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Welcome to Term 4.
Last week we were privileged with a visit from the Trafalgar CFA. A team of firefighters arrived on two fire trucks. The students listened as the firefighters explained the work and tools of their job. The students had the opportunity to use the strong fire hoses and they were able to climb safely onto the fire truck and enjoyed pretending to be firefighters. And, of course, what’s a CFA fire truck visit without the sounding of the ‘fire siren’ at the end? The students were appropriately startled and alarmed (and a little excited at the same time).
The visit was educational and served to promote the Junior Fire Brigade Program.
We warmly welcome the Harte family (parents Janelle & Anthony) to our school. Pictured below are Charlie and Jack and they are in Gr 2. We hope you feel especially welcome at our school.
Lions Club Junior Public Speaking Competition
Congratulations to Liana Eerhard who last weekend won the District Semi Final Competition. She delivered her speech confidently and competently. Liana will go onto compete at the District level later in the year. You should be very proud of your efforts Liana and we wish you all the best at the District level.
Gr 3 and 4 camp
This year, as a one time special, we are able to offer the students in Gr 3 and 4 a free camp to Allambee. The camp will take place in week 10, leaving on Monday December 5th and returning on Wednesday December 7th. We are able to fund the camp through the Positive Start Government Program which was established post COVID and aims to give students opportunities to make up for the lost opportunities during COVID times. As I said, this is a one time opportunity and we are very grateful to Imelda and Roman Cathomen for making this opportunity happen for us. We will be sharing Allambee Camp with St Joseph's Primary School in Korumburra. The scheduled cost of the camp was charged to your school fee account at the beginning of the year and now will be reimbursed to your account so that there is no cost for the camp. More information is available to the families on PAM.
There is a new Agreement for teachers that addresses a number of workload issues and it specifically covers school camps. We appreciate that the students (& teachers) will be especially tired after camp and are asking families, if they can, to keep their child home for a rest day on Thursday December 8th. This will enable staff to have a rest day as well and give them the time in lieu that they are now entitled to. If however your child needs to come to school that day we will of course accommodate them in another classroom as the Gr 3 and 4 teachers will be home. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
Swimming
We ran a particularly successful swimming program in the last week of Term 3. Thank you Taryn for organising this and thank you to the swimming instructors at Warragul Leisure Centre who taught a great program. Our swimming program costs $70 to run including buses there and back, and five 45 minute lessons held consecutively from Monday to Friday. This cost is added to your school fees at the beginning of the school year. When we organise the program the Leisure Centre staff use our student numbers to organise swim instructors and groups. It makes it especially difficult if your child chooses not to swim or is unable to swim on some of the sessions. If you child has missed one, two or three sessions then unfortunately you will still need to pay the full cost of the program. If your child has missed all the sessions then you will be reimbursed. I trust that you can understand this situation.
Grandparents Prayer Service (please note change of date)
Remember there are 11 NEW Child Safe Standards that schools need to comply with. In the newsletter we have been explaining each standard. In this newsletter we address Child Safe Standards 6 & 7.
Child Safe Standard 6
This standard focuses on ensuring that people who work with children and young people are suitable and supported to act in a child safe way. At St Joseph’s we make child safety and wellbeing a key consideration when recruiting staff and volunteers. Selecting suitable people to work with children is vital to protecting children from harm. At St Joseph’s we employ robust recruitment and screening practices in accordance with DOSCEL policies and guidelines including the necessary checks (Working With Children Checks), reference checks, qualifications, history. The school’s Child Safety policy and Codes of Conduct are highlighted and often referred to. The school employs appropriate induction processes for staff and volunteers. Procedures for managing complaints and concerns related to child abuse are made clear on the website and on the electronic sign in register.
Supervision and people management in our school is focused on child safety and wellbeing. Child Safety is a regular agenda item on staff and School Advisory Committee meetings. Child Safety is regularly addressed in the school newsletter.
Child Safe Standard 7
This standard focuses on ensuring that schools have complaints processes that are child-focused, culturally safe and accessible to everyone. St Joseph’s school has policies and practices in place to handle complaints from parents and students. These complaints are taken seriously and responded to appropriately and confidentially.
