Dear Parents and Guardians,

It is hard to believe that we are already more than halfway through term two!

Students continue to be engaged in great learning in classrooms and teachers are currently preparing student semester one reports, and their assessments will show how students have demonstrated growth in their learning.

Prep 2026

Prep enrolments close at the end of this week. If you have a child to be enrolled for Prep 2026, l ask families to complete the enrolment form and hand it into the office as soon as possible. Families who have enrolled their child will have received an email inviting them to attend an interview in coming weeks.

Meeting with families individually provides us with the opportunity to get to know your child better. We want all our new preps to thrive academically, emotionally, and socially when their school journey begins. We know from experience that if children are not ready for school, they can really struggle and sometimes fall behind. When students are very young, they can often benefit from spending another year in kindergarten to strengthen their foundational knowledge, improve their social interactions, and enhance their readiness for the challenges of not only prep, but also the higher grade levels. This is not a reflection of children’s abilities or potential. On the contrary, it is a proactive measure intended to ensure that they have a solid foundation upon which to build their academic and social skills. If you have any questions about your child commencing school next year, please contact Michele.

Congratulations Year 3 students

Congratulations to all our Year 3 students who received the Sacrament of First Reconciliation last Friday at St Joseph the Worker Parish Church. Thank you to the MLA teachers, Rhoe, Chloe and Mary for supporting our students in their preparation and thank you to Kate for her support assisting teachers and students through her role as Religious Education leader. Thanks also to Fr Pritchard and Fr Jossy for their support of our students receiving this important sacrament.

Staffing Updates

It is with regret that I inform you that Imogen Rees and Chelsea Parsons have tendered their resignations. While we are saddened to see them leave, we are deeply grateful for the significant contributions they have made during their time with us. On behalf of our entire community, I extend my sincere thanks to both Imogen and Chelsea for their dedication and service. We wish them every success in their future endeavours.

We will formally acknowledge and thank Imogen and Chelsea at our final assembly on Thursday, 3rd July.

On a more positive note, I have recently conducted interviews for the Deputy Principal positions. Once reference checks are complete, I will be in touch with an update for the community.

Emergency Management Plan (EMP)

St Joseph the Worker has a comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (EMP) that addresses site specific hazards and threats which have the potential to result in emergencies and critical incidents which may occur. An important part of our plan is to test emergency response procedures by conducting regular drills. Last week we conducted a lockdown drill. We informed the students prior to the drill, and we were very happy with their practice!

Cyber Safety with Andrew Moreton

We are welcoming Andrew Moreton back to St Joseph the Worker on Friday 20th June. Andrew will be working with students from Years 1-6. Parents are also welcome to hear from Andrew. We will have a coffee van onsite for our parents from 8.30 am that morning, so please grab a cuppa and join Andrew in the hall for important information on how to keep your children safe when online. Parents in previous years who have participated in these sessions with Andrew speak positively about them and l encourage as many parents as possible to attend this informative session.

Cross Country

Today a number of students represented St Joseph the Worker Primary School at the Division Cross Country Championships at Bundoora Park. Congratulations to our students who participated today and gave their best in a strong competitive field of participants. Please read on for further updates about our students competing today.

Thank you to Rhoe, Cara and the parents who attended and supported our students on the day, with a special thanks to Cara for preparing our students so well.

School Absentee

Just a reminder that if your child is going to be absent from school, you must submit the Absentee eForm via Audiri. If your child is absent from school and you have not submitted an eForm, your child will be marked as unexplained, and you will receive an SMS notification about this.

We also ask that you avoid picking up your child early from school as this disrupts their learning. Early pickups should only be for an emergency or for an appointment that cannot be scheduled out of school hours. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Building Update

Our building works are progressing well, particularly around the basketball courts and running track. The basketball areas now has been covered in asphalt and we will have temporary line marking added in the next week or so. The final paint colour cannot be added until the weather warms up due to the requirement of a certain temperature so the top layer sets.

This is a very exciting time for our school community. Again, I want to thank our students for their continued patience and understanding as we complete these important improvements.

Year 4 Eucharist Preparation

Our Year 4 students are busy preparing for their First Eucharist on Sunday June 21st. Please keep these children in your thoughts and prayers for this important faith milestone.

MLA Camp

I am looking forward to attending MLA Camp next week with Rhoe, Cherrie, Chloe, Mary, Michael and Dermott. While we are away at Log Cabin Camp in Creswick, please see Jane or Kate if you have any concerns or questions.

Prayer for Reconciliation Week

Lord, we are companions on a journey

Only you Dear Lord

know the identity and depth of me

You know my hurts and pains

those frustrations I feel in this land

So please, I ask you take my hand

and comfort me

Reconcile and guide me in justice and in faith

Lord, set me free

and let me be the servant I want to be

Lord, I thank you

for hearing and understanding me

For Lord, You are always on my mind

and on my lips and in my heart

And there’s simply no other way

that it could be.

NATSICC © November 2004

Enjoy the rest of your week. We ask St Joseph the Worker to continue to bless and keep safe, our wonderful Parish and School Community.

Kind regards,

Maria Barnes

Principal

Important Dates for Term Two

Friday, June 6th School Closure Day

Please note MACSEYE will be operating onsite on Friday.

Monday June 9th is a public holiday for the King's Birthday

Tuesday 10th June and Wednesday 11th June - MLA Camp