Principal News
Week 7, Term 1
Athletics Day - What A Success!
Dear Parents and Carers,
We could not have asked for a better outcome for our annual Athletics Day. The feedback from across the community has been overwhelmingly positive, and it was a wonderful way to finish the week. From the sprints to tug-of-war and shot put, our students embraced every moment and had a fantastic day.
Athletics Day is one of my favourite days of the year. It is an important reminder that success looks different for every child. Across the day, we see our students demonstrate grit, determination and perseverance, whether they are striving for a personal best, stepping outside their comfort zone, or cheering on their peers. It is in these moments that our St Joseph's students truly shine in their own way.
A sincere thank you to Mr Garin Sandler for the incredible amount of work that goes into coordinating this event. It is an enormous task to plan and execute a day of this scale, and the preparation that happens behind the scenes does not go unnoticed. Mr Sandler works with the entire school in the lead-up, ensuring every student is prepared, confident and ready to participate fully on the day. We also acknowledge our outstanding Year 6 Sports Leaders – Max O, Max S, Maia W, Maya J, Immy, Hugo, Seb, Freddie, Archie, Rhyley, Pat and Luke M.
We are so grateful to our parent community for your ongoing support. Days like this simply would not run as smoothly without you. It was lovely to see so many families at the track, assisting, encouraging and cheering on our students. We are also grateful to the parents who volunteered, either assisting on the finish line, timing students, helping measure the long jump or simply working with the classroom teacher to ensure the day was a success. Thank you.
We also extend our sincere thanks to our parent community for your support in transporting students directly to and from the athletics track. We recognise that this is not always possible for every family due to work and other commitments, and we were pleased to provide bus transport where needed. The strong level of parent support meant we were able to reduce the number of buses required, allowing us to minimise costs and redirect those funds back into the classroom to support student learning, resources and opportunities across the school.
Finally, we acknowledge our staff for the enthusiasm and energy they bring to occasions like this. Their willingness to fully engage helps create the positive, inclusive atmosphere that makes days like our Athletics Carnival so special. We look forward to sharing more photos from this fantastic day with you in next week’s newsletter.
Staff News
Congratulations to Rianne Coldebella and her partner, Mitch, on the safe arrival of beautiful baby boy, Oscar. Born on March 8th, Mum and bub are doing very well and we are counting down the days until their first St Joseph's visit (and lots of cuddles).
I am also delighted to share some lovely news with our families - Plaxy Nardella is expecting her first child, due in late August. We are absolutely thrilled for Plaxy as she prepares for this very special and exciting new chapter in her life! Plaxy will continue teaching with us until Friday, August 7 (Term 3, Week 4), before beginning her maternity leave. Shortly, the school will begin the process of recruiting a high-quality teacher to join our fabulous Prep team. Our focus will be on finding the right person to ensure continuity of learning and care for the children, and we will take great care in appointing the best possible candidate.
Next week, I will be attending the biennial Victorian Association of Catholic Primary School Principals Conference in Lorne, and will be away from Tuesday to Friday. The conference brings together over 300 Catholic primary school principals from across Victoria and is always a valuable opportunity to connect, reflect and learn alongside colleagues. This year’s theme, Nourish Your Purpose, will guide each day of the conference, with a strong focus on the many dimensions of principalship. During my time away, Mr Luke Daffy will be leading St Joseph’s and ensuring the continued smooth running of the school.
Feast of St Joseph
Yesterday we gathered as a community to celebrate the Feast of St Joseph, a special occasion in the life of our school. We extend our sincere thanks to Father Leenus and Father Eugene for leading us in such a meaningful Mass. Thank you also to Mr Hayes for the significant work behind the scenes in preparing the liturgy and ensuring the celebration was thoughtfully planned. It was particularly special to have our class prayer mats blessed during the Mass, which will now hold an even deeper significance in our classrooms as places of reflection, prayer and connection.
NAPLAN
Congratulations to our Year 3 and Year 5 students who have now completed their NAPLAN assessments for 2026. Despite the well-publicised nationwide disruption to the NAPLAN platform, we are pleased to share that St Joseph’s students were not impacted, and the assessments were completed smoothly.
NAPLAN provides a valuable snapshot of student progress in literacy and numeracy, offering parents an insight into how their child is tracking against national standards. At St Joseph’s, we gently remind families that NAPLAN is just one piece of the puzzle. Our teachers engage in ongoing, comprehensive assessment practices that provide a far deeper and more nuanced understanding of each student’s learning journey. Your child’s classroom teacher remains the most important source of insight into their individual progress and growth.
Beyond individual results, NAPLAN also plays an important role in informing our strategic direction. It allows us to celebrate student achievement and identify areas for continued growth across our teaching and learning programs. By triangulating NAPLAN data with our school-based assessments and professional judgement, we are able to refine our practice, target professional learning, and strengthen the impact of our Annual Action Plan.
We are incredibly proud of the way our students approached the assessments, and we thank our staff for their careful preparation and support. Thank you also to our parent community for your ongoing partnership as we continue to strive for excellence in teaching and learning at St Joseph’s.
