Dear St Joseph's Community,

What a wonderful start to Week 6 of Term 3! It's been an incredible journey settling into my new additional role of Inclusive Education. I'm absolutely loving the opportunity to connect with all our families and continue building on the amazing foundation that Vanessa established. While I'm still learning every day, I'm truly enjoying working to ensure all our students have the best possible environment to grow and thrive.

Celebrating Our Recent Successes

SALA Exhibition Our SALA exhibition opening was nothing short of spectacular! All auction items sold, and we're so grateful for your incredible generosity. I'd love to hear how these beautiful pieces are settling into their new homes. The exhibition showcased so much colour and talent—thank you to our resident artist and school parent, Katie Routley, for your zest, glitter, and vision that made it all possible! A big thank you also to those who attended or supported the event in any other way. And a big well done to our students for unleashing so much creativity and producing pieces to be proud of.

Winter Wonderland What an amazing evening the Parents and Friends Winter Wonderland have planned for Saturday at 35 Stirling! The P&F have worked tirelessly for months to bring together this incredible event, and it is set to be a truly beautiful evening full of fun, delicious food, and wonderful company. Thank you so much to our Parents and Friends Committee for your passionate commitment to our school and students, as well as all the people who have donated items to the silent auction and our Platinum Sponsor, James Robertson from OC.

Book Week Parade We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather for our Book Week Parade! The music played, and our students and staff paraded their hearts out. Thank you to everyone who attended and made it such a special day.

All our Book Week events were wonderful successes, but I must share my favourite moment—'Words on the Oval.' Seeing our entire school community come together to read was truly magical. Some students listened to their teachers or buddies read stories, others chose to read independently, and some shared books in pairs. Despite the oval being full of people, there was such a calm and peaceful atmosphere. It perfectly captured the joy of reading and learning together.

Thank you to Mrs Wakim for all her behind the scenes work in the lead up to Book Week to ensure it was such a success.

Exciting Programs and Events Ahead

Young Engineers STEM Program We're thrilled to announce that the Young Engineers STEM Program will be coming to our school in Term 4 for students in Years 1 to Year 6. Keep an eye out for enrolment information coming soon, as spaces are limited. The program will run on Wednesdays after school.

Since 2008, Young Engineers has been sparking curiosity, growing confidence, and empowering children through hands-on STEM learning. Their programs go far beyond worksheets and lectures—they believe children learn best by doing, and by having fun while doing it! Using LEGO® bricks, robotics kits, and real-world challenges, students will think critically, build creatively, and collaborate with purpose.

Italian Day - Thursday, Week 9 (September 18th) Che Bello! Our Italian Day celebration is just around the corner. Special tuckshop orders are now available on Qkr!, and we'll have an Italian assembly plus fun activities throughout the day. Don't forget to dress up in Italian-themed outfits or Italian colours—we can't wait to see your creativity!

Learning Talks - Week 9 It's time to secure your appointments for Learning Talks! You can book through the SZapp home screen using the bright pink button. This is a wonderful opportunity to get an update on your child's progress and connect with their teachers.

Catholic Schools Music Festival Following on from the success of last year, this year we are looking forward to our Festival Choir performing once again in the CSMF. The Festival Choir will be performing on Wednesday 24^th September and the Rocktopuses have been asked to perform twice: on Monday  22^nd and Wednesday 24^th. Well done to our Music Teacher, Rebecca Pfitzner, and Drums teacher Nick Russell for working so hard with our students. We wish you a very successful CSMF 2025 experience.

A Special Thank You

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone for your encouragement and support during my time as Acting Principal. Your support and encouragement have meant the world to me. We're all looking forward to welcoming Jodie back on Monday of Week 8.

Here's to finishing Term 3 strong and looking ahead to an exciting Term 4!

Warmest Regards,

Christine Farrugia