Newsletter 17, 23rd October 2025

Principal's Report

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

I hope everyone survived the wild winds yesterday! In typical Term Four style there are busy and exciting times ahead! Our Grade 5&6 students have travelled to Boort for Blast Cricket today and with upcoming school closures, and camps just around the corner, our calendar is certainly full. Thank you to everyone for your continued enthusiasm and flexibility as we move through this lively part of the term. There’s lots happening, so keep an eye on notices and updates to stay in the loop!

St Joseph’s Parish 140^th Anniversary Celebration- THIS SUNDAY 26/10
This Sunday 26^th October at 10:30am Mass, St Joseph’s celebrates 140 years since establishment. Thank you to those families who have committed to attending Mass to allow the students to participate and to those who have let the school know they are unable to attend.

Students will sit together and have two songs to share with those in attendance. We have even convinced Mr Lanyon to play his guitar for one of the songs! There will be a cup of tea and shared morning tea following the Mass. All welcome.

School Closures
A reminder that St Joseph’s will be closed on MONDAY 27^th OCTOBER. This is one of the gazetted school closure days for 2025, allowing staff to undertake professional learning. On Monday our focus is on Structured Literacy; reflecting on our journey; deciding our way forward and planning for 2026.

St Joseph’s School is also closed on MONDAY NOVEMBER 3^rd NOVEMBER. Staff will focus on assessment and reporting on this day, as they prepare for the final reporting period of 2026.

In addition the school will be closed on TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4th for the Melbourne Cup public holiday.

Catholic Mission Month
October is Catholic Mission Month. The purpose of this month is to deepen students’ understanding of mission and encourage them to see themselves as active participants in making a difference in the lives of others, both locally and globally. Our school will be engaging in prayer, classroom activities, and fundraising initiatives to support the work of Catholic Mission. See details of fundraising effort below.

REMINDER - No School Crossing
A reminder that our school does not currently have a supervised school crossing. I ask all families to take extra care during drop-off and pick-up times. Please model safe road behaviour for our students and encourage them to use safe crossing points. The wellbeing and safety of our community remain our highest priority.

We continue to hold our farming community in our thoughts and prayers, praying for the most favourable conditions moving forward.

Warm regards in faith and learning,
Mary

Important Dates

October 27th - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY - Structured Literacy
November 3rd - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY - Assessment & Reporting
November 4th - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
November 5&6th - Sovereign Hill Camp - Gr 3/4
November 7th - Celebration of World Teacher's Day
November 10, 11 & 12th - Creswick Log Cabin Camp - Gr 5/6
December 11th - First Reconciliation at 6:00pm
December 16th - End of Year Mass, Graduation & BBQ from 6:00pm
December 17th - Final day of Term Four for students

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 remaining FOR 2025. 
Monday 27 October - Staff professional learning - Structured Literacy
Monday 3 November - Assessment and Reporting 

Sacraments and Celebrations

Sacrament of Reconciliation
The Sacrament of First Reconciliation will be offered during Advent in the lead up to Christmas. Students in Grades 5&6 who have celebrated the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation & Eucharist) are invited to participate. 

The sacrament will be celebrated on Thursday 11th December at 6:00pm.

Mrs Bernadette Zagame will prepare the students with the support of the school.

Further details to follow.

Parish Celebrates 140 Years
St Joseph's Parish Charlton, is set to celebrate 140 years since its establishment. This celebration will take pace on SUNDAY 26th OCTOBER at the 10:30AM MASS.
ALL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE INVITED TO BE A PART OF THIS CELEBRATION BY ATTENDING MASS AND JOINING IN A SPECIAL BLESSING AND SONG OF CELEBRATION.
We would love to see as many families and students as possible present on the day to join in the special parish celebration. 

Catholic Mission Month Fundraiser

The Senior Students have worked with Mr Lanyon on a fundraising idea for Catholic Mission Month. Funds raised will go to Caritas Australia, a Catholic organisation working to end poverty, promote justice, and uphold dignity for all people.  Caritas helps communities around the world access clean water, education, healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods. By learning about and supporting their work, our students are developing empathy and a deeper understanding of how small actions can make a big difference.

So it is happening!

• On WEDNESDAY 29th OCTOBER students will participate in a COLOUR RUN in the school grounds! Please wear normal school uniform to school but pack a set of old clothes for the Colour Run.
• The run will be followed by a sausage sizzle and juice box so no packed lunch required on this day.           THERE WILL BE NO LUNCH ORDERS NEXT WEEK.
• There will be fairy floss and slushies available after lunch.
• CHALLENGE: to make a loose change line of coins around the quadrangle!
• A suggested amount of $5 per student is suggested to cover Colour Run props, lunch and treats. It is hoped students can bring long additional loose coins (5c, 10c, 20c, etc) to add to the money line in support of this worthy cause. 

School Camps & Excursions in Term Four

F/1/2
The junior students will have a day excursion to Ballarat Wildlife Park on Thursday 30th October. The bus will leave St Joseph's School at 9:00am and return by 5:30pm. Students will wear their normal uniform and bring along their snacks, a packed lunch and water bottle.

3/4 
Grade 3&4 will attend an overnight camp to  Sovereign Hill on November 5/6th.

5/6
Grade 5&6 will atted a two night camp to Log Cabin Camp Creswick on November 10/11/12th.

To help boost our numbers and make our overnight camps more affordable, we will join with the students from St Mary's School Donald, as we have done previously. 

Please ensure all permission and medical forms are returned ASAP.

