World Teachers Day

On Friday, October 25 we celebrated World Teachers’ Day. This is a day to recognise and celebrate all the work teachers do and show our gratitude. Being a teacher is a very rewarding and enriching experience. It is an absolute privilege to work with children and see them grow and develop in multiple ways. Each and every day is different, there’s no time to be bored and many days bring moments of great joy and times to enjoy a laugh. It is also a huge responsibility to be an educator and it can be incredibly challenging, particularly in today’s climate. Educators are expected to provide exemplary care for each child and cater for their sometimes complex personal and educational needs. They face accountability from multiple sources. It is a very intense job- teachers are always on the go-planning, preparing, reviewing assessment and their own practice, instructing, explaining, calming, nurturing, recording, managing school and parental expectations and children’s (sometimes challenging) behaviours, communicating with parents, each other and school leadership.  There are many, sometimes competing demands placed on teachers, something I am very mindful of in trying to create the most conducive, supportive climate for them to thrive in their work. 

We are extremely fortunate here to have such a wonderful team of passionate, dedicated teachers who have student safety, learning and wellbeing at the heart of everything they try to do. I sincerely thank them for all their hard work and professionalism and most of all for their care and compassion for our students.

Please see a message from our DOSCEL director, Paul Velten below:

Please see what some of our students said:

Catholic Mission: Socktober

Thanks to Trish Martin for all her work with the Liturgy Captains in raising money for Catholic Missions through Socktober.

Auskick

Auskick began on the school oval last Tuesday afternoon. It was well and enthusiastically attended. Thanks to Elli Linney and Caitlin Weston from AFL Auskick for organising the sessions!

Cooking Club

Sincere thanks to Belinda Fincher for volunteering her time to conduct a Cooking Club on Thursday afternoons this term. The Gr 5/6  students who are attending are really enjoying this learning experience! Thanks to Dianne Gin for organising! 

Emergency Drills

Each term the school practises an emergency drill. The drills vary from Evacuations from to Lockdowns depending on the scenario we are looking at. It is essential for the safety of our students and staff that we prepare for an emergency situation so everyone knows what to do and safety is maximised. After our practices, we have a debrief and our Emergency Management Plan is reviewed. Teachers spend time preparing the students for these drills. It is very important that they react quickly and calmly and listen to instructions. This term we asked Mr Damien O’Connor, Group Leader of the Wonthaggi CFA, to observe our whole school evacuation and give us some feedback. The students and staff evacuated very efficiently. We thank Damien for sharing his expertise and supporting our efforts to ensure students and staff are prepared for an emergency. Damien made some suggestions that we will take up in the coming months. He is also attending a staff meeting to talk about what to expect in an emergency situation. Parents are welcome to talk to their children about these practices and why they are important.  

Specialist Showcase Survey results 

Thank you to all the parents and carers who filled in the survey/s.  We have assigned days and times for the Specialist Showcases based on the results.

The Grade Prep and 1/2 Specialist Showcase will be held on Wednesday December 11 beginning at 2pm and concluding at approximately 3pm.

The Grade 3/4 and 5/6 Specialist Showcase will be held on Friday November 29th, beginning at 2pm and concluding at approximately 3pm.

The Showcases will be held in the parish hall. The students will be performing an item they have been working on in Performing Arts and Italian. There will also be other STEAM and Italian work on display. The students will all see each other’s performances at a rehearsal prior to the day. We look forward to seeing you all!

Joanne Coldebella

Principal

Well done to our award winners who were presented with their certificates at our last assembly, congratulations on all your hard work.  

On Thursday, October 24 the 1/2’s had an excursion to the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens. After our long drive on the bus, we participated in our first fun activity. 

Activity 1: was a sustainable gardening session with Bek and Tash who explained to us why worms are so important for composting and how we can use this in our garden to help our plants grow. We had the opportunity to dig for worms in some compost and were lucky enough to see some baby worms. 

