PRINCIPAL'S NEWS

Miss Jaclyn is always busy keeping abreast of our socials and sharing the terrific things that are happening at our school.  

Here's a snippet of our Socials this week - check out the new Middles' Learning Space in the Portables!

Thank you Biagio for a brilliant summary of your new learning environment

https://www.facebook.com/reel/875898857897393

WELCOME BACK!

Welcome back to term three - and what a term it will be!  I would like to send out my most heartfelt gratitude to everyone for your support and understanding whilst we complete the roof restoration works.

Our middle students (as you can see in the Facebook snippet above) have settled beautifully into their new learning environment.  I would like to thank the parents who helped move furniture over the holidays, and the teachers who gave up a Saturday morning to set-up the classrooms. 

I would also like to thank the parents who are adhering to the Kiss and Go Zone parking regulations.  However, we still have a few cars left unattended and ask that you do not leave your car parked in this zone.  If you pull-up in the zone, Kate and I will direct your children to your car.  Please, for the safety of our children and the smooth movement of traffic continue to adhere to the parking regulation in place.

As mentioned in the 'Welcome Back Flyer' sent out last week, we will have a jam-packed term ahead.  We have organised quite a few extra-curricula activities for the children, so please make sure you check the 'Calendar' section of this newsletter for these important dates.  We have also purchased some new yard games to compensate for the smaller yard area this term, and we are using the courts at recess as well as lunchtimes in order to maximise play space. 

Grandparent's Day

This week we are celebrating Grandparent's Day at St Joseph's.  On Friday July 26 we invite all Grandparents and Special Friends to come into your grandchild/ren's class from 9:00am to do a special activity.  All Grandparents and Special Friends are then invited to gather at the Parish Centre (over the road on 'The Courts') for morning tea from 10am.

We will also be inviting Grandparents and Special Friends to attend a Mass on Sunday July 28 at 11am.  Our senior students will be hosting this Mass and will be preparing a special gift to give to all our 'special guests'.

School Fete

We are excited to announce that St Joseph's will be hosting a SCHOOL FETE this year! This will be our first fete in some time, as we have not hosted one since Covid restrictions. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, November 16, and will run as a traditional 'day' fete.

We look forward to a fun-filled day with plenty of activities, games, food stalls, and entertainment for the whole family.   This will undoubtedly be a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate.

To make this event a success, we are seeking volunteers to help coordinate various aspects of the fete.  There is a great deal of organisation that goes into a fete, and we will need many volunteers to ensure its success.  If you are interested in contributing your time and skills, please contact Olivia Triandos on 0408 369 184 or oliviatriandos@gmail.com,  or contact the school office.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

School Closure Day

The school closure day for this term will be on Friday August 16.  On this day the staff will be onsite and working on High Impact Teaching Strategies and further unpacking the new Vision for Instruction - Flourishing Learners initiative recently released by MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools).

Thornbury High Production - The Lion King Jr

On 31st July our students in grades 3-6 will travel to Darebin Arts Centre to watch Thornbury High School's performance of The Lion King Jr. 

General admission tickets are available for performances on 1st and 2nd of August by scanning the QR code or contacting the school on 9480 4066

Head Lice

We have had quite a few cases of head lice throughout the school, predominantly in the junior classes.  If you discover that your child has head lice please contact the school office so that we can inform other families to be cautious.  While I understand that this news is sometimes shared on WhatsApp groups, it is important that this information is also communicated directly to the school.

See the link below for more information about head lice.

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/head-lice-nits

Friday Market - funds raised

Our last Friday Market at the end of term 2 raised a whopping $1,015.45.  Thank you to the Junior Community for your preparation of the event, and the parent helpers who assisted on the day.

A portion of this money will go towards the resurfacing of the undercroft, and a portion to the Student Representative Council to purchase yard equipment.

School Concert 

The St Joseph's School Concert is booked for Thursday October 24.  The venue will be Thornbury Theatre in High St Thornbury.  Ms Jaclyn has begun rehearsals with our lead performers and each class as they prepare their performance.

More information about the concert will be shared at a later date.

Dance Club at St Joey's

This term we are offering the Kelly Sports Dance Programme 'All That Jazz', at lunchtime each Monday for children in grades prep-four. 

Given that 3rd term tends to be rather cold and wet, this provides a great opportunity for children to stay warm, stay active and learn a few dance moves!