Dear Families,

Over this last week I was incredibly privileged to join 17 other principals from the South Central Network at a Principal's Conference in Broome.

The purpose of this conference was to take part in an immersion experience in the Kimberley region visiting Indigenous schools and communities, deepening our appreciation and understanding of Indigenous culture and developing a stronger sense of our Catholic Identity.

I thank our wonderful Deputy Principal Dean Butler who looked after our precious students, staff and school in my absence. I also thank all of our staff for their endless commitment to the wellbeing care and learning of all of our children.

Here is a snapshot of my learning, experiences and highlights from across the week:

The flight from Melbourne to Broome was spectacular as we flew across Central Australia, over Uluru and Kata Tjuta. It was simply stunning- the photos do not do it justice.

We visited the St John of God Heritage Centre to develop our understanding of the sisters of St John of God and their ministry with the Aboriginal people in the Kimberley. This was a very sad but also inspiring visit learning about the work of the young sisters who came from Ireland to look after the stolen children and the Aboriginal women of the Kimberley.

We had an amazing day driving across the red dirt plains to Derby. Our 2 and a half hour bus trip was an opportunity to visit Holy Rosary School. The highlight of our day was the time we spent at this Catholic primary school in Derby. Deputy Principal and Religious Education Leader Margaret (Mim) McMahon shared with us the history of the school, its challenges and intersection around faith, formation and culture. The children led us on a tour through the school and very proudly shared their school and stories with us. We asked many questions and they answered with pride. It was a joy and an honour to have this time with the children and staff in this indigenous community. The messages were very clear, that the community in Derby have a deep sense of pride, faith, hope and strong sense of community.

While in Derby, we also had a chance to see Derby Pier and the oldest Boab tree.

Sadly we also stopped to see the prison which housed aboriginal men many years ago.

The red dust everywhere was a spectacular sight especially as we drove back against the backdrop of the sunset.

On our final full day we travelled for two hours on a bus to Beagle Bay, this was absolutely one of the highlights of our week.

Beagle Bay is one of three Aboriginal communities on the Dampier Peninsula north of Broome and an interesting part of Western Australian history. A150-kilometre drive along to visit one of the most beautiful churches in Australia. The church was built entirely by hand by local Aboriginal people in the late 1800s. The area is home to the Nyul Nyul people who’ve existed in this harsh but pristine coastal environment for thousands of years. The traditional owners have known it as Ngariun Burr which means "surrounded by springs".

We visited Beagle Bay's Sacred Heart Church famous for its mother of pearl shell altar. The detailing of the mother of pearl shell on the altar is gorgeous. We had mass with the children from Sacred Heart School who sang a beautiful indigenous blessing for all of us principals. It was so special. The Parish Priest also shared messages of the deep love God has for us, the love we must have for God and for each other. It was also a joy to spend time in the school of only 65 children. We listened to an indigenous woman Mina share her very sad story from the Stolen Generation. She encouraged us to take her messages back to our school communities. It was a privilege to spend the day in Beagle Bay and connect with local Nyul Nyul people to develop a deeper understanding of connection to country, belonging and Catholic identity in the region.

The Broome sunrises and sunsets showed off every colour. Each day a group of us would take the opportunity to experience the stillness and beauty in the early morning and evening.

The beauty of the land in the Kimberley region is simply stunning, The stark contrast between land, sky and sea is amazing. The dinosaurs that roamed the ancient lands have left their mark, with their footsteps preserved in reef rock in Roebuck Bay and along the coast at Gantheaume Point where we spent one morning.

I look forward to sharing these rich experiences with our school community at assembly on Friday following our Reconciliation Week Liturgy led by David Prowse and 4P and with our staff and families and SAC throughout the week.

I am looking forward to seeing you all at the gate in the morning! I will have my coat on the though. It certainly isn't as warm in Melbourne as it was Broome!

My experiences in the Kimberley region have provided a deep understanding of the Indigenous peoples in our country and the need for Reconciliation. My experience is timely as I have first hand experienced the stories of trauma and pride for these people. As we head into Reconciliation Week may we do so with a willingness to open our hearts and minds to understanding what Reconciliation means to the Indigenous peoples in our country.

National Reconciliation Week May 27- June 3 2025

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn and reflect on our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can work towards building positive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2025 is 'Bridging Now to Next'. It reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future.

Prayer for Reconciliation Week

This week, let us pray for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who have contributed over time to our collective Australian Identity.

As a Catholic community we acknowledge that Australia’s history, since time immemorial, holds the oldest living continuous culture in the world. May we celebrate this culture through unity, community and a shared story.

