Principal's News
Dear Parents and Carers,
Despite being a shorter week, we have still managed to fit a lot in! We have enjoyed another fabulous week of learning, connection and fun at St Joseph’s. We hope you enjoy reading about all that has been happening across our beautiful school and celebrating the wonderful learning and experiences our students have enjoyed this week.
Feast of the Assumption of Mary
Today, our school community came together to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary through a beautiful whole-school prayer liturgy, led by our Year 3DB students.
Together, we reflected on Mary’s deep faith, her humility and her special place as the Mother of Jesus. We thank our Year 3DB students for leading us in this special celebration and for helping our school community reflect on Mary’s example of saying ‘yes’ to God. Our Year 3 students led us in prayer, and they sang with the most angelic voices, singing the hymn 'Immaculate Mary' that they had practised with seminarian Anthony.
Prayer for the Feast of the Assumption
Woman of mercy, empower us.
Woman of faith, empower us.
Woman of contemplation, empower us.
Woman of vision, empower us.
Woman of wisdom and understanding, empower us.
Woman of grace and truth, empower us.
Woman, pregnant with hope, empower us.
Woman, centred in God, empower us.
Mary, Queen of Peace, we entrust our lives to you. Shelter us from all that may cause us harm. Teach us to live in peace, to be compassionate and generous people. Inspire us to act justly, to raise up the lowly and to support all those in need.
Amen
School Curriculum Day
Last Monday, our staff came together for a valuable Curriculum Day led by our Learning Leaders, Amanda, Dean and Georgie, with a focus on literacy, numeracy and wellbeing.
The day provided an opportunity for staff to engage in professional learning, reflect on our practice and share evidence-based strategies to further support student learning, achievement and wellbeing. Thank you to Amanda, Dean and Georgie for their thoughtful planning and expert leadership, and to all our staff for their enthusiastic participation and valuable contributions throughout the day. Days like this provide an important opportunity for us to reflect on our current practices, build on what we already do so well and continue to strengthen our teaching and learning through the latest research and evidence-based approaches.
St Mary’s College Visit
Our Year 4 students recently had the opportunity to visit St Mary’s College and take part in a fun and engaging experience, giving them the chance to tour the college, experience their secondary school learning environment and enjoy a wonderful hands-on activity.
Our students enjoyed creating their own Yo-Chi-style yoghurt cups in their school's food tech kitchen. A big thank you to the team at St Mary’s College for welcoming our Year 4 students and providing such a wonderful experience. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to enjoy the experience of a secondary school.
Glee Club
Thursday lunchtimes are filled with energy and fun as our Glee Club comes together for a fantastic session of singing and dancing! Led by our wonderful Performing Arts teacher, Wendy D’Arco, Glee Club gives students the opportunity to sing their favourite songs, learn new music and perform alongside their friends. There is always an incredible buzz of excitement, creativity and joy as our students build confidence, express themselves and enjoy making music together. It is wonderful to see their personalities shine as they sing, move and have fun each week.
A big thank you to Wendy for bringing so much energy and enthusiasm to Glee Club and creating such a joyful and inclusive lunchtime experience for our students!
Our St Joseph's School Assembly
Once again, it was wonderful to see so many families join us for our school assembly this morning. During assembly, students were recognised with STAR Awards for demonstrating our school values of Stay Safe, Try Your Best, Act Responsibly and Respect Yourself and Others. We warmly congratulated these students for the positive choices they make each day and for the wonderful way they contribute to our St Joseph’s community. We also celebrated the birthdays of students across the week by coming together to sing “Tanti Auguri” and sharing in the joy of these special occasions.
Mr Prowse announced the winners of this week’s Line Points. Congratulations to our new champions, Prep L, for their fantastic achievement and for consistently demonstrating our school values throughout the week!
We also finished our assembly by proudly singing our National Anthem together - a wonderful way to celebrate our school community and start the day.
Father's Day - Save the Date
Parents and Friends Winter Drinks- Next Thursday!
Communication from MACS regarding the EBA
"Currently, all Catholic schools are working through planning and budgeting activities for 2027 to ensure we are well placed to support our staff, students and school communities in the coming year. This includes looking at how we can accommodate the changes likely to flow from a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) with school staff.
