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Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
It was wonderful to see a school of red on Tuesday as we celebrated the feast of St Joseph. We are often reminded that St Joseph was the protector and teacher of Jesus when he was a boy with many references to him as a carpenter. He is also the protector of our school and everyone in it. We can take heart that St Joseph will intercede for us in times of doubt and fear whilst watching over us with loving care as we work together in our school that bears his name.
Thank you to all parents who took advantage of the parent teacher interview time to meet with their child’s teacher to discuss their progress and raise any issues of concern. We aim to work in partnership with you to educate our young people, so it is important that communication is shared both formally and informally when the occasion allows. It is not too late. If anyone was unable to attend, please ring to make another time to meet with the class teacher.
The drop/off area is working better, although some drivers are still not moving down to the end of the covered area to leave room for others behind them to pull up. Please be considerate of this request as it can be dangerous when traffic banks up. Also, I remind everyone that the speed limit is 10KPH as you enter AND exit the drop off area.
Best wishes,
Roslyn Joyner
Principal
Have you got a Health Care Card or Pension Card?
If so, please contact Kitty in the office on 5623 2943 or via email: kbarrett@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au before the end of Term 1.
Have your personal contact details changed?
- Do you hold a current Centrelink Concession Card?
- Do you no longer have a current concession card?
- Has there been a name change?
- Have you moved address?
- Have you changed your mobile phone number?
- Is your landline still valid?
- Have you changed your workplace, therefore your business phone number has changed?
- Have emergency contacts changed? Maybe they have moved away?
If you have answered "YES" to any of the above dot points, please email the office info@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au with your updated information.
PAM
- Have you verified your PAM email login?
- Please ensure student medical and contact details (including email address) are up to date.
TERM 1
Monday 27 March - Warragul District Athletics - POSTPONED
Thursday 30 March - Sacrament of Reconciliation at 7pm
Friday 31 March - School Assembly at 2:30pm - Easter raffle drawn
Monday 3 April - SSV West Gippsland Division Tennis
Wednesday 5 April - AFL-X, Moe Racecourse
Wednesday 5 April - Stations of the Cross - 11:45am in the School Hall
Wednesday 5 April - Last day of Term 1 – normal school finish time
TERM 2
Wednesday 26 April - First day of Term 2
Wednesday 26 April - ANZAC Day – Whole school reflection
Friday 28 April - State Swimming Championships at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
Tuesday 2 May - West Gippsland Division Athletics at Joe Carmody Athletics Track,
Newborough (back up date 4/5 or 9/5)
Friday 9 June - No school buses running
Monday 12 June - Monarch’s Official Birthday Public Holiday
Tuesday 13 June - Pupil Free Day
Friday 23 June - Last day of Term 2 – school finish time is 2:20pm
Please pray for our students who are preparing to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation next week.
Last Sunday, 19th March, was the Feast of St Joseph and we celebrated this occasion at school on Tuesday.
St Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, is the namesake of our school and Parish as well as being the Patron Saint of many, including the Catholic Church, fathers, carpenters and workers.
To prepare the staff for this feast day, Sr Dr Rose Duffy presented an informative session about St Joseph at one of our meetings last week.
Our school was a sea of red on Tuesday and the students participated in a number of activities in class learning about St Joseph. The senior classes looked at how St Joseph is depicted in both contemporary art and traditional art.
In Italian, the students learned about the Italian custom of having a three tiered St Joseph's altar with a statue and food, honouring a promise made to St Joseph.
The children enjoyed a doughnut treat for snack, following the Italian tradition of eating sugared fritters, called zeppole or frittelle on St Joseph's Day.
Thank you to the bakery department at Woolworths in Warragul for supporting our 'Doughnuts for St Joseph's Day' fundraiser by supplying the entire 32 dozen doughnuts free of charge.
This means we were able to add an additional $96 to our fundraising total.
Thank you Woolworths!
Prayer to Joseph
Project Compassion brings together Australian schools, parishes and supporters to raise funds for people in vulnerable communities across the world. This year, we introduced you to the stories of four inspiring people whose lives have been transformed with your generous support: Laxmi, Tereesa, Priscilla and Thu.
Today, they are creating a better world for their families, their communities and for all future generations.
Project Compassion is a demonstration of the faith, empathy and generosity of our supporters. It is the lifeblood of Caritas Australia – without it, we could not do the vital work we do. Thank you for helping transform lives today and for all future generations.
Support Project Compassion today: www.caritas.org.au/project-compassionA message from Deacon Mark
Break open your words
Lazarus is gravely ill (John 11:1-45). His sisters, Martha and Mary, send for Jesus, hoping against hope that their dearest friend, the miracle worker, “the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world” will come to save him. The sisters are faithful believers and followers but, Jesus delays, Lazarus dies and the sisters grieve. Four days later when Jesus finally fronts, he too grieves and the sisters probably feel let down. Beyond the current heartbreak though, he desires to wake us to the truth that physical death is no enemy to be feared.
