Dear Parents and Carers,

Here we find ourselves again, at the end of another school term. The children (and staff) all seem to be ready for a break and I wish them all a restful time ahead. Hopefully, you will have an opportunity for some downtime with your children and that we are blessed with some warmer footy finals weather. Safe travels to those of you who are lucky enough to be getting away.

St Joseph's Annual Staff Conference

For the last two days the staff from St Joseph's School have been working collaboratively on the following topics:

My Story, Our Story

An exploration of the Josephite Charism

Facilitator: Mrs Anne Slingo - Xavier College, Kew

and

Building Learner Capacity

Student voice and agency

Learner dispositions

Metacognition

Facilitator: Ms Kathy Green (Australian Catholic University)

These were two outstanding days of Spiritual Development and Professional Learning. I am grateful to both Anne and Kathy for their professional presentations and facilitation. I am also very grateful to the staff for their level of buy in on both days. Despite the end of term, there was energy and enthusiasm in the room on both days and both presenters commented on the fantastic collaboration happening within the staff.

Staff Member of the Week

Special thanks to Mr Terry Foley for his work planning the first day of our Conference in his capacity as Religious Education Leader (REL). Terry Liaised with Anne Slingo from Xavier College and our St Joseph's Leadership Team to plan an excellent day of faith development and personal reflection. This was an opportunity for our staff to reflect deeply on their life experiences and, where they felt comfortable, share their reflections with the group. I am grateful for the safe space Terry fostered, where staff generously shared their thoughts on their personal stories of their lives.

Terry is commencing a Term's Long Service Leave as of this afternoon. He is looking forward to some travel, home improvements and relaxation. I know you will join with me in wishing Terry a fantastic break. Terry plans to join us to see his class graduate at the end of the year and will be at the End of Year Mass.

Staff Conference 2025 - Save the Date

Our Staff Conference for 2025 is scheduled for Thursday 3 and Friday 4 April. Please add this to your personal calendar to assist with planning for the care of your children at this time. You will find this and many of our 2025 dates already entered in our School Calendar. Please check this out to keep yourself updated with what's happening at St Joseph's School. We aim to provide you with a full listing of our pupil-free days for 2025 prior to the end of Term Four. I have not forgotten the challenge of juggling children around school closures when my two girls were young.

Term Dates - Term Four

Term Four Resumes for Staff and Students:

Monday 7 October

Term Four Pupil Free Days:

Monday 4 November - Cup Eve

Friday 6 December - Planning Day

Term Four Concludes (Students):

Tuesday 17 December - 3:00pm

Term Four Concludes (Staff):

Wednesday 18 December - 3:00pm

Classroom Requests for 2025

The people best placed to decide on the children's groupings and teacher placements for 2025 are the St Joseph's classroom teachers. They have built a deep knowledge of the children's academic capabilities and their social and emotional needs throughout 2024. I am grateful that the vast majority of parents leave the decision-making about this matter to the teachers.

However, there are times when parents may have some information that may be helpful to teachers when making decisions about this important matter. If you would like to share any thoughts regarding the placement of your child for 2025, please do so by emailing principal@sjyarrajunction.catholic.edu.au by Sunday 6 October. I will do my best to accommodate any reasonable requests that fit with the structure we establish. Please do not assume that the class structure will remain as it is this year. This is dynamic and responsive to enrolment numbers. Requests must come to me in order for me to ensure that they happen. Separate discussions with classroom teachers or LSOs will not be taken into account.

Parents do not need to request a group of friends for their child. The children will be given a chance to select a list of friends they would like to be placed with next term. We offer the children an absolute guarantee that they will be placed with a minimum of one child from their list.

When Term Four commences, we will begin the process of selecting the Year Level structure for 2025 and allocating children to classes and teachers. Once this process begins, the opportunity for parent input will have passed. If you have any thoughts to contribute, please do so before the October 6 deadline. There will be no changes made to classes once they have been decided. In the past, late changes can significantly destabilise the process and resulted in children missing out on the opportunity of being placed with a friend.

Do not assume that requests placed in previous year will still be considered current. Circumstances and relationships are quite dynamic so please communicate anything you wish to be considered prior to the commencement of Term Four.

Contact during the Holiday Period

Please reach out via email principal@sjyarrajunction.catholic.edu.au or Mobile 0425736305 if there is anything you need throughout the holiday period. I will be in and out of the office between Monday 23 and Thursday 26 September and again between Thursday 3 and Sunday 6 October. The school message bank will not be monitored during this time.

Please contact me for emergencies only between Friday 27 September and Wednesday 2 October as I will be on a family holiday at this time.

Go Cats!

Nick.