Dear Parents, Carers, and Families,

What a beautiful week of weather we’ve had! The continued sunshine has been a welcome treat, allowing our students to enjoy the outdoors, playing and socialising with their friends. It's been wonderful to see everyone making the most of the warm days, soaking in the sunshine before the cooler months arrive.

St Joseph The Worker Feast Day Mass

Our school community came together this morning to celebrate the feast of our patron saint - St Joseph (The Worker). Today's mass, led by Fr Gallacher, was a meaningful opportunity for our school community to reflect on the life of St Joseph as a worker. Through prayer, song, and reflection, Fr Gallacher reminded us to sue the special gifts we have been given by God just as St Joseph's did as a skilled carpenter.

St. Joseph the Worker Feast Day Prayer

On this Feast Day of St Joseph the Worker, we pause to honour the dedication of Joseph, who supported Jesus and Mary with the work of his hands.

We pray for our school and parish community.

For our students - help them to use the special gifts that God has given them, help them to be resilient in their learning, and a sense of joy and curiosity in each day.

For our staff and teachers - grant them strength, wisdom, and passion in their vocation to nurture, guide, and educate with care and compassion.

For our families - protect their homes and bless the work of parents and caregivers. May their efforts be filled with love, understanding, and support for one another.

For our Parish - strengthen our faith community, help us to grow together in faith, and to be a light of hope and service to all.

St Joseph the Worker, Pray for us.

Learning at St Joseph's

It is always the highlight of my week when children proudly come to share their learning. Here you can see a few students from Year 3 very proudly sharing learning from their class!

Our littlest learners....

And here are our littlest learners working together on their spelling...

Cross Country Run Club with Mr Prowse

To support students in their preparation for the Holt District Cross Country, Mr Prowse set up a Run Club at school. It was so great to see so many students getting involved, not just those competing in Cross Country. A big thank you to Mr Prowse for giving his time before school to support our students in their training.

HOLT Cross Country

Congratulations to all of our students who proudly represented our school at the HOLT Cross Country this week. Their determination, resilience, and willingness to challenge themselves were evident throughout the event. Whether competing for a place or simply striving to do their personal best, each student should feel very proud of their efforts and achievements.

We extend our sincere thanks to David Prowse for his dedication and hard work in making this event run so smoothly. From the many hours of organisation and behind-the-scenes administration to the time he invested in preparing and supporting our students, his commitment ensured that everyone was ready and confident on the day. We thank Mr Prowse, Mr Butler, Ms Rachael and Ms Conlan for the encouragement of our stduents on the day. We also thank Mr Prowse for the many hours he spent on the bike leading the runners! It was also so lovely to see some of our parents cheering on their children! A special tahk you to Caz McBride (Mum of Harry) and Daniela Cachart (Mum of Fabien) who supported wiht the marshalling!

We are thrilled to share that we finished 2nd overall in the HOLT Cross Country Competition. An outstanding achievement for our school!

Congratulations also to the following students who will be progressing to the Beachside Carnival:

Wolf D 2nd Place (Under 11 boys)

Spencer M-L 3rd Place (Under 12/13 boys)

Will B 4th Place (Under 11 boys)

Fabien 5th Place (Under 11 boys)

Pip D 5th Place (Under 11 girls)

Chelsea R 8th place (Under 11 girls)

Frederica 8th Place ( Under 9/10 girls)

We wish you all the very best for the next stage of the competition!

Inter-School Sport

Today, our senior students proudly took part in the first round of the inter-school sports competition against St Mary's, St Kilda East. Representing St Joseph’s with enthusiasm and team spirit, our students competed in both netball and football against St Mary’s.

Throughout the day, they demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, determination, and teamwork, supporting one another on and off the field. It was wonderful to see their skills in action, as well as their positive attitudes and willingness to give their best in every game. I would especially like to commend Wolf in Year 5 for his kindness and sportsmanship towards other students. We are very proud of the way our students represented our school and look forward to the upcoming rounds of the competition.

AFL Clinics

Over the past two weeks, we have welcomed coaches from the Prahran Football Club who have led AFL clinics for all students from Prep to Year 6. The students have had a fantastic time developing their skills in handballing, marking and kicking through fun, game-based activities. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm, teamwork and sportsmanship across all year levels. We thank Prahran Football Club for their time and expertise in helping build our students’ confidence and love of AFL! We also thank our fabulous sports teacher Ms Zoe D'Intini for the organisation of these clinics for the children.

School Improvement and Annual Action Plan 2026

Having completed a highly successful school review at the end of 2025, and having achieved our goals and targets in quite a significant way over the previous four-year school improvement cycle, we have now developed a comprehensive four-year School Improvement Plan for 2026-2030. This plan is grounded in the recommendations from the review and provides a clear and strategic direction for our work over the next four years.

Given the strength of our results, the review process presented a unique challenge for the reviewer, as our school demonstrated high levels of effectiveness across all areas of assessment. This included leadership, learning and teaching, wellbeing, communand Catholic identity, all supported by strong evidence and data. While this is something we are incredibly proud of, it also calls us to remain forward-thinking and committed to continuous growth.

