St Justin’s Primary School Newsletter

From the Principal

we will send St Justin’s Primary School acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's First People and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which our school stands.

We pay our respects to the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, and their elders past and present, and emerging as we continue to proudly live and learn on their land.

 

St Justin's Primary School - Celebrating over 40 years of Catholic Education

 

Dear Families and Friends,

Father Andrew 

Congratulations to Fr Andrew: EPISCOPAL VICAR – SOUTHERN REGION

Recently, the Archbishop Peter A. Comensoli appointed Rev Andrzej Madry CR as the Episcopal Vicar for the Southern Region. This is in addition to his role as Parish Priest of Good Shepherd (Mulgrave) and St Justin’s (Wheelers Hill) Parishes. Please pray for him as he takes up his new appointment as the Episcopal Vicar for the Southern Region.

October - Month Of The Rosary 

During the monthe of October we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

When we pray the Rosary, we can reflect on the main events of Jesus’ life. We can try to understand what message each event might have for usand how they can help us live better lives. When we think about Jesus’ life through praying the Rosary, we can be grateful for Jesus and all that he has taught us. 

 

The Rosary is a Catholic form of prayer using beads. When we pray the Rosary you say the Our Father and the Hail Mary, several times while thinking about important events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. 

 

Prayer:

Generous God,

you gave us your Son, Jesus, to show us how to live.

Through the gift of the Rosary, we have a way to reflect on the messages he gave us.

May we learn from Jesus’ life how to be 

compassionate, loving and caring peoplewho try to bring hope to others.

We make this prayer in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

Sacrament Of Reconciliation - Year 3

Our Year 3 students are currently preparing to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Thursday, 30th October. As part of their preparation, students and their parents will attend a Reconciliation Workshop Evening on Tuesday, 14th October, from 6.45pm to 7.45pm in the PAC. This special evening will be an opportunity for families to deepen their understanding of the sacrament and reflect together on God’s love and forgiveness.

 

We ask our school community to keep the Year 3 students in your thoughts and prayers as they continue their faith journey in preparation for this important celebration.

Division Athletics 

On Wednesday, Mrs Snell and Mrs Sullivan had the pleasure of accompanying 29 students to represent St Justin’s at the Monash/Waverley Division Athletics Carnival held at Bill Sewart Athletics Track in Burwood.

 

These students were invited to compete after finishing at the top of their respective events at the District Athletics held at the end of Term 3. Each student gave their very best against some outstanding athletes from across the Division, with several achieving excellent results in their events.

 

Special mentions go to:

🏅Charlotte G – 3rd place in High Jump and 200m

🏅Kiara S – 3rd place in Hurdles

 

A huge congratulations also to the following students who have now qualified for the Regional Championships in two weeks’ time:

🥇 Sienna Z – 1st place in 800m and 1500m

🥈 Jackson D – 2nd place in 1500m

 

Thank you to the many parents who came along to support our students. We are incredibly proud of all students who represented our school with such determination, sportsmanship, and enthusiasm. Congratulations to everyone for their fantastic efforts and achievements!

Student Led Conferences

Student Led Conferences will take place the week commencing Monday 20th October at school in your child's classroom. These meetings are face to face with the student, parents and teacher. For more information, please check out the "Student Led Conferences" page in our newsletter.

Important Dates 

Whilst we have most dates in the calendar, some dates include: 

 

  • Monday 13th October - Tennis Hot Shots Division Finals
  • Tuesday 14th October  - Fair on the Hill Meeting 7:30pm
  • Tuesday 14th October - Year 3 Reconciliation Family Workshop 6.45 to 7.45pm
  • Thursday16th October  - Prep 2026 - Parent Information  Evening 
  • Thursday16th October  - Year 6 Girls Division Basketball

 

Please refer to Dates Ahead for a full list of important dates in Term 4

School Assemblies

Whole school assemblies will now be held on Monday afternoons, effective from Week 3 onward.  This supports our intention to create as many opportunities to have uninterrupted mornings for valuable learning time as possible.

 

  • Week 3 – Mon 20 Oct 2:45pm: Whole School Assembly
  • Week 4 – Mon 27 Oct 2:45pm : 5F Class Assembly
  • Week 5: No Assembly (Cup Weekend)
  • Week 6 – Mon 10 Nov 2:45pm: 1M Class Assembly
  • Week 7: No Assembly
  • Week 8 – Mon 24 Nov 2:45pm: Whole School Assembly
  • Week 9 – Mon 1 Dec 2:45pm: 2SI Class Assembly
  • Week 10 – FRIDAY 14 Dec (Afternoon) 2:45pm: Year 6 Graduation Assembly

 

Thank you for your understanding and support as we transition to this new structure. We’re confident this will further strengthen our focus on uninterrupted learning time while maintaining the positive purpose and tone of our assemblies.

