Principal News

Week 5, Term 3

Dear parents and carers, 

It has been another wonderful fortnight at St Joseph's! Book Week has taken centre stage, with fantastic activities taking place each day for our students. Book Week is a wonderful celebration of the joy and power of reading. It reminds us that books are more than just stories, they open doors to imagination, knowledge and empathy. For children, Book Week is a chance to connect with literature in fun and meaningful ways, sparking a lifelong love of reading that supports their learning and wellbeing, both in and beyond the classroom.

Our Year 6 Book Week leaders have been reading stories to the classes and running activities to support the learning taking place. We topped off the special week with the wonderful costume parade this morning. Thank you to the many, many parents and carers who made time to come and cheer on the children while they showed off their costumes. 

Thank you to Miss Dusting, Ms Linke and our Year 6 Book Week Leaders, Arran, Spencer, Jamieson C, Pen, Charles, Lara Rose, Willow P, Isla, Phoebe, Levi and Ethan, for the wonderful work they have done to bring Book Week alive at St Joseph's. 

I also want to sincerely thank our wonderful staff for embracing the spirit of the day, dressing up, and sharing in the fun with their students.

Staff News

We are delighted to share the wonderful news that Miss Stanley and her partner became engaged over the weekend! We are absolutely thrilled for them both and wish them every happiness as they begin the exciting journey of wedding planning.

 Mrs Doran came to visit with baby Fionn today, much to everyone's delight. It then became 'St Joseph's Creche' as Moira's daughter and two grandchildren stopped past for a visit, plus Mr Hartney's wife and baby girl, Summer, also popped in for Book Week. This is just another wonderful reminder of how special our St Joseph's community really is. 

Mary Poppins

Despite our best efforts to keep a lid on it, "Mary Poppins has gone to a whole new level", according to Miss Mclean. 

On Thursday, we watched in awe as our Year 5/6 students flawlessly performed their scenes without any intervention from staff - taking their rehearsals so very seriously. Their beautiful singing and powerful acting often brings tears of joy and pride, as our staff simply cannot believe what a wonderful job the students are doing. We congratulate Miss Mclean, Miss Dunk and Mr Hayes, who have done an exceptional job preparing the children and, with25 sleeps until opening night, the best is yet to come. 

2026 Plans

It is that time of the year where we start to plan for the coming year. We politely remind all families to notify the school via Operoo, should your child/children not be returning to St Joseph's in 2026. We have waiting lists across most year levels and having an accurate indication of our enrolment numbers for next year ensures we are able to plan accordingly, and access appropriate funding. We thank you for your cooperation.

Beachside Soccer

Our Year 6 girls soccer team proudly represented St Joseph’s in the next round of competition after winning the HOLT tournament earlier in Term 2. The team started strong with a 5–0 win in their first game, finishing at the top of their group. They progressed to the semi-finals and, in a thrilling match, were narrowly defeated by a late goal from the opposition. All students played with great skill, teamwork and determination, and were exceptional ambassadors for our school. A special thank you to Mr Jansson, and coach Steve Exon for his dedication and for running extra training sessions on the weekends to prepare the team.

Hoop Time 

Last Friday our Year 5 and 6 students headed off to MSAC for the annual Hoop Time basketball competition. Hoop Time is a 'round robin' basketball tournament, with winning teams progressing to the Regional or State finals series. We thank our staff - Mr Sandler, Miss Shanahan, Mr Jansson, Miss Dusting, Mr Hayes, Miss Murtagh and Ms Jo Foggo for their wonderful support and coordination of the day. 

A special thank you to our amazing parent helpers: Rod S, David W, Glenn M, Mark J, Matt C, Dan M, Ben G and Jenny G. The staff who attended reported that the behaviour from our students was exceptional, demonstrating wonderful respect for the opposition and grace under pressure. Nothing makes me happier - our St Joseph's students really are the best. Please click here to see Miss Shanahan's Senior School News report from the day. 

Feast of the Assumption Mass

Last Thursday, our school community came together to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a beautiful Mass. This special feast reminds us of Mary’s great love for God and her place in Heaven with Him. It was wonderful to see our students, teachers and several parents join in prayer and song to mark this important day in our Church calendar. 

Tournament of the Minds

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in Tournament of the Minds over the weekend! It was a wonderful morning to celebrate the work the students had put in over the past 6 weeks. Below are two photos that were sent in by our wonderful, supporting parents. 

We sincerly thank Mr Hartney for running the Tournament of the Minds program for 2025, it has been a wonderful opportunity for our senior students.

St Joseph's Footy Classic

The next event on our P&F calendar is the St Joseph's Footy Classic on Saturday August 30th at Wattie Watson Oval, 1pm. Please read the Parents and Friends Newsletter Page for all of the exciting details. 

Father's & Special Men Breakfast 

We warmly invite all the special men in our community to join us on Friday, September 5th for a celebration starting at 7.45am. Following breakfast, our Year 1 students will proudly present an assembly item at 9.00am. To add to the fun, students and their families are encouraged to come dressed in their favourite footy colours for the day. We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with you. 

Book Now for MACSEYE’s September Holiday Program

MACSEYE is running a fun and engaging school holiday program this September.

The program runs throughout the school holidays and features exciting activities including dance, crafts, footy and games, excursions and more! See the attached brochure for the full program and fees.

Bookings

• Current OSHC users: Book now via the Xplor Home app

• New families: Enrol first via the enrolment link in the brochure and you’ll get instructions on how to book

• Bookings close: Monday 15 September

Please note: Regular before and after school care sessions will not be available during the holidays. 

For more information, contact MACSEYE by email contact@macseye.vic.edu.au or 1300 501 029.

Thank you for another wonderful fortnight at St Joseph's. In the next fortnight we have so much to look forward to - Run Club, Mary Poppins dress rehearsals, Orrong Road Kinder visits, Years 3-6 HOLT Athletics Day, School Officer Appreciation Week, Footy Colours Day and our Father's Day celebrations, plus our regular teaching and learning program. We cannot wait. 

Have a wonderful weekend, 

Claire Tobin 

Principal