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,

Feast Of The Assupmtion - 15th August

This Saturday 15th August we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.

Mary was the mother of Jesus, but she was also a person just like us.

She trusted God, cared for others, showed courage when life was difficult and always tried to say “yes” to what was loving and good.

The Church celebrates that at the end of her earthly life, Mary was welcomed fully into God’s presence. This feast reminds us that God’s promise of life, hope and love is stronger than anything else. Mary shows us that every kind word, every act of kindness and every choices to help builds God’s Kingdom here on earth.

Prayer

Loving God,

thank you for the gift of Mary, whose life reminds us to trust,

to hope and to love with open hearts.

Help us to follow her example by saying “yes” to kindness,

courage and compassion each day.

May we leave this celebration

ready to share your love wherever we go.

Amen

Confirmation Mass -Thursday 20th August

Next Thursday, 36 of our Year 6 students will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation at Good Shepherd Church (only students from St Justin's) at 5.30pm. We are very fortunate to have our very own Father Andrew, who is now the Episicol Vicar of the Southern Region celebrate our Confirmation Mass.

Please keep our candidates in your prayers as they continue on their faith journey.

Please refer to the Education in Faith page for all dates in relation to Confirmation.

Important Dates

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

Monday 17th August - Choir - Monash Festival Performance
Monday 17th August - Year 6 Hooptime Basketball Tournament
Thursday 20th August - Year 6 Confirmation 5:30 – 6:30pm (Good Shepherd Church)
Friday 21st August - P&F Meeting 9:15am (Staff Room)

Please refer to Dates Ahead for more dates. Please note that dates do change from time to time.

Music Soiree

Thank you to all who were involved in our Music Soiree held on Wednesday night. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the amazing musical learnings that have been untaken by the students at St Justin's.

GUITAR ENSEMBLE - Oliver A, Marco E, Konane Q, Stratis G, Jaden P, Leo T, Lenny T, Alex K, Nathan R, Fleure O, Oliver C, Elena R and Revan M.

SINGERS - Charlotte G, Nina H, Amelia G, Brooklyn D, Hannah D, Ariana D and Phoebe J

CHOIR - Sienna P, Valentina P, Artemis H, Evie K, Madison D, Ani K, Selena T, Georgiana K, Isabella M, Zara R, Piper C, Sloane H, Amelia C, Illeana D, Kaya M, Elena R, Eva C, Lia A, Ruby T, Maya A, Ivy W, Rozalia S, Eliana G, Naira C, Ayansa G, Sara F, Sahana S, Mary N, Elizabeth N, Grace C, Dehaynne L, Hana P, Natalia V, Sofia C, Brooklyn D, Victoria E, Amelia G, Fleure O, Charlotte G, Nina H, Sienna B, Hannah D, Anahera P, Sophia B, Mia E, Elyana F, Phoebe J, Emily L, Mila R and Albie R.

DRUMMING BEATS - Gizelle A, Sienna B, Hannah D, Mia G, Eva H, Adria I, Audrey H, Mila L, Anahera P, Adele S, Amaya W, Seth A, Sophia B, Mia E, Elyana F, Phoebe J, Emily L, Amelia P, Amelia P, Albie R, Mila R, Brooklyn D, Amelia G, Nina H and Fleure O.

SOLOISTS - Leo T, Alex K, Oliver A, Brooklyn D, Sienna B, Anahera P, Nina H, Seth A, Laila S, Viren M, Eason Q, Nikolaos P, Patrick J, Albie R, Phoebe J, Sophia B and Sophia P.

Thanks also to our hosts for the evening, our amazing Year 6 Performing Arts Team for 2026 -

Adria I, Sophia B, Elyana F, Phoebe J, and Albie R.

Finally, a huge thank you to our wonderful staff:

Mr. Albert Axiaq – Guitar Teacher and Guitar Ensemble Co-ordinator
Mrs Jennifer McGrath - Assistant Choir Director
Mrs Christy Riddiford- Performing Arts Teacher and Piano Teacher

P&F Student Disco & Parent Mingle

A reminder to all students, families, parents and carers that the Student Disco and Parent Mingle are on tonight!

A big thank you to the Parents and Friends Association for all their hard work in organising this event and we look forward to seeing our students on the dance floor!

Please refer to the Parents and Friends page with items to note:

P&F Sushi lunch

The P&F are hosting a Special Sushi Lunch Day on Friday 21st August.

Orders are due in by 3pm on Wednesday 19th August, 2026 and there are no late orders or refunds available for this event.

Link to order: https://www.trybooking.com/DOWEV

Victorian Fisheries - Little Angler Kits

We’re excited to share a fantastic opportunity for our Grade 5 students to discover a new hobby!

