Principals Message

Dear Families,

I came across the prayer recently and felt the need to share it this week. 

As mentioned further in this newsletter, this Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the Liturgical year. We then begin the Season of Advent where we as a community begin to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas by reflecting and looking forward with hope, peace, love and joy.

As we enter into the last month of school for 2023 it's a fitting time to look back and be amazed at what a different year it has been and how we have all come together to make it through. We continue to value and appreciate your support as parents.  

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING

 The safety of our students, families and staff is our highest priority. In order to best ensure this, the St Joseph’s Primary School leadership and staff, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, plan for a number of possible incidents, emergencies or natural disasters that could take place at school or during the school term. The events of recent years have reinforced how important this planning is and we all have a role to play when it comes to emergency management, including families.

Our students participate in various safety drills and staff participate through training and safety drills. We’d like to share with you the role of parents and families in emergency management.

 School Lockdown

A number of the situations we plan for include a school lockdown as one of the immediate safety actions to ensure the safety of our students and staff. We understand that some may understand the word ‘lockdown’ to mean there is an immediate safety risk to all students. It is important to understand that when a school initiates a lockdown this may not be the case.

Depending on the situation, the purpose of a school lockdown will differ. A school lockdown may be a preparation step for an evacuation, or a school lockdown may allow emergency services access to an area of the school without having to navigate past students. Regardless of the purpose of a school lockdown, no one can be admitted to the school grounds other than emergency services.

 Should we initiate a school lockdown, parents and families will be informed via text message and Compass notification. We will also inform parents and families as soon as the school lockdown has been lifted or if there are any actions required of parents and families. It is important that you do not attempt to attend the school during a school lockdown. We understand that you may be concerned however attending the school may also add risk to a possible emergency situation, block emergency services or impede an evacuation.

 Natural Disaster

In the event of a natural disaster, such as flood or bushfire, the school leadership, supported by the Catholic Schools Office, will determine if it is safe for the school to open. If there is a probability the school may have to close part way through the day, the school will not open for that day as it is extremely difficult to evacuate a school site and ensure all students are able to go directly home safely.

 In a bush fire or flood event it is important that parents and families have a plan to get your child/ren home from school, or into your care, at short notice. Please be aware that school buses may not be running and the school can not allow your child/ren to go home to an empty house or home with another parent without your permission.

 Family Preparedness

How can you help us prepare for emergency situations? Please ensure that:

• You have downloaded Compass and have allowed notifications.
• Any changes to your contact details or custodial arrangements have been updated with the school.
• [for schools in bush fire or flood prone regions] You have a bush fire/flood plan in place that all members of your family understand.
• In the event of a school lockdown or evacuation, directions in the parent notifications are

 It is always our hope that these measures will never be needed but it is also our responsibility to ensure our school community is prepared and informed should the need arise. We thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.

 Jeanette Wilkins, Principal and Nigel McIntyre, Work Health and Safety Manager, Catholic Schools Office

Throughout the last couple of years, many of you have met and come into contact with our Regional Service Leader, Mr John Wilson.  We have recently been informed that John has been offered and accepted a position as Director, School Services with Catholic Education, Tasmania commencing in the New Year.

We are sorry to see John leave.  He has journeyed with us throughout the last couple of difficult years and has always been approachable, calm, keen to listen and very supportive. His wisdom and expertise have been valued and very much appreciated. We thank him for being with us and wish him all the very best in his new position.  

Mr Aaron Beech will be replacing John for the 2024 year.  Aaron is the current Principal of St John's College Woodlawn and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and skills. We look forward to working with Aaron.

Yesterday we welcomed David Younger back to St Joseph's. David is a clinical psychologist and natural disaster and emergency recovery consultant.

Last night David met with the Parent Consultation Group. The session provided an opportunity for David to follow up with the group with a focus on reconnecting, creating a context and purpose for the evening, asking for their feedback and impressions regarding the announcement to return to the original site, identifying queries./questions they may have had, before moving into further discussion about next steps for the group.

Today David reconnected with the staff. 

We thank David for his ongoing support and wisdom on Disaster Recovery and look forward to our future meetings and partnership. 

Common food allergens include peanuts and tree nuts ( such as cashews and walnuts), sesame, egg, cows milk, shellfish, fish and soy.

At  St Joseph's, we are a nut-aware school. This means we request that all nuts and any food containing nuts are not brought to school.

Thank you for your understanding and
compliance with this request.

Friday 1 December	Stage 2 Mass
Monday 4 December	Advent Liturgy
Tuesday 5 December	Year 5 Leadership Speeches
Wednesday 6 December	Leaders Thank You afternoon
Thursday 7 December	Music Students Presentation 10am
Friday 8 December	St Joseph's Swimming Carnival
Monday 11 December	St Joseph's end-of-year celebration Christmas Carols and Picnic
Tuesday 12 December	Step up Day
Thursday 14 December	Year 6 Graduation Dinner
Friday 16 December	Year 6 Graduation Mass LAST DAY OF THE 2023 SCHOOL YEAR FOR ALL STUDENTS

                           

• Callum Robson for taking the time to be with us.
• Stage 3 for their terrific Assembly
• David Younger for continuing to support our Parent Consultation Group and staff. 
• Our Award Winners for guiding the way in weeks 6 & 7

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Jeanette Wilkins

 Principal