General Information

General Information

Enrolment Policy

An enrolment form needs to be completed for each child seeking a placement at St Joseph's. Parents are required to attend an interview with the Principal before a place is offered. A Birth Certificate & Immunisation Record must be presented at time of enrolment.

Pre-Primary and Kindergarten

Enrolment forms are available at the office. Birth and Immunisation Records must be presented with application. Immunisation for children is important as it prevents serious epidemics.

Kindergarten (4 yr olds) operates three full days per week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Pre-Primary operates five full days (8.40am - 3.00pm).

Parent Involvement in School

Parents are invited to be involved in the school and to support its policies and functions. It is encouraged that parents assist regularly in Kindergarten, Pre Primary and Junior Classrooms. Help in all classrooms is appreciated.

Parents are invited to attend School Liturgies, Assemblies, Sporting Carnivals, Excursions & all school events.

Parent/Teacher Communication

Parents are helped and encouraged to acquaint themselves with their childrens’ Primary Educational Programme through:-

• Parent Information Evenings are conducted early in Term 1 each year. Class Teachers outline areas of Curriculum, Class Timetable, School Policies together with any queries.
• Three Way Interviews are conducted in Term 1 and are an opportunity for you to meet with your child and their teacher to discuss progress.
• Parent/Teacher Interviews are conducted as required.
• Semester Reports are sent to parents at the end of Terms 2 & 4.
• Appointments with class teachers are encouraged and is an effective way of knowing your child's progress. It is advisable to make an appointment for before or after school time.
• School Newsletters are distributed every second Wednesday to keep parents informed of approaching events together with school policies, directives, initiatives and school requirements.
• Term Overviews are distributed each term to give parents/guardians an opportunity to engage in classroom learning
• SeeSaw - An online platform for teacher/student driven portfolios, class work, school experience and communication
• Social Media - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
   

School Hours

Children are supervised from 8.30am to 3.15pm each day. If children are dropped off or picked up outside these hours, then supervision cannot be guaranteed. If your child is absent from school, a written explanation is required. If you need to collect your child from school during school hours, please sign them out in the register which is in the office.

The school day begins at 8.40am.

8.40am	Commence
10.40am	Recess: Play
10.50am	Recess: Eating
11.00am	Classes Resume
12.40pm	Lunch: Eating
1.00pm	Lunch: Play
1.00pm	Classes Resume
3.00pm	Dismissal

Staff Development Days

Pupil Free Days

Six days for Staff Development plus one “Catholic Teachers’ Day” are set aside every year. These dates are notified in the final newsletter of the year for the upcoming year and can also be found on the term planner section of this website.

Religious Education

Class Programmes are based on the guidelines developed by Catholic Education WA. Sacramental Programmes for Yrs 3, 4 & 6 are co-ordinated by the Parish Priest and supported by the school. Please contact Father Simeon (Ph 9651 1054), if you want your child to be prepared for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation. Parents, as the primary educators of their children, are an integral part of this preparation and are encouraged to assist. Children must be baptised prior to receiving a Sacrament. Fr Simeon can also arrange this.

Class Requirements

A Booklist for each class is provided at the end of each year for the following year. Please refer to Book Lists.

 

Specialist Subject Areas

• Library - All children are required to have a cloth library bag to protect the books borrowed. If books are damaged or lost, parents are expected to pay for the repair or replacement of the book.
• Digital Technology - All children from Pre Primary to Year 6 are timetabled with a specialised teacher to do lessons in the Library.
• Physical Education - All children are expected to participate in PE. The children learn skills for a variety of sports.
• Science – All children from Years 1 to 6 enjoy the ‘hands on’ approach to learning in this subject with our Science Specialist.

Standards of Behaviour

The following are general expectations that St Joseph's School Staff have of all students.

• Correct school uniform at all times and pride in personal appearance, dress, grooming and hygiene.
• Remember to take books & materials to class and line up quietly at bell times.
• Remember manners at all times and be good listeners.
• Participate co-operatively in all school activities.
• Responsible behaviour. Riding correctly and safely on bicycles, in cars, and buses.
• Keep buildings and grounds clean and free from litter and take good care of trees, plants and school gardens.
• Be familiar with and adhere to all school rules.
• Family support in all of the above areas is appreciated and helps with students’ self discipline giving them a healthy respect for themselves, for others, and for the world around them. 

