Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,

Next week is the first full week for Foundation students. Thay have done an amazing job of settling into the school routine. The Foundation assessment days on Wednesdays have given the teachers a clearer understanding of each individual student’s starting point, whilst at the same time providing the students a rest day in the middle of the week as they become initiated into school life.

Wednesday, 5^th March will be Ash Wednesday. This is the day which marks the beginning of Lent, which in the Catholic Church tradition, is the season to prepare for Easter. As a part of the liturgy on Ash Wednesday, we are marked with the sign of the cross on the forehead with ashes. This is a reminder to turn back to God, to slow down our busy lives for a while so that we can think about the poor choices that we have been making, any hurts that we are responsible for and to try to make amends. Ashes are an ancient symbol for repentance and as such, are still used today as part of the rich tradition and symbolism of the Church.

I am pleased to advise that we are now a part of the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHIPS) initiative. Megan Maunder is our MHiPS leader and has provided further information in this newsletter about her role. If you have concerns about your child’s mental health or wellbeing, you are encouraged to contact your child’s teacher, Megan Maunder or myself.

Best wishes,

Ros Joyner

Principal

Term 1

Thursday 30 January – Friday 4 April

Tuesday 4 March                                             Parent / Teacher Interviews

Tuesday 4 March                                             Shrove Tuesday

Wednesday 5 March                                      Foundation students’ first Wednesday at school

Wednesday 5 March                                      Ash Wednesday Mass at 12pm in the School Hall

Thursday 6 March                                            Parent / Teacher Interviews

Friday 7 March                                                  Pupil Free Day

Monday 10 March                                           Labour Day Public Holiday

Wed 12 – Mon 24 March                              NAPLAN

Wed 12 – Fri 14 March                                  Year 6 Sovereign Hill Camp

Tuesday 18 March                                           St Joseph’s Athletics Carnival – Geoff Watt Track

Wednesday 19 March                                    St Joseph’s Day

Thursday 20 March                                         Sacrament of Reconciliation at St Ita’s, Drouin

Friday 21 March                                               Harmony Day

Thursday 27 March                                         Eucharist Parent Information Meeting

Friday 4 April                                                     Stations of the Cross TBC

Friday 4 April                                                     Last Day of School for Term 1 – 2:20pm finish

A message from Deacon Mark

Log In The Eye

The “log in the eye”(Luke 6: 39-45) is one of Jesus’ most memorable images. Obviously ludicrous, so everyone gets it. Someone with a great lump of wood in their eye is in no position to be pointing out another’s speck. 

Along with Jesus’ other witty examples here: the blind leading the blind and students leading teachers, this gospel has been instructive for delegates at our Australian Plenary Council, at Pope Francis’ global Synod of Bishops and at our own Sale Diocesan Assembly last week.

On reflection we have realized that we can all be a little like scribes and Pharisees – striving to keep the letter, rather than spirit, of the law and to make sure others do as well. Living sinful spiritual pride, assuming they are better than those who think differently (or propose reforms to the church), is a log in their eye. So too might those with radical solutions to the church’s problems, who breezily dismiss the law and tradition, sure they are better than traditionalists.

We must never lose sight that we are all part of the one Body of Christ. Our diversity is what makes the Church work. We should strive to listen humbly and respectfully to sincerely held views, even when they are frustratingly different to our own. Praying for and recognizing the work of the Holy Spirit in our deliberations, we must be wary of potential logs of convenience and familiarity, bias, and prejudice.

The circumstances we find ourselves in as Church are so different to any that have gone before. We are in uncharted territory, called to courageous, prophetic action. Rather than simply pushing our views, we must strive to move beyond our logs of comfort, convenience, familiarity, bias, and prejudice, discovering common ground with the rest of the Body of Christ; discerning and responding to the questions, “What Would Jesus Do?”, “What Does God Want of Us in Australia at this time?”, what is God asking of our universal Church? How does God want me to engage young people in our parish?

Deacon Mark Kelly

Join us on Facebook

We welcome all families to join our P&F Facebook page. This is 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 clean second-hand school uniforms, available for a gold coin donation.

These will be available to view at some assemblies. Alternatively, to view/purchase items, please contact the P&F Committee on stjosephswarragulpandf@gmail.com or ask at the school office.

The bushfire season is upon us and normally runs from October until April.

As St. Joseph’s is located in a high-risk bushfire area, the school will be pre-emptively closed in the event that the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issues a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating (FDR) which is the highest level of fire danger. This will apply when the warning is issued for our weather district to the school (West and South Gippsland - Region).

A decision is made at 1:00pm the day before if possible, and will not change regardless of changing weather conditions. This will help limit confusion and help families plan for how their children will be cared for when the school is closed.

Where possible, four (4) to seven (7) days’ notice of a planned closure will be provided. However, experience indicates that a Catastrophic FDR may be forecast at short notice. Parents, guardians, and carers should expect that in some instances less than four (4) days’ notice may be provided. No one will be permitted on site when this notice has been issued.

When an Extreme Fire Danger Rating has been issued, the school may close and remote learning enacted - students will join their class online through Google Meet.

This is a part of our emergency management plan for St. Joseph's and every effort will be made to give you advanced warning of a closure. 

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 absent without a reason. Emails or ClassDojo messages may be missed in some instances; if the classroom teacher is teaching or the classroom teacher may be away.

