Principal News - A Mary Poppins Special

Dear Parents and Carers,

PRACTICALLY PERFECT IN EVERY WAY!

WOW! What an extraordinary experience Mary Poppins JR has been, and how incredibly proud I am of our students and staff for bringing such a magical production to life.

Across both performance nights, our children were absolute superstars and each show was superb. After 9 months of preparation, rehearsals and anticipation, everything came together seamlessly - the acting, singing, choreography, costumes, makeup, lights, music, sound, tickets and front-of-house organisation. It was a true showcase of what makes St Joseph’s so special.

One of the most wonderful aspects of this whole journey has been the way new friendships and connections have blossomed. We’ve seen students across year levels working together, older students mentoring younger ones, and our juniors delighting in getting to know the Year 5 and 6 performers by their Mary Poppins characters. Whether it’s hearing playground sing-alongs of the show’s songs, or seeing the way children now greet staff and peers they may not usually interact with, the bonds created through this production will stay with our students for years to come.

At St Joseph’s, we believe that opportunities for creativity and performance are essential for a child's development. Productions like this give our students the chance to step beyond their comfort zones, develop confidence and discover new strengths within themselves. For some, performing on stage can even be a life-changing moment. The performing arts nurture creativity, communication, collaboration, self-discipline and resilience, offering a well-rounded education that has a lasting impact on our children’s lives. 

Already, the Year 3s and 4s are talking excitedly about “their turn” to step into lead roles in 2027. As for what the next show will be, well, let’s all take a moment to soak in the magic of this one before we start dreaming about the next adventure!

Parent Feedback

It was so lovely to speak to so many families to celebrate the amazing success for the entire school community, and marvel at the talents of the students. Below is a small sample of the incredible feedback we received from various community members: 

I just wanted to say how incredible the show was last night. Honestly, we never had anything even close to that when I was in primary school. It’s such an amazing experience for the kids to be part of something so special.

Just wanted to say congratulations, last night was just brilliant and we can’t thank you enough. What an amazing experience for the kids! Looking forward to tonight!

He loves being involved in school productions and performing arts. The show was fabulous last night - well done!

Honestly, it was simply incredible. I actually can’t believe our school does this at the level it is performed. Tireless months of passion and generous time and energy given by so many staff. 

We wanted to say congratulations on an incredible production! I was blown away at how amazing it all was, and how talented the children are! I’m really thankful for the opportunity for our kids to be involved in a production and getting the chance to try new things like singing, dancing and acting.

I have seen her confidence grow and she has learnt a huge life lesson - what it means to be a part of something bigger than her - a team and a production. 

Congratulations on a wonderful production of Mary Poppins. We attended last night’s performance and we thoroughly enjoyed it from go to woe. You and your staff have done a wonderful job. What’s more the children also had a ball. As a retired primary school teacher, who was involved in productions for over thirty years, I know exactly what goes into the putting on such a polished performance as we witnessed last night. The children will remember this for the rest of their lives.

Mary Poppins Jr – Digital Media

Secure your own keepsake copy of Mary Poppins Jr! DVDs, Blu-rays, and digital downloads are now available to order. Please note: Only the performance on Thursday, 18th September (Night 2) was professionally filmed. Click the link to place your order: https://www.modevideo.com.au/product-page/stjosephelsternwick2025

The Digital Program, created by Steve Scott (parent), can be found here: Home - Mary Poppins Jr https://marypoppins.mvt.so/. 

The A-Team

We thank Miss Mclean, Miss Dunk and Mr Hayes for their visionary leadership and direction with the production. They went above and beyond our wildest expectations and the entire St Joseph's community is so thankful for your collective efforts. The show was simply outstanding. 

Behind the scenes, our talented staff worked tirelessly to create a seamless and enchanting production. Productions are hard work for our teachers and, what’s more, the coordination on the night means they are only able to watch small snippets of the show from the side of the stage. We are indebted to our incredible staff and sincerely thank them for supporting their students to get up on stage and give it their best effort. For the record, every student at St Joseph’s made it on stage - a fabulous achievement. 

We send our deepest thanks to Emma Evans (parent) whocoordinated all of the costumes and props with Miss Mclean and some of our wonderful LSOs, Amanda Bowman and Melissa Pascoe, plus our parent and grandparent volunteers. Dressing 347 students is no small matter! The costumes made the characters come alive and every student was dressed to perfection. 

