St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Newsletter: Thursday 27th March, 2025 Edition 6, Volume 3

Acknowledgement of Country

In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s spiritual and cultural connection to Country, we acknowledge the Wadawurrung people, as the traditional custodians of the land, on which we meet and educate our children.

We recognise the continued care of the waterways passed from generation to generation, wisdom that is shared, and life that is celebrated in harmony with the natural environment.

We honour the Elders, past and present who have laid the foundations, traditions, and culture for emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and we commit to working together for reconciliation and justice.

Principal's Reflection

Dear Families,

As you read this, I am away from school on a special pilgrimage. I am excited to share that, as part of the Western Zone Catholic Primary Principals Network, I will be following the journey of St. Paul. This aligns beautifully with our Jubilee Year theme, Pilgrims of Hope. A pilgrimage is a sacred time for prayer, learning, and deepening faith, and I look forward to returning with renewed inspiration for our school community.

Not only is this a wonderful opportunity to learn from other Principals, but it is also a chance to share the amazing things happening at St Joseph’s – the innovation, creativity, and strong sense of community that make our school so special.

I will be away from Wednesday, 26th March, until the end of Term 1. In my absence, Hayley Frazzetto will be Acting Principal.

Thank you for your prayers and ongoing support of our leaders and staff. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you upon my return.

St Joseph’s Day

Last week, we had a wonderful celebration to honor one of our patron saints, St Joseph. St Joseph was a man of great faith who protected and cared for Mary and Jesus with love and humility. He lived with integrity, always upholding the dignity of others. At St Joseph’s, we strive to follow his example by living out our core values of courage, respect, kindness, and responsibility.

Our celebration was a joyful occasion, filled with prayer, reflection, and fun activities for our students. A special thank you to Nicole Ryan for her hard work in making the day so memorable. Please see below for images and articles capturing the highlights of this special event.

Staffing Update

We are incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated teachers at St Joseph’s. Our team includes both experienced educators, who bring wisdom, patience, and knowledge, as well as those just beginning their careers, who bring energy and fresh ideas. This balance makes our school a wonderful place for learning.

With this in mind, we would like to congratulate April Hyde on her recent graduation from university. We are so grateful to have her as part of our team.

You may also notice that some teachers will be on extended leave throughout the year. These staff members have accrued Long Service Leave and will be taking some well-earned time to rest and recharge. During their absence, we have carefully planned for quality educators to step in—teachers who know our school and how we operate, to ensure a smooth continuation of learning.

Building Update

There has been great progress with our building program! You may have noticed cranes delivering wall panels, which have now been put into place. In the next week or so, the second floor will begin to take shape, giving us a real sense of how the building will look and feel.

The builders have shared that they are hopeful brickwork will begin in the coming weeks. This is fantastic news, as it means the project remains on track for completion by the due date.

We are also excited to see the progress on our basketball court area. The COLA (Covered Outdoor Learning Area) that will go over the courts is currently being produced, which is another exciting step forward.

Thank you for your support as we watch these exciting developments take shape!

The basketball courts and extension to the staff car park.

Easter Message

This year, Easter falls at the end of the school holidays, making it harder for us to share its important message with our students. As a Catholic school, Easter is our most sacred and significant celebration. The story of Jesus’ resurrection is one of hope and renewal—reminding us of the promise of a brighter future.

This message of hope aligns beautifully with the role of educators. At its core, education is about investing in the future, shaping the adults of tomorrow, and helping to build a better world.

For Catholics, Easter begins on Palm Sunday and continues through Holy Thursday and Good Friday—our holiest day—before culminating in the joy of Easter Sunday.

I wish you all a happy and holy Easter. May this time with your family be special, filled with love, reflection, and joy.

Have a wonderful holiday and I look forward to seeing you next term!

Regards

Troy 

Celebrating St. Joseph's Feast Day at Our School!

This year, we celebrated the Feast Day of St. Joseph with a day full of excitement, faith, and fun! St. Joseph's Feast Day is a special occasion where we come together as a school community to honour the patron saint of workers and families.

The day began with a beautiful Mass, celebrated by our very own Fr. James. Students and staff gathered to pray and reflect on the life of St. Joseph, his role as a loving father, and his unwavering faith. Fr. James’ homily reminded us all about the importance of hard work, kindness, and caring for others, just as St. Joseph did. It was a wonderful way to start our celebrations and strengthen our school’s sense of community.

After Mass, it was time for some action-packed fun! Our students had an amazing time participating in an incursion organised by ProActivity, featuring an inflatable obstacle course and mini golf. The obstacle course challenged students to race, climb, and leap to the finish line, while the mini golf provided an opportunity to show off their skills on the green. Both activities were a huge hit, with lots of laughter and friendly competition.

No feast day celebration would be complete without some delicious treats, and our St. Joseph’s Feast Day celebration certainly didn’t disappoint! Students gathered around for a tasty sausage sizzle that was enjoyed by all. To top it off, everyone got to cool down with refreshing Zooper Doopers – the perfect way to end a fun-filled day!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event such a success. Special shout out to Coles Harpley and Wyndham Vale and Classic Halal Meats for their generous donations towards our shared feast. Thank you also to our special volunteers Peter and Alanah Dewhurst(husband and daughter of Tanya) who generously gave their time to cook for our students. We look forward to celebrating many more special occasions together as a school community.

Wellbeing

Student Voice: Year 2

Cooper (Year 2 Bernie) – I loved making the toolbelt on St Joseph’s Feast Day.

Xavier (Year 2 Alisha/Lucy) - Play time is way more fun this year because I have more friends.

Jianna (Year 2 Alisha/Lucy) - I’ve loved making new friends and meeting the new people in my class so far this year and I really enjoyed when the bouncy castle came.

