Principal's News
aDDaear Parents and Carers,
What a beautiful week we have had as we head into the first week of Spring. As the days become a little bit longer, and we enjoy some slightly sunnier days and warmer weather, it is certainly a nice feeling to know that we still have lots to celebrate and enjoy over the last three weeks of the term.
A a community we continue to ensure that the care and wellbeing of our students and learning excellence across our school is a continued focus over the next few weeks, before we wrap up another wonderful term and enjoy a very well-deserved break over the holidays.
Father's Day Celebrations
Today, we came together to celebrate the dads, grand dads, and all the special people who fill our children’s lives with love, guidance, and support.
Father's Day Breakfast
We thank our wonderful P&F for hosting a special breakfast for these special people in our community. It was a day morning of warmth, laughter, and gratitude, beginning with a delicious Father’s Day breakfast where families gathered to enjoy delicious food and shared moments of joy.
Father's Day Liturgy
Following the breakfast, we came together as a school community to participate in a beautiful liturgy that reflected the love, strength, and kindness that these remarkable individuals bring into our lives. It was a truly special time to pause, reflect, and appreciate the role they play in shaping and nurturing the hearts of our children. Our Year 2 students led us beautifully through prayer and song. We thank our Year 2 teachers Ms Tanya Huebner and Ms Ella Clerehan for all their work in preparing the students for this liturgical celebration.
During this special assembly we also enjoyed the beautiful slideshow which highlighted very special moments between the dads and the children in our school community. Some students had the opportunity to share a very impromptu reflection of why they love their dads. We had some very touching and very funny anecdotes! The students expressed their love and gratitude, each a personal touch to say thank you for the endless ways these special people support, guide, and care for them.
Thank you to all the dads, granddads, and special people who make such a difference in the lives of our children, today and every day. We are deeply grateful for the love and support you give. Thank you for joining us today so that we could honour you all.
Thank You to the P&F and Wonderful Mums
A huge shout out to the wonderful mums who made our father's day breakfast a huge success. They were at school at the crack of dawn to make this event extra special for our dads and grand-dads. As only they can do, they ran a super smooth operation, cooking bacon and egg rolls, serving coffee, and as expected, they left the kitchen and hall sparkling!
We thank our P&F President Laura Kay who led a hard working group of mums. Thank you to Caz McBride, Jess Purcell, Jane Pausewang, Georgina Garvey, Natasha Lapthorne, Nicola O'Connor, Angela Nicolai, Amy Buick, Angela Lam and Elaine Hunt. We appreciate you giving your time to make this such a special morning.
We also thank Andrew and Sarah (parents of Chessie) for using their contacts with Ralph Meats, who very kindly donated of the lamb tray for our Father's Day raffle. Our amazing P&F sold tickets this morning and raised a nice sum of money for our school. Thank you to our community for purchasing ticket and for supporting our school! Thank you to Chessie in Year 1MD for drawing the raffle at our assembly today. Congratulations to Lucy's dad Michael Napolitano who will enjoy the lamb tray on Father's Day!
A Prayer for Fathers
Heavenly Father,
You entrusted your Son Jesus, the child of Mary, to the care of Joseph, his foster father.
Bless all fathers and grandfathers as they care for their families.
Give them strength and wisdom, tenderness and patience, give them ability to love in a way that reflects your love.
We thank You for the gift of fatherhood and for the men who mirror Your love in their daily lives.
Bless all fathers with strength, compassion, and wisdom.
May they continue to lead with humility, protect with courage, and love with grace.
For those who have gone before us, grant them eternal rest.
For those struggling in their role as father, renew their hearts with hope and guidance.
St. Joseph, guardian of the Holy Family, pray for all fathers and their needs.
Amen.
Thank you Morning Tea for all Production Helpers
In true Mrs Potts style, we raise our tea cups to you all! This week we thanked our production helpers- we appreciate everything you did to make our production such a success!
Book Week Celebration Day
On Monday our school enjoyed a fabulous Book Week celebration day! It was wonderful to see our school community all dressed up in favourite as book characters. The children were involved in day of literature and fun, exploring this year's theme: 'Book an Adventure'. We thank our amazing literacy leader Amanda Jackson (Our fabulous Queen of Hearts!) for organising such a great day for our whole school!
Our 2026 Prep Teddy Bear's Picnic
This we we welcomed our 2026 Preps for the annual St Joseph's Teddy Bears Picnic. The beautiful sunshine allowed the children to enjoy a picnic with their very own St Joseph's teddy bears!
Year 4 Visits St Mary's College
This week it was the Year 4P students' turn to experience secondary school life at St Mary's College in East St Kilda. You can read more about their experience on the senior page in this week's newsletter.
