Newsletter 16, 9th October 2025

Principal's Report

Hello to Families and all in the St Joseph's School Community,

Welcome back to Term Four! I hope the holidays provided a chance for rest, renewal, and family time. Term Four is always an exciting and busy period, full of learning, special events, and preparation for the year ahead.

Catholic Mission Month
October is Catholic Mission Month, an important time in the Catholic Church calendar when Christians reflect on the call to live with faith, hope, and love through acts of service. The purpose of this month is to deepen students’ understanding of mission and encourage them to see themselves as active participants in making a difference in the lives of others, both locally and globally. Our school will be engaging in prayer and classroom activities throughout the month. The Senior Class will organise some activities for Mission Week, 19th-25th October, towards a fundraising  effort to support the work of Catholic Mission. Stay tuned!

Parent–Teacher Meetings
This term, parent–teacher meetings will take place to provide a valuable opportunity for partnership between home and school. These meetings allow teachers to share progress, celebrate achievements, and discuss strategies for ongoing growth. They also give parents and carers the chance to ask questions, offer insights, and strengthen the relationship that underpins each child’s success. We thank you for your continued support in making these conversations a priority.
These meetings are schduled for next week - please jump on PAM and pick your slot. If there is no time that suits your schedule contact the Office for an alternative time slot. 

No School Crossing
The school crossing is currently unsupervised as the shire works to staff the position. I ask all families to be mindful of this as the wellbeing and safety of our community remain our highest priority.

Camps and School Transitions
Term Four also brings important milestones for many students. Camps provide rich opportunities for personal growth, independence, and resilience, and we look forward to hearing the stories and highlights from these experiences. In addition, transition programs for our Year 6 students moving to secondary school, and for our 2026 Foundation students beginning their journey with us, are already underway. These transitions are vital in helping students feel prepared, confident, and excited about the next step in their education. See further information below.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school community. Term Four promises to be a term of learning, fun, endings and new beginnings!  I look forward to sharing it with you every step of the way!

Warm regards in faith and learning,
Mary

Important Dates

October 16th - Performance of "BIKE CIRCUS" at Charlton College & visit to Nursing Home
October 19th - Mission week begins - activities to be confirmed
October 23rd - Blast Cricket in Boort - Gr 5&6
October 24th- Celebration of World Teacher's Day
October 27th - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY - Structured Literacy
November 3rd - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY - Assessment & Reporting
November 4th - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
November 5&6th - Sovereign Hill Camp - Gr 3/4
November 10, 11 &12th - Creswick Log Cabin Camp - Gr 5/6
December 11th - First Reconciliation at 6:00pm
December 16th - End of Year Mass, Graduation & BBQ from 6:00pm
December 17th - Final day of Term Four for students

DOBCEL Student-Free Guidelines and Procedures
Student-free days are days where students do not attend school within the gazetted attendance period but are designated for staff professional development, school professional development activities, planning and/or report-writing. Each year, the first day of term one and the last day of term four will be a student-free day in all schools. PLEASE NOTE THE STUDENT-FREE DATES remaining FOR 2025. 
Monday 27 October - Staff professional learning - Structured Literacy
Monday 3 November - Assessment and Reporting 

Sacraments and Celebrations

Sacrament of Reconciliation
The Sacrament of First Reconciliation will be offered during Advent in the lead up to Christmas. Students in Grades 5&6 who have celebrated the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation & Eucharist) are invited to participate.

The sacrament will be celebrated on Thursday 11th December at 6:00pm.

Further details to follow.

Parish Celebrates 140 Years
St Joseph's Parish Charlton, is set to celebrate 140 years since its establishment. This celebration will take pace on SUNDAY 26th OCTOBER at the 10:30AM MASS.
ALL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE INVITED TO BE A PART OF THIS CELEBRATION BY ATTENDING MASS AND JOINING IN A SPECIAL BLESSING AND SONG OF CELEBRATION.
We would love to see as many families and students as possible present on the day to join in the special parish celebration. There is a luncheon following the mass. For catering purposes, please contact Sandra on 047 320 633 if you intend staying on for lunch.

Next Thursday 16th October

With thanks to the Charlton Neighbourhood House and Regional Arts Victoria, students will get to experience the excitement of Scott’s BMX Trick Bike Show, where breathtaking BMX stunts, world-class skills, uplifting music, and loads of fun will captivate everybody. All students will attend the performance at Charlton College at 10:00am on Thursday 16th October. 

Scott Hone, a world-renowned BMX trick rider, takes you on an inspiring journey from his first childhood bike to the heights of circus fame. With dazzling tricks—riding forwards on the front wheel, backwards upside-down, and spinning in ways you never thought possible—Scott’s performance isn’t just a show about tricks—it’s a powerful story of perseverance, creativity, and following your dreams whilst embracing life’s adventures.

The show crescendos with a bold finale, inviting five audience members to join Scott on stage for an unforgettable finale of six people all riding the bike at once. The vibrant music heightens every twist and turn, making each moment memorable.

Whether you’re a bike enthusiast, music lover, or thrill-seeker, this is more than a show—it’s a celebration of dreams, determination, and the joy of bicycles.

Nursing Home Visit
Following the bike performance studnets will visit the Nursing Home to share a sample of the songs from our school musical "The Time Machine". We look forward to spreading some joy with the town's most precious residents!

School Camps & Excursions in Term Four

In Term Four, as the weather improves, all students will have the opportunity to experience further school excursions or overnight camps. 

Excursions and camps are an important part of school life. They take learning beyond the classroom, giving students the chance to explore new environments, develop independence, and strengthen friendships. Whether it’s a local day trip or a multi-day camp, these experiences encourage problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience.

