It is hard to believe we are half way through the final term. Today was such a special and enjoyable day with the Colour Run. An enormous thankyou to the P and F for organising this day and for all the helpers who volunteered their time to assist. Thanks also to the CFA for their attendance and participation in the event.

We also had time for reflection at the start of the day with a prayer service for Remembrance Day. Students laid wreaths from each class and had a one minute silence to remember those who have lost their lives in times of war. We also remembered those who are fighting and suffering in the current wars in our world at present.

It was wonderful to meet and greet our incoming Foundation students and their families for 2024 during their transition days. We will be enjoying two classes of very enthusiastic, happy children as we commence the 2024 school year. There are three more transition sessions available and Orientation Day to go. The children will be well prepared for school.

There are a lot of events coming up: First Communion celebration, camps for years 5 and 6, Book Fair, swimming program, excursions and end of year celebrations, Orientation for 2024, etc. It is timely to think about routines that will assist in energy levels, including a good night’s sleep for our students (and staff!) and eating well. We look forward to the next half of the term.

Best wishes,

Roslyn Joyner

Principal

Mon 13 – Fri 17 November         - Swimming Program (All Grades)

Tuesday 14 November                  - 2^nd Foundation 2024 Transition Session

Thursday 16 November                - Book Fair Begins

Thursday 16 November                - School Advisory Committee Meeting

Friday 24 November                      - Junior Mass at 9:15am

Friday 24 November                      - 2024 Year 7 Orientation Day for Grade 6 Students

Friday 24 November                      - School Assembly at 2:40pm

Mon 27 – Wed 29 November     - Grade 5 Camp – Camp Rumbug, Foster Nth

Thursday 30 November                - Senior Swimming Carnival (Grades 3-6)

Saturday 2 December                    - First Holy Communion Mass at 7pm

Sunday 3 December                       - First Holy Communion Mass at 9am

Mon 4 – Wed 6 December           - Grade 6 Camp – Urban Camp Melbourne

Thursday 7 December                   - Senior Swimming Carnival (back up date)

Friday 8 December                         - Grade 6 Gumbuya World Excursion

Friday 8 December                         - School Assembly at 2:40pm

Tuesday 12 December                   - Year 6 Graduation – 5pm Mass at St Joseph’s Church

Tuesday 12 December                   - Orientation Day

Thursday 14 December                 - End of Year Whole School Celebration Mass (TBC)

Thursday 14 December                 - Carols on the Green - 6pm for a 6:30pm start (BYO picnic rug or chair)

Friday 15 December                       - Last day of Term 4 – school finish time is normal at 3:20pm

Our Child Friendly version of our Child Safety and Wellbeing policy has been completed. Our student leaders worked with Mr Redi to develop this version of our Child Safety and Wellbeing policy using simple language. All students had an opportunity to illustrate a part of the policy during Child Safety Week last term. A select few images were added to our policy document. Please read through the document with your family.

Please remember the following items when using our carline:

- fill all available car spaces along the carline - we will direct the students to your car if you are down the carline

- drive with caution at all times through the carline - speed limit of 10km/h must be obeyed

- never park across the crossing and please look out for students/adults using the crossing

Parents must park if dropping off late or collecting their child from the Admin office, the driveway leading to the admin building is a NO STANDING area. This is a matter of child safety and we appeciate your support keeping our students safe.

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 Code Red Fire Danger Rating warning for the weather district in which this school is located (West and South Gippsland - Region). A decision is made at 12:00pm the day before if possible, and will not change regardless of changing weather conditions. If possible, three-days notice may be given to families about the closure. When a school is closed in response to bushfire risk, no one will be permitted on site. 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. 

A big THANK YOU to all families who have paid their school fees. A reminder that all school fees are due before the end of the school year.

The School Fee Statements were sent out in the mail at the beginning of Term 4.

If you are experiencing any difficulties or wish to arrange a payment plan, please contact Kitty on 5623 2943 or email kbarrett@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au 

Book Lists

Book lists were emailed out to all current families on Wednesday, 8 November. If you don't have the book list in your inbox, check your spam or junk folder. If still you don't have an email containing the book list, please contact the office on 5623 2943.

Last Wednesday, the grade 4 students attended a Eucharist Reflection Day at Marist-Sion College.  The day was prepared and presented by the year 10 Youth Ministry class, led by their teacher, Mrs Jessica Mills.

The students participated in a number of activities about the Eucharist and they completed the session with a Christian meditation.

We are very fortunate that this Marist class is willing to facilitate such wonderful opportunities for our students.

A message from Deacon Mark

Wisdom surely is a quality we all desire. Wisdom is beyond simply being smart but also about poise, judgement, insight, compassion, patience, availability and other intangibles.

The wise and foolish bridesmaids of this week’s Gospel (Matt 25:1-13) features women and their lives in starring roles, even though only half of them are awake and ready for the arrival of the bridegroom. It is a reminder to all of us to be prepared; to focus on what is important.

