PRINCIPAL'S NEWS

Miss Jaclyn is always busy keeping abreast of our socials and sharing the terrific things happening at our school.  

the way they were.... Prep, 2018

FRIDAY MARKET & carols

This WEDNESDAY Dec 11, our preppies will be hosting our last "Friday" market for the year, and it's going to be Christmas-themed!  

Come along and shop for fabulous gifts, there will be a special gift stall to complement the children's stalls. Enjoy our regular sausage sizzle and immerse yourself in the festive cheer. Starting at 3:15pm, the children will spread holiday joy with delightful Christmas Carols in an 'open mic' style, allowing them to participate as they feel comfortable. 

We look forward to seeing you there to celebrate the season with us!

STAFFING 2025

This year we are farewelling two of our staff members:

*Jess Mason - We say goodbye to Jess Mason, one of our Grade 3/4 teachers, who has been with us for the past year.  We thank Jess for her time and effort during her tenure at St Joseph’s. While her time here has been brief, we acknowledge her contribution to the classroom and wish her well as she moves on to new opportunities.  We appreciate the role Jess has played in our community this year and extend our best wishes for her future endeavours.

*Jacinta Walton - We also bid farewell to Jacinta Walton, who has been with us this semester as a Grade 5/6 teacher.  We thank Jacinta for stepping into our school community and working so wonderfully with our senior community.  While her time with us has been brief, we wish her all the best as she embarks on her next chapter.  We are grateful for her efforts and commitment during her time at St Joseph’s and extend our warmest wishes for what lies ahead.

We welcome to our Staff:

*Joban Tankaria - We welcome Joban (Joey) as a permanent member of our teaching team in 2025! Joey is already a familiar face at St Joseph’s, having worked as a CRT throughout this year. His time with us has allowed him to build connections with many of our students and staff, and we are excited to have him join us full-time.  Joey brings a wealth of experience to our team and will be working in the Senior Community. We are confident that his knowledge, enthusiasm, and commitment will make a positive impact on our school.

*Pierce Rooney - We welcome Pierce Rooney to our teaching team in 2025! Pierce will be joining us as a Grade 3/4 teacher, and we are excited to have him on board.  Pierce comes to us from Whitefriars College, where he has built a strong reputation as a passionate and dedicated educator. With his enthusiasm for teaching and his ability to connect with students, we know he will be a fantastic addition to our staff and a great support to our students and families.

*Lauren Greenlaw - We welcome back Lauren Greenlaw, who will be returning from parental leave. Lauren will be working two days a week in the Junior Community, and we are thrilled to have her back on the team.  Lauren’s expertise and familiarity with our school will be a wonderful asset as she re-joins us. We look forward to seeing her continue to support and inspire our students in the year ahead.

*Lucy Rutten - We are pleased to share that Lucy Rutten, who has been part of our team as an Education Support Officer in 2024, will be transitioning to a teaching role in 2025. Lucy will work three days a week, focusing on supporting and enhancing our enrichment program.  We are excited to see Lucy bring her skills and enthusiasm to this new role. We look forward to the positive contributions she will continue to make to our students’ learning journeys.

*Gabriel Kofoed and Steven Connell - We are excited to welcome Gabriel and Steven to our ESO team in 2024! Both bring valuable experience to their roles, and we are confident they will make a positive contribution to our school community.  Gabriel and Steven are passionate about supporting students and are eager to work alongside our dedicated staff to ensure every child thrives. Their skills and enthusiasm will be a fantastic addition to the team.

LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

Principal                                                 Mary Kearney

Deputy Principal                                 Kate Lynn / Learning and Teaching

Religious Education                           Bernadette Harney

Learning Diversity / Wellbeing      Bella Zacharioudakis  & 

                                                                    Ashlyn Keane  (commencing term 2)     

English & Math Leader                     Brittany Symons                                                  

CLASS TEACHERS

Prep

Kate Velden

Renee Booth

Juniors

Georgie Finnigan

Abbey Arbon

Brittany Symons (3 days) &  Lauren Greenlaw (2 days)

