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Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
This week is National Child Safety Week. We joined many schools across the country in participating in “The Biggest Child Safety Lesson” which is provided annually through the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. Each year most schools take part of this initiative where children can learn important safety messages. These sessions are age appropriate and endorsed by DOSCEL and the Department of Education.
On Wednesday we practised our lockdown emergency management procedure. These are held every term so everyone is familiar in the event of an emergency. The students were told in advance that it was only a drill. These rehearsals are important so that the students will be prepared and know what to do should something occur that needs evacuation from buildings or lock down procedures.
Congratulations to our school choir who competed in the Latrobe Valley Eisteddfod yesterday. They have been rehearsing very well and performed beautifully, coming back to school with first prize. Special thanks to Ms Butera for working with the choir and preparing them so well.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the Art Show. This includes every student for their beautiful art exhibits and for the teachers who assisted them, especially Ms Butera and Mr Mac. The digital technology connection was well received and it was great to see so many parents enjoying this presentation.
The Father’s Day breakfast was extremely well attended with many smiling faces from children excitedly showing their fathers, grandfathers and special guests their art works and simply enjoying some special time with them. Thanks to all who attended and to the Lions Club for providing the breakfast.
It is Italian Day today! What a few weeks we have had. Children (and staff) arrived dressed in Italian colours or their favourite Italian character. All things Italian have been happening across the school today. Singing and dancing, stories, making biscotti and more. Thanks everyone, especially Mrs Mulqueen, for making this day so memorable.
I am pleased to announce that on Monday, 7th October which is the first day of term 4 and a pupil free day we have been able to book Sue Larkey to visit and work with the staff to help them understand more about autism spectrum disorders. Sue is a world-renowned speaker on this topic and has much to teach us. I am inviting any parents interested in learning more about autism to join us in the first session. More details will be sent out soon. If you have an interest in this, mark in your calendar - 9:00am Monday 7th October.
Kind regards,
Ros Joyner
Principal
Term 3
Monday 15 July – Friday 20 September
Sun 1 – Sat 7 Sept Child Safety Week
Friday 6 September Youth Ministry Movie Night
Thursday 12 September R U OK? Day
Friday 13 September School Assembly
Thursday 19 September Footy Colours Day
Friday 20 September Last Day of Term 3 – 2:20pm finish
Term 4
Tuesday 8 October – Tuesday 17 December
Monday 7 October Pupil Free Day
Tuesday 8 October First day of Term 4
Tue 8 – Fri 11 October Dental Van Visit
Tue 8 – Fri 11 October Foundation to Grade 2 Swimming Program
Tuesday 15 October Gippsland Regional Athletics, Joe Carmody Athletics Track, Newborough
Friday 18 October Year 3 & 4 Science Excursion
26 & 27 October First Holy Communion Masses
Monday 4 November School Closure Day
Tuesday 5 November Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
Tuesday 17 December Last day of school for 2024 – 3:20pm finish
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION MASSES
Communion Masses will be held over two weekends at Parish Masses: Please consider your preferred First Holy Communion Mass for your child before you come to the information night.
The Mass times are:
- Saturday 26th October, 30pm St. Ignatius - Neerim South
- Saturday 26th October, 7pm St Joseph’s - Warragul
- Sunday 27th October, 9am St Joseph’s – Warragul
- Sunday 27th October, 10:30am St Ita’s – Drouin
- Saturday 2nd November, 7pm St Joseph’s - Warragul
- Sunday 3rd November, 9am St Joseph’s – Warragul
- Sunday 3rd November, 10:30am St Ita’s - Drouin
FAMILY MASS POST FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Thursday 7th November, 6pm St. Ita’s Church Drouin
This year we would like to hold a family Mass where all the Communion candidates can come along together with their families and celebrate this wonderful sacrament. This will also be an instructional Mass to deepen our understanding of the Mass, and a time where the candidates can receive Holy Communion together. Then after the Mass we will share a BBQ picnic together.