We thank the following parents for their exceptional support in readiness for the production:

• Steve Scott who worked on our digital program and posters.

• Paul Bozic who made all of our sets, including sourcing the materials.

• Jess Hilbert who coordinated painting our sets, including many days spent at school working on the intricate details of each item.

• Julia Fisher who worked with Emma Evans in the costume department, plus supported our prop and set making processes.

In addition to the many, many parent and grandparent helpers in the community for the various bits and pieces they were able to contribute along the way. 

Main Cast

What an incredible performance by our Lead Actors! These students worked so hard all year to put on such an amazing performance and the entire school community could not be more proud. They gave up countless lunch breaks, stayed late after school and came in to school in their school holidays to attend rehearsals. An incredible effort. 

Bert

A charming chimney sweep, Mary Poppins’ friend, and the narrator of the story. 

Rex S

Rex really committed himself to his role and we could not be more proud of the way he brought Bert to life. We especially loved his British accent!

Mary Poppins

An extraordinary nanny; ‘practically perfect’ in every way. 

Phoebe F

Phoebe is a born performer. Her portrayal of Mary Poppins was so exceptional, you would be mistaken for thinking Julie Andrews herself was on stage with us. 

George Banks

The Banks family patriarch- demanding ‘precision and order’; a banker to the very fibre of his being.

Arlo S

Arlo's dedication to his role was outstanding. The maturity he brought was evident from the first audition and he made the perfect George Banks. 

Winifred Banks

A loving homemaker, striving to be a model wife and mother to George, Jane & Michael.

Isla T

Isla played her part to perfection and loved being on stage with the Banks family. Her beautiful voice was a delight to listen to during her many solo performances.  

Jane Banks

The high-spirited daughter of George and Winifred Banks.

Zoe G

Zoe was destined to play Jane Banks. She was the total embodiment of her character and she loved every minute she was on stage.  

Michael Banks

The cheeky, excitable son of George and Winifred Banks.

Max O

Max's eyes sparkled every time he went on to perform. In particular, you could see the joy in his face when he was performing ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'.

Mrs Brill

The overworked housekeeper and cook for the Banks family.

Maya J

Maya did a wonderful job on stage! She played her role so well and brought us many laughs with her witty delivery of her lines. 

Robertson Ay

The forgetful and clumsy houseboy for the Banks family.

Charlie F

Charlie's hilarious portrayal of his character brought out some of the biggest laughs on the nights and we are so proud of his confidence on stage. 

Birdwoman

A gentle, mysterious figure who sits on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral, feeding pigeons; symbolising kindness and compassion.

Laine W

Laine's performance of ‘Feed The Birds’ was so incredibly powerful. What a voice! We are still singing the song to ourselves.  

Mrs Corry

A mysterious, spirited owner of a magical Talking Shop.

Imogen F

Imogen played Mrs Corry to perfection and her cartwheels during the spectacular rendition of 'Supercal' brought the house down. Congratulations, Imogen!

Miss Andrews

George’s overbearing and scary childhood nanny.

Pen G 

Pen played Miss Andrews (The Holy Terror!) to perfection! She worked so hard on her singing voice and her solo performance was stunning. 

Katie Nanna

The children’s overwhelmed nanny, who quits in frustration at their mischievous behavior.

Ava S

Ava was outstanding as Katie Nanna. She captured every bit of exasperation and delivered her role with humour!

Neleus

A magical statue in the park who comes to life when Mary Poppins visits, playful and eager for adventure.

Luca S

Luca was simply enchanting as Neleus. His stage presence and playful spirit shone through.

Chairman

The head of the Bank where Mr Banks is employed.

Luke M

Luke stepped into the role of the Chairman with great authority and confidence, which made him perfect for this role.

Miss Smythe

The Bank Chairman’s humourless secretary.

Zoe MacD

Zoe delivered her lines with impeccable timing and captured Miss Smythe’s seriousness perfectly. Well done!

Von Hussler

A shady businessman seeking a loan.

Sebastian B

Seb thoroughly enjoyed playing the businessman, and his accent and moustache really topped off his perfect portrayal.  

John Northbrook

An honest businessman seeking a loan.

Frankie B

Frankie's solo was perfect and he never broke character when on stage. He made a wonderful Mr Northbrook. 

Policeman

A neighbourhood patrol officer.

Liam J

Liam made a terrific policeman! With confidence and charm, he added both humour and authority to the stage. A fantastic job!

