Dear Parents and Carers,

There is certainly a buzz in the school as we prepare for our much-anticipated school production next week. We look forward to sharing the excitement and magic of Beauty and the Beast Jr., "a tale as old as time", brought to life by our talented students. From enchanted costumes to spellbinding performances, our cast and crew have truly put their hearts into every moment. Behind the scenes, our dedicated staff, hardworking students, and incredibly supportive parents have been rehearsing, creating, building, and organising to make this an unforgettable event. It has truly been a "Beast-sized" team effort, and we are so grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment from everyone involved. So be our guest and join us for a magical evening of music, storytelling, and school spirit - it promises to be nothing short of enchanting! We look forward to sharing the excitement with you next Wednesday and Thursday evening at Malvern Town Hall.

Feast of the Assumption of Mary

Today we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The Feast of the Assumption, celebrated on August 15th, is a significant day for Catholics, marking the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken body and soul into heaven upon her death. This feast is a Holy Day of Obligation meaning Catholics are required to attend Mass. It's a time to honour Mary's faith and humility, reflecting on her "yes" to God and her role as a model of discipleship. The day offers an opportunity to celebrate Mary's special place in Christian tradition and to consider how her example can inspire our own lives.

Feast of the Assumption Mass

Today our whole school attended the Feast of the Assumption Mass at St Joseph's Church celebrated by our Parish Priest Rev Fr Gallacher. Fr Gallacher reminded us that Mary is the 'Queen of Heaven' and that when we pray to her, this is powerful, as she is in heaven with Jesus.

Prayer for the Feast of the Assumption

Woman of mercy, empower us.

Woman of faith, empower us.

Woman of contemplation, empower us.

Woman of vision, empower us.

Woman of wisdom and understanding, empower us.

Woman of grace and truth, empower us.

Woman, pregnant with hope, empower us.

Woman, centred in God, empower us.

Mary, Queen of Peace, we entrust our lives to you. Shelter us from all that may cause us harm. Teach us to live in peace, to be compassionate and generous people. Inspire us to act justly, to raise up the lowly and to support all those in need.

Amen

It's Showtime!

Join us for a wonderful celebration of this year's St Joseph's School Production Beauty and the Beast Jr. After many weeks of hard work, rehearsals, nervous anticipation and excitement, we look forward to presenting a wonderful show for you next week!

This week you would have received a letter from Mr Butler outlining the details for our production nights. This information has also been sent via Operoo, and printed copies are available from the front office if you would like one.

Details about stage make-up and clothing requirements for the performances are also included in this week's newsletter.

If you have not as yet purchased your tickets, there are still tickets available. Please invite family and friends along to see the children shine on the stage.These can be purchased via the trybooking link below: https://www.trybooking.com/DEDAB

Michelle Moore Award

Next week, at our school production, I have the honour and privilege of presenting a very special new award - the Mrs Moore Award for Excellence in The Arts -to two of our senior students.

This annual award has been established to celebrate the life, passion, and enduring legacy of Mrs Moore, for whom The Arts held a particularly special place. We believe this is a meaningful way to honour her memory, by recognising students who have demonstrated the same dedication, creativity, and pride in their artistic pursuits.

This award highlights the exceptional effort of two students involved in our school production, with a focus on those who have shown perseverance and commitment in bringing their roles to life.

From next year onward, the award will rotate its focus across different artistic disciplines, beginning with the Visual Arts, as we continue to celebrate student achievement in various areas of creativity.

The Mrs Moore Award for Excellence in the Arts will be presented annually as a lasting tribute, ensuring that Mrs Moore’s spirit, her love for the Arts, and the inspiration she gave to our school community lives on through the accomplishments of our students.

It will be my absolute honour to present this award to two students at the end of the night.

Thank You....

To our Amazing Parents and Carers...

This is a very heartfelt thank you to all of our wonderful parents who have helped in so many ways over the past couple of weeks in preparation for our school production. There’s a real buzz of excitement around the school, as many parents and carers have been busily assisting with everything from prop design and costume making, to purchasing drinks and food, making lolly bags, volunteering to support on the night with photography, set up, pack down, and serving drinks and snacks across the two nights. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented, enthusiastic, and generous community, always willing to give your time and energy to support our school. Whether you have helped in a big or small way, we truly appreciate everything you are doing to help make this a successful and memorable event.