Supporting Smooth Transitions

This time of year brings some big milestones for many of our students — with our youngest learners preparing to move from kindergarten into primary school, and our senior students getting ready for the transition to secondary school. These moments are both exciting and new, marking important steps in each child’s learning journey. Our staff are working closely with families and partner kinders & schools to ensure every student feels confident, supported, and ready for the next chapter.

• Kinder to School Dates for Little Joeys
  Friday 14th November 10am-11am
  Friday 21st  November 10am - 2pm
  Friday 28th November 9am - 1pm
  Friday 5th December 9am - 3pm
  
• Year 6 to Year 7 Dates
  Friday 7th November 9:30am - school tour
  Monday 17th November 6pm - Information Session
  Friday 28th November 9:30-11:15am - PE session
  Tuesday 9th december - Full day

Thunderstorm Asthma

Thunderstorm asthma – be prepared this pollen season

Grass pollen season, which typically runs from October to December each year in Victoria, brings an increase in asthma and hay fever symptoms. It also increases the risk of thunderstorm asthma. For people with asthma or hay fever, especially those who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever, thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening.

St Joseph’s School will implement a range of measures to keep our school community safe as the risk of thunderstorm asthma increases.

Many of our staff are trained in asthma first aid. We will monitor the Vic Emergency app to receive thunderstorm warnings and, where appropriate, keep students indoors when weather forecasts identify greater risk. 

During the season, there are some things you can do to prepare and protect yourself and your family:

• If your child has ever had asthma, talk to your doctor about what you can do to help protect them from the risk of thunderstorm asthma this pollen season, including updating your asthma action plan. Taking an asthma preventer properly and regularly is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.
• If your child has hay fever, see your pharmacist or doctor for a hay fever treatment plan and check if you should have an asthma reliever puffer. These are available from a pharmacy without a prescription.
• If your child has hay fever and experiences wheezing and coughing, it is important to make sure they don’t also have asthma. Speak to your doctor about an asthma action plan.
• Where possible, avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October to December, especially during the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. If you have your air conditioning on, turn it to ‘recirculate’.

Protect yourself this pollen season – managing asthma and allergies matters.

Find out more

For more information, speak to your doctor. You can also refer to the Better Health Channel website.

2026 Enrolments Now Open

A place to belong. A place to thrive. A place where every child matters.
At St Joseph's School we are proud to offer a nurturing environment where children grow in mind, heart and spirit.
Inspired by our Catholic tradition, we walk with each child on their unique journey - celebrating who they are and guiding who they are becoming!
Commitment to child safety & well-being
Learning that inspires - explicit instruction and individualised support
A welcoming community celebrating diversity
Living our values everyday- we are safe, responsible & respectful
Structured Literacy
Auslan Language Curriculum
Evidence based data-driven practices
No fees for Prep enrolments
Experience the St Joseph's difference! We invite you to discover what makes our school a truly special place.

https://www.sjcharlton.catholic.edu.au/

Foundation/1 Class Report

Welcome to Week 3!

First off, I want to say a big congratulations to everyone who was involved with the Charlton Show. Everyone's work on display looked amazing and all the students did a great job and put a lot of hard work and effort into their work - well done to all!
It was great to see everyone at Parent Teacher Interviews last Friday. Thank you for putting time aside to come in and discuss your child's progress so far this year. 
We are back into the swing of our routines and working hard to complete work as we head towards the end of the year. 
We have been focusing on 'ai' and 'ay' sounds in phonics and next will be 'oa' and 'ow' sounds. The students are thoroughly enjoying this and have started to implement these sounds into their work already which is great to see. 
In Numeracy, Foundation students are looking into location and Grade 1 are learning about analog time. 
We have started practising our songs for Mass this Sunday as we celebrate 140 years since the St Joseph's Parish was established and we look forward to seeing lots of smiling faces there to help celebrate this special time. 
The F/1/2 excursion is quickly approaching so if you haven't returned your medical forms, please drop them to the office as soon as you can.
Enjoy your week

Katie Brown 

Grade 2/3 Class Report

Dear Families,

It’s been a whirlwind of activity in the Grade 2/3 classroom, and we’re thrilled to share all the exciting things our students have been working on.

Our students have been working hard on their show entries, and their creativity has been shining! Whether it’s crafting, drawing, or writing, everyone has put in a lot of effort to create their best work. A special thank you to all the students for their enthusiasm and focus!

We’ve also been busy setting up the show boards to display all of their fantastic creations. The boards were showcased at last weekend’s Charlton Show. 

in literacy, the students are continuing to develop their reading and writing skills. We’ve been working on improving comprehension and expanding vocabulary through fun activities and stories. The students are working on starting their narratives with a ‘sizzling start’ to entice the reader. Students are showing great progress in their writing, and it’s exciting to see their ideas come to life on paper!

In preparation for the parish’s 140th anniversary celebration on Sunday, our Grade 2/3 class has been practicing some beautiful singing. The students are excited to participate and showcase their vocal talents during the event. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to be part of such a special occasion for our community.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you at the parish celebration!

Miss Thompson 

Grade 4/5/6 Class Report

Dear Families, 

We have had an exciting fortnight full of learning and special activities that our students will no doubt remember for a long time. Our students were treated to an incredible BMX circus and juggling act that left everyone amazed. The presenter Scott dazzled the students and gave them some valuable life advice about working hard and not giving up in order for them to reach their goals. 

The students also worked hard on their descriptive writing and art displays for the Charlton show and are to be congratulated for their efforts. They then typed their descriptions into an AI tool and it created a line drawing based on their writing!

Wellbeing with Mrs Wright

Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships

P - 2 Emotional Literacy - It feels good when people like us just the way we are.

3 - 6 Personal and Cultural Strengths - How we use our personal and cultural strengths.

Regards

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
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 co-operation 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.