We pray that all will continue the learning journey to discover more about the history of Indigenous Peoples Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities across our country. Our Catholic Tradition, grounded in the mission and teaching of Jesus, compels us to respect the sacred dignity of each person.

As a Catholic community we pray:

May all Australians come together and continue to build our shared Australian Identity.

May all Australians unite and stand together as a community in peace and harmony for reconciliation.

May all Australians have the strength to stand up against racism, living out the Gospel command to love one another as Jesus showed us.

May all Australians commit to a voice of truth telling, creating spaces in our communities for truth-telling and deep listening, leading to action for justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

May all Australians strive to develop genuine, lasting relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Let us pray today that Reconciliation will live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by just and respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Amen

Our Parish Priest Fr Gallacher

This article provides a great read about our own Fr Gallacher as Parish Priest, mentor and friend

https://melbournecatholic.org/news/better-together-patrick-harris-and-fr-michael-gallacher

Every Day is Open Day at St Joseph's

Whilst we have completed our more formal Open Days for 2026, we encourage prospective families to book a tour with us at any time. Please encourage any families you know who are looking for a school for 2026 and beyond to be in touch with us. We would love to show them around our beautiful school.

We will be planning a couple of Open Nights across the next few months for families who are interested in finding out more about our school. Please spread the word to any prospective families you may know to keep an eye out for upcoming dates.

Planning for the 2026 School Year

In planning for 2026, we thank the families who have been in touch with our office to let us know that your child will be commencing Prep in 2026. If you have not done so as yet, we request that you please make contact with the office as soon as possible to make sure we have your child enrolled for next year. It is very important that we have this information as soon as possible. Thank you!

In addition, in planning for class structures for 2026, it is important for us to know if your child will not be continuing at St Joseph's next year. Please kindly email me directly (annabelle.marinelli@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au) so that I have this information in planning for next year.

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook: Search 'St Joseph's Primary School, Malvern'

Instagram: Search 'stjosephsmalvern'

The more you like, comment and share, the more we raise the profile of our amazing school!

School Advisory Council (SAC) Meeting

On Tuesday night we have our next School Advisory Council (SAC) Meeting. I sincerely thank our School Advisory Council members for their time and valuable contributions on behalf of our school community.

Parish Priest: Fr Gallacher
Principal: Annabelle Marinelli
Deputy Principal: Dean Butler
Chair: David Steghuis
Secretary: Courtney Jendra
P&F Reps: Laura Kay and Talia Hasset
Parent Reps: Michael Touhey, Kate Tehan, Sascha Pausewang

This week we have the privilege of having Lexi Slaven our Business Manager (MACS) who will come along to discuss finances with the SAC. We will also cover items such as our Annual Action Plan, marketing plan, the EBA which outlines things such as 'Face to Face' teaching time and as always, child safety. Other items that we will discuss are names for our house colours, and becoming a nut aware school.

P&F- Trivia Night Major Fundraiser Event

The major fundraiser for the year will be the SJM Trivia Night.

June 14th at 6:30pm

We would like to have as many of our SJM parents/carers attend this major event as it is a great way to be part of our wonderful community. If you would like to come along but for whatever reason have challenges around this ie babysitting, finances etc, please come and have a confidential chat with Annabelle Marinelli.

Family School Calendar

Here is the link to our family school calendar so that you can keep up to date with school events across the year.

https://www.sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au/mevents

School Closure Day - Friday 6th June

On Friday 6th June we will be having a school closure day.

The purpose of this school closure is for the staff to work on school review which will take place in Term 4.

This is quite a lengthy and rigorous process which all staff will be involved in. We look forward to reviewing our practices and engaging with the reviewer to determine goals for our next 4 year school improvement cycle.

This date is timely as it affords families an extra long weekend with the King's Birthday on Monday 9th June.

King's Birthday Public Holiday- Monday 9th June

There will be no school for children on Monday 9th June as it it is the King's Birthday Public Holiday. Childen will return to school on Tuesday 10th June.

Staying connected...

If, at any time, you have any concerns or worries about your child's wellbeing, learning, or friendships, please do not hesitate to have a chat with your child's teacher as your first point of contact. If you have other concerns, please feel free to touch base with our wonderful admin team, a member of school leadership, or myself. For more serious concerns, I encourage you to please reach out by either making an appointment through the office to see me, or contacting me directly via email.

See you all in the morning!

With warmest regards,

Annabelle Marinelli

Principal

annabelle.marinelli@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au

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