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,

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 2025. Thanks to all who were able to attend and a special thank you to Father Jean-Sebastien for celebrating mass with us.

Congratulations to our School Leaders for 2025. 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.

 2025 School Leaders

Parent Information Night

Thanks to those who were able to attend our Parent Information Sessions last week. Next week we look forward to catching up with Year 3/4 on Tuesday night at 7:00pm and 

Year 1/2 on Wednesday night at 7:00pm. Please refer to Dates Ahead.

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. 

School Fees and Year 6 Camp Levy

School Fees have beeen issued to all families. Please refer to Fees and Levies and Year 6 families please note that the $450 Camp Levy on your fees must be paid 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 by 8:30am by phoning the office prior to school commencing.

The “Mark Student Absent” module in nForma  has been disabled. This is being worked on and we will inform you when it has been tested and is operational.  Audiri is no longer available to record absentees. 

In the interim, Student Absences are to be reported in the following way:  

1. Leave a message via Student Absence on 9561 7644

We appreciate your support with this advice.

Classroom Representatives

We are looking for volunteers to act as Class Reps, a big thanks to those who have already put their hand up for this, but we still need more volunteers.  The role of class rep is to liaise with their respective teachers and help communicate information to the class parents.  If you are interested in this, or have any further questions about it, please contact the P&F at pnf@sjwheelershill.catholic.edu.au or feel free to chat to any of the committee members. 

Please see the classes below classes who still require a classroom represtative.

1M

1L

3D

3MW

5F

5WM

6DB

6SL

Attendance

Daily school attendance is important for all students to succeed in education and to ensure they don't fall behind both socially and developmentally. There is a direct link between school attendance and achievement later in life and students who regularly attend school and complete Year 12 or an equivalent qualification have better health outcomes, better employment outcomes, and higher incomes across their lives. It is important that students develop habits of regular attendance at an early age. Poor patterns in attendance in the early years lead to poor patterns in attendance throughout the school year. It also makes it difficult for students to form positive relationships with their peers.

Students are expected to attend the school in which they are enrolled, during normal school hours every day of each term. On a daily basis, absences tend to be short (less than 1 hour) or for the whole day. It is worth noting that regularly missing out on part of the school day can add up quickly. 

How many mornings or afternoons/days/weeks has your child missed this year?

• 0-6 days: This is within the normal range. A child with this attendance rate is able to take full advantage of the teaching and learning opportunities available to them.

• 7-10 days: This attendance rate is below average. A child with this attendance rate could miss over 1 year of schooling between Prep and Year 10.

• 11-20 days: This is a poor attendance rate. A child with this attendance rate could miss out on up to  2 years of schooling between Prep and Year 10.

• 20+ days: This is a very poor attendance rate. A child with this attendance rate could miss out on up to 2.5 years of schooling between Prep and Year 10.

Families choosing to holiday during term time should plan wisely, as schoolwork will not be provided by class teachers for these periods of absence.

Sacrament Dates 2025

Please refer to Education in Faith for 2025 Sacrament Dates.

School Car Parking

A reminder that the school carpark should not be used to drop students off, unless:

• accessing before or afterschool care, 
• picking up or dropping a student off for an appointment, or 
• with permission from the principal. 

The staff carpark is a busy place in the mornings and after school, and we would hate to have any accidents because drivers thought it would be more "convenient" or quicker to use the carpark to drop off.

Thank you for your cooperation.

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.   

Drop Off and Pick Up

In the morning, there are at least two teachers on yard duty in the school grounds from 8:40am. If you wish to drop your child off before 8:40 am, please use the Before School Care service provided by MACSEYE- we would hate for your child to arrive at school and no one be here to care for them. Whilst there is usually someone here from 8:00am, it’s important to remember that staff are busy preparing for the day ahead or involved in meetings. 

After school, a teacher is on playground duty until 3:45 pm (3:30pm on Monday). After this time students who are yet to be picked up will be taken to the office.  We will attempt to ring their parents to make sure everything is ok. If for any reason, you are running late, just give the office a ring and let us know. 

Please note that students should not be dropped off or picked up in the staff car park. In the morning and at the end of the day, the car park becomes a busy place with people walking in all directions.

Please ensure you follow all parking restrictions, including the 2 minute parking zones. We also ask that those families entering the school from Whalley Drive, use the pedestrian paths provided, we really want all pedestrians off the roads.

Camps Sports and Excursions Fund

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.

 2025 - 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 as 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