School Photoshoot
On Wednesday, we welcomed School Presence onsite to capture updated imagery of our staff, learning spaces, school uniform, playgrounds and, of course, our wonderful students. These photographs will be used to refresh our website, promotional materials and school newsletter, ensuring they reflect the vibrant life of our school.
We have included some behind-the-scenes glimpses from the day, and we look forward to sharing the final images with our community very soon.
Year 6 Dendy Cricket Competition
Congratulations to our Year 6 students (listed below) who participated in the Dendy Cricket Tournament on Thursday. Despite the wet weather, the day was filled with great enjoyment, and we are incredibly proud of the way our St Joseph’s students represented the school. The All Stars Mixed team progressed through to the semi-finals, narrowly missing a place in the grand final. A sincere thank you to Mr Sandler, Ms Melissa and Mr Daffy for their organisation and support, and to our parent coaches Leanne, Tim and Michael for generously giving their time to ensure the day ran so smoothly.
All Stars Mixed - Arthur, Luke, Isaac, Max.O, Ryan, Sebastian, Massimo, Hugo, James, Ned coached by Leanne V and Tim M, and supported by Mr Sandler.
All Stars Girls - Allegra, Harriet, Zoe, Amelie, Imogen, Maya. J, Maia. W, Emma, Maddie, Charlotte, Evie coached by Michael S and supported by Ms Melissa.
Future Stars - Archie, Eddie, Phin, Max.S, Freddie, Pat, Rex, Nate, Ben, Lewis, coached by Mr Daffy.
Staff Professional Development
Each week, our staff come together for two professional learning sessions focused on strengthening our practice in literacy, mathematics and effective teaching approaches. These sessions, led by our school leaders - Mr Daffy (Deputy Principal/Teaching and Learning), Miss Dusting (3-6 English), Mr Hayes (3-6 Maths) or Mrs Gleeson (P-2 English & Maths) - are closely aligned with our Annual Action Plan, and continue to refine and strengthen the way we teach and learn at St Joseph’s. Importantly, they support a shared understanding across the staff and ensure a consistent approach to teaching and learning from Prep to Year 6.
We also dedicate time each week to student wellbeing. During these meetings, staff work together to identify, support and review students’ social, emotional and academic needs. This regular collaboration reflects our strong whole-school commitment to both professional growth and the wellbeing of every child.
We take great pride in this collective investment in our staff and students. It has played a significant role in the strong outcomes we continue to see at St Joseph’s, as well as the growing confidence families place in our school community. Thank you to our staff for their continued commitment, and in particular to our outstanding leaders who guide and support this work so thoughtfully.
While we have invested significantly in these instructional approaches over the past 10 years, we know how important it is to continue revisiting and strengthening these core practices. Taking the time to refine and reinforce the strategies that underpin effective teaching and learning ensures we maintain a strong and consistent approach.
This ongoing cycle of professional learning - returning to our shared understandings, strengthening key strategies and refining our practice - remains central to our commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.
Classroom Parent Helper Course
This year, we once again warmly welcome the support of parents and grandparents in our Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms. To assist at school, all helpers must hold a current Working with Children Check, with a copy provided to the school prior to commencing. In addition, a compulsory training session (approximately one hour) is required for all new Prep–Year 2 parents, as well as any parents or grandparents wishing to attend a refresher. If you have older children, we strongly recommend participating if it has been three or more years since you last completed the training. This year’s training session will be held online via Google Meet on Thursday March 26 at 2.30pm, and will be facilitated by Cassie Gleeson. If you wish to attend, please contact Cassie Gleeson directly (cgleeson@sjelst.catholic.edu.au) to receive the meeting details.
Term 1 School Fees
A reminder for all parents to download the CDFPay app and link their school fees to complete their Term 1 fee payment. This app can be used to order from the canteen and all school fees will now be paid via CDFpay. Instructions are located on the CDFPay Newsletter page. If you have any futher questions please contact Fiona Scammell fscammell@sjelst.catholic.edu.au.
Final Call – Sibling Applications for Prep 2027 (Now Overdue)
A final reminder to all current families that sibling enrolment applications for Prep 2027 are now overdue. With enrolments expected to reach capacity, it is essential that sibling applications are submitted as soon as possible so we can accurately determine the number of places available for new families. Applications can be completed via our school website: https://www.sjelst.catholic.edu.au/applynow
Please contact the School Office if you have any questions or require support with your application.
Little Gems
Happy St Patrick's Day to our wonderful Irish staff members, Miss Shanahan, Miss Lougheed and Miss Crawley! As an integral part of the St Joseph's family, we know this day is always special for them and serves as a reminder of their friends and family back home in Ireland.
It is such a delight to have such a steady stream of students showing off their stunning work! Mr Daffy and I just love our little visitors, and being given the opportunity to celebrate these wonderful students.
The cake stall on Monday was a terrific success, with the line to order snaking out the door and down to the adventure playground. Thank you to the P&F and the Year 4 Parents who were 'on duty', and successfully raised $805 that will go towards our playground upgrades.
Is there anything the wonderful Fiona can't do? Here she is, watering the new hedges on Wednesday afternoon.
Thank you, once again, to our entire community for coming together to make our annual Athletics Day so special. We hope everyone has a well deserved rest this weekend, before we head into the final two weeks of Term One.
Warmest regards,
Claire Tobin
Principal