Sacrament News
SPECIAL TEACHING MASS INVOLVING THE CHILDREN
Teaching Mass
St Joseph’s Church, Warragul:
Saturday 12th October, 7pm, Sunday 13th October, 9am
St Ita’s Church, Drouin:
Sunday 13th October, 10:30am
We encourage candidates and their families to attend one of these Parish Masses.
2nd Rite of Reconciliation: (Preparation for Communion)
This combined reconciliation rite will be for all First Holy Communion candidates and their families. It will be held on Thursday, 17th October at 7pm at St Joseph’s Church Warragul.
Youth Ministry Movie Night
We have a Movie Night for all people in Primary School and High School Aged Youth on Friday 6th September from 5:30pm-8:00pm at St Joseph's School Hall.
We will be watching "The School Of Rock". This will be $5 per person to cover the cost of food and drink.
Please note, this is a PG rated movie.
For any further details, please contact the Youth Minister: Olivia Daly on 0431 239 637 or via email on Warragul.youth@cdsale.org.au
A message from Deacon Mark
Just Listen!
This week’s wild storms have reminded us of our vulnerability, waking up as many of us did to limitations and unexpected consequences. Audiologists relate that among unexpected consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic was the difficulty hearing impaired folk have lip reading speech in the masked world. Who would have thought! We take our senses and abilities for granted until, like this deaf-mute man cured by Jesus in the Gospel (Mk 7:31-37), we lose them, or they are impaired.
Jesus’ cure of hearing and speech is itself wonderful, as those present exclaim, but in responding compassionately to immediate needs, Jesus’ words and actions always have deeper layers of meaning for those present and for us. Isaiah’s beautiful message (Is 35:4-7) in the First Reading prefigures such healing as the sign of salvation, of the messianic age and of the kingdom. Through Jesus all people are invited to hear and proclaim the Good News!
Most of us don’t suffer physical hearing impairments but many unfortunately spend lives deaf to the real meaning and joy of life and deaf to what Jesus is saying to us. He is speaking to the deepest needs in our hearts, but are we too busy to listen? For example, James’ Second Reading (James 2:1-5) corrects those incongruously discriminating against others while claiming faith in Jesus. Listen to Jesus! Our deafness is often being too tangled up with doing rather than listening. And so, not having heard properly, we are unable to proclaim the Good News.
So, the very first healing we need to ask of Jesus is to be cured of any spiritual hearing impairment caused by our busy lives. Ask him to help us make some space in the day to just listen to him, rather than talk at or over him.
Deacon Mark Kelly
At this time of the year we ask families whose children are not intending to return in 2025 (apart from Year 6 students), to 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 beginning to prepare for 2025 classes. Our Foundation 2025 enrolments are now closed.
We celebrated Child Safety Week 2024 this week. Children participated in Australia's Biggest Child Safety Lesson via the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. Each class also created a new poster for around the school with the theme of 'Every Child Matters'.
Book Club
Book Club Issue 6 has been processed and we're waiting for delivery. Delivery may be a little later than expected, due to the power outage.
Keep a look out for overdue notices. These will be sent out next week.
UPCOMING SPORTS DATES:
Tuesday, 15 October Gippsland Regional Athletics - Joe Carmody Athletics Track, Newborough
Winter Cluster Sport Student Report
On Wednesday, the Grade 6's went to Marist to play the Cluster Day. We would like to thank all the parents that came and watched us play. The day was really fun for the footy mixed team with everyone having a good time. The Footy team faced St Ita’s 1, St Ita’s 2, Trafalgar and St Angela’s. We won all our games. Special thanks to Mrs Spencer and Fletcher for assisting us. Plus, another big thank you to the Marist Sports Leader and staff for the food and umpiring.
