St Justin’s Primary School acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's First People and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which our school stands.

We pay our respects to the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, and their elders past and present, and emerging as we continue to proudly live and learn on their land.

St Justin's Primary School - Celebrating over 40 years of Catholic Education

Dear Families and Friends,

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope you all had a safe and Holy Easter. We have had a great start to the Term and it promises to be another busy one!

Whilst we have most dates in the calendar, some dates include:

Friday 25th April - Anzac Day (Public Holiday)
Saturday 3rd May - Federal Election
Wednesday 7th May - Maths Olympiad Competition
Thursday 8th May - Mothers' Day Celebration - more details to follow
Monday 19th May - SLC/Interviews 3:30 – 5:00pm
Tuesday 20th May - SLC/Interviews 3:45 – 5:00pm
Thursday 22nd May - Students 1pm Finish
Thursday 22nd May - SLC/Interviews 2:00pm – 6:00pm

Please refer to Dates Ahead for a full list of important dates in Term 2.

Pope Francis

On Wednesday we gathered to remember someone very special – Pope Francis.

He was a kind and gentle leader who loved God, loved people, and loved the Earth.

He reminded us to look after each other, especially people who are sad, sick, or lonely.

He told us to care for the planet and always choose kindness.

Now Pope Francis has gone to be with God in heaven, but we still carry his message in our hearts.

The Story - Thank You, Pope Francis

Pope Francis was a special leader in our Church. He didn’t wear a crown or live like a king.

He smiled a lot, rode in a little car, and loved meeting people – especially the poor, the sick, and children just like you.

He told us that being kind is more important than being important. He reminded us to care for our Earth – because its own home, and God made it. He showed us that we should never ignore someone who’s hurting, and we should always choose love.

Pope Francis believed in young people. He believed you can do great things, even small things, to make the world better. Things like saying sorry, helping a friend, or standing up for someone who’s left out.

Now Pope Francis is with God in heaven. But we can keep his mission going – by being kind, brave, joyful, and full of love, just like he was.

Let’s remember: Big hearts change the world. And you’ve got one, too.

ANZAC Service

Friday 25th April is ANZAC Day - a time when we not only acknowledging the men and women who have represented their countries during times of war, but also a time to pray for world peace.

Today our Year 6 students led us in an ANZAC Service in acknowledgment of ANZAC Day. It is amazing how everyone comes together on this day to remember our soldiers. I hope you all took the time out as a family to discuss this important day with your children.

Our service, not only acknowledging the men and women who have represented their countries during times of war, but also a time to pray for world peace.

We were very fortunate to have a guest speaker Sergeant Braedan Heverin from the Defence Forces who also stayed to speak to the students after the service.

Thanks to all who were involved – I’m sure our soldiers would be very proud.

Our Year 6 Leaders sold items to support the ANZAC Appeal.

All donations go to the RSL ANZAC APPEAL to assist in providing for War Veterans and Dependents, Care of the Aged, Family Welfare, Vocational Guidance and Hospital Home Visiting.

Miss Leung - Baby News

Congratulations to Laura and Paolo on the safe arrival of their beautiful son, Lorenzo Manuele. Lorenzo was born 14th April at 3.06pm, weighing 3.1kg. We wish Laura and Paolo all the best as they embark on this new and exciting adventure.

A message from Miss Leung:

On behalf of Paolo and I, ‘Thank you to everyone for of their generous gifts and well wishes. We are extremely grateful for everyone’s love and support.’

Fun fact - the name Lorenzo Manuele has been significant in the Manuele family since 1879 . So Lorenzo was actually named after his grandfather and great-great grandfather.

Year 6 Leadership Talk

On the 23rd of April, both Year 6 classes had the opportunity to listen to a leadership talk delivered by Jason Tonelli, a parent at our school and a member of the St Justin’s School Board. Jason, who works in the advertising industry, shared a fascinating and insightful talk about leadership—what it truly means and how we can all grow into leaders ourselves.

Throughout the session, students asked thoughtful and engaging questions, which helped everyone, including the teachers, gain a deeper understanding of Jason’s message. Although his profession is in advertising, Jason emphasised that his core value is being of service to others, a principle that guides both his career and his approach to leadership.

