As mentioned in the previous newsletter, our school review in 2022 resulted in a new Vision, Mission and strategic improvement plan for our school. This week I would like to elaborate a little on our Mission statement.

Mission
Our mission as a Catholic school is to give witness to the message of Jesus, bring it to action in the modern world and provide a high quality Catholic education for all students.

Spreading the ‘good news’ about Jesus’ life, mission and teachings is central to who we are as a Catholic school. We ‘give witness’ by testifying to the truth of Jesus’ existence and the example he set for us to follow, to bring us closer to God and help us become the best we can be. We strive to make Jesus’ message clear, relatable and relevant for the students as we assist them to recontextualise scripture and enter into dialogue with teachers and each other about its meaning. Religious Education is a priority and we seek to invite students to reflect on themselves, the world, how God reveals Himself to us and the Christian worldview as it is expressed in the Catholic Tradition. 

Parent-teacher Interviews
Parent-Teacher Interviews for this term will be held today, Tuesday February 28 and Thursday March 2 from 3.40pm - 6.00pm. The interviews are a great opportunity for parents and teachers to meet and share information about the children. Teachers highly value this time, as open communication leads to improved outcomes for students. I encourage all parents and carers to organise an interview if possible, at the times provided or arrange another time to speak to the teacher.

Homework
At St Joseph's we prioritise reading as the most beneficial, appropriate and effective homework for primary school students.

We strongly encourage all parents to spend time reading to and with their children and to hear them read. We provide appropriate books for your children and Reading Diaries to record their reading each school night.    

Teachers check Reading diaries regularly.

Please find attached our Homework policy for your reference and an article on the importance of reading to children.

Reading to Young Children: A Head-Start in Life

School Advisory Committee

The AGM for 2022 was held on Tuesday February 26.

Please find the Principals report attached for your reference. 

New Staff
We are pleased to welcome Ms Hayley Tregidga to our staff for 2023. Thanks to the Victorian government's Tutor Learning Initiative, Hayley will be working with small groups of children across the school to further support their learning. Hayley comes to our school with a wealth of experience and we look forward to working with her this year.

Ash Wednesday Mass
Thanks to all the parents who attended Mass with us on Ash Wednesday. I had the pleasure of being approached by several parishioners after the Mass who complimented the students on their respectful behaviour, reverence and enthusiastic singing. We are very proud of our students!

Blessing and Opening
We are having a Blessing and Opening liturgy and ceremony to officially open the refurbished classrooms, outdoor areas, student and staff amenities and the additional classrooms built, on Tuesday March 28 at 9.30am in the parish hall. Mr Paul Velten, Director of Catholic Education, Diocese of Sale, will be in attendance and will lead the official party. Fr Darren Howie will conduct the liturgy and bless the buildings and areas. Parents are welcome to attend the ceremony.    

Invitation to Parents for St Joseph's Blessing and Opening Ceremony

Joanne Coldebella
Principal

In 1/2 we have been learning about how living things grow and change.  We all planted a bean seed and have been caring for them and watching the different stages of their growth.

We have been looking at pictures of ourselves as babies and discussing how we have changed.  We played a ‘guess who the baby is’ game which was lots of fun!  

We have also been learning about teeth and why we have baby teeth.  We created a class graph to show how many teeth the people in our class have lost so far.

Amy Williams, a maternal child health nurse, came in to visit and teach us all about babies and toddlers.  It was a great opportunity to find out the answers to our questions.  

We have also been thinking about what we’d like to be when we grow up.  In art, we drew pictures of what jobs we’d like to have in the future.

1/2 Team

It has been an exciting few weeks in 3/4. The grade 3's have settled well into their new neighbourhood and into the new routines of 3/4!

The grade 4 have been model students, helping out the grade 3's in many ways.

The students have been working on creating exciting narratives. This week they have been learning how to edit their narratives and up level their writing by inserting more adjectives, and adverbs into their original drafts.

The students have also been learning about their emotions, how, where and why they might feel them. We will soon explore how this impacts them at school and how their actions might impact others. 

Well done on a great start to the year 3/4!

