Newsletter 13, 1st August 2024
Principal's Report
Hello to Families and all in the St Joseph's School Community,
The green and gold Aussie fever is alive and well as many in our community are enjoying the current Olympic Games in Paris. The students have been heard chatting and discussing medal tallies and competitors and embracing their preparation for their upcoming musical, which has an Olympic theme. There is a lot happening in Term Three so I encourage you to keep an eye on the school app, our Facebook page and stay up to date with the newsletter.
Insight SRC Surveys - IMPORTANT
Insight SRC is conducting this survey on behalf of St Joseph’s School and Catholic Education in the Diocese of Ballarat. The main aim of the survey is to identify those factors that contribute to the organisational health of the school. The results will provide valuable information about the ways in which our school can be improved. On Monday, families received a white envelope with information regarding access to these surveys. I encourage each family to take the time to provide their feedback and be a part of effective, on-going growth and change at St Joe’s. Responses are confidential and totally non-identifiable.
Bishop’s Visit
Bishop Paul Bird is currently visiting the parishes of the Ballarat Diocese as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the formation of the Ballarat Diocese. Bishop Paul will be in the East Wimmera Parish this month and specifically celebrating a mass with Father Gerry at St Joseph’s Catholic Church on Sunday 11th August at 8:30am. This will be followed by a cup of tea and an invitation is extended to anyone wishing to attend the mass while the Bishop is in our area.
Congratulations Darcy
The local RSL challenged the Grade six students to reflect on what ANZAC Day means to them and to put this into a 500-word written assignment. The Grade 6 students are commended for their effort and the content of their entries. I was very impressed by the quality, background knowledge and deep feelings that the students portrayed in their texts. On Monday, Mr Bill Freeman and Mr Allan McGillivray, represented the RSL and were present at our school assembly. They presented each of the Grade 6’s with a participation certificate and announced Darcy as the winning entry. Congratulations Darcy! Darcy received a $50 newsagency voucher for his efforts. This was very worthwhile and I thank the RSL for their proactive efforts in getting this organised.
One Hundred Days of Prep Milestone
The Junior Class, and especially the Prep students, were very excited to celebrate reaching the milestones of 100 days of Prep being completed. Congratulations to Shepherd, Elwood, Oli, Julian, Jaidan and Jovakkim on reaching this very special milestone. It was great to see the costumes and props that the students embraced on Tuesday and I thank each of the families for their assistance and involvement in making the day so special. A big thank you also to Miss Brown, Miss Thompson, Mrs Lanyon and Mrs Fitzpatrick for nurturing and guiding the learning and growth of our junior students so capably. With so much enthusiasm and dedication provided to the class I am sure the students will continue to flourish in their care!
Parent Teacher Meetings
Students with Personalised Learning Plans are asked to check the PAM app for a meeting slot scheduled for Monday 12th August. Please choose your time ASAP and contact the school if a suitable time is not available.
Parent teacher meetings for remaining students will be offered later in Term Three.
Calder Athletics
The Calder Athletics are coming up on August 15th at Charlton Park. Students have been getting in some practice and will have some specialist coaching next Wednesday and Thursday. Thank you to Garnet, from Bendigo Athletics, and Kye Jenkyn who are visiting St Joseph’s to give the students some expert tips in preparation for the event. Students are to wear their school sports uniform on the day and pack their usual snacks, lunch and water bottle. Spectators are most welcome to come and cheer the children on.
School Concert
Concert preparations are well underway for our school performance which is coming up towards the end of this term. This year’s performance is a musical based around the theme of the Paris Olympics. Yes, it is happening a little after the Olympics finish but this allows us time for rehearsal so we will be keeping the Olympic spirit alive for a little while longer! The concert is on Tuesday, 7th October at 7pm. Details regarding costume requirements will be forwarded to families within the next couple of weeks. We look forward to your company on this evening – so mark the date on your calendar!
