From the Principal

St Justin’s Primary School acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's First People and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which our school stands.

We pay our respects to the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, and their elders past and present, as we continue to proudly live and learn on their land.

Dear Families and Friends,  

Thanks for another great week - it's been busy but very rewarding. To those who were able to attend our Trivia Night on Saturday - what an amazing night: great host, great auction items, great set up, but more importanly, great people. To Carolyn and the team, thank you for your amazing work. Thanks also to Sam and his team for hosting our special night. 

Fathers Day

Today at St Justin's we celebrated Fathers Day. The day started with a breakfast and activities, followed by a classroom prayer. It was great to see so many turn up and I'm sure the children enjoyed spending quality time with others.

Thanks to all those who helped out, especially the Parents and Friends for supplying the breakfast, the Russo family for donating the fruit, those who helped serve, Laura F and Laura W for the activities and everyone for coming - it was a great way to celebrate. Thanks also to Mrs Snell and the staff for a beautiful Fathers Day prayer.

We did have a few muffins and some fruit left over, which we decided to donate to Rosie's - I'm sure they'll appreciate not only thewarm cuppa, muffins and fruit, but more importantly the knowledge that someone cares.

We also ran a raffle today - the winning ticket was Black A 21 - if you have the winning ticket, please contact the office.

A prayer for fathers on Fathers’ Day:

Generous God, 

Bless all our fathers, may their hearts be filled with generosity, kindness and compassion.

Keep them safe each and every day and hold them in your loving embrace.

Give them strong and loving hearts, bless the work they do and surround them with love and peace.

We ask this in Jesus’ name.

 

Amen

Today the children had the opportunity to purchase that special gift for their dads or grand dads. Thanks to all who were involved. These things don’t just happen - they are the result of much planning and preparing well in advance. As always, we are extremely grateful for all those who do so much to help our community.

We wish all of our dads and grandads a very special day on Sunday.

Thank you 

A big thank you to the special helpers for the Father’s Day Stall.

Thank you to Agnella, Annick H, Carolyn, Michelina, Narelle, Rita, Talar, Sandra F and Sandra G

And a thanks to our friends at the Hose Factory for their donation to the First Prize Raffle.

Confirmation Reflection Day

Yesterday our Year 6 students and Parish Candidates attended their Confirmation Reflection Day at Don Bosco Retreat Centre in Lysterfield. The day provided an opportunity for our candidates to reflect on what Confirmation means to them and how .....

This weekend our Confirmation Candidates will attend one of our 4 Parish Masses for their Confirmation Medal Mass. Please keep our Candidates in your prayers as they continue on their faith journey. 

Positive Expectations

On Monday morning at a special assembly we launched our St Justin's Positve Expectations. The Expectations have been developed over the last 12 months as staff have worked closely with behaviour consultant Patrice Wiseman and the School Advisory Council

The St Justin's School Community believes in respect for self, respect for others and respect for our environment. Therefore . . . 

• We listen to and follow instructions
• We move and act safely
• We speak appropriately 
• We care

Refer to St Justin's Positive Expectations for more information.

Take up your cross

This week our Sunday Gospel comes from Matthew 16:21-27. Jesus, when talking to his disciples, asked that ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Whilst we often think of the “cross” as being a burden, it can also be an acknowledgment of gifts and talents that we share with others. In sharing our gifts and talents, we help lessen the burden and suffering of others. This is particularly evident in our St Justin’s Community where we have the help of many - we don’t just talk about compassion, we show compassion. Thanks to all those in our beautiful community who help “carry the cross.” Your contributions are very much appreciated.

Term 3 Break up

The end of term is quickly approaching and we remind you that school will conclude on Thursday 14th September, following our School Production. There will be no school on Friday for students. Staff will be invovled in a Professional Learning Day with a focus on Education in Faith. School will commence for Term 4 on Monday 2nd October. 

Family School Improvement Survey

In 2023, our school is participating in Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS). MACSSIS is an annual process whereby schools listen to the thoughts and feelings students, families and staff have about how their school can improve. These surveys help inform the ongoing improvement of schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

One of the main goals of the family survey is to identify the strengths and areas for improvement in our school. MACSSIS data benefits everyone within our school and provides valuable community insights on areas that each school can focus on. Our school believes it is important to encourage families to have a voice and contribute to shaping the ongoing improvement of the school.

The survey is available online, can be accessed from Monday 28 August and needs to be completed by Friday 15 September 2023. Instructions and access pin were sent home to each family via email on Wednesday 30th August. 

Once you have completed the survey, we encourage you to complete the google form via the link in the letter, entering your child/children’s name and class – each day one of the student’s names will be drawn out for a chance to win a Pancake Parlour voucher. At the end of the survey (15th September 2023) all families who have completed the survey and google form will have a chance to win a St Justin’s Fair on the Hill Family Voucher, valued at $100 (winner announced early Term 4). Thanks to the eight families who have already completed the survey - very much appreciated.

Thank you for your participation in the MACSSIS family survey.

Fair on the Hill

A great deal of work has already gone into our Fair on the Hill and for a small working party, a great deal has been achieved. As always, we continue to look for more support as this will help create a special event. Follow the link for more information. 

School Production

With only a few weeks left, our whole School Production is in full swing. Please take note of all the important information enclosed in this newsletter. I would like to thank our Performing Arts Teacher Mrs Christy Riddiford, and the Production team for all the hard work they have done to put this Production together for our students. 

Where's  Mr T

Can you find Mr T? He's hiding somewhere in the newsletter.

Have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you all next week.

Take care,

Mr Patrick Torpey

Principal