3/4 Team

Project Compassion

First Week of Lent 
(Week beginning Monday 27th February)

We begin our annual Lenten Project Compassion journey by learning about Laxmi, a 16-year-old girl living in Jajarkot, a remote district in Nepal where almost half of the population live below the poverty line. Tragedy struck when Laxmi was 10 years old and her father passed away. Her father worked hard to pay for his children's education and, after losing him, Laxmi was at risk of falling further into extreme poverty.
With the support of our partner Caritas Nepal, Laxmi joined a child's club at her school where she was encouraged to resume her education. Through the child’s club, Laxmi developed the skills and confidence to become a leader, advocating for clean water taps at her school.
Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer. She continues to be involved in the child's club, serving as an advisor and mentoring the next generation of young leaders at her old school.

Watch a short film about Laxmi’s story

Second Week of Lent
(Week beginning Monday 6th March)

This week through Project Compassion we learn about Tereesa, a Gamilaroi woman from Western Sydney who struggled with homelessness while raising her four children. At just 16 years old, she had to leave school after falling pregnant with her first child. A single mother struggling with homelessness, Tereesa’s only concern was finding stability for her children.
Seeking a better future for her family, Tereesa joined Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation’s Young Mums and Bubs Group, supported by Caritas Australia. Baabayn helped Tereesa access housing and psychological support. Through Baabayn, Tereesa was also able to hear stories from Indigenous Elders and reconnect with her culture.
Today, Tereesa is studying a certificate in Community Services so that she can strengthen her skills and give back to her community. Tereesa now works at Baabayn, providing support to young mothers and mentoring the next generation of young people.

Watch a short film about Tereesa’s story

On Friday February 17, 19 students travelled to Cowes to participate in District Swimming. We swam against 10 schools and all performed amazingly. We  competed in races of butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and the relays. Congratulations to all.

9 students were able to progress to division level at Korumburra on Friday 24th of February, this time competing against the best swimmers from over 25 schools. Congratulations to all who participated, we all had fun and enjoyed celebrating and supporting our schoolmates. 

Piper Richards, Skyla Garrick and Sola Heenan

Once again it is time for our Annual Easter raffle, raffle tickets have been sent to all families.

In past years this has been an excellent fundraiser for the students of our school.  It has always been greatly supported by the families and school community, which has contributed to the purchasing of books, sports equipment and much more while benefiting our children.

For this fundraiser we are asking families to donate an Easter egg or chocolate bar to the school, which will enable us to make up Easter prizes to raffle.

Raffle tickets will be sent home with your child to sell at .50 per ticket (selling both sides) which needs to be returned to the school with money no later than Monday April 3.  Make sure you clearly write the full name and phone number of the person purchasing the ticket.

CDF Pay is also an option for this fundraiser, just return the cover with your tickets and tick your payment option.

Raffle prizes will be drawn on Wednesday April 5.  Good Luck and thank you for your continued support.

We will be conducting Prep tours during first term.  Emails have been sent to all those families who have submitted an expression of interest form for 2024.  If you have not already done so expression of interest forms can be sent to jblair@stjwonthaggi.catholic.edu.au.  Bookings for Prep tours can be made by contacting the school office on 5672 1052.

Expression of Interest for Enrolment

Term 1 Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Tuesday February 28 and Thursday March 2 between 3:40pm and 5:50 pm.

Attendance at these interviews may be either face to face in your child's classroom or via phone, of which you may select your preference at point of booking.

Bookings for Parent Teacher Interviews are to be made though PAM and are open now.  If you have not setup your account or you are having difficulty accessing PAM please contact the office via info@stjwonthaggi.catholic.edu.au and we will help you get setup. 

It is very important for parents and teachers to be working in partnership for the benefit of the students' learning. Parent Teacher interviews are a great opportunity to discuss your child's progress. 

If you have been involved in or contacted regarding a PSG meeting, please do not arrange an appointment.  These interviews are expected to be of 10 minutes duration.

If you have any queries regarding booking an appointment please contact the office.

