Principal's Page
Dear Families,
Christmas is coming quickly! It is a busy time of year with end of year activities and planning for 2024 taking place. Advent begins this weekend. May you find time and space to prepare for the spiritual aspect of the Christmas season.
Fr John
Fr John's appointment as Parish Priest of St Mary's Star of the Sea Parish finishes on January 31st 2024. Fr John has been appointed to Camberwell for the first part of next year. Fr Angelo has been appointed Administrator of the parish for the next 12 months. I would like to thank Fr John for his support to me both personally and the school. His warm, friendly demeanour makes us all feel welcomed. It has been wonderful to have him so involved and supportive of the school community. We will miss his keen sense of humour.
Farewell and Thank You
Teresa Laird and Jenny Young will both be finishing at St Joseph's at the end of the year. Teresa has been at St Joseph's for thirteen years holding a variety of roles including being an LSO in the classroom, library technician and administration. In all her roles she has demonstrated an excellent work ethic with efficiency and dedication. It has been a pleasure working so closely with her and witnessing her patience and kindness.
Jenny has been at St Joseph's for six years. She has taught in the classroom as well as Performing and Visual Arts. She has brought creativity and brightness to her various roles. Jenny's contribution to the Arts program has been outstanding and has provided many students the opportunity to shine.
We wish both Teresa and Jenny all the very best for their retirements and look forward to hearing of their many adventures.
The School Bus
After over three decades O'Shannessy Tours will no longer be providing our school bus service. We thank Chris and Bernie for their generous support and efficient service in that time. Ventura Bus Lines will be our new provider and we will have a seat belted, air conditioned bus. The service will be similar to this year with only a slight variation in stops. This will be communicated to families before the end of the year. Families will need to complete a conveyancing form in order to catch the bus.
Parent & Friends Association
Family and Parent engagement will be a major focus next year. At the recent School Advisory Council Meeting it was discussed the need to rebrand, restructure and recruit for 2024. Please let my know via email if you would like to be a part of this process.
Swimming Week
The Prep - Year 4 students will be participating in an intensive swimming program each morning next week.Thank you to Jacqui Hayes, staff and parents supporting this important program.
Carols Night
Next Wednesday 6 December, we will be holding the annual Christmas Carol Evening. The evening will begin at 6:00pm and families are asked to bring along a picnic rug or deck chairs to sit on during the performances. Students are encouraged to wear Christmas colours. Families are invited to bring a wrapped gift for a child along. We will pass these onto for St Vinnies to distribute. An Operoo will be sent out with more details in the coming days.
Canteen
Thank you to our Year Six Canteen Leaders this year - Isabelle, Summer, Liam and Atlas. With many year levels out of the school this coming Friday, we will have our last day of canteen on Friday 8th December.
School Reports
Student Semester Two reports will be available on the nForma Portal from 4:00pm on Monday 11th December.
We wish all the Year 3/4 students a wonderful time at camp tomorrow and Friday. Families, don't miss them too much!
Have a great week,
Monica