Dear Parents/Guardians

What a great start to the year we have had, welcome back to all! Last week we celebrated St. Brigid’s Feast Day with our Opening School Mass. We welcomed and blessed staff, Year 6, and Foundation students for 2024. Thank you to those who were able to attend this special Mass.

I am very proud of the way our students have settled into the school year. Straight into routines and catching up on the summer holidays. It has been wonderful to see such kindness and inclusion from our students.

There is a range of information related to upcoming dates, opportunities, and events below. I trust that if you have any further questions you will let me know.

Shrove Tuesday

Next Tuesday 13th February we celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Families are invited to school from 7:45 am onwards for a pancake breakfast. We ask for a gold coin donation and all proceeds will go to Caritas Australia. https://www.caritas.org.au/

If any parents can help out with cooking etc, please contact the office.

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday 14th February will mark the beginning of Lent. We will join the Parish Mass at 10:00 am, any family members are to join us.

Renovation Project Update

After a detailed process, we locked in a builder on December 20th, a great way to go into the holidays. I had an initial meeting with them the week prior to school starting. Pending finalising paperwork they are looking at starting in the next few weeks.

I would like to thank our senior students and staff for adapting so well to the last-minute move of classrooms.

I will keep you updated with details as they come to hand.

Parent Engagement Opportunities

Last week I sent out a Google Form for parents to indicate interest in supporting social and/ or fundraising events this year. Thank you to those who have already filled this in.

The use of funds raised in 2024 will be finalised at the first School Council meeting in late February. Any suggestions are welcomed. They will be targeted toward the continued development of our resources/ landscaping.

This is a great way to get involved with other families in our community and contribute to the school. Closer to these events there will be further opportunities to get involved also.

Thanks in advance!

Meet and Greet Interviews

Throughout the year there are two formal opportunities for you to meet with your child/ren’s classroom teachers, the first of these being next week. We encourage you to pop in regularly to touch base with teachers throughout the year.

The purpose of this first meeting is for you to share your wisdom about your child with their teacher. Some questions you may consider are:

Is there anything happening at home that you feel could impact your child at school?
What are your child’s strengths and areas of need?
What are the interests your child and your family have, outside of school?
Are there any learning difficulties that you think we may not know about?
Do you have any concerns about your child’s social well-being?
How can we best communicate throughout the year?

These will take place on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st February. Please book a time via the link. If these dates do not suit you, please contact classroom teachers to organise another time.

Communication

Each fortnight a school newsletter will be emailed to you. This will give you updates on what is happening at the school, reminders, and key dates.

Classroom teachers will send home a weekly email with reminders for the week, as well as a Curriculum newsletter once a term.

Parent reps will also communicate reminders via class chat groups.

Please see the attached St. Joseph’s communication mud map.

Parent Code of Conduct

This School Code of Conduct ensures clarity about the behavioural standards that parents and staff can reasonably expect of each other. It is our intention that with this Code of Conduct, we will continue to promote and advance respectful, cooperative and supportive relationships between parents/carers/guardians and staff.

This process is supported by our deep commitment to human life being sacred and to the dignity of the human person at all times being honoured and respected. The implementation of this Code of Conduct will contribute to the ongoing development of our school as a healthy, safe and hope-filled community.

This Parent/Carers/Guardian-School Code of Conduct is one violence prevention strategy in promoting a shared understanding and commitment of all in the promotion of the school as a safe workplace for our staff and students. We are here to support you and your children. We expect that everyone will act and speak respectfully, listen and work together to resolve issues of concern and or problems as they arise.

Please see attached a copy of the Code of Conduct (which is endorsed by Catholic Education Sandhurst) for your reference.

Years 2-6 Swimming

Our Year 2-6 students will participate in swimming lessons at Beechworth Swimming Pool over the next two weeks. F/1 students will have swimming lessons at Moore’s in Wangaratta in late-term three. Dates are:

Thursday 15th February
Friday 16th February
Monday 19th February
Thursday 22nd February
Friday 23rd February

Permission notes will be sent home via PAM.

4/5/6 Outdoor Education Camp 2024

Our Year 4/5/6 students will be participating in an Outdoor Education Camp at Borambola Sport and Recreation Centre this year. Dates are:

Wednesday 20th March
Thursday 21st March
Friday 22nd March

Further information including permission slips, medical forms etc. will be sent out over the next two weeks.

Student Birthdays

Again this year we would like to invite students to wear casual clothes to acknowledge their birthday. Any students who have had, or will have a holiday or weekend birthday are invited to choose an appropriate day to wear casual clothes to celebrate birthdays.

Art News

Jodie Cuskelly