Newsletter February 21, 2025
Newsletter February 21, 2025
Embedded Files
Principal's Message
Principal's Message
Paul Dwyer, Principal
pdwyer@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Dear Parents,
It was great to see so many parents at the Meet and Greet interviews on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.Thank you to all parents and teachers who met to strengthen our home/school partnership to support all students’ learning and wellbeing this year.
Our Fire carrier and indigenous students proudly represented our school at a special ceremony at John Paul College yesterday. All students were commissioned to continue the important work of spreading knowledge, understanding and respect about indigenous culture at our school. Thank you to our Fire Carrier teacher leader, Jess Welsh, and to parents who attended in support.
Enrolments for Foundation 2026 will open in March. I will be visiting local kindergartens and pre schools this term with flyers advertising the opening of enrolments. If you have a child who will be school age next year, please put in an enrolment form so we can ensure that all younger siblings of current students have a place for next year. With thanks.
This year Lent begins on 5th March (Ash Wednesday). On this day we will celebrate a whole school liturgy and students and staff will be signed with the ashes on their forehead. As we are signed by ashes we will be reminded to try to be more like Jesus. Parents are warmly invited to join us for this special liturgy at 11:15 a.m. in the hall.
Best wishes to our Year 3 and Year 5 students who are preparing for the NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy) tests which will take place in 3 weeks time. (See dates below) Students will be assessed in reading, writing, conventions of language and numeracy.
Catholic Education Week in mid March is an opportunity to celebrate the many benefits that a Catholic education provides our children. As a Catholic parish school, St. Joachim’s is proud to provide an excellent faith based education that sets our students up for life long success. This years theme is; “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you (Is 60: 1)”
Please note these forthcoming dates:
Annual School photos - Monday 24th February
District Swimming Competition at the Pines Aquatic Centre - Tuesday 25th February
Ash Wednesday (Beginning of Lent) - 5th March
Pupil Free day - Friday 7th March
Labour Day public holiday - Monday 10th March
NAPLAN testing (Year 3 & 5 students) - Wednesday 12th - Friday 14th March
Catholic Education Week - 16th March - 23rd March
Term 1 finishes - Friday 4th April at 1:00 p.m.
Outdoor movie night - Friday 21st March 7:00 p.m. onwards
Regards,
Paul Dwyer, Principal
Maire Macphie, Administration
Sheridan Kellett,
Administration
Office News
Office News
2025 Statement of Fees have been issued this afternoon. Please note - concession fees have not been applied as yet.
CSEF Government funding towards excursions and camps (further info found here)
MACS concessional fees towards tuition fees.
PAYMENT OF FEES
Please remember we encourage all parents to complete a direct debit form for payment of their fees. Please refer to the attached link or pick up a copy from the office to set up your direct debit.
CONCESSION FEES:
Reminder if you have a concession card and are new to the school to complete the CSEF form and concession form also.
Any queries please see Maire (Maura) at the office or email mmacphie@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Please do not hesitate to email the office team on office@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au for any questions or to share information.
School Photos
School Photos
School Photography Date: 24/02/2025
School Photography Date: 24/02/2025
Thank you to existing families who have already logged on and ordered school photos.
School photography information has been sent to all families via Operoo.
All orders need to be placed by 06/03/2025
SIBLING PHOTOS NEED TO BE ORDERED By MIDNIGHT 23rd FEBRUARY
SIBLING PHOTOS NEED TO BE ORDERED By MIDNIGHT 23rd FEBRUARY
School Photos Uniform Requirements
School Photos Uniform Requirements
For consistency and with the school uniform policy requirements, the following details will be followed for the school photos.
Hair should be tied up - any ribbons or bows should be in school colours (Pale blue and / or dark blue)
No make up
Earrings - only small sleepers or studs allowed.
No jewellery
Socks - boys grey, girls pale blue
Shoes - black school shoes
Watches / wrists - nothing on wrists for the school photos
Thank you to families for supporting these decisions.
Order Flyer St Joachims Catholic Primary School.pdfSIBLING PHOTOS NEED TO BE ORDERED By MIDNIGHT 23rd FEBRUARY
SIBLING PHOTOS NEED TO BE ORDERED By MIDNIGHT 23rd FEBRUARY
From Mrs Stewart
From Mrs Stewart
Irene Stewart, Deputy Princial - Student Wellbeing
istewart@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Religious Education
Religious Education
Zeeta Andrew, Religious Education Leader
zandrew@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Ash Wednesday Liturgy.
