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Newsletter 10, 26th June 2025

Principal's Report

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

This is the final newsletter for the term as Term Two concludes next Friday afternoon. The weather has been chilly, the rain welcome and some illness creeping in! It will be great to take time to recharge over the break and prepare for the new term.

Loving God,
As the days grow shorter and the air turns colder,
we thank You for the warmth of our school community,
for friendships that lift our spirits,
and for the learning that helps us grow.

Help us to stay strong as we approach the end of the term.
Give us the energy to finish the term well,
the patience to be kind to one another,
and the wisdom to see You in the quiet moments of each day.

May Your love be a light in the grey days of winter,
guiding our hearts with peace and hope.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Staff are busy working with all students to prepare some songs to share with the residents of the Nursing Home next week, including an Auslan signed traditional Aussie tune Home Among the Gum Trees. This will be a lovely community action to end the term! This week, we also welcome Sabellah McKean, who is undertaking work experience at St Joe's for two weeks. We hope Bella enjoys her time with us s much as the students are enjoying her company!

There is important information included below relating to enrolments for 2026, including a Learning Walk next Tuesday morning. Please encourage anyone with questions to come along and join the Learning Walk or to make contact with the school. It is important that we share all the wonderful teaching, learning and growing at St Joseph’s with the wider community.

The end of Term Two marks the conclusion of Semester One. Our end of semester reports will be available on PAM on Friday 4th July, 2025.

As Term Three commences, we welcome Mr Sean Lanyon to our school community. Mr Lanyon will teach in the Senior Room for the remainder of the 2025 school year. You can meet him below! In other school community news we congratulate Siju, Elizabeth, Johan & Julian on the arrival of a precious daughter and sister – Jessica Elizabeth. Many blessings to your family.

Many thanks to all our families, for the on-going support of St Joseph’s School; for having students in correct uniform, snacks and lunches prepared and students well rested for school each day. A reminder that we welcome and encourage open communication between staff and families. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me, or your child’s classroom teacher, with any questions or concerns.

Best wishes for an enjoyable holiday when the time arrives next Friday.
Term two conludes at 2:30pm next Friday 4th July. Stay warm!

Warm regards in faith & learning,
Mary 💚💛

Important Dates

July 1st - Learning Walk at 9:30am
July 3rd - visit to the Nursing Home
July 4th - PJ Day; End Term Two - Dismissal at 2:30pm

July 21st - Term Three commences
July 25th - Grandparents Day - Mass at 9:30am; class visit & morning tea
July 29th - 100 Days of Prep Celebration
August 14th - Calder Athletic Sports Day Charlton
August 19th-22nd- Mrs Hogan attending the National Catholic Education Conference
August 20th - Book Week dress up day
September 18th - End Term Three for students
September 19th- Staff professional learning - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives

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.
Friday 19th September - Staff professional learning - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives
Monday 27 October - Staff professional learning - Structured Literacy

DOBCEL Strategy to 2035

Congratulations Patrick

On Monday morning we had some special visitors to the senior classroom - Mr. And Mrs Freeman and Mr McGillivray - representing the local RSL Branch. The Grade 6 students had completed a writing task about what Anzac Day means to them. Each student was presented with a certificate of participation. Congratulations to Patrick Winslade for being the overall winner! We also extend a big thank you to the RSL for taking the time to be involved with the students in an exercise such as this. Congratulations to each of the Grade 6 students for their excellent entries. Well done!

Last day of Term Two

Welcome Mr Lanyon

We look forward to welcoming Mr Sean Lanyon to our St Joseph's School community in Term Three. Mr Lanyon will teach the Grade 4/5/6 Class for the remainder of the 2025 school year.

Learning Walk next Tuesday

Join me for a Learning Walk! we will visit all classrooms and see St Joe's in action. Come along and have your wonderings or questions answered. See information below.

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/

Semester One Reporting

Semester One Formal Reports will include:

School Values Table
Level of attainment in the form of a dot on a continuum for the learning areas explicitly taught in Semester One and in accordance with the Victorian Curriculum Achievement Standards:

Religious Education
English (Reading & Viewing, Writing, Speaking & Listening)
Mathematics
Technologies
Humanities
Capabilities (Ethical, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking and Intercultural)
Health & Physical Education
Visual Arts & Dance
Science
Auslan

Comments to celebrate your child’s achievements, in relation to their Mathematics English and in general
Statement outlining what has been taught and learnt in Auslan
Suggestions about what you can do at home and what the school will do to offer additional support to students
Students’ own comments

**Please note – the reports of students who work from a Personalised Learning Plan may look slightly different as individual goals are reported on.

**You can check your child's attendance rate at the bottom of the school report. Research tells us that attendance rate has a significant impact on student outcomes. Please read information below.