Mary and others imply that bringing Lazarus back to life is beyond even Jesus’ powers (though Martha still has hopes). None can be in any doubt that Lazarus is dead and so, when Jesus prays to God and Lazarus rises, it is clearly miraculous. Martha is right! “Whatever you (Jesus) ask(s) of God, he will grant you.” God is glorified and Jesus sonship is manifest to all. Indeed he is the “resurrection and the life,” as he claims. Belief in him, even though we all die (as Lazarus eventually died) guarantees us eternal life. “Do you believe this?” Jesus asks Martha. And she did; but still it needed Jesus to further “break open your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning.” (Ps 119:130)
Sometimes we Christians wear long faces, forgetting that Jesus is the leader who will never let us down! Around the world and in our lives, there is plenty to concern and distress, but Christians can put it into perspective. We know that “death is not the end but the beginning.” Ideally, we live to a ripe old age, rich in success and family and memories, but in any case, if we believe in Jesus, we are untouchable. The worst that can happen is death, and death means life eternal.
If that doesn’t put a smile on our dials, it should do!
Deacon Mark Kelly
Holy Week Timetable 2023
Sacrament Dates for 2023
UPCOMING SPORTS DATES:
Athletics
Monday, March 27th. Warragul District Athletics Geoff Watt Memorial Track, Warragul - POSTPONED
Wednesday, April 5th. AFL-X, Moe Racecourse
Tuesday, May 2nd. West Gippsland Division Athletics. Joe Carmody Athletics Track, Newborough.
Tuesday, October 10th. Gippsland Regional Athletics. Joe Carmody Athletics Track, Newborough
St Joseph's Athletics Carnival
What a fantastic Day. Congratulations to all the students who participated. It was great to see so many students trying events and activities for the first time or that they find challenging.
Thank you to all the parents who volunteered to assist on the Day; Caitlin Juster, Tania Thompson, Sonia Olsson, Tim Place and Stuart Dalton. Thank you to the parents and families that came to support their children. Thank you to the Marist- Sion students and the Staff who were exceptional. Finally, thank you to Franklin and the Bean.
Congratulations to Luke House who were victorious on the day.
Congratulations to the following Age Champions:
12/13 Boys - Isaac Barr
12/13 Girls - Indiana Olsson
11 Boys - Bailey Mumford
11 Girls - Xanthe Dalton
10 Boys - Lenny Barake
10 Girls - Lexi Borthwick
8/9 Boys - Tadhg Sheehan
8/9 Girls - Alirah Dalton
BIG 4 Sports Trials
https://www.ssv.vic.edu.au/pages/parents.aspx
The School Sport Victoria (SSV) Team Vic representative program provides a development platform for Victoria’s emerging athletes to participate in the annual School Sport Australia (SSA) Championships. SSV coordinates the selection process for Team Vic teams in partnership with relevant state sporting organisations.
Please read the Team Vic Information Sheet before registering. This document contains important information on the SSV Team Vic Program, in relation to eligibility, registration, multiclass, selection, participation costs, and financial assistance.
View up-to-date information regarding 2023 Sport & Registration Dates.
Please see the new Team Vic Principal Endorsement Sheet process for the following teams in 2023:
- Australian Football 12 Years & Under Boys
- Basketball 12 Years & Under Girls
- Basketball 12 Years & Under Boys
- Cricket 12 Years & Under Boys
- Football (Soccer) 12 Years & Under Boys
- Netball 12 Years & Under Girls
Sports Uniform Reminder
It has been great to see so many students prepared for Sport with the correct sports uniform. Just a reminder that the sports uniform is to be worn only on the students' Sports Day. This includes appropriate footwear for vigorous activity.
TUESDAY: Grade 3/4 Classes
WEDNESDAY: Foundation and Grade 1/2 Classes
THURSDAY: Grade 5/6 Classes
NB. Grade 6 can also wear their sports uniform on a Monday.
A SPECIAL REPORT: Wellbeing Barometer Survey: 2023
Because parenting doesn't come with instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource implemented at our school to help support you in the challenges of modern-day parenting. Parenting is a learning journey and it's easy to feel stressed and overwhelmed when faced with raising happy, well and resilient young people today.
Every family has experienced some sort of difficulty or adversity in recent times, some more than others. As mental health concerns continue to rise, there have been some alarming statistics reported in relation to the mental health and wellbeing of young people. Unfortunately, the blueprint for parenting is often based on our own experiences, but this is no longer fit for purpose in raising children as citizens of tomorrow. Parents and caregivers play a vital role in providing the guidance needed to support children and adolescents as they reframe their worries and focus more on the things they can control in their life.
