Principal's News   

Dear Parents, Carers and Families,

It is so wonderful to see that we are now in full swing with our Prep children settled into new routines, new friendships and new learning, and the rest of our classes engaging in building new relationships with their teachers and their peers and lots of new learning in classrooms. It is also great to see our senior students taking the lead with new ideas and initiatives and beign the responsible leaders of our school. It is especially heartwarming to see the genuine care and thoughtful connections they are forming with their Prep buddies.

Save the Date: Saturday 28th March 10am -3pm

The planning for our St Joseph’s Fun Day has officially begun! Our amazing Parents & Friends Association has already started preparations for what promises to be a wonderful day of family fun for both our school community and the wider Malvern community.

Our P&F Major Events Coordinator, Fleur (Mum of Andre in Year 3), is leading a fabulous group of committed parents and carers who are generously giving their time and energy behind the scenes to bring this special day to life. From organising activities and entertainment to coordinating food, stalls and logistics, there is already a great deal of thoughtful planning underway.

We are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm, creativity and community spirit that Fleur and the team bring to this event. Their dedication ensures that occasions like our Fun Day not only create joyful memories for our children, but also strengthen the connections that make St Joseph’s such a welcoming and vibrant community.

We look forward to sharing more details soon - it is certainly shaping up to be a highlight of the year!

On Thursday our banners went up! We thank our very own Deputy Principal Dean Butler for his creative design, Matthew O'Connor (Father of Evie in Year 3 and Coco in Prep) for the Print Set Up, Ben Garvey (Father of Valentina in Year 3) for the Printing, and our amazing Fleur (Mum of Andre in Year 3) for the organisation behind it all!

Prayer 

This week we pray for the partnerships that we value between our staff and our parents and carers...

Loving God,

We thank You for the gift of our school community and for the partnership between parents, carers, and staff.

Bless our shared journey of learning and growth.

Help us to work together with trust, respect, and open hearts, sharing information for the benefit of the children in our shared care.

Guide our conversations, our decisions, and our actions, so that they are shaped by patience, understanding, and compassion.

May our partnerships be strong, supportive, and filled with hope.

We ask Your blessing on our families, our educators, and especially on the children entrusted to us.

May they flourish in a safe, nurturing, and joyful community.

Amen.

Parent Information Sharing Meetings

There was a great buzz in the classrooms and art room yesterday afternoon/evening as parents engaged in conversation with teachers about their child at the Parent Information Sharing Meetings. I hope these meetings gave you an opportunity to share important information about your child... their routines, strengths and talents, and their wellbeing and learning needs. There was a lot of positive talk as parents left the school as to how happy and settled their children are and how grateful they are for everything that the teachers are doing to create a space in their classrooms for the children to flourish as learners and individuals.

Swimming Trials

This week our Years 3 to 6 students gave their best in the swimming trials as part of HOLT Swimming. We commend all of the children who put their hand up to participate.  I would especially like to mention students who went out of their way to show kindness and leadership to other children at the trials. It is always so heartwarming to hear about this kind of school spirit and leadership!

Student Representative Council

Our SRC students have made a truly wonderful start to the year, coming together for their first meeting with our Wellbeing Leader Ms Carman with enthusiasm, pride and a genuine desire to make a difference. It was fantastic to see the thoughtful conversations and the maturity they are already bringing to their roles.

They are wearing their badges with pride and embracing their responsibilities with confidence and care. Through their actions, they are beautifully demonstrating our school values of Strength and Kindness - showing courage to share ideas, respect for others’ voices, and a commitment to serving our school community. We are incredibly proud of the leadership they are already showing and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will continue to make throughout the year.

Uniform Shop

Last week our Sustainable Uniform Shop raised an incredible $1,729.88 for our school community. This wonderful result is a true reflection of the generosity and commitment of our families.

We sincerely thank the parents who donate second-hand uniforms, giving these items a new life and supporting other families in the process. We are also deeply grateful to the parents who generously give their time to wash, iron and carefully prepare each item for resale. Your quiet, behind-the-scenes efforts make an enormous difference.

The support of our community in embracing the Sustainable Uniform Shop not only assists families in a practical way, but also reflects our shared commitment to sustainability by reducing waste and reusing quality clothing.

