Principal’s News

Dear Families,

I have been lucky enough to spend time with our Year 3/4s this week at their camp at Scienceworks. It was an exciting adventure as we got to enjoy a show in the Planetarium and explore sportsworks and the museum. A great time was had by all with one of the highlights travelling on the bus! The children were exemplary in their behaviour and the way they participated in the camp with great interest and enthusiasm. I particularly appreciated the way they supported each other as for some children it was their first experience of being away from home. A special thanks to our staff Miss O’Grady, Miss Clerehan, Miss DeVisser, and Mrs Campagna who took time away from their own families to care for their St Joseph’s children. Thanks also to our Senior Coordinator Mrs Smith who organised the camp with such care and detail to ensure it was a positive experience for our children.

Gymnastics Program

Our children from Prep-Year 6 have thoroughly enjoyed Physical Education over the past two weeks with our Gymnastics program. They have tumbled, turned, balanced, and jumped with many looking like real Olympic Gymnasts. Thanks to Ms. Birch for organising this enriching program for our children. I was particularly proud when the visiting gymnastics instructor commented on the behaviour of our children. In all his time working across Melbourne in various schools, he said he has rarely met children who are so respectful and enthusiastic to participate. Well done to our wonderful children for representing our school so well!

Annual General Meeting - School Advisory Council and Parents and Friends

We hosted our Annual General Meeting (AGM) for our School Advisory Council (SAC) and Parents and Friends (P&F) during the week. It concluded a positive year of support from our parent community.

One of the major roles of the SAC this year was to contribute to the Principal appointment process by identifying the qualities and skills they would see as important in our next school principal at St Joseph’s. The process is well underway with an outcome to be announced prior to the end of the school year. A special thanks to the following SAC members who have offered me guidance, support, and wise counsel in my role as Acting Principal:

Father Michael Gallacher (Parish Priest)

David Stegehuis (Chairperson)

Courtney Jendra (Secretary)

Amanda Jackson (Deputy Principal/School representative)

Sascha Pausewang

Kerrie Cockburn

Daniela Cachart

Michael Hazell (P&F representative)

The major role of the P&F this year was our art show which as you know was a resounding success in both fundraising and friendraising. It was wonderful to see the P&F growing in numbers this year. There were so many wonderful events that contributed to our positive school community vibe with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events, termly cake stalls, 2nd hand uniform shop, class catch ups being led by our wonderful class representatives, Michelle’s retirement morning tea and so much more. Your generosity and energy are certainly something to treasure and continue to foster. A special thanks to our President Michael Hazell and Secretary Ash Stewart who led the P&F with a spirit of inclusion ensuring that they reached out to all families in our community.

Staffing News

Mrs Josie Gleeson has made the exciting decision to retire at the end of the year after more than 30 years of service to St Joseph's. Thanks, Josie for all your wonderful contributions to the St Joseph’s community. No doubt there are many students over that time who have developed a love for the language and culture of Italy. We are excited for Josie as she begins this next adventure.

Mr Liam Cleary will be finishing up at St Joseph’s at the end of the year as he is currently preparing for a wonderful working holiday overseas. An exciting time ahead for Liam. Liam has been a wonderful part of the St Joseph’s family over the past few years. Hopefully, Liam will be around in a CRT capacity in Term 1 before he embarks on his fabulous adventure.

Mrs Kerrie Campagna generously agreed to join St Joseph's for a short term contract commencing in April in the Learning Diversity role. Kerrie has other adventures of travel and supporting other schools ahead for her in 2025. We were so fortunate that Kerrie came to St Joseph's this year. The impact she has had over her 3 terms is nothing short of a miracle. We give thanks to Kerrie for sharing her talents and expertise with us so generously.

Champions of our School

Students Shine as Waste Warriors:

Lunchtime took on a cleaner tone this week, thanks to five incredible students who went above and beyond to keep our school tidy. Armed with their gloves these young leaders dedicated their break to picking up litter around the school grounds, setting an inspiring example for their peers.

The group; Xavier, Nicholas, Alexander, Ellery, and John volunteered their time to ensure our school grounds were clean and welcoming. Their efforts not only improved the appearance of our school but also highlighted the importance of caring for our shared spaces. Their actions remind us that small efforts can lead to big changes.

A massive thank you to these dedicated students for showing what community spirit is all about!

Evelyn W and Wolf D competed in the Eastern Metro Regional Relay competition. They both did well with Evelyn getting 2nd & 3rd place Medals with her team and Wolf coming away with two 3rd place medals with his team. Both Evelyn and Wolf were the youngest in the competition. Great effort to you both!

Callum W competed in School Sports Victoria U12 Aquathlon Triathlon championships which was the selection race for Nationals which will be held in Western Australia next year. After a 1km run, 200m swim, and a final 1km run, came in first place. Callum will be heading to Rockingham next year to represent St Joesphs and Victoria again at Nationals. Well done Callum!

Well done to Simone, Mel, and Angela who organised and opened up our 2nd hand uniform at our final Prep transition morning raising $1283.00 for the school. Not only did it raise great funds for the school but it also created a great atmosphere of welcome to our new families.

Congratulations to Otis 1L and Benji 4D on winning the Packers Award in the Pran Central colouring competition. They both win a prize pack valued at $350.

Playground Upgrade

We’re thrilled to announce that our school playground upgrade has commenced.

Over the next few weeks, a few exciting new additions will be installed to make outdoor playtime even more fun for our students. The highlight of the upgrade will be the brand-new Super Chuter. We will also be adding a clatter bridge, perfect for adventurous crossing, and colorful stepping pods that help build balance and coordination. To encourage interactive and creative play, we will be including some fun interactive panels. We hope the new equipment will be a hit, and it will be wonderful to see students exploring and enjoying their enhanced play space once completed.

School Closure

A reminder that there will be a school closure day on Monday 2nd December as the staff plan for the 2025 school year. There will be no school for the children on this day.

Have a lovely weekend.

Cathy Mason

Acting principal

Playgroups 2024