Newsletter 5, 27th March 2025.
- Principal's Report
- Important Dates
- Lent & Easter
- DOBCEL Strategy to 2035
- Students of the Week
- Foundation/1 Class Report
- Grade 2/3 Class Report
- Grade 4/5/6 Class Report
- NCCD Information
- Wellbeing News
- Tuckshop Price List
- School Uniform Prices
- St Joseph's School TV
- Child Safety
- Child Safety - digital images
- Community News
- Acknowledgement of Country
Principal's Report
Hello to Families and all in the St Joseph's School Community,
This is the final newsletter for Term One! The term has been a bit longer than usual with Easter being later this year and I think everyone is ready for the holidays! The term has flown by with many different events and activities throughout. A personal highlight for me would have to be our double celebration last Wednesday – School Feast Day and Harmony Week. A heartfelt thank you to all the staff, students and families who helped to make the day so enjoyable and meaningful. The day was a fitting example of being united for a cause and working together as a community. I could certainly get used to Wednesday lunch times like that each week!!!
Thank you to the many families who completed the recent school surveys. Your time and input is greatly appreciated and will provide direction for the future. I am sure you enjoyed Mrs Fitzpatrick’s amazing cookies!
This week I am writing my newsletter from Halls Gap, where I am attending a two-day Induction Program, as I continue to learn as a beginning principal. This professional learning is provided over the first three years of my leadership. The focus over these two days is on Community Engagement.
Last week I submitted an application for a grant to upgrade the student amenity block and cleaner’s storage area as this building is reaching the end of its service and is requiring steady upkeep. We will find out if we are successful or not in January next year.
I spent Monday afternoon with the Grade 6 students, who are doing a fantastic job of leading our school in 2025. The students worked with me to simplify the Child Safe Standards, making them more accessible for children of primary age. They did a great job and we are now putting their ideas into a child friendly policy and poster form for display around the school. I look forward to sharing these with you very soon.
The Grade 6's also decided on hosting some fundraising activities for Project Compassion NEXT THURSDAY - see details below.
As the term concludes at the end of next week, Mrs Armstrong will start maternity leave and await the pending arrival of the next little Armstrong! We wish Chloe all the best, wishing her times of joy, rest, and precious moments. I take this opportunity to offer sincere thanks for the dedicated contribution Mrs Armstrong makes each and every day to make sure our students get the best possible care and attention. Her use of data, nature with the students and commitment to St Joe's is exceptional! We look forward to welcoming Chloe back in January 2026.
Thank you for your continued support this term. Best wishes for a restful holiday break as we journey through the remainder of the Lenten season towards the celebration of Easter.
Enjoy the week ahead,
Warm regards in faith & learning,
Mary
Important Dates
Thursday 27th March - HOT SHOTS Tennis in Boort (Gr 4-6)
Thursday 3rd April - Project Compassion Fundraiser
April 4th - Term One concludes at 2:30pm
April 22nd - SCHOOL CLOSURE - staff professional learning in Structured Literacy
April 23rd - students return for Term Two
April 25th - ANZAC Day Public Holiday
Friday 4th April - END TERM ONE
Lent & Easter
This year Lent continues into the holidays, with Holy Week and the celebration of Easter at the end of the break. Students will finish the term with an introduction to Holy Week and its significance for Catholics. At St Joseph’s we will celebrate Easter when we return to school for Term Two!
Our Project Compassion boxes are one way of contributing during Lent time and the senior students have planned a simple fundraiser for next THURSDAY. They are inviting a gold coin donation for casual clothes and crazy hair and will run a sweet stall at recess. See flyer below.
Below is this week’s reflection from Project Compassion.
DOBCEL Strategy to 2035
To become this high-performing system of Catholic schools DOBCEL 2035 will build on the foundation of our Catholic identity and focus on five key pillars:
- Collaborative Cultures
- Engagement and Belonging
- School as Community
- Rich Pedagogical Practices for Deep Learning and Well-being
- Sustainable Stewardship
Students of the Week
Foundation/1 Class Report
The students were practising their measuring skills and decorating gingerbread men with Mrs Smyth this week.
Grade 2/3 Class Report
Hi everyone!
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our Harmony Day/St Joseph Feast Day! The celebration was amazing! A massive shout out to all the students as well, they had fun, joined in and helped each other all day and all week!