And to our Staff....

Our staff are working around the clock and tirelessly to put on an amazing show for our school community next week. We thank each and every one of them for the huge amount of work happening behind the scenes - your dedication does not go unnoticed.

And Most Importantly, to our Students...

Our students continue to amaze us with their consistent effort, enthusiasm, and sparkle as they give their all during rehearsals. We cannot wait to see you all shine on stage next week!

Prep Prep Program

Today we commenced our Pre Prep program for all children enrolled in Prep for 2026. We had a full house led by our very loved and very wonderful early childhood educator Ms Stacey. We look forward to welcoming new families to our school community again next week! It is a wonderful way for the children to make connections through play before their first year of Prep in 2026.

Farewell and Thank You Ms Karen

This week, we said an unexpected farewell to our much-loved Ms Karen. After experiencing great heartache, Karen has made the difficult decision to take a well-deserved break to spend time with her family following the loss of her dear mum. We continue to keep Karen and her family in our prayers as they support one another through this time of grief and loss. We look forward to welcoming Karen back in the future to give her a memorable farewell from our community. We sincerely thank Karen for all she has done for our school during her time at St Joseph’s. Karen has been loved dearly and she will be missed.

Welcome Back

Next week, we welcome back a few of our wonderful staff members who have been on leave. We’re excited to have Ms Christie Birch and Ms Georgina Carman return, and we look forward to seeing their smiling faces around our school again on Monday! We have missed you both - a lot!

STEM Celebration Days at St Joseph's

We thank Ms Fiona Hansford for the exciting learning activities she has organised for our students throughout the week as part of Science 'STEM' Week this week. Please look out for more information on the Specialist page.

And another thank you...

We have many parents who work behind the scenes to help make our school a special place. We would like to say a special thank you to Lauren (mum to Ada, in Prep L) for sewing the beautiful prayer cloths for all of our classes. Lauren has given her time and talent to create something special that our students will use in their daily prayer. These cloths will be treasured in classrooms for years to come. Thank you, Lauren, for your kindness and generosity to our school community!

Meet our Wonderful St Joseph's Staff

Each week I'd like to take some time to introduce you to members of our staff. This week let me introduce our Year 2 Teacher Ella Clerehan:

Hello everyone! I’m Ms Clerehan, and I have the pleasure of teaching 2C this year.

I’ve been part of the St Joseph’s community for just over a year now, and I feel so lucky to work alongside such wonderful students, families, and staff.

At home, I share life with my bunny, Rita, and my cat, Muffy, who keep me very entertained. They get along so well and can often be found running around the house playing chasey and hide-and-seek!

My favourite food is tofu rice paper rolls, my favourite colour is yellow, and you’ll often find me with an oat latte in hand.

Outside of school, I enjoy cooking, hiking, and staying active, I’m a bit obsessed with reformer Pilates.

On weekends and during holidays, I love spending time with friends and family, getting outdoors, and exploring new markets.

I’m looking forward to another fantastic year here at St Joseph’s!

Dendy District Athletics Carnival Years 3-6, Friday 22nd August

Next Friday 22nd August, we look forward to an exciting day at the Dendy District Athletics Carnival for some of our students in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. For further information, including the 2025 team list, Ms Christie Birch has set out an Operoo notice. We thank Ms Birch for all the time and careful planning that goes into organising a major event such as this one. We look forward to a fantastic day of competition and sportsmanship at the Dendy Carnival.

School Closure Day- Monday 25th August

On Monday 25th August there will be a School Closure Day. This date affords our families a long weekend after the busyness of the School Production week and a timely opportunity for our staff to be engaged in work in preparation for our School Review in Term 4.

Let's Stay Connected...

If 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 our school leadership, or myself.

For more serious concerns, I encourage you to reach out to me directly, either by making an appointment through the office, or contacting me via my email.

Stay warm this weekend, it's going to be a cold one!

With warmest regards,

Annabelle Marinelli

Principal

annabelle.marinelli@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au

Pre Prep Program