Principal's News
Dear Parents and Carers,
We have enjoyed another full and rewarding week at St Joseph's, with our school buzzing with learning, friendship, faith, and connection. It is always a pleasure to spend time with our students, who are so eager to share their successes, achievements, and the many exciting learning experiences they have enjoyed.
Over the past fortnight, our students have participated in a wide range of engaging learning experiences and sporting opportunities events that have enriched their learning and strengthened our sense of belonging. It is these shared experiences that continue to make St Joseph's such a vibrant, welcoming, and connected community.
As you read through this newsletter, I hope you enjoy celebrating the many special moments and achievements that have taken place across our school. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership as we continue to nurture a community where every child can thrive.
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day Liturgy
This morning, our school community gathered in prayer to celebrate the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia's first saint. Celebrated each year on 8 August, St Mary MacKillop's Feast Day marks the anniversary of her passing in 1909 and provides an opportunity for us to reflect on her extraordinary faith, courage and unwavering commitment to serving others.
Through our whole-school liturgy, students and staff came together to honour Mary's life and her enduring legacy of compassion, resilience and hope. We reflected on her famous words, "Never see a need without doing something about it," and were encouraged to look for ways we can live out this message each day through kindness, generosity and service to others.
As a Catholic school, St Mary MacKillop continues to inspire us to place our trust in God, care for those most in need, and make a positive difference in the lives of those around us. Her life reminds us that even small acts of love and compassion can have a lasting impact.
Thank you to our families who joined us this morning and to our Year 3 students lead this beautiful celebration. It was a wonderful opportunity for our school community to gather in prayer and continue to grow in faith together.
Paryer - Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop
Saint Mary MacKillop, you trusted God in every challenge and dedicated your life to serving others, especially those in need.
Help us to live with courage, kindness, and faith.
Teach us to see Christ in those around us and to respond with love and compassion.
May your example inspire us to persevere through difficulties, forgive generously, and place our trust in God's providence.
Pray for us, that we may grow in holiness and faithfully follow God's will each day.
Through your intercession, may we receive the graces we need and continue to bring hope and peace to our world.
Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us.
Amen.
St Joseph's NAPLAN Excellence
This week, the 2026 state and national NAPLAN results were released, and I am delighted to share that St Joseph's has once again achieved outstanding results across both literacy and numeracy.
While there has been considerable discussion in the media regarding concerning literacy and numeracy performance across the state and country, St Joseph's continues to perform well above both state and national averages in all assessed areas. Our students have achieved results in the Strong and Exceeding proficiency levels, reflecting the high standards of teaching and learning that are embedded across our school.
At a time when literacy and numeracy outcomes have been an area of concern across many schools, our students have demonstrated remarkable growth and achievement, highlighting the impact of our deliberate and evidence-informed approach to teaching in literacy and numeracy.
These outstanding results are a testament to the collective efforts of our entire school community. I congratulate our learning leaders, Amanda Jackson (Structured Literacy Leader) and Dean Butler (Numeracy Leader), whose expertise, vision, and commitment continue to strengthen teaching and learning across these vital curriculum areas. Their leadership, together with the dedication of our teaching staff, ensures that every student benefits from high-quality, research-informed instruction delivered in calm, purposeful learning environments.
Our teachers deserve special recognition for their unwavering commitment to professional growth, their use of explicit teaching practices, and their deep understanding of every learner. They continually strive to know each student, respond to individual learning needs, provide appropriate challenge, and create the conditions for every child to thrive. These results are a wonderful acknowledgement of their expertise and dedication.
I also extend my heartfelt congratulations to our students. Their enthusiasm for learning and commitment to doing their best are at the heart of these achievements. They should feel incredibly proud of what they have accomplished.
Finally, I thank our families for the important partnership you share with us. The strong connection between home and school plays a vital role in supporting every child's success, and these results reflect what can be achieved when students, staff, and families work together.
These outstanding NAPLAN results are something our entire St Joseph's community can celebrate with great pride. They affirm our ongoing commitment to learning excellence and inspire us to continue striving for the very best outcomes for every student.
Junior Joeys Playgroup
It is always a joy to walk into the MPR first thing on a Monday morning to see smiling faces and the joyful energy of our Junior Joeys Playgroup. It is such a wonderful way to start the week!
Each Monday, our MPR comes alive as families gather to play, learn, connect, and build friendships. It is heartwarming to see our youngest community members exploring, laughing, and growing together while parents and carers enjoy the opportunity to meet, chat, and support one another.
Junior Joeys is a beautiful reminder of the strong sense of belonging and community that makes our school so special. We look forward to welcoming our families each week and creating many more happy Monday morning memories together.
A heartfelt thank you to our junior transition leader Ms Niki Liolios for the care, warmth, and enthusiasm she brings to Junior Joeys each week. She nurtures beautiful relationships among the youngest members of our community, helping families to feel connected and welcomed from the very beginning of their journey with our school.
Lacrosse Sports Incursion- from Ms D'Intini
This week, our students had a fantastic time learning the exciting sport of lacrosse through a fun and engaging clinic delivered by Malvern Lacrosse Club. Students were fortunate to be coached by talented USA Division II lacrosse players, who shared their skills, enthusiasm and love for the game. Throughout the sessions, students developed their passing, catching and teamwork skills while taking part in a range of fun activities and games.
The excitement continues next week as the clinic returns for more learning and fun! Students who would like to continue playing are also invited to attend Malvern Lacrosse Club's free Come and Try sessions, held every Thursday from 5:00–6:00 pm. Full details can be found in this term's school newsletter.
