Principal's News

Final Newsletter for 2025 - We made it! 

Dear families,

As we approach the end of another school year, I want to take a moment to congratulate our wonderful St Joseph’s community. We have so much to celebrate and be grateful for. This has been an exceptional year for our school, and our success is a direct reflection of the positive partnerships we continue to foster between families and staff. The achievements of our students and the strength of our community are only possible because of these trusting relationships.

As we reflect on the year, it is clear that the progress and growth at St Joseph’s are the result of the collective efforts of our students, staff and parents. Each of you plays an important role in shaping a learning environment where every child can thrive. Our students have produced outstanding achievements, demonstrating not only their academic growth, but also their resilience and determination in the face of challenges. Whether it was excelling in the classroom, showcasing talents in various sporting events, performing on stage in 'Mary Poppins JR', or contributing to our community through their leadership roles, the commitment of our students to personal and collective excellence has been truly inspiring.

I send a heartfelt thank you to our devoted staff. Our teachers, specialists and LSOs have worked tirelessly to provide high quality learning and support for our students. Your commitment to nurturing curiosity, growth and character has made a lasting impact on our children. Your passion for teaching is at the heart of our school, and I feel genuinely blessed to be surrounded by such an expert and dedicated team every day. Thank you. 

To our wonderful office team, Moira and Fiona. Thank you for the countless ways you support our community. Nothing is ever too much to ask! You are the first point of welcome for new families and your warmth and professionalism set the tone for our entire school. We are deeply grateful for all that you do.

To our families, thank you for your unwavering support. Your involvement in your child’s education, whether through volunteering, attending events, or fostering a strong and positive home partnership, you enrich our community in ways that cannot be measured. I say it all the time, but we are nothing without our active and involved parent community, and no one does 'community' like St Joseph's Elsternwick. 

To our departing staff, we once again thank and acknowledge Ally Dunk (moving home to QLD), Cliodhna Murtagh (returning to Ireland), Lisa Mclean (12 months leave), Rianne Coldebella (maternity leave), Sarah Nugent (retirement) and Moira McKinnis (retirement) for their incredible support and dedication to St Joseph's. A special acknowledgement to Mr Hartney for his exceptional leadership this year, and we wish him all the very best as he heads down the highway to St Agnes, Highett, as Principal. 

As we reflect on the year, we also hold in our hearts members of our community who have experienced deep loss. We remember and pray for Karen Quitt (former staff member), Michelle Moore (former Deputy Principal) and James Sutherland (former School Captain), and acknowledge the grief felt by their families and those who loved them. Our thoughts and prayers remain with their families, and we continue to hold them close as a St Joseph’s community.

Lastly, we acknowledge the following families for their many years of commitment to St Joseph’s:

Bankes, Byrne, Campbell, Chester, Dimitriou, Di Paolo, Exon, Fisher, Fothergill, Gallacher-Williams, Georgiou, Goode, Groman, Ha, Hodgens, Jacques, Jamsek, Johnson, Juers, Keating, Kritikides, Lloyd, Maggioni, Maloney, Mihovilovic, Mikronis, Morris, Morrissey, Mouhtouris, Ottobre, Pendred, Phan, Scott, Sutton, Tiu, Topic, Trajkovski, Tsiavis, West, Whitham, Wilson, Zancanaro. 

We have loved being a part of your journey and thank you for your contributions to St Joseph's. 

Year 6 Big Day Out & Graduation 

Yesteday, our Year 6s went to 'Hijinx Hotel' at Chadstone for their Big Day Out, our traditional end of year treat. A surprise up until the last minute, the students had a wonderful time playing together as a cohort (for the last time!) before returning to Wills Batch for ice-cream. Thank you to Miss Shanahan, Mr Jansson, Mr Sandler, Mrs Foulkes and Ms Bowman for going along with the students for the day. From all reports, it was a simply fabulous excursion. 