A very special thank you to Angela N, Simone and Bryony for their leadership, organisation and ongoing dedication. Your care and hard work ensure this initiative continues to thrive. We are truly fortunate to have such a supportive and generous community at St Joseph’s.

Gardening Club

Our Gardening Club is set to commence at St Joseph’s, and there is already a wonderful sense of excitement growing! This term, a group of enthusiastic students will roll up their sleeves and begin tending to our beautiful “Secret Garden,” a special space tucked away within our school grounds.

Supported by Ms Siobhan O’Dwyer, our young gardeners will have the opportunity to plant, nurture and care for a variety of flowers, herbs and seasonal produce. Through their hands-on work, students will learn valuable skills while developing patience, teamwork and responsibility.

A special focus of our Gardening Club will be sustainability. Students will explore ways to care for our environment by composting, conserving water, reducing waste and learning about seasonal planting. By nurturing our garden, they will also grow in their understanding of how small, thoughtful actions can contribute to caring for God’s creation and protecting our planet for the future.

We are delighted to see such keen interest from our students and look forward to watching both our garden, and our gardeners, flourish in the weeks ahead.

Kindness at St Joseph's

It is always so lovely to acknowledge children who live out our school values of kindness and strength. Valentina and Grace in Year 3 showed this so beautifully during the week in the way they demonstrated genuine care for others. Through their thoughtful words, inclusive actions and willingness to look out for those around them, they consistently show compassion and empathy towards their classmates.

Whether offering a friendly smile, inviting others to join in play, or simply noticing when someone might need support, Valentina and Grace remind us that small acts of kindness can make a big difference. We are so proud of the positive example they set for our St Joseph’s community.

Learning Excellence

It is always a highlight of my week when students come to visit me in the office to share their learning. Recently, I have had a number of children proudly presenting work that reflects their very best effort and a commitment to learning excellence.

Whether it has been beautifully presented writing, carefully solved maths problems, creative projects or personal learning goals achieved, each visit has been a wonderful reminder of the pride our students take in their growth. Their determination, persistence and willingness to challenge themselves truly reflect our school’s commitment to striving for excellence in all that we do.

I congratulate these students (and pictured here-  Jack and Ollie from Year 3) for their hard work and thank them for so confidently sharing their achievements. Keep up the fantastic effort!

NAPLAN 2026

The 2026 National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests will be administered to students in Years 3, and 5 from Wednesday 11th March to Friday 20th March 2026. 

NAPLAN is a national assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, that is undertaken yearly in March. NAPLAN is made up of tests in four domains:

• Reading

• Writing

• Language Conventions (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation)

• Numeracy

•  

NAPLAN tests provide point-in-time information regarding student progress in literacy and numeracy and are intended to complement teacher judgement and the wide range of formal and informal assessment programs that are already used in schools.

The teachers and school leaders will ensure our children in Years 3 and 5 are well prepared so that they feel comfortable and confident in approaching this testing.

Valentine's Day

Today, some of the children across the school took part in activities to celebrate Valentine’s Day, which is held tomorrow.

At this morning’s assembly, our Year 5 and 6 pupils, who led us so beautifully, shared the origins of Valentine’s Day and explained the significance behind it. They thoughtfully linked this to our school values, and we reflected together on the many ways we can show love, kindness and compassion here at St Joseph’s.

School Canteen

This week, our wonderful Mums in the school canteen made today’s lunches extra special with Valentine’s Day treats! We thank you for always going above and beyond to make Friday lunches such a joyful and yummy experience for our children. Your care and thoughtfulness are truly appreciated!

Thank You from our Staff...

And a special thank you to some of our very thoughtful parents and carers for making Valentine's Day special for our staff too!

St Joseph's School Assembly

At our assembly this morning, the Year 5 and 6 students shared with us why St Valentine is such an important person and why this special day is remembered each year. They shared messages of how we can how show love to each other at our school. We also celebrated our STAR Award recipients and our birthdays singing Tanti Aguri once again as a school community!

2027 Enrolments

Enrolments for new and current families for 2027 are now open. We encourage all current and new families to submit an application to ensure a place in our Prep intake for 2027. The enrolment application form can be found on our website. Please contact our school office if you have any queries. 

