Principal’s News

Photo of me with my wife, Larissa and our great big beautiful Groodle, Humphrey Winter.

Dear Parents and Carers,

As the end of the year draws closer, it may feel as though we are winding down. In reality, we are as busy as ever. The final three-and-a-bit weeks are a particularly demanding time, as we complete student reports, finalise class lists and school structures, and prepare for our four-yearly School Improvement Review in 2026. We also have a number of significant events approaching, including the Parents & Friends Sponsored Excursion to the Enchanted Maze, Christmas Carols, the Year Six Mystery Tour, Graduation Mass and Dinner, and transition activities for new classes and year levels.

Please continue to refer to the St Joseph’s Calendar for full details of all upcoming events.

Enhanced Communication

During this busy period, I encourage all parents and carers to keep a close eye on school communication. To ensure important information reaches everyone, we will continue to post updates via the N-Forma App, email, and our Facebook page. Using multiple platforms increases the likelihood that messages reach all families.

I have also been exploring the introduction of a school Instagram page to further strengthen our communication. Many principals report excellent engagement through Instagram, so we will launch our page in early 2026, supported by Rebecca Beveridge, our leading social media contributor. In addition to this, from 2026 onwards we will make more extensive use of the N-Forma App for whole-school, year-level and class-specific communication. Email will continue to be used, so if your address changes, please notify me by sending an email from your new address with Update Email in the subject line.

Student Behaviour

Last week I had the privilege of taking students for their Physical Education lessons while Terry accompanied some of our Middle and Senior students at the Orienteering Day. I was extremely impressed with the behaviour and attitude of all students. Their respect for one another, for me as their teacher, and for the Tennis Coach was outstanding. Students responded promptly to reminders to maintain focus, and there were no behavioural concerns that required follow-up.

While all classes were excellent, the Year 4/5 cohort stood out. They have demonstrated enormous growth this year in their respectfulness, resilience and teamwork. It was a pleasure to supervise them, along with all of our wonderful St J’s students. They are a credit to their families, teachers and Learning Support Officers.

Parents & Friends – Thank You

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Laura Van Der Vlugt for her tremendous contribution to the Parents and Friends Committee throughout my time at St Joseph’s. Following in the footsteps of outstanding past presidents such as Leonie Shalders and Terez Annis, Laura has continued to work diligently and quietly behind the scenes to ensure our social and fundraising events have remained strong—despite the significant decline in volunteering across all sectors post-COVID.

I would also like to thank Lyndal Lawrie, who has supported Laura whenever her teaching commitments have allowed. Balancing teaching, raising a family and contributing to our P&F Committee is no small task, and we deeply appreciate her commitment. Laura will be stepping back from her leadership role at the end of this year due to increased work commitments, and Lyndal will be moving interstate for the next year or so, leaving a sizeable gap to be filled.

Parents & Friends 2026–27

Our school community is full of wonderful, talented and enthusiastic people who are more than capable of stepping into these roles. The plan for 2026–27 is for each class to have at least one representative on the Parents & Friends Committee, as is standard practice in many Catholic primary schools across the Melbourne Archdiocese. Meetings will be scheduled at times that suit the group—whether face-to-face or online, during school hours or in the evening.

The group’s focus will be on coordinating social events for students and families and supporting fundraising where appropriate. Strengthening wellbeing and connectedness across our community will remain our priority.

School Advisory Council

In 2026 we will also be seeking new members for our School Advisory Council. In recent years, parents such as Amy Ireland, Anthony Willemsen and Jacqui Tarquinio have made significant contributions. In 2024–25, Kyla Price and Alan Preston have worked with the Senior Leadership Team (Fr Michel Corriveau, Katie Vranken and myself) on key matters including our uniform transition, Out of School Hours Care provider selection and our School Master Plan. Kyla’s insights into uniform priorities and Alan’s expertise in building and property development have been invaluable.

Works and Maintenance Committee

To support the exceptional work of Anthony Willemsen, our multi-talented Maintenance Officer, we are establishing a formal Works and Maintenance Committee. This group will work with school leadership to identify maintenance priorities and coordinate one Working Bee per term. The recent Bushfire Mitigation Working Bee—where families helped clear a substantial amount of undergrowth—was enormously appreciated.

Other Opportunities for Parent and Carer Involvement

The School Advisory Council will continue exploring further ways for parents, carers, grandparents and other significant adults to contribute meaningfully to school improvement and student learning. All volunteers will be inducted through our Volunteers Accreditation Program and supported to obtain a Working With Children Check.

I wish you all a wonderful week ahead and look forward to spending our final few weeks of 2025 together.

Kind regards,

Nick

Nicholas Boyhan

Principal