Week 8 Term 1, 2025

“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

                                                                Matthew 2:13-15

On Wednesday March 19 we celebrate the Feast Day of St Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Not once, but three times, the Gospels describe Joseph as a man on a journey. First, he sets out for Bethlehem with Mary, his pregnant wife, for a mandated census. Then, with their newborn baby, they flee Bethlehem for Egypt. Later, during calmer political times, Joseph takes his family to Nazareth to build a new home. 

It is that middle journey to Egypt that has such a powerful hold on my imagination. King Herod, terrified by reports of a newborn king living in Bethlehem, has ordered the death of all the boys in that city. And so, one morning, the families of Bethlehem awoke to soldiers knocking on their doors and the sound of swords being drawn from their sheaths. The frantic and terrified cries of mothers and children followed. It was this ancient form of terrorism that compelled Joseph to escape with his family from Judea to Egypt. He, like so many refugees in our world today, begins a long journey through the desert into Egypt.

Joseph's heart stands with those fleeing the realities of war, starvation and violence as they face the realities of what it means to be both, a father and a refugee. 

Not that long ago we were also fleeing, albeit our enemy was the invisible coronavirus. Instead of crossing borders to find safety we were fighting this enemy by drastically scaling back movement, activities, and social interactions. In a very short time, coronavirus had a major impact on the world, closing borders, sending stock markets on wild swings and leaving people everywhere unsure of what comes next. Today, many are still dealing with the consequences of such measures. 

St Joseph eventually finds a new home for his young family in Nazareth. It is in this new home, that Joseph builds, that Jesus grows up safely. Let’s pray that together we have built a world that is safer and more loving for our children to grow up in.

St Joseph!
Pray for us.

As we close Week 8, we reflect on a wonderful second House Day, which was centred around our Harmony Day celebrations. As a Dutch migrant, I know firsthand the beauty and challenges of settling into a new country, finding a sense of belonging, and embracing the richness of different cultures. Harmony Day is a special time in our Josephite school to recognise the incredible diversity that makes up our community. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus, through the example of Mary MacKillop, we are called to create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and included. Our school reflects this beautifully, with students and families from a variety of cultural backgrounds coming together to learn, grow, and celebrate our differences. You might find these fun facts interesting as we bring Harmony Week to a close for 2025 (sourced from the 2020 Census):

• More than half (51.5%) of Australian residents were born overseas or have at least one parent who was.
• Since 1945, more than 7.6 million people have migrated to Australia.
• Nearly every single country from around the world was represented in Australia's population in 2020.
• More than 150 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages are spoken in Australia.
• Apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Punjabi.

This week is also Neurodiversity Week. In the same way that we celebrate the many different cultural backgrounds that enrich our community, we also give thanks for the diversity of human experience, expression, and ways of communicating. Such diversity of human experience and our capacity to work together is the basis of our belief that we can overcome even the most complex challenges facing our local and global community.

This week, we also celebrated St Joseph’s Day, a significant feast in our school community. St Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family, is a model of strength, humility, and unwavering faith. He worked quietly but with great dedication, ensuring that Jesus was raised with love and guidance. As a Josephite school, we look to St Joseph for inspiration in our daily lives—reminding us to be compassionate, hardworking, and to trust in God’s plan for us. His virtues of patience, courage, and service are ones we can all strive to embody as we support one another in our school community.

We extend our gratitude to everyone who attended our School Board AGM this week. Your support and involvement are invaluable in shaping the future of our school. A special welcome to Jake Smith and Sue Yabsley, who join our School Board for 2025. We look forward to working together as we continue to strengthen and grow our school community.

Get ready to Boogie. Mark your calendars for Friday, April 4, because it’s time to dust off your best neon outfit and get ready to boogie woogie at our School Disco! We’re thrilled to welcome back the one and only DJ Sarez, who will be spinning all the groovy tunes to keep the dance floor buzzing. It’s going to be an evening full of fun, music, and neon lights. You can find more information on the poster in this edition of the school newsletter.

Next Friday, March 28, we look forward to Showcase #2, which will take place from 2:10pm to 3:00pm. The theme for this Showcase is English. After the awards ceremony, families are invited to visit all classrooms, where students will proudly showcase their learning in English over the past eight weeks. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our students' progress and achievements and for you to engage with their learning journey.

Finally, we acknowledge the completion of NAPLAN testing for our Year 3 and Year 5 students. These assessments provide valuable insight into student learning and progress, guiding our teaching practices and helping us support students in their educational journey. While NAPLAN is just one measure of learning, we commend all students for their effort and resilience in undertaking these tests.

Thank you to our families for your ongoing support as we move towards the final weeks of Term 1. May we continue to foster a community that reflects the values of Harmony Day and St Joseph, creating a school where every child can shine.

Nanda de Winter

Principal