It is imperative that you notify the school 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 or info@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au 

3. Phone the office on (03) 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 or principal@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au addressing your intentions to our Principal, Mrs Roslyn Joyner.

If you have any questions or need any clarification, please feel free to contact Shirley or Kitty in the office on (03) 5623 2943.

St Joseph's Library is pleased to be offering Scholastic Book Club once again this year. 

Book Club provides families with an affordable and convenient way to access the best in children's literature to encourage leisure reading. Book Club brings the magic of reading to families. Every purchase made contributes to our Scholastic Rewards system. Which then contributes to our learning and literacy resources.  Not familiar with Book Club? You can make payments online through the LOOP. I have attached a flyer which will take you through step by step. All purchases made helps contribute to our School Rewards.

Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy

As members of the St Joseph's school community, we all have a responsibility to keep children safe. To support families with information about the actions our school takes to keep children safe, our Child Safety and Wellbeing policy has been updated, endorsed by our Child Safety Team and shared with our community both here and on our school website. Families are encouraged to read the policy or visit our school website and explore the Child Safety section. 

Victoria’s Child Safe Standards under Ministerial Order No. 1359 require certain roles and responsibilities to be allocated within schools, including the role of Child Safety Champions who supports school leadership to effectively implement their child safety and wellbeing plans. Our Child Safety Champions for 2024 and 2025 are Ros Joyner, Camillo Redi and James McMahon.

Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy

Car Line

Our school is very blessed with a long carline with ample parking. However, we continue to experience some issues during the afternoon pickup. Burke Street is extremely busy from 3:00-3:30pm. If you arrive before school finishes, it is an expectation that you move all the way down the carline and fill all the spaces. If the carline is full, take a parking spot opposite the carline and walk to the crossing for student collection. Alternatively, leaving home 5-10 minutes later may be a better option to avoid being stuck in the congestion. Children are supervised in the carline area until 3:35pm, at which time, our carline and Burke Street are clear.

School Crossing

Please remember that the carline is private property and all people using our carline must follow the instructions of the staff managing the area - this is non-negotiable and aggressive or abusive behaviour will not be tolerated. Entering the carline via the exit is dangerous and illegal.

When waiting along Burke Street to enter the school grounds, please do not stop your vehicle on the school crossing. For safety reasons, the school crossing supervisor is not authorised to allow children to cross the school crossing if a vehicle has stopped over the school crossing.

Medical Profiles and Emergency Contact Details

We remind parents and carers that it is time to review your child/ren's medical profile on PAM. Any changes in medical needs should be communicated to the school to ensure that we provide the most up-to-date care for our students. If emergency contact details have changed or emails, phone numbers need updating, please contact the office to provide the updates necessary. The most efficient way to provide these details to the office would be to email - info@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au

If your child is affected by Anaphylaxis or has any allergies and requires an ASCIA Allergy Plan developed by your child's doctor, please provide information and a copy to the office. In addition, Asthma plans may need updating, please ensure that these are also current. If your child has medication stored at our school, please check with the office that the medication is still in date and there is ample supply.

**All Medical Authority Forms held at school must be updated as soon as possible to allow for any medication changes, dosage or student growth . An email was sent out to all familes on 30 January with medication information and the forms required, depending on the ailment. Please contact the school office if you need any further assistance.

Lunch Orders

Lunch orders:

• are every Wednesday and Friday
• can be placed using the Flexischools app
• are delivered to school for the first break at 11:30am
• can be placed until 11:00pm the night before (Tuesday and Thursday) from a full menu
• can be placed until 9:00am on Wednesday and Friday mornings from a limited menu

The lost property shelves can be found in the multipurpose room. 

Parents are most welcome to come and look in the tubs if students have lost any items of clothing, headbands drink bottles etc...

We have plenty of unnamed bomber school jackets from lost property, mostly new and hardly worn. These can be purchased for a gold coin donation. Children can see Mrs Mulqueen on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday's.

Please note that if your child tests positive to Covid-19, it is strongly recommended that students:

• Who test positive to COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for five (5) days;
• Should not attend school after five (5) days if still symptomatic;
• Who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school until their symptoms resolve;
• Parents, guardians or carers advise the school of the COVID-19 positive test result.

To assist with limiting the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses, parents, guardians and carers should be strongly encouraged to ensure that their child(ren) remain at home if they are unwell, including if they have tested positive to COVID-19.

Please review our carline parking procedures below.

SPECIAL REPORT: The Wellbeing Barometer - 2025

The Wellbeing Barometer survey is an invaluable tool for schools, providing critical insights into the mental health and wellbeing of young people. This annual survey identifies areas of concern, highlights resilience and adaptability in students, and emphasises the importance of preventative strategies to promote positive outcomes.

Participation in this survey is strongly encouraged, as it offers a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements. By capturing a detailed understanding of young people's experiences, the survey supports a tailored approach to enhancing their mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. It helps to identify strengths and areas for improvement, as well as pinpoint opportunities for early intervention.

The survey is part of an ongoing longitudinal study, and we encourage you to take a few moments to complete the survey for each of your children. Responses remain anonymous and should be based on your observations over the last 12 months. By working together, we can reduce the long-term impact of mental illness and make a meaningful difference to the lives of our young people for a brighter future.

Here is the link  https://stjwarragul.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2025-au

Warragul Blues Junior Football Club

Peninsula Cinemas, Warragul