Dear Parents and Guardians,

A very big thank you to our Parents and Friends for organising another very successful Mother’s Day stall. It ran very smoothly and the students were so excited to shop for presents and the variety on offer was amazing. Well done P & F group.

Our Mother’s Day celebrations began with a beautiful mass organised by Pauline. I thank Fr Manny, Pauline and our students for making this mass so special for our mums.

Congratulations to our P & F group for organising a wonderful morning tea for our Mum’s. When l walked into the hall, l was greeted by a sea of smiling faces. Our mothers, grandmothers and friends enjoyed a delicious morning tea and presentations from all classes. It was wonderful to have so many of our community join this special event and l thank our hard-working P&F group for organising it and staff and students for their assembly items.

We have a wonderful school community and it was great to have so many families share in this special event.

Building Grant Application

On Tuesday, John Mills and Tom Hartshorn met with Jed Nalder, our School Council Chairperson and myself to discuss our latest grant application for the refurbishment of our administration building. Refurbishment of the administration building would enable us to provide modern, flexible learning spaces to engage students in collaborative learning. It would also provide opportunities for break-out spaces and better integration between indoor and outdoor learning. This is a positive step for our school and now we wait until later in the year to find out if we have been successful in our application. Special thanks to Jed Nalder, our School Advisory Council President, for his support and assistance with this process.

Cross Country

Congratulations to all the students who recently represented St Joseph the Worker at the Zone Cross-Country. Congratulations to Matthew P, Olivia V, Joseph, Hari, Christian, Bronson, Isaac O and Paul who have qualified to compete in the Division Cross Country Championships at Bundoora Park on Thursday 1st June. Thank you to Cara, Josie and the parents who attended and supported our students on the day, with a special thanks to Cara for preparing our students so well.

Emergency Management Plan (EMP)

St Joseph the Worker has a comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (EMP) that addresses site specific hazards and threats which have the potential to result in emergencies and critical incidents which may occur. An important part of our plan is to test emergency response procedures by conducting drills regularly. We will be conducting our next evacuation drill on Wednesday, 31st May at 2.15pm. We will remind students about our procedures for these drills and that this is just a practice!

School Uniform

Thank you for ensuring that your child is wearing the correct winter uniform. Just a reminder that students' hair (both girls and boys) must be tied back if it is shoulder length or longer. We would remind families to please ensure all clothing is clearly labelled.

Please note - the wearing of the correct school uniform is compulsory.

School Absentee

Just a reminder that if your child is going to be absent from school, you must submit the Absentee eForm via Skoolbag/Audiri. If your child is absent from school and you have not submitted an eForm, your child will be marked as unexplained, and you will receive an SMS notification about this.

We also ask that you avoid picking up your child early from school as this disrupts their learning. Early pickups should only be for an emergency or for an appointment that cannot be scheduled out of school hours. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Birthday Treats

Some parents, particularly from the junior classes, like to send a birthday treat to share with your child's class. Items need to be individually wrapped, not require refrigeration or special care, and will be given out at the end of the school day.

Help needed!

St Joseph the Worker has a wonderful tradition of Playgroup every Monday morning however this year we have struggled to find a parent who will run this for our community. It is not a difficult role and all that of If you are able to assist please contact the office.

COVID-19 and Influenza

We have had many students away from school in the past few weeks. We have had some COVID-19 cases and families have reported that their children are suffering from high fevers, poor appetite and feeling very lethargic. I ask all parents to remain vigilant. Please maintain good hygiene habits, closely monitor your children for any symptoms and take any appropriate action and seek medical attention if required.

What to do if your child gets sick

To help keep your child and our school community safe, please take the following steps if your child has any cold or flu-like symptoms:

Keep your child at home until their symptoms pass
Common flu-like symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, loss of appetite, body aches and feeling extremely weak and tired
Diagnosis of the flu can only be confirmed by a doctor after a nose or throat swab
Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and ask them to cover their nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing.
It is important that children and young people have the best possible protection against the flu and COVID-19 by getting vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccines are available free of charge to everyone aged 5 years and over in Australia.
Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and over. Flu vaccinations can be booked through GPs and pharmacies, many of which can also provide COVID-19 vaccinations.

Important Dates for Term Two

We have two pupil free days this term on the following dates:
Tuesday June 13 - (Day after King's birthday holiday)
Wednesday June 14th

Please keep our Year 4 students in your prayers as they continue their important preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Eucharist on Saturday, 27th May.

We ask St Joseph the Worker to continue to bless our School Community.

Maria Barnes

Parents & Friends Committee