Deputy Principal
Katie Vranken
Welcome!
Welcome to 2023! Can you believe that we have just celebrated another Christmas and New Year and that one month is nearly gone? I hope that you have all celebrated a lovely Christmas and New Year with your family and loved ones and that you are ready for another School Year.
For all families, welcome back or welcome to St Joseph's. We hope that this year brings lots of opportunities to get together where we can celebrate student achievements, come together for sports and BBQs and work together to make our school even better.
For all of you who do not know me, my name is Katie Vranken. This year I continue to be in the Deputy Principal role and Learning Diversity role, both are rewarding jobs. This year I also am privileged to work with the youngest and oldest cohorts of the school. Foundation and Year Six.
My Office has relocated!
This year you will find my office adjacent to the Administration Office if you need to come in and have a chat. My Classroom days are Monday (Year Six) and Tuesday (am in Foundation and pm in Year Six) my days in the office are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Alternatively, you can contact me at kvranken@sjyarrajunction.catholic.edu.au.
New Fire Rating Scale and School Procedures
Prior to Christmas, the old Fire rating scale has been transformed into a new and easily read scale. Please find below the school information related to these changes and information about preparing your family for such an event.
St Joseph's School actively trains in Emergency Management Procedures and actively practises these procedures with the students through a range of Emergency Management Drills.
Our school has been identified as a school at high fire risk.
Where possible, we will provide parents with up to three days notice of a planned closure. We will contact you directly by email and via our Facebook page with advice on planned closures. We will confirm the decision to close by 12 noon the day before the planned closure in consultation with the CFA, other emergency authority and Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools advice.
Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child.
No staff will remain on site when the school is closed by the threat of fire.
We will also cancel any off-site activities and out-of-school care during the fire season if the activities are at risk. There may also be changes to school bus routes.
On high fire risk days, families are encouraged to enact their Bushfire Survival Plan. On such days, children should never be left at home unattended or in the care of older children.
For those of us living in a bushfire prone area, the safest option, when a Catastrophic Code Red day is declared, is to leave the night before, or early in the morning of the Catastrophic Code Red day.
What can parents do?
Make sure your family’s Bushfire Survival Plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements in the event that our school is closed. Make sure we have your current contact details registered in Operoo, including your mobile phone numbers and email addresses. Keep in touch with us by reading our newsletters, by checking your emails, our Facebook Page and by talking to your child’s teacher or any other member of the teaching staff.
If your child is old enough, talk to them about bushfires and your family’s bushfire survival plan.
You can access more information about school closures on the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd’s (CECV) website www.cecv.catholic.edu.au.
For up-to-date information on this year’s fire season, visit the CFA website at www.cfa.vic.gov.au or call the 24-hour Victorian Bushfires Information Line on 1800 240 667.
What does the school do to plan for Emergency Events?
Each school year, St Joseph's Staff participate in mandatory Emergency Management Training with Dynamiq. This training runs us through many different scenarios in the vent of an emergency ever occurring. We also encourage our children to line up every day in their emergency evacuation order, and regularly practice emergency drills to assist students in becoming familiar with different procedures. We have a scheduled Fire drill this Tuesday 7th February.