Fire Carriers Day
Today our Year 5 FIRE Carriers were officially commissioned at the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Thornbury. The FIRE Carrier program (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) empowers students to lead our school in reconciliation and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, grounded in our Catholic values of justice, dignity and respect. Our Year 5 leaders spent the day deepening their understanding, working on our school’s Covenant, and making personal pledges during the Commissioning Ceremony. We are proud of their leadership and look forward to the inspiration they will share with the St Joseph’s community. We thank Ms Donnella DeVisser and our Year 6 teacher Siobhan O'Grady for all their work in setting up this experience for our students.
Swimming Program
Next week students across the school will participate in our intensive swimming program. We thank all the parents/carers who have volunteered to support throughout the program.
For any further information please contact your child's teacher, or Ms Birch directly on christie.birch@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au
MACS Flourishing Learners Conference
Next week, on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th September, our exec leadership team - Dean, Amanda and myself, will be attending the very first MACS Flourishing Learners Conference at Marvel Stadium. The theme for this year's conference is 'Leading Excellence and Equity in Catholic Education.'
The two day conference will include blessings from Archbishop Peter Comensoli and Fr Mark Reynolds, an address on system-wide vision from our Executive Director Dr Edward Simons' and keynote presentations and workshops presented by renowned international and local experts. There will also be opportunities to engage in interactive workshops and to network with our MACS colleagues across the archdiocese of Catholic schools. We look forward to drawing inspiration and becoming further equipped with tools and knowledge to achieve enhanced academic outcomes in our school. We look forward to a very exciting couple of days and will share more information about or key learnings next week.
MACSSIS - MACS Schools Improvement Surveys
In 2025, our school is participating in Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS). MACSSIS is an annual process where schools listen to the thoughts and feelings that 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.
One of the main goals of the family survey is to identify the strengths and areas for improvement in our school. MACSSIS data benefits everyone within our school and provides valuable community insights on areas that each school can focus on. Our school believes it is important to encourage families to have a voice and contribute to shaping the ongoing improvement of the school.
The school has invited many families to respond via this survey. We thank each of you who have participated in the MACSSIS family survey.
Students in Years 4, 5 and 6 will also complete the MACSSIS surveys. Their voice is important in sharing their thoughts and feelings about important aspects of school life at St Joseph's. Information about the MACSSIS surveys was emailed to families of senior students at the beginning of this week. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions about his.
MHiPS- Mental Health in Primary Schools
This week our Wellbeing Leader Georgia Carman and myself attended a very important session for a new initiative called MHiPS - which stands for 'Mental Health in Primary Schools'. This new initiative addresses the wellbeing and mental health needs of all in Catholic primary schools. It provides school staff with access to a range of resources to support all members of a school community. This new initiative affords us the opportunity to provide a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHAWL) in our school in 2026. This will afford us the opportunity to promote and implement an evidence based whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing at St Joseph's. It will focus on building literacy in mental health and wellbeing with a strong focus on relationships and wellbeing with our students and staff. The MHAWL will work to ensure that social emotional learning is embedded across our school.
Road Safety
It is important to address once again an ongoing concern that has been raised multiple times already this year. While I understand how repetitive these reminders can be, it is important to remind all families about road safety
The number of illegal U-turns being made right in front of our school is highly concerning, not only from a safety standpoint but also because these manoeuvres are often performed by parents and carers within our own school community. It’s particularly troubling as these turns are being made quickly, often in an unsafe manner, and frequently in front of the school where a parking spot may be available. The immediate proximity of available parking should never take precedence over the safety of our children. Please also be mindful of double parking, and allowing your child/ren to cross the road without supervision. We ask all families to use the school crossing where our wonderful crossing supervisor Richie will greet you warmly and ensure our children arrive at school safely.
We urge all families to be mindful of the safety of our students, and to take a moment to consider the risks associated with such driving behaviours. Thank you for your understanding and for your ongoing commitment to the safety of our wonderful community.
School Advisory Council
Next Tuesday, our School Advisory Council will meet to look at areas of school improvement to strengthen our school. We look forward to hearing from Lexi Slaven, our Business Manager, who will present an update on finance related matters. We will also begin to look at our SAC vacancies for 2026-2027. The School Advisory Council acts as a supportive and consultative voice to the principal, offering advice and feedback on school improvement, finance, community engagement, enrolments, school structures, communication, infrastructure works, and the safety, wellbeing and learning of our students. As there will be a number of vacant positions on our SAC for the 2026-2027 period I encourage you to think about nominating yourself for a seat on the SAC. More information will be provided about this process in next week's newsletter.
Cooper Crowned Champion – Again!
I am delighted to share Cooper’s outstanding achievement with Broxham Football’s U10 Alphas, who have once again been crowned champions, winning the Junior Champions League (JCL 1) Tournament, the premier junior football competition in Victoria. After finishing #1 in the group rounds to qualify for JCL 1, the team went on to prove themselves as the best of the best, securing the top spot against the strongest competition in the state.
