Principal's Message
Dear families
Happy Halloween and Happy All Hallows' Day. People often ask about whether Halloween has a place in our schools. Jim Quillinan (local writer who has a long history with the Catholic Church) writes about the orgins of Halloween and I found it interesting, you might too:
Halloween can be fun for young and old. Some years ago, there was a lot of grumbling about importing this American custom but the smiles and laughter of
the children visiting the homes for Trick or Treat removed many a frown and silenced many a grumble (mine included)......
I wonder how many know the origins of this day? Halloween can be traced back to medieval Christianity. The word hallow is derived from the Middle and Old English words for holy. As a noun, it was also used for saint so All Saints' Day was also called All Hallows' Day. The evening before that feast day was All Hallows' Eve and that name eventually got shortened to Halloween. During the 4th century, in Rome celebrations honouring the Christian martyrs and saints were held on this day. Various popes over the centuries changed the date until Pope Gregory IV added All Saints' Day to the universal Christian calendar, officially extending the celebration from Rome to churches everywhere. November 2nd became All Souls’ Day on which we remember all those who have died and gone to their place of rest. For Pope Francis, the two celebrations, All Saints’ and All Souls', “remind us of the bond that exists between the earthly and heavenly Church, between us and our loved ones who passed on to the next life.”.......
Today it can be a controversial celebration – some see it as pagan, even promoting false beliefs,promoting a negative culture about death and the
dead, which is at odds with the Christian view. Others bemoan its heavy commercialisation. It can be all of that but it can also be a time for:
• Reflection and prayer as we recall the lives of those we call saints, we give thanks for their courage, their perseverance, their generosity, their example. In Pope Francis’ words: Remembering the Saints leads us to raise our eyes to Heaven: not to forget the realities of the earth, but to face them with greater courage and hope.
• Rejoicing in the goodness of creation, in the joy of being alive, in the gift of family, companions and friends.
• Giving thanks for those who have gone before. We believe that, in some way, we are still connected, still part of their lives and they ours. Pope Benedict wrote: “We believe that the ties of friendship and affection which knit us as one throughout our lives do not unravel with death.” It can be a reminder that we owe so much to those who came before us and Halloween invites us to pray for them, to give thanks for the gift they have been.
A prayer for Halloween Visits:
God of ancient times and God of our times, bless all
the people we will be visiting tonight.
May we be good news to them and may our visit
bring comfort, happiness and laughter.
As we celebrate this special Feast of All Hallows
God, the giver of hope, we trust in you,
and we give thanks for the faith, the hope and the
courage of those we call saints.
Fill us too with joy and peace, so that we may have a
living hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Taken directly from Halloween 'Along the Track' Jim Quillinan 2024
Father's Group
As a follow up to our Father's Day celebrations, Dr Chris Laming is going to run a Father's Group in the Parish Centre on Wednesday Nov 20th 5.30pm to 6.30. Gold Coin donation to cover the hot drinks. It's going to be called 'A Dad's Workshop' and you are welcome to bring a mate. The idea is to support Dad's in their very important role in our families. This workshop is open to all Dads in our community, not just school Dads.
Storytime
On Wednesdays we run Storytime for toddlers and parents. 9.15 to 9.45am. We only have two more Storytime sessions this year. The target audience is 4year old children and younger children are also welcome. We hope to see you at our last two Storytime sessions.
Learning Expo
On Thursday November 7th we will be hosting a 'Learning Expo' at school (please note the change of date). Each student will have a number of pieces of quality work on display. The Learning Expo will start at 2pm for the school classes to walk around and view each other's work. Families are invited to visit the school from 3.30 to 6pm and walk through our classrooms viewing the student's quality work. Our art work, music work and Japanese learning will be highlighted. The tiles that the students have painted in art classes, will also be unveiled each hour for viewing. We think this is a wonderful way to invite our families into the school and to showcase our work. We hope your family can join us sometime.
Lions Club Public Speaking
Lily Harvey represented our school at the Regional level of the competition on October 5th. Lilly did a particularly good presentation. She is pictured here with her certificate. Congratulations Lilly on your marvellous work.
School Reports
At St Joseph's school we believe working together with parents makes a big difference in our students' learning. Communication is a positive part of this relationship. We formally report student progress each term. Additionally, parents are very welcome to make an appointment to see their child's classroom teacher whenever they have a concern or wondering.
Term 1: Parent/Teacher conversations early in the year
Term 2: Written reports at the end of the term
Term 3: Parent/Teacher interviews (week 6)
Term 4: Written reports at the end of term
This term written reports will be available on PAM on Friday December 13th. Hard copy reports will be available on request.
School Fees Concession & CSEF (Camps, Sports, Excursions Fund)
Please find attached 2025 School Fees. If you have a Centrelink Concession Card (Health Care Card) which is valid now, you are eligible to apply for CSEF. Applying for CSEF also makes you eligible for the School Fees Concession Program. Please note that the office requires a copy of your concession card together with the completed forms. If you have any questions regarding CSEF and the school fees concession program, please do not hesitate to contact the office. We strongly encourage you to apply as you can receive significant financial help. Hard copy of forms are available at the school office if required.
New Gr 6 Student Leaders
We congratulate Remy Schelfhout and Collin Roff on being elected as our new Gr 6 Student Leaders. We look forward to your leadership.
Remember this weekend is the extra long weekend. There is no school on Monday or Tuesday.
May God continue to bless us in our learning.
Trish Mulqueen