Middles

Julia Koot

Jess Thwaites

Pierce Rooney

Seniors

Aoife O'Flynn

Joban Tankaria

SPECIALISTS

Performing Arts                              Jaclyn DeVincentis  (3 days)

Visual Art                                           Louise Keys  (3 days)

Physical Education                        Kirsti O’Brien  (2 days)

Digital Technology                         Peter Zammit (1 day)

Mandarin                                           Ivy Bo Wen (2 days)

SUPPORT PROGRAMMES

General Enrichment                                  Lucy Rutten (2 days) 

Maths Enrichment                                     Peter Zammit (1day)

Community Liason                                     Jaclyn DeVincentis  (1 day)

Professional Development release     Jaclyn DeVincentis (1 day) & Lucy Rutten (1 day)

EDUCATION SUPPORT OFFICERS

Jacinta Murphy (full-time)

Lynette Peters (full-time)

Steven Connell (full-time)

Gabriel Kofoed (full-time)

Maya Muxlow (4 days)

France Montagna (3 days)

Tori Greer (2 days)

MOVING UP DAY

On Monday, December 16, we will be holding our 'Moving Up Morning', where the children will meet their teacher and classmates for 2025. After this session, your child will bring home a note with details about their teacher for the upcoming year.

END of YEAR MASS & CHRISTMAS EVE MASS

Everyone is welcome to join us for our end-of-year Mass which will be held on Tuesday December 17 at 9:15am.  During this Mass, our Grade Six students will formally pass on the mantle of leadership to our Grade Five students.  Everyone is warmly invited to attend.

CHRISTMAS EVE MASS

The Jones family have very kindly offered to assist at our Christmas Eve Mass at 5:00pm in St Joseph's Church

All children are invited to dress as an angel or wear a 'Nativity Scene' costume, which will be available at the church. The children will process into the Church before the Gospel and remain on the Altar while the Christmas Story is shared. A message will be sent to the WhatsApp groups in the next day or so with details on how to register your interest.

Thank you to the Northcote Lions Op Shop 

for donating two $250 Graduation Awards to two of our grade six students.

I thank them for their generosity and their community spirit.

FINAL THANK YOU...

I would like to thank each and every member of the St Joey's staff for their professionalism, their dedication to the craft of teaching and their commitment to the children in their care.  Their patience is unending, their enthusiasm contagious and their desire to provide the best education for our students is to be commended.

Thank you to Kate Lynn, whose ongoing support and camaraderie are invaluable.  Her organisational skills are second to none, and her ability to consistently be one step ahead of everything amazes me.  She has earned the respect of every staff member and student, and is held in the highest regard by the community as a whole.

Kate is also our Learning and Teaching Leader and in this role has guided our teachers and assisted them in implementing a dynamic, engaging and personalised curriculum.  Kate’s passion for education is infectious and her hunger to constantly continue to learn is to be commended.  

A heartfelt thank you to Bernadette Harney for her outstanding preparation of our Masses throughout the year, including the Sacramental Masses. Her dedication and hard work in Religious Education have been truly invaluable, and we are deeply grateful for all her efforts.

This year we were fortunate to have Bella Zacharioudakis return to us from parental leave. Bella has assumed the role of Learning Diversity and Wellbeing Leader and works closely with our staff and parents in supporting our SWANS (Students with Additional Needs) and genuinely cares for the wellbeing of all our community.  

Thank you to Brittany Symons for her leadership in English.  Your dedicated leadership and passion for fostering a love of literacy. Your hard work and commitment have made a significant impact on our students' growth, and we truly appreciate all you do.

To the members of our School Advisory Council (SAC) - thank you for your commitment to St Joseph's and your advice and support throughout the year.  A special thanks to our retiring members; Fatima Chaudhry, Madeleine Sukkar and Jodie Toohey.  On behalf of the school community, I would like to express our sincere thanks for your dedication and commitment. 

Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to YOU, our most wonderful, vibrant, and supportive school community. The collaborative effort in bringing together our spectacular FETE this year was truly outstanding, and I am deeply grateful to each of you. We are privileged to work in a school where families and staff come together to create the exceptional community that is St Joey's. My sincere thanks to all of you for contributing to another highly successful year.