Paul Dwyer, Principal
pdwyer@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Dear Parents,
Welcome back to a cold Term 3! I hope all students, families and staff are feeling well rested, and ready for a shorter, but extremely busy, term.
We celebrated the Feast Day of our parish patron saints, Joachim and Anne, today. We began with Mass at St. Anne’s Church, and it was wonderful to see students, staff and families from both parish schools in attendance. Mass was celebrated by our Regional Bishop, now Archbishop elect of Hobart, Most reverend Anthony Ireland. Fr. Martin thanked Bishop Tony for his work in our parish and wished him well on his new appointment. My thanks to Fr. Martin, and to our Parish Religious Education Leaders, Zeeta Andrew and Rikki Winduss, for their hard work in organizing our Feast day Mass.
Our Year 6 students will participate in a special Confirmation Retreat Day at John Paul College in Frankston, next Friday 1st August. The following day (Saturday 2nd August) they will be confirmed at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in a special Confirmation Mass at 1:00 p.m.
I ask all Confirmation candidates, sponsors and families to be seated inside the Cathedral no later than 12:40 p.m. Please arrive early to organize parking. It will be quite busy, as we will be joined by more than 70 students, and their families, from St. Anne’s and St. Joseph’s School in Chelsea, who will also be confirmed at this Mass.
Best wishes to St. Joachim’s Footy team, who will represent us at the Divisional Football finals at Mt. Eliza on Wednesday next week. Thank you to Reagon Haines and Cameron Holzer who will look after our players on the day. Go St. Joachim’s!
Please note these forthcoming dates for your calendars:
Friday 1st August - Foundation students celebrate 100 days at school
Friday 1st August – Confirmation Retreat Day
Saturday 2nd August – Sacrament of Confirmation at the Cathedral at 1:00 p.m.
Monday 4th August – Commencement of Year 5 / 6 swimming program
Wednesday 6th August – SAC Meeting
9th August - First Eucharist Masses commence (and run over the following 3 weekends)
Saturday 9th August - P & F Music/Bingo evening
Thursday 14th August – P & F organized disco
Monday 18th August – Commencement of Book week (dress up day is Friday 22nd August)
Monday 25th August - Pupil free day (School closed)
Thursday 28th August - Art show (4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.)
Paul Dwyer, Principal
At St Joachim’s we believe in the importance of communication between home and school and we have a number of platforms that we use.
Read more.
Maire Macphie, Administration
CSEF applications close on Friday 4th July. If you have not already contacted me and you are a concession card holder please email me on mmacphie@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
At St Joachim’s we believe in the importance of communication between home and school and we have a number of platforms that we use. Read more.
Please do not hesitate to email the office team on office@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au for any questions or to share information.
Zeeta Andrew, Religious Education Leader
zandrew@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Today, we were privileged to come together with our sister school, St Anne’s, to celebrate our Feast Day Mass. This special liturgy was presided over by the Archbishop-Elect of Hobart, Most Rev. Anthony J. Ireland. We are grateful for his presence and spiritual leadership on such a meaningful occasion.
As we reflect on the lives and legacy of Saints Anne and Joachim, we are reminded of the profound impact that grandparents have within the family. They are not only sources of love and wisdom but also play a vital role in nurturing faith, guiding future generations in the ways of the Lord. Just as Saints Anne and Joachim helped form Mary in her faith, grandparents today help shape the hearts and values of their grandchildren.
May we continue to cherish, honour, and pray for all grandparents, both living and departed, recognising their enduring influence on our families and faith communities.
Pope Francis has consistently highlighted the invaluable role that grandparents play within families and society. He describes them as “the living memory of the family,” entrusted with the task of transmitting the faith, life lessons, and values to younger generations.
“Grandparents are a treasure in the family. Please, take care of your grandparents: love them and let them talk to your children!”
— Pope Francis, General Audience, March 11, 2015
Please pray for our students to learn and grow in wisdom and grace. Guide them to develop a deep love for God and for one another.
Please pray for all families represented in our school community.
May we all be blessed with love, peace, and unity.
May we all be strengthened in our faith and
may our homes be filled with joy and harmony.
Amen.
St Anne and St Joachim.
All: Pray for us.
Confirmation is a significant milestone in the faith journey of our students, marking the deepening of their commitment to Christ and the strengthening of the gifts of the Holy Spirit first received at Baptism.
As part of their spiritual preparation, the Confirmation candidates will participate in a special retreat day on Friday, 1st August, hosted at St. John Paul College. This day will offer the students time for reflection, prayer, and formation as they prepare to receive this important sacrament.
We invite you to please keep these students and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
August 9/10, 16/17, 23/24, 30/31,
SATURDAY 2nd AUGUST @ 1pm at the Cathedral
Irene Stewart, Deputy Principal - Student Wellbeing
istewart@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
FRF Riley - for working very hard at recording sounds she hears in unknown words. Superstar!
FRF Melany - for projecting her voice during her Show and Tell so that everyone could hear her. Super job!
FRZ Emmett - for always having a go even when things are a bit tricky. Superstar!
FRZ Stormi - for having a go at recording all the sounds she hears in the words when writing. Well done!
JSE Jasmeh - For demonstrating a responsible attitude towards her learning and being a positive role model.
JSE Lancaster - For showing creativity by adding an image to enhance his narrative story on a Google Slide.
JMR Raza - For successfully typing her narrative and adding pictures on a Google Slide.
JMR Arush - For working hard to write with clarity and neatness.
JTA Olivia - For a super effort in researching Orcas and creating fantastic Google Slides demonstrating her information.