Kinder to Prep Transition Program
It is that time of year when we start to think about transitioning the four-year-old Kinder students into beginning school education in 2025. We will be providing the opportunity for prospective prep parents to engage with our school, meet staff and answer any questions they may have about St Joseph’s School. An information session and opportunity for informal question and answer will be held on 2nd September at 9:00am. Finally, we will run the actual transition program, providing four- year-old Kinder children with the opportunity to try out school life as a little Joey in readiness for 2025. Please spread the word and encourage anyone who may have questions or be interested in finding out more about St Joseph’s, to come along to one of the sessions or to make contact with the School Office for an appointment.
Book Week
Book Week is happening in Week 5, beginning 19th August. Staff and students alike, love this annual event. The theme for 2024 is “READING IS MAGIC”. Part of our student wellbeing boost grant has been spent on a real live magician to visit St Joseph’s School. The magic show will happen on MONDAY 19th August at 11:30am. Our Book Week dress up day and parade will happen on WEDNESDAY 21st August. As usual, students are invited to dress up as one of their favourite book characters. More details closer to the date.
School Camps & Excursions
School camps and excursions are an extended part of our annual curriculum. They provide students with opportunities to develop their personal, social and emotional capabilities out of the school environment. They also provide an opportunity for students to interact with each other in alternative environments and learn more about their classmates. See below the camp and excursion details for each particular grade group. Further details will appear closer to the events.
F-2 Day Excursion (date and venue to be confirmed)
3&4 Billabong Ranch Echuca November 7th & 8th
5&6 Urban Camp Melbourne October 15th -18th
Active Breakfast
Everyone is most welcome to come along to the ACTIVE BREAKFAST which is SUPPORTED BY MALLEE SPORTS ASSEMBLY, VIC HEALTH, ST. JOSEPH’S PRIMARY SCHOOL, EAST WIMMERA HEALTH SERVICE & CHARLTON NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE at St Joseph’s Primary School on Tuesday 3rd September 2024 between 9.40am-11.00am.
A healthy breakfast will be provided and students treated to two local guest speakers to promote healthy and active living!
Father’s Day
The students love having their mothers, fathers, carers and special people in their lives visit our school. We will be holding a Father’s Day breakfast on Friday, 30th August, commencing at 8 am. I encourage you to let your fathers, grandfathers and special male role models in your children’s lives know about this special date. All welcome.
Education is a collaborative effort between the school and home. As always, please reach out to teachers if you have any questions or concerns.
With commitment to our shared journey,
Mary Hogan
Mary MacKillop Feast Day
Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop
August 8th celebrates the feast day of Australia’s only Saint, Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Mary, a driving force for Catholic Education in Australia and for the poor in her surrounds. Mary provides personal inspiration to me in providing equal opportunities for all children and the work she did to ensure this reality. We continue to live and learn under the southern Cross at our small rural school where we aim to provide the same dedication and care in the education we provide to our students each day.
Students of the Week
Foundation/1/2 Class Report
Welcome to Week 3!
We have an exciting week this week with our Foundation students celebrating 100 Days of School!!
In Literacy the Foundation students have been revisiting sounds they have already learnt and have been focusing on their handwriting skills - well done to all the F students for their hard efforts.
Our new students are doing an amazing job of settling into our daily routines and learning practises with Phonics program.
Grade 1 focus was the -ze sound and Grade 2 was -oi and -oy. The students are blitzing their Phonics work and are making great progress.
This week in Numeracy, Foundation are revisiting subtraction while Grade 1 and 2 are focusing on multiplication and division. We have been playing a number of different sport activities in P.E which includes dividing into teams so this has been great practise for them.
Have an amazing week and try stay warm.
