Principal News

Term 3, Week 7

Dear parents and carers, 

We hope that all the Dads, Granddads, Step-dads, Mums who are Dads and special men in our community enjoyed the Father's and Special Men breakfast and catch up this morning. It was lovely to see so many parents make the effort to come along before school - a wonderful testament to the strength of our special community. 

We sincerley thank our P&F who were onsite nice and early to set up for the event, in particular Sara, Sarah, Rosie and Kate in addition to Abbey, Carla, Carmen, Emma, Lydia and Susie for helping out on the day. 

We also thank our Year 4 Father’s Day stall coordinators - Nat, Yasmin, Susan, Nicky plus Donna, Laura, Kath, Tara, Cara, Annette, Jo, Karen, Hayley, Sarah R and Clara for helping the students find some lovely gifts for the special men in their lives. 

It goes without saying that our beautiful Year 1s topped off the morning with their assembly, celebrating the significant people in their lives. Thank you to Miss Wilkinson and Miss Nelligan who do a wonderful job in the Year 1 space. 

Parents and Friends 'St Joseph's Family Footy Classic' 

Your commitment to our wonderful school once again shone through at last weekend’s St Joseph’s Family Footy Classic. We could not be prouder of the way our community once again embraced this event (even in the freezing weather!), with key parent representatives working countless hours behind the scenes to ensure everything ran seamlessly.

Thanks to the generosity of so many, the day raised close to $13,000 – an outstanding result. The St Joseph’s community really does it like no other, and we are truly blessed to be part of it.

We are especially grateful to our major sponsors, OTS Developments (Carl Papalia) and Sketch Design (Andrew Brown), for their generous support.

A heartfelt thank you goes to the P&F (Rosie and Victoria) for their support and Ben and Jenny Gibbs, who have led this event for the fourth year running, helping it grow into a much-loved tradition. To all those who volunteered their time and resources – from BBQs, the bar and cake stand, to donations of food, eskys, jellies and cakes, and to everyone who purchased food and drinks on the day – your contributions made this event possible. Thank you. 

Special mentions must also go to:

• Steve MacDonald, our exceptional MC who kept the energy high all day, and who was also there for early set up alongside Carl.

• Carl Papalia, again, for his huge efforts – lending his trailer, assisting with Friday and Monday set up/pack up, and for his sponsorship support.

• Louise and Jade, for the all-important role of keeping score.

• Steve Scott, for his brilliant design work on the footy jumpers and coordinating with the manufacturer.

• Michael Swan, who helped run the “Longest Kick” competition.

• The students who raised funds through face painting – a highlight for the younger children.

And of course, to our players, coaches and team captains, Nick Ockleshaw and Michael Fothergill, who dedicated months of weekly training sessions to build community spirit and prepare for the big game. Without them, there is no game! The match was a great to watch, and congratulations to the St Joseph’s Demons on taking home the 2025 Footy Classic Cup!

LSO Appreciation Week 

This week we celebrated Teacher Aide Appreciation Week – a wonderful opportunity to recognise the incredible work of our Intervention Team and LSOs (Learning Support Officers) at St Joseph’s.

Across our school, students and teachers are truly blessed to be supported by this dedicated team. Whether working one-on-one, in small groups, or leading targeted sessions in literacy, numeracy, or social and emotional learning, their daily impact is profound.

All LSOs at St Joseph’s bring additional educational qualifications and specialised training, allowing them to deliver evidence-based programs tailored to student needs. They meet regularly to review progress, and continue their own professional learning to ensure our students are receiving the very best support. Their influence, both academic and social-emotional, is woven through every success we celebrate at St Joseph’s. Our reputation for providing an inclusive and nurturing learning environment is in no small part thanks to them.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Anna Perruzza, Melissa Pascoe, Jen Kahan, Sandra Mackie, Louisa Molfese, Jo Foggo, Melanie Foulkes, Anita Jacobs and Amanda Bowman for their tireless dedication to our students, teachers and families. The work you do changes lives every day, and we are so fortunate to have you as part of our school community.

School Advisory Council - Expressions of Interest

Our School Advisory Committee (SAC) meets 6-8 times per year to explore ways to strengthen and improve St Joseph’s, and to guide school strategies and projects. We are now calling for nominations to fill vacancies for the 2026–2027 period. Membership is voluntary and runs for a two-year term.

The Advisory Council acts as a supportive voice to the Principal, offering feedback on areas such as school improvement, financial governance, community engagement, communication, and the wellbeing and learning of our students.

