Principals Update

 Key Events - Term 4

2026 Term Dates

Term 1, Week 1 

• Tuesday 27th January 2026 - Staff PD - No students attend
• Wednesday 28th January 2025 - Prep - 6 Students commence

Dear SJV Families,

This is our final newsletter for the year, and what a year it has been.

As we approach the conclusion of the school year, it is a time to pause, reflect, and give thanks for all that we have experienced and achieved.

Throughout this year, we have faced challenges together and celebrated many wonderful successes. It has not always been easy, and a number of our families, staff and students have encountered difficulties along the way. Yet through it all, there remains a deep sense of gratitude for being part of the incredible SJV community. Ours is a community filled with generous, supportive and caring families; dedicated staff who consistently go above and beyond for our children; and students who strive to care for one another and work hard to better themselves and our school.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank our remarkable staff. I am immensely proud of their commitment to every student, whether they work directly with them or not. They continually ensure that our students receive the best opportunities possible. I am grateful for their generosity, professionalism and positive mindset. As both Principal and colleague, I feel truly fortunate to be part of such a wonderful team and community.

To the members of the School Advisory Council, the PFA, the Fete Committee, our class representatives and uniform shop volunteers, thank you for the time, energy and enthusiasm you give so freely. Your tireless efforts help us support one another, build connections and offer valuable experiences that enrich daily life at SJV.

We also farewell our Year 6 students of 2025, who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and resilience. We wish them every success as they embark on the next stage of their learning journey in secondary school.

On behalf of all staff, I would like to thank our school community for your ongoing support throughout the year. We wish all families a very happy, safe and holy Christmas, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with you in 2026.

Fete 2025

Well, the day has come and gone. After all the build-up and preparation, the event arrived—and before we knew it, the 2025 FETE had already passed. Friday 21st November was a wonderful evening for St John Vianney’s, with so many of our families coming together to create an event that truly reflects the heart of our community. The weather was perfect, the crowd was fantastic, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric!

A huge thank you to Nate Viviani and the incredible FETE Committee for the extensive planning and coordination that made the night possible; to the stallholders who created and collected items for their stalls; to everyone involved in setting up and packing down; and to our whole community for showing up in such strong support.

The outcome was a remarkable community event where parents, children, staff and friends of SJV enjoyed a wonderful evening together—and, in the process, we raised over $30,000 to support programs and activities here at the school. Congratulations to everyone involved. It was an amazing effort and one we can all be truly proud of!

Staffing News

We also farewell staff members who are moving on to new endeavours. 

After an extraordinary 45 years of dedicated service in Catholic Education, Debra O’Shannessy has announced her retirement at the end of this year.

Deb has been an invaluable member of our staff, touching the lives of countless students and families through her commitment, compassion and genuine love of teaching. Her contribution to Catholic education—and especially to our school—has been truly exceptional. Deb’s warmth, professionalism and steady presence will be deeply missed by students, staff and parents alike.

In the coming weeks, we will take time to celebrate Deb’s remarkable career and to acknowledge the significant impact she has had on our community. I invite you all to attend our End of Year School Mass on Thursday the 11th of December at 9.15am to celebrate and farewell Deb and her remarkable journey in Catholic Education.

We invite you to join us in offering our heartfelt thanks to Deb for her 45 years of outstanding dedication, and in wishing her every blessing as she begins this next chapter in her life.

Congratulations to Sophie Mackey on being appointed a classroom teacher at St Pat's Mentone next year. Sophie has been an LSO here at SJV for the last two years whilst studying teaching. I wish her all the best on this exciting time.

Next year we welcome new staff members Drew Lane (Performing Arts & E-Learning), Clare Wrigley (Classroom teacher Thursday/Friday), Gemma Fahey (Classroom teacher Wednesday, Thursday & Friday) and Bec Hampton (Classroom teacher Tuesday & Friday) to SJV. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our school. I'm sure you will all make them feel welcomed.