In order to build on this success and continue to strengthen our school community, the following priority areas have been identified as our focus for the next four years:

To improve student achievement in writing, particularly sentence structure (and vocabulary) in Years 3-6.
To improve student achievement in writing, particularly in spelling, in Years 3-6.
To improve student achievement in Mathematics, particularly increasing fact fluency from P-6.
To deepen and enrich the Catholic identity and faith culture across the school community
To extend teacher and student understanding of engagement in learning, behaviour and wellbeing in years P-6.

As part of this plan, each year is guided by a set of focused and specific goals that drive our priorities and actions that formulate our annual action plan. We look forward to sharing our progress in these areas across the year.

Open Days at St Joseph's

Whilst our Prep numbers for 2027 are almost at capacity, we still have a couple of official Open Days across the following dates this term:

Open Day 5

Wednesday 27th May 9am-11am

Junior Joey's Playgroup- Every Monday 8:30-10am

It was a full house once again on Monday as we welcomed families once again for our Junior Joey’s Playgroup. Our wonderful Prep teacher and Junior Transition Leader, Ms Liolios, has been busily preparing and setting up exciting new experiences for our youngest friends to explore and enjoy.

Our playgroup mornings are always filled with joyful play, laughter, and meaningful connection, creating a truly special sense of community. They offer a lovely opportunity for families and young children to come together in a warm and welcoming environment, and we feel very grateful to share this time with our community.

Mother's Day Breakfast & Liturgy- Friday 8th May

On Friday, 8th May, we will have our annual St Joseph's Mother's Day Breakfast at school from 8:15am to 9am. All mums, carers, and special people are warmly invited and welcome. This will be followed by a very special Mother's Day Liturgy in St Joseph's Church, which will be hosted by our beautiful Preps at 9:15am. We look forward to sharing this celebration with the special women in our community.

Parents & Friends Update

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our P&F for their continued dedication and contributions, particularly at the meeting on Wednesday evening. Their initiatives are always so thoughtful and impactful, and their hard work truly helps strengthen our school community. Please take a moment to read their update in this week’s newsletter for more details on their recent activities and upcoming plans.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the wonderful Jess Dennis (Mum of Albie, Will, and Winnie) for all the work she is doing behind the scenes to help make our Mother’s Day lunch celebration a success. Jess’s dedication and hard work are truly appreciated, and her efforts make such a positive impact on our school community.

A special thank you as well to Jess and Caz for their early morning start selling raffle tickets for the Mother’s Day raffle. Thanks to their efforts, a few lucky mums are in for some wonderful surprises this Mother’s Day!

School Advisory Council Meeting

The next School Advisory Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, 7th May (Week 3) at 7:00pm. The purpose of the School Advisory Council is to support the strategic direction of the school, provide advice on important matters, and strengthen the partnership between the school and our parent community in the best interests of all students. One of the main items on the agenda for our next SAC Meeting will be the Child Safe Standards and associated policies, processes and protocols at St Joseph’s, as well as the Code of Conduct, Mandatory Reporting and Reportable Conduct, amongst other agenda items.

Winter Uniform Next Week

As the weather is expected to change from next week, all students will be required to wear their full winter uniform. We kindly ask that you ensure your child is prepared for the cooler weather, so they stay comfortable and warm throughout the school day.

Thank you for your support in ensuing that all students are wearing their uniform correctly and with pride.

Sustainable Uniform Shop

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful mums - Bryony, Angela, and Simone, for once again arriving early to set up our sustainable uniform shop for the school community. Their dedication and hard work ensure that the uniforms are carefully collected, washed, ironed, and ready for families. There is so much effort that goes on behind the scenes to make this service run smoothly, and we are incredibly grateful for the time and energy they dedicate to supporting our school. Your ongoing commitment is making a real difference, and we appreciate everything you do to help make our uniform shop a success.

Friday Skipping Fun

Friday morning fun that always brings a smile to our faces - our before-school skipping session with Ms. Freeman! It's a fantastic way to start the day and end the week on a high note. The energy and excitement are infectious, and it’s wonderful to see so many students participating, getting active, and having fun together.

This fun and energising activity not only helps build coordination and fitness, but it also sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. We’re so grateful to Ms. Freeman for organising this weekly event!

Garden Club

The weather this week provided the perfect conditions to enjoy some time in the garden. A big thank you to Mr. Dean Butler for leading the garden club with such enthusiasm, alongside a group of very keen students. It’s wonderful to see the children so engaged and excited about their learning outside the classroom.

Our secret garden is flourishing, and we are now harvesting some lovely fresh herbs. These have been sent home with the children, giving them the opportunity to use these homegrown ingredients in their own kitchens. It’s a great way to connect what they’ve learned in the garden to real-world cooking experiences.

School Closure Days Term 2

Please note the following school closure days in your calendar...

Monday 8 June- School Closure - King's Birthday Public Holiday

Tuesday 9 June - School Closure Day - Staff Professional Learning and Faith Formation with Malvern Parish Schools (St Joseph's, St Mary's and St Roch's)

What's on Next Week

Staying Connected...

At any time, if you have any questions or concerns about the wellbeing, care or learning of your child, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's class teacher, one of the school leaders, or Dean Butler, Deputy Principal or myself, Annabelle Marinelli, Principal.

Enjoy the weekend with your families!

With warmest regards,

Annabelle Marinelli

Principal

annabelle.marinelli@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au

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