The final went all the way to penalties, with Cooper stepping up to score one of the winning shots that sealed the victory. This marks the second year in a row Cooper and his team have claimed the title, an incredible back-to-back victory. Cooper’s always been so dedicated to his training, and it's been lovely to see it come through in his games with his team for this extraordinary achievement!
Congratulations Cooper!
YOCHI
Yochi on Glenferrie Rd are excited to let you know that we’re running a special event at our Yo-Chi Malvern venue this week to show our appreciation for our local community & Schools. All day Monday 8th September, students from St Josephs primary can redeem a free Yo-Chi (valued up to $10) If over $10 they will only need to pay the difference.
To redeem, the student (or guardian) must:
- Be a Chi Club member
- Be wearing school uniform or show valid school ID
Today's Assembly
We congratulate our STAR Award recipients and wish our birthday children a very special Tanti Auguri...
Meet our Wonderful St Joseph's Staff
This week I'd like to introduce our wonderful specialist teachers:
My name is Marta and I teach Visual Arts across all the grades. It is my absolute privilege to teach art and I love seeing the students engage in hands-on creative activities. I have been teaching at our beautiful school for 16 years and started here as a graduate teacher with Miss Jackson as my mentor!
I have a two year old golden retriever puppy called Clover. Clover loves hiding my shoes around the house and staring at food hahah. My favourite food is Japanese and I hope to visit Japan soon. I have two young daughters who keep me busy. I love yoga and running and love to travel. Basketball is my favourite sport.
Hi, I'm Signora Bennett and I teach Italian p-6. I have been teaching at St Josephs since midway through last year and enjoy it very much. I also teach at St Philips in Blackburn.
When I'm not teaching, I like to paint, garden and to cook delicious food for family and friends! In my holidays I like to explore different places and countries.
Hi Everyone!
My name is Ms Birch and I am the PE teacher at St Joseph’s! I am also the classroom teacher in 3D on Mondays! I cover all things sport at school, both intra and inter school! I have been working here for around 12 years (maybe 13) and have been on maternity leave three times Across my time here.
I have three children, Mackenzie (6), Kennedy (3) and Oliver (1). My partner Josh, is in the Australian Defence Force and we have an Aussie Shepherd, Kobe, who more or less equates to a fourth child!
My favourite colour is green, I love to watch crime documentaries and The Real Housewives (quite a contrast) and my favourite food is sushi!
I love to spend time with my family on the weekends, hang out with my friends, clean and exercise!!If you see me on the yard, come and say hello!
Hello to the beautiful St Joseph’s Community!
My name is Wendy D’Arco and this is my first year teaching performing arts at this wonderful school. I have previously spent many years as a classroom teacher, speech and drama tutor, head of music and musical director across my career. My goal in life is to promote confidence, creativity and individualism in my students and I love seeing happy faces and sharing kindness.
I have two daughters, one in grade 5 and one in year 7. They are both heavily involved in theatre, movies, television and commercials so you may have seen them appear on your screens before, or watched them in a show. Sometimes I have appeared with them, and there is an ad currently circulating where we advertise the City of Melbourne vibes!
At home I also have two sausage dogs, one who constantly wants to eat chicken, and the other who steals my socks. I love all desserts, but am allergic to cow’s milk so sometimes that makes things a bit tricky. Cupcakes are my favourite food!
I usually surround myself with the colour purple, I love watching romantic comedy movies, and enjoy mystery books. When I’m not teaching, I’m having fun walking the red carpet on opening nights to write show reviews, being a driver for my daughters’ busy extra-curricular activity schedules, and I love baking. My entire family barracks for the North Melbourne Kangaroos, but we haven’t really been talking about them recently!
Hi there!
I am Mrs Hansford and I teach STEM at St Josephs. I have worked at St Josephs since 2024. I enjoy teaching STEM as it gives students opportunities to explore ideas, test solutions, and learn from trial and error. When I am not working at St Josephs, I love spending time with my family, swimming and Zumba!
Let's Stay Connected...
If you have any concerns or worries about your child's wellbeing, learning, or friendships, please do not hesitate to have a chat with your child's teacher as your first point of contact.
If you have other concerns, please feel free to touch base with our wonderful admin team, a member of our school leadership, or myself.
For more serious concerns, I encourage you to reach out to me directly, either by making an appointment through the office, or contacting me via my email.
What's on Next Week...
We have another exciting week next week at St Joseph's. Keep up to date with our weekly events on our School Dojo!
On behalf of our staff, I would like to wish all of our fathers, grandfathers, and special people, who are wonderful carers and role models to our students, a very special, joyful and blessed Father's Day on Sunday with their children.
With warmest regards,
Annabelle Marinelli
Principal