Dear Parents

A warm welcome back to the start of a new school year. The first few days have been a hive of activity and excitement.  It has been so good to see everyone back and to hear about the many holiday adventures. 

A special welcome to our new families who join our school community for the first time. St Joseph’s is a great school, and we are delighted that you have joined us and trust your time here will be an enjoyable and memorable one.  

To our class teachers, I would like to express my appreciation for the time and effort they have spent over the holidays to ensure that their classrooms are organised and prepared for the term ahead. It is such a great feeling to walk into welcoming and well-resourced classrooms. The work you have done to provide vibrant learning environments has not gone unnoticed. 

Many thanks to all our parents as well. From my observations and discussions with the teachers, the children have arrived fully prepared with the correct book list items, uniform and a keen attitude to commence the school year.  Thank you!

SETTING YOUR CHILD UP FOR SUCCESS

Success in learning is indeed a partnership requiring a strong commitment of parents and staff. Parents often ask what can I do to help my child? My strong conviction is that the most important thing a parent can do is to establish a positive and supportive relationship with their school, and particularly with their child’s teacher. Open, honest and respectful communication is the key to this; taking the time and effort to get to know your child’s teacher and to communicate to them, your desires and hopes for your child this year as well as concerns. The more a teacher knows about your child, the more effectively they can respond to and provide for them.

To assist staff in giving our students optimum chance of success this year, I offer these tips for parents:

• Be Patient… often students take time to adjust to a new teacher, new routines and surroundings. Reassure them that all will be well and if you have any concerns, speak with your child’s teacher sooner rather than later.
• Sleep… ensure your child gets enough uninterrupted sleep. They need this to process learning and memory from the day’s activities. Digital devices do interrupt sleep and therefore should not be kept in bedrooms overnight.
• Nutrition… as much non-processed foods as possible. Avoid foods high in sugar as this effects concentration, energy levels and ability to learn. Some classes have Brain break at about 10am and only fresh fruit or vegetables are allowed and we don’t allow chips and lollies in lunchboxes. Water is best!!!
• Be supportive and always speak positively about school… if and when your child comes home and reports a problem, always reassure them that they have done the right thing telling you and that there is something that can be done to help them. Either encourage them to speak to their teacher or make a time yourself to see the teacher.
• Organisation and Routines – Every Minute Counts… being at school on time is very important for children to start the day positively, allowing time to socialise, get belongings organised for the day and build friendships with staff and students. Any arrival after 8.40am is considered late and is disruptive to your child’s morning as well as the class. If your child is away then we ask that you courteously contact the office via our parent portal, email or phone. To assist parents in understanding the impact of lateness, here are the facts:

  EVERY MINUTE COUNTS
  But I only missed…..	That equals….	Which is…..	And over 13 years of my schooling that’s….
  5 minutes per day	25 minutes per week	Nearly 0.8 weeks per year	Nearly a quarter of a year
  10 minutes per day	50 minutes per week	Nearly 1.5 weeks per year	Nearly half a year
  20 minutes per day	1 hour 40 minutes per week	Nearly 3 weeks per year	Nearly one year
  30 minutes per day	Half a day per week	Nearly 6 weeks per year	Nearly one and a half years

• Attendance and Punctuality: You have probably seen the statistics about the impact that attendance has on learning outcomes. Attendance data is monitored and even a day here and there can add up to a startling number over the course of your child’s schooling. Put simply, if children are not at school, they cannot learn.
• Uniform… ensure your child has the correct uniform and if for any reason, they are out of uniform, a note to the teacher is required. This includes the provision of and wearing of the approved school shoes (all black). Uniform is important to our school culture and identity. This includes the school hat.
• Communication… communicate in a timely and appropriate manner with the classroom teacher if you have any concerns. This is most effective when it is face to face and at a time suitable to both parent and teacher. The busyness of the morning at drop off time is not conducive to discussing an issue as it is often public and you can’t be given the time it may need. Email is not considered appropriate for expressing concerns. An appointment is always best. Coming to the meeting aware that there are other perspectives on a situation than what your child may have told you is helpful.
• Emailing is certainly a convenient and timely communication method for both teaching staff and parents. We also acknowledge, however, the limitations of email and I am sure you understand the need to have some shared understandings about the use of email, and therefore regarding the use of email we would ask that parents using email:
  • Be patient with the response time. We aim to have a quick reply but sometimes the volume of emails can restrict these time frames. If you send an email on Friday please wait till Monday as we all like to enjoy the weekend and/or if you send an email after 5pm, please don’t expect a reply until the next day; teachers also have their family to attend to.
  • Please use email to briefly identify the issue, request or concern. Please leave extensive detail for a conversation or planned meeting. Using names of other students and parents should also be avoided.
  • Assume mutual goodwill and keep the messages polite and positive (even when it is a concern).
  • Please do not use email for urgent messages (eg; late pick up, lunch, homework) as teachers are in class and will not be able to receive or respond to the message during class time.

        A list of our teachers’ email addresses can be found on our Parent Portal.

• Screen Time… monitor your child’s screen time and discuss with them what they are doing when on screens. Screens includes TV, computers, tablets, phones. Discuss online safety and ethical use of this powerful resource.
• Prayers of Gratitude… have an attitude of gratitude and thank God for the many blessings and gifts of the day. This can be achieved by playing “2 stars and a wish” where the child says 2 things that went well and one thing they wish went better…

DATE CLAIMER: MEET THE TEACHER & OPEN CLASSROOMS - Thursday, 13 February (3:15-4:30pm)

Parents are invited to come along on Thursday, 13 February to visit classrooms and chat with our teachers from 3:15pm until 4:30pm.  Students are encouraged to show their parents their classrooms, and even some of their learnings.

The coffee van will be available to purchase a beverage.  We look forward to catching up with our families!

P&F MEETING - Wednesday, 12 February 

Our first P&F meeting for 2025 will be held on Wednesday, 12 February at 5:00pm in our school staffroom. 

Wishing you a seamless and productive return to school for 2025.

Rita Petersen