The students are continuing to work hard in the classroom to finish off the term!
LITERACY
Students are continuing to work on narrative writing practice. The students are working on ‘dressing up’ our sentences with some new vocabulary!
We are also continuing to practice the letters we have looked at this term in handwriting as revision.
NUMERACY
Students are working on times tables, focusing on 2, 5, 10 and 11.
We are working hard on our addition and subtraction. The students are adapting well to exploring new concepts. We will endeavour to explore some maths games to solidify our learning!
Grade 4/5/6 Class Report
We’ve nearly reached the end of Term 1. It feels as though it has flown!
We were lucky to be able to celebrate St Joseph’s Day and Harmony Day in one last Wednesday. Students had a lovely time celebrating our patron saint, Saint Joseph the carpenter and foster father to Jesus. Students were able to participate in a variety of activities related to Harmony Day and St Joseph, watch a cultural movie called Lilo and Stitch and have a delicious feast prepared for them by some of the local families.
In Literacy over the last fortnight, Year 5 students have completed their NAPLAN testing. Students are continuing to practice their reading skills (accuracy, fluency, pace, intonation and phonemic awareness) daily in a variety of ways. Students have been learning about Italy and its influence all over the world during our shared reading practice. Students are continuing to challenge themselves on their phonemic awareness and knowledge of spelling rules through their Spelling Mastery program. In writing, students have been revising their knowledge of narrative writing through several writing tasks, including a story about a mysterious mushroom. Students have been working on proofreading and editing their work independently and using more challenging language and vocabulary in their writing.
In Maths, students have been revising their knowledge of 2D shapes, including location (flips, turns, angles) in degrees or fractional turns. We have looked at tessellating patterns, irregular shapes and tangrams. We are currently working on fractions, including reading, writing and naming fractions correctly with the correct terms, with the focus on equivalent fractions and how we calculate these.
If students could aim to read their readers four or more times a week, it would greatly benefit them.
I will be finishing at the end of Term 1 in preparation for the arrival of my new baby. Thank you all for your communication and support of the students, myself and the school. I look forward to returning after my leave.
NCCD Information
Wellbeing News
Reminder - Breakfast Club on a Tuesday and Thursday morning from 8.30am. During Term 2 we will start making warm Milo.
Container Deposit Scheme - we are collecting containers and they can be delivered to the Newsagent. Money raised goes to supporting our Breakfast Program. Just let Troy know they are for St Joes.
Fruit Break time: it is great to see so many children bringing along some fruit. We do have 2 different apple slicers that can assist with cutting up apples.
Have a great break and take care.
Mrs Wright
Tuckshop Price List
School Uniform Prices
Due to an increase in prices from our supplier, please note that some of our uniform prices have increased.
Sports shirts will be available in the next few weeks. There is one size on backorder and won't be in stock until May.
Orders are being taken for Jackets. Feel free to come into the office and try them on. We have one in every size as a sample.
St Joseph's School TV
This week we have a special report about navigating AI.
In today's world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives, including relationships. The rise of AI-powered romantic and companion bots is particularly popular among young people, offering a new frontier in human interaction. Initially emerging in the gaming world, AI companionship has evolved into mainstream culture, with apps providing personalised experiences that range from platonic friendships to romantic encounters. These apps allow users to create and interact with virtual partners, raising significant privacy and ethical concerns, particularly for younger generations.
Research highlights potential risks associated with AI companions, including the normalisation of inappropriate conversations and the possibility of grooming. Criminologists warn that children as young as 12 are accessing dating apps, often bypassing age restrictions, exposing them to sexual content and predatory behaviour. These interactions can blur the boundaries between real and virtual relationships, creating confusion and potential psychological harm.
Adolescents, in particular, may turn to virtual partners for validation, risking unhealthy emotional attachments that can affect their real-life relationships. These relationships often lack the mutual respect and effort required in real-world connections, which are crucial for personal growth.
As AI technology continues to shape social dynamics, it's important for us all to stay informed and involved. AI has the potential to enrich educational experiences and foster creativity, but it also poses challenges related to privacy, mental health, and misinformation. By maintaining an open dialogue and promoting a balanced approach, we can help young people navigate this new digital landscape, allowing them to benefit from AI's advancements while protecting them from its potential risks.
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.