By Lenny and Yvan
Two netball teams competed at the Cluster Day and both teams were very successful winning all their games. Both teams would like to thank Amity who couldn’t play because she injured her leg so she became our team manager, cheerleader and coach. She was there for us and listened to our suggestions and complaints. Thanks also to Isabel and Mrs Silver for also cheering and assisting us and the Marist students for umpiring and scoring.
By Maddi, Ava S and Bonnie
The Newcomb team played 6 games, we won 4 but unfortunately lost 2. We played St. Ita’s, St. Joe's, Traf and St. Angela’s. We all had a great time meeting new people and making new friends! Thank you to all the teachers, Marist students and Mrs.Balfour! You all supported us and encouraged us to do our best!
By Zoe and Aiden
Below are images of the Netball teams
Below are images of the Newcomb team
Italian Friends
This term in Italian, our students have started communicating with children from St Joseph's Wonthaggi.
In a first for the Sale Diocese, we have started a sister school relationship with another school where children are also learning Italian, have a similar number of students and their language teachers are working closely together.
Children from Grade 1 to Grade 6 wrote and decorated letters to their buddy classes to introduce themselves and shared information including their likes and dislikes. The letters increased in complexity for older students.
The students were excited to receive responses from their new amici (friends) and put their language skills into action to understand the letters received.
Italian Day
We celebrated Italian Day today with our students dressed in Italian themed costumes or in the colours of green, white and/or red.
Family and friends were treated to our Festa Italiana costume parade and sing-a-long in the hall. Afterwards students spent the day in multi-aged groups and rotated around six different activities all based around Italy and its culture, made biscotti and ate some gelati.
Understanding the growing challenges related to mental health among young people is an important consideration. Anxiety, depression and self-harm - are all causes for concern. Factors like academic pressure, social media, family dynamics, and societal expectations, are contributing to these issues. It's therefore crucial for parents and caregivers to take action early, remove the stigma around discussing mental health, and offer accessible support to address these issues and the wellbeing of their children.
R U OK?Day is an initiative that focuses on preventing suicide by encouraging meaningful personal connections and helping informal support networks to help recognise the signs of distress. We urge all families to take part, emphasising the value of genuine human relationships and reminding everyone to ask the important question, "Are you OK?"
Engaging in R U OK?Day activities goes beyond the classroom; it's a commitment to our students' overall development. By talking openly about mental health, schools create safe spaces where students feel understood, valued, and supported. As parents and caregivers, you can contribute by fostering open conversations, normalising feelings and breaking down mental health stigmas. Participating in R U OK?Day promotes compassion and shows our dedication to the wellbeing of the entire school community, reaffirming that together, we can truly make a difference.
This Special Report provides guidance on how to talk to your child about mental health and engage in meaningful discussions.
Here is the link to your Special Report https://stjwarragul.catholic.
2024
Term 3 Monday 15 July - Friday 20 September (2:20pm finish time)
Term 4 Tuesday 8 October - Tuesday 17 December (3:20pm finish time)
Health Department Alert - Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
The Department of Health, Victoria has issued a health alert, increasing pertussis (whooping cough) cases in Victoria.
Cases of pertussis are increasing in Victoria, mostly affecting children aged 10-12 years. Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness known for causing a cough and can lead to life threatening infections in babies. Symptoms of pertussis may be very similar to other respiratory infections, especially in the early stages, meaning diagnosis by a doctor as soon as possible is important. Please remain vigilant and seek medical attention as soon as possible when symptoms present.
The below exclusion periods apply to diagnosed cases and contacts -
For diagnosed cases:
- students diagnosed with pertussis should be excluded from primary schools for a minimum period of 21 days after the onset of cough, or until they have completed five (5) days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment. The treating doctor will complete the required notifications to the Department of Health
For contacts of diagnosed cases:
The exclusion requirement only applies to contacts who meet all three (3) of the below criteria:
- aged less than 7 years;
- in the same class as the student with the diagnosed case; and
- have not received three (3) effective doses of pertussis vaccine.
