A Message from the Principal 

Dear Families,

We are really enjoying a wonderful Term 4, with fantastic learning happening right across the school. The students are settled, focused, and working very well. There is still so much to look forward to before the end of the year, our Athletics Carnival, excursions and incursions, Carols, and of course, Year 6 Graduation. It is a busy and exciting time, so please keep an eye on the calendar to stay up to date with all the upcoming events.

Grandparents and Significant Others Morning

Last Friday, we had the pleasure of welcoming many grandparents and significant family members into our school. The school yard was buzzing with excitement as guests joined students and staff for a morning of shared learning and connection.

It was a wonderful opportunity for our visitors to experience the vibrant atmosphere of our school community. We are so grateful to everyone who visited and contributed to making the morning so special. 

Athletics Day 

Next Wednesday 4th November, students and staff will travel to Meadowglen International Athletics Stadium, 146 McDonalds Road, Epping for our School Athletics Day. All students are expected to attend as part of their Physical Education program, and we will be leaving school by bus no later than 9:00am and returning by 3.00 pm.

Students will need to wear their full sports uniform, including their hat, and bring a snack, drink bottle and lunch in a small backpack. While sunscreen will be provided, students are encouraged to bring their own, but NOT coloured zinc. In the interest of allergies, please do not bring lollies or food to share.

Just a quick reminder to families: photography of students other than your own child/children is not permitted at school events. This is to protect the privacy of all children and families, and to ensure that images are not shared inappropriately or without consent. Thank you for your understanding and support.

If the Athletics Carnival is cancelled due to wet weather, our regular school timetable will continue as normal. An Nforma notification will be sent to families as soon as a decision is made, so please keep an eye out for updates. 

Staffing Updates

As you are aware, Chloe Dewar will commence maternity leave on Friday, 13 November. We are delighted to welcome Olivia Barulovski to our school community, as she will be taking on the MLA 1 role for the remainder of the year.

Many of you will already know Olivia through her recent work at our school as a CRT, and we look forward to having her join our staff team. To support a smooth transition for our students, Olivia will work alongside Chloe next week before she begins her leave.

We thank Chloe for her dedication and contribution to our school and wish her and her husband, Mick, every happiness as they prepare to welcome their first child. We know this is a very special and exciting time for their family, and we send them our very best wishes.

SLA Camp at Lady Northcote

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to join our SLA staff and students at Lady Northcote Camp in Bacchus Marsh. It was a fantastic experience, filled with engaging activities, great food and plenty of opportunities to connect and have fun together.

A special thank you to Vivian, Natalie and Rosemary for their outstanding work organising and leading the camp. Their careful planning and commitment ensured a successful and enjoyable experience for everyone. Thank you also to Dermott, Cherrie and Mikalyla for their support and care of students throughout the camp.

Most importantly, our students were fabulous. They embraced every opportunity, demonstrated positive behaviour and represented our school with pride. While we may not have had a lot of sleep, it was a memorable and enjoyable few days for all involved.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the camp such a success.

Working With Children Check Updates

The safety and wellbeing of our students remains our highest priority. To further strengthen child safety across Victoria, several important changes to the Working With Children (WWC) Check have recently been introduced.

From October 2026, new measures include:

• WWC Connect, an online service that requires organisations to notify the Social Services Regulator (SSR) about workers and volunteers they engage to work with children.
• Mandatory child safety training for anyone applying for or renewing a WWC Check.

These changes build on reforms introduced in July 2026 that strengthened information sharing, risk assessment processes, and the powers of the SSR to take action where concerns arise about a person's suitability to work with children.

For our parent volunteers, this means that anyone who works or volunteers with children at the school will be required to complete the new mandatory child safety training as part of their Working With Children Check obligations. If you currently volunteer, or are intending to volunteer at school events, excursions, classroom activities or other programs, please be aware of this new requirement.

We are currently awaiting further clarification regarding the implementation of these requirements for existing volunteers and will provide families with more information as it becomes available.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain a safe and positive environment for all students.

2027 School Camp Program Update

After careful consideration and consultation with both MACS and staff, we have made the difficult decision that, from 2027, only students in our Senior Learning Area (SLA) will attend camp.

This decision has not been made lightly. School camps provide valuable opportunities for students to develop independence, resilience, teamwork and confidence. However, several factors have led us to review the long-term sustainability of our camp program.