Students often return with a deeper sense of confidence and connection—not only to what they’ve learned, but also to each other and their teachers. Camps and excursions create memories that last a lifetime and are a valuable way of supporting both academic learning and personal growth.

F/1/2 - a day excursion (to Ballarat Wildlife Park on Thursday 30th October

3/4 - November 5/6 Sovereign Hill

5/6 - November 10/11/12 Log Cabin Camp Creswick

To help boost our numbers and make our overnight camps more affordable, we will join with the students from St Mary's School Donald, as we have done previously. 

Permission forms for the 5/6 Camp have been posted on PAM.

Art, Art Everywhere!

Many thanks to Miss Thompson and all staff for organising art work for the students to display publicly. You can see the students art work at the Charlton Art Show this weekend, at the Charlton Agricultural Show next weekend, at the Wycheproof Community Resource Centre between Oct 27^th - 31^st and in the main street of Charlton, as we get closer to Christmas!

Education For All

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.
Dyslexia affects around one in ten people and often shows up as difficulty with reading, spelling and writing - BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH INTELLIGENCE OR POTENTIAL.
With the right support, structured programs, multi-sensory learning and small classroom adjustments, students with dyslexia can thrive! 
By raising awareness and sharing practical strategies, we can make our classrooms more inclusive and empowering for every learner!

2026 Enrolments Now Open

A place to belong. A place to thrive. A place where every child matters.
At St Joseph's School we are proud to offer a nurturing environment where children grow in mind, heart and spirit.
Inspired by our Catholic tradition, we walk with each child on their unique journey - celebrating who they are and guiding who they are becoming!
Commitment to child safety & well-being
Learning that inspires - explicit instruction and individualised support
A welcoming community celebrating diversity
Living our values everyday- we are safe, responsible & respectful
Structured Literacy
Auslan Language Curriculum
Evidence based data-driven practices
No fees for Prep enrolments
Experience the St Joseph's difference! We invite you to discover what makes our school a truly special place.

https://www.sjcharlton.catholic.edu.au/

Foundation/1 Class Report

Welcome back to Term 4! 

I hope everyone had a nice relaxing break, enjoying time with families and friends. 

We have jumped straight back into our routines and the children are excited for what’s to come this term. 

We are back into our Phonics sessions and the students are continuing to expand their knowledge and learn new sounds each day. 

In Maths, Foundation and Grade 1 are exploring data concepts and learning how to collect data and create tally’s and bar graphs. 

We are investigating the 5 senses in Physical Science and how these senses keep us safe in the real world. 

I am putting the final steps in place to finalise our excursion for this term so keep an eye out for location and dates.

Enjoy the week and enjoy this glorious weather. 

Katie Brown 

Grade 2/3 Class Report

Hello everyone and welcome to Term 4!

It’s been wonderful to see everyone back at school and to hear all about the exciting things students got up to during the holidays. Everyone has settled in quickly and is ready for a busy and productive term ahead.

As the weather warms up, a friendly reminder that students should now be wearing their summer school uniform. Please also ensure your child has a school hat for recess and lunch times — hats are stored safely at school so they’re always ready to use.

In Literacy, students have begun a new unit exploring Physical Science through our focus question: “How are forces used for a purpose?” We’ll be reading, writing, and discussing how pushes and pulls make things move, stop and change direction in our everyday world.

In Maths, our new topic focuses on angles - students will learn to identify, describe and measure angles in different shapes and objects around us.

In RE, Grade 3 students are learning about Openness, exploring what it means to be open to others, to new ideas, and to God. Grade 2 students are focusing on the theme of Invitation, thinking about how we welcome and include others in our communities.

It’s shaping up to be a wonderful term filled with learning, creativity, and special events as we head towards the end of the year. We’re looking forward to all the exciting opportunities Term 4 will bring!

Lara Thompson

Grade 4/5/6 Class Report

Week 1 Term 4

It has been great to see all students arrive back at school well rested and safe and sound from their holidays.  Everyone has settled smoothly back into the classroom routines and has participated enthusiastically in this week's learning activities. 

In the area of Writing, students have begun learning how to write informative texts. They have watched a virtual tour of Melbourne Zoo and are beginning to research an animal of their choice. Students will then plan, create, revise and publish an informative text about their animal. We have been playing the game “Battleship” in Mathematics this week with students having to plot coordinates on a cartesian plane. 

In Religious Education our theme this term is “Openess”. Students listened to the story of Jesse Martin who sailed solo around the world and discussed what it is like to be “open” to challenges and new possibilities in our lives. In Science and Technology we are going to be investigating the different forces that make things move.

We are looking forward to a very busy Term Four filled with lots of exciting learning and events to come.

Mr Lanyon

Wellbeing with Mrs Wright

Welcome back to Term 4. I hope everyone had an enjoyable break, catching up on those little things that we enjoy and spending time with family and friends.

Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships

Over the next couple of weeks we will be looking at - 

P - 2 Emotional Literacy - It feels good when people like us just the way we are.

3 - 6 Personal and Cultural Strengths - How we use our personal and cultural strengths.

Child Safety

The care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a central and fundamental responsibility of Catholic Education. St Joseph’s School is committed to strengthened practice for the protection of children in line with the Victorian Government child safety reforms.

Child Safety - digital images

Taking Photos/Video Footage
A reminder to parents and family members to please ensure, when at school events, to take photos or video footage of your child/ren only. Please do NOT post photos of children, other than your own, at school events or wearing school uniform, on personal social media pages other than your own. Thank you for your cooperation in using social media respectfully helping to keep everyone in our school community safe online.  

Community News

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land.  We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We thank them for sharing their cultures, spiritualities and ways of living with the land, in this place we all now call home.