Jason offered valuable advice on how to become good leaders, not only in school but also later in life. He encouraged us to see leadership from a new perspective—one that involves flexibility, knowing when to step back, and most importantly, listening to others. According to Jason, true leadership is about inspiring others, recognising their potential, and helping them grow.

One of the most powerful takeaways from his talk was that vulnerability can be a strength. By sharing our challenges, we allow others to support us, and this builds trust and connection—key elements of effective leadership.

Jason also emphasised the importance of being open-minded, empathetic, and courageous. He reminded us that to lead well, we must be willing to listen to our peers, stay humble, and stand up with confidence when it's our turn to speak.

Finally, Jason highlighted the role of strong values and mutual trust in leadership. His words not only taught us about leadership but also shifted how we see ourselves as future leaders in our community.

We all walked away feeling inspired, motivated, and more aware of what it takes to truly lead.

Thank you Jason for giving up your valuable time to come and speak to us.

By Dominique, Keith, Talia and Ritesh

LAST CALL Existing Families - Enrolment for 2026

We are in the process of prep interviews for 2026.

Application are now online. If any current school families require an enrolment application for 2026 click on the link below:

https://www.sjwheelershill.catholic.edu.au/enrolments

Click on "Apply Now"

There has already been a number of applications and want to ensure existing families are offered a position. We require these applications to be completed by April 30th 2025 so we have an idea of our numbers for 2026 before we offer places to new families.

Election Day BBQ and Cake Stall

Can you spare some time to help at the Election Day BBQ and Cake Stall on Saturday 3 May 2025? We would love to see some new and old faces come along to help out but most importantly have fun!

To join us, all you need to do is complete the roster sheet tn the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mUe7-zFjvz1z9nXVKJTwuHbUVKxj6yU4J1NU4h6p6P0/edit?usp=sharing

or email: office@sjwheelershill.catholic.edu.au

To volunteer you MUST have a valid Working with Children Check (WWC) and have completed the volunteer interview process. Should you have any questions about the day, please contact Tony Di Iorio on 0404 863 443.

“The Justin Time Aerobic Squad” at Regionals!

Our amazing school aerobics team, The Justin Time Aerobic Squad, will be competing in the Regional State Qualifiers on Sunday, May 4, and we’d love to see some familiar faces in the crowd cheering them on!

Their session begins at 10:00am and will run for just one hour, so it’s a short and exciting way to show your support. The event will be held at:

Rowville Secondary College –Eastern Campus

Humphreys Way, Rowville

If you’d like to come along, you can purchase tickets via this link:

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1386185

I know the girls would be absolutely thrilled to have as many of you there as possible. Let’s get behind them and show our support!

New Nets

During the holidays, the nets were replaced around the back oval. The nets are higher and tighter and no longer have any gaps. The pole near the sports shed was relocated further in to ensure a stronger foundation and to allow for better access behind the nets in the future. The nets on the east side were extended further behind the sandpit - hopefully it will reduce the need for students to retrieve balls. Funds from the Parents and Friends Fun Run / Colour Run (2024 and 2025 - yet to happen) were used to fund this project.

New Speed Hump

Over the holidays, Tony installed a new speed hump between the Church and the Staff Car Park - hopefully it will remind us all to slow down and take care. We are considering installing another before the Church - we’ll see how this one goes. Funds from the Fair on the Hill were used to fund this project.

Thank you from Cumberland View

Cumberland View Aged Care would like to Pass on their thanks to the parents, staff and students at St Justin's

Monash Childrens Hospital

With these kind and generous donations the Monash Childrens Hospital have started to distribute eggs to nurses, kids and front line workers. This is much appreciated.

Winter Uniform Orders

To order you can purchase directly from Academy Uniforms shopfront. They are located at 2/810-818 Princes Highway, Springvale and their operating hours are Tuesdays - Thursdays 09:00am – 5:00pm and Saturday mornings 09:00am – 12:00 noon.

Alternatively you can order over the phone on 9574 1314 or you can order online via https://www.academyuniforms.com.au/

Select “ORDER ONLINE”

Choose “St. Justin’s” from the drop down list

Enter the Password “Wheelers Hill”

As always, thank you for your ongoing support.

All the best,

Pat

Mr Patrick Torpey

Principal

Performing Arts