On behalf of the SJV community, I would like to thank Deb O'Shannessy,  Catherine Weekes (Performing Arts), Fiona Lee (Prep teacher 1 day a week), Sophie Mackey (LSO) Samara Parsons (LSO) for their wonderful contributions to the SJV community and wish them well for the next phase of their journey.

Staffing 2026 

I am very pleased to advise the class teachers and staffing for 2026. CAN I PLEASE ASK THAT THERE ARE TO BE NO REQUESTS FOR SPECIFIC CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

PREP (FOUNDATION)

Gemma Fahey (3 days) & Jill Hannan (2 days)

Catherine Osadnik (4 days) & Bec Hampton (1 day)

YEAR 1/2

Taigan Evans (3 days) Clare Wrigley ( 2 days)

Kylie Kostense

Gary Kruger (4 days) & Gabbi Davoren (1 day)

YEAR 3/4 

Luke Brownhill 

Kerry Slater (2 days) & Bec Middleton (3 days)

YEAR 5/6 

Elise Fisher

Fleur Peppard (4 days) & Bec Hampton (1 day)

PHYSICAL EDUCATION  - Dominique Monotti

VISUAL ARTS - Gabbi Davoren 

PERFORMING ARTS - Drew Lane

LIBRARY & LITERACY ENHANCEMENT - Vicki Dagher

E-LEARNING - Gary Kruger/Drew Lane

JAPANESE - Lauren Koziol

NUMERACY & LITERACY ENHANCEMENT - John James

LEARNING DIVERSITY - Mary Moor

LEARNING ENHANCEMENT/TESTING - Laura Heiberg 

LEARNING SUPPORT

Julia Mascali

Melissa Hanson

Chloe Saultry

Lyn Saunders

Kath Murley

Susan Birell

Lina Greco

Phil Daidone

Maddie Bortoli

OFFICE MANAGER

Nicole Davies

PRINCIPAL

Mick Schinck

LEADERSHIP TEAM 2026

TEACHING & LEARNING  / NUMERACY LEADER - John James

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION LEADER - Kerry Slater

LEARNING DIVERSITY LEADER - Mary Moor

WELLBEING LEADER - Catherine Osadnik

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL / LITERACY / MENTAL HEALTH LEADER- Jill Hannan

PRINCIPAL / MENTAL HEALTH LEADER - Mick Schinck

New Specialist Subject 2026

We are excited to share that from next year, E-Learning will be introduced as a specialist subject at our school. This new program will support students in developing essential digital skills, responsible online behaviours, and confidence in using technology to enhance their learning.

E-Learning sessions will focus on a range of areas including digital literacy, safe online practices, creative technology use, problem-solving, and introductory coding and design skills. These lessons will complement classroom learning while preparing students for an increasingly digital world.

This subject will be taught by Mr Kruger and Mr Lane.

We look forward to offering this engaging new specialist subject in 2026 and to seeing our students thrive in this modern learning space.

Important Reminders

• Staff resume on Tuesday 27th of January, 2026
• Students will begin on Wednesday 28th of January 2026
• School Uniform - Please remember that the correct full school uniform is to be worn on the first day back next year. The school hats are also to be worn outdoors from the first day back in 2026.

School / End of Term Assembly

• Students will conclude the school Year on Tuesday the 16th December at 12pm. 
• There will be an assembly at 11.15am in the MPR on this day. The Preps, Years 1 & 2 will be presenting the Nativity play starting at 11.20am. We will then have final messages for the year and farewell our Year 6 students with a guard of honour. All parents are invited to attend.

School Reports

School reports will be available on the nForma portal on Monday the 15th of December (2pm onwards).

A reminder to year 6 parents, it is highly recommended that you download your year 6 child’s report, as later in the new year access to the portal will no longer be available.     

Moving Up Session / Transition 2026

On Monday the 15th of December we will be having our final Transition to 2026 classes where children will meet their 2026 teacher/s and classmates. We will notify parents of their child’s classroom teacher on that day. As we will have a number of students from other schools visiting, EVERYONE is free to wear casual clothes on this day so no one stands out as being new.