A huge thank you to Malvern Lacrosse Club for providing such a wonderful opportunity for our students. We can't wait for another great week of lacrosse!
We thank our wonderful sports teacher Ms Zoe D'Intini for organising this lacrosse clinic for our students.
MACS Flourishing Learners Improvement Network
This week, our Learning Leaders, Dean and Amanda, together with myself, attended the MACS Flourishing Learners Improvement Network alongside hundreds of school leaders from across the Southern Region.
It was a rich and inspiring professional learning experience, providing the opportunity to engage with the latest educational research, hear about MACS' Vision for Leadership, and explore stories of excellence in teaching and learning from schools across our Catholic system.
Opportunities such as these are invaluable as they allow us to reflect on our own practice, collaborate with colleagues from other schools, and continue strengthening the learning experiences we provide for every child at St Joseph's.
It is always encouraging to learn from the outstanding work taking place in other schools, but it is equally affirming to recognise that St Joseph's continues to be leading the way in many areas of teaching and learning. We are incredibly proud of the commitment, professionalism and expertise of our staff, whose dedication ensures our students continue to flourish every day.
St Joseph's Clubs
We are excited to share our updated Playtime Clubs for this term. These clubs provide students with a wonderful range of opportunities to connect with others, develop new skills, and enjoy structured activities during playtimes. Whether students enjoy being creative, active, strategic, or simply spending time with friends, there is something for everyone.
Our popular Hangout Hub also continues to operate every day during first break. Located near the cubbies, it provides a welcoming space for students who enjoy more structured play, with activities such as Uno, chess, lego, board games, and other engaging challenges available each day. It is a wonderful environment where students can build friendships, strengthen social skills, and feel connected within our school community.
These lunchtime opportunities complement the many co-curricular programs available at our school such as our Instrumental Music program and Digi Tech Club.
We encourage all students to get involved, try something new, and make the most of the many opportunities available. These experiences enrich school life, foster a strong sense of belonging, and help every child discover new passions while building confidence and friendships.
Exciting Staff News
We are thrilled to share some very exciting personal news from Ms Wendy Martin, who, together with her partner Sam, is expecting their second baby! This is a wonderful time for Wendy and her family, and we know our entire St Joseph's community will join us in congratulating them on this special news. We wish Wendy, Sam, and their growing family every happiness as they prepare to welcome their newest little one.
We are also delighted to welcome Ms Zara Boyadjian to the St Joseph's community as our new Year 1 teacher. Over the coming weeks, Zara will work alongside Ms Meg Correy to get to know our Year 1 students and their families, ensuring a smooth and positive transition into the role. We know our students will benefit from Zara's enthusiasm, warmth, and commitment to learning, and we look forward to officially welcoming her to our St Joseph's school
St Joseph's Superstars!
It is always so heartwarming to receive emails and photos from families sharing the special connections our students make beyond the school gates. These moments are a wonderful reflection of the caring and inclusive community we are so proud to foster at St Joseph's.
Over the past week, Prep student Jono and his buddy Wolf shared a very special moment when Jono dropped by to wish Wolf a happy birthday. It was such a thoughtful gesture and a beautiful example of the friendships that grow through our buddy program.
We also received a lovely email from another Prep family sharing how much their son, Charlie, enjoyed spending time at the park with our Year 5 student, Harry, who kindly taught him how to play lacrosse. Harry was commended for his kindness, care, and encouragement towards Charlie, making the experience so special that Charlie now wants to learn lacrosse!
These simple yet meaningful moments remind us that at St Joseph's, our students are not only developing academically but are also growing into compassionate, respectful, and caring young people. We are incredibly proud of the way they continue to look out for one another and build friendships that extend well beyond the classroom and school.
Our St Joseph's School Assembly
Once again, it was wonderful to see so many families join us for our school assembly this morning. During our assembly, students were recognised with STAR Awards for demonstrating our school values of Stay Safe, Try Your Best, Act Responsibly and Respect Yourself and Others. These students were warmly congratulated for the positive choices they make each day and for the way they contribute to our St Joseph’s community.
We also celebrated the birthdays of students across the week by joining together to sing “Tanti Auguri”, sharing in the joy of these special occasions.
Mr Butler also announced the winners of this week’s Line Points. Congratulations to our new Prep champions for their fantastic achievement and for demonstrating our school values throughout the week.
What's on Next Week...
School Closure Day- Monday 10th August
A reminder that Monday, 10 August will be a school closure day for students. This day provides our staff with a valuable opportunity to come together for professional learning focused on literacy and numeracy curriculum, evidence-based teaching practices and strategies that continue to support and enhance student learning and achievement.
At St Joseph’s, we are committed to being a school of excellence, continually reflecting on our practice and seeking ways to provide the very best educational experiences for every student. These professional learning opportunities are an important part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring our teachers have the knowledge, skills and resources to deliver high-quality learning and support outstanding outcomes for our students.
We thank families for their support and understanding of this important day. We hope it also provides families with an opportunity to enjoy a longer weekend together.
Staying Connected...
At any time, if you have questions or concerns regarding the wellbeing, care, or learning of your child, please do not hesitate to reach out. We encourage you to contact your child's class teacher in the first instance, or alternatively, one of our school leaders, Dean Butler (Deputy Principal), or myself, Annabelle Marinelli (Principal). Working in partnership with our families is incredibly important to us, and we are always happy to listen, support, and work together to ensure the best possible outcomes for every child.
With warmest regards,
Annabelle Marinelli
Principal