At St Joseph’s school we encourage students to raise concerns with a trusted adult if anything makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe. We explicitly teach the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships Program (RRRR) at school which helps students to feel empowered in keeping themselves safe. Support services like Kids Help Line are talked about.
At St Joseph’s school we regularly address transparent and open procedures for responding to child abuse and we support staff and volunteers to participate in building a child-focused environment.
St Joseph’s School highlights that ‘CHILD SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY’.
Next week, on Thursday October 20th we will be hosting a 'Learning Expo' at school. 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 big cow that we have painted will also be unveiled each hour for viewing. We think this is a wonderful way to invite our families back into the school and to showcase our work. We hope your family can join us sometime.
Our art teacher, Ms Kathy Grass, won the Best Exhibit Felting in the Royal Melbourne Show and she was also awarded First in Needle Felting for her 3D needle felting piece entitled 'Critical'. Please see the two giraffes in her artwork below. The two giraffes have been entirely created using the needle felting technique and the background is wet and needle felted. The sun is setting on many of our amazing and unique megafauna. The giraffe is one such creature. Kathy said "Through our art we can create discussions and initiate change. I created Nubian giraffes; Jabari (brave one) and his daughter, Abiba (the beloved one), to portray their elegant beauty and grace and to remind us that as humans we must work together to ensure the survival of all of the precious fauna and flora in our world."
Congratulations Kathy on your work in the Royal Melbourne Show. We are especially proud of you and feel very privileged to have you teaching our students in our school. How lucky are we !
Trivia Night & Auction Night
Tickets are now on sale through CDFpay for this fun and entertaining evening at Trafalgar Bowls Club on Friday 4th November at 7.15pm. Andrew Deak from 3GG will be hosting the trivia event and we will be auctioning authentic AFL memorabilia and other items. Tickets are $25 per head or $200 for a table of 8 which includes entertainment and nibbles. Invitations are extended to family and friends. Tickets are selling fast, there are only a few tables left. So if you want to go, act quickly to book. We are still sourcing donations from families or community businesses to auction on the night. If you would like to donate something, please contact Narelle Jamieson.
Colour Fun Run & Colour Slime Spectacular!
Mia Scanlon from You & Mia Fitness and our committee are organising a fantastic colour fun run at school on Friday 11th November from 2pm – 3.30pm. Children will be sponsored to raise money and there will be prizes for classes and students who raise the most money. Also, the student who raises the most money will get to slime our Principal Mrs Mulqueen and/or have a special lunch with Trish and the leaders!! We are seeking volunteers to come along and join in on the fun! Please help support your children raising funds towards our new outdoor playground.
These plans may yet be put on hold due to the oval being so wet. More information will come out soon about how students can get sponsorship from family and friends.
2023
March
Thurs 16th Reconciliation Parent & Child Workshop
Warragul 4pm or 7pm
Fri 17th AFL clinic (all classes)
3. Interest Based Learning
Mon 20th St Joseph's Feast Day Prayer Service church 3pm
Tues 21st School Athletics Carnival
Wed 22nd Storytime 9.15am
School Advisory Committee 5.30pm
Fri 24th AFL clinic (all classes)
4. Interest Based Learning Program
3pm Lenten Prayer Service in church
Mon 27th Gr 6 Young Leaders Day Melbourne
Tues 28th & Wed 29th Life Ed Program Healthy Harold
Wed 29th Sacrament of Reconciliation 6pm church
Fri 31st 5. Interest Based Learning Program
April
Mon 3rd Easter Carnival 3.30 to 5pm at school
Wed 5th Last day of Term 1.
Easter Dramatization in church 2.30pm
School finishes 3.30pm
Thurs 6th Pupil Free day. Staff Professional Learning
Fri 7th GOOD FRIDAY
Mon 24th HOLIDAY
Tues 25th ANZAC DAY holiday
Wed 26th First Day of Term 2
May
Mon 22 to 26 Catholic Education Week
June
Tues 6th Andrew Chinn (music composer) visit & concert
Mon 12th King's Birthday Holiday
Wed 21st Last day of term 2 for students
Thurs 22& Fri 23 Staff PD days in Melbourne (student free days)