Hidaya & Rithvin (Year 2 Bridget) - On St Joseph’s Feast day we loved spending time with our friends, the ninja course was super fun and we had sausages and zooper doopers.

Olivia (Year 2 Bridget) - We have been learning how to make 2 digit and 3 digit numbers using MAB blocks

Year 5/6 Summer Gala Day

Congratulations to all our year ⅚ students for their demonstration of good sportsmanship last Friday at our Wyndham District competition.

We had teams competing in Tennis, Volleyball, Cricket and Netball.

It was a very busy day with teams playing multiple matches in conditions that were true to our Melbourne weather! We had warm and cool temperatures, some rain and sunshine!

We are so proud of our senior students who always display our school values at school and when we are off site!

Our Tennis A team and Cricket A and B teams won their whole competition for the day. The A teams will progress to the next level where we will represent the Wyndham District. More details in regard to the next competition will be sent home next term.

Italian News

Congratulazioni to our Year 4 students Lui Rose and Sasha on receiving their Italian Awards! Your dedication to using the language throughout the day is truly commendable. Ben fatto!

Mackillop College Werribee: Catholic Schools Secondary Enrolment

Enrolments for Catholic Secondary Schools are now open. For students seeking a place at MacKillop College Werribee for Year 7 2027, enrolments should be submitted by Friday 15th August 2025. Click here to download the Enrolment Application Pack. Once completed, please return with all documentation to the Registrar at  registrar@mackillop.vic.edu.au or hand deliver to the College.

Key dates:

Thursday 1 May 2025- MacKillop Open Day 4:00pm – 6:30pm

Friday 15th August 2025- Enrolments for Year 7 2026 close

Friday 17th October 2025- Offers will be emailed to prospective applicants

Thursday 23 October 2025- MacKillop Open Day 4:00pm – 6:30pm

More information can be found on the school's website https://www.mackillop.vic.edu.au/enrolment/enrolment-information/

St Andrew's Take Away Sheet

Community Mass

Stations of the Cross

School Fees, Direct Debits, CSEF Applications & Concessional Applications

This is just a courtesy message to let our families know that March Fee statements were emailed out on 5th March 2025. Please check your inbox & junk mail. 

You can find the school's Bank Details on the bottom of each statement for easy reference. 

2025 Fee Agreements - Upfront Payments

If you have selected to pay upfront on your fee agreement, this is a gentle reminder that all upfront fee payments were due by no later than 14th February and these payments are now OVERDUE. We thank those families who have honoured their commitment and made these payments already. If you are yet to make a payment and selected the UPFRONT option and can no longer commit to this please contact the office for a direct debit form. 

2025 Fee Agreements - Direct Debits
If you have set up a direct debit, please remember all changes need to be emailed through to accounts@sjwerribee.catholic.edu.au as soon as practicable and where possible with 14 days notice as per the direct debit agreement. If you are yet to complete a direct debit form for the 2025 school year please contact the office ASAP.

Important Upcoming Direct Debit Dates:

16th April - Mid-Monthly Direct Debit 

31st March, 7th April, 14th April, 21st April - Weekly Direct Debit

1st April - Monthly Direct Debit

31st March, 14th April  - Fortnightly Direct Debits

These dates are now also available in the SIMON school calendar as a reminder for all those on the direct debit plans. A gentle reminder that if you have a bounced payment all families are required to catch this up by making a payment at our office or by direct transfer.

CSEF (Camps, Sports, Excursion Fund) & Concessional Fee Applications

If you hold a valid healthcare or pension card, you could be eligible for the Camps, Sports & Excursion Fund. Eligible recipients will receive $154, that is help in credit by the school. This money can then be used to place towards excursions, camps or sports activities that are run through the school.

If families have previously applied for this fund in previous years, this is a gentle reminder that forms do need to be applied for and completed each year. 

Please feel free to come to the office and collect your CSEF & Concessional Fee Forms. Concessional Applications are now available from the office. For any family who is currently suffering financial hardship please contact the school and complete an application form. We are hoping that all those families who applied for CSEF & Concessional fees prior to the 21st February will have their outcomes by the end of Term 1. We thank you for your patience and understanding. 

Please reach out if you have any questions.

Jennifer Matthewman

Administration Update

Whole School Photo Day (Advanced Life Photography)

Online orders must be submitted by 04/04/2025.

The site is ready to order your preferred packages online. Go to:  www.advancedlife.com.au and enter the code E8M KWB RKZ

All inquiries regarding your orders should be directed to Advanced Life Photography.

1. Visit their website advancedlife.com.au, head to the ‘contact us’ tab and fill in the details or
2. Call 1300 728 972, which is a dedicated line to parent queries.

School Attendance Procedure

School Attendance - SIMON Everywhere App

If your child is absent from school, please communicate this with the school office by 9:30am. Please search for 'Parent Notified Absences' on the SIMON Everywhere App and click to enter details.

Alternatively, please use the school phone number (8742 3381) and select the attendance line option. When leaving a message please ensure you clearly state your child’s full name, class and the reason for their absence. We must have a valid reason for marking your child/children absent.

If your child needs to arrive late or be collected early from school, please also communicate this via SIMON Everywhere App. Please click on  'Parent Notified Absences' and select the late arrival or early leave option.

For extended absences, please email the details to  admin@sjwerribee.catholic.edu.au and an Extended Leave Form will be sent for you to complete. Parent forms can also be accessed via SIMON under 'Knowledge Bank'.

School Term Dates 2025

Our school day operates from 8:45am – 3:10pm and gates will be open for arrival at 8:30am and for pick up at 3:00pm.

2025 School Closure Days

STUDENT FREE DAYS: TeamKids available

Important Upcoming Dates

TeamKids News

Community News