End of Term One

Dear families,

Tomorrow, our first term for 2026 comes to a close, and it is important that we acknowledge the many achievements of our staff, students and parent community. This term has been a wonderful success, thanks to the collective efforts of everyone at St Joseph's.

The positive and calm tone across all classes remains the highlight of this successful term. In particular, our Preps have settled into school life so well, and our new students and families have made a wonderful transition into our warm and inclusive school community. Our Year 6s have embraced the many leadership opportunities presented at this stage of the year and we look forward to seeing them flourish in Term 2.

We thank our many parent helpers and the active P&F who continue to generously offer up their time for our community. We’ve simply had an amazing start to the school year and can look forward with much excitement and anticipation to the coming terms, including planning for the Parent Cocktail Party. We particularly acknowledge the Parent Reps in Years 1, 2, 4 and 6 for their work on the Prep Morning Tea, Welcome BBQ, Cake Stall and Easter Raffle this term.

We thank our amazing staff, who have invested so much in their students' wellbeing and academic progress this term. Their inspiring work continues to drive the many successes in our community, placing St Joseph's at the 'top of the tree' when it comes to a competitive educational landscape.

Below is a snapshot of our Term One Achievements. We hope it will serve as a gentle reminder of the significant investment by so many, and why we are so well regarded within the wider community (and, perhaps, why the staff and students are ready for a well-earned break!)

✨ We began with a warm welcome at our Welcome Mass and P&F BBQ, followed by our Parent Information Sessions and Parent-Teacher Interviews.

👩‍⚕️ Our students learned valuable life skills during the P-2 and 5/6 First Aid incursions, while staff participated in First Aid training of their own.

💬 Parents have had their voices heard through P&F meetings and School Advisory Council sessions, contributing to the strategic direction of our school.

🏊‍♀️ From the Dendy Swimming Carnival to the Years 4-6 Swimming Program, our students have shown teamwork and determination in the water.

🕊 We came together for important faith moments - our Opening School Mass, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday Mass, our joyful celebration of St Joseph’s Feast Day and Holy Week.

🏛 Our Year 6 students experienced democracy in action during their Canberra Camp and welcomed MP Josh Burns to the classroom for real-world learning. Our Year 3/4s had their own experience with the incursion program 'Democracy, Community and Me'.

🧠 Our commitment to professional excellence was evident in ongoing professional learning for English and Maths.

👣 Future steps were taken, with Open Days led by our incredible Year 6 Leaders, and Prep 2027 enrolment interviews, welcoming new families to our community.

📝 NAPLAN assessments provided a snapshot of progress in Years 3 and 5, while Parent Support Group (PSG) meetings ensured tailored support for individual learners.

🐣 We finished the term with colour and community through our Easter Raffle and Harmony Day celebrations.

Prep 2027 & 2028 Enrolments

We have been simply overwhelmed by the number of applications for Prep 2027 and, with 27 siblings already on our list for next year, we are unfortunately not in a position to accommodate all new families wishing to enrol into our wonderful school. We understand this will be disappointing for some, particularly given St Joseph’s is a 'school of choice'. At the same time, this demand reflects the strength of our community and the positive reputation of our school within a highly competitive educational landscape, which we are proud to see affirmed through a strong waiting list. Should any families have any questions about our Prep 2027 or 2028 intake, please contact the school office in (03) 9528 1614.

Principal Conference

Last week, I was offsite attending the Victorian Catholic Primary School Principals Association Conference alongside colleagues from across the sector. Opportunities such as this are invaluable, allowing us to engage with current thinking, strengthen connections across Catholic education in Victoria, and ensure St Joseph’s remains aligned with best practice. As always, the school was in very capable hands with Mr Daffy, and I am grateful to our leadership team, office staff and teachers who continue to step up and ensure everything runs so smoothly in my absence.

Year 6 Parliamentary Committee

Well done to our Year 6 students on their outstanding work during Tuesday morning’s Parliamentary sitting. The level of preparation and the way you brought your learning to life was a true highlight, clearly reflecting your investment in this unit. From introducing your Bills to articulating and defending your arguments, your presentations were engaging and impressive. Thank you to Miss Shanahan, Mr Jansson and Mr Sandler for the high expectations you continue to set and the support you provide your students.

Teachers vs Year 6 Basketball Game

The vibes were high today, when the Teachers took on the Year 6s in a friendly basketball match. Thank you to Mr Sandler, Mr Jansson, Ms Shanahan, Miss Dusting, Miss Mand, Mr Hayes and Mr Daffy for joining in the fun, and to our Year 6 Leaders - Eddie, Isaac, Lewie, Phin, Joshua and Arthur for organising such a terrific event for our school community.

Harmony Day

Congratulations go to our students on the most spectacular Harmony Day last Friday. We are just so very proud of our students, as this annual community celebration is 'all' student voice and action. Our students raised an impressive $2,665. All proceeds generously raised on the day will go towards our social justice project in East Timor, Klibur Domin.

