15 September 2021
Newsletter Articles
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Welcome to Week 10.
We are about to farewell our wonderful Parish Priest, Fr Marcel who will be returning to his friends and family back in India at the end of this month.
The following celebrations will provide a number of chances for us to farewell Fr Marcel and show our appreciation.
- Saturday 18th Sept: OLHC, 6:30pm Mass
- Sunday 19th Sept: St Mary’s Church, 7:00am Mass
- Saturday 25th Sept: Holy Family, 5:00pm Mass
- Sunday 26th Sept: Holy Family, 9:00am Mass
Fr Marcel has certainly been a tremendous part of our Joey’s community over the last couple of years. As a school community we will be presenting Fr Marcel with a token of our appreciation for his guidance, commitment, and leadership at Joey’s on Friday the 17th of September at 2:15pm in the school’s MPA.
Father will be missed by our community, our Parish and by myself personally as both my Parish priest and as a friend. I am sure if you get the chance, you will join me in wishing Fr Marcel all the best for his future endeavours.
Congratulations to Mrs Bernadette Brennan who was successful in her application as the Principal of St Joseph’s Wandal. The staff and school community were notified of Bernadette’s appointment on Monday via correspondence from our Diocesan Director Miss Leesa Jeffcoat. Congratulations to Bernadette who thoroughly deserves this appointment as a form of recognition of all that she has done in her time at Joeys.
Bernadette will be commencing her new role at the beginning of the 2022 school year. With the news of this appointment, we will soon begin the process of advertising and interviewing for the role of APRE at St Joseph’s Park Avenue commencing in 2022. As more information comes to hand, I will keep the community informed about our staffing for next year.
Through the week I received details about Emmaus College’s Year 6 Orientation Day. For those families attending Emmaus in 2022, you will also be receiving these details directly from the College. The day will be held on Thursday the 25th of November from 8:45am – 2:30pm.
Please be aware that private transport to and from Emmaus College will need to be arranged for both events.
Our P&F Association will be holding a ‘Hat Drive’ over the upcoming holiday break. Information has already been sent home earlier this week. The cost will be $5 to embroider your child’s surname inside their hat. You will be able to drop off your child’s hat with a cash payment on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning and it will be ready for the commencement of Term 4. For those parents who wish to have a new hat for their children, there is also the option to purchase a new hat with embroidery for $20. Please be aware though that we have a limited supply of hat sizes at school.
As a number of students will be without their hat for the final day of school, we will be having a free hat day on the final day of this Term. A big thanks to our P&F volunteers for this wonderful initiative. If this is received well, I believe that school jackets will be next on the hit list.
Last week we made some changes to our eating areas to reduce a little bit of congestion during our lunch times. The students in our Early Years Precinct (Prep and Year 1) have moved back to the old eating area across from their classrooms and toilets. Years 2-6 will remain in the new space near the Multi-Purpose Area. These changes have been made in an effort to provide more space for our students during eating time as well as help with our ability to implement consistent processes during lunch times. I will be talking with our students and staff to review our new processes and to see if any other improvements can or need to be implemented.
Have a great week.
Don’t Forget …
- Primary Inter-school Touch Challenge. Wednesday 15th September.
- Berry Street Trauma Aware Training. Wed 15th – Fri 17th September.
- Year 6 ‘Get Active’ Raffle drawn Friday 17th September.
- Joey’s Farewell to Fr Marcel. Friday 17th September @ 2:15pm in MPA.
- Fr Marcel Farewell Mass. Saturday, OLHC 18th September @ 6:30pm
- Term 4 Commences Tuesday, 5th October.
- Prep 2022 Orientation Day. Thursday 21st October in Term 4.
- TCC Year 6 Half Day Small Group Workshop. 9:30am – 1:00pm Wednesday 3rd November.
- TCC Year 7 Orientation Evening. 5:00pm – 6:30pm Monday 15th November.
- Emmaus Year 6 Orientation Day. 8:45am – 2:30pm Thursday 25th November.
