Welcome to the first newsletter of 2024. I hope this message finds you well and filled with excitement for the new school year ahead! As we gear up for another year of learning and growth, I want to extend a warm welcome to our new families, students and staff.

At St Josephs we know that parents play a crucial role in their child's education journey. Your support, involvement, and partnership are invaluable to us, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work together in the best interest of your child.

Throughout the year, we encourage open communication and collaboration between parents, teachers, and school staff. Whether you have questions, concerns, or simply want to stay informed about your child's progress, your child's teacher is your first person to contact.  Your child’s teacher will soon send home a note outlining important information regarding the class, the structure and informing you about the year ahead.

I invite you to take an active role in your child's education by staying engaged in their school life, attending school masses, parent-teacher conferences, volunteering your time and talents, and participating in school events and activities. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference in your child's educational journey, and we are grateful for your partnership.

As we embark on this new year together, let's celebrate the possibilities, embrace the challenges, and support one another every step of the way. Together, we can make this school year one of growth, discovery, and achievement for your child.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Blessings for the week ahead,

Kirsty Beavan

Principal

Many thanks,
Stacey Braun

Religious Education Coordinator

Kindergarten students have rest days on Wednesday the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th of February.  We hope our Kindergarten students enjoy the day to rest and get ready for the remainder of the week.

We are looking forward to our swimming carnival this Friday 9th February.  Reminders were sent home today to give consent on compass and pay the entry fee of $2.50 per student if you do not have a Season ticket.  A reminder that it is a $1entry fee per spectator.  

Students may buy something small from the canteen at the pool at set times throughout the day, but please ensure that your child has fruit, recess and a packed lunch with lots of water!

Our Kindergarten and Year 1 students will join with the rest of the school at the pool a little later in the day for recess and a swim.

We would love parents to assist with time keeping if you are able to help us out it would be much appreciated!

A note went out to our Kindergarten parents about separating their fruit break from the rest of their lunch boxes as this makes our Kindergarten students' first routine of the day so much easier.

St Josephs is working towards being a zero waste school where we have our scrap buckets that feed some local chooks, and we encourage students to use reusable containers and lunch boxes to reduce the amount of waste that we produce.  Plastics, chip packets etc are placed back in lunch boxes to take home.  

St Joseph's will be continuing to use the COMPASS Parent Portal for all absences, events, email notifications. 

We will use Compass for excursions and events the children will need to attend eg; swimming, carnivals etc.  Our emails will also come through Compass.

If you need assistance or have any questions, please don't hesitate contacting the office.

Daily routine:  The first bell rings at 8:55am, the afternoon bell rings at 3:10pm.

The school grounds are open to students from 8:40am each morning and remains open until 3:30pm each afternoon. 

Therefore, no supervision is provided between these hours and the school accepts no responsibility for the activities of pupils outside these hours.

Please be aware that students arriving at school before this time are instructed to sit in the weather shed until a teacher asks them to move onto the playground in the morning. Teachers supervise all play times and after school dismissal.

Students need to be dropped off in Gundagai Street and walked to the gate where they can then walk up to the weather shed.  In the afternoon students catching buses will walk across the grass area to the bus stop by a teacher and students on pick up will be walked to the front gate by a teacher.  Parents need to wait at the gate to collect their child/ren.

If it is raining at morning drop off or afternoon pick up, we ask that parents use the wet weather routine and drive into school grounds via Wyndham St, stopping at the weather shed to drop children off/pick up and leave the grounds via the front entrance.  Buses will use this same routine (please ensure you give way to buses and allow them to enter before the pick up line, this is to ensure they can make it in time for other school pick ups).

If students arrive to school late or are departing early, please see the office so your Child/ren can be signed in or out. 

St Joseph’s students are looking great in their full summer uniforms.  A reminder that students are to wear their school hat at all times when they are outside.  Please ensure that your child packs their hat every day and their hat and all items of clothing are clearly labelled!

St Joseph’s is an Allergy Aware School.  There are quite a number of allergens in food that students can be allergic to.  In the extreme, this allergic reaction can lead to an Anaphylactic reaction in students. 

St Joseph’s at all times reduces the exposure of its students to ALL TREE NUTS and RAW EGG.  As a result, parents need to assist the school by not sending food with tree nuts and raw egg listed in the ingredients and to check the allergen information on all food products coming to school to help reduce the risk of exposer to these allergens of allergic students.   

We strongly encourage students not to pack raw nuts and bring nut products to school such as peanut butter, Nutella etc.  Eggs cooked within cakes, biscuits, quiches are fine but an egg sandwich or an egg in a salad not encouraged.

Food from home:

*  Students lunch boxes and water bottles are clearly labelled with the student's name.

*  Educate students and the school community about food allergy so they understand why they should only eat their food and why they should not share or offer food to students with food allergies.

*  All students should be encouraged to wash hands before eating (especially children with food allergies).

*  All students should be encouraged to wash their hands after eating, especially if they have eaten something that another student in their class is allergic to.

Please feel free to email or ring your child’s teacher to make an appointment to see them if you would like to discuss any matters or check in.  Teachers are always busy preparing and planning for lessons so it would be great if you could arrange a suitable time for both yourself and the teacher.  Please be mindful that teachers will endeavour to respond to emails/phone calls as soon as they can within school hours.

Keep up to date with events happening at St Joseph's via our electronic school calendar (please note dates can be subject to change).

At this stage 2024 school fees will be issued within the next couple of weeks.

Adelong Liturgy Roster - Jan - June - 2024