Principal's News
Principal’s News
Dear Families,
Last week we celebrated our Feast Day of St Joseph the Worker. We were fortunate to be able to gather as a faith community for a Mass to celebrate our special feast day. We are grateful to our REL Donnella who prepared our Mass and Father Gallacher who celebrated the Mass with us.
Father Gallacher asked the children to think about the qualities of St Joseph. He reminded them that St Joseph was a humble man, who was unassuming in the work he did. It appears he went quietly through his life without seeking acknowledgment and recognition. We reflected on how we as a community could do good for others without needing to be noticed. How can we too be people who live a humble life?
When you are privileged to spend time in a school you witness many acts of humility. This past week I have seen students checking in on others who need a friend. I have seen students assisting others when they find their learning challenging. I have seen students greeting staff and wishing them a happy day. These are all acts that are carried out on a daily basis. None of these students sought appraisal or recognition; they just went about their week in the true spirit of St Joseph with humility, strength, and kindliness.
Mother’s Day
We have given thanks today for our beautiful Mothers, Grandmothers, and special women in our lives at our Mother’s Day Breakfast and Mother's Day Liturgy. It is a small way we can give thanks to the wonderful women in our community for their dedication, patience, and unwavering love. Whether it's packing lunches, attending parent-teacher meetings, or simply offering a listening ear, your contributions are immeasurable and deeply cherished.
Thanks to our wonderful Dads who served food on the day, our great office staff Isabelle and Lynnette who ordered the delicious food, and to Amanda, Donnella, Dean, Niki, and our adorable Preps for the beautiful Mother’s Day Liturgy who left most of us with a tear in our eye!
We hope that on Sunday your day is filled with all the love and pampering you deserve.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Champions of our School
Lucas P and Clements K for the honesty and integrity they displayed by handing in money they found on the school playground to the office.
Hamish B (former school captain at St Joseph’s) who received an Omnia Award at St Kevin’s for performing the last post at our ANZAC Day service.
Bekim H for trying out and being selected to play for Melbourne City. What a great achievement.
Open Days and 2025 School Enrolments
We hosted another school open day last Tuesday. Once again there was a positive vibe to our school on the day. Prospective families commented that the school had a feeling of welcome. They noted how calm the environment was and how engaged the students were in their learning. They were impressed with the quality of our teachers and how they interacted with the children entrusted to their care.
Thanks again to our student leaders, staff, and the following parents: Nisha O'Brien,
Olivia Poynton, Rhonda Davey, and Angie Toffeletto who facilitated school tours and proudly spoke of our fabulous school.
Just a reminder to current families who have a child starting Prep in 2025 to please submit your enrolment form as we are starting to offer places to new families.
School Camp
I was very fortunate to be able to join our Year 5/6 students and staff at Camp Weekaway. It was a great adventure for us all. I witnessed children taking themselves out of their comfort zones and giving everything a go. I felt proud when I saw how much the children supported and encouraged each other. They were a credit to themselves and their families. I am incredibly grateful to our team of staff Clare, Siobhan, Liam, Briely, Georgie, and Hudson who all took time away from their own families to ensure the children had such a positive camp experience. The staff were nothing short of amazing with the time, care, and dedication they gave to our Year 5/6 students. I attribute the success of the camp to the dedication and commitment of these wonderful educators.
Staffing News
I am delighted to share with you a few changes to our leadership structure until the end of the year.
As you know Amanda Jackson has been very generous in stepping into the role of Acting Deputy Principal whilst Martin Earl ably stepped into the Acting Principal role in Michelle’s absence. Amanda is fantastic in this role and in her words, "Michelle has trained us well!” Having Amanda by my side has certainly made my transition smooth.
St Joseph’s prides itself on the quality of education that our wonderful teachers deliver each day. None of this happens by chance. The quality of the teachers is a direct result of their commitment to their profession and the great leadership in learning and teaching from Michelle, Martin, Amanda, and Dean.
To continue this commitment of your wonderful teachers and leaders to an outstanding education for your children it was essential that we resourced our leaders properly. For this reason, Amanda and Dean will share the Deputy Principal position until the end of 2024.
Dean will continue to be in the Prep classroom each day with some release time provided to support him as the Deputy Principal - Maths. Amanda will spend some teaching time in the Prep classroom whilst Dean is released and continue in her role as Deputy Principal - Literacy.
Stacey will also continue in her teaching role in Prep B on a Monday afternoon.
Donnella Devisser became the Acting Religious Education Leader over the past couple of Terms. Donnella brings grace and a strong faith to this role. It is great for our community that Donnella will be the Religious Education Leader until the end of 2024. Donnella will also continue in the role as the Year 4 classroom teacher from Monday to Thursday. She will be released on a Friday by Liam Gava to fulfill her role as Religious Education Leader.
Have a great weekend & Happy Mother's Day
Cathy