In this Special Report, we are seeking parent participation through a short survey. The survey is designed to provide a barometer to help gauge the state of student wellbeing within our community. We encourage you to take a few moments to complete the survey as this will help our school know the nature and extent of your concerns and determine how best we can support families in the months ahead. Responses remain anonymous and will only be reported on an aggregated basis. You are asked to base your responses on observations made in the last 12 months.
By working together we can continue to build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers as we navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for all students. Please reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you or your child, please reach out to the school or seek professional medical advice.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report:
https://stjwarragul.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2023-au
All of our classes follow the Resilience Project Program on Tuesday afternoons and children are encouraged to continue to practice the principles of the program - gratitude, empathy and mindfulness - throughout the week. We have a "Gratitude Graffiti Wall" and the students have been encouraged to contribute to this. A "Kindness Wall'' has recently been put up and we hope to read about acts of kindness occurring in our school.
We have received reports of primary school students being collected from the Warragul Regional College (WRC) bus loop. This is not allowed. WRC is a transition station for students to catch their country bus home. WRC cannot allow students to leave the bus loop or parents to enter on site. Parents must pick up students directly from school and not the bus loop. Please read the important information below from Warragul Regional College outlining the rules to use the bus loop.
2023 TERM DATES
Term 1 Tuesday 31 January – Wednesday 5 April
Term 2 Wednesday 26 April – Friday 23 June
Term 3 Monday 10 July – Friday 15 September
Term 4 Monday 2 October – Friday 15 December
2023 STUDENT FREE DAYS
Tuesday 14 March
Tuesday 13 June
2023 SCHOOL CLOSED
Monday 6 November
Absences & Holidays
In Victoria, it is compulsory for children and young people aged 6–17 years to attend school.
Parents are legally required to ensure their child attends school every day and to provide an explanation for their child's absence from school unless an exemption from attendance has been granted or an exception to their attendance applies.
Absences
If your child is away sick or away due to a planned absence or appointment, please ensure you advise the school office. Student absence text messages are sent out if your child is marked as absent without a reason. In some cases, if you email your child's classroom teacher, they may be away and may not be able to check their emails to forward to the office. It is imperative that you notify the office through one of the following methods:
1. Log into PAM (Parent Access Module) and register your child's absence;
2. Email absence@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au
3. Phone the office on 5623 2943
When sending an email, you may wish to "cc" your child's classroom teacher so they are aware of the absence too.
Holidays
If you are planning an extended holiday (a week or more) during the school term, please email info@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au addressing your intentions to our Principal, Mrs Roslyn Joyner.
P & F Dates for your Diary
Term 1
Friday 24 March- Last day for Easter egg donations, raffle tickets and money to be returned.
Friday 31 March- School assembly - Easter raffle will be drawn
Term 2
Friday 5 May - P&F Meeting, 2pm
Friday 12 May - P&F Mother's Day stall
Friday 2 June - P&F Meeting, 2pm
Friday 16 June - P&F Kids disco (after hours)
Easter Raffle
Today (Friday 24 March), is our last day for any final Easter egg/ themed donations along with your raffle tickets (sold and unsold) and money.
Thank you for your generous support.
We look forward to drawing the winners of our Easter raffle at assembly on Friday 31 March at the school at 2.30pm. We will contact all winners and also post these on our socials and in a future newsletter.
Mother's Day Stall
Join us on Facebook
We welcome all families to join our P&F Facebook page, a great place to ask any questions you might have and to engage with our school community - please search 'Parents and Friends of St Joseph's Primary School Warragul'.
Second Hand Uniforms
We have racks of second-hand school uniforms from size 4-16 available, all for a gold coin donation. Thank you to Warragul Drycleaners who have donated their services to professionally clean our second-hand school unforms.
View these at assemblies or contact the P&F Committee on stjosephswarragulpandf@gmail.com or the school office.
P&F Meetings
The next P&F meeting is scheduled for Friday 5 May, 2.00pm at the school.
If you would like to be involved, we would love to have you, please reach out to us via email stjosephswarragulpandf@gmail.com, send us a message through our Facebook page ‘Parents and Friends of St Joseph’s Primary School Warragul’ or just turn up.
Girls Football
Looking for under 12 girls players to join:
Gippsland United Football Club's Metro teams play across South East and East Melbourne. We train twice a week (Tuesday & Thursday) on the new synthetic surface at Baxter Park in Warragul. A unify who is keen can email juniors@gippslandunitedfc.com
Miniroo's Program
We also run a miniroo's program at Baxter Park in Warragul, this is for all kids age 6-10 and every week on the synthetic surface at Baxter Park. This is a great place for players with any amount of experience to try the game and progress into the future. It’s a fun, relaxed environment and all of our coaches for the 2023 season will be qualified to ensure the kids get the best opportunities moving forward. For more information or a link to register, please email miniroos@gippslandunitedfc.com
Pet Expo
Baseball
Volunteers
West Gippsland Health Care Group
Warragul Blues Junior Football Club
Judo
Irish Dancing
Junior Badminton