Session at Charlton College last week, or regarding transition, please don’t hesitate to contact me at school.
Grade 6 students will attend Charlton College for a full day on Wednesday 6th December. They will begin and end school at Charlton College on that day. See information below.
All students are asked to meet in the canteen in the main building in time for a 9.00am start. Their bags will be stored in a locked room for the day. All Grade 6 students are asked to wear their sport uniform to school (they will have a practical session).
Dismissal will occur at 3.15pm and bus travellers will catch the bus from the College.
All students are asked to bring the following:
A packed lunch and snacks for recess OR money to purchase lunch/recess from the canteen
Water bottle (students may take it to class)
Broad brimmed hat- we are a SunSmart school and our uniform policy requires all students to wear a
hat when outdoors in Term 4
Stationery (Students can bring home a book and pens from school the day before)
RECONCILIATION
Six senior students, Liam, Charlie, Clancy, Rosie, Darcy and Henry, will make their First Reconciliation on THURSDAY 7TH DECEMBER AT 6:00PM in the parish Church as part of the Parish Advent Reconciliation Service. Students have spent the today with Mrs Hogan, preparing for this very special occasion. Fr Gerry also visited for a practice this afternoon.
ENGLISH
Students have been provided the opportunity to revise the three main forms of writing; informative, imaginative and persuasive. Students drafted a narrative using a prompt about a mysterious egg and researched an endangered animal. This research was then used to create a slide deck which showed the information students had discovered. Layout, form, colour, font choice, and use of headings, images, tables and diagrams were also consolidated. In spelling we have revised plurals and their rules and sets of homophones. We also continue to explore prefixes and their meanings (eg aqua – water) and their usage. Our grammar focus has been on consolidating the use of speech marks in direct speech. We have focused on correct usage when speech is broken (eg “Wipe your feet,” Mum instructed, “before you come inside.”) Every final opportunity has been taken to enhance oral reading, with a focus on expression, volume and tone.
MATHEMATICS
In Mathematics we have continued to work with perimeter, area and volume. Students have also investigated 3D shapes and models, identifying names, faces, edges and vertices. Each day we have aimed to revise the four processes – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division – and to use these confidently. We have also revised the place value of decimal fractions.
HOMEWORK
The week only spelling and reading has been set for homework. NO HOMEWORK will be set for the final two weeks of the term. I will start collecting readers towards the end of next week so they can be checked and sorted for 2024.
Mary Hogan
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.
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.