Dear families,

On behalf of the St Joseph’s community, I would like to extend my deepest thanks to everyone for the care, kindness and support shown in the days leading up to, and following, Karen Quitt’s funeral. Karen was a much-loved member of our school, and the compassion shown by our families, students and staff has been a true reflection of the community she treasured so deeply. Thank you to our families for your understanding with the adjusted arrangements on the day of her funeral, and for the many messages, prayers and gestures of support offered so generously.

If families wish to do so, cards or letters for Karen’s family may be left at the school office, and we will ensure they are delivered. We continue to hold Ric, Alexandra, Cameron and Daniel in our thoughts and prayers, asking that they may feel the warmth and strength of our community around them.

Week 8, Term 4 - Are we there yet?

It is hard to comprehend that we only have 11.5 days left of the school year. This year has flown by! Every day we have hit the ground running with a full program, and there has been very little time to catch our breath between the myriad of activities that take place at our wonderful school. With lots planned in the last 2 weeks, we ask that families please be mindful of fatigue and try to keep to solid routines at home. Importantly, let's all ensure we 'hold our line' and enjoy the remaining few days before a well earned break over summer.

Year 3 Zoo Snooze

Our Year 3s enjoyed their 'Roar and Snore' experience at the Melbourne Zoo, with 3ED going away last week and 3CS sleeping over this week. The students participated in an exciting 'survival camp', where they had the unique opportunity to learn about the animals like never before. They discovered the animals' stories, secrets, and adaptations that help them survive in the wild. The adventure began with the students arriving at the zoo at 6pm for dinner, followed by the thrilling night-time 'ZooVivor' experience. After a restful (or perhaps not!) night sleeping under the stars, they awoke early for breakfast and a special animal encounter. We thank our staff, Miss Dillon, Miss Murtaugh, Miss Stanley and Miss Jen for attending.

2026 Classes

Next week we will announce our full staff list for 2026. On Monday December 15, students from Prep - Year 5 will have their 'Moving Up' session with their new classroom teacher. Over the past few weeks, we have invested a significant amount of time and thought into the classes for next year, to ensure the best learning environment for all our students. This has always been an exciting time for our students and we sincerely thank our staff for the considerable investment in establishing these classes.

Staffing - 2026

In preparation for the coming school year, we are now able to confirm some changes to our team for 2026.

After nearly 40 years of dedicated service to Catholic Education, 11 of them spent at St Joseph's, Moira McKinnis (Office Administration) has decided to retire. We are so grateful for her many years of commitment and care in the St Joseph's school office (and her unwaivering commitment to our beloved Richmond Tigers). Moira will support us for the first two weeks of 2026, helping to set up the new school year and may return occasionally throughout the year to lend a hand. Towards the end of this term, we will take the opportunity to celebrate and thank Moira for her outstanding contribution. We are delighted to welcome Amanda Johnson to our administration team. Amanda will join Fiona in the office and will commence with us at the beginning of 2026.
Sarah Nugent (P-2 Maths Leader & Intervention) has also confirmed her intentions to retire at the end of the year. She has worked at St Joseph's since 2009 and has held a variety of roles, including classroom teacher, Maths Leader, Deputy Principal and Teaching and Learning Leader. Sarah's laser-like focus on student achievement, and on strengthening teaching and learning practices, has made an indelible impact upon our school and she will be dearly missed. Like Moira, the opportunity to thank and celebrate Sarah's contribution will occur at the end of the year. Next year, Cassie Gleeson will take over Sarah's P-2 Maths Leader and Intervention role.
Alannah Harrison has confirmed she will be returning to work part-time in Term 3 2026 to resume her Deputy Principal/Junior Literacy Leader position. We are thankful to Cassie Gleeson for continuing to lead the Junior Literacy role in Alannah's absence.
Ally Dunk (Music) will be moving back home to Queensland at the end of the school year. Ally has only been with us for one year but her impact across the school has been immeasurable. Mrs Erin Absalom will be returning from maternity leave to resume her part-time Music teaching position in 2026.
Lidia Chris (Visual Arts) has been on leave since 2023 and has made the decision not to return to St Joseph's. Lidia will be at school on December 16 to see the students and say farewell. She has worked at St Joseph's since 2001 and we look forward to thanking her for her contributions to our community.
Natalie Bierman, who has been on maternity leave since 2022, will not be returning to St Joseph's. She has accepted a teaching position at a school that is closer to her home. We sincerely thank Nat, and wish her all the very best for this next chapter.

A full staffing list for 2026, including all teacher allocations, will be shared in the coming weeks. Thank you for your understanding and patience with this.

Parents & Friends and School Advisory Council

A significant highlight for 2025 has been the outstanding contributions made by so many parents. The Parents & Friends Association and School Advisory Council continue to play an instrumental role in the success of St Joseph’s. We thank Victoria White and Rosie Cho from the Parents and Friends, and John Ferraro and Cat Anderson from the School Advisory Council, plus their respective teams, for their unwavering support in ensuring our community continues to excel.

We also express our sincere gratitude to our wonderful Parent Reps, whose remarkable contributions have been instrumental in supporting and connecting our parent community. Their dedication to fostering relationships, sharing information and creating a sense of belonging within the school is valued by all. The success of our fundraising efforts and the positive outcomes achieved would not have been possible without their commitment, and the support of our entire school community.

Prep - Emma E, Megan M, Liana C, Sarah B
Year One - Laura H, Anna D, Megan J, Sammy W
Year Two - Sara May, Sarah M, Rosie D, Kate J
Year Three - Kayne C, Amber M, Sanchia S, Sam D
Year Four - Natalie F, Yasmin Z, Susan PC, Nicky McN
Year Five - Louise A, Sophie B, Lucy F, Katie F
Year Six - Sarah E, Ashlee C, Eleni T, Annette Yui

We thank John Ferraro, Amanda Goddard, Evan Dimitriou and Poppy Griffiths who are stepping down from the School Advisory Council at the end of this year. Their generous gift of time, wisdom and energy has helped steer our school in such a positive direction, and I remain deeply grateful for their support. We are thrilled to welcome Peter Cho, Georgie Biddlecombe and Rosie Dawes to the Council next year.