Next, they took us around some of the gardens and explained that different plants require different amounts of water to grow. 

Finally, we got to plant our own plants to take home and plant in our gardens. We used cardboard pots so the plants would break down in the ground after we planted them. 

Activity 2: was a walk around the different gardens. We saw lots of different and colourful plants, and some of us were lucky enough to see a bandicoot. We had to be really careful when walking across the bridges and close to the water because the Tooradin monster lives in the lake. Lucky for us we didn’t see it. 

Whilst we were exploring the gardens, we did a scavenger hunt to see what kinds of animals and plants were growing and living in the gardens. 

Overall, we all had a fantastic day and we were all exhausted when we got home.

1/2 Team

4th Term In 3/4!

How our term has went so far:

Our term has gone excellent so far. With frozen cups, Day for Daniel, Crazy socks day, and Bike ED.
Over the coming fortnights, we get our Frozen Cups. They are fifty cents each and all donations go to the Catholic Mission to help others in need.
For Crazy Sock Day, we could also bring a dollar coin, which was also sent as part of our fundraiser for Catholic Mission.
For our Bike ED each class has it instead of sport on a Wednesday or Thursday.
On Friday we did some work on safety and the importance of staying safe in different situations. 

Our excursion to the Artspace gallery:
On Tuesday October 15, we went to the Artspace gallery and saw lots of paintings and sculptures. We filled out a worksheet that asked us questions like who made the painting? What colours were used?  What shapes were included? Soon after, we walked and looked at street art! It was VERY fascinating! The space, colour and images were beautiful! We loved our excursion.

Daisy, Alyssa 3/4

We started the day with a long bus ride to the high school. We got there and we were greeted by some of the teachers and we went to the basketball courts to play this game called Rugby-Netball. My team won two games and one draw so it was pretty successful. Then it was recess. We got to bring out some of our lunch and play for twenty minutes. Then we came back inside and my group did a Robotics lesson. We got to use Lego robots and program them to drive in a square. Then we had a science lesson with Dr Tye. We were learning about acid and base chemicals. Then it was lunch and yet again we went outside with our lunch and Ms Cassidy gave us some Zooper Dooper’s for free. Then we played downball and went back to a little room and took the bus ride back to school.

Patrick Grade 5

On Monday, October 21 the Grade 5’s went to Mary Mackillop. We got to do a series of activities that included Robotics, Science, and Gym.

In Robotics we programmed a Lego bot. We had to try and make a square. It was a series of trial and error but everybody eventually got the square and the teacher was really happy as well as us. In Science, we had to add a bunch of liquids with boiled cabbage water. We had to see if the liquid would be a base or an acid. In the gym we played Rugby - Netball. Rugby - Netball is when you have a team and you versus another team. Your team has to try and get the netball over the baseline. You have to use netball rules but you have to score a touchdown.

At lunch, we all got icy poles and we all got to play basketball with the older kids or hang out with them. We all had a very fun day at Mary Mackillop and we all can't wait to go back next year.

Eva Grade 5

A big heartfelt thank you to parents and friends who came to watch the St Joseph's Choir sing at assembly. I am so impressed at how the choir has grown and they did a fantastic job today.

Dani Paulson

Performing Arts Teacher

Please find the attached orientation session schedule for Prep 2025. This is specifically for new students who have already confirmed their acceptance of offer. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the office. We are looking forward to welcoming our new Preps at our orientation sessions.

We are constantly receiving enquiries about enrolling in 2025. This is very encouraging and indicates that St Joseph's is offering something families are attracted to and want. If you know that you won't be returning in 2025, can you please contact the front office and let us know. This will help us in preparing and organising the school for 2025. We thank you in advance for letting us know.

Dani Paulson, our Performing Arts teacher, attended the Drama NZ/Drama Australia Combined Conference in Wellington, NZ, during the school holidays. She was invited to present at the conference, focusing on creating a safe, inclusive, and collaborative space in the Performing Arts classroom. Dani showed how she uses drama games to teach students to include and care for others. 