Prep 2026 Transition Sessions

Over the past few weeks, we have had our 2026 Preps attend their transition sessions here at SJV. It was wonderful to see so many students wearing their SJV Super Preps T-shirt.  We look forward to them all joining us here next year at SJV.

Year 6 Graduation

On Monday the 15th of December, our Year 6 students and their parents will have the opportunity to celebrate their Graduation. Please keep these students in your prayers as they conclude their time here at SJV. We look forward to celebrating this special occasion.

End of Year Mass

On Thursday 11th of December at 9.15am we will be celebrating our end of year Mass in St. John Vianney’s Church. This is a special mass to celebrate our school year as well as having our senior students share the Light of Leadership for the 2025 school year. We are also celebrating and farewelling Deb O'Shannessy and her remarkable journey in Catholic Education. Parents are welcome to attend

Christmas Carols

We look forward to hosting our SJV Christmas Carols on Monday 8th of December 6.00pm. Please come wearing a touch of Christmas and be ready to singalong with some traditional carols as well as some fun new ones too!

School Fees 2026

The School Fee Structure for 2026 has been emailed to all families. If you have not received the email please check your spam or call Nicole on 9580 5812 for any queries

Building Update

Last week marked an exciting milestone for our school, with the old Administration building officially demolished. While it is always bittersweet to see a familiar part of our school’s history removed, this change represents an important step forward in the continued development and improvement of our learning environment.

The demolition makes way for new and updated spaces that will better support the needs of our students, staff and community. We look forward to sharing updates as the next phase of the project begins.

Safety remains our top priority. All demolition work will be carried out by accredited professionals, and appropriate safety measures will be in place throughout the entire process.

We will continue to keep families updated as the project progresses. Thank you for your understanding and support during this phase of improvement for our school.

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal- Thank you

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful SJV community for your generosity so far in supporting the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. Your donations have been overwhelming and will make a real difference to families in need this Christmas.

Thanks to you, we have collected: 

• 25 serviettes 

• 19 mince pies 

• 45 rolls of wrapping paper 

• 39 boxes of shortbread 

• 46 drinks

Our final focus item for this week is Christmas decorations and bonbons, which we will collect on Friday.

All donations will be collected on Monday after school to be packed into hampers, so any last-minute contributions are still very welcome.

Thank you again for helping us share the spirit of Christmas with others. 

Congratulations to Xavier

Xavier has qualified for State Relay and will be competing at Lakeside Stadium in December.

Well done Xavier!

Head Lice Notification

We would like to inform families that a small number of students have recently been reported with head lice (nits). While this is a common occurrence in school settings, it is important that we work together to prevent further spread.

We ask all parents and carers to please check your child’s hair carefully over the coming days and treat if necessary. Regular monitoring and prompt treatment are the most effective ways to manage head lice within the school community.

If your child is found to have head lice, please ensure treatment begins before they return to school. Your support in helping us manage this issue is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

PFA Event 2026

Please save the date for the Barefoot Bowls Evening. See below for further details.

Instagram- We now have an SJV Instagram page on social media. So please make sure you follow and share: @sjv_parkdale

Reminders

• Dogs - Please note that for the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community, no dogs are permitted inside the school grounds and they must not be left unattended tied up at the gates. Adult supervision and holding of the leash is so important around vulnerable places such as schools.  We love dogs but we do have to take care of all members of our community.

• Bikes and Scooters - Please walk bikes and scooters when moving through the school grounds.

• Punctuality - It is expected that all students are to be at school by no later than 8.45am and not any time up to 9am. From 8.45am to 9am is crucial for students to get themselves organised, start the day with Meditation, prayer, take the roll and ready to commence their day promptly. Formal lessons begin at 9am. Any child who arrives at or after 9am is to be signed in at the office by a parent/guardian. I ask all parents to make sure that you adhere to these times.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR!

Regards

Mick Schinck

Principal