Messenger

Delivers a summons to George from the bank

Phin H

Phin played the Messenger with energy and flair. His stage presence ensured this smaller role made a big impact, especially when he was carried off by the Chimney sweeps.

Year 5 and 6 Ensemble Groups

Lead Chimney Sweeps & Statues

Bert’s cheerful, friendly, and nimble friends

Lara-Rose, Ava C, Jasmine K, Morgan D

& 

Supporting Lead Chimney Sweeps

Bert’s cheerful, friendly, and nimble friends

Clementine L, Charlotte W, Kira G, Keira W, Archie B, Poppy B

Citizens of London/Special Dancers

Bringing energy and charm to the stage, enhancing each scene with lively movement and joyful spirit

Charlotte R, Eva G, Grace B, Maya M, Mila G, Willow P, Emma S, Willa K, Domenica O, Madeleine T, Remy H, Amelie A, Astrid W, Ava S, Evie R, Harriet S, Harriet B, Maia W, Rosa M, Willow E, Jamieson C, Lila C, Allegra P, Lotte F, Edie B, Lilly G, Kalliopi M

Chimney Sweep Ensemble

Bert’s cheerful, friendly and nimble friends

Spencer J, Eddie A, Jack C, Adrian M, Hamish P, Luca O, Isaac M, Madeline T, Aris K, Ben S, Charles P, Edwina M, Hector G, Jessie G-W, Maximilian S, Ned F, Patrick A, Reuben J, Levi F, Leo M, Jam L, M P, Zach C, Finn G, Arran H, Hendrix M, Archer T, Amir S, George Z, Freddie R

Bank Clerk Ensemble

Employees of the Bank; stern and orderly figures who value precision, discipline, and the power of money

Arthur B, Georgia T, Matthew Di P, Nate S, Tom M, Ethan N, Hugo V, Lewis L, Isabelle W, Joshua L, Ryley G, Liam J, Phin H, Ryan H, Jacob L

Class Ensembles

We are incredibly proud of all our younger students. Learning to dance and sing at the same time takes a considerable amount of effort and concentration. We could not be more proud of how the class groups 'wowed' the familes, and brought us all so much joy when they stepped out on stage. The wild cheering, whistling and clapping on the night said it all!

Year 4 - ‘Step in Time’

Year 3 - ‘Jolly Holiday’

Year 2 - ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’

Year 1 - ‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite’

Prep - ‘Spoonful of Sugar’

Credits - Thank you!

Director & Choreographer: Lisa Mclean.

Music Director: Ally Dunk.

Acting Coach: Mitch Hayes.

Costumes: Lisa Mclean, Emma Evans, Julia Fisher, Amanda Tremellen, The St Joseph’s Parents and Grandparent Community. 

Graphic Designer And Digital Program: Steve Scott.

Digital Production: Broadway Media - MTI Shows.

Stage Managers: Lisa Mclean, Sarah Nugent, Elaine Shanahan, Jack Jansson, Cassie Gleeson, Amanda Bowman & Claire Dusting.

Sets & Props: Paul Bozic, Jess Hilbert, Amanda Bowman, Melissa Pascoe, Julia Fisher, Lydia Hayes & Andrew Roberts, The St Joseph’s Parent Community. 

Road Crew: Tim Fisher, Sarah Gonslaves & The St Joseph’s Parent Community. 

Audio & Visual Operations: Ally Dunk, Tom Hartney & The Caulfield Grammar AV Team.

Spotlight Operation: Mitch Hayes & Rianne Coldebella.

Photographer: Moira Mckinnis & Fiona Scammell.

Videographer: Nick Critelli - Mode Video Productions.

Little Gems - Mary Poppins Edition 

Year 6 group shot - their final production at St Joseph's.

A Year 2 skipped off the stage after Opening Night, exclaiming, "Mrs Tobin, we did it!" 

Miss Nardella proudly waving at her own parents when leading the Preps on for the Finale. 

The Year 5/6s hyping each other up before their performances with encouraging words, hugs and hi-fives. 

Mrs Corry's wig having a last minute haircut before the show. 

Mr Jansson and Miss Shanahan taking their roles for Sets and Props VERY seriously. 

A moment of silence before the curtain opened. 

A special cast photo before Opening Night. 

Thank you once again for your support in making Mary Poppins the absolute highlight of our 2025 school year. We could not be more proud of our amazing students. 

Please click through to the next page for some additional 'general' Principal News.