Dear Parents, Carers and Families,

Welcome to Term 2 - School's back and we are jumping for joy!

We were so pleased to welcome all students and families back to St Joseph’s on Monday. I hope the school holidays, together with the blessings of Easter, provided time for rest, joy, and meaningful moments with loved ones.

During the break, we celebrated Easter Sunday as a Catholic community. Easter reminded us of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and of the hope and renewal at the heart of our faith. May this spirit continue to guide and strengthen our shared commitment to supporting every child at St Joseph’s.

It was a pleasure to be at the gate on Monday morning, welcoming students back after the holidays. Seeing their happiness and enthusiasm as they reunited with friends and greeted their teachers was a lovely way to begin the term. There has been a genuine sense of excitement across the week for the beginning of the new term.

Term 2 is always a wonderful time for focused learning. By now, students are well and truly settled into their classes, having built strong, supportive relationships with their teachers and peers. This strong sense of connection creates the ideal foundation for both wellbeing and academic growth. Our teachers have a deep understanding of each child and their individual learning needs. This allows them to thoughtfully support student wellbeing while also providing the right level of challenge to help every learner grow and achieve. At St Joseph’s, our structured approach to literacy and numeracy remains a daily priority and a key strength of our teaching and learning program. We are proud of the consistency and care that underpins this work, ensuring all students are given the opportunity to succeed. Our dedicated teachers and school leaders share a strong sense of purpose, passion and belief in every child. Together, we strive to ensure students feel happy, confident and connected at school, while achieving their personal best and flourishing as young people and learners.

We look forward to supporting all children as they continued to grow in confidence and live out our St Joseph’s values of strength and kindliness. We greatly value our partnership with you and look forward to working together with you throughout the term to ensure each child at St Jospeh's feels supported, valued, and able to flourish.

We are looking forward to a term filled with rich learning experiences, opportunities to strengthen relationships, build new connections and friendships, and share in many special events that bring our beautiful St Joseph’s community together. We're excited as always to continue our strong partnership with our families and supporting and caring for every child at St Joseph’s. Thank you for your ongoing trust and partnership. We are excited for the term ahead and seeing every student thrive this term and beyond.

Easter Message from our Archbishop

In his Easter message, Archbishop Peter A Comensoli shares the story of the first Easter morning, reminding us that ‘as dawn breaks, a quiet truth emerges: death has not had the final word; life has arisen.’ Christ, the light of the world, he says, ‘comes to meet us as the light we need’, not erasing our wounds, but transfiguring them.

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Easter Prayer

Gracious God, give us hearts of faith so we too may see and believe, especially in challenging times. May our hearts be full of the hope and joy this Easter season promises, and may we journey forward in peace.

Today, my heart is full of gratitude.

Thank you for your love, and for the hope you give through your resurrection.

Because of you, I am free, forgiven, and never alone.

Help me to carry the joy of Easter with me - not just today, but every day.

Fill my heart with Your peace, my mind with Your truth, and my life with Your love.

Let me be a reflection of Your grace to those around me.

May the joy of the risen Christ fill our hearts with peace, hope, and love.

May His victory over death remind you that nothing is impossible with God.

May we walk in His light, live in His grace, and rejoice in His endless mercy.

And may this Easter bring us and our loved ones renewed faith, deep joy, and everlasting peace.

Amen.

Let us go forth sharing the light of hope and the message of God’s love in all that we say and do.

ANZAC Day - Lest We Forget

In commemoration of ANZAC Day tomorrow, our school community gathered today for an ANZAC Day Liturgy. Our school remembered and honoured the courage, sacrifice and service of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers. We gave thanks for the freedom we enjoy and the beauty of our land Australia.We also prayed for those who continue to be affected by war and prayed for peace in our world today.As a school community we pause with gratitude, reverence and respect. Lest we forget.

We thank our Year 4 students with the support of our Religious Education Leader Ms DeVisser, our senior leader Mr Prowse, and Isabelle Freeman in the office, for leading us so thoughtfully in this very important and significant commemoration. As we paused to remember the sacrifices made by those who served, our children demonstrated great respect and reverence in honouring the service and sacrifice of others. We are proud of the way our students engaged with such care on this meaningful occasion.

As a school community we pause with gratitude and respect.

ANZAC Day Prayer

We pray for the soldiers who have died protecting Australia. Lord, grant eternal rest to those who have sacrificed their lives for the good of us all. May their gift of life not be in vain.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the families of those who have died. Lord, grant comfort and hope to the families of those who have died defending us. May your love heal the hurt and bring peace to their lives.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for our country. Lord, grant our leaders the wisdom and strength to avoid wars in the future. May they guide us in the ways of peace and justice.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for our Church. Lord, may the Church be to all an example of peace and co-operation. May it bring love where there is strife, and healing where there is hurt.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for our school. Lord, send your healing love to rest on us all.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for all people in places around the world where war and conflict are present today. Lord, bring your peace to nations divided by violence. Protect those who are suffering, comfort those who are afraid, and guide world leaders to seek justice, compassion and lasting peace.