We recognise the significant financial pressures many households are facing, and we are making a conscious effort to ensure these costs are not passed on through significant fee increases.
We will continue to keep our parent community informed throughout this process. As always, our focus remains on maintaining strong school communities and continuing to deliver a high-quality Catholic education for every student"
- Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS)
Over the coming weeks, I will be working closely with MACS, the leadership and consultative team at St Joseph’s, as well as the School Advisory Council, to discuss how the impact of the EBA may affect our school community here at St Joseph’s.
I will ensure that our parent community is kept up to date and informed of any decisions that are made as a result of changes to our current school structures. There will be opportunities for parents and carers over the coming weeks and months to be involved and have a voice in this process. When the time is appropriate and I am able to share further information with our community, I will provide opportunities for parents and carers to have their say, ask questions and contribute to the conversation.
Any changes that may occur at St Joseph’s will be part of broader changes across the Catholic education system and will be considered carefully to ensure that we continue to provide a high-quality education for our students.
I understand that there may be questions and uncertainty as we work through this process, and I want to reassure our community that we will approach any changes thoughtfully, transparently and with the best interests of our students, staff and families.
Upcoming P&F Meeting
Our next P&F Meeting will be held on Tuesday 25 August at 7:00pm – everyone is warmly welcome! The focus of this meeting will centre around the St Joseph’s Art Show, which will be held early in Term 4, as well as planning upcoming events between now and the end of the year and into early next year. Every member of our school community is very welcome, and we truly value every voice and contribution. Our P&F plays such an important role in bringing our community together through events, activities and fundraising initiatives that support our students and our school. We are incredibly grateful for the time, energy and enthusiasm our P&F members give to our community. We look forward to seeing many of you at the meeting and continuing to work together to make our school community such a wonderful place to be!
Upcoming School Advisory Council Meeting
At this meeting, I will rely heavily on the advice and counsel of our SAC members as we begin planning for the 2027 school year. Our conversations will include the school’s 2027 budget, the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA), and the potential impact this may have on our St Joseph’s school community. I will seek the advice and guidance of our SAC members as we consider and make decisions regarding school fees, class structures and other important aspects of planning for 2027. These conversations will be an important part of ensuring that we make thoughtful and considered decisions that support our students, staff and wider school community. I am grateful for the ongoing commitment and contribution of our SAC members and value the important role they play in providing advice and representing the voice of our school community.
Year 3 and Year 4 Camp Information Night
Next week, we will be holding an online Camp Information Evening for our Year 3 and Year 4 families at 6:00pm. We look forward to sharing all the important details about the upcoming Year 3 and 4 Camp. This will be a very exciting opportunity for our students as they travel to Mt Evelyn in Week 1 next term, where they will experience the fun, adventure and independence that comes with being away at camp with their friends and teachers. We look forward to sharing more about the camp experience with our families and answering any questions you may have.
Book Week Coming Soon!
Only a few more sleeps until our fabulous Book Day Celebration on Tuesday 25 August!
This year’s Book Week theme is ‘Symphony of Stories’, celebrating the wonderful world of books, stories and imagination. On Book Week Celebration Day, children are welcome to come dressed as any of their favourite book characters. We are looking forward to a wonderful celebration of literature, with our students immersed in stories, exploring the shortlisted children's books for 2026 and sharing their love of reading throughout the week. We can’t wait to see the creativity and excitement as our school community comes together to celebrate the magic of books!
Friday Fun!
It is always so lovely to end the week on a high with our Friday Disco! The children always have a wonderful time singing, dancing and enjoying some fun with their friends.
There were lots of smiles, laughter and great energy as we celebrated the end of another busy week together. What a wonderful way to finish the week!
What's on Next Week...
Staying Connected...
At any time, if you have questions or concerns regarding the wellbeing, care, or learning of your child, please do not hesitate to reach out. We encourage you to contact your child's class teacher in the first instance, or alternatively, one of our school leaders, Dean Butler (Deputy Principal), or myself, Annabelle Marinelli (Principal). Working in partnership with our families is incredibly important to us, and we are always happy to listen, support, and work together to ensure the best possible outcomes for every child.
With warmest regards,
Annabelle Marinelli
Principal