Ash Wednesday Liturgy.
On Wednesday, 5th March, our entire school will gather for a special Liturgy of the Word in the school hall at 11:15 AM. This Prayer Service will mark Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Church season of Lent. We warmly invite all families to join us for this meaningful celebration.
During the Liturgy, the Mini Vinnies will also have their commissioning ceremony.
JTA celebrated their Liturgy of the Word
JTA celebrated their Liturgy of the Word
(Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time)
This Thursday 20th Feb, JTA(Year 2) participated in the Liturgy of the Word. JDB (Year 2) joined them for the celebration.
This Thursday 20th Feb, JTA(Year 2) participated in the Liturgy of the Word. JDB (Year 2) joined them for the celebration.
The following is their reflection and prayers:
In today’s Gospel Jesus invites us to see and learn the importance of giving and of being generous with what we have.
He guides us to treat other people as we would like to be treated:
To be kind and compassionate.
To forgive those who hurt us.
To give our time to help and pray for others.
To be signs of hope in our everyday lives.
As a class we reflected on what generosity and kindness mean. We created our class prayer mat to show how we can use these gifts in our everyday life through our words and actions.
Prayers of the Faithful:
Prayers of the Faithful:
Loving God,
We pray for our parish, our family and friends: that we may live our lives as Jesus asked, giving generously of our love, time and kindness to all, no matter where in the world they live. Lord hear us.
Dear God,
Help us to learn to share what we have with those who have less. Lord hear us.
Loving God,
Please help us to show kindness through words and actions.
Lord hear us.
Dear God,
We pray that we will see how wonderful we are and be grateful for the skills and gifts each of us has been given.
Lord hear us.
Loving God,
We pray for all those who are sick. We also remember their family and friends and we ask God to give them strength and comfort at this time of need.
Lord hear us.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Dear God,
In this Jubilee Year, we pray that we may be signs of hope in our world through all that we do and how we treat one another. Lord hear us.
The Middle school has been reflecting on the 2025 Jubilee theme of “Pilgrims of Hope”. The students wrote down 3 hopes they had, hope for their family, hope for the world and a hope for the future.
We read a book called ‘Rain Before Rainbows’ and discussed how in dark times there is always hope.
The Jubilee Prayer
The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the
seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within
both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen.
Upcoming Class Mass times (Yr 3 - 6)/ Liturgy of the Word (Yr F-2) for Term 1.
Upcoming Class Mass times (Yr 3 - 6)/ Liturgy of the Word (Yr F-2) for Term 1.
All are warmly invited.
“Pilgrimage is a symbol of life. It makes us think of life as walking, as a path.
If a person does not walk, but instead stays still, this is not useful; it accomplishes nothing.
Think of water: when water is not in the river, it does not course, but instead it remains still and stagnates.
A soul that does not walk in life doing good, doing many things that one must do for society, to assist others, or who does not walk through life seeking God and inspiration from the Holy Spirit, is a soul that finishes in mediocrity and in spiritual poverty.
Please: do not stand still in life!” – Pope Francis
“May the God of hope fill you with such peace and joy in your faith, so that you may be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
As we here at St Joachim’s, embark on a new school year, we ask that we be blessed with constant hope, with confidence in what awaits us, and a strong trust that all shall be well.
Together we walk with courage.
Together we walk with trust.
Together we walk with hope.
Sacramental Program 2025
Learning Innovations
Learning Innovations
Rebecca Todisco, Curriculum & Educational Leader
rtodisco@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Firecarriers
Firecarriers
On Thursday our school's Fire Carriers travelled to John Paul College with Jessica Lloyd-Welsh (St Joachim's Fire Carrier Leader) for a Fire Carrier commisioning ceremony. Students were involved in an indigenous immersion experience.
Thanks to parents who attended.
Performing Arts
Performing Arts
Tanya Antolos
tantolos@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Welcome to another great year of Performing Arts.
Welcome to another great year of Performing Arts.
All classes have started the year well and have brought their best vibrant enthusiasm to the first few weeks. You may have heard your children (in years 2-6) singing a new welcome song in the Nyoongar language called ‘Wanjoo’. Below you will find two videos of students from STC and MNG singing the song in full voice. Enjoy.
Wanjoo MNG.MOVMNG
Wanjoo STC.MOVSTC
I am excited to announce that Asher and Sophia L are our two Performing Arts leaders this year. I look forward to working with them. They have included a short paragraph introducing themselves below.
