Acting Principal's
News Flash
Dan Moloney
Dan Moloney
Hello everyone!
It is pleasing to keep you up to date regarding how your children are settling back into their learning for Term 1. Our highly-skilled team of teachers and education support staff are prioritising their understanding of your children's needs so that they can establish a new sense of belonging in their classroom to be ready to learn and grow.
This year's school theme is:
'Sustaining inclusive practices to enhance learning and wellbeing'
We believe that we can achieve this for your child by 'strengthening our evidence based practices, where your children will be engaged and thriving in their learning.'
2026 marks the final year of our 4-year strategic plan. We endeavour to prioritise the key systems of practice that impact your children's learning: a positive learning environment, access to explicit teaching and planned adjustments for all of our children with an ASD diagnosis. After all, these specialised practices are what we, as a school for autism, are renowned for and insist upon.
Our Assistant Principals, Stephanie and Ellen will outline the goals and actions embedded within our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan.
Our Sub School Leaders, Zoe, Stefania, Amelia and Sean, will share some of the great work we are seeing across all 4 sub schools in the last 2 weeks. Always great to see.
Our Safe and Well Leader, Mary, will provide you with an exciting update regarding our Federally-funded Playground Upgrade Project, that is in progress. I am sure that she will have plenty of photographs to share of our 'state of the art' playground turf, equipment, fencing and underground plumbing system. Great news for our students!
School Council President Steps Down
Last night, we held our first School Council Meeting for 2026. In finalising our agenda, Lisa Sette, our School Council President for 2025 has formalised her decision to step down from this role.
Lisa dedicated many years of service to our students. In 2010, she joined the school fundraising sub-committee where her important work started out not long after her son enrolled. In 2013, Lisa joined our School Council and was nominated as President in 2014. Since this time, Lisa remained our president until the present day. For much of this time, she led our Fundraising sub-committee with great success in funding a number of projects to enhance our facilities and to promote a positive sense of community throughout. In 2020, Lisa was awarded the PASS Most Outstanding Volunteer Award acknowledging her service.
On behalf of the JSA School Community, we thank you for your exceptional contribution to our school community and wish you good health now and into the future.
2026 School Council Elections
Starting Friday, 20th February, our JSA School Election will commence. We will be calling for nominations for 4 parent representatives and 2 community representatives. Nominations will close on Thursday 5th March 2026.
Nomination forms will be kept in our admin office for collection.
The Election ballot will open on Friday 6th March 2026 and close on Thursday 19th March 2026. Please ensure that your completed nominations are submitted to the admin office by this date.
| MEMBER | POSITION |
| Daniel Moloney | Executive Officer (Acting Principal) daniel.moloney@education.vic.gov.au |
| Ellen Paterson | DE Representative |
| Mary Boutros | DE Representative |
| Andrew McDonough | Parent Representative |
| Paul Malavisi | Parent Representative |
| CASUAL VACANCY from March 2026 to March 2027 | Parent Representative |
| VACANCY | Parent Representative |
| VACANCY | Parent Representative |
| VACANCY | Parent Representative |
| VACANCY | Community Member Representative |
| VACANCY | Community Member Representative |
Communication with Staff Policy (Revised 12 December for 2026)
Jacana School for Autism understands the importance of providing helpful and timely responses to common enquiries from parents and carers. To ensure that members of our school community are directed to the most appropriate person to assist them, the information below outlines key contacts for common queries:
to report a student absence, please text the Student Absence Line on 0439 114 197
to report any urgent issues relating to a student on a particular day, please contact the general office on 9309 6258
to discuss a student’s academic progress, health or wellbeing, please contact your child’s classroom teacher/ sub school leader.
Primary Sub School Leader: Zoe Pirotta | zoe.pirotta2@education.vic.gov.au
- Middle Years Sub School Leader: Stefania Mantinioti | stefania.mantinioti@education.vic.gov.au
- Secondary Sub School Leader: Amelia Frantz | amelia.frantz@education.vic.gov.au
- Senior Secondary Sub School Leader: Sean Procko | sean.procko@education.vic.gov.au
For enquiries regarding camps and excursions, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
to make a complaint, please contact the Acting Principal/Assistant Principals on
9309 6258.
Acting Principal:
Daniel Moloney | daniel.moloney@education.vic.gov.au
Assistant Principal [Inclusion and Wellbeing] :
Stephanie Torchia | stephanie.torchia@education.vic.gov.au
- Assistant Principal [Teaching and Learning]:
- Ellen Paterson | ellen.paterson@education.vic.gov.au
Please also refer to our Complaints Policy, available on the school website:
https://www.jacanaschoolforautism.vic.edu.au/policies/management/
to report a potential hazard or incident on the school site, please contact:
OHS Manager Nominee
Mary Boutros on 9309 6258 or mary.boutros@education.vic.gov.au
for parent payments, please contact the general office on 9309 6258
for all other enquiries, please contact our Office on 9309 6258
School staff will do their best to respond to general queries as soon as possible and ask that you allow us 2-3 working days to provide you with a detailed response. We will endeavour to respond to urgent matters within 24 hours where possible.
Unwell students
If your child is presenting with cold and flu like symptoms we kindly ask families to keep your child at home if they are experiencing symptoms.
Each morning when students are getting ready for school, I ask that you be mindful of how your child is presenting. If they/he/she is feeling/looking/acting unusual or is complaining of being unwell please take them to the doctor. Minimising the cross-infection will assist in reducing the risk of spreading bugs and viruses.
All student absences can be made through the dedicated student absence notification number. Text the student's name, room number and reason for absence.
Make sure you have the student absence notification number saved in your contacts:
Student Absence Line: 0439 114 197
Reminder: Our newsletter is published each fortnight and will provide you with important information about the school and events that may be of interest to you. I encourage you to read the newsletter that will be sent home via your home email, on the school's Facebook and Instagram Page, Seesaw or on the school's website.
JSA also has a Facebook and Instagram Page. Please like and follow our pages.
https://www.facebook.com/JacanaSchoolforAutism
https://www.instagram.com/jacana.school/
School Website