Dear Parents and Carers,

As we enter Week 6 of Term 1, it has been wonderful to see how settled our students are and how quickly they have adapted to their new classes and teachers. Thank you to the many parents who attended Parent/Teacher conferences on Wednesday and Thursday. These meetings are a valuable opportunity to build strong partnerships between home and school, discuss your child’s individual needs, and ensure their wellbeing, academic progress, and social development are well supported.

I sincerely thank our dedicated teachers for the time, care and professionalism they bring to these meetings and to their work each day. They consistently strive to provide a high-quality Catholic education here at St Joseph’s. Please remember that your child’s class teacher is your first point of contact for any questions or concerns.

School Advisory Council AGM and Term 1 Meeting

On 17 February, we held our School Advisory Council AGM, followed by our first meeting for the year. On behalf of our school community, I extend heartfelt thanks to our outgoing Council members — Mrs Lisa Oliver, Mrs Lowana Sweeney and Mr Nick Wood, for their four years of dedicated service. We are especially grateful to Lisa and Lowana, who both served as Council President, for their leadership and commitment.

I warmly welcome our new Council members for 2026: Mrs Sara McAlister, Mr Matt Barlow, Mr Derek Flagg and Mrs Hannah Baldry. They join Fr Paddy, Mrs Amanda Riley, Mrs Sal Armstrong, Mr Michael Tracey, Mr Mark Halliburton and myself as continuing members. A special thank you to Mark Halliburton for accepting the role of President. I look forward to working together to support our school community.

The next School Advisory Council meeting will be held on Tuesday 19 May at 6:00pm at the school.

SJJU Social and Fundraising Committee

The Social and Fundraising Committee is a branch of our School Advisory Council, focused on community building and fundraising initiatives. Our first meeting for 2026 will be held on Monday 2 March at 5:30pm at the Junee Hotel.

All new and existing families are warmly invited to attend. Children are welcome to come along, play and enjoy a meal if you wish. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet other parents and share ideas about social events and fundraising for our school. We will also be seeking parent volunteers to act as Class Contacts to assist with communication around class events and fundraisers. These will be scheduled at the meeting and shared with families.

I look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces on Monday evening.

Roblox – Important Parent Information

Some families may already be familiar with Roblox, an online gaming platform where users can create and play games developed by others worldwide.

Roblox is currently under investigation regarding child protection and safety concerns.

I strongly encourage parents to visit the eSafety Commissioner’s website for up-to-date information and guidance to help keep children safe online:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/esafety-guide/roblox
https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/roblox-on-notice-over-ongoing-concerns-about-online-child-grooming

Staying informed is one of the best ways we can work together to ensure our children’s safety in digital spaces.

Harmony Day

Harmony Day is a special occasion in our school calendar, celebrating cultural diversity, inclusiveness and respect under the theme “Everyone Belongs.” Students are invited to wear mufti with an orange theme as a symbol of unity.

At 2:00pm in the hall, several of our families will share aspects of their culture during a special performance assembly, followed by our regular school assembly at 2:30pm. All families are warmly invited to attend and celebrate the rich cultural diversity within our school community.

Special Thanks

During the hot summer holidays, Mr Rick Pratt, Mr Andrew Oliver and Lachie Oliver (Year 6) generously gave their time to transport soft fall into both the primary and infants play areas using Mr Oliver’s loader.

Mr Oliver also spread dirt at the back of the church yard to improve vehicle and machinery access through the new double gates.

This is just one example of the many ways our parents generously support the safe and effective operation of our school. We are incredibly grateful — thank you.

Deanery and Diocesan Swimming

Congratulations to all students who represented our school at the Deanery Swimming Carnival on Monday. Mr Pratt and Mrs Salmon reported that our students participated enthusiastically and were outstanding ambassadors for the school. Further details are included later in the newsletter.

We wish our students competing at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival next Wednesday all the very best. Thank you to Mr Pratt and Mrs Salmon for their supervision and support.

Attendance Matters

Attendance at school is vital. Every minute of learning counts. Please ensure your children are at school and ready to begin learning at 9:00am each day. Arriving late can make it difficult for students to settle into their learning after lessons have commenced.

My Leave

As previously advised, I will be on leave from 9–23 March. During this time, Mrs Cate Munn will serve as Acting Principal and Mrs Penny Kerr as Acting Assistant Principal. I thank Cate and Penny in advance for their leadership during this period.

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

God Bless

Angela Scott

Sport

Deanery Swimming Carnival