Attendance –Every Day Counts!
The Department of Education and the Victorian Catholic Education Authority identify the following breakdown for attendance: Regular attendance: when a student attends school for 95% or more of the time.
At risk for Chronic Absenteeism: attending 90-95% of the time.
Chronic Absenteeism: attendance of 90% or less.
Chronic Absenteeism can have serious and lasting effects on a student’s learning, wellbeing, and future opportunities, including academic struggles, lower engagement and social and emotional impacts. I encourage all parents to ensure your child is attending school each day, unless they are sick, as attendnce really does matter!

Our end of semester reports will be available on PAM on Friday 4th July, 2025.

Students of the Week

2025 Non-Government Schools Census Collection Notice

Each year at the end of February and the end of August, all schools take part in a Census. Following is the Census Collection Notice. You do not have to do anything, this is just for your information.

Foundation/1 Class Report

Welcome to Week 10!

The junior room has enjoyed being back into routine and being able to stay warm in the classroom.

We have been focusing on the sounds ‘g’ and ‘j’ and the digraphs ‘ai’ and ‘ay.’

In Numeracy, the Foundation students and learning about 5 and 10 frames and the Grade 1s focus has been duration - learning about the seasons and how many days in each month.

Inquiry has been all about ‘How Things Grow’. We potted our own wheatgrass seeds and the students were very intrigued watching them grow and sprout each day.

In Sport, the students have been participating in games which involve being a good sport. All the students have done a great job learning skills around inclusion, being a team player and encouraging the other team, win or lose.

I hope everyone enjoys their holidays with family and friends.

Katie Brown

Grade 2/3 Class Report

Hello Families,

It’s been a busy and exciting time in our 2/3 classroom with lots of learning and creativity happening to end the term!

Literacy
In Literacy, students have been exploring different spelling combinations that can make the same sound - a tricky but important part of learning to read and write! We’ve also been practising word chains, where one sound in a word is changed to make a new word (like chip – ship – slip). It’s been a great way to stretch our thinking! We’ve recently started a new focus text all about the Earth and its resources, which has sparked some fantastic discussions about looking after our planet.

Numeracy
In Numeracy, students have been working like real data scientists! They’ve enjoyed collecting and displaying data in fun and engaging ways, including interviewing and surveying their peers. A big thank you to the 4/5/6 class and Mrs Wright, and the F/1 class and Ms Brown for being such willing participants! Students gathered information on favourite colours, sports, and subjects, and presented their findings using tally charts and bar graphs.

Auslan
Our Auslan learning continues to be a highlight, with students picking up new signs each week and always keen to practise with their friends. Their enthusiasm and confidence when sharing signs with others is wonderful to see - great job, everyone!

Art
In Art, we’ve been looking at different artists and drawing inspiration from their work. Students have created bold, eye-catching pieces using thick outlines, vibrant colours, and simple, effective designs. The creativity on display has been outstanding – well done to all our artists!

Miss Thompson

Grade 4/5/6 Class Report

Congratulations to Daniel and Flynn for receiving Star of the Week. Well done.

In class we have started to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We are also watching the movie as a reward for the hard work the students have been dong this term.

On Monday 23rd June we had Mr McGillivray, Mr & Mrs Freeman from the RSL visit our classroom to present a writing award to the Year 6 students. The topic was on 'What does ANZAC Day mean to me?" The winner of the award is Patrick Winslade. Congratulations Patrick on winning this award.

We are continuing to learn Auslan via zoom. We have been revising all words we have learnt so far. The students have been enjoying using sign language as our morning greeting.

During Literacy we continue to revise our writing. Looking at punctuation, spelling, paragraphs and making sure our stories flow.

During Numeracy we have been looking at division. We will finish the term off with some revision of topics.

Mrs Wright

St Joseph's School TV

SPECIAL REPORT
Celebrating NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement, and on Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney to highlight the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

This protest was one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world and was known as the 'Day of Mourning'. This later became 'Aborigines Day', and in 1955, it was decided that it should become a positive celebration of Aboriginal culture, heritage and achievement, rather than a protest.

Today, celebrations consist of range of traditional and contemporary activities. There are many gatherings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people coming together to celebrate and share with non-Aboriginal people the strengths of its First Nations People. This important event helps build positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, enabling a deeper understanding of our differences and similarities. NAIDOC week is an opportunity for all Australians to eliminate bias and discrimination by reflecting and reconciling the wrongs of the past to facilitate hope and build a fairer future.

It is important for children and teens to have an understanding that we do not need to assimilate into one culture in preference over others. Difference is a great thing and our society can only benefit from a range of world views and experiences. This Special Report offers caregivers suggestions on how to celebrate ‘NAIDOC Week’.

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.

19 Aug	NO Buses All day

19 Sep	School Closure - Staff PD Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Perspectives All day

27 Oct	School Closure - Staff PD Structured Literacy All day