As part of the Victorian Government’s Little Angler Kits program, 82,500 free fishing kits are being provided to Grade 5 primary students across Victoria in 2026. The program is funded through recreational fishing licence fees and aims to encourage children to enjoy the outdoors, experience nature and spend quality time fishing with family and friends.

Each Little Angler Kit includes a fishing rod and reel combo, travel case, tackle kit and instructional booklet. Fishing is a wonderful way for children to get outdoors, learn about our waterways and wildlife, and enjoy an active pastime with others.

We hope our Grade 5 students have lots of fun discovering the joys of fishing and perhaps even catch a new hobby along the way!

Book Week Parade – Friday 28th August

We are looking forward to celebrating Book Week 2026 with this year's theme, A Symphony of Stories.

Students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book character for our annual Book Week Parade, which will begin at 9:00 am on Friday 28th August.

This year's theme celebrates the wonderful variety of stories that inspire us, so we encourage students to get creative with their costume choices. Whether they choose a classic storybook character, a magical hero, a curious explorer or a much-loved favourite, we can't wait to see their imagination on display!

Costumes do not need to be expensive or elaborate, homemade costumes are often the most creative. We also encourage families to think beyond sporting uniforms such as soccer, football or netball outfits, unless they represent a character from a book. Book Week is a wonderful opportunity for students to celebrate their love of reading and showcase the incredible characters found in literature.

Parents and carers are warmly invited to join us for the parade and celebrate this special event with our students.

We look forward to another fantastic Book Week filled with creativity, imagination and a shared love of books!

Working Bee

Our termly Working Bee is scheduled for Saturday 22nd August from 1:30pm - 4:00pm, followed by drinks and a suasage sizzle. Whilst this is a great opportunity to get things done and have the school looking spick & span, it's also a great time to intereact with others. Children are welcome. Working With Chidlren Check and registration at St Justin's as a Volunteer is required (if you bring the paperwork on the day, Mr T is happy to conduct the interview).

Jobs include: Staining the timber chairs, organising the garden beds and watering system ready for spring planting, cleaning up the garden shed, filling holes around the outdoor kitchen, installing a tap to the green house (may require specialist help) and much more.

We would love to see you there.

2027 Prep Enrolments

If you have a child starting Prep in 2027, please be sure to continue to check your emails for updated information and for any outstanding items that may need to be sent to the office.

We are looking forward to seeing all the children and their parents as part of our Prep Transition program throughout Term 4.

Dates for these are as follows:

Thurs 22nd October 2026 - 7:30pm - 9:30pm - Information Evening (Parents only)
Thurs 5th November 2026 - 9:15am – 10:45am - Transition Session 1 (Students)
Thurs 12th November 2026 - 9:15am - 10:15am - Transition Session 2 (Students)
Friday 27th November 2026 - 9:15am-10:15am - Transition Session 3 (Students)
Friday 4th December 2026 - 9:15am-12:00 noon - Prep 2027 Students Orientation
Tuesday 2nd March 2027 - 7:30pm - 8:30pm - Managing Big Feelings Webinar

Privacy policy, students and parent updated

Our First Aid Policy has changed.

The updated documents are available on the MACS policies webpage in the ‘Governance’ tab.

Supporting our staff while planning for the future

Currently, all Catholic schools are working through planning and budgeting activities for 2027 to ensure we are well placed to support our staff, students and school communities in the coming year. This includes looking at how we can accommodate the changes likely to flow from a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) with school staff.

We recognise the significant financial pressures many households are facing, and we are making a conscious effort to ensure these costs are not passed on through significant fee increases.

We will continue to keep our parent community informed throughout this process. As always, our focus remains on maintaining strong school communities and continuing to deliver a high-quality Catholic education for every student

Fair on the Hill

Our Fair on the Hill will be held on Saturday 7th November 2026 (the weekend after the Melbourne Cup - lock it in).

You might like to:

clean out and/or collect any books or toys
keep an eye out for blocks of chocoloates
get ready for the lucky jar donation

We are also on the lookout for:

acts to perform on stage at our fair. Possibilities might include dancing, calisthenics, martial arts demonstrations or any of the outside groups that our community are part of. We also have a few parents who are keen to present 4 to 5 songs, but they need support - if you or anyone you know is interested, please let Mr T know. Solo acts welcome.
someone to coordinate the bar (RSA required)

For all expressions of interest, please contact Mr Torpey / Fr Andrew

As always, thank you for your ongoing support.

All the best

Pat

Mr Patrick Torpey

Principal

PMI

Primary Music Institute