St John Vianney's Newsletter

Principals Update

Mick Schinck

Friday the 19th of September - Lolly Hunt Donations for the fete due

Key Events - Term 3

Term 3, Week 9

  • Thursday 18th September- Parent Teacher Interviews 1.30pm onwards. Students finish @ 1pm.
  • Friday 19th September- Fete Lolly Hunt Donations. Students Conclude for Term 3 @ 2pm

Term 4 Begins on Monday 6th of October

Key Events - Term 4

Term 4, Week 1

  • Term 4 Begins on Monday 6th of October 
  • Thursday 9th October - Kingston Division Athletics (selected students)

Term 4, Week 2

  • Friday 17th October - Whole school Assembly @ 2.45pm

Dear SJV Families,

It’s hard to believe we’re already nearing the end of another busy term here at SJV, with just one term remaining in the 2025 school year! Over the past few weeks, our students have been involved in a wide range of exciting activities, including Hoop Time Basketball, the Visual Arts Show, our Father’s Day Breakfast, a special visit from the Archbishop, and the SEDA Footy Inflatables. We even craned in a brand-new modular building! It’s certainly been a dynamic and memorable few weeks for our school community.

 

I hope all families enjoy a relaxing break and come back next term refreshed and ready for another action packed term! 

 

Good luck to all AFL teams playing in the finals.

 

Grand Final Tip -  Hawks by 15 points!!! 

  • The next newsletter will be shared with families on Thursday 9th of October

 

Please make sure that you take the time to read the newsletter as there is much happening here at SJV.

Celebrating Creativity at Our Visual Arts Show - Fact to Fiction

Last Thursday, we had the pleasure of hosting our  Art Show— Fact to Fiction, an event that continues to be a cherished highlight in our school calendar every second year. It was a wonderful celebration of our students' artistic talents and a testament to the strength of our community spirit. A sincere thanks to everyone who played a part in making the evening so memorable.

 

A very special thank you goes to Mrs. Davoren, our dedicated Visual Arts teacher, whose passion, creativity, and tireless efforts throughout the year culminated in the stunning student displays showcased on the night. 

 

A big thank you also to our amazing Parents and Friends Association (PFA) for running the ever-popular sausage sizzle—your support and generosity helped create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all.

 

Finally, thank you to all our staff for their support, and to our parents, families, and community members who joined us on the night. The Art Show was a vibrant reflection of the creativity, talent, and spirit of the St. John Vianney’s community.

Archbishop Peter Comensoli Visits SJV

We were honoured to welcome Archbishop Peter Comensoli to our school last Friday. During his visit, the Archbishop spent time in classrooms, engaging warmly with students and offering them a meaningful opportunity to ask questions and share their learning.

He also met with staff and senior members of leadership from the school's of St Patrick's, Stella Maris and us before joining parishioners for lunch in the Church. It was a wonderful occasion for our school and parish community, and we are grateful to Archbishop Comensoli for taking the time to visit and connect with us. Please visit the RE page for photos.

SEDA Footy Inflatables

Last week, our students embraced the spirit of the game by dressing up in their favourite footy colours for our annual AFL Parade. The day was filled with energy and excitement as everyone joined in football-themed activities, with a definite highlight being the much-loved inflatables.

 

It was a fantastic celebration of sport, teamwork, and school spirit—enjoyed by all!

AFL Play Coming to SJV

In exciting news AFL play is coming to SJV next term. Students can join in the program which will take place straight after school at 3.40pm. PARENTS DO NOT NEED TO COLLECT THEIR CHILD FROM THE CLASSROOM AND TAKE THEM TO THE OVAL FOR AFL PLAY. Staff from SJV and the AFL will meet the students on the oval. Please see below for further details and how to register

Family Sex Education Program  

The Family Sex Education Program for Schools is coming. Students from Years 3 - 6 and their parents are invited to participate in the Family Program, a sexuality education program on Wednesday 15th October 2025. The program will be delivered by experienced presenter and mother of 4, Cathrine McCallig, over 2 sessions.

 

  • Session 1: 6pm - 7pm    FAMILIES, BODIES AND BABIES
  • Session 2:   7.15pm - 8.15pm  PUBERTY - GROWING & CHANGING 

 

Costs : $25 per family for one session OR $30 for both sessions. Please see the flyer below for further details. Bookings via the TRYBooking link below.

https://www.trybooking.com/DFKOZ

 

Father's Day

I hope all the dad's had an enjoyable Father's Day the other week. Father's Day can hold many emotions for both men and women - those who had a loving father that passed away, those who never knew their dad, those expectantly waiting to become a dad soon, and countless other situations surrounding the father-child relationship. God can use this special day to draw us closer to Himself - the one true Father who remains faithful and full of unconditional love. 

