Dear Parents and Guardians,

It was wonderful to welcome our students back to school on Monday. All looked rested and happy, and l congratulate the students for settling back into learning and their school routine so successfully.

School Events and Celebrations

We have a busy term ahead with many special school events scheduled including the much-anticipated School Disco, 100 days of Prep, Father’s Day celebrations, Italian Day, Book Week, Art Show, incursions, and class masses. We are looking forward to these events and thank the teachers and many parents and friends of the school who offer their valuable time and efforts in ensuring the success of these events.

We are very excited for our Preps who will be celebrating 100 days at school on Wednesday, 29th July. The 100th day of school is a wonderful opportunity for our Preps to reflect on their progress and to celebrate their accomplishments. It allows us all to see just how far they have grown in their learning and understanding since the beginning of the school year and to appreciate their hard work and efforts.

Our school Disco will be taking place on Thursday 6th August. We are incredibly grateful to our Parents and Friends Association and staff for supporting our school community and providing this opportunity for our students. It is always a wonderful evening for all involved.

NAIDOC Week

Last week, Australia celebrated NAIDOC Week, an important occasion that recognises and celebrates the rich cultures, histories and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Nations peoples of Australia.

For five decades, NAIDOC Week has recognised and celebrated the rich and enduring cultures, histories and achievements of First Nations peoples across Australia. It provides an opportunity for all Australians to learn more about and deepen their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, traditions and contributions to our nation.

NAIDOC Week is a time to acknowledge the enduring connection of First Nations peoples to Country and to celebrate the significant role they have played, and continue to play, in shaping Australia's story. It also encourages reflection on the importance of respect, reconciliation and understanding.

Throughout the week, students have been working on NAIDOC Week activities in their classrooms, exploring First Nations' histories, cultures, stories and perspectives through a range of learning experiences. These opportunities have helped students develop a greater appreciation for the world's oldest continuing cultures and the strength, resilience and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

As a school community, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all cultures are valued and celebrated. NAIDOC Week serves as a meaningful reminder of the importance of listening, learning and walking together towards a shared future.

Remembering Fr Manny Bonello

Saturday 11th July marked the first anniversary of the passing of Fr Manny Bonello, former Parish Priest of St Joseph the Worker. Fr Manny was a much-loved member of our parish community whose warmth, faith and commitment to serving others left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of knowing him.

As we remember Fr Manny's life and ministry, we give thanks for the guidance, care and compassion he shared so generously. His anniversary is a reminder of the enduring legacy he leaves within our parish and school communities. May we continue to honour his memory by living the values he so strongly embodied: faith, kindness, service and community. We keep Fr Manny and his loved ones in our prayers.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Vanessa Wannis and her husband Daniel on the safe arrival of their daughter Olivia. We wish them every happiness as they celebrate this wonderful new addition to their family.

Stewards of Creation in Action

It has been wonderful to see our visiting spur-winged plover family make themselves at home on our school grounds. As they continue to raise their chick, we have made some temporary changes to our play spaces to help ensure they can do so safely and with minimal disturbance.

I would like to thank our staff and students for the patience, understanding and care they are showing at this time. Everyone has adapted well to the ongoing changes and have embraced the opportunity to protect and respect our feathered visitors. Their willingness to support these measures demonstrates the kindness, responsibility and respect that we value so highly in our school community.

By giving the birds the space they need, we are helping to create a safe environment for the chick to grow and thrive. It has been a wonderful real-life opportunity for students to learn about caring for local wildlife and the important role we all play in protecting our natural environment.

Once the chick has fledged and is able to fly independently, the level of protection required will decrease significantly. Until then, we remain committed to providing a safe space for this family. Plovers are a protected native species, and it is important that we all play our part in preserving and protecting these unique birds and their habitat.

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support and cooperation as we continue to care for our visiting plover family. We look forward to watching this chick grow and reach this exciting milestone over the coming weeks.

Interschool Sports Achievements

We extend our congratulations to our SLA Footballers, who competed successfully in our interschool competition last term and has earned them a place in the finals, which will take place next Thursday. We wish them all the best and hope for good weather! Special thanks to Vivian for her coaching of our football team.

Congratulations to all our Senior students who participated in the interschool sporting events last term. Their enthusiasm, teamwork, and sportsmanship were pleasing and reflects the spirit of our school. Thank you to Natalie and Rosemary who supported our students with interschool sport throughout the term.

Working Together to be Respectful, Safe and Responsible

At St Joseph the Worker, our values of Respectful, Safe and Responsible help create a school where every student can learn, grow and thrive.

As a Catholic community, we are guided by the teachings of Jesus, who showed us the importance of treating others with dignity, compassion and kindness. These values are not simply school expectations; they are the foundation of positive relationships, student wellbeing and successful learning.

We want all students to feel respected, safe and responsible because these are the conditions that allow children to do their best learning. When students feel valued, included and secure, they are more confident, more engaged and better able to focus on learning. Every child has the right to learn in an environment where they feel supported and where others respect their right to learn as well.

Being Respectful means valuing ourselves and others through our words and actions. Being Safe means considering how our behaviour affects those around us and helping create an environment where everyone feels secure and included. Being Responsible means making good choices, taking ownership of our actions and contributing positively to our community.

The health, wellbeing and learning success of our students are strengthened when we all work together to model and reinforce these values every day. By being respectful, safe and responsible, we help create a school community where everyone feels valued, supported and able to achieve their very best.

Child Safe Standards: Standard 6

Child Safe Standard 6 focuses on ensuring that all people who work or volunteer with children are suitable for their roles and are supported to uphold child safety and wellbeing in everything they do. Children are safest when the adults around them are carefully selected, appropriately trained, well supervised and accountable for their actions. This means schools prioritise safe recruitment practices, clear expectations of behaviour, ongoing professional learning and strong support for staff and volunteers. When adults understand their responsibilities and act with integrity, schools are better equipped to identify and respond to risks early, maintain professional boundaries and create safe, respectful environments where children can learn, grow and thrive. By embedding these practices, we strengthen our commitment to ensuring the safety, wellbeing and best interests of every child in our care.

Maintenance

There has been some work completed at our school during the holidays. Our annual arborist report on the health of our trees and plants around the school was completed last term and following the arborists recommendations some trees will be pruned to ensure safety.

Morning Drop Off

A friendly reminder to all parents that our drive though in the morning is a ‘stop and drop’ zone. If you need to get out of the car to assist your child, please park in the parking areas. Parents often complain to me about the lack of consideration by a small number that affects many others. In the spirit of working together, l ask parents to ensure that they park if they need to support their child at the drop off.

School Fees

Thank you to all the parents who have paid their school fees in full. It is important that all fees and levies are paid on time to enable the school to meet our financial commitments. Please contact Marisa if you have any questions regarding your fees.

Photographs & Videos

A friendly reminder that under our child safety requirements, parents are only allowed to take photos of their own children. We kindly ask all members of our community to respect our legal obligations and ensure compliance with this.

We ask that St Joseph the Worker continues to bless our community.

Kind regards,

Maria Barnes

Principal

Child Safety Standard 6