Dear Families,

I recently attended the Australian Catholic Education Conference in Cairns. I listened to many thought provoking and inspiring speakers, including well known educationalists to students from local schools, who spoke on faith, excellence and access. The conference reaffirmed the vital role of student voice in shaping meaningful educational experiences and emphasised the importance of strong partnerships with families. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly present in our lives, schools must continue to be spaces that foster critical thinking, a sense of belonging, and the creation of uniquely human contributions.

A key theme was the need to prepare students for life—not just for standardised tests. As the educational landscape evolves, so too must our approaches to learning, curriculum, and instruction. It is imperative that we reimagine education to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

School Athletics Carnival

What a wonderful community event today was. Students displayed enthusiasm, sportsmanship and great skills. Congratulations to Bunurong for winning the day. Thank you to Mrs Jenny Todd for preparing the students and organising the day. Thank you parents for your assistance. In particular Jessie, Sasha, Giulia, Sophie M and Steven for assisting with setting up early this morning. It would not have been able to take place without you.

Gymstars Competition

Congratulations to the fifty students who represented St Joseph's at the Gymstars Competition held in Knox last Tuesday. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students. Thank you to Mrs Jenny Todd for organising this experience and for preparing the students. Thank you to all parents and staff who assisted during the program and on the day, including Angela who organised the striking uniforms.

Lunch Orders

Please find the link for ordering lunch orders for Wednesday below. Orders need to be in by 12:00pm for the following day.

Order form

Staff on leave

Vicki Stirling will be on long service leave for the last three weeks of this term. Jacqui Hayes is on long service leave for the last two weeks and Sarah Connolly for the last week.

Book Week Celebrations

Books are an important part of our lives as well as being a wonderful source of entertainment and information. They provide us with many benefits. Thank you to Mel McFayden for oganising some wonderful activities to celebrate Book Week including the book character parade and illustrator Richard Galbraith who shared his talent, expertise and passion with the students. Thank you for the thought, creativity and effort you put into costumes.

Term Three Closure Day

Thank you for your support last Monday. Staff had an extremely productive day learning about an assessment program called Elastik, the reciprocity of Reading and Writing, writing instruction, before planning in teams.

Second Hand Book Stall

The FIRE Carrier Student Leaders are holding a second hand book stall on Wednesday 3rd September. Books will be priced between $1 - $5.

Learning Conferences

Learning Conferences will take place this Tuesday 2nd and next Wednesday 10th September. Teachers of Specialist Programs will be available for you to meet also. They will be situated in the Science Learning Area. There is no need to make an appointment just catch them before or after you see the class teacher.

Father's & VIPs Breakfast and Stall

Father's Day is fast approaching. We invite all our Dads and Very Important People to an Egg & Bacon Breakfast on Friday 5th September beginning at 8:00am. Our Father's Day Stall will be held on Thursday 4th September. Gifts will be priced between $2 - $10.

Lions Quiz

Congratulations to Indie, Clarke and Zara for representing St Joseph's at the Lion's Quiz last week. They answered over forty five spelling, Mathematics and general knowledge questions. Good luck for the final this coming Thursday.

National Child Protection Week.

We take Child Safety seriously at St Joseph's. Child Safety Standards are compulsory minimum standards in Victoria, Australia, requiring organisations working with children to embed child safety into their culture, leadership, and practices to prevent and respond to child abuse. These 11 standards cover aspects such as empowering children, respecting diversity, ensuring suitable staff, and providing safe environments, with organisations needing to have clear policies, training, and reporting processes in place.

Students will participate in a range of activities during National Child Protection Week and is one way we embed the Child safety Standards.

MACSSIS Survey

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS): Monday 1 September – Friday 19 September 2025

As part of compliance with regulatory guidelines, schools are expected to engage with, and gather feedback from, their communities as part of their school improvement cycle. We view MACSSIS as a positive opportunity for gathering feedback and engaging communities in ongoing school improvement efforts. Staff, Year 4 - 6 students and families all complete the surveys. Some of the initiatives in our Annual Action Plan from last year's data included student engagement. All families will receive an email containing a link to the survey on Monday. The survey is open for the last three weeks of term. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

The next fortnight @ St Joseph's

Mon 1. School Athletics Carnival

Tues 2. Learning Conferences

Wed 3. Second hand Book Stall

Thurs 4. Father's Day Stall

Fri 5. Father's & VIP Breakfast

Mon 8. Assembly

Wed 10. School Advisory Council

Learning Conferences

Fri 12. District Athletics (Yr 4 - 6)

Year 6 run canteen

Have an enjoyable week. Please let me know if I can assist you in anyway.

Many thanks,

Monica

moshannassy@sjsorrento.catholic.edu.au

For Your Calendar

September

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