On Monday December 15, we will gather to acknowledge the wonderful achievements of our Year 6s at their Graduation. Mr Jansson, Miss Shanahan and Mr Sandler's inspiration and care has been second to none. We certainly believe their journey at St Joseph's has prepared them well, and we have no doubt that they will embrace all of the wonderful opportunities that will be presented to them at Secondary School. Thank you to Sarah Exon, Tara Pagan, Julia Wilson, Sugi Sivarajan, Lisa Thompson, Agi Goode, Jo Gielen, Erika Lancini, Annette Van Dort, Krisztina Welcome and Liana Cauchi, plus helpers, for their work in coordinating the evening. 

Last week, the 6s attended the International Day of People with Disabilities celebrations at GESAC. It was a day of fun, inclusion, and community organised by the Glen Eira Council. The students enjoyed an AFL wheelchair exhibition game, a dance session, and played pickleball, table tennis, or gymnastics. Afterwards, we recieved the most wonderful email about our students. Congratulations, Year 6!

I have received some great feedback from various sources from yesterday about how engaged you all were and the energy the students provided, not just during the demonstration game of wheelchair football, but all the activities. Plus, how inclusive they were to share space with students from the supported schools and day support services. A credit to them, your school, and their parents. Their presence on the day certainly had a positive effect on the day and its success.

Finally, I was sent the following photos of our wonderful Year 6 parent group, who gathered at Carter Lovett for their, 'Last Supper'. What a special way to end their time at St Joseph's. With 35 families departing our school in Year 6 this year, it really does feel like the end of an era in our little community. 

School Captains 2026 

Congratulations to our new school captains for 2026 -  Emma, Maya, Max and Rex! We are absolutely delighted for you and know that you will serve our community well next year. All Year 6 students will work in various leadership groups across the year, supporting important school events and initiatives.  

P&F Success! 

Congratulations to our two wonderful winners of the P&F Christmas Raffle, drawn today at assembly! Excitememt was at an all time high, and the delight on the children's faces when they realised their Mum/Grandpa had won was priceless. In total, the profit from the raffle was $18,500 - a remarkable sum. We sincerly thank Rosie, Victoria, MJ and Lauren for their fundraising efforts. This year, we are delighted to have raised approximately $68,000 through various initiatives, including the Christmas Raffle, Footy Classic, Parent Function, Art Auction, Uniform and Cake Stalls, Mother’s Day Function, and the Easter Raffle. These funds have supported key school projects, such as our beautiful new astroturf and the upcoming playground redevelopment. These achievements reflect a significant investment in both our school and, most importantly, the future of our children. We remain so thankful to Rosie and Victoria, our P&F Co-Presidents, for their tireless work in building community, enhancing children’s enjoyment, and raising funds. Bring on 2026! 

Year 4 Campers

It was brilliant to see and hear how wonderful our Year 4s were while away on their three day camp this week. Camp Wyuna is a fabulous camping experience for the students - situated right on the beach and providing a lovely variety of activities for our students. The children and staff simply didn't stop, and it should come as no surprise they looked exhausted as they returned to school on Friday afternoon. The word on the street is, Year 4 camp is the best camp at St Joseph's! 

The students had an amazing time and were blessed with such beautiful weather while down the coast. I don't get to go on many school camps these days, and I felt so fortunate that I was able to attend, if only for 1 night. The students were so amazing - enjoying one another's company, using their manners, encouraging each other and generally being such a delight. Parents - be proud of your children! 

We thank our amazing staff, Elly Dillon, Mitch Hayes, Cliodhna Murtagh, Meg Wilkinson, Rianne Coldebella and Maria Crawley for providing our students with such a wonderful camping experience.

Dame Jean Macnamara Award

It was an absolute delight to host Josh Burns (MP) at St Joseph's last week to present the Dame Jean Macnamara Award. This award recognises female Year 6 students who have excelled in STEM, as well as showing resilience and strength in their learning. We are thrilled to announce that Kira G was the deserving recipient, having excelled in all curriculum areas this year and demonstrating incredible achievement in Maths Olympics. Congratulations, Kira G!

