Principal News
Dear parents and carers,
It has been wonderful to return to St Joseph's after my family holiday and to reconnect with our students, staff and families. I am incredibly grateful for the warm welcome back and have enjoyed hearing about all that has been happening across the school while I was away. I would like to sincerely thank Mr Luke Daffy for his outstanding leadership in my absence. Luke led the school with professionalism, ensuring that our wonderful school community remained well supported. I am also grateful to our staff for the various roles they played in supporting one another.
This term, we are delighted to officially welcome Mrs Alannah Harrison back to St Joseph's following her maternity leave. It has been wonderful to have Alannah rejoin our leadership team, bringing with her the dedication and expertise that our students, staff and families know so well. She has wasted no time returning to what she loves most, working alongside our Prep - Year 2 students to support their growth in reading, writing and spelling. Be sure to read the English Newsletter update, prepared in collaboration with our Years 3-6 English Leader, Miss Dusting, to learn more about the exciting learning taking place across our classrooms.
Thank you, Miss Nardella!
Next Friday, we farewell Miss Nardella as she begins maternity leave ahead of the arrival of her baby. Plaxy has been a valued member of the St Joseph's community since 2017, first joining us as a student teacher in Mrs Harrison's class before commencing her teaching career in 2018 with her own Prep class. We thank her for the wonderful contribution she has made to the lives of our students and families over the years. The photos below capture just a small snapshot of the many children Plaxy has taught over the years, reflecting the lasting impact she has had on our community. We wish Plaxy and Harry every happiness as they prepare to welcome their little one, and we can't wait to meet the newest member of the St Joseph's family!
Year 3 and 4 Excursion to Polly Woodside
Our Year 3 and 4 students recently visited the Polly Woodside, as part of their History unit of work. They engaged in a range of hands on activities and experiences, from using the capstan, hauling sails, scrubbing the decks and learning the fine art of navigation. From all reports, it was a fabulous excursion and really brought to life the rich learning that had been occurring in the classrooms. Please read Mr Capp's Leadership Report on the day.
Prep Fire Education
Tuesday was the second and final visit from Fire Rescue Victoria for our Preps. The highlight for this visit was being able to climb inside the fire truck and have a go with the fire hose! What a special day. Please read Miss Dillon's Leadership Report on the day, with lots of photos to share.
Term 3 School Fees
A friendly reminder that Term 3 school fee instalments are now due. We appreciate the ongoing commitment of our families in ensuring fee payments are made on time, as they play an important role in supporting the day-to-day operation of our school and the outstanding learning opportunities we provide for our students. If you have already made your payment, thank you. If you have any questions about your account or would like to discuss your payment arrangements, please don't hesitate to contact the school office.
Year 6 Sacrament of Confirmation
Congratulations to our Year 6s, who celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation on Wednesday. The celebrant for the evening, Very Rev Andrzej Madry CR PP, was so impressed with how prepared the students were, and the manner in which the St Joseph's community acknowledged the sacredness of this occasion. Proudly supported by their families and staff, the evening was a beautiful celebration for our Year 6s. We sincerely thank Miss Shanahan, Mr Jansson and Mr Sandler for preparing the students so well, and to Very Rev Madry, for celebrating the Mass and Father Leenus for con-celebrating.
Saddle Up for Our P&F Fundraiser!
This Saturday night, our Parents & Friends will host their much-anticipated Country & Western Fundraiser at Elwood Bowls Club. Events like these are a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together, strengthen connections and have a great night out, all while supporting our school. A very special thank you to Victoria, Rosie, Laura, Lauren and MJ, whose countless hours of planning have gone into making the evening possible. We are incredibly grateful to them, along with the many volunteers and businesses who have contributed to the event.
All proceeds from the evening will go towards our future playground upgrades. We know many families are eager to hear more about these exciting plans. While there is a significant amount of planning and consultation taking place behind the scenes, including approval processes with MACS, please be assured that work is progressing. We look forward to sharing our plans with the community as soon as we are able.
We hope to see many of you there for what promises to be a fantastic evening in support of St Joseph's.
Tournament of the Minds
Our Year 6 students are busily working away on their Tournament of the Minds (T.O.M) presentations. T.O.M is a problem-solving program for primary and secondary students, designed to enhance their potential by developing diverse skills, time management, and collaborative discipline. The program challenges students to solve demanding, open-ended tasks within a competitive environment. The students will be presenting their scripts next weekend - good luck, St Joseph's!
Staff Car Park Reminder
A friendly reminder to all families that the staff car park is reserved for staff vehicles only and is not available for parent parking or drop-off at any time. With limited all-day parking available in the surrounding streets, we ask families to keep the staff car park available for staff use. Access to on-site parking enables our staff to arrive and prepare for the school day without the added challenge of finding parking elsewhere. We thank you for your cooperation.
Little Gems
Ryder (Year 5) recently graded for his black belt in Karate with All Stars Martial Arts and was successful after a 75 minute grading. Ryder has been been training with Rod since he was in Prep and we are super proud!
As always, we have had a steady stream of special visitors into the Principal and Deputy Principal offices. These Year 2 and Prep students are showing their excellent spelling work.
Thomas (Year 3) and George (Year 1) proudly showed off their Mum's medals from when she competed in the Commonwealth Games! What an incredible achievement.
As always, thank you for your ongoing support of our wonderful school community. Next week we look forward to Year 4 Kinder Buddies, the 'Eat Up' Initiative for Year 6, Year 3CS visit to Victoria by the Park, and Hoop Time for Year 5 and 6.
I wish all of our families a safe, happy and restful weekend.
Warmest,
Claire Tobin