St Justin's Safety Team

At St. Justin's, we want our school to be a place where every child and family feels safe, respected, and included.

 

Over the last few weeks, the St Justin's Safety Team (SJST), consisting of our SRC Members, Parent Representatives and staff members, have been surveying members of our community around safety. Our aim is to identify aspects of safety, connectedness, inclusion and fairness for all members of our community.

 

Next week a link will be sent home via nForma inviting our families to complete a short survey which the SJST would like you to complete by Thursday 16th October (sorry for the short timeline). This survey is anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete.

 

Our aim is to identify areas of that are good, and areas for improvement - we can then develop campaigns around these areas.

 

Thanks for your ongoing support.

 

St Justin's Safety Team

Change to timetable

Please note that school start and finish times will remain unchanged. Classroom doors will still open at 8.50am and the learning day will commence at 9.00am.

 

To better support the delivery of our Literacy and Mathematics curriculum and the introduction of the UFLI Phonics Program in Junior School, we will be trialling a revised daily schedule. 

Students are often more settled and attentive in the morning, making it an ideal time for focused learning and engagement. Therefore, as part of this change:

  • Morning Block Learning Session:9.05am to 11.20am
  • Recess Eating Time: 11.20am to 11.30am
  • Recess Playtime: 11.30am to 12.10pm
  • Middle Block Learning Session: 12.10pm to 1.40pm
  • Lunch Eating Time: 1.40pm to 1.50pm
  • Lunch Playtime: 1:50pm to 2.30pm
  • Afternoon Block Learning Session: 2.30pm to 3.30pm (3:15pm on Mondays)

Please note: Students will have a short fruit/brain break mid-morning during class time to help them stay focused and refreshed.

We believe this adjustment will help improve concentration and better align our learning blocks with students’ needs. We will review the impact of this trial and keep you updated. 

 

Thank you for your continued support.

St Justin's Trivia Night 

On Saturday 25th October we have our annual Trivia Night and whilst it's designed to raise some funds, more importantly, it's designed to bring the community together and have some fun. A huge amount of work has gone into preparing for the night (thanks Carolyn and team). 

To book a table or a spot on a table, please access trybooking  

 

Looking forward to catching up with you there. 

Fair on the Hill

Whilst our Annual Fair on the Hill is still some time away (Saturday 8th November 11:00am - 4:00pm) there has been an amazing amount of planning going on.

 

Please refer to the Fair on the Hill page for more information.

Parents and Friends

On Tuesday night, we had a Parents and Friends meeting. Whilst we only had a few attend, there was much enthusiasm. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 28th October at 2:30pm in the staffroom. At this meeting, we will officially fill committee positions - everyone welcome. A "cuppa" will be served.

Time to get ‘Sun Smart’

A reminder that St Justin’s is a 'Sun Smart School' and as a result, throughout October to the end of April, students are required to wear a sun protective school hat that protects the face, neck and ears. Please make sure that your child’s hat is clean, in good condition and clearly labelled. New hats can be purchased from Academy Uniforms. Students will also be encouraged to wear broad-spectrum water resistant sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) and to be responsible for its reapplication throughout the day. Students are welcome to bring their own sunscreen (not to share) or apply in the mornings before coming to school. As always, students are also encouraged to have a drink bottle.

School Fees

A reminder that all School Fees were due to be finalised by Friday 19th September. 

 

There is an expectation that families make progress payments throughout the year. If you intend to make full payment on the due date, we ask that you please contact the school office to let us know so we can plan ahead from a cash flow perspective.

When families keep up to date with payments or stay in contact with us regarding fees or requests for assistance, it helps us maintain the activities and programs we currently offer at St Justin’s. We greatly appreciate your support in keeping your school fees up to date.

 

As is our ongoing practice, should any family’s financial situation have changed, please contact Patrick Torpey or the office staff on 9561 7644 or email office@sjwheelershill.catholic.edu.au to discuss your options.

 

Enjoy a restful weekend with your families and stay safe!

 

All the best,

 

Mr  Patrick Torpey

Principal