As far as we know, every word of the Bible was written by men (as inspired, of course, by God), in times where women were less regarded. It is remarkable, therefore, that, whenever Wisdom is personified, it is a woman. This First Reading from the book of Wisdom (6:12-16) presents Wisdom beyond an abstract concept but as a woman: within reach, offering understanding, compassion, sympathy, comfort and earthy counsel. “Lady Wisdom” is someone you want to know and know well.

Given women’s poor status in Old Testament times it is surprising and heartening to find females upheld as intelligent, holy, unique, subtle, mobile, clear, pure, distinctive, invulnerable, loving of goodness, keen, irresistible, humane, steadfast, sure, free of anxiety; fashioners of all things (Wis 7:22). 

Jesus never accepts the invisibility of his sisters; consistently he is respectful of them and appreciative of their dignity and wisdom. He takes them seriously, listens to them and talks with them, makes them visible, honours their different perspective, puts himself in their shoes. He refutes the double standards and limitations his society places on them (Jn 8:1-8)

This Book of Wisdom and the profound and consistent legacy of Jesus reminds us in contemporary society that corporations, clubs, churches, communities and organisations which are missing input from women are missing out on half the gifts of humankind. The distinctive, harmonising and complementary wisdom of women is available! We all, men and women, need to ensure that it is accessed, fostered, enabled wherever we convene.                                                                              

Deacon Mark Kelly

Book Club

We have our final issue for Book Club coming soon. Lookout for the brochure in your child's bag. The BooksPlus QR codes continue to be a hit so they have added some more titles again in this issue with a focus on the brand new picture book by Kate and Jol Temple – GOAT!

They have added in some new activities including a soccer word search for those sports fans! There are 7 different books at $3, perfect for stocking stuffers for Christmas!

Book Fair

Our Book Fair is fast approaching. 

It’s about books. It’s about your children. It’s about fun! It’s our Scholastic Book Fair — a special time for our entire school community.

• Book fair is being held in the Art Room
• The Book Fair will be open for a limited time
• We will have many competitions for the children to enter:
• - Guessing Games
• - Colouring Competition
• - Design a hat
• - Lucky Dip

Grand opening being held on: Friday 17th November 3.30-5.00pm

Opening Days are:

Saturday 18th November

10.00-12.00pm

Monday 20th November

8.30-9.00am

1.40-2.10pm

3.30-5.00pm

Tuesday 21st November  

 8.30-9.00am

 1.40-2.10pm

3.30-5.00pm

This year we will be open on Saturday to give families an opportunity to attend. Access on this day will be via the staff car park adjacent to Marist. All other days you can access the Book Fair via the hall gate. 

Volunteers Needed

For the Book Fair to be successful, volunteers are needed to help assist with the running of it. If you are available to give assistance on any of these days, please email the library: library@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au

As the end of year draws near, regular overdue notices will be emailed to families. If your child has overdues items, could you please encourage them to return them as soon as possible. If you have any concerns regarding overdue items please contact the library.

library@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au 

UPCOMING SPORTS DATES:

13 - 17 November - Foundation - Grade 6 School Swimming Program, Leisure Centre

Thursday 30 November -  Senior Swimming Carnival, Leisure Centre

S.S.V. State Athletics

Well done to Xanthe Dalton and Lexi Borthwick who represented our school last week at the S.S.V. State Athletics at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park.

Xanthe threw 18.01m in the Discus, securing 12th place and Lexi Jumped 1.15m achieving 14th place. Congratulations girls these are outstanding results.

Thank you to both families who were able to support their children at this event.

Basketball Gala Day - Grade 5/6

Thursday saw the return of the Basketball Gala Day for our Grade 5/6 Students. The students welcomed local basketball talents Murray Myers and Daniel Whitfield who shared what it is like to compete at an exceptional level of basketball.  

Our Rookie basketballers were taken through their paces with Murray and Daniel before applying what they learned in a round robin. The All Star Basketballers played in a tightly contested tournament.

The Rookies round robin was won by the Pinkies and the 36’s were victorious in the All Star Tournament.

Thank you to the Specialist Teachers for assisting with the day and a special thanks to the Marist-Sion Students who were exceptional, supporting, encouraging and refereeing our students.

Hats for Term 4

As we look forward to sunny days in Term 4, we must be SunSmart and remember our hats. Hats must be broad rimmed St. Joseph’s approved uniform, no caps.

Sports Uniform Reminder

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

Grade 6 can also wear their sports uniform on a Monday.

A fun day was had by all!

Thank you to Emma for capturing these images.

If your children are not intending to return to St Joseph's in 2024 (apart from Year 6 students), please send an email to principal@stjwarragul.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible informing of the change. We have a number of enrolment inquiries and are preparing for 2024 classes. Our Foundation 2024 enrolments are still open, please encourage any family or friends to speak with Kitty in the office if they are looking to enrol their child in 2024.

