Dear Families,

Over this term we have had the pleasure of welcoming a couple of new families to our St Joseph's school community.

We extend the warmest welcome to the Mannix Family - Tommy and his parents Annabelle and Joe. We also welcome the Hanlon family - Anna and her parents Hayley and Paul. Tommy has been warmly welcomed into 1MD and Anna into Year 2H. It feels like they have always been part of our St Joseph's family.

And I have no doubt if you happen to see our new families around the school, you will go out of your way to extend the warmest St Joseph's welcome. It is our sense of community spirit and care for each other that makes our school a special place. This is the St Joseph's difference.

A Prayer to St Joseph

St. Joseph, Father of Jesus and husband of Mary

Loving protector of the Holy Family

Gentle guardian of those who need our prayers

We come to you with hearts full of love and care.

Please watch over our family members, friends, and those in our school community.

Bring comfort to those who are in pain

Courage to those who are afraid

And healing to those who are suffering in body, mind, or spirit.

Guide them with peace and love.

Help us all to show kindness, patience, and compassion to anyone who is struggling or in need of support.

St. Joseph, through your prayers, may we always remember to care for others as you did.

May our hearts be filled with love, and may your gentle strength bring hope and peace to all.

Amen.

School Closure Day - School Review Preparation

Today our staff have been involved in a professional day of learning and preparation for our school review later this year.

The school review has two main components- a review of our school compliance, that is, all of the school's processes and policies, and the SIF component which is a close look at school improvement across learning and teaching, religious education, wellbeing, community, and leadership. All staff - admin, teachers and learning support officers are involved in this preparation.

The review process provides an opportunity to reflect on where we are at as a school and outlines our goals and priorities for the next 4 years. We look forward to sharing our work on this across the year.

Junior Joey's Playgroup

We had a full house at our Junior Joey's playgroup on Monday! Junior Joey's runs each Monday from 9am to 10am in our multipurpose room. If you have a young child from 0-5 years please come and join us. It is a great way to make friends and help your children make connections in a supportive and welcoming play based environment. Plus... Ms Stacey leads a wonderful sing along and story time! We look forward to seeing you there!

Every Day is Open Day at St Joseph's

We encourage prospective families to book a tour with us at any time. Please encourage any families you know who are looking for a school for 2026, and beyond, to be in touch with us. We would love to show them around our beautiful school.

Upcoming Open Days and Information Sessions

Our Next Open Days:

Tuesday 17th June 9am-10:30am

Tuesday 29th July 9am-10:30am

Information Sessions:

Tuesday 17th June 10:30am - 11am

Tuesday 17th June 6pm - 6:30pm

Tuesday 29th July 10:30am -11am

We will be running both School Tours and Information sessions for families who are interested in finding out more about our school.

Please spread the word to any prospective families you may know. Your word of mouth is the best advertising for our school.

Planning for the 2026 School Year

In planning for 2026, we thank the families who have been in touch with our office to let us know that your child will be commencing Prep in 2026. If you have not done so as yet, we request that you please make contact with the office as soon as possible to make sure we have your child enrolled for next year. It is very important that we have this information as soon as possible. Thank you!

In addition, in planning for class structures for 2026, it is important for us to know if your child will not be continuing at St Joseph's next year. Thank you to the families who have already completed the form on Operoo.

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook: Search 'St Joseph's Primary School, Malvern'

Instagram: Search 'stjosephsmalvern'

The more you like, comment and share, the more we raise the profile of our amazing school!

Our New Website

Here is the link to our new website: www.sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au

We are so proud to showcase the excellence in learning and the exceptional care we have for our students. This is the St Joseph's difference.

"Small enough to care, big enough to excel"

P&F- Trivia Night Major Fundraiser Event

The major fundraiser for the year, the SJM Trivia Night will be held next Saturday June 14th at 6:30pm. We look forward to a fun night with our families! Thank you to Jess Dennis (Mum of Winnie, Will and Albie) the P&F, and Lynnette in the office, who are all working hard behind the scenes to make this a successful event for our school community. It is big job and we really appreciate you and the team and everything you are doing to make this a successful community event.

