From the Principal

St Justin’s Primary School acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's First People and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which our school stands.

We pay our respects to the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, and their elders past and present, and emerging as we continue to proudly live and learn on their land.

St Justin's Primary School - Celebrating over 40 years of Catholic Education

Dear Families and Friends,

Thanks everyone for a great start to the school year - this being a first week has been terrific.

Thanks to everyone who was able to attend our Parent Information Night in the Church. We had some great feedback about our new format, with many appreciating the opportunity to gather as a school community and to hear from a variety of teachers across the different year levels. 

I must admit, the night did start a little different, with one parent entering late, questioning what he had missed. We did explain that it was a "set up", with us trying to highlight the impact a student being late can have not only on them, but the whole class. I know at times getting to school before nine can be a challenge but we would love everyone to be at school before 9:00am. We also highlighted the importance of being at school every scheduled day - a day missed here and there can add up and have a huge impact on student development.

Another focus last night was Safety. We have become increasingly concerned about the number of families still dropping off and/or picking up in the staff / church carpark. As a result, we have decided close the gate most mornings and afternoons (being mindful that the driveway is also used by parishioners). This is not just about safety, it's also about fairness and equity to all. If you have any issues, please speak to Mr T. The school number is on the gate if you need to ring.

Thanks again to everyone who was able to attend, not only our Parent Information Night, but our visits back to the classroom. All staff commented on how nice it was to have an opportunity to meet the parents and vice versa. A huge thank you to the staff who spent a great deal of time preparing for the night - much appreciated. We'll send a copy of the slides home next week.

Beginning of the School Year and Welcoming Mass

Today we held our Beginning of the School Year Mass, where we officially commissioned all our new Leaders and Staff for 2026. Thanks to all who were able to attend and a special thank you to Father Andrew and Father Jean-Sebastien for celebrating mass with us. It was also lovely to have Father Evandro from Rome celebrate Mass with us.

Congratulations to our School Leaders for 2026. Whilst we acknowledge our official leaders for this year, we are reminded that we are all leaders, evidenced by our words and actions. Our school leaders, including class SRC members and Mini Vinnies.

 2026 School Leaders

Parents and Friends 

Welcome back for 2026 and welcome to our new families- we are excited to have you within our community!

Parents and Friends are really hoping to work together to create some wonderful events and memories for our children and to get this done wewill need your help! If you haven’t already, please complete your Working with Children check so you can be ready to get involved as needed.

Meet our Executive Team:

Things you need to know:

• If you attend one meeting you do not need to attend them all.
• Meetings will be held on various days and times throughout the year to appeal to as many people as possible.
• Meetings will be held on various days and times throughout the year to appeal to as many people as possible.
• P&F is flexible to work within your schedule.
• Check weekly newsletter for upcoming meeting dates, events and volunteer opportunities.

Running Club

Just a reminder that Running Club  will commence next Thursday, 12th February.

Students attending Running Club are asked to meet Mrs Pascuzzi on the front basketball court at 8.15am. Please do not drop students off earlier, as there will be no teacher supervision before this time. We also kindly remind families not to drive into the school driveway when dropping off children.

Running Club is open to students in Years 3 to 6. However, Year 2 students who have an older sibling attending Running Club are also welcome to join.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact: 

Mrs Pascuzzi: mpascuzzi@sjwheelershill.catholic.edu.au  or

Leanne Snell: lsnell@sjwheelershill.catholic.edu.au

School Fees and Year 6 Camp Levy

School Fees will be issued to all families within the next fortnight. Please refer to Fees and Levies and Year 6 families please note that the minimum of $460 (Camp Levy) must be paid off your child's school fees prior to your child attending Camp at Portsea. 

Student Absences

We take the opportunity to remind all families that student absences should be reported to school via nforma or phoning the office prior to school commencing by 8:30am.

Student Absences are to be reported in the following way:  

1. Leave a message via Student Absence on 9561 7644
2. Report Absence via nforma

We appreciate your support with this advice.