Lord, hear our prayer.

God our Father, may those who have died for freedom be granted eternal comfort and peace. Bring love where there is war, and may war never again shatter our world. We offer our prayers for all communities that are affected by war at present. Fill us with your love, and grant us your peace. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Year 5 and 6 Camp

What a fantastic adventure for our Year 5 and 6 students complete with plenty of fun, adventure and lots of laughter! Camp Weekaway provided an unforgettable experience, where students embraced the great outdoors and all the adventures that come with it. They enjoyed some sensational warm weather which made the conditions perfect for their outdoor activities.

From team-building activities to personal challenges, the camp was a wonderful opportunity for students to develop resilience, show kindness, strengthen friendships and step outside their comfort zones. Whether it was working together to solve problems, encouraging one another, or simply enjoying time away from the classroom, our students made the most of every moment. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces and proud achievements along the way clear signs of a truly memorable camp experience.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the outstanding behaviour on display across the week from our senior students during their time away on camp. They were absolutely wonderful throughout- the teachers and camp staff were so impressed by the genuine care they showed for one another, their growing independence, and the consistently exemplary manners they demonstrated. They were a true credit to themselves and to our school community.

A heartfelt thank you to our teaching staff Lauren O'Grady, Kirsten Daws Dean Butler for giving their time way from their own families to support and care for the students on this special outdoor adventure.

Here are some of our senior students' reflections, and a few pictures of some of their enjoyable moments from their time at Camp Weekaway...

Camp was lots of fun! I loved the flying fox and canoeing and luckily we didn’t capsize.

Chelsea - Year 5

I really enjoyed camp because I got to extend my friendship group with my class. I also loved making little huts and lastly roasting delicious marshmallows by the camp fire.

Pip - Year 5

I really enjoyed this years camp. One of my favourite activities was doing the flying fox because it was funny going upside down and making poses. I had lots of fun at the movie night with my friends and eating lots of snacks and talking in my cabin.

Fabien - Year 5

I enjoyed camp because we got to enjoy lots of fun activities like canoeing, hut building, laser tag and the flying fox.

Matilda - Year 5

Camp Weekaway was an excellent camp. I enjoyed the GaGa ball pit when we when we all got to play together. I also like kayaking, archery and I loved the cabins because they looked really good and the beds were comfortable!

Will B - Year 5

At Camp Weekaway we had loads of fun. There was so many activities whether it was flying fox, glider possum, building a hut and canoeing. There was so much fun to be had. The food was amazing. There were pancakes, spaghetti and garlic bread. It was really fun and memorable. We had a great time!

Spencer - Year 6

I really enjoyed camp and I really liked all the activities, in fact, I can’t name my favourite! I secretly enjoyed ding dong ditching the boys in the cabins because that was really fun!

Navy- Year 5

I have enjoyed Camp Weekaway. My favourite part was when we got to go for a movie night in the barn behind where we were staying. We got to watch Jumanji. I also loved when we had pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast. It was the best breakfast I have had at a camp. Also I had a nice time roasting the soft and squishy marshmallows. I had an exquisite time at camp and it would be exhilarating to come back to a similar camp!

Darci- Year 5

Term 2 Learning Overviews- Class Dojo

The Learning Overviews for Term 2 for each class have been posted on the Class Dojos this afternoon. Please look out for these and take the time to read them so that you are familiar with the learning that will take place for the term as well as any events particular to that class. If at any time you have questions or concerns about your child, their wellbeing or their learning, please reach out to your child's class teacher directly.

Cross Country Run Club with Mr Prowse

Next week on Thursday 30th April. our Cross Country athletes will be representing the school at the Holt District Cross Country

To support students in their preparation, Mr Prowse has set up a Run Club at school. The dates for next week are as follows:

Tuesday 28th April – 8:00–8:30am
Wednesday 29th April – 8:00–8:30am

All students are encouraged to come along and get involved, not just those competing at Cross Country.A big thank you to Mr Prowse for giving his time to support our students in their training. It has been great to see so many students getting involved!

Open Days at St Joseph's

It is always so lovely to welcome prospective families into St Joseph's. It is a joy to share our school and showcase what makes our community so special.

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 4	Tuesday 28th April 9am-11am
Open Day 5	Wednesday 27th May 9am-11am

If you happen to know any families within our parish or local community who are still considering enrolment for their child at St Joseph’s in 2027, I would strongly encourage you to invite them to attend one of our final Open Days.

I sincerely thank our community for so generously sharing positive stories about the care and support we provide for children here at St Joseph’s, our beautiful and welcoming community, and our strong focus on explicit, structured learning and excellence in education. This wonderful word-of-mouth support is clearly being heard, and it is making a significant impact on our enrolments for 2027. We are very grateful for the way our community continues to speak so positively about our school.

Junior Joey's Playgroup

It was a full house once again on Monday as we welcomed families back after the Easter break for our Junior Joey’s Playgroup. Our wonderful Prep teacher and Junior Transition Leader, Ms Liolios, had been busy 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.

Baby News- Congratulations Ms Correy!

We are absolutely thrilled to share the beautiful news that our much loved Year 1 teacher, Ms Meghan Correy, is expecting a baby girl in October. This is such a special and joyful time, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Meg and her partner Ben as they prepare over the next few months to welcome their little one into the world.

Our Year 1 children are already buzzing with excitement and have been delighted to share in this happy news, showing such genuine joy and care for their teacher. We also sincerely thank our parent community for kindness and warm well wishes which mean so much.

We hope the months ahead are filled with excitement, anticipation, and many treasured moments as Meg and Ben prepare for this new chapter. There is something truly magical about this time of waiting, and we wish them every happiness as they look forward to the birth of their first child.

St Joseph's 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. Please bring your tissues. You are in for a treat!

Parents & Friends Meeting- Wed 29th April 7pm

Our next Parents and Friends meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 29th April at 7pm in the school staffroom. All members of our community are warmly invited and very welcome to attend. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect, discuss upcoming plans, share ideas, to support our St Joseph’s community. We would love to see some new faces at the meeting! We look forward to seeing you there! If you would like any additional agenda items raised, please submit them via the P&F email address pandfevents@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au.

P&F Mother's Day Lunch

Our Parents and Friends are busily preparing for our much loved annual P&F Mother’s Day Lunch, and we are delighted to once again share this special event with our community. This cherished occasion offers a wonderful opportunity for the mums in our community to come together, celebrate the joy of motherhood, and enjoy a relaxed and uplifting time in the company of others.

It is always a warm and memorable gathering, filled with connection, laughter, and appreciation for the important role mothers and mother figures play in our lives. We encourage families to save the date - this event is consistently a highlight of our school calendar and a beautiful way to honour, celebrate, and strengthen our community.

Parent/Carer WhatsApp Groups

The Parent WhatsApp Groups are a helpful way of staying connected and being involved in our school community. We thank our Parent Carer Grade Reps for all of your communication through the WhatsApp groups. This is a very helpful way of communicating amongst a grade level cohort and is valued by parents as a way of staying in the know, being involved and supporting our school. It is helpful when the communication on this forum is supportive and builds positive relationships and connections across our school. If you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to please direct them via the appropriate channels - your child's teacher, a member of the leadership team or myself, not via the WhatsApp groups.

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.

Uniform Reminder

As the weather is still looking quite nice we will have a transition period where children can wear either their Summer or Winter uniform for the first 2 weeks of Term 2. From Week 3, children will be expected to wear their full Winter uniform.

As we begin a new term it is timely to communicate a few gentle reminders:-

Pease ensure your child is wearing the correct uniform on the appropriate days
Correct shoes should be worn with the correct uniform (ie black school shoes with academic uniform, runners with sports uniform)
Hair accessories in the school colours
Jewellery should be simple and appropriate for school
No nail polish
No other jackets, hoodies etc other than school uniform

Thank you for supporting with this so that we can continue to maintain our high standards. We appreciate you encouraging your child to wear their school uniform correctly and with pride.

De La Salle Principal Commissioning Mass

On Monday, Dean and I had the honour of attending the commissioning Mass for the new principal at De La Salle, Michael Ilott. The celebratory Mass was commemorated by Fr Gallacher at St Joseph’s Church, and it was a significant and special occasion marking the beginning of a new chapter for De La Salle College

The celebration brought together members of the school and wider MACS community, highlighting a shared sense of faith, purpose, and commitment to education. It also served as a reminder of the important role leadership plays in shaping a positive and supportive environment for students and staff alike.

As both of our schools are part of the Parish of Malvern, the occasion also reinforced the strong, positive, and reciprocal relationship we share. This ongoing partnership continues to enrich our communities, supporting the spiritual and educational growth of our students.

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.

We look forward to working in partnership with you to ensure that all children at St Joseph’s experience a successful and happy Term 2. Together, we can support each child to grow in confidence, achieve their best in learning, and feel a strong sense of belonging within our school community.

With the warmest regards,

Annabelle Marinelli

Principal

annabelle.marinelli@sjmalvern.catholic.edu.au

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