We would like to have as many of our SJM parents/carers attend this major event as it is a great way to be part of our wonderful community. Whilst it is a trivia night, you really don't need to be a trivia buff! It is more about bringing our community together. It is a nice opportunity to welcome new families, make new friends and get to know others in our community. If you haven't as yet purchased your tickets please email Jess directly gamble.jess@gmail.com

SJM at Malvern Library

As our school library is out of action with some some works being undertaken, our students are enjoying walking across to Malvern Library. We are very lucky to have this wonderful library so close to our school. The children are having a wonderful time!

Netball Clinic

This week Ms Christie Birch ran netball clinics across the school for our students. Despite the chilly weather the children had a great time learning new netball skills and enjoyed playing the game.

Winter is here!

As we head into Winter we have had a sudden change in our weather, however our trees are looking so lovely. Thank you to our senior leaders Pip Lucy and Bridget for showing initiative and taking on the responsibility of sweeping the leaves across the path.

Congratulations Bianca!

It is always wonderful to hear about achievements, not only from our students, but from our parent community as well. Bianca (Mum of Harvey and Joe) spent time in the Gobi Desert, where she was involved in a 4 day run in challenging conditions. We thank Bianca for taking the time to share a reflection of her experience which include some key messages about resilience and kindness.

Bianca's Reflection: Lessons from the Gobi Desert

Last week, I took part in a leadership program through work that involved a 4-day, 122km race across the Gobi Desert in China. The race began in Dunhuang—an ancient city on the Silk Road once travelled by traders, monks and explorers—and the cultural significance of the region added real depth to the experience.

Physically and mentally, the race pushed me to my limits. The terrain was tough, the days long, and the conditions extreme. But as a mum to two boys at the school, I often thought about the lessons I could bring home. One that stood out: when goals feel too big—whether it’s a desert race or a personal goal —the key is to break them into smaller steps. Focusing on the next checkpoint made the impossible feel possible.

I also saw just how powerful teamwork can be. Out there, it wasn’t about being fast—it was about kindness, encouragement, and helping each other through. That sense of connection is something I hope my boys always carry with them, both in and out of the classroom.

I came home exhausted but incredibly grateful—for the challenge, the cultural richness, and the reminder of what we can achieve when we support each other and take things one step at a time.

The Coffee Van is Back on Fridays!

We have some very exciting news... the coffee van is back on Fridays! As of next Friday 13th of June we will have coffee again at our front gate! As our previous supplier has retired, we will now have Uncle Dom's! Uncle Dom’s offer a variety of drinks... coffee, chai, hot chocolate, tea, iced coffee/chocolate, flavoured syrups, cinnamon donuts, and cookies. We will all look forward to a good coffee at the gate next Friday!

Family School Calendar

Here is the link to our family school calendar so that you can keep up to date with school events across the year.

https://www.sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au/mevents

School Closure Day - Friday 6th June

Friday 6th June we will be having a school closure day.

The purpose of this school closure is for the staff to work on school review which will take place in Term 3 and Term 4.

This is quite a lengthy and rigorous process which all staff will be involved in. We look forward to reviewing our practices and engaging with the reviewer to determine goals for our next 4 year school improvement cycle.

This date is timely as it affords families an extra long weekend with the King's Birthday on Monday 9th June.

King's Birthday Public Holiday- Monday 9th June

There will be no school for children on Monday 9th June as it it is the King's Birthday Public Holiday. Children will return to school on Tuesday 10th June.

Staying connected...

If, at any time, you have any concerns or worries about your child's wellbeing, learning, or friendships, please do not hesitate to have a chat with your child's teacher as your first point of contact. If you have other concerns, please feel free to touch base with our wonderful admin team, a member of school leadership, or myself. For more serious concerns, I encourage you to please reach out by either making an appointment through the office to see me, or contacting me directly via email.

I wish you all the the most restful weekend. And if you are travelling on the roads, stay safe. Rug up, it's going to be cold!

See you all on Tuesday.

With warmest regards,

Annabelle Marinelli

Principal

annabelle.marinelli@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au

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