Rapid Antigen Tests are available from the school office.

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.

Today is the day for our Colour Run and what a spectacular day.

In an amazing effort, together, we raised $11,720 towards upgrading our playgrounds!

To our school community - thank you again for your support and generosity?.

Thanks also to Bunnings Warragul, CFA, Penny Worth O’Lollies, all our volunteers and school staff- we couldn’t have done this without you- Thank you.

We are delighted to have commenced work with Prue Metcalfe Gardens and Designs on improving the embankment area of our playground fronting Burke Street. Stay tuned for further updates. 

Congratulations to our Top 10 highest Fundraisers:

1. Zoe Lamb: Raised a whopping $1,028 and takes out 1^st prize- a Nintendo Switch.
2. Niamh, Sinead and Dara Juster: Raised $695 and earnt themselves 2^nd prize- a Gumbuya World Family Day Pass including water world.
3. Baylen Hume: Followed closely behind, raising $655 and will be scooting away with 3^rd prize- a Type R Pro Scooter.

The next 7 highest fundraisers who will each receive a $50 voucher (drawn at random) at either Peninsula Cinemas, Penny Worth O’Lollies, Toyworld, Intersport Warragul or Augustus Gelatery include:

4. Ellie McMahon
5. Charlie and Ivy Thek
6. Sienna Pedersen
7. Harper Webster
8. Grace and Sophie Zekic
9. Amos Cunningham and
10. Nathan and Hailey Drinkwater

Prizes were awarded at today’s assembly.

In addition, the children/ families who placed 11-30 on the leaderboard who earned the privilege to hurl colour at their favourite (and brave) staff members in the special edition ‘Staff Only Colour Run’ today were: 

• Summer and Lomani Gregoric; Brinleigh and Matylda Mason; Flynn and Darcy Schmidt; Lachlan and James Gleeson; Remy, Neve and Isla Youlden; Zac and Ace Robinson; Piper, Ashleigh, Remi and Beau Johnson; Alaskah Sheather; Ethel Clough; Olivia Thompson; Tadhg Sheehan; Tyler and Harrison Hartmann; Liam and Holly Cutler; Lucy McBain; Josie and Anna Malady; Jack Donegan; Jaik Paul Abraham; Lola Marshman; Maggie Mills and Ava Scott.

Awesome effort by all!

Any final cash donations will be gratefully accepted at the office.

Second Hand Uniforms

Has your child lost or grown out of their bomber jacket? If you’ve checked the mountain of lost property with no luck, we have heaps of second-hand jackets in all sizes available, for a gold coin donation. Thanks to Warragul Drycleaners who have donated their services to professionally clean our second-hand school uniforms.

View these in the school hall or contact the P&F Committee on stjosephswarragulpandf@gmail.com.

P&F Meetings

The final P&F meeting for the year is scheduled for Friday 1 December over a celebratory lunch at 12.30pm at the Railway Hotel in Warragul.     

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.

SPECIAL REPORT: Discussing War & Conflict

Children are frequently exposed to distressing news through the 24-hour news cycle and social media. These experiences can provoke anxiety, especially in young minds still forming their worldviews. Parents and caregivers should be mindful of overexposure to such content as it can lead to symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder. Children’s responses to trauma can vary, from being strong emotional reactions to being indifferent. It can leave an emotional imprint that can affect a child's behaviour and perception of danger.

Children need reassurance about their safety as they navigate uncertain times. Tailor conversations to your child's age and emotional maturity. Younger children benefit from simplified explanations focusing on peace, empathy, and cooperation, while older children can delve into historical events, root causes of conflict, and the complexities of international relations.

Before discussing these topics with your child, it is also important to assess your own emotions and comfort level. By staying calm and providing physical comfort will help your child regulate their own emotions. In challenging times, compassionate adults play a crucial role in helping children cope with anxiety and providing hope and understanding in our complex world.

This Special Report provides guidance on how to tackle this difficult topic and helping children understand there is still hope in our complex world. Please take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please consider seeking medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://stjwarragul.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-discussing-war-conflict

Gold/yellow long sleeve polo shirts are available in sizes 2, 4, 6, 8 & 12 - 16 (size 10 & 14 are no longer available)

Green windcheaters are ONLY available in sizes 2 & 14

Baw Baw Autism Carers Community

 Baw Baw Autism Carers Community will be meeting every second Wednesday.

Dates: 15, 29 November and 13 December at Uniting Warragul

Place: 37 Sutton street Warragul 

Time: 10.00am - 12.00pm

Meet with other carers and talk to a carer support worker with lived experience who can help with support that is available and explore opportunities.

Aimi Johnson is the Uniting Carers Support Coordinator. Feel free to connect with her via phone 0407 795 661 or email aimi.johnson@vt.uniting.org

Warragul Pony Club

Wild Dog Triathlon Club