If you ever have any questions or would like to have a chat about your child and performing arts, please feel free to get in touch with me via my email tantolos@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au or pop into the Performing Arts room to say hi and have a look at the photo display of our wonderful 2024 school concert.
Hi, my name is Asher and I am super excited to be performing arts leader for 2025. Something I love about performing arts is that there is always something different, something fun, and there is always something in the lessons for everyone. I believe that performing arts is important because it brings out the best and fun side in everybody. Something that I would love to bring to St. Joachims as a performing arts leader is happiness, kindness and a love of performing arts.
Hi, My name is Sophia and I am happy to be one of St. Joachim's Performing Arts captains for 2025. What I love about Performing Arts is that I get to express myself through singing, dancing and learning music with my friends and classmates, I also get to do the things I love such as performing and playing instruments. Another thing I love about performing arts is that I enjoy learning new performing arts skills, learning how to make music, and learning how to play instruments like the ukulele. Outside of school, I do dancing, musical theatre, and play the piano. Performing arts is fun, entertaining and anyone can do it.
As a Performing Arts captain, I hope I can help and inspire other students to have fun and enjoy their Performing Arts lessons. I am also looking forward to assisting Mrs. Antolos in organising school events such as the Talent Show and Christmas Assemblies.
I believe that Performing Arts is important as we students can freely express ourselves through the different activities we do in class which can help boost our confidence while having fun.
English
English
Carolyn Yass, English Leader
cyass@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Narrative
Narrative
The Year 3s have been looking at how to write a narrative story. We have been focussing on how to make the problem in our story more engaging.
We use the "Pebble, Rock, Boulder" technique to create tension and excitement in our stories.
Here are some of these "Pebble, Rock, Boulder"
Writing pieces from MSM - Sophie Malignaggi
Vice President,
Sarah Cruise
Secretary,
Elizabeth Bonner
Treasurer,
Lauren O'Toole
Everyone Welcome!
Everyone Welcome!
All parents and friends of the school are encouraged to come to the P & F meetings and all are welcome. If you are unable to attend meetings but would like to be involved please send an email to pandfpresident@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
To make Zooper Dooper Fridays happen, we need the support of volunteers!
To make Zooper Dooper Fridays happen, we need the support of volunteers!
Here is the link for the parent roster for zooper doopers.
ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS - BUY FROM the P&F.
ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS - BUY FROM the P&F.
All purchases via this link, support St Joachim's and therefore your children!
All purchases via this link, support St Joachim's and therefore your children!
Click here to order: https://subscribe.entertainment.com.au/fundraiser/18h1742
Please help us to spread the Christmas cheer – share this post with your family and friends. We’ll receive 20% from the sale of every Membership towards our fundraising.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
St Joachim's Primary School P&F
Before & After School Care
Before & After School Care
Camp Australia
Camp Australia
The Camp Australia Outside school hours care program provides a safe environment ain which all can explore and play.
Audiri App
Audiri App
Our school uses the Audiri App to help us communicate more effectively with our Parent community. This type of notification does not usually require a response from parents (as Operoo does).
We ask parents to install our Audiri School App which is easily obtainable from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Once installed, just search for our school name “St Joachim's Primary School”.
Absence Notifications on Audiri
Absence Notifications on Audiri
Absence notifications are sent to the school via the Audiri App. These notifications are seen by the classroom teacher, and the office staff who manage the daily roll.
Parents and carers have an obligation to notify the school of their child’s absence as soon as possible on the day of absence - preferably before 8:30am.
Other messages such as early pick up, can also sent using the Absence notifications form of the Audiri App.
Here’s a video on how to send absence notifications.
If you're having trouble with your Audiri App on your phone, it may need to be deleted and the latest version installed. Families and staff are telling us that this has fixed any Audiri issues that they have been having.
Operoo
Operoo
Thank you to families who keep their Operoo profiles up to date such as when they change their address, phone number, parents work contact details etc. If you could also email the office@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au and let us know, so that we can adjust on our system as well.
Uniform
Uniform
St Joachim's Uniform is available from Peninsula Uniforms online shop or by visiting their shop in Carrum Downs.
The Seaford Tigers under 12s footy team are looking for more footy players.
The Seaford Tigers under 12s footy team are looking for more footy players.
Contact Linda Azzopardi on 0449997236 for more details.
Contact Linda Azzopardi on 0449997236 for more details.
There will be a registration day at Belvedere Reserve in Seaford on Sunday February 23rd.
There will be a registration day at Belvedere Reserve in Seaford on Sunday February 23rd.
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