Monies

School fees should be paid at the office. All other money should be paid, by the children, to the class teacher first thing in the morning. The correct amount of money should be in an envelope, clearly marked with the student's name, class and purpose for which it is intended.

Fees

All parents who choose to send their children to Catholic Schools are expected to contribute financially to the education of their children. Fees can be paid in part payments, through Centrepay deductions, direct debit, or a lump sum.

By the end of Term 1 every family should have made some attempt to pay all, or part, of their school fees and full payment needs to be received by the end of Term 3. As we are a low fee paying school, it is expected that all families meet the fee requirements, as set.

Camps and Excursions

Camps and excursions are an integral part of the curriculum and are designed to enhance the child's learning and social development. Permission notes are required for out-of-town excursions.

School Factions

The school is divided into three equal faction teams - Moore (Blue), Yuat (Gold) & MacKillop (Green). We join the Central Midlands’ Sports Association for Interschool Swimming and Athletics, and participate locally in Lightning Carnival and Cross Country Events.

Canteen

The School Canteen operates daily and is organised by the Canteen Manager who is assisted by volunteer parents and friends. Menus can be obtained from the Canteen and are sent home with the Newsletter each year. Lunch bags are supplied and orders should be written on the front of a paper bag, with the child's name, class and correct money enclosed. At lunch time the children collect their orders from the Canteen.

School Photographs

Every year, parents are given the opportunity to acquire class, family and individual photographs. Parents will be notified of the date the photographers will be at school.

Book Club

Scholastic Book Club operates in the school to encourage reading and an appreciation of literature. Orders are sent out monthly, and completed orders and money should be returned to the school office in an envelope clearly marked with name and “Bookclub”, before the due date. Our school benefits by receiving book credits for the Library.

Parking

For the convenience of others and the safety of the children, please drive carefully in, and near the school. Parking is restricted to the Car Park only. (Please adhere to the ‘no parking’ signs along Kintore Street and do not park in the bus bays)

Parents and Friends Association

The P & F play a very important role in the life of the school. It supports and promotes our school through raising funds for school resources, organising social events for the school community and supporting busy-bees. All parents are encouraged to become members of this association and support its many activities. The Annual Meeting is held in November and Committee Meetings are held each term. P & F information is placed in our School Newsletter to keep you informed of its activities.

Medical

If your child becomes ill or has an accident at school, a parent or emergency number will be contacted. It is important to keep these telephone numbers up to-date. As a general rule, school staff do not administer medication to students. This is a parent responsibility. For exceptional circumstances, the Principal must be contacted and the parent must complete an authorisation form. The School Health Nurse visits our school during each term to carry out specific tests with various age groups.

Dental Van

A Dental Therapy Van operates at the school when they have an available service. Parents will be notified when the van is coming to our school. The Dental Van Phone Number is 9651 1603 whilst at St Joseph's.

School Advisory Council

The School Advisory Council is responsible for the financial administration as well as forward planning for St Joseph's School.
The School Board has eight to ten members as follows:-

• School Principal and Parish Priest as ex-officio members.
• Four members elected from the School Community.
• P&F and a Parish Representative.

An Annual General School Board Meeting is held in November each year and members are elected to the School Advisory Council at this meeting.

The criteria for members is as follows;

• Possession of special skills that will be an asset to the Board,
• a deep interest in the welfare of all students and staff,
• a desire to give service to the Catholic School Community,
• a keenness to promote Catholic schooling,
• an ability to work co-operatively and constructively with all other members of the Board, and
• a sufficient amount of time to devote to Board duties.

School Grounds

Our School Grounds have well equipped sporting and recreational facilities. We have an oval which accommodates football, soccer, softball, hockey and cricket. We also have two courts for basketball and netball. We have an adventure playground area which caters for our junior & middle class students. Our Pre Primary/Kindergarten Centre has its own playground which is in a safe fenced in area.