From the Deputies

Week 1, Term 3

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 3!

It has been wonderful to hear the many stories of how members of our community spent the holiday break. Whether it was travelling overseas, enjoying time with family and friends, catching up on some well-earned rest or simply slowing down and enjoying a change of routine, it sounds as though everyone has returned refreshed and ready for the term ahead.

Our staff have been delighted with the way students have settled back into school life this week. Classrooms have been calm, focused and productive, and it has been fantastic to see students reconnecting with their friends and teachers so positively. We have certainly hit the ground running and are already immersed in our teaching and learning programs.

Term 3 is always a busy and exciting term, with many wonderful opportunities for students and families to be involved in school life. Highlights include the Year 3 & 4 excursion to Polly Woodside, Year 6 Sacrament of Confirmation, Prep - Year 2 excursion to Ripponlea Estate, 100 Days of Prep, Year 5 & 6 Hoop Time, Book Week and our annual dress-up parade, Dendy Athletics for Years 3–6, our Father's Day celebrations, and finally, our wonderful Art Show in Week 9.

School Uniform

We remind our families that students should be dressed in their full winter school uniform. A list of uniform expectations can be found on our school website (scroll down for Uniform). In particular, we remind families that the long sleeve shirt or polo is the only option for the Winter uniform. Students are able to wear the short-sleeve PE top on their scheduled PE day/s. Wearing the correct school uniform promotes a sense of belonging, equality and pride in our school and we thank our families for their support.

NAPLAN Results

This week we received our school's NAPLAN results, and we are delighted to celebrate the outstanding performance of our Year 3 and Year 5 students across all key learning areas. Our students performed exceptionally well, with results that reflect the sustained focus on explicit teaching, structured literacy, evidence-informed practice and high expectations for all learners at St Joseph's.

These results are a testament to the hard work of our students, the expertise and dedication of our staff, and the strong partnership we share with families in supporting student learning. We are incredibly proud of what our students have achieved.

NAPLAN provides a valuable complement to teacher assessments and school reports by offering a comparison of student achievement at both a state and national level. At St Joseph's, we use this data alongside a range of other assessment measures to monitor student growth over time and to inform the ongoing development of our teaching and learning programs.

It is important to remember that NAPLAN represents a snapshot of student performance at a single point in time and is just one of many assessment tools used to understand each learner's progress. Throughout the year, our teachers assess literacy and numeracy skills regularly and in a variety of ways, ensuring that teaching is responsive to the needs of every student.

Individual NAPLAN reports were sent home with Year 3 and Year 5 students today. If you have any questions regarding your child's results, please do not hesitate to contact your child's classroom teacher.

Planning for 2027

As we begin preparations for the 2027 school year, we kindly ask that families notify the school as soon as possible if their child/children will not be returning to St Joseph's next year.

We have received a significant number of enrolment enquiries and currently have waiting lists operating across most year levels. Having an accurate understanding of our student numbers allows us to plan effectively for staffing, class structures and funding allocations for 2027. 

Prep 2028 Sibling Applications

Believe it or not, we are already planning for Prep 2028! We have received strong interest from new families wishing to join the St Joseph's community, and we are beginning to look ahead to future enrolments. If you have a younger child who is eligible to commence Prep in 2028, we kindly ask that you submit a sibling application as soon as possible. This will assist us in understanding the number of sibling places required and help us determine how many new families we may be able to welcome into our wonderful school community.

School Fees

Fee Statements for Term 3 were sent out to all families this week. As we pass the midpoint of the school year, we encourage all families to review their school fee account and ensure payments are up to date. As a general guide, by this stage of the year, at least 50% of your annual school fees should have been paid. For convenience, fees can be paid securely via CDFpay. If you have any questions regarding your account, or require support, please contact the school office.

SRC and Environment Leaders

Congratulations to the Semester Two SRC (Student Representative Council) and Enviornment Leaders. 

Over the next Two Terms, these students will work closely with various school leaders on a range of whole school social justice and environmental initatives. 

Badges are on route and will be delivered to students next week. 

St Joseph’s P&F Cocktail Party

Join us on Saturday August 1 at the Elwood Bowls Club for what promises to be a fantastic evening of great food, music, laughter and community spirit. This year's major parent fundraiser will help kick-start our exciting new playground project. It is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community, enjoy a fun night out and support an important initiative that will benefit our students for years to come. We would love to see as many parents and carers there as possible. Please visit the P&F page for all the event details and ticket information.

St Joseph's Footy Classic – Parent Players Wanted!

Do you fancy yourself as a football star, or perhaps you're simply willing to dust off the boots for a good cause? We are still looking for parent players to join our St Joseph's Footy Classic team.

For $120, you'll receive:

• A St Joseph's Footy Classic jersey

• Weekly social training sessions every Sunday from 3:30pm–4:30pm (all abilities welcome!)

• 2–3 practice matches

• The chance to cement your place in St Joseph's history and become a footy legend in the eyes of your child

Not quite ready to pull on the boots? We would still love your support. Come along to Sunday training sessions for a friendly kick, or volunteer to assist with the activities, food and entertainment on the day.

There will also be plenty of fun for the children, including our popular Longest Kick competitions. 

Saturday August 29, 12:00pm – 6:00pm

It promises to be a fantastic community event, and we'd love to see as many St Joseph's families involved as possible. 

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1568645 

Year 6 Sacrament of Confirmation 

Today our Year Six students participated in their Confirmation Retreat Day in preparation for their upcoming Sacrament. The Confirmation Retreat creates the opportunity for students to present their saint research projects, explore the significance of the Sacrament and investigate the meaning of the Holy Spirit. 

This worthwhile day allows our Year Six students to gather and celebrate the conclusion of their spiritual journey at St Joseph's Primary School.

We are very much looking forward to celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation with our Year 6 students on Wednesday July 29 at 5.30pm (Term 3, Week 3). This special occasion marks an important step in their faith journey, and we know it will be a deeply meaningful evening for them, their families, and our wider school community. Fr Andrzej Madry CR will be the celebrant on the night, along with Father Leenus. We sincerely thank Mr Hayes, Ms Shanahan, Mr Jansson and Mr Sandler for their preparation of the students in the lead-up to this sacrament. 

Term 3 Assemblies

Assemblies are held on a Friday at 9am unless otherwise listed. 

Families are always welcome and encouraged to stay 

Staff News

Please join us in warmly welcoming Baby Girl 'Hallie', born earlier this week. We congratulate Cassie (Mrs Gleeson), Will and Lucy on the safe arrival of their bundle of joy.

Little Gems

What a pleasure it has been to have a steady stream to students visiting the Deputy Office to present their learning. The students have certainly jumped straight back into their regular routines this week.

We look forward to welcoming Mrs Tobin back next week. It has been wonderful to share in her holiday highlights through the photos of her family's travels in Europe.

Some very keen future Preppies waiting at the gate this week! 

Luke Daffy & Alannah Harrison

Deputy Principals