School Fees

A reminder to those who still have outstanding fees. Payment is expected by Tuesday December 20. Please contact Moira McKinnis if you have any issues. 

School Communication Update

We have now transitioned fully to nForma as our main platform for school communication. If you haven’t already done so, please ensure you have downloaded the nForma for Parents app from your preferred app store.

The PDF linked above outlines how to use nForma for:

• Student Reports
• Notices and Permission Forms
• Medical Information
• Marking future absences for your child/children

At this stage, the nMeet feature is not yet active, so we will continue to use www.schoolinterviews.com.au for parent–teacher bookings until further notice.

A gentle reminder to take a moment to check that your child’s medical information is up to date in nForma. With Operoo now closed, all medical and contact details must be entered directly into nForma moving forward.

MACSEYE’s Summer Explorers Holiday Program - Book Now! 

Get ready for fun times, creativity and adventure! From water safety sessions with a qualified lifeguard, to hands-on crafts like sea creatures and tie-dye bucket hats, to big days out - there’s something exciting planned every single day. 

Book you spot today! 

Learn more and book today: 

https://macseye.vic.edu.au/oshc/holiday-program/  

Important Notes, Term 1, 2026

• Staff return: Tuesday January 27
• Students return: Thursday January 29
• Welcome back assembly: Friday January 30, 9am (no awards or birthdays)
• P&F Welcome Picnic: Friday, February 6, 3.30pm

• Correct school shoes. Black leather shoes for school uniform days, runners for PE days only.

• Correct school socks: Navy for school uniform, white for PE uniform. 

• Specialist Program (PE, Italian, Visual Arts, Music) commences in Week 2, Tuesday February 3.

Parent/Teacher Interviews, 2026 

Next year, all Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on a single day. The Term 1 interviews are scheduled for Thursday February 12. On this day the students will be dismissed from school at 1.00pm, with interviews commencing at 1.15pm and continuing through to 8.45pm.

A single dedicated day ensures a smoother, more efficient process for families and staff, and aligns with the approach already adopted by many schools in our Network. MACSEYE will be available from 1pm for those families who require care. The link to book a time with your child's class teacher will be made available at the start of the new school year. 

Little Gems 

We recieved this wonderful update on Amir's (Year 6) athletics journey: 

Amir was a part of the Caulfield Little Aths team at the Southern Metro Region Relay Carnival. Amir ran in the under 13 boys 4x100m and 4x100m mixed relays, and their teams won silver and bronze medals! Both those relay teams have now progressed to the State Relay Championships at Albert Park in a few weeks.

Congratulations to these deserving students from All Stars Martial Arts class! Classes resume on Monday, February 2 at 8am. 

The Year 4 Joey Giants Tigers won their Grand Final 20-5. Congratulations to the premiers! The girls have been coached by Marty X and Lauren W all year, and are simply are thrilled. 

The Year 6 St Joseph's Mustangs won their Grand Final on Tuesday night. The boys played very well and it was a great team effort, winning the game 41-33. A special mention to coach Glenn and Team Manager Stef, who have been performing these roles since Grade 1. Am extra special mention to Glenn, who has coached basketball every week for the past 8 years - an amazing achievement. We will certainly miss seeing him at school next year. 

Our Year 2 girls team, St Joeys Giants Sundaes, made the B-Grade Grand Final and came runners up. It was a very competitive and close game, with the final score 9-12. 

It was our final Run Club of 2025 today. A huge thank you to Miss Dusting and Mr Hartney for organising this wonderful initiative for our students this year. 

Next year... 

We look forward to building upon the successes of 2025 and creating even more memorable moments together, as we continue to strive for excellence in education and community engagement. Thank you for your endless support this year. 

Wishing you all a restful and joyous holiday season. 

Next year, we will see on Thursday January 29 at 8.30am, ready to embark on another exciting chapter in the journey of the best school in Melbourne, St Joseph's Elsternwick. 

From a very proud Principal, 

Claire Tobin