Extreme Weather

There is no doubt that Melbourne has unique weather, and it's not unusual to experience 4 seasons in one day. In days with a forecast of extreme weather, we keep a very close eye on what's happening at St Justin's. Often the forecast for Melbourne can be very hot, stormy, cold - and that's just in one day. The forecast for Melbourne can vary from suburb to suburb, and Wheelers Hill is no exception.

Before conducting an outside activity (including the two daily breaks), we check with various online apps (we usually have three of four apps running at the one time) and also make visual and physical checks outside, making assessments on temperature, rain, surface water and cloud cover. If it is determined safe to do so, we will allow the students to go outside, often with reminders to keep hydrated, modify their activities, play space, etc. If it is determined unsafe, we will keep them inside. Sometimes, depending on the weather, we might let them out for half the time and then inside for the other half - a shorter break is better than nothing. 

Sacrament Dates 2025

Please refer to Education in Faith for 2026 Sacrament Dates.

Kiosk Friday

Kiosk Friday is back for 2026! Students can look forward to enjoying their favourite kiosk treats on Fridays this year. Please note: Cash Only.

Morning Arrival

Developing independence and responsibility in a child at a young age helps them develop lifelong problem solving strategies for the future. Being independent and responsible for their own things helps them approach challenging situations with greater confidence. Often as a parent, we want to do as much for our children as possible, because it’s too hard for them, we don’t have enough time, we are afraid of what others might think or we are afraid that they might get hurt. However, doing too much for our children can deny them the opportunity to learn valuable problem solving skills and resilience for the future.

Can we please ask that all students carry their own bag to and from school each day? This will assist our students in developing a greater sense of responsibility, ownership and confidence in tackling challenging situations, not only in the classroom, but on the playground as well. 

We also ask that students take full responsibility for their own things. In the morning we ask students to enter the classroom, greet their teacher and unpack their bag ready for the commencement of the school day. They are then free to make their way outside to play with their friends.   

Battery Recycling

We now have an EcoBatt Battery Recycling bin at school - it is located in the staffroom. If you have any flat or unwanted batteries, please cover the positive and negative ends -(this helps reduce any risk of overheating), send them to school where they can be placed in the communication tub in the mornings and sent ot the office. We will then check that the positive and negative ends are covered before placing them into the bin. The Battery Recycling Bin will be emptied on a regular basis. We know that our efforts will help keep bateries out of landfill, creating a safer environmnet for us all.

Camps Sports and Excursions Fund

Uniform 

Uniforms are supplied by Academy Uniforms located at 2/810-818 Princes Highway, Springvale. Their hours of operation are Tuesday to Thursday 9.00am-5.00pm and Saturday 9.00am-12.00pm.  

Please refer to the Uniform page for details:

Sun Smart

A reminder that St Justin’s Primary School is a Sun Smart School and as a result, all students are to wear their school hat that protects the face, neck and ears during breaks or lessons, throughout September to the end of April. Sun screen should also be applied at home before coming to school.

Over exposure to the sun presents a serious health risk. Students must, therefore, be educated regarding healthy UV exposure balance to help with Vitamin D and suitable sun protection, in order to be protected from overexposure to the sun whilst at school.

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Students and teachers are encouraged to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun through strategies which use a combination of sun protection measures whenever UV Index levels reach 3 and above.

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Sun protection should be used whenever UV levels are 3 or higher, especially between the months of mid-August to the end of April. During this time, parents should send appropriate sun screen to school and ensure that their child has a suitable hat.

Please refer to our website for more information.

 2026- Student Information

Once again we ask that all families please consider if you have any new or updated  changes in your personal details - phone numbers, address, emergency contact, medications for students etc. Please take the time to update these details on nForma so that we always have the most up to date information for your child. All students also received a Students Information Checklist, can we please ask for these be completed and returned to the office by the end of the school year.  We also ask that you have all Medical forms and Medical Authority forms filled out and up to date . This is especially needed in cases of emergency. Thank you!

As always, thank you for your ongoing support.

All the best,

Pat

Mr Patrick Torpey

Principal