PRINCIPAL'S NEWS

Dear Parents,

Confirmation

This Friday at 5:00pm many of our senior students will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.  This significant milestone marks a pivotal moment in their spiritual journey, as they affirm their faith and commitment to the teachings of the Catholic Church.  The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Terry Curtin and concelebrated by Fr Shabin.  

The children have been preparing for this event throughout this term and have participated in learning experiences focused on inspirational people and saints.  They participated in a day of reflection with Bernadette (our Religious Education Leader) and attended a parent evening at which they shared the relevance of this sacrament with their families.

Please keep the following children in your thoughts and prayers:

Mother's Day

Last Friday we began our celebration of Mothers (Mother Figures, Grandmothers, Step-Mothers, Aunts) by sharing a fabulous lunch at the function room at Welcome to Thornbury.  I'd like to thank Steph Spence, Cynthia Alessi, Aruna Nair and Linda Wright for their organisation of the day.  The private function room was a great venue, the food was superb and the company was outstanding.  It was a most enjoyable afternoon!

We then celebrated our Mother's Day Mass on Saturday evening - thank you to the families who attended and assisted with the Liturgy, your presence was greatly valued.

Thanks also to Kate and our middle teachers, Jess, Jess and Julia,  who attended the Mass to support our children who participated.  Finally, thank you to Bernadette for preparing the Liturgy and Fr Peter for his spiritual guidance and kind words.

This week the celebrations continue.  On Thursday we will hold our Mother's Day Stall, all items for sale will be under $12.  On Friday morning we will host our annual Mother's Day Breakfast.  This year we are changing things up a little and will offer children a warm milo drink and a piece of toast.  Children will be able to go the staffroom window to receive this, then play in the school yard which will be supervised from 7:45am.   We kindly request that only Mothers, Grandmothers, and significant others make their way to the multi-purpose room for breakfast. Children should remain in the yard.

In reflecting on Mother's Day, I acknowledge and celebrate Mothers and mothering. I make that distinction because I know that many people – aunts, step-parents, close family friends, dads – may sometimes fulfil the chief mothering role in families.  So... to all the Mothers who wake up early, pack lunches, tie shoelaces, wipe away tears, and offer endless hugs and encouragement — thank you for everything you do. Your unconditional love is the foundation upon which our children grow and thrive.

Cross Country

Over the past few weeks 25 children (and parents) have braved the cold and gathered at All Nations Park for our 8am cross country training sessions.  The following children have been selected to represent St Joseph's at the District Event at Bundoora Park this Thursday.

Occupational Therapist and Speech Therapist at St Joey's.

Please see the Wellbeing and Learning Diversity section of this newsletter regarding the O.T. and Speech Therapy services that are now available.

A Day in May - fundraiser

This year we will once again be participating in the 'A Day in May' fundraiser.  The ‘A Day in May’ campaign raises funds annually for Challenge’s Musical Moments Trust – a scholarship which funds positive musical experiences for young children diagnosed with cancer.  This year our 'Day in May' will be Thursday May 30.  On this day children can come to school wearing a splash of yellow, or dressed up as a famous rock-star.

To those in our community who celebrated Orthodox Easter last weekend -  I hope your festivities were filled with joy, love, and plenty of delicious food!