Newsletter – Term 4 Week 4, 2023

October 25, 2023

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents & Guardians

Welcome to Week 4

Tomorrow evening, we will be hosting our annual Swimming Carnival at the Southside Pool.  This year we are encouraging our students and their families to sit in their MacKillop, Daly and Leahy house groups.  We will be starting the carnival with some war cries while all the students are present.  After this, we will be holding all of the 25m lower school events and a novelty staff versus parents relay before progressing to the Upper School events in the 50m pool.

Due to the timing of the event with many of the younger students heading home early, we will be hosting a special presentation at Monday’s Whole School Assembly to acknowledge the 9yrs – 12yrs Swimming Age Champions and overall House Champion in the Multi-Purpose Area at 8:35am.

Thanks to the Parents & Friends Association and the Joey’s staff that helped host a wonderful Prep Orientation Day last Thursday.  It was great to welcome so many new families and students to our school community.  Feedback for the day was extremely positive with our current Prep students enjoying a day in Year 1 and the current Year 1 class enjoying the day with their Year 6 buddies.  The day was filled with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming 2024 school year.

Just a quick reminder that OSHC is not in operation this Friday due to a shortage of staff.  This will also be the case for the final Friday of the school year, December the 1^st as the staff will be required to attend a school function.

Confirmation of Enrolment Forms (green) need to be completed and returned to Megan Crosthwaite in the office as soon as possible.  These forms allow us to plan our 2024 staffing and budget as accurately as possible.  These forms also allow us to have the most up-to-date information and ensure that we are able to offer our community the best support possible.  Please make this a priority.  If you are not intending to return to Joey’s in 2024, forms still need to be completed and returned.

Finally, this Friday among other things is World Teacher’s Day.  At St Joseph’s, we choose to celebrate the important roll that all of our school staff play in the lives of our students.  I would like to take this time to thank my wonderful staff for their dedication to their craft and the continued growth of our school community.  As I mentioned at last week’s Prayer Assembly, the human element being the students, parents, grandparents and staff is what makes Joey’s a lovely place to be.

This week I am attempting to publish a comprehensive list of dates for the remainder of the school year.

Don’t Forget….

• SJPA Swimming Carnival. Thursday 26^th October
• Socktober/Day for Daniel/World Teacher’s Day. Friday 27^th October
• All Saint Day. Wednesday 1^st
• All Souls Day. Thursday 2^nd
• Melbourne Cup. Tuesday 7^th
• P&F AGM. Thursday 9^th
• Remembrance Day. Saturday 11^th November
• Final Board Meeting for 2023. Tuesday 14^th
• Semester 2 Performing Arts Assembly. Monday 20^th November
• Presentation Night/Christmas Concert. Thursday 23^rd November
• Semester 2 Academic Awards. Monday 27^th November
• Semester 2 Report Cards posted to Parent Lounge. Wed 29^th
• Year 6 Graduation Mass. Wednesday 29^th November
• End of Year Mass/Term 4 concludes. Friday 1^st December

Kindest Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
Principal – St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Park Avenue