Sustainability at St Joseph's
Gardening at St Joseph's
It has been wonderful to return to the garden with the students. We have planted flower and parsley seeds and have already harvested mint and sage. The children are excited to watch the new seedlings grow over the coming weeks. They have been working hard on a range of gardening jobs, including weeding and watering.
Out in the school yard, students have also been taking great pride in caring for our grounds. They have been helping Mr Butler water plants, sweep leaves and collect rubbish. It is lovely to see their sense of responsibility and teamwork in action.
National Ride to School Day
We have registered for Ride2School Day 2026. While the official date is Friday 20 March, we will be celebrating Harmony Day on that day, so our St Joseph’s Ride2School Day will take place on Friday 27 March.
We are grateful to Stonnington Council for supporting safe, active transport to and from school. Dr Cranky’s, a community-based bike program, will visit on Friday, 13 March and again on Friday, 27 March to provide bike checks and other services. They will require some parent volunteers to assist on the mornings — please see Dr Cranky’s page for details.
Dr Cranky’s also provides bikes to children who need them. If you have a bike at home in good condition that is no longer being used, please consider donating it on one of these days to support their fantastic work.
Container Deposit Scheme
A reminder about our Container Deposit Scheme donation partner status. When returning cans and bottles, you can donate your refund to support our worm farm fund using code C2000056397 at both Return-It (East) and VISY (North) drop-off locations. Thank you for your continued support.
If you are experiencing any issues with your TagOn tag, please see Mrs Stone in the office. If you have chosen to opt out, we kindly ask that you return your unused tag to the office.
Stonnington Council is currently seeking community input on two initiatives. The first is a trial of smart bike lights for regular adult riders, aimed at improving cycling safety and identifying areas needing upgrades. Applications close at 5pm on Monday, 23 February via this link: https://ow.ly/MuBK50Y4Bff.
The second is feedback on the Council’s new 15-year Environment Strategy. Families are invited to share their ideas and priorities to help shape a sustainable and climate-resilient future for Stonnington. Consultation runs throughout February, with workshops, surveys and other opportunities to contribute available via the Council website https://connectstonnington.vic.gov.au/environmentstrategy.
Stonnington have also advised that Friends of Gardiner’s Creek are hosting a local clean-up from 9:30am–12:00pm Sunday, March 1st at 11 Elm Rd, Glen Iris. You can join this event or find another local clean-up via the Clean Up Australia website.
Thank you for your continued support of these important sustainability and community initiatives.
Get ready for Riding with Dr Cranky’s
Riding, walking or scooting to school is a great way to start your day. We want to make sure every student at St Joseph’s Primary can do just that, so we’ve partnered with Stonnington City Council and charity organisation Dr Cranky’s to run a FREE School Bike Checks. Dr Cranky’s will do a safety check on all bikes and do simple repairs. If you don’t have a bike, they can provide a second-hand bike at no cost! Let the school know beforehand, or come see Dr Cranky on the day.
Dates for your diary:
Friday 13th March – Dr Cranky’s Bike Checks
7:45 to 10:00am and 2:30pm to 4.30pm
• Bring your bike in for a free check by our friendly
mechanics
• We’ll be there at school drop-off and pick-up
times. You can help us pump tyres and fix your
bike.
• If you don’t have a bike, we will see if we have a second-hand bike to suit you.
Friday 27th March – Dr Cranky’s returns!
7:45 to 10:00am and 2:30pm to 4.30pm
• Another chance to bring your bike for a check
• Collect your second-hand bike if requested at the first session
Important: To help the Bike Checks run smoothly, we need parents to volunteer at each event with simple things like helping with registrations and pumping tyres. If you’re available to help for an hour or so, please email barts@drcrankys.com.au or contact the school office.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Siobhan O'Dwyer
Sustainability Leader