Dear Families,

Tractor Pull

After careful consideration, St Joseph’s School has withdrawn from the partnership in the Tractor Pull at the Elmore Events Centre.

While we have greatly appreciated the opportunity to work together over the past three years, we have come to the conclusion that the direction of the committee and St Joseph’s school no longer aligns.

We remain grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of Tractor Pull as partners with the Elmore Field Days, and appreciate the support and collaboration that the event has provided.

The Elmore Field Days plays a valuable role in the district and we look forward to exploring future opportunities to work together in ways that are positive and beneficial to all.

I would also like to extend my thanks to Grant Shawcross, Luke Ryan, Joel Wolfe, and Howard O’Sullivan for their tireless efforts on behalf of our school in bringing this event to the district.

We are grateful to the Parents and Friends group for their unwavering support, and to our community for coming together to ensure the success of this fundraiser.

As a committee, we are excited to continue our connection with the Down Under Modified Tractor Pullers in the future.

We have many events planned for 2025 and look forward to sharing them with you.

We have a number of staff finishing this year.

As we say farewell to Fran Bennett, Leanne Hansen, Elli Williams, Corrie Seabrook and Zack Wileman, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all they have contributed to our school community. While we will miss them greatly, we are excited for the new opportunities that lie ahead for each of them.

We have been fortunate to have such dedicated staff who have supported our students' learning while ensuring they feel safe, valued, and supported throughout their educational journey.

We hope that you will join us on Wednesday 18th December to say thank you for their time, commitment and energy as a member of St Joseph’s community.

2025 Priorities

When we welcome in 2025, we look forward to working with our community in the areas of:

Learning: MAGNIFY Sandhurst will roll out. Magnify Sandhurst combines evidence-based practices in teaching and learning to support each student's unique needs, strengths, and goals. This program will focus on strengthening core areas like literacy and numeracy, building supportive classroom environments, and integrating Catholic values in daily learning.

Community: Our commitment to maintaining a connection to the Rochester Community will continue to grow in 2025. We are excited for the return of the hospital and the reopening of the Aged Care facility.

Wellbeing: The Wellbeing of every member of our community is important, and the needs of everyone are different. We remain committed to provide wellbeing opportunities on a regular basis.

Families can continue to be involved by:

Attending Learning Conversations, which will continue to be offered every term. Teachers are committed to making sure families are informed of student progress and achievement.

Engaging with Seesaw. In 2025, Seesaw will be the platform used to share what’s happening in every classroom and for students to share their learning with families.

Assemblies and gatherings. We hope to see you all onsite regularly. Senior students are excited to lead assembly and initiate activities for all students.

What’s on during the last two weeks of 2024?

Week 10: 9th - 13th December

9th: Pupil Free Day

10th: Statewide Transition Day

12th: First Aid session for students & Col Pearse visiting

12th: End of Year celebration 6-8pm:

Food - Savoury / Sweet split - A - N = salad, O - Z = sweets
Kelly Sports and Jumping Castle
We are grateful to Rochester Lions for cooking the BBQ

13th: Christmas Community Learning Day – including Term 3 & 4 GOTCHA reward

Week 11: 16th - 20th December

16th: Grade 6 graduation dinner at Rich River Golf Club

17th: Grade 6 BIG DAY OUT!

18th: End of Year mass and Assembly:

11.45am
St Joseph's Church
ALL welcome

18th: Students last day of the year!

Dismissal @3.15pm
Families are welcome to take their children home after mass and assembly

Thank you for your support and commitment to our school.

We look forward to celebrating with you on Thursday night.

Liz

The Resilience Project