Dear Parent and Caregivers

Welcome back to 2022. We have had an excellent start to the school year. Thank you to all the parents who collected the RAT kits before the start of school and I hope you are ‘enjoying’ the twice week testing! Thank you to the students for the cooperation during the lockdown and evacuation drills this week. They are an important part of keeping our young people safe. 

Year 7 have taken to high school with gusto. They are an enthusiastic and capable group. I am looking forward to seeing them develop over the coming years. 

Year 11 started with me so I am feeling very connected to them. Their potential is unlimited but we now need to see it backed up by hard work. 

Year 12 had their last first day of school. It carries a bitter sweetness as their time at Joeys is coming to an end and I hope they make the most of the opportunities that they have this year and enjoy every moment. 

Years 8, 9 and 10 are beginning a new phase of schooling and I hope to see their best efforts over the year. 

Our theme for the year is ‘belonging’. It is important for young people to belong. When you have a sense of 

belonging it is not just words but actions as well. You belong in a family, this means you back it up with actions.  Attending family gatherings, helping in the house being supportive of siblings and parents. It means you show respect to yourself and others. To belong at school it means you wear your uniform properly, follow directions and do you best in your learning. It is respect for self, others , learning and the environment our SOLE goals. 

When you belong in a friendship group it means you feel accepted for who you are. That you have things in common and are supportive of each other. But belonging at school means everyone has the right to have those feelings - so it is more - not putting others down but helping them out. You do not have to be Best Friends outside of school but friendly to everyone at school. 

With the COVID restrictions we will not be able to do all our activities this year but I encourage all students to participate where they can  - because it is your responsibility to contribute to the community that you are part of. 

Parents and caregivers need to feel that you belong and that your input and ideas are welcome and they are!

Just a reminder about parents supporting the uniform and grooming rules. We will be asking students to go home and attend to matters that do not fit the school rules. When you enrolled in the community as a family you greed to support the school uniform and grooming requirements.

I am looking forward to the year and please contact the relevant PALS if your son/daughter has an issue.

Ms Amanda Wilson
Principal

School Fee statements have now been issued with annual or first instalment payment due on 28 February 2022.  You may view school fees in the Compass Parent Portal.

We would also like to advise you of the following important information in relation to school fees and the rollout of new administrative systems.  All primary, secondary and K-12 schools have now been transferred to the package which includes Compass and Technology One.  This has provided the Catholic Education Office with the ability to perform centralised functions relating to school fee accounts on behalf of our schools.

WHAT CENTRALISATION OF FUNCTIONS MEANS FOR FAMILIES

The invoicing of school fees and the distribution of school fee statements each month, is now a function carried out by the Catholic Education Office.  Payment of fees, whether as an annual payment or payment by instalments is due on the date/s provided on your school fee statement. 

Please note that if an adjustment is made to your school fee account eg your child changes subjects in a secondary school, etc., we will email a new school fee statement.  If you are paying by instalments, they may need to be regenerated and a change may occur in your payments.  If this is the case, a new schedule of payments and due dates will appear on the last page of your statement.

REMINDERS FOR LATE PAYMENTS

In 2021, the issue of reminders for late payment via email was introduced and in 2022 the ability to send SMS messages will be added to the system.  These reminders are automatically generated by the software based on the number of days a payment is overdue and are distributed by the Catholic Education Office.  For those families that may have difficulty in paying their school fees, these reminders may cause some distress. This is not our intention.  Our intention is to manage the collection of school fee accounts with new technology and in so doing, alleviate some of the administrative work of our schools.

SCHOOL FEE ACCOUNT ENQUIRIES

Please note, despite the centralisation of various functions, your school/s will always be your point of contact for matters pertaining to fees.  If you wish to discuss your school fee account, please contact your school office.  The role of the Catholic Education Office is to action centralised tasks on behalf of schools.

IF YOU WISH TO PAY BY INSTALMENTS

Many families have already elected to pay their school fees by instalments.  If you wish to avail yourself of this option please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on your school’s website or at your school’s office.  On completion of the request either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at your school’s office.  Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your account and a schedule of payments and due dates will be provided on your next school fee statement.  Please note it is only necessary to complete this form once during the period of child/children’s enrolment, unless you wish to amend your payment frequency.

DIFFICULTY WITH PAYMENT

If you are experiencing financial difficulty, we encourage you to contact the school in which your child/children are enrolled to discuss an arrangement that will assist you meet your commitments.  This may include the completion of a Diocesan Application for Fee Concession which is available from the administration office of each school.  Be reassured that your situation will be treated with strict confidentiality and respect for your circumstances.  

For those families that received a Fee Concession in 2021, you will receive an email prior to your annual review date attaching a further Application for Fee Concession.   If you wish to submit the application, please do so at your child’s school.  Please note, if you have children in more than one school, it will only be necessary to submit one application. 

For further information regarding school fees, please access the Diocesan School Fee Management Policy and Frequently Asked Questions which is available on our school’s website.

For the ongoing safety of staff and students, there are no counter or cash sales in our canteen.  This is to minimise the risk of students between different cohorts mingling with each other in a crowded space while at school.  This will be revised in the coming weeks as we continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 within our school ommunity.

In the meantime, if you wish to place an order for recess or lunch - please use the canteen online ordering system.  All orders must be placed by by 9.30am each day.

Sign in or register your account here

Our uniform shop is maintaining COVIDSmart practices. There is a limit of 4 customers in the store at one time and parents will be asked to wait outside to maintain this safety measure.   Parents and students are required to wear a mask indoors.

Email:  stjosephs.uniforms@permapleat.com.au

Contact number:  0413 441 892

Feedback - please provide any feedback to info@sjchsdow.catholic.edu.au or telephone the Principal's Secretary on 4230 8505

Contact Phone Numbers

School email - info@sjchsdow.catholic.edu.au