Principal's News

Dear families, 

Year 2HL

Congratulations, 2HL, on the most beautiful assembly last week! We are just so proud of you, and are thrilled at how well you are flourising under Miss Lougheed's care. 

P&F Movie Night 

Thank you to our wonderful Parents and Friends Committee, who hosted our first Movie Night last Friday. We have been overwhelmed with positive feedback about how warmly this event was received across our community, and how special it was to gather together in such a relaxed way.

A very big thank you to everyone who helped plan, set up, cook, serve and pack up, and to all the families who came along to support the evening. Events like this remind us of the strength of our community, and simply how fortunate we are to be a part of St Joseph's Elsternwick.

Year 5 Camp Forest Edge

What a week it was for our Year 5s! They spent 3 days, 2 nights at Forest Edge Camp. The students had the most amazing time away, bonding with their peers and teachers while participating in some fantastic activities - flying fox, low ropes, mountain boarding, bushwalks, hut building, river rafting and the waterslide. We thank our amazing staff, Miss Dusting, Mr Hayes, Mr Jansson, Miss Murtagh and Mr Catoggio for taking the Year 5s away. I am sure that a nice hot shower and a big sleep will be on the cards for everyone tonight! 

Prep 2026 Orientation 

Congratulations to our new Preps for 2026! The children spent Wednesday morning in the Prep classrooms and had a lovely play on the playgrounds. A special thank you to Miss Nardella and Miss Dillon for the work they have done for the entire Prep Orientation program. A lot goes on behind the scenes to prepare for these days and to establish these balanced classes. Our new Preps took home some 'show bags', designed by our Year 4 students - a very sweet momento. Our 2026 Preps will find out who their class teacher is in early December. 

Prep 2027 Enrolments

Enrolments for new and current families for 2027 are now open. We require all current families to please ensure they submit a sibling application for 2027 prior to Friday 27 March 2026 to ensure a placement in our Prep intake for 2027. The enrolment application form can be found on our website here. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office should you have any queries. 

Student Assessment and Reports

As we move towards the end of the school year, our comprehensive assessment schedule across all grade levels is well underway. Teachers are completing end-of-year assessments in preparation for the Semester Two Student Reports. At times, this requires classroom teachers to be out of their rooms to assess students one-on-one. The data gathered from these assessments will inform student reporting, guide our teaching and learning plans for 2026, and play a pivotal role in our thorough ‘student handover’ process with all staff later in the term.

School Communication Update

As we prepare for the end of the year, we are getting ready to transition from Operoo to nForma as our main platform for school communication. To support this shift, please ensure you have downloaded the nForma for Parents app from your preferred app store.

The PDF linked below outlines how to use nForma for:

• Student Reports

• Notices and Permission Forms

• Medical Information

• Marking future absences for your child/children

At this stage, the nMeet feature is not yet active, so we will continue to use www.schoolinterviews.com.au for parent/teacher bookings until further notice.

A gentle reminder to check that your child’s medical information is up to date. Operoo will be going offline at the end of next week (Friday 21st November), so it is important that all details are transitioned into nForma ahead of this change.

The Festive Season is Here – and so is our Christmas Raffle!

• 1st Prize: $7,500 Travel Voucher from Elwood Flight Centre
• 2nd Prize: $2,500 Jackalope Hotel Gift Voucher

All proceeds will go towards upgrading outdoor play areas at St Joseph’s - a wonderful way to give back to our school community. Plus, every time you or your child sell 4 tickets, you’ll go into the weekly draw to win a Yochi voucher! The more tickets you buy or sell, the more chances you have to win these amazing prizes. Let’s come together to raise funds for our kids and our school this Christmas! Please contact pandf@sjelst.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions.

Principal for the Day - Will & Eloise 

Congratulations to Will and Eloise for their exceptional leadership during their turn as Principal for the Day! We had such a great time, and Will and Eloise thoroughly enjoyed being 'in charge'. Below is a short recount of their day. 

I loved being a Principal because I get to speak into the microphone and go on business meetings with Mrs Tobin and Mr Hartney. After assembly we walked to Carter Lovett. I got a poached egg on toast. Eloise got pancakes with maple syrup and berries. She also got orange juice. Then we went to an SRC meeting with Miss Coldebella. After that we went with Jack and Iris to Wills Batch. 

Staff Planning - School Closure Day

A friendly reminder that the school will be closed on Friday November 28 for the staff to gather and plan for next year.

Mary Poppins Book

For families who ordered a copy of the Mary Poppins Book, they've now arrived and are ready for collection from the office.  

We also have a couple of spare copies available for anyone who may have missed out and would still like to purchase one - first in, best dressed! 

Overdue Library Books Reminder

As we head towards the end of the year, we are getting ready for the Library Stocktake. We kindly ask that all books be returned to the Library as soon as possible. 

Overdue notices have already been sent via email, feel free to contact Monica Linke library@sjelst.catholic.edu.au should you have any queries. 

Playground Access After School

We love seeing our students and families enjoying the playground after school. To help us keep our grounds secure, we ask that all families finish up their playtime and leave by 4.30pm each day so the doors can be locked. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Little Gems 

We received wonderful news about our former students this week, who are now in Year Seven at Star of the Sea College. Lottie and Cara both received the Mother Aloysius Heenan Academic Excellence Award. This is awarded to students who academically place in the top 20 students of each year level.

We also congratulate Jasmine and Hazel who were both awarded the Mother Agnes Keane Endeavour Award. It's wonderful to see our former students continue to do great things after their time at St Joseph's has come to an end. 

The entire school stopped working to watch the hail on Tuesday - it was like nothing we had ever seen!  

Meanwhile, the Year 5s were waking up to this glorious sunshine on Thursday morning. 

The term is absolutely flying by - 

4 1/2 weeks left of the 2025 school year! Can you believe it? 

Have a safe and happy weekend, everyone. 

Claire Tobin | Principal