The most significant factor is the increasing cost of camps, including accommodation, transport and staffing requirements. These rising expenses would result in substantially higher costs for families in 2027 and beyond. We are mindful of the financial pressures many families are already experiencing and have carefully considered how we can continue to provide meaningful experiences for students while remaining financially responsible. Many Catholic schools are also making similar decisions as they respond to rising costs and increasing financial pressures associated with delivering camp programs.

While we are disappointed to make this change, we believe it is the most appropriate decision at this time. Our SLA students will continue to have the opportunity to participate in camp, while students in other year levels will be provided with engaging learning experiences and special events throughout the year.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work to balance educational opportunities with the practical and financial realities facing schools today.

Building Project Update

It is an exciting time for our school as we continue to progress our building project. Staff from MACS, together with our architects at Sibling, are currently reviewing tender submissions for the development.

While this is a detailed process and will take some time before a final decision is made, it is another significant milestone for our school. Each step brings us closer to the construction of our new administration building at the front of the school, which will enhance our facilities and provide a welcoming entrance for students, families and visitors.

We look forward to sharing further updates with our community as the project progresses and are excited about the opportunities this development will bring for our school.

School Fees Reminder

Thank you to the majority of families who have finalised this year’s school fees. There are just a few accounts still outstanding, and I kindly ask that these be settled this week. If you would like to discuss your account, please contact Marisa.

Statements for outstanding fees and levies for 2026 have now been sent out. All outstanding amounts are due tomorrow, October 31st, unless you are paying via direct debit. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

School Uniform

The wearing of the correct school uniform is compulsory for all students. It is now time for all students to wear the correct summer school uniform. Students are required to wear their school hats in Term 4 while at school and are strongly encouraged to wear them when walking to and from school. l remind all families to ensure students have hats, especially next Wednesday at our Sports Day. With the UV index much higher this term, parents are encouraged to ensure that your child wears sunscreen too.

Happy World Teachers’ Day!

Tomorrow is World Teachers’ Day, a wonderful opportunity to recognise and appreciate not only our teachers, but all staff members for the important role they play in our school community.

I’d like to sincerely thank our staff for the incredible work they do every day in educating, nurturing, protecting, supporting, and growing the minds and spirits of our children here at St Joseph the Worker.

We celebrated yesterday with a special morning tea to acknowledge and give thanks for our dedicated and talented staff. Their commitment and care make our school a truly special place.

Before School Supervision – A Reminder

The safety and wellbeing of all our students is always our highest priority at St Joseph the Worker Primary School. We kindly remind families that staff supervision begins at 8:30 a.m. each morning.

We have noticed that some students are arriving at school before this time and are being left unattended. While we understand that mornings can be busy for families, we ask that students are not left at school prior to 8:30am, as staff are not on duty to supervise them.

If you arrive before 8:30 a.m, please remain with your child until staff supervision commences. Families requiring an earlier drop-off are encouraged to make use of our Before School Care service, MACSEYE. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and caring environment for all our students.

Prep Orientation 

We enjoyed seeing most of our 2027 Prep families at our second and final orientation session today. I was impressed by how well the students settled into the classroom environment and participated enthusiastically in all activities. It was wonderful to see their confidence, curiosity and willingness to engage with new learning experiences and friendships.

All students appeared ready for the excitement of starting school, and it was pleasing to see them already beginning to build connections with their peers and teachers. We are excited to have them join our school community in 2027.

School Closure Day – Friday 30th October

A friendly reminder, the school is closed tomorrow, Friday 30th October, for staff professional learning. Staff will be working together discussing how to embed our Positive Behaviours for Learning strategies as part of our commitment to nurturing calm, respectful and inclusive classrooms in which every student can thrive academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. 

Please note, that there will be no school next week, on Monday November 2nd and Tuesday 3rd November (Melbourne Cup Day).

Wishing everyone an enjoyable long weekend.

May St Joseph the Worker bless you and watch over you and your family at this time. 

Kind regards,

Maria Barnes

Principal

Prayer for the month of the Rosary

Loving God, 

during this month of the Holy Rosary,

help our family to make time for prayer.

Through the example of Mary,

teach us to trust in you,

to listen to your Word

and to follow Jesus with loving hearts.

As we pray the Rosary together,

we remember those who need our prayers,

those who are lonely, worried or unwell,

and all those who need your love and peace.

Mary, our Mother,

walk with our family and lead us always closer to Jesus.