Statements for Term 1 have been emailed to families.  Concession paperwork and CSEF Applications can be forwarded along with a copy of your current concession card to the office or email kcarew@stjwonthaggi.catholic.edu.au

If you have any queries or have not received your statement or have any queries please contact the office or email kcarew@stjwonthaggi.catholic.edu.au

What is Conveyance Allowance ?

The conveyance allowance is a form of financial assistance to help families in rural and regional Victoria with the cost of transporting their children to their nearest appropriate school/campus. The conveyance allowance is available to eligible students travelling by public transport, private car and private bus. The conveyance allowance is also available to eligible students whose nearest school is not serviced by a free school bus.

Students attending a government or non-government school must:

• attend their nearest government or non-government school/campus appropriate to their year level at which admission is permissible
• be enrolled at a school/campus outside Melbourne’s metropolitan conveyance boundary
• reside 4.8km or more by the shortest practicable route from that school/campus attended
• be of school age (5 to 18 years old at time of application) and reside in Victoria.

Forms are available at the school office or download below. If you have any questions please contact the office or email kcarew@stjwonthaggi.catholic.edu.au

Applications are to be submitted to the school office by Wednesday March 14 for processing.

Conveyance Allowance Application

Friday March 10 will be a school closure day for staff professional development.
Monday March 13 is the Labour Day Public Holiday.
Thursday April 6 will be a school closure day for staff professional development.

Weekday Masses:

Tuesday Our Lady Star of the Sea, Inverloch LITURGY 11:00a.m. 

St. Joseph’s Wonthaggi MASS 9:30a.m.      

Friday Mass at St. Joseph’s Wonthaggi 9:00 a.m. NOT 9:30 AS World Day of Prayer at The Baptist Church Wonthaggi Commences at 10:00 a.m. and Inverloch Uniting at 10:00a.m.                                                   

ROSARY WILL BE SAID FOLLOWING THE MASSES AND LITURGIES AT OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA, INVERLOCH EACH TUESDAY DURING LENT.                                                                                       Weekend Masses

Our Lady Star of the Sea, Inverloch 
Sunday 9:00am

St. Joseph’s Wonthaggi 
Saturday 6:30pm, Sunday 10:30am

COMMUNION ON THE TONGUE: People who prefer to receive communion on the tongue, would you please come last for communion, as there is still widespread fear of COVID.

PLEASE PRAY: For those who continue to be affected by the Ukrainian War, the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and the natural disasters occurring in New Zealand. For Wendy Barton, Pat Lamanna and Kath Walker who have passed away recently and the anniversaries of Kehran Hartmann, Fr. Gerard Coffey, Fr. Joseph O’Hagan, Fr. Daniel O’Shea, Fr. John Shanley, Fr. John Phelan, Fr. Peter Dawson and our loved ones.  May God’s merciful love shine on them and on the loved ones left behind.

Prayer for Peace and Justice in Ukraine.

Prayer for Peace and Justice in Ukraine.
God of peace and justice,
Who change the hardened heart and break the power of
violence, we entrust the people of Ukraine to you.
Protect them in this time of peril;
let them know not death but life, not slavery but freedom,
You are Father of all;
we are brothers and sisters.
Give us the strength to live that truth in love,
choosing peace not war.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER: Friday 3rd March 2023 10a.m. at the Baptist Church Wonthaggi.   ALL WELCOME! The country being celebrated this year is Taiwan.

NO STAMPS: There will no longer be a stamp collection. The Salesians have ceased this activity and we wish to thank Pam Dunlop for all her follow up work over the years with forwarding the stamps on.

Reflection from St. Vincent de Paul Conference.

WE ARE TRULY BLESSED

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who won’t survive the week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.

If you attend a church meeting without fear, harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than most three billion in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch.  If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.

You are so blessed in ways that you may never even know.

PRAYER SHAWL GROUP:  We will have our first meeting in March-Date & Time to be confirmed. Meanwhile, keep those knitting needles and crochet hooks moving! Enquiries: Philippa 0408 331 340 Maureen 0407 055 447.

FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCES OF OCEANIA SYNODAL CHURCH: SYNOD OF BISHOPS: The Church around the world has entered the Continental Stage for the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. Groups around the country are praying with and responding to the Document for the Continental Stage, which was published recently. Groups around Australia have spent time in responding to the Document which reflect the voices of the People of God from over 114 countries around the world. A collation of the Australian submissions is Being prepared for the Bishops from the Oceania Region when they meet in Fiji in February 2023. Access the Document for the Continental Stage www.catholic.org.au/synodalchurch 

PRAYER FOR THE ASSEMBLY

O God, you revealed yourself in Christ Jesus as loving, merciful and just.
Guide our Bishops of Oceania as they meet together to further Pope Francis’ call to become a listening Church. Open their hearts to the voice of the Holy Spirit, that they might truly discern and faithfully serve the needs of your People and your World.
Color our way of life and give witness to your
Presence among us. You who live and reign, God,
For ever and ever.
Amen

MEDITATION GROUP: In recession until the New Year of 2023 when dates will be advised.

MISSAL ONLINE: ‘An App’ which Father Darren Howie finds very helpful is Universalis. This will allow you to follow the Daily Mass.                                           

CARITAS AUSTRALIA: There is still time to support our global neighbours as they tackle the challenges of poverty. Your generosity today can help create a better tomorrow for people living in some of the most remote and marginalised communities in the world. All donations over $2 are 100% tax deductible. Caritas Australia:   www.caritas.org.au

CATHOLIC CARE: New self-help mental health service for parents, families and individuals. Teaching children and young people how to keep safe online (on how to use technology wisely) is important for their mental health and wellbeing.

But as a parent or carer, ensuring eSafety for kids and teens can feel overwhelming or unachievable.

Whether you’re worried about cyberbullying, privacy, online content, social media, or time spent using technology, there’s things parents and carers can do to help keep kids safe. To learn more please contact CatholicCare Victoria.

AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED AUSTRALIA: ACN is the Pontifical Foundation dedicated to supporting the suffering and persecuted Church.

Aid to the Church in Need is asking for support to aid sisters in Kenya in building a new mother house and formation centre for their local community. Hunger, illiteracy, and lack of medical provision, combined with desperately poor roads and a lack of clean drinking water make life incredibly difficult for many people in Kenya. The diocesan congregation of the “Visitation Daughters of the Immaculate Heart” were established in order to help this needy population-but to continue their work they need our help! The sisters’ work includes caring for expectant mothers, acting as midwives, providing counselling, caring for the sick and looking after the elderly and orphans who are frequently abandoned by society. Your support will help these sisters to continue their mission by providing them with a permanent convent.  To make an offering and learn more visit: https://aidtochurch.org./monthlyproject.

Aid to the Church in Need ACN Australia PO Box 335, Penrith NSW 2751 1800 101 201 or 02 9167 9517 (direct) teresa@aidtochurch.org www.aidtochurch.org

We have been emailing and sending out important communications from the Diocese and if you would like to be involved and receive this information then please contact the Parish Office on 56 721 111 or email your details to wonthaggi@cdsale.org.au.

WORKING WITH CHILDREN: AS WE ARE HOPING TO RETURN TO A ROSTER SYSTEM FOR READERS AND SPECIAL MINISTERS, THIS IS JUST A REMINDER TO CHECK THAT YOUR WORKING WITH CHILDREN HASN’T EXPIRED AND IF IT DOES NEED RENEWING, PLEASE CONTACT THE PARISH OFFICE FOR ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THIS.

Our Parish is committed to the safety, well-being and dignity of all children, young people and adults at risk. Find out more at: catholic.org.au/childprotectionsunday and www.catholicregligious.org.au/safeguarding

If you are concerned about any form of abuse, or believe that someone is at significant risk, you should immediately raise your concerns with one of our Parish Safeguarding Officers. Contact Kristine McRae via the Parish Office: 03 56 721 111 or St. Joseph’s School Safeguarding Officer 03 56 721 052.   Take care, we are here to help..                    

If you are in need of urgent assistance, please phone eithe Father Darren Howie 0356 722 923 or Kristine on 03 56 72111 or 04999 15 784.

Father Darren Howie                                                        Mrs. Kristine McRae
Parish Priest                                                                       Parish Secretary
St. Joseph’s Parish Wonthaggi