Ms Brown
Grade 3/4 Class Report
Literacy- This fortnight, the students have been working on improving their descriptive writing in sentences and applying this to larger pieces of writing. Students have worked hard to revise and improve their use of noun and verb phrases, along with their use of different vocabulary. Students have been experimenting with textbook and online thesauruses and are able to use these to increase their vocabulary in their writing. Students continue to revise their reading skills daily through a variety of structured tasks. In our shared reading text we are learning about changes in states of matter through melting, freezing, condensation and evaporation. Students are revising spelling strategies and applying these in all aspects of their work. We are focusing on the phonemes of -ue (both sounds) and er this week
Maths- in the past fortnight we have been revising our understanding of time. Year 3 are continuing to work on consolidating their understanding of analogue time to the nearest five minutes and working on telling time to the nearest minute. Year 3 students have been adding and subtracting hours, 30 and 15 minutes to an analogue time through classroom tasks. Year 3 have also been working on converting analogue time to digital time using am and pm. Year 4 students have been consolidating all of these skills. They have also been working on reading, interpreting and and converting 24 hour time to analogue and digital time. Year 4 have also been working on reading, interpreting, adding and subtracting time to answer questions about bus timetables. This week, students have been revising multiplication and division fact families and short division without remainders (Year 3) and with remainders (Year 4).
Grade 5/6 Class Report
Congratulations to each of the Grade 6 students who were awarded certificates by local RSL members for their “What ANZAC Day Means To Me” entries. Mr Freeman and Mr McGillvray commented on the uniqueness of each entry and the different perspectives recorded. Congratulations to Darcy, who was awarded the winning entry and received a $50 voucher at the local newsagency – spend it wisely, Darcy!
In Literacy students have been exploring the focus text about states of matter. We have learnt lots of new vocabulary, learnt to gain meaning from diagrams and images and extended our understanding of how to structure informative texts. Students are enjoying having “Runt” read to them in preparation for its premiere at the Rex Cinema next month.
All students have improved their understanding of decimals and fractions. They are working to memorise the main equivalencies for decimals, fractions and percentages (eg ¼ = 0.25 = 25% = 25/100). We have been operating with addition and subtraction using decimal numbers and exploring remainders when dividing decimal amounts.
There has been a huge improvement in home reading practice which is fantastic! Keep up the good work. Students have a spelling sheet and a homework sheet due on Friday.
Students have a play script to keep at home for learning their lines. They have an additional copy at school. Practice is well underway with students being enthusiastic and doing a great job!
Mary Hogan
Wellbeing News
What makes us happy
Often doing things that make us happy, helps turn our mood around. This week try and do something everyday that makes you happy. Talk about what you did that made you happy with your family.
Some examples of things that could make you happy are; going for a walk, riding your bike, colouring in, gardening, laughing or reading etc.
Breakfast program
Just a reminder that the Breakfast program operates on a Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Students can enjoy some toast and warm Milo on these chilly mornings and also games like Connect 4 and Jenga or some mindful colouring.
Mrs Wright
St Joseph's School TV
This week there is a special report published on SchoolTV -'Eating Anxiety'. Eating anxiety encompasses the stress, worry, or fear associated with eating and can appear in various forms, such as a refusal of all foods or an aversion to specific textures or flavours. This is particularly challenging for children and teenagers during school break times or lunchtime. Often this anxiety can be intensified by either social pressures or the surrounding environment. While not a formally recognised condition, eating anxiety is a real and overwhelming experience that can stem from multiple sources including social anxiety, body image concerns, eating disorders, cultural or dietary restrictions, and bullying.
Students who feel self-conscious about eating in public, potentially feel their anxiety exacerbated by peer scrutiny when in school settings. Recognising this anxiety as a legitimate issue is crucial. It is important for parents and educators to create a supportive environment where affected students feel understood and safe. Many schools are becoming increasingly aware of these challenges and are implementing policies to mitigate stress and stigma by promoting body positivity, and accommodating students who feel uncomfortable eating in public spaces.
Ultimately, the goal is to build a trusting and resilient foundation, allowing children and adolescents to face their fears at their own pace, thereby reducing the anxiety associated with eating in social contexts. This collaborative approach aims to support young people in overcoming their eating challenges effectively.
Start exploring SchoolTV today! https://sjcharlton.catholic.schooltv.me/
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.