Students meeting these criteria should be excluded for 14 days after the last exposure to the infectious case, or until they have taken five (5) days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment.
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 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.
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
School Uniform
During Term 2 and Term 3, all students are required to wear their full winter uniform, including correct socks and shoes. Wearing the school uniform correctly demonstrates school pride and identity. Please ensure your child has the correct uniform on the correct days.
We appreciate your support.
Lost Property
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.
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. 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 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.
Father's Day Breakfast
We hope all our fathers and special people enjoyed Father’s Day.
It was wonderful to see so many attend our Father’s Day breakfast, enjoy some indoor games together and wander the Art Show.
Funded by the P&F, the Warragul Lions Club braved very windy conditions to serve up bacon and egg rolls and sausages. This is one of their largest fundraisers for the year, and it is great to be able to support them as they support so many worthy causes in our community. On average, Warragul Lions annually donate between $50,000-$60,000 to various community charities and organisations as well as Australian Lions Foundations and projects.
Thank you to the staff and students who set up the hall, staff who were on site early to help serve breakfast and greet all our families with music and games and for all those that attended.
Gelati
We were pleased to be able to support this year’s Italian Day by subsidising and serving the gelati to children today - we hope they found it delizioso!
Join us on Facebook
We welcome all families to join our P&F Facebook page, a great place to engage with our school community - please search 'Parents and Friends of St Joseph's Primary School Warragul'.
Second Hand Uniforms
We have lots of clean second-hand school uniforms, available for a gold coin donation.
To check out what is available, just ask at the school office or contact the P&F Committee on stjosephswarragulpandf@gmail.com
Australian Red Cross
One in three people in Warragul will need blood during their lives. Without amazing locals like you, that blood may not be there at the crucial moment. Pre-book your spot at lifeblood.com.au, on our app or by phoning 13 14 95.
We’ll be rolling in at:
Warragul Mobile Blood Donor Centre
Warragul Harness Racing Club
Logan Park - 19 Howitt Street
https://goo.gl/maps/vneVBmY7K8V7rPH3A
10 to 24 September
Tuesday 10 September 11 am - 6:15 pm - new date added
Wednesday 11 September 11 am - 6.15 pm
Thursday 12 September 10.30 am - 6.15 pm
Friday 13 September 8.30 am - 4.15 pm
Saturday 14 September 8.30 am - 2 pm
Monday 16 September 10.30 am - 6.15 pm
Tuesday 17 September 10.30 am - 6.15 pm
Wednesday 18 September 10.30 am - 6.15 pm
Thursday 19 September 10.30 am - 6.15 pm
Friday 20 September 8.30 am - 4.15 pm
Saturday 21 September 8:30 am - 2:00 pm- new date added
Monday 23 September 10.30 am - 6.15 pm
Tuesday 24 September 10.30 am - 6.15 pm
1. Pop in a donation time
Don’t forget to book in beforehand online, on the app or on 13 14 95. Remember, get in early to grab the best time!
2. Pat yourself on the back
Local legends like you are more important than you could ever guess. By spreading the word out in your backyard, you give life and hope to so many people across Australia. That’s worth a pat on the back.
Warragul Cricket Club
Dusties Netball Club
Hi families, we are after expressions of interest for an U11’s twilight netball team with kids born 2014, 2015 & 2016. Please email wifncnetball@gmail.com before Sunday, 15th September for more information.
Thanks,
Dusties Netball Club
Hello Red Planet
A Free Show at the West Gippsland Arts Centre
Hello Red Planet is a humorous theatrical celebration of our community's shared history. This family-focused production engages with local residents to collect their perspectives and stories, and integrates these into a public info-night comedy puppet show.
See the attached flyer for further information and the QR code to book tickets or visit: www.wgac.com.au
Cost: Tickets are FREE
Duration: approximately 60 minutes with no intermission
Temporary Changes to Trading Hours for School Holidays
NOTICEBOARD