Birthday Invitations

Birthdays are such a special time for children, and we love seeing the joy that comes with celebrating these milestones. While birthday celebrations and invitations are, of course, at the discretion of each family, we ask for your support in ensuring that the feelings and wellbeing of our St. Joseph's students remain a priority.

At St. Joseph’s, our values of kindness and respect guide the way we care for one another. If birthday invitations are brought to school, the following practices need to be upheld:

• Invitations are to be handed to the classroom teacher.
• If all students in the class are invited the teacher will distribute invitations at the end of the day.

• If it is noticed that a small number of students are not invited, invitations will be sent back home for distribution outside of school by the family.

   

We ask parents to also take the time to speak with their children about kindness during these times. A smaller celebration is perfectly understandable, but what can be hard for children is when invitations or conversations about parties make others feel left out. While adults can usually process this more easily, children may perceive a sense of exclusion, which can be confusing and upsetting. A gentle reminder about how to talk kindly and sensitively at school can make a big difference.

Thank you for your support with this. By working together, we can make sure birthdays are happy occasions that reflect the respectful and caring culture our school aspires to be.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child's classroom teacher or me.

Dean Butler

Deputy Principal