We are thrilled that Dani had the opportunity to share her expertise and knowledge with a diverse group of drama teachers from Australia and New Zealand. Following her presentation, she received an invitation to publish in the Australian Drama Education Magazine, which releases one edition each year.

Congratulations, Dani, on your presentation and upcoming publication!

School Fee information for 2025 has been sent to all families via PAM. If you hold a concession card in 2025, we kindly request you complete the relevant forms and return them to the school office along with a copy of your card.

If you are already on a direct debit payment and there are no changes to your details, the direct debit will continue for 2025.

We request you complete the forms and return them to the school office by Friday,  December 6, 2024

If you have any queries please email kcarew@stjwonthaggi.catholic.edu.au

School Fee Schedule 2025

Direct Debit Form

Concession Application

CSEF Application Form 2025

School Fees Payment Arrangement 2025

School closure dates for your diary

Friday November 1, Monday November 4, Tuesday November 5 (Melbourne Cup Day).  Students resume Wednesday November 6.

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 Friday November 22 for processing.

Conveyance Allowance Application

Weekday Masses:

Tuesday Our Lady Star of the Sea, Inverloch 11:00a.m.
Wednesday 9:30am St. Joseph’s Wonthaggi
Friday 9:30am St. Joseph’s Wonthaggi

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

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

PLEASE PRAY FOR; 
Anniversaries: Cassie, George & Paul Kavanagh For the deceased clergy of the Diocese of sale. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. “May they rest in peace.” We pray for the sick, lonely and those suffering from illness and pain. May God’s merciful love shine on them.

Parish Office will be open on Wed & Fri 8.30am-4.30pm. All items for the bulletin or Mass intentions to be received by 5pm on Thursdays.

Prayer Group will be held at Wonthaggi Church on Mondays at 1.15pm. All Welcome

Prayer Shawl Group Plenty of wool & patterns are freely available . Come along to enjoy a cuppa & chat while knitting or crocheting! For enquiries: Philippa Warby 0408 331 340 or Maureen Maartensz 0407 055 447

Toiletries Collection: The annual collection of toiletries eg. toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap ,shampoo etc for needy people will be collected during October. Collection containers are at the entrance to the churches in Wonthaggi & Inverloch, and at St. Joseph’s School

St Joseph’s Wonthaggi Cuppa after Mass held on 1st Saturday & Sunday of the Month

Our Lady Star of the Sea—Inverloch Cuppa after Mass held on 1st Sunday of the Month

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 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 either Father Darren Howie 0356 722 923 or Ann on 03 56 72111 or 04999 15 784.

Father Darren Howie                                                              Ann Hemming  
Parish Priest                                                                          Parish Secretary
                               St. Joseph’s Parish Wonthaggi                                                                        

Would you like to earn some pocket money? You could, by having your very own stall at the Bass Coast Cycle Challenge

Calling our entrepreneurs of the future! The Bass Coast Cycle Challenge will be held on Saturday 9 November 2024, and organisers of the event are keen to hear if any students would like to run their own stall. Previous years have seen local students run stalls including hair braiding, art / colouring, and a hair spraying stall. All money you earn is yours to keep.

If any students have a good idea for a stall, please talk to your parents about it and email your request to:  bccyclechallenge@gmail.com

There are also other ways to be involved, you could enter one of our 5 rides – 40km, 53km, 85km, 121km or ~100km gravel (aged 12+ only), you could cheer your parents on if they enter, or you could come down on the day and check out the fun and games at the event village. There’s even hot chips, slushies and ice cream!

The Bass Coast Cycle Challenge is a charity event,  which has enabled over 3000 local high school students to participate in the RYDA road safety education program, making our roads a safer place for all.

For more information, or to enter visit www.basscoastcyclechallenge.com