Regards
Bernard Fitzgerald
Principal - St. Joseph’s Catholic School Park Avenue
St Joseph’s 2021 School Improvement Priorities:
- Writing
- Parent Engagement
- Social Emotional Learning
RELIGIOUS MATTERS
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jesus heals the deaf man
Gospel Reflection
‘But you, who do you say I am?’ This would have to be one of the most powerful questions of the gospels. It echoes down the centuries and is just as relevant today as it ever was. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Our answer to that question is perhaps the most revealing statement of our faith. Our answer no doubt changes over time as we grow in understanding and as we experience the ups and downs of life, but nonetheless, just like Peter in the gospel passage, our answer remains a clear statement of our faith. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Just a good guy who lived 2,000 years ago? A role model? A friend? God made flesh? The Word come down from heaven? Nobody? Everybody? Our saviour? An inspired man of God? The Messiah?
Q. What are the ‘crosses’ that followers of Jesus today are called to take up?
@Liturgy Help – Greg Sunter
Bernadette Brennan
Assistant Principal Religious Education
TERM FEES - FINANCE
Fee Accounts for Term 3 are now Overdue
Term 3, 2021 Fee Statements are several weeks overdue for payment and require your urgent attention. Please contact Megan or Bernard to discuss.
If you have a means tested Concession Card and have not yet given a copy to the Megan, our Finance Secretary, please do so as soon as possible.
If paying by Direct Deposit, please use your Account Number as the reference instead of names (this is the 6-digit number on your Fee Statement).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Congratulations to the following students and staff who will celebrate their birthday this week and over the holidays. They are: Mia Smith (Yr 3), Kobe Hannah (Yr 6), Paige Barron (Yr 6), Sebastian Clarke (Yr 2), Mia Cruickshank (Yr 5), Briannah Boylan (Prep), Dominic Whiting (Yr 6), Olivia Hewett (Yr 2), Zara Malone (Yr 3), Logan Gudgeon (Yr 1), Myka Waters (Yr 2), Miss Beak (Yr 3). William Farr (Yr 5), Tucka Andrews (Yr 2), Samson Burgess (Yr 4), Violet Hayes (Yr 1), Cooper McCrohon (Yr 6), Anikah Savage (Yr 6), Esther Wehlow (Yr 2), Zeva Green (Yr 3), Alivia Muir (Yr 4), Rahnie Muir (Yr 2), Finn Wyatt (Yr 4), Holly Ayres (Yr 1), Elijah Pettett (Prep), Bibiana Goody (Prep), Harper Cook (Yr 4).
Have a great day.
BOOK FAIR
Our annual Book Fair made has an impressive return to St Joseph’s this term, after a year off due to our Capital Works Project.
I just want to pass on a huge congratulations and thank you, to all the staff, students and parents who made our ‘Joeys in Jama’s’ night and the week of Book Fair such a huge success!
It’s wonderful to see such a beautiful culture of readers being developed and nurtured, both at home as well as at school.
All of your combined enthusiasm and efforts have provided our new library with over 160 new fiction, non-fiction and picture books to be enjoyed by all of our students.
STUDENT PROTECTION WEEK 2021 (5-11 SEPTEMBER)
Last week we took the time to reflect on the importance of Child Safety.
On Tuesday the students took part in Australia’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson, which was a nationwide live-streamed event organised by The Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
The lessons had similar themes reinforcing the students’ prior knowledge of Recognise, React and Report and the importance of talking to someone when you are not feeling safe.
Students, staff, and families had the opportunity to complete part of our SJPA Community Collage during playtime and after school during parent-teacher interviews. The collage was to support the theme of Student Protection Week - Every child, in every community, needs a fair go.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to colour, draw or encourage those who were participating. You can see how many people it takes to keep kids safe - Student Protection is Everybody’s Business.
Brooke Black
Student Protection Contact
SCHOOL DENTIST
If parents are needing to contact the school dentist through the holidays, their numbers are
Admin: 4920 6372
Direct: 4920 6311
DRAKES SUPA IGA
Drakes Fundraiser for St. Joseph's Cathedral
I thank you for your support of this project which has raised over $40,000, of which the school community has played an important role. Please continue to support the Cathedral by shopping at DRAKES using your key tag and receiving the benefits.
If you have not been part of this fundraiser you are invited to get a key tag from your local School or Church and shop at your local Drakes, one cent in every dollar you spend will go to the Cathedral. No Fuss, only benefits.
Hoping to see you at Drakes
Stay Safe
Shirley Hopkins,
Co-ordinator, Drakes Fundraiser for St Joseph's Cathedral