Dear Parents and Guardians,

I cannot believe how quickly the weeks are passing, and we are already over halfway through term one already! The students have been working very hard, and I am very impressed with their engagement in learning. I would also like to commend our students on their pleasing behaviour and manners, and for always working together to ensure that everyone is safe and able to learn.

At St Joseph the Worker, we always have so much to be grateful for, and we are looking forward to the many more learning opportunities and celebrations coming up this term.

Thank you

Special thanks to our wonderful P&F for organising our welcome event on Tuesday 25th February. We had a wonderful evening, with many families catching up with friends in our community. Thank you to the Nalder family for donating our new school barbeques. We all enjoyed the sausages on the night and greatly appreciate all the parents who supported with setting up, organising the food and cooking our barbeque. It was fabulous seeing the students enjoy the wonderful magic show, bubble maker and the entertainer from Hoop Sparx. A wonderful evening for everyone and our thanks again to our P&F.

Welcome Fr Jossy

Last Wednesday, we met and welcomed Fr Jossy Kizhakkethalackal to our community of St Joseph the Worker. Fr Jossy celebrated Ash Wednesday mass with our school and members of our community. Fr Jossy was very engaging with our students and encouraged them to make time to pray every night, follow our hearts and be better and always try to improve, especially during Lent. It was lovely to meet Fr Jossy and we look forward to working with both Fr Jossy and Fr Pritchard in the future.

School Open Day ~ 2026 Prep Enrolments

Our Prep enrolments are officially open for new families. We had a tour with potential families last week and again welcomed more families on Tuesday. It is always a pleasure leading potential families around our school, and our students having the opportunity to talk about what they love about St Joseph the Worker Primary School. I encourage families who have a child they wish to enrol for next year, to submit an enrolment application as soon as possible.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. NAPLAN began yesterday for students in Years 3 and 5 and continues to Friday March 21st. Parents with a child in year 3 or 5 received a detailed letter about NAPLAN.

NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents to see how their child is progressing against national standards. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

Items and toys from home

We recommend that students never bring anything precious or valuable to school. Items brought from home can become a distraction in the classroom. On occasion, they may bring something for show and tell and such items are best kept safe with the teacher, not taken into the yard.

Parent Volunteer & Classroom Helper Course

In coming weeks, we will be holding our parent volunteer and classroom helper session for any parent who would like to assist as a volunteer in classrooms, incursions or at school events. Attendance is compulsory as all volunteers must complete sessions on Child Safety and the updated Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools Code of Conduct. Parents who would like to assist in fundraising events, assist in the library or assist on excursions or are a member of our School Advisory Council are required to complete this course.

The Code applies to all people who carry out work in any capacity for MACS, and applies to MACS board directors, board committee members, employees, volunteers, consultants, contractors and School Advisory Council members (‘staff’). Please note that Child safety is a core priority, with the care, safety, and wellbeing of children and young people being fundamental to all actions. This commitment is inherent in the teachings and mission of Jesus Christ, emphasizing love, justice, and the sanctity of each person.

Further information will be shared with families shortly.

Working With Children Checks

The Working with Children Check (WWC) is a screening process for assessing or re-assessing people who work with or care for children in Victoria.

It is important to ensure that your WWC is current and up to date to be able to assist in our school when volunteers are permitted. Visit https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/ to update, renew or apply for a card.

Once you have received a new card, please take a photo of your card and email it to the school office: michele.hides@sjwreservoirnth.catholic.edu.au

3-Way Conversations

Our 3-way conversations are scheduled for Thursday, 3rd April and Friday, 4th April.

On Thursday, 3rd April, students will be dismissed at normal time of 3.15pm with 3-way conversations beginning at 3.30pm and concluding at 6.30pm. 3-way conversations will resume on Friday, 4th April at 8.30am and conclude at 12.45pm.

Please note, Theircare will be running as per normal schedule on Thursday and will be available on Friday.

Lent – Unite against Poverty

As the season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday, it also marks the beginning Caritas Australia’s annual Project Compassion Appeal.

The theme of Project Compassion 2025 is ‘Unite Against Poverty’, because together we can take action to make a lasting difference!

By donating to Project Compassion, Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, can work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

Each class has a Project Compassion box for their donations, or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion

MACSEYE at St Joseph the Worker

On Wednesday, 23rd April MAYSEYE will become our new Out of School Hours Care provider. I have included further information from MACSEYE that l received today and will be meeting with the MACSEYE team next Tuesday. If parents have any questions regarding our transition to MACSEYE, please email them to me and l will share these at our meeting. Please read on in our newsletter for further information regarding MACSEYE.

Introducing Bishop Rene Ramirez

Following their episcopal consecrations as auxiliary bishops on Saturday 1 February 2025, Bishop Rene Ramirez RCJ now serves as Bishop for the Northern Region of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, and Bishop Thinh Nguyen as Bishop for the Eastern Region.

Bishop Ramirez is pictured above. He will now be responsible for Confirmations in our Parish and we look forward to both meeting him and working with him in the future.

Bishop Rene Ramirez, born on 28 March 1969, hails from Gapan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, a city located 90 kilometres north of Manila. He has been a priest since June 1998, after completing 13 years of seminary formation and joining the Congregation of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus in May 1985. His first assignment as a priest was as the Vocation Director for his congregation in the Philippines.

From 1999 until early 2003, Fr Rene later served as Administrator, Treasurer and Vice Rector at Rogationist College in Cavite City whilst completing a Master's in Educational Management at De La Salle University in Dasmariñas City. He then moved to Rome in 2003 to complete his Licentiate studies in Spirituality and earn a Diploma in Social Communications from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Upon returning to the Philippines in 2006, he was appointed Director of Social Communications and Spiritual Director for the seminary students of philosophy at Rogationist Seminary College in Parañaque City, where he also taught. From 2009 to 2015, he served as the Superior of St Hannibal Rogate Centre, which included the Communications Office, the Provincial House and the House for Rogationist Late Vocation Seminarians.

In Australia, Fr Rene became the pastor of Holy Family Parish in October 2015, overseeing the Catholic communities of West Footscray, Maidstone and Braybrook within the Archdiocese of Melbourne. We look forward to working with Fr Bishop Ramirez in the future.

May St Joseph the Worker continue to bless and watch over everyone in our community.

Kind regards,

Maria Barnes

Principal

Lent will be a great time in this year of prayer to rediscover the value of prayer as well as doing our best to work for justice, peace, love and charity. With our Lenten prayer let us create unity and harmony with one another and be ready to deepen our sense of being true and sincere followers of Jesus Christ. Our prayers are expressions of trust in God who is with us always. May this year 2025 ‘The Year of Hope’, help us to be a united community and Pilgrims of Hope.

A Lenten Prayer

Loving God, you are with us always.

Bless us as we travel on this Lenten journey.

Bless our minds so that we may think of you. Show us how to think of others.

Bless our eyes so that we may see the good things in our lives.

Bless our ears so that we may hear your word and truly live it.

Bless our hands so that we may be willing to help and support others.

Bless our feet so that we may be willing to walk in another’s shoes.

Bless our hearts so that we may know your love and show it to others.

Amen