Open Days at St Joseph's

Our official Open Days for 2026 are being held across the following dates:

Every Day is Open Day at St Joseph's! Tours are always welcome outside of these hours, so please contact the office at your earliest convenience should you be unable to make one of the above times. 

If you have family or friends who are exploring school options for 2027, our Open Days are a great opportunity to see our beautiful school in action, meet our staff, and learn more about what makes our community at St Joseph's so special.

We already have many registrations booked in for our Open Days. Once we receive applications, interviews will take place on Monday 2nd March and First Round Letters of Offer will be sent on Tuesday 10th March.

Please spread the word to any prospective families who may be looking for a school for 2027. Our families are our greatest advocates, so please share your thoughts about our beautiful school to your friends and family. 

Junior Joey's Playgroup Commences Next Week!

Our fabulous Transition Leader and Prep teacher, Ms. Liolios, will be restarting the St. Joseph’s Playgroup in Week 4, on Monday 16th February. We can’t wait to welcome our young families back and look forward to many joyful mornings of play, connection, and community. We hope to see you there!

Swimming Program

You will have received an email via nForma with details about our swimming program taking place in the coming weeks. This is always a valuable opportunity for our students to build confidence in the water, develop important water safety skills and strengthen their overall fitness.

We extend our sincere thanks to Mr Butler for the time and care he has taken in organising this intensive program for our students. His efforts ensure that everything runs smoothly and that our children gain the greatest benefit from the experience.

Please take a few moments to carefully read the email and respond as requested, as this will assist us greatly with planning and organisation. We appreciate your support and cooperation.

School Policies

A friendly reminder that there are a number of important forms currently available on the nForma for Parents app that require your review and response, including the Parent and Student Code of Conduct, ICT Agreement, and Media Consent Form. We kindly ask that parents and carers please prioritise completing these, as they support our school processes and ensure we have accurate information for your child.

St Joseph's Fee Statements and Concession Fee Policy

St Joseph's Fee Statements have now been sent out from the office today. In line with our Concessional Fee Policy (which is available on the school website), discounted fees are available for families experiencing financial difficulty (including those on an eligible HCC). Any family who is experiencing difficulties in meeting their financial commitments or wishing to discuss alternate fee payment arrangements for 2026, is asked to arrange an appointment with Annabelle Marinelli. Please do not hesitate to make a time to see me if this applies to you.

School Photos & Summer School Uniform 

School Photos are booked for Monday 23rd March. All students will be dressed in their full full summer uniform, with the correct socks and shoes. We thank you in advance for ensuing that all students come to school each day in their correct uniform. This includes the school colours in hair as well as no fancy jewellery or nail polish. Thank you for your support with this. We also have some new St Joseph's vests that can be purchased for the cooler mornings.

Being SunSmart

As the very warm weather continues and the UV levels are very high, our school is committed to implementing SunSmart awareness. It is timely to remind everyone that hats must be worn during the warmer months. It is helpful for the children to apply their sunscreen before school and again before going out to play. It is important that we all remember to be SunSmart. For useful ideas and more information about sun protection, see the SunSmart website www.sunsmart.com.au.

Student Mobile Phones  and Smart Watches

We kindly ask all families to remind their children that all mobile phones and Smart Watches - that is any device with cellular capacity, to be handed in to the office at the beginning of each school day. This aligns with the Victorian State Government legislation. Thank you for your cooperation. The children can then collect their phones and smart watches at the end fo the school day form the office. All phones and wayches will b stored in a secure place for the day. Parents who need to contact their child can do so by contacting the school office.

Parents and Friends Meeting

On Tuesday night that was a buzz of excitement and energy as the room filled with parents who are keen to lead our school as part of the St Joseph's Parents and Friends Association for 2026.

The purpose of the P&F is to support the school and its priorities for the year. In communication with the principal and leadership team, the P&F organises social events throughout the year to build a sense of community and a feeling of connectedness within the school. All funds raised go to improving the school environment and/or purchasing resources, which, in turn, directly benefits students’ learning and wellbeing.

The P&F welcomes all parents and encourages you to become involved. Being a member of the P&F is a rewarding and enjoyable way of being involved in our school community. It offers the opportunity to meet school families, make new friends across various year levels and contribute to the vibrant St Joseph’s community. Most importantly, involvement in the P&F benefits your child/children.

