Principal's Update

Good afternoon families ... 

It’s hard to believe that next week marks the final week of Term 1, and what an exciting week it promises to be! 

Monty's Colour Fun Run will be held on Wednesday April 2 at 12pm at the Quarry Hill Golf Club ... following the run, we will hold the much-anticipated Easter Egg Raffle draw back at school at 2.50pm, where some fantastic prizes will be won!  A big thank you to our Parents and Friends Association for their hard work in organising this event and to all families who have bought and sold tickets—your support is greatly appreciated. 

As part of our commitment to social justice and in recognition of Caritas Australia during Lent, we will be holding our Caritas 'Walk for Water' next Thursday.  This event allows our students to take part in a meaningful activity that raises awareness and support for those in need, reinforcing the importance of compassion and service in our school community.

End of Term Dismissal

A reminder the term will conclude on Friday April 4 at 2.15pm.  

Thank you for your continued support throughout the term.  Have a wonderful break and a happy and holy Easter — we look forward to another great term ahead!

A final reminder that Term 2 begins for all children on Monday April 28.

School Photos - Retake Day

School Photo Retake Day will be held this coming Monday, March 31.   All students must wear their correct summer school uniform (not sports uniform).  

If you were away last photo day, you will have your individual and/or family photo this coming Monday.

NAPLAN

Over the last two weeks, our Year 3 and Year 5 participated in Naplan.  Our students did a wonderful job in completing these assessments.  The Naplan results form the basis of planning for us as a school and it is important to keep in mind that these assessments provide a snapshot of your child’s performance at one point in time.

Our new programs provide us with many opportunities to measure student achievement and learning growth.  We look forward to being able to provide you with multiple data sets for your child.

2026 Enrolments

Foundation Enrolments open soon for 2026.  If you have a sibling beginning school next year, please contact the office for an enrolment form. 

Sports equipment

I have spoken to several students about leaving their personal sports gear (netballs, basketballs, footballs etc...) at home.  While I understand the excitement of bringing new equipment to school, there is a strong possibility that it could be lost over a fence or end up on a school roof, making it unretrievable.  To ensure everyone has access to quality sports gear, the school has invested in a wide range of equipment for student use this year.

Volunteer Induction

It is comforting to know we have so many families we can call on to volunteer at St Joseph's. It is a requirement of all schools that volunteers will undertake an induction process before being able to volunteer.  Thank you to those who have completed this process.  If you have not completed the Induction and wish to volunteer at St Joseph's in the future, please click on this link, St Joseph's Primary Volunteer Induction. 

Note:  All volunteers also require a current Working with Children Check, which needs to be presented to the office for our record.

Congratulations to our winning team - Halifax (yellow) with 492 pts, who took out the coveted Golden Hammer on St Joseph's Day last week from Reville (red) and Curtin (blue).

Personal Device Policy

Thank you for your support with this new initiative.  The students have responded positively to the changes regarding their devices. Our procedures are aligned with those set out by CESL.

We appreciate your support with this change. 

Parking & Safety around St Joseph's

The Gladstone Street Crossing Supervisor is having some difficulties with cars double parking.  It is making it hard to see oncoming traffic and becoming quite dangerous.

Could everyone please be mindful when arriving at the busy pickup time.

Parking Services from the City of Greater Bendigo have contacted our school to request that we share the following important information with our school community.

The illegal parking of vehicles near our school poses a significant safety risk to children, pedestrians, and other road users. Parents are reminded to follow all parking restrictions when dropping off and collecting children to help ensure a safe environment for everyone.

Motorists must: 

• Not stop in "No Stopping" areas, even briefly, regardless of whether the engine is running.

• Not park next to a continuous yellow edge line, on nature strips, over driveways, too close to school crossings, or double park.

• Observe time-restricted parking zones, such as 2-minute pick-up/drop-off areas, which are in place to maintain traffic flow and safety near schools.

• Not perform U-turns over an unbroken or continuous dividing line.

Regarding children’s crossings, the law requires drivers to approach at a speed that allows them to stop safely if needed.  Please slow down and take extra care when driving in school zones.

City of Greater Bendigo Parking Officers and Bendigo Police conduct random patrols throughout the school year at various locations to ensure compliance with Road Safety Road Rules.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe.

Kind regards,

Peter Teggelove, Principal