St. Joseph's Primary Penshurst.

At St. Joseph’s Primary School we pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land, the Kolorer gunditj people and pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

The area around Mount Rouse is the country of the Kolorer gunditj clan of Aboriginal people. Their title is derived from their name for Mount Rouse which is Kolor. The permanent spring that is now located within the Penshurst Botanic Gardens was a traditional meeting place for Aboriginal people in the region.

As the second candle, the Peace Candle, of the Advent wreath is lit, we are reminded of the deep and lasting peace that Jesus brings into our lives. Advent is a season of waiting and preparation, and in this second week, we focus on the promise of peace—a peace that goes beyond the absence of conflict. It is the peace that comes from knowing God is with us, no matter what we face.

In our world today, peace can feel distant. We see conflict, division, and anxiety all around us. But the light of this candle calls us to remember that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came to reconcile us to God and to one another. His peace calms our fears and helps us to be peacemakers in our own lives.

As the light of the Peace Candle grows brighter, may it remind us that God’s peace is real, powerful, and always available to us. Let us walk in that peace and share it with the world.

It is a wonderful honour to welcome St Joseph's new Interim Principal, Lisa McDonald. Fr Paddy and our School Advisory Council both spoke in high praise and confidence for Lisa's appointment and we look forward to meeting Lisa soon.

We look forward to Tuesday 17th at 6pm when we gather together as a whole school in St Joseph's Church. We celebrate our school's Graduates and enjoy each other's company with a BBQ afterwards. St Joseph's will supply the BBQ and some soft drinks if families could provide a salad to share. All students are encouraged to wear school uniform to celebrate this special event.

As we are concluding the school year earlier than usual, St Joseph's finishing time on Wednesday 18th will be at 3.20pm as per usual.

Be sure to read on in the newsletter to find out more information about our  Graduation, our amazing student sharing to the community and the DOBCEL vision into the next ten years.

Take care and have a great week everyone.

Darren.

1st Sunday of the Month = NO SERVICE.

2nd Sunday of the Month = 5pm Mass (Fr Paddy)

3rd Sunday of the Month = SAWS 8.30 am.

4th Sunday of the Month =  5pm Mass (Fr Paddy)

5th Sunday of the Month = NO SERVICE.

Our brave Christmas carollers did a wonderful job filling the town hall with their beautiful voices. Thank you students for supporting your town and spreading Christmas cheer.Thank you parents for your support, thank you staff for supporting the children.

There has certainly been no winding down for our students and their want to support the community. All students visited the residents at Kolor Lodge this week to share some Christmas cheer and sing song carols. The student had made Christmas cards for everyone and enjoyed the chat after singing. Furthermore our students are making the finishing touches to their Christmas sacks to be handed over to St Vincent de Paul next week in readiness to be filled with donated family food hampers and children's toys.

Thank you to all the present and past students, families and friends who helped our students and staff in celebrating 150 years of St Joseph's Primary School. What a wonderful community we have supporting our amazing little school. Happy 150th birthday St Joseph’s Primary School Penshurst

Dear parents and carers Re: $400 School Saving Bonus

Families want the absolute best for their kids. But with the current cost of living – uniforms, camps, sports and more – it all adds up.

That’s why the Allan Labor Government is making life that little bit easier for families, by providing a one-off $400 School Saving Bonus.

Non-government school students who will be in Prep through to Year 12 in 2025, and who are receiving the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF), are eligible for the School Saving Bonus.

Parents and carers do not need to apply, with the School Saving Bonus being paid to nongovernment schools for eligible students from late November 2024.

The $400 School Saving Bonus is available for each child. That means an eligible family with three school-aged children will receive a total of $1,200.

Importantly, the School Saving Bonus is available in addition to the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund.

To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, talk to your school about how this cost of living relief will apply to you.

More information about the School Saving Bonus is also available at vic.gov.au/schoolsaving-bonus.

And from our families to yours – best of luck for the 2025 school year.

Sincerely,

Hon. Jacinta Allan Premier of Victoria Mum of two

The Hon. Ben Carroll MP Deputy Premier Minister for Education

  Term Four - Special Dates to Remember:

December:

Tuesday 17th December - Junior Day Out.

Tuesday 17th December - Graduation Mass.

Wednesday 18th December - Students Final Day. 

ADVANCE NOTICE 

Wednesday 29th January - First day of 2025 school year for ALL Students.

Can you believe we are nearly at the end of another year? The time has flown, we have experience Orientation Day, met our teacher and experienced our new classroom for next year. 

 Soon, it will also be time for us to farewell our amazing Grade 6's as they head off to secondary school, and welcome a brand new cohort of Preps, ready to learn! 

All of these transitions can bring with them a certain amount of uncertainty or anxiety.  SchoolTV has a special report on School Transitions, which covers starting Primary school, Secondary school and all the transitions in between.  The link to this important report is below,

https://sjpenshurst.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-transitions