I sincerely thank each member of our community who put their hand up to be part of the P&F for 2026. I am very excited to work with you and I look forward to the exciting events that you have planned for 2026!

The P&F have some very exciting events planned for the coming weeks and throughout the year. Please take the time to read the P&F page in this week's newsletter.

We are are welcoming and inclusive community and appreciate as much support as possible. All members of our community are very welcome!

Important Dates for Term 1

I encourage you to take a moment to review the Term 1 dates page in this week’s newsletter so you are up to date with all the important activities and events happening this term. We encourage you to be involved in the life of our St Joseph’s community.

Family Welcome Picnic

Next Tuesday, 17th February from 3:15pm to 5pm, we’re excited to come together as a school community for our Welcome Picnic. A big thank you to our P&F for their hard work in organising what promises to be a fun and enjoyable afternoon for everyone. The P&F have organised a sausage sizzle, icy poles, drinks and fruit cups which can be purchased on the afternoon. We thank all parents and carers for signing up to help beforehand  and on the day.

We invite you to bring along your drinks, snacks, and picnic blanket for what will be a wonderful opportunity to spend time with our staff and school families. A special invitation is extended to our new families - we’re excited to enjoy the afternoon with you.

Staff will be on duty supervising the children on the play equipment and at the school gates, but we kindly ask all parents and carers to ensure your child is supervised throughout the event. We’re looking forward to a lovely start to the year and can't wait to share this special time with you all!

Shrove Tuesday  - Tuesday 17th March

Next week is Shrove Tuesday, and we are excited to be celebrating with pancakes for the whole school. Our wonderful P&F will be supporting with setting up, cooking and serving pancakes for all of our children. We thank them once again for supporting our community. 

Ash Wednesday Mass- Wednesday 18th March

We warmly invite all parents, carers, and families to join us for our Ash Wednesday Mass next Wednesday morning at 9:15 am. The Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Gallacher at St. Joseph's Church, and we would be delighted to have you with us as we mark the beginning of the Lenten season in our church's liturgical calendar.

As we come together in prayer and reflection, we kindly ask that all attending remember a few important guidelines: Please ensure your phones are on silent during the Mass, and out of respect for the sacred nature of the service, we ask that no coffee or tea be brought into the church. Thank you for your understanding and for helping us maintain a peaceful and respectful atmosphere for this meaningful celebration. 

It would be lovely to see our families joining us for the first day of Lent. 

Reconciliation Family Night

Next Thursday evening at 6pm, we will gather for our Reconciliation Family Night for our Reconciliation candidates. I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday evening as we begin this special journey of preparation together.

I sincerely thank Fr Gallacher and Ms DeVisser in advance for the wonderful work they will do with the children as they prepare for this sacrament. We are grateful for their guidance and support during this important time in our students’ faith journey.

School Advisory Council Meeting

Our first School Advisory Meeting will be held next Thursday 19th February at 7pm. It is a great opportunity to discuss our school improvement priorities for 2026 with this advisory group. I look forward to working closely with the SAC across this year.

Working Bee- Saturday 21st February 1pm-3pm

Our amazing Parents and Friends are off to a flying start, getting organised for our first Working Bee for 2026. This will take place on this Saturday 21st February from 1pm-3pm. We thank Jess P for taking on the huge job of organising this for our school  and we extend a big thank you to our families for generously giving up your precious time to improve and maintain the grounds for our students. Your support makes a world of difference! It will look amazing just in time for our Open Day on Monday 23rd February. A sign up genius notification will come out early next week.

What's On Next Week..

We have a big week at St Joseph’s next week, with some very exciting events planned across the week, including Shrove 'Pancake' Tuesday, Welcome Picnic, Ash Wednesday Mass, Reconciliation Information Evening, SAC meeting, and our Working Bee on Saturday. We thank all parents and carers who are busily involved in helping out and supporting our school across the coming week.

At any time, if you have any questions or concerns about the wellbeing, care or learning of your child, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's class teacher, one of the school leaders, or Dean Butler, Deputy Principal or myself, Annabelle Marinelli, Principal.

I wish you all a wonderful Valentines' Day tomorrow and a lovely weekend with your beautiful families.

With the warmest regards,

Annabelle Marinelli

Principal 

annabelle.marinelli@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au