Welcome to the new school year!  I would like to welcome all of our new families to the St Joseph’s community.  We look forward to working closely with you as we partner together for your child’s education.

This week’s newsletter is coming out today due to the short week last week and the swimming carnival being held on Thursday.  

This summer is one that I am sure most people in our community would like to forget and we need to make sure that all of our families are travelling OK.  As you know there is lots of support available to our school community (and beyond) due to the recent bushfires.  The first form of assistance to the children which is available is extra counsellor visits provided by Catholic Care and Catholic Education.  A referral form was sent out last week, so if you would like your child to visit Melissa, please fill out the form and return it to school.  There have already been some general talks and discussions led by Mel in the 2/3/4 and 5/6 classrooms and the same will happen with K/1 in the next couple of weeks.  If you are at all concerned about the wellbeing of your child/ren whether it has been a direct result of the bushfires or not, please utilise this service.

There has also been the very generous fee remission offered by Catholic Education to those families who have been directly impacted by the bushfires.  The criteria is that families need to be directly impacted and that there has been loss of primary residence and/or other criteria such as loss of livelihood and income source (if primary income source) through loss of livestock, business and employment.  I hope to get in contact with all our families who have been directly impacted and discuss this with you further.

Our opening school mass will be celebrated next Thursday 13^th February by Father George.  This will be where we will officially welcome our new and Kindergarten students and our Year Six leaders will receive their badges.  We look forward to seeing you all there.

Don’t forget to check the schoolzine calendar to keep up to date with what is happening in our busy little school.

Have a great week,