Dear Families,

I hope that you have all had an enjoyable break, spending quality time with family and friends, and feel rejuvenated and ready for Term Four. Congratulations to Geelong supporters!

The whole school focus for the term is: Connections. The unit of learning will have a Geography curriculum focus. Students will explore how they are connected to other people and places both locally and globally.

To link our faith to our inquiry learning, students will participate in a "Just Like Me," global poverty workshop this coming Friday that will teach global poverty through immersive activities. Each child is personally challenged to reflect, act and understand the lives of children overseas in context to their own experiences. Students will be eating cooked rice for lunch and are asked to bring along a bowl and fork for us to put their rice into and a basic snack for morning tea.

Nelson Mandela's quote below reminds me of our responsibility to ensure our students are aware of the importance of social justice.

“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. … poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.”

Working Bee

This Saturday we will be hosting a working bee here onsite. We have a lot of gardening and painting on the agenda. Please come along to assist us and bring any gardening equipment (spades, forks, rakes, wheelbarrows, secateurs etc.) Morning tea will be supplied. An Operoo was sent earlier today with more details.

Bunnings

Thank you to Bunnings Rosebud who regularly donate items to our school. Most recently they donated gardening equipment for our 2023 Prep Welcome Packs.

Beleza

Thank you also to Beleza School Uniforms for their Giveback Program Payment that we received during the holidays.

Beach STEAM for students in Prep and 1/2

Our Prep and Year 1/2 students will be participating in some Beach Steam learning activities. They will walk down to Sorrento front beach with their classes on Thursday 13, 20, 27 October and 3 November. Thank you to Jane for organising this program and to parents for volunteering to assist.

Arts Expo

We are looking forward to our Arts Expo, being held on Thursday 10 November between 5:30pm - 7:00pm. We are asking all students to attend as there will short performances that students will be involved in.

Oak's Day Lunch

With the Oak's Day Lunch only four weeks away, don't forget to support this event and purchase your tickets ASAP.

MACSSIS School Improvement survey

Thank you to all parents who completed this survey. Staff and students in Years 4, 5 and 6 also completed it. It will be used to evaluate the school's performance in several areas such as School Climate, Student Safety, Communication, Family and Student Engagement, Teacher/Student Relationships, Student Voice and Catholic identity and determine future plans and actions.

FIRE Carriers

Congratulations to the FIRE Carriers who organised a Second Hand Book Stall and raised $130 for the Opening the Door Foundation.

Walk To School Month

It’s time to hit the pavement and take part in this year’s VicHealth Walk to School program supported by Mornington Peninsula Shire and Peninsula Health. Walk to School is an annual program encouraging kids to ride, walk or scoot to school during the month of October. We know walking to school can be a challenge for some families, so this year, we encourage families to reduce the pressure and do whatever is realistic! This could include: • Parking a little further from school to get in a few more steps before the school gate. • Walk part of the way. • Walk one or two mornings per week... every extra step counts!

Welcome

A very warm welcome to Hugo (Year1) and James (Year 5) and their families who are joining the St Joseph's community this term.

Enjoy your week,

Monica

moshannassy@sjsorrento.catholic.edu.au

Sustainability