Below is some lovely feedback from Peter Newton AO, who has worked with us for many years on Harmony Day.

That was a very good result given the wet weather, so thanks to everyone involved – students, teachers and staff. Thanks again for the magnificent support St Joseph’s School has provided to Klibur Domin over many years.

We thank the staff for working with the students on the day with their initiatives, and in particular Mr Hayes and Miss Wilkinson, for working with the SRC and Year 6 Social Justice Leaders Domenica, Jasmine, Rex, Massimo, Eva G, Emma S, Nate and Charlotte to ensure the day ran smoothly.

Prep Success!

We simply adore our Preps! Here is Prep ED creating repeating patterns as part of our pattern unit. They have also created patterns with concrete materials (teddies, counters, icypole sticks) and designed their own easter egg wrapper decorated with repeating patterns. What superstars!

Holy Week Liturgies

On Monday morning, we gathered as a whole school community to celebrate Holy Week through our Easter Triduum liturgy, marking this most significant time in our Catholic faith. Across the week, classroom learning and prayer provided students with opportunities to reflect more deeply on key moments including Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and the Stations of the Cross. We also acknowledge the wonderful efforts of Mr Hayes, who has supported our teachers and students in leading our liturgical program.

Learning Diversity

Over the past few weeks, Mrs Gabe Sheahan facilitated the termly PSGs for our families and teachers. We are indebted to Gabe for the wonderful work she does in this important role - supporting families, students and staff. We also sincerely thank our dedicated classroom teachers, support staff and LSOs for the significant work they do in writing and actioning various learning plans and goals for their students. As identified by many families, our staff go above and beyond for the students. Well done, team!

Term 2 School Uniform

As in previous years, there is a two-week grace period for the students to transition into their full winter school uniform. Students must be in their full winter uniform from Monday May 4th onwards. The second hand uniform shop will be open on Wednesday April 29th, 8am, and Nicholls Schoolwear has all your needs covered for winter. A reminder that we have navy socks and black school shoes on school uniform days, and plain white socks and runners on sport days. See below for an outline of winter uniform items.

Winter Option 1 (Terms 2 and 3)

Tops: Blue long-sleeve school shirt or gold long-sleeve polo shirt.
Bottoms: Navy gabardine long pants or navy shorts.
Outerwear: Navy school jumper, water proof jacket or polar fleece with logo.
Socks: Navy short socks (for shorts or pants).
Shoes: Black school shoes.

Winter Option 2 (Terms 2 and 3)

Tops: Blue long-sleeve school shirt or gold long-sleeve polo shirt.
Bottoms: Navy culottes, or navy gabardine long pants, or navy tartan tunic.
Socks/Tights:
- Navy short socks (for trousers).
- Navy knee-high socks or tights (for tunic).
- Navy knee-high socks (for culottes).
- **Choose the correct socks for your uniform style; you do not need to purchase all three.
Outerwear: Navy jumper, water proof jacket or polar fleece with logo.
Shoes: Black school shoes.

Little Gems

Congratulations to Evelyn (Year 5CD), who competed at the Aquathlon Nationals last week in a demanding SuperSprint series of races. As an underage competitor, Evelyn performed exceptionally well, qualifying for the B Final and showing great composure and determination throughout the week. She should be incredibly proud of her efforts!

How is this for lovely feedback for Miss Dusting's Book Recomendations...

Just a quick note to say how much I/we love the book recommendation piece you put together in the newsletter. It really gives our kids some inspiration to try a new text or challenge themselves even more with their reading. We are always on the hunt for new and interesting books to read as they all have a genuine love of reading.

Congratulations to Zoe G (Year 6), Maddie (Year 6), Maggie G (Year 4) and Georgia M (Year 4) who competed in the TriKids triathlon recently. The event consisted of a 100m swim, 3km bike ride and 500m run. Brilliant work!

Mr Daffy has been running Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons with our Year 2 boys this term, supporting their development with strategies to problem solve, manage emotions and navigate social situations with increasing confidence. These sessions have provided students with practical tools to build positive relationships, respond thoughtfully to challenges and strengthen their sense of self within the classroom and playground.

We are getting ready for the Easter Bunny in Prep! Our littliest ones spent a session making Easter baskets with their Year 5 buddies. How exciting!

Winners are Grinners! Congratulations to our ex-St Joseph's students (currently in Year 7) who won their futsal competition last week.

And finally...

Congratulations students, staff and parents for your commitment and dedication this term. We have so much to look forward to in Term 2, so please check the key dates for the following: Mother’s Day Breakfast & Assembly, Cross Country, Year 3 Sacrament of Reconciliation, Parent/Teacher Interviews, Year 6 Netball and Year 6 Football Lightning Premiership. Wishing everying a safe and Holy Easter break. We look forward to seeing everyone again on Monday April 20th for the first day of Term Two.

Claire Tobin

Principal

Elwood College