Principal's News

Spectacular Studio 54!

What a superb night! You all came to party at our Studio 54 Parents and Friends event and we raised over $25k (profit) to put towards our future building project and playground renovations.

The room had a fantastic atmosphere, the dance floor was alight and alive, our parent community was generously bidding on our silent and live auction and no one wanted to leave at the end of the night! We couldn’t have asked for a more successful outcome, and on behalf of the staff, I’d like to thank each and every one of you who made it happen. Thank you all!

A special thank you to Dave and Jen Kahan, the driving force behind the organisation of the evening; to Liv and Laura for sourcing the silent auction and live auction items; Jade, Tennille, Jane and Talia for organising behind the scenes; to James Noonan and the Hassetts for running the bar; Mario Ferra for the illuminated bars; to the Dipettas for helping to source the food truck and DJ; to Michael and Ash as chair and secretary of the P+F for supporting along the way; to Adam Garvey for his expert auctioning skills; to Pino and Stef (Fleischers) for the delicious food; another mention to Dave for Caspers pies (delicious); James Noonan for organising the drinks, plus a special thank you to Vicky for wine donations; Francesco, Charlie, Samson, Freddie and Joseph (ex-students) for serving food and cleaning up; Isabelle and Lynette for organising the tickets and licensing…and to all of you who donated, assisted, attended (staff included), supported…we are truly grateful!

A word of thanks also goes to Peter Houlihan and the De La Salle staff who allowed us to use their facilities to host the event, free of charge.

A message from David Kahan:

When Michelle approached Jen and I to assist with running the school fundraiser, we jumped at the opportunity to do what we had done a fair few times in our 12-year tenure at the school. Function planning and catering was in our blood and the chance to do this one last time before we are “old parents” of the school, was very tempting. Studio 54 was a theme liked by all and the planning began immediately. A dedicated team of amazing people; Tennille Bare, Olivia Healy, Laura Kay, James Noonan, Jade Oliver, Jane Pausewang, Steph Brunetti, Talia Hassett and many more who also helped on the day and night ensured a hugely successful event.

Action Events turned the De La Salle Hall (which BTW was given to us to use for free – a huge thank you to them) into a vibing 70’s disco with sheer silver draping, light-up dance floor, illuminated light box entrance and a host of mirror balls to finish the effect. Generous donations by Mario Ferra from Slide Productions of two light-up bars – one for the bar and the other for the DJ Booth completed the theme. And speaking of the DJ, Woody Samson entertained us all night with brilliant 70’s music all the while playing along with his guitar or trumpet and dancing the night away in his makeshift domain.

The food was plentiful and delicious and a huge thank you to Pino and Steph from Fleischer’s for their contribution of the canapes, to my team at Casper’s Pies & Pastries for the pies and sausage rolls and to El Gaucho (suggested by Leo Dipetta) for the Argentinean steak, chips and salad meal…so delicious.

All in all, it was a hugely successful event raising in excess of $25,000 for the school- a truly exceptional outcome owed largely to the terrific efforts of Liv and Laura – outstanding!

Loved every minute

David Kahan

… what a devoted and hard-working team this school is so lucky to have, thank you for all the hours you put into the planning and execution of a great event! You are all amazing!

Book Week 2023

We began Book Week with our parade and as always, it was a hit! It was heartwarming to see our students go all out dressing up as their favourite characters. From superheroes to princesses, the creativity was impressive. It was SO cute to have younger siblings join in…what a delight!

Throughout the week, our students took part in various book-related activities that brought stories to life. From reading sessions to crafts, they embraced the world of books with excitement. It was clear that they enjoyed every bit of it.

We want to express our gratitude to everyone who made this Book Week a success –especially Mrs. Jackson for her coordination of the week; parents, teachers, and our community. Your support and enthusiasm played a big role in creating a memorable experience for our young readers; even Miss Stacey and our baby playgroup joined in the fun!

Check out the many photographs from Monday:

Science Week was also a big hit during Week 6, with students enjoying rotational science activities with different teachers throughout the week. There was a definite emphasis on Design and Technology within these sessions, and I absolutely loved the ‘design a coat’ activity- see the video for a snippet of the catwalk!

Thanks to all the staff and students for embracing the week with curiosity, enthusiasm and a sense of fun!

Dendy Athletics

We wish all of our 3-6 athletes the best of luck at today’s Dendy Athletics event. Thank you to Liam Cleary and all the staff for their support on the day- and what a glorious day for it!

Fathers and Special Friends' Day

Next week we celebrate all of the special men in the lives of our students, with a delicious breakfast beginning at 8am and an assembly at 9am, hosted by our Year 2s. Please send any photographs for the traditional presentation to Kate Bascombe: kate.bascombe@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au

Please reach out to your P+F class reps if you can help with setting up and serving breakfast.

Puberty Information Nights

Thank you to our Wellbeing Leader, Georgie Carman, for organising two puberty information sessions for families.

The first night is for our Grade 5s and 6s and will take place on Thursday 31st August, online at 7pm.

The second night is for our Grade 3s and 4s and will take place next term on the 17th of October, again online at 7pm.

The online approach to these information nights seems to be such an appropriate way for parents and children to have discussions in the safety and privacy of their own homes.

The links to the online meetings have been shared via Operoo, but please reach out to Georgie if you have any questions or concerns.

Grade 5 and 6 content:

As your child approaches or experiences puberty, they will undergo a significant period of rapid growth and change. To support you during this sensitive phase, will be hosting a puberty parent night on Thursday 31st of August at 7pm. The information night will be held online so that you are able to participate and discuss the questions and content in the comfort and privacy of your home.

This parent night will be facilitated by a qualified Family Life Educator using the program ‘Things Are Changing’, which is an endorsed resource of the Catholic Schools Office of this Diocese.

The event will run for 60 minutes and will cover various topics, including:

● Hormones and the time of intense growth that occurs during puberty.

● General changes that happen during puberty, such as hair growth, body odour, body shape, and perspiration. ● The male and female reproductive systems.

● The female cycle of fertility and menstruation.

● Emotional changes that occur.

● Please note that while this session will cover many important aspects of puberty, we will not be discussing conception or sexual intercourse.

At the end of the parent night, you will receive a link to a parent pack containing a video, a parent book, and a student workbook. These resources are designed to assist you in continuing the conversation with your child and supporting their development.

Grade 3 and Grade 4 content:

As your child approaches or experiences puberty, they will undergo a significant period of rapid growth and change. To support you as their primary educator during this sensitive phase, our school will be hosting a puberty parent night on the 17th of October at 7pm. The information night will be held online so that you are able to participate and discuss the questions and content in the comfort and privacy of your home.

We strongly encourage all families to attend this event.

This parent night will be facilitated by a qualified Family Life Educator using the program Things Are Changing, which is an endorsed resource of the Catholic Schools Office of this Diocese.