Dear Families,

As we embark on the 2023 school year, I am thrilled to report that our students have had an exceptional start to the term, with all classes settled and calmly going about their business within an hour of the school bell!

A highlight has been our students showing great manners, respect and kindness to each other and their teachers. The importance of good manners will be a significant and repeated focus throughout the year and will permeate the playground and classrooms, and taught explicitly in Georgie Carman’s ‘Respectful Relationship’ lessons.

It has been a joy to welcome our new preps and their families, as well as new students and teachers across the school. Our newest additions to staff are as follows: Dean Butler as Prep teacher, Edel Cleere as the Performing Arts and Year 6 teacher, and Chiara Gallo as the Italian teacher. Their contributions to our school community are already being felt, and we are grateful to have them on board.

On Thursday, we officially marked the beginning of the new school year with a special celebration in Church, celebrated by Monsignor Stuart Hall. During our beginning of-year mass, we welcomed our families and watched as our teachers pledged their commitment to the education of our students, and presented certificates to our new SRC captains and Year 6 Captains.

As a staff, we were so very proud of behaviour, participation and enthusiastic singing from our students- even preps! Thank you to Amanda Jackson (Religious Education Leader) for organising the liturgy and preparing the students.

Following Mass, we were looking forward to a LONG family picnic and plenty of sports activities with Kelly Sports. In typical Melbourne fashion, the rain spoiled our plans but we are grateful for the supportive community spirit that was demonstrated! We thank you all for coming along and maybe the sun will shine at the end-of-year picnic!

This week, our Year 3 to 6 students participated in swimming trials in preparation for the Dendy District swimming competition. There will be pre-school training for the squad in the lead-up to the Dendy competition. Thank you to Liam Cleary (Interschool sports coordinator) and Tanya Huebner for organising and training the students.

We are thrilled with how the 2023 school year has started and we have so much to look forward to this term:

Indigenous Culture Day- Monday 13th February. Please join us at 9am for a ‘Welcome to Country’ and ‘Smoking’ Ceremony
Year 5 and Year 6 trip to see ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’, followed by a Q+A session with the cast
Dendy District Swimming competition
Dendy District Tennis competition
Harmony Day Community Celebration
Return of the Pre Prep Playgroup, and a new ‘younger’ playgroup, the Junior Joeys
Year 5 and 6 Camp to Rumbug in Foster
Georgina Manning Parent Seminar
School Photos
St Joseph's Cross Country Competition
Reintroduction of cake stalls!

Some Housekeeping…

The students are welcome to play with tennis or down balls before and after school, but we do not allow ‘big balls’ on the playground at these times. There are far too many babies and toddlers around.
If you need to email a teacher please do so using their school email address. Staff are unable to respond to private messages in class dojo.
All smart phones/ watches need to be handed into the classroom teacher each morning. Please see Martin’s communication, especially if you were not present at this week’s assembly.
The car park next door to the school belongs to the parish and not the school. Staff have been given permission to park there, but this is not a given. Please see Monsignor’s note. Any questions please contact Monsignor directly.

From Monsignor:

Pick-off / Pick-up Children: Monsignor Stuart is concerned that parents are driving into the church carpark and children are running in between cars to get dropped off / picked up. This activity is fraught with danger. To reduce this risk parents are to drop-off / pick-up on Stanhope street. This may mean that parents might have to park their car and walk to the school gate. This situation will be monitored over the next few weeks, and if required Monsignor Stuart will close the gates from 8.00am - 8.45am, and 2.30-3.30pm. The Parish is very concerned about providing a Safe Environment for our Children and Parishioners. None of us wants to live with the trauma of a child being hit by a vehicle!

Out of the mouths of babes! (Not for Mr Butler to watch)

A Damp and Cold Friday Disco...

Extra Curricular Opportunities, from next week:

Choir on Friday morning recess, led by Miss Bascombe
Performing Arts Club with Miss Cleere, Wednesday morning recess
Sports Club with Mr Cleery, Thursday morning recess
Gardening Club with Miss Jo, Monday morning recess
Sewing Club with Miss Karen, Tuesday morning recess
Quiet Club each day, afternoon recess with various teachers rostered on.
Netball practice, Mondays and Tuesdays after school, with Sarah Gerrand, Saints Netball Club
Soccer training, Wednesdays after school with Sports Star Academy
Basketball training with Kelly Sports (new for 2023), Thursdays after school
Martial Arts Karate training, Thursday mornings before school with All Stars Defence
Tennis lessons with Total Tennis before school on Tuesdays. (tbc depending upon interest)
Yoga with Mel, Monday afternoons after school. Information will be emailed home soon.
Instrumental music, most days, with the St Joseph's Instrumental Music Program
Computer Programing with Digimaker, Friday morning recess

Quiet Club this week:

Individual teachers may wish to have a signup list and they will let the students know next week. All externally provided programs come at an extra cost.

Wishing you all a restful weekend ahead and well done/ thank you for an amazing first week.

Michelle

A Prayer for Our Students

I pray for:

Strength - that God gives them the strength to do what they need to do each day.

Courage - that they will be brave as they face the challenges that are before them.

Peace - that their hearts will be calm and peaceful as they go through their day and in their sleep at night.

Provision - asking God to provide for all that they need - for each day.

Direction - that they will be led to embrace what is good and right.

Joy - that God fills them with the kind of bliss and joy that can only come from the Divine.

Compassion - that they will show compassion to those in need and who have less than they do.

Justice - to give them a sense of justice to stand up for what is right and to defend the weak.

Wisdom - that they will grow in knowledge and understanding.

Hope - to give them the hope that comes from above - the kind that far exceeds what we have in the here and now.

Love - that our children know how deeply they are loved, and that love will overflow onto others.

Amen

Anxious Little Minds