JTA Veronica- For creating interesting Google slides to present the information she had researched about Bats.
JDB Jet- For trying hard to complete all set tasks within the given time frame.
JDB Sadie-For trying hard when listening and following directions.
MNG Olivia - For your hard work in planning, writing and editing a wonderful narrative story about 4 children getting lost in the forest.
MNG Jaxon - Trying your best to ignore inappropriate behaviour and stay on task in class.
MSM Weston - for sharing how he can be a follower of Jesus in our mass.
MSM Abigail - for having the confidence to do a reading in our mass.
MLR Megan- for great effort and awesome teamwork in Reader’s Theater! Well done!
MLR Zak- for your amazing performance in Reader’s Theater! You had a clear voice and great expression. Well done!
MYK Susie, well done on writing an entertaining narrative that included all the key features.
MYK Brandon for his improved efforts with remaining on task
SLN Charli: For the responsible, supportive and caring way she interacts with younger students at our school - an excellent role model.
SLN Dhakshi: For the way she strives for excellence and embraces challenges
STC Ada: For demonstrating noticeable improvement in her writing, especially in spelling.
STC Olympia: For demonstrating persistence and determination in Maths lessons, completing all tasks to the best of her ability.
SWD Deyon: For being very supportive and kind towards his peers whilst teaching them how to build a website.
SWD Emily: For creating an excellent slide show about cats, which included trivia and hyperlinks!
SHJ Missy - For delivering a confident and visually appealing presentation on Aboriginal cultures and traditions. Well done.
SHJ Antonia - For showing perseverance and determination when solving division problems using the bus stop method.
The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) on School Students who require adjustments to their learning is a yearly count of students by all Australian schools across the country. The NCCD aims to provide the Australian Government with information about the number of students who require support and adjustments in Australian schools and the type of adjustments they need in order to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students. If you are a parent, guardian or carer of a child who requires ongoing adjustments at school, a teacher or another school staff member will consult with you to understand your child’s needs. This collaborative approach ensures the most appropriate adjustments are chosen to support your child’s learning and participation at school. In some cases, a personal learning plan (PLP) may be developed to document specific educational goals and to review your child’s progress over time.
Irene Stewart
Rebecca Todisco, Curriculum & Educational Leader
rtodisco@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
What's in the NAPLAN ISR (Individual Student Reports)?
The ISR provides information about a student's performance in each test area (reading, writing, numeracy, spelling, and grammar & punctuation). It will show the student's achievement against the national average and the range of achievement for the middle 60% of students in their year level.
NAPLAN results are reported against the proficiency standards, including 4 proficiency levels:
• Exceeding: The student’s result exceeds expectations at the time of testing.
• Strong: The student’s result meets challenging but reasonable expectations at the time of testing.
• Developing: The student’s result indicates that they are working towards expectations at the time of testing.
• Needs additional support: The student’s result indicates that they are not achieving the learning outcomes expected at the time of testing. They are likely to need additional support to progress satisfactorily.
Mel Wharton
mwharton@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
To parents and friends of St Joachim's, I am seeking the support of parents to help set up for our upcoming Art Expo – A Journey Through Art. If you are available, I would greatly appreciate your assistance for a couple of hours on either Tuesday 26th or Wednesday 27th of August in the school hall. Your help in arranging displays and preparing the space will ensure the event is a wonderful celebration of our students’ creativity. Whether you can lend a hand with lifting, organizing, or decorating, every bit of support makes a difference. Thank you in advance for being part of this exciting event!
Please contact mwharton@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au if you are able to help.
Mel Wharton, Visual Art Teacher
The lids can be from milk containers, laundry detergents, medicine lids... the more shapes, sizes and colour the better!
They can be dropped off at the ART HUB on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Thanks in advance for your help !
Carolyn Yass, English Leader
cyass@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Tanya Antolos
tantolos@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
Foundation: Will be learning how to play many different percussion instruments, continuing to learn to read music, sing, dance and learn new music terms like staccato, legato, pitch and crescendo.
Juniors: Will be learning about music from various cultures around the world and about famous composers.
Middles: Will be writing and performing RAP music, learning to bucket drum and create music using technology
Seniors: Will be learning about the role of a Foley Artist, creating their own sound effects using the video editing software ‘WeVideo’ and continuing to learn to play the ukulele.
All families are invited to come along to watch as well.
Vice President,
Sarah Cruise
Secretary,
Elizabeth Bonner
Treasurer,
Lauren O'Toole
If you are unable to attend meetings but would like to be involved please send an email to pandfpresident@sjcarrumdowns.catholic.edu.au
If anyone is interested in supporting the P&F, meetings are held once a month on a Friday, some in person and some via zoom. New faces are always welcome.
The Camp Australia Outside school hours care program provides a safe environment ain which all can explore and play.
Please help us in keeping everyone safe by heading into the office if you are coming onto the school grounds. You will notice that all road facing internal gates and doors will be locked during learning times throughout the day.
Please enter through the office and inform office staff if you arrive during the learning time.
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.
St Joachim's Uniform is available from Peninsula Uniforms online shop or by visiting their shop in Carrum Downs.
Thursday 7 August
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Online via Teams
Parents and carers only
This engaging and practical session will explore the challenges young people face online and offer clear strategies to help you support your child’s digital wellbeing. Topics include managing group chats, protecting personal data, respectful online behaviour, and navigating misinformation, scams, and gaming.
Attached is a digital flyer for your communication to families. I have also directly linked the webpage for families to register their attendance.