PRINCIPAL'S NEWS

Term 3 is well and truly underway as the school is buzzing with activity. 

Our Grandparent's Day last week was a huge success - I thank all of our Grandparents and special Elders who took the time to visit St Joey's, chat with their grandchildren, and stay for morning tea.  Our senior students were brilliant hosts, and I'd like to especially thank our SRC reps,  Stella Ryan (Senior L), Edie Nash-Lyster (Junior A) and Josh Tame (Middle K) for speaking on behalf of the staff and students at St Joey's.  Our Grandparent's Mass on Saturday night was also hugely successful.  Thank you to all the families who braved the cold winter evening and filled our church.  

I want to express my gratitude to Kate for arranging the Scholastic Book Fair, which ends today.  To complement the Book Fair, Kate also arranged the very spectacular Hat Parade last Friday.  I was amazed at the detailed and very incredible hat designs that families presented - thank you to the children and families who participated.  The Hat Parade was a great way to kick-start our Grandparent's Day.

Our Senior students attended an excursion to Parliament House last week as a part of their Civics and Citizenship Inquiry unit - Democracy Detectives: Unlocking the Mysteries of Parliament.  The children have provided some feedback on this experience in the 'Senior's Spotlight' section of this newsletter.

Our Middle students are all very excited about the upcoming Hooptime Basketball Competition.    The children will all be competing in a round-robin tournament at MSAC in Albert Park on Friday, August 04.  We are still in need of parent volunteers for the day to coach or score for a team (we have five teams competing).  Coaching and/or scoring does not require any advanced skills, so please if you can help out contact Peter at pzammit@sjnorthcote.catholic.edu.au or Kathryn in the office.

This term our Junior students' Inquiry learning is focused on History.  The students are beginning to delve the big question, "How and why do we tell our stories?"  They will inquire into their personal and shared histories, identity and culture.

The excitement is building in our Prep class as they approach the huge celebration of 100 Days of School.  It's hard to believe that they have already reached this milestone!  On Thursday August 03, the prep students will be dressing up as 100-year-old people and will participate in special celebrations to acknowledge this momentous occasion.   We all look forward to sharing this day with them.

School Advisory Council (SAC)

The School Advisory Council is an essential component of governing and operating St Joseph’s. Our Council plays a significant role in supporting the educational welfare of our students through its ongoing support of the Principal and Deputy Principal.  I want to give a shoutout to all our SAC members as it's not very enticing to go to meetings on these chilly winter nights - I appreciate and am grateful for your commitment to driving school improvement.   The names and photos of the SAC members are on the notice-board in the undercroft.  If there is an issue/idea/proposal that you would like raised at a SAC meeting please let one of the council members know.

Trivia Night - SAVE THE DATE

This year our annual TRIVIA NIGHT will be held on Saturday, September 02.  Please note the date and keep it free - it is always a fun night and a great community event.

Uniform Reminders

Thank you to all families for ensuring your children are in the correct school uniform. 

• Please remember that runners are only to be worn with the sports uniform and black school shoes with the academic uniform.  
• The school sports jacket should only be worn with the sports uniform, and the school jumper with the academic uniform. 

Traffic Hazards

The following email was sent out earlier this week...  just another reminder!

It has once again come to our attention that parking and traffic movement along James St is becoming increasingly hazardous for our children.

We ask that you be vigilant and exercise caution when dropping off and picking up your children. The area in front of the school on James St is a ‘Kiss and Go’ area only and not a designated parking area. We ask that you do not leave your car unattended in the ‘Kiss and Go’ zone as it is only a 2-minute ‘drop-off’ area. 

Parking in this area causes congestion along James St and puts our children at risk when cars are double parked and children are moving in and out of traffic on the street. The safety of our children is paramount and we ask for your support in adhering to the existing parking restrictions.  

Community News

Mad on Music are holding their annual concert on Tuesday August 22 - see flyer in 'Extra Curricula' news.

There is some interesting information around 'Saving Preston Market' in the Community News section of this email.  The current campaign is looking for support from local residents, and those keen to preserve the Market as it is today!