Principals Update

 Key Events - Term 3

Term 3, Week 8

• Friday 4th September - Father's Day Breakfast 7.30am - 8.45am & Lucky Jars Drive for School Fete

Term 3, Week 9

• Tuesday 8th September -  PSG Meetings
• Wednesday 9th September - DRI Workshop (Selected Year 6 students).  PSG Meetings
• Thursday 10th September - Book Week Parade Dress up at 9.15am in the MPR (parents are welcome to attend)
• Friday 11th September - Beanie / Casual Fundraising Day with a touch of Pink. Assembly @ 9.15am
• Sunday 13th September - Bunnings (Mentone) sausage sizzle

Term 3, Week 10

• Thursday 17th September - Newsletter
• Friday 18th September- Fete Lolly Hunt Donations. Students Conclude for Term 3 @ 1pm

Dear SJV Families,

What a Night! — Westall 66

What a wonderful evening it was last Thursday, 27 August, as our students took to the stage to perform Westall 66!

It was a truly brilliant performance by our extremely talented students, and you should all be incredibly proud of the wonderful performance they presented. The students sang, danced and performed their hearts out, and it was fantastic to see their confidence, enthusiasm and sheer joy on stage.

Every single person played a part in bringing this production to life, and it was a truly special night for our school community. From the performers on stage to the staff working behind the scenes, so much time, effort and commitment went into making the evening such a success.

The children were absolutely incredible — a real testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, both in and outside of Performing Arts lessons. The confidence and skills they developed throughout this experience will stay with them for many years to come. Most importantly, they have created memories that they will treasure, and nothing can ever take that experience away from them.

A massive thank you to Mr Drew Lane, whose incredible creative talents, enthusiasm and energy helped bring Westall 66 to life. His passion and commitment were evident throughout the entire production, and we are so grateful for everything he did to make the show such a huge success.

We would also like to thank all of our staff, students, members from the PFA and families who contributed in so many different ways, as well as everyone who came along to support our students and enjoy the performance. The feedback we have received has been absolutely incredible, and it is clear just how much the students, families and wider community enjoyed the show.

We are incredibly proud of every one of our students. Please enjoy some of the wonderful photos from the evening below.

With two weeks to go of Term Three, there is plenty still happening here at SJV. 

Please make sure that you take the time to read the newsletter as there is much happening here at SJV.

Our Focus Next Week

We have another exciting week ahead at SJV, with a number of wonderful events and activities for our students and families.

📚 Thursday 10 September – Book Week Parade - Our Book Week Parade will be held at 9.15am in the MPR, and parents are very welcome to join us. We are looking forward to seeing the children dressed as their favourite book characters and celebrating our love of reading together. We can’t wait to see the creativity and imagination on display!

🎀 Friday 11 September – Beanie & Casual Fundraising Day Friday will be our Beanie and Casual Fundraising Day, supporting the Mark Hughes Foundation – Beating Brain Cancer. Students are invited to wear casual clothes with a touch of pink and a beanie, with a gold coin donation appreciated. We will also hold a special Assembly at 9.15am, where we will come together as a school community to support this important cause.

🌭 Sunday 13 September – Bunnings Sausage Sizzle Finally, we will be holding our Bunnings Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings Mentone on Sunday 13 September. We would love to see as many of our SJV families as possible come along and support the school.

A big thank you to everyone who continues to support our school community. It is through events like these that we come together, support one another and make a real difference.

Please make sure you read through the whole newsletter especially the PFA/Fete page as much is happening next term.

Fathers Day Breakfast and Stall

The Father’s Day Breakfast will take place tomorrow Friday the 4th of September 7.30am -8.45am ON THE NEW BASKETBALL COURT AREA. We look forward to seeing lots of dads and their child/children for a cuppa and bacon and egg roll. 

The Father’s day stall will now also take place on Friday 4th of September. Mums please make sure that you give your child $5 to buy a gift for Dad at the Father’s Day Stall that will be run here at school from 10:00am in the multi-purpose room. 

Supporting Molly – Beanie for Brain Cancer Day

As many of you know, our Year 6 student, Molly Bedford, is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. Molly is receiving radiation treatment and is responding as well as can be expected. When she is feeling well enough, Molly continues to attend school, and we are incredibly proud of her strength and resilience throughout this challenging time.

As a school community, we would like to show our love and support for Molly and her family by holding a Beanie for Brain Cancer Day on Friday 11 September.