How to Nominate: Please send an email to Claire Tobin principal@sjelst.catholic.edu.au stating your wish to nominate for a seat on the Advisory Council. Include a brief outline of your background and areas of interest. Applications close Friday October 3rd. 

The Council will consider all applications and. should it be required, a vote on new members will take place at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, November 11th. Members who wish to be elected must attend this meeting. Successful candidates will be confirmed at the meeting and invited to attend the final SAC meeting of the year on Tuesday, December 5th.

This is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to St Joseph’s, share your perspective, and make a difference for our students and community. If you have any questions, please reach out to John Ferraro (SAC Chair) or Claire Tobin. 

Staff News

After more than 17 years of service to our school community, Kerry Burns (Office Administration) has made the decision to retire from her role at St Joseph’s. Throughout her time at St Joseph’s, Kerry has been a warm and welcoming presence in our office, supporting staff, students and families with great care and commitment. We sincerely thank Kerry for all she has contributed to our school and wish her every happiness in her retirement. The staff will gather on Wednesday to say thank you and Kerry will return for an assembly later this year, so we can say farewell as a school community. 

Alice Krause (Visual Arts) will be finishing up with us on September 12th (Week 8) as she returns to study Art and Design at La Trobe University, while also running art clubs and holiday programs for TOP ART Melbourne. We are so grateful to Alice for the wonderful Visual Arts program she has created at St Joseph’s. The creativity, passion and skills she has shared with our students have been incredible. Planning is underway for a Term 4 replacement and this will be communicated to our families in due course. 

Mr Sandler will be on leave for the next two weeks, as he takes the second part of his parental leave to be with his gorgeous baby, Miles, and wife, Bee. The students will participate in a tennis clinic with Futures Tennis in Mr Sandler's absence. 

Miss Stanley will also be on leave until Term 4 as she heads overseas for a special family holiday. Miss Murtaugh will be working in Year 3CS while Miss Stanley is away. 

HOLT District Athletics Day 

Congratulations to the Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 students who participated in the District Athletics Competition last Friday! Not only did they come home with the prized silverware (yay!) but also the manner in which they conducted themselves was exemplary. We have 37 students progressing through to the Beachside Athletics day on Friday 10th October - an outstanding achievement.

A special congratulations go to Luke (Year 5) who broke the district record for triple jump!  A brilliant achievement. 

We send our thank you to Miss Dusting for her dedication to the Wednesday morning Run Club. She trained with the students every week to prepare them for the athletics competition and it has been a really wonderful community event. In addition, we are extremely grateful to Mr Sandler's expert coaching and organisation of the successful day. All families are encouraged to read Mr Sandler's Sports Report.

Mary Poppins Jr. – Digital Sale (Early Bird Offer!)

Secure your own keepsake copy of Mary Poppins Jr. with our early bird special!

DVDs, Blu-rays, and digital downloads are now available to order. Please note: Only the performance on Thursday, 18th September (Night 2) is being professionally filmed.

Click the link below to place your order:

https://www.modevideo.com.au/product-page/stjosephelsternwick2025

MACSSIS School Improvement Surveys

The 2025 edition of these surveys has been shared with relevant parents, staff and Year 4-6 students. We encourage families to please take the time to complete them as, the more feedback provided, the more reliable the data will be. We thank you for your support with this school improvement survey. 

MACSEYE Holiday Program 

School Holiday Program – bookings now open!

Looking for a safe, engaging and fun environment for your child these school holidays? Our holiday program has something for everyone:

• Time with friends in a relaxed setting

• A wide variety of activities to choose from

• Opportunities to learn new skills and build confidence

Book your child via Xplor Home App – the same way you book OSHC. If your child is new to OSHC with MACSEYE, please visit www.macseye.vic.edu.au. 

Little Gems

Thank you to Susan and Jess for giving up some of their time to speak with our Year 3 and 4 students earlier this week. See the Deputy Newsletter for all the lovely details. 

Congratulations to one of our Year 5 football teams, who are through to their Grand Final this Sunday! Below is a photo of Miss Dusting and the team after their win. 

Below is a preview of Mary Poppins - our dress rehearsal on Monday could not have gone any better. 12 more sleeps until opening night!  

Mr Jansson was running his 'pre game huddle', preparing the Year 6s before they started their Footy Day rotations. Photos and a recap of the day will be shared in our final newsletter of Term 3. 

On behalf of our whole school community, I wish all of our Fathers and Special Men a joyful and blessed Father’s Day this Sunday. 

I hope you all get lots of cuddles and breakfast in bed. 

See you next week for the final sprint home - 2 weeks to go! 

Claire Tobin

Principal