Matthew O'Brien, Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, Students and the wider St. Joseph’s Primary School Community,

Winter Prayer

There is a winter in all of our lives,

a chill and darkness that makes us yearn

for days that have gone

or put our hope in days yet to be.

Father God, you created seasons for a purpose.

Spring is full of expectation

buds breaking

frosts abating and an awakening

of creation before the first days of summer.

Now the sun gives warmth

and comfort to our lives

reviving aching joints

bringing colour, new life

and crops to fruiting.

Autumn gives nature space

to lean back, relax and enjoy the fruits of its labour

mellow colours in sky and landscape

as the earth prepares to rest.

Then winter, cold and bare as nature takes stock

rests, unwinds, sleeps until the time is right.

An endless cycle

and yet a perfect model.

We need a winter in our lives

a time of rest, a time to stand still

a time to reacquaint ourselves

with the faith in which we live.

It is only then that we can draw strength

from the one in whom we are rooted

take time to grow and rise through the darkness

into the warm glow of your springtime

to blossom and flourish

bring colour and vitality into this world

your garden.

Thank you Father

for the seasons of our lives

Business Raffle

It is with great pleasure that we launch our 2025 major fundraiser, the Business Raffle.  This is a wonderful fundraising model initiated by our Parent Support Association (PSA).  The beauty of this raffle is that all of the money raised stays within our community. 

Local businesses are invited to sponsor the raffle ($300 or $600).

Families are asked to sell 4 x $25 tickets.

The grand prize is $10,000 to spend at one or more of the sponsoring businesses.

All of this happens without a drain on our precious volunteers who already give so generously to our special events.

The profit stays within the school and will go towards our new playground.

Other fundraising initiatives often drain funds to a third party e.g.  chocolate drives 66% to the company, commercial colour run 40% to the company.  With our local Business Raffle 100% of the money raised stays in our community. Win-Win!

More information on how to get a business involved is in this newsletter.

Matthew O'Brien, Principal

Happy Birthday to children celebrating their birthday this week.

Mae Breen, Alison Chang, Felicity Chang, Meredith Chang, Finnian Dwyer, Mason Southwick, Oliver King, Xavier Skevofylakas, Max Bell, Harriet Davis, Frankie Ingram, Sibella Lewis, Beaux McInerney, Euan McRae, Joe Haberfield, Will Haberfield, Billy Henderson, Wesley McPherson, Ivan Santos and Theodore Wilson.

Over Term 3 we are running our raffle again, which is aimed at supporting local and school connected businesses.

This also acts as our major fundraiser for 2025, and hopefully reaching the total needed for our new playground!

We have sent letters and emails to many businesses to see if they will be involved, however if you are involved, manage, or own a business that has not received a proposal letter and you are interested please email Cathy Duynhoven on cduyn@sjwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

A copy of the business proposal is linked to this newsletter as well, along with a link to an expression of interest form that you can complete straight away.

Families will be asked each to sell 4 x $25 tickets, with there being one prize of $10,000 worth of vouchers selected from the participating businesses only (the winner can choose to have 1 voucher or a maximum of 10 vouchers from different businesses). 

The seller of the winning ticket will also have their 2026 Family fee (at least $1,445 based on the 2025 fees) credited off their school fee account.

Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge

Please encourage your children to continue reading at home at night and log these books online. 

All students should have their login details glued in the front of their school diaries.  Please email me if you need them emailed them to you; elloyd@sjwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

All children have been entered into the Challenge and are trying to help their class total be the winning class.  The Challenge will finish by Week 7 ~ Book Week!

Book Week

On Friday, 8th August, we’re inviting all students at St Joseph’s to wear green in support of Victorian farmers who are doing it incredibly tough due to ongoing drought conditions.

For some regions, it hasn’t rained properly in over three years. There’s no grass to feed animals. Feed prices are soaring. Families are under enormous stress. Yet these are the same farmers who help put food on our tables every single day.

• “Wear Green for Farmers” is a statewide initiative designed to:
• Show farmers they are seen, valued and supported
• Help spread awareness — especially among our children — about where our food comes from and the people who grow it
• Raise funds (if families are in a position to contribute) to help deliver hay and emergency support through trusted volunteer networks like Need for Feed

This day is about solidarity, education and kindness. If you’d like to contribute you can donate directly via the website or the QR code . But most importantly, we’d love to see a sea of green as our way of standing with the people who feed us.

Disco Poster Competition

Volunteers

We require volunteers for both Junior and Middle/Senior Discos. 

Please complete the linked form if you are able to assist.

Volunteer numbers are capped, please consider volunteering for the Middle/Senior Disco if you have children attending both discos.