Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It is wonderful to be back at school after an enlightening immersion experience in the Northern Territory at the end of last term and an overseas holiday attending a family wedding in New York, and a holiday in Hawaii.

Special thanks to Maria Raso for her leadership in my absence and to all members of the leadership team and staff for their continued support whilst l was away. It was very much a team effort with everyone working together and l thank everyone for their great work.

NCZ Principal Immersion Experience

I was fortunate to participate in an immersion experience with 28 Catholic primary principals from our area who travelled to the Northern Territory for an Indigenous immersion and education experience at the end of Term Three. We visited communities and schools in the Tiwi Islands, Darwin, Arnhem Land and Daley River. It was an incredible and reflective experience to spend time on Country with Indigenous Elders and educators and to be immersed in Indigenous culture.

World Teachers Day

Today we celebrate World Teachers Day.  This day is a great opportunity for everyone to recognise and appreciate teachers and the important role they play in shaping the next generation of young minds.

I would like to thank our teachers (and all staff) for all the work they do in educating, nurturing, protecting, supporting and growing the mind and spirit of our children at St Joseph the Worker.  We will be celebrating with a special morning tea to recognise, celebrate and give thanks for how fortunate we are at St Joseph the Worker to have such a wonderful staff!

School Advisory Council 2023 – Nominations are open 

Nominations are open for our 2023 School Advisory Council.  We are looking for passionate people who are interested in supporting the work of the School Council.  We have a combination of both face to face and online council meetings to support the work life balance of our members.  If you would like to learn more about the role of the council, please feel free to email our Secretary Jed Nalder on  jed.nalder@ftsresolve.com.au or call him on 0418 108 923 to arrange a confidential chat.  We are currently organising an opportunity for a virtual meeting with our executive council members and the date and time of this will be shared with the community next week.

School Uniform

Thank you for ensuring that your child is wearing the correct summer school uniform.  Students are required to wear their school hats in Term 4 while at school and are strongly encouraged to wear them when walking to and from school.  Students without a school hat will be required to sit in a shaded area during breaks.  With the UV index much higher this term, parents are encouraged to ensure that their child also wears sunscreen. 

Athletics Day at Meadowglen, Epping

Staff and students are looking forward to our Athletics Day next Wednesday, 3rd at Meadowglen in Epping.  Thank you to the parents who have offered to assist at this event as this is helpful to ensure the smooth running of the day. 

At the end of the day, parents who would like to take their children home, must see their child’s teacher so that they are marked off the class roll. 

Please note that due to our child safety compliance we can only allow parents to take students home from Meadowglen.  Please note that if we need to cancel due to ongoing rain, parents will be informed via skoolbag app on Wednesday morning. 

Birthday Treats

As covid restrictions in schools have been reduced families are able to provide birthday treats for their child’s classmates. If you would like to provide a birthday treat for your child’s class, please organise the treat in individual self-contained bags.  Teachers will share these with students at the end of the day and students can take them home to consume. 

Prep Information 2023

We welcomed all of our 2023 Prep families at orientation today.  Students worked with teachers in the classroom and parents met with leaders and were provided with information to support the smooth transition to their child’s first year of school.  We welcome our new Preps and their parents back to our school on Friday, 11th November.

Alumni News

Congratulations to Jesse Sinopoli, past student at St Joseph the Worker Primary School.  Jesse was College Vice Captain of Parade College this year and at his recent graduation ceremony, he was awarded the Brother JL Kelty Cup for his leadership at the Senior Level of Parade College. Jesse was an outstanding citizen of our school, supporting at many events including working bees, Election Day barbeques and helping out at family events.  He was a friendly and reliable student who epitomised our motto of ‘Let us work together’ every day. I am sure many families in our community remember the Sinopoli family and join me in congratulating Jesse on this impressive achievement.  Well done, Jesse.

Just a friendly reminder that next Monday is a school closure day and Tuesday is the Melbourne Cup public holiday.  The school will be closed on both of these days.  On Wednesday, we are looking forward to our School Athletics Day at Meadowglen and l hope to see many families at this important event.

Fingers crossed the rain may stop by then so we can all have an enjoyable day with our students at Meadowglen in Epping. 

Please note we have a calendar on our school website that we update regularly.  Please check this regularly for important dates and events at school. 

 Wishing everyone an enjoyable long weekend.

We ask St Joseph the Worker to continue to bless and keep us all safe.  And we pray that all families affected by the floods find the courage and strength to manage their current challenging circumstances. 

Kind regards

Maria Barnes

Q & A

Question: Are we allowed to take photos and videos of other students at St Joseph the Worker Primary School?

Answer: Under our child safety requirements parents are only allowed to take photos of their own children. We kindly ask all members of our community to respect our legal obligations.