Book Week Author Visit

Our junior students were very fortunate to enjoy a special visit recently from Mrs. Fahey’s mum, a published author! She shared her delightful children’s book Soul’s Geese with the students and spoke to them about the joys of reading and the writing process. It was a wonderful experience that inspired our young learners and sparked great conversations about storytelling.

Building Project Update

We’re pleased to share that the temporary modular building—set to serve as our administration block during the upcoming building works—has now been successfully installed. Over the coming holidays, cabinetry will be moved in and the space will be set up in preparation for use.

 

Our goal is to have the new administration area fully operational by Week 2 of Term 4, ensuring a smooth transition as we begin the next stage of our school’s development.

Temporary fencing and toilet facilities have also been delivered and are now in place as part of the site setup. The temporary fencing will be removed before Term 4 begins.

 

In the next newsletter, I look forward to announcing the building company appointed to carry out the works, along with an update on the expected timeline for construction.

Thank you for your continued support and patience as we work to enhance our school facilities for the benefit of our entire community.

Japanese Day

2025 School Improvement Surveys

If you haven’t already done so, could parents please complete the MACSSIS survey that was sent a couple of weeks ago. The link may be in your spam folder so please check. These need to be completed by the 19th of September. MACSSIS is an annual process whereby schools listen to the thoughts and feelings students, families and staff have about how their school can improve. These surveys help inform the ongoing improvement of schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne and in particular here at SJV. Please make sure that you read the letter that was emailed to you for further details.

 

SJV Fete

Please make sure that you check out the Fete page in the newsletter for further information on ways we require all parents to assist.

Please note the following dates for donations for the fete:

Term 3

  • Lolly Hunt - Friday 19th September

Term 4

  • Wine & Chocolate drive - Friday the 17th of October 
  • Lucky Jars & Lolly Hunt - Friday the 7th of November

Stall Co-Ordinator's Needed

  1. Kids books and toys -  All items for the stall are donated by SJV families. Organisers only need to set up the stall on Thursday/Friday and finds helpers to run the stall at the fete
  2. Games/Carnival Co-Ordinator’s (2-3 organisers) – we have received an amazing donation of toys ready for this stall. We just need a few volunteers to work together to come up with some fun carnival games the kids can play to win prizes (We already have a lucky spinning wheel)
  3. Flower Stall – previously we worked with a local florist to get a collection of flowers at bulk fair prices. Then on the day of the fete these need to be collected and put into either decorated jars or just wrapped and bundled ready for selling
  4. Lolly Hunt – Lollies for this stall are donated by SJV families. You just need to organise bags for the kids to collect lollies, work with the committee to organise a bale of hay and then volunteers to run the stall on the day. The lolly hunt tent is set up by volunteers at the working bee the day before the fete
  5. Handball Competition – Kids handball to a target and a score is collated and the winner at the end gets a prize. All participants get a lolly (eg mentos) for completing.

Classes for 2026

As we begin the process of planning ahead for 2026 classes, I ask any families who know that they will not be returning to St. John Vianney's in 2025 please inform me as soon as possible. principal@sjvparkdale.catholic.edu.au

School Fees

This is just a reminder that all school fee accounts were due by the 15th of August. If you are experiencing any difficulties with making any of these payments, please make sure that you contact me on principal@sjvparkdale.catholic.edu.au to organise a time to discuss. 

Instagram- We now have an SJV Instagram page on social media. So please make sure you follow and share: @sjv_parkdale

2026  Enrolments 

Our requests for School Tours are continuing with many booking times to come and visit our wonderful school. Enrolments for Prep 2026 are now open and we encourage all families to submit their applications as soon as possible.  If you have a child or you know someone wanting to tour schools for their child, please encourage them to book a school tour by contacting Nicole in our front office (Limited places available).   

Reminders

  • Dogs - Please note that for the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community, no dogs are permitted inside the school grounds and they must not be left unattended tied up at the gates. Adult supervision and holding of the leash is so important around vulnerable places such as schools.  We love dogs but we do have to take care of all members of our community.

  • Bikes and Scooters - Please walk bikes and scooters when moving through the school grounds.

  • Punctuality - It is expected that all students are to be at school by no later than 8.45am and not any time up to 9am. From 8.45am to 9am is crucial for students to get themselves organised, start the day with Meditation, prayer, take the roll and ready to commence their day promptly. Formal lessons begin at 9am. Any child who arrives at or after 9am is to be signed in at the office by a parent/guardian. I ask all parents to make sure that you adhere to these times.

  • The next Newsletter will be shared on Thursday 9th October.

Regards

 

Mick Schinck

Principal