PRINCIPAL'S NEWS

Miss Jaclyn is always busy keeping our socials up to date and sharing the terrific things happening at our school.

It is wonderful to be back at school after my Long Service Leave!

I had an absolutely wonderful time travelling through Ireland, Scotland and London with my husband, followed by a few days in Singapore for a much-needed reset before returning home. It was a fantastic opportunity to explore, recharge and enjoy some quality time away.

While it is always lovely to have a break, it is equally wonderful to be back with our students, staff and families. I have certainly missed the energy and buzz of our school community!

Term 4 is always a busy one, with so much happening across the school as we head towards the end of another year. I am looking forward to settling back in, reconnecting with everyone and enjoying all that this final term has to offer.

It is great to be back — I look forward to seeing you all around the school!

🎉 Final Call for Parent Helpers!

We are making a final call for parent helpers for our upcoming Fete!

A huge thank you to all the families who have already volunteered your time and support. We really appreciate it. However, we desperately need a few more volunteers to help us make the day a success.

We are still looking for help with:

• 📚 Manning the Trash and Treasure and Book Stall – even an hour or two would make a huge difference.  We need volunteers to price goods and set the table up on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning, and then to 'man' the stall on the day.
• 🏗️ Setting up – helping to get everything ready before the Fete.
• 🎟️ Rides/Games Tickets – Tickets for the rides and the 'games' are available from the office NOW...  please purchase tickets. Every ticket sold helps!
• 🔨 Silent Auction – a reminder to families to check out the fantastic items available and get your bids in.
• 💧 Bottles of Water – if families are able to donate bottles of water for the day, we would be very grateful.

Every helping hand makes a difference. 

You don't need to commit to the whole day – even an hour of your time will be greatly appreciated.

Please get in touch if you can lend a hand. We really need your support to make our Fete a fantastic day for our students and community!

Thank you, as always, for your generosity and support. ❤️

2027 CLASS PREFERENCES 

It’s amazing that we are once again at the time of year when we are beginning our discussions for structures for 2027.  An important component of this is the regrouping of our classes. 

When determining new classes, we consider the following: 

❏ a balanced number of students with social, emotional and academic needs 

❏ an appropriate mix of student role models and class leaders 

❏ a balanced number of boys and girls 

❏ student friendship circles. 

Please make an appointment with me if you wish to discuss any concerns you may have that may impact your child/children’s class placement for next year. This may include particular social nuances with other students or any other extenuating circumstances. 

Please be aware that this is not an opportunity for ‘teacher shopping’ or to discuss a preference for a teacher, but rather an opportunity to share genuine concerns about your child’s learning environment for 2027.  I am currently finalising the staffing schedule for 2027 and will share this with you once it has been confirmed.

If you are not intending to return to St Joseph’s in 2027, please contact the office as soon as possible

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️SCHOOL SPORTS DAY

Date: Friday 23 October

We’re excited for our upcoming Sports Day, which will be held at George Knott Reserve. Please note the following arrangements for drop-off and transport.

Morning Drop-Off

All children must be dropped off directly at George Knott Reserve in the morning.  The school will not be transporting students to the venue by bus.

Teachers will be at the ground to welcome students and mark the roll as they arrive.

Afternoon Pick-Up

At the conclusion of Sports Day, we ask that children be collected directly from George Knott Reserve at 2:15pm.  A consent form will be sent out in the next day or so - please complete the consent form and detail how your child will be collected.  In extreme circumstances, if you are unable to collect your child from the venue, we will have one bus available to ferry children back to school.

Please ensure you take note of these arrangements to help the day run smoothly. 

Also, if you are able to assist on the day, please contact Pierce - prooney@sjnorthcote.catholic.edu.au 

Thank you for your support – we look forward to a fantastic day of fun and physical activity!

🏃‍♂️ Good Luck to Chris Nicu 

A big good luck to Chris Nicu, who will be competing at the Regional Athletics Carnival tomorrow! Chris has had an outstanding result, coming 1st in the 200m at the Divisional competition. What an achievement!

We wish Chris all the very best as he competes tomorrow. He is now just one step away from making it through to the State Finals!

We are incredibly proud of you — go Chris! 🏃‍♂️🏅👏SCHOOL SPORTS DAY - Important Information.

GRANDPARENTS/SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY

We’re excited to be celebrating Grandparents and Special Friends Day on Tuesday October 27! 🎉

Grandparents and special friends are warmly invited to join us for Mass at 9:15am with their grandchild, followed by a visit to the classroom and a light snack shared together.

This is always a wonderful morning, and a special opportunity for our students to share their school experience with those they love.

All are welcome 😊, and we look forward to welcoming you into our school community.

⌚ Smart Watches at School

A reminder to families that smart watches are treated in the same way as mobile phones at school.

If your child wears a smart watch to school, it must be handed into the Office upon arrival and collected at the end of the school day. Smart watches should not be worn or used during school hours.

This is an important child safety and wellbeing measure. Smart watches are valuable items and can also have features such as messaging, calling, cameras and internet access, which can create privacy and safety concerns within the school environment.  We ask families to please support us by ensuring that any smart watch your child brings to school is handed in at the Office each morning, just as we require with mobile phones.

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