Dear Parents,

Congratulations to our Year 3 community on a wonderful afternoon gathering last Wednesday. The community gathered together with a focus on building a sense of belonging and connectedness. It was wonderful to see our students, parents and staff enjoying time together. Thank you to Matt De Marte for providing the afternoon tea and to our amazing teachers in the Bunjil community who support our students magnificently ensuring every student is shining and flourishing.

It is so important to continue to build community and highlight and continue to strengthen our St Joseph's identity based on our Catholic Social teachings. Our big focus for Term 4 is on ensuring we are a strong community that has a high level of respect for ourselves, our community and our environment.

This is both in our physical school environment and in relation to online environments. We need to work for the common good of all students in our community and ensure that there is respect for each other at all times.

I have been sent very disturbing screenshots of what students across a number of schools are posting on line in sporting group chats and in gaming messaging. Please monitor your child’s online behaviour. I urge parents to stay strong and set clear boundaries in regards to devices. Research has shown that children with devices in their bedrooms are at risk of being exposed to repeated online bullying affecting their identity, self esteem and ability to sleep and think. Primary school children require safe environments to flourish in. Online spaces that are not being monitored by adults are unsafe and unhealthy for children and can have long term effects on their social, emotional and academic development and are high risk environments.

We look forward to celebrating the opening for our new administrative building this Friday at 1.00pm.

We look forward also to our Junior Parish Sports on Friday 9.30- 12.30pm being held at St Mary’s. All parents are welcome to join in on the fun and to mix with our other two Parish Primary schools. This event has been cancelled over the last two years so it will be wonderful to gather together as a Parish community.

Today is world health mental health day. The World Health Organisation theme for 2022 is Making Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority.

Whilst the pandemic has, and continues to, take its toll on our mental health, the ability to reconnect through World Mental Health Day 2022 will provide us with an opportunity to re-kindle our efforts to protect and improve mental health.

Many aspects of mental health have been challenged; and already before the pandemic in 2019 an estimated one in eight people globally were living with a mental disorder.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global crisis for mental health, fuelling short- and long-term stresses and undermining the mental health of millions.

Let's keep a high priority and commitment to mental health and together envision a world in which mental health is valued, promoted and protected; where everyone has an equal opportunity to enjoy mental health and to exercise their human rights; and where everyone can access the mental health care they need. Above all that there is respect for the dignity of each person and love for all in our community.

We have our St Joseph’s Trivia night coming up on Saturday 22nd October. Please get behind this important social and fundraising event

Enrolments are open for 2022. Please promote our wonderful school to our community. We have some little booklets promoting Foundation 2023 available at the office if you know anyone interested.

We have a referral system in place - if you successfully refer any family to St Joseph’s across any year level both yourself and the new family receive a discount of $250 off your 2023 fees.

Finally we celebrate two new babies in our St Joseph’s community. Congratulations to Meg, Ruby and Andy Colvin on the birth of their daughter Lola and Kenneth, Dani and Leang on the birth of Luis.

Yours in Partnership,

Gab

Child Safety...