The day has been initiated by our School Captains, who wanted to create a special opportunity for our students and staff to come together and show Molly that she is very much in our thoughts. We will celebrate some of Molly’s favourite things, including the colour pink, while supporting the important work of the Mark Hughes Foundation – Beating Brain Cancer.

Students are invited to:

• Wear casual clothes with a touch of pink and a beanie to school.
• Bring a gold coin donation to support our fundraiser.
• Join in the fun activities planned throughout the day, including a school disco during playtime with DJ Rocco (a separate gold coin donation), LEGO Club activities, colouring-in competitions and a red carpet to showcase some of the amazing beanies!

Families can also choose to purchase a Mark Hughes Foundation beanie, with proceeds going towards the Mark Hughes Foundation – Beating Brain Cancer initiative. Beanie purchases are completely optional.

Purchase a Mark Hughes Foundation beanie

We hope this will be a simple but meaningful way for the SJV community to come together and show Molly and her family just how much they are cared for and supported.

We ask that everyone please respect Molly and her family’s privacy during this particularly challenging time. We will continue to support Molly at school in whatever way we can, while also allowing her and her family the space they need.

Please keep Molly, her family and all those supporting her in your thoughts and prayers as she continues her treatment and recovery.

Thank you to our School Captains for initiating this wonderful idea, and thank you to our entire SJV community for the care, compassion and support you continue to show Molly and her family.

Building Update

We are very excited to share that, from Monday, students will once again be able to line up on our new basketball court before school and after playtimes and use the area as a play space!

While there is still work to be completed, the new basketball court is looking fantastic, and we are thrilled that our students can now begin enjoying this wonderful addition to our school. The court will provide a great space for students to play, socialise and enjoy some active time before school.

Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding while the works have been completed. We know the students have been eagerly waiting to get onto the new space, and we are delighted that the wait is almost over!

We ask that students continue to follow the directions of staff when using the area and take care of our fantastic new facilities.

School Musical - Westall 66

MACSSIS SURVEYS

In 2026,  St John Vianney's is participating in Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS). MACSSIS is an annual process whereby schools listen to the thoughts and feelings students, families and staff have about how their school can improve. These surveys help inform the ongoing improvement of schools across the Archdiocese of Melbourne and in particular here at SJV.  We would love as many parents as possible to complete this survey when it is shared with you in the first week of September.

Footy Day / SEDA Inflatables 

On Wednesday, our students embraced the spirit of the game by dressing up in their favourite footy colours for our annual AFL Parade. The day was filled with energy and excitement as everyone joined in football-themed activities, with a definite highlight being the much-loved inflatables.

It was a fantastic celebration of sport, teamwork, and school spirit—enjoyed by all!

Lucky Jars - 4th September

Please bring along a jar filled with perishable items such as lollies as well as toys, stationery, stickers, craft items, hair accessories, coins, marbles etc for the Lucky Jar stall at the SJV Fete. Please use plastic jars or containers.

School Fete - FRIDAY NOVEMBER 20th @ 3:30pm.

Please note the following dates for donations for the fete:

Term 3

• Lucky Jars - Friday the 4th of September
• Lolly Hunt - Friday 18th September

Term 4

• Wine & Chocolate drive - Friday the 16th of October 
• Lucky Jars & Lolly Hunt - Friday the 6th of November

Please refer to the PFA Fete Page for further details.

Bunnings Sausage Sizzle

Please keep a little time aside on Sunday 13th September to help support our Bunnings Sausage Sizzle. Sign up sheet will be out shortly.

School Closure Dates - Term 3

Term 3 concludes on Friday 18th of September at 1pm (early time due to building works)

Classes for 2027

As we begin the process of planning ahead for 2027 classes, I ask any families who know that they will not be returning to St. John Vianney's in 2027 please inform me as soon as possible. principal@sjvparkdale.catholic.edu.au

2027 Enrolments 

Our Requests for School Tours continue. Enrolments for Prep 2027 are now open and we encourage all families to submit their applications as soon as possible. If you have a child or you know someone wanting to tour schools for their child, please encourage them to book a school tour by contacting Nicole in our front office. 

Uniform Shop

Our Uniform shop is open every Monday at 3.15pm for sales. If you cant make it at that time, pop into the office and fill in an order form.

Second Hand Uniforms are coordinated by one of our parents, Sahara. Please log on to Brisbane Terrace SJV Secondhand Uniform on Facebook. Sahara will approve you joining the group and you can access second hand sales through this group.

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

Reminders

• The next school assembly will be on Friday 11th of September @ 9.15am in the MPR (CHANGE OF TIME)

• 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.

Regards

Mick Schinck

Principal