PRINCIPAL'S NEWS

Miss Jaclyn is always busy keeping abreast of our socials and sharing the terrific things happening at our school. 

Please see the SUSTAINABILITY PAGE  for news from our Sustainability Team https://newsletters.naavi.com/issue/M7gr6nM/edit/NQq23aN 

Please see the Mad on Music 2026 flyer and Kelly Sport term 4 flyer on the EXTRA CURRICULA page

https://newsletters.naavi.com/issue/M7gr6nM/edit/5D4gQo5 

SCHOOL SPORTS DAY - Important Information

Date: Wednesday 29 October

We’re excited for our upcoming Sports Day, which will be held at George Knott Reserve. Please note that there are different arrangements this year for drop-off and transport.

Morning Drop-Off

All children (except those attending Before School Care) must be dropped off directly at George Knott Reserve in the morning.  The school will not be transporting students to the venue by bus.

Teachers will be at the ground to welcome students and mark the roll as they arrive.

Afternoon Pick-Up

At the conclusion of Sports Day, we ask that children be collected directly from George Knott Reserve at 2:15pm.  Please complete the consent form sent out on AUDIRI and detail how your child will be collected.  In extreme circumstances, and you are unable to collect your child from the venue, we will have one bus available to ferry children back to school.

Please ensure you take note of these new arrangements to help the day run smoothly. 

Also, if you are able to assist on the day, please contact Kirsti - kobrien@sjnorthcote.catholic.edu.au 

Thank you for your support – we look forward to a fantastic day of fun and physical activity!

MIDDLE'S CAMP - A Huge Thank You!

Our Middles students had an absolutely fantastic time at camp — an experience filled with fun, learning, and lasting memories.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Jess Thwaites, Pierce Rooney, Georgie Finnigan, and Kate Lynn for their incredible dedication and for putting in the long hours to make it all happen. I also sincerely thank Jacinta and Lynette for their support throughout the day.

Camp is a fabulous opportunity for our students, and it’s only made possible by the commitment and care of our teaching team. Taking on 24 hours of supervision is no small task — it’s a big ask, and we are so grateful for the enthusiasm and energy our staff brought to the experience.

Thank you for making camp such a special and successful event!

MUSEUM

URBAN CAMP

ZOO

YARNING CONFERENCE

On Tuesday, our Grade 5 students attended this year’s Yarning Conference, which focused on Truth-Telling about Aboriginal history. Students listened with great respect to guest speaker Travis Lovett, who led the Walk for Truth 2025 and shared powerful stories about culture, leadership, and connection to Country. 

We were honoured when Travis presented us with a message stick to bring back to our school community.

As part of their learning, the students created posters reflecting their understandings of truth-telling and reconciliation. These will be displayed outside Darebin Libraries, sharing their voices and messages of respect with the wider community.

LEGO LEAGUE CHALLENGE

On Tuesday the 14th of October St Joseph's competed in the 2025 Lego League Challenge.

We travelled to Caulfield Grammar to compete in a coding competition. We competed against many other teams by coding our robot to complete multiple missions. It was such a fun experience and we had so much fun talking to other kids about a passion we shared.

My favourite part was the last Mission Run where our robot completed all of the missions desired with more than half the time left. We had so much fun and I would highly recommend trying out next year. - Elise Jones

SRC News...

On Tuesday, September 16th, the SRC organised an AFL Colours Day. 

This initiative was proposed by the classes and discussed during our meetings. On AFL Colours Day, children wore their team colours and had the option of a Mini Meat Pie or a Mini Sausage Roll for lunch. 

The children had the chance to predict the winner of the 2025 AFL Grand Final. The results were: 

1st Place: Kyrin, who guessed Brisbane with 47 points; 

2nd Place: Hayley, who guessed Brisbane with 42 points; and 

3rd Place: Jack, who guessed Brisbane with 41 points. 

Congratulations to all the winners, who have now received their prizes and been awarded certificates from the SRC.  - Josh Tame (on behalf of the SRC)

GRANDPARENTS/SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY

📣 REMINDER: Grandparents and Special Friends Day – Wednesday, 6 November

We’re excited to be celebrating Grandparents and Special Friends Day on Thursday, 6 November! 🎉

Grandparents and special friends are warmly invited to spend time in the classroom with their grandchild, followed by a light lunch shared together.

This is always a wonderful afternoon, and a special opportunity for our students to share their school experience with those they love.

All are welcome 😊, and we look forward to welcoming you into our school community.

STAFFING

I’m pleased to share that I will be continuing in my role as Lead Principal, leading both the St Joseph’s and St Mary’s school communities in 2026.

I am incredibly grateful for the support of the staff, students, and families at both schools. Your trust, collaboration, and shared commitment to our students make this work so meaningful.

I look forward to continuing our journey together, strengthening the connections between our communities, and building on the great work already happening in both schools.

Thank you for your ongoing support — I’m excited for what lies ahead!

2026 CLASS PREFERENCES 

It’s amazing that we are once again at the time of the year when we are beginning our discussions for structures for 2026.  An important component of this is the regrouping of our classes. 

When determining new classes, we consider the following: 

❏ a balanced number of students with social, emotional and academic needs 

❏ an appropriate mix of student role models and class leaders 

❏ a balanced number of boys and girls 

❏ student friendship circles. 

Please make an appointment with me if you wish to discuss any concerns you may have that may impact your child/children’s class placement for next year. This may include particular social nuances with other students or any other extenuating circumstances. 

Please be aware that this is not an opportunity for ‘teacher shopping’ and to discuss a preference for a teacher, but rather an opportunity to share genuine concerns about your child’s learning environment for 2026.  I am currently finalising the staffing schedule for 2026 and will share this with you once it has been confirmed.

If you are not intending to return to St Joseph’s in 2026 please contact the office as soon as possible

SCHOOL CLOSURES REMINDER...

Please note the school closure days for this term:

• Monday, Nov 3 – Cup Eve

• Tuesday, Nov 4 – Melbourne Cup Day (Public Holiday)

• Wednesday, Nov 5 – Staff Professional Development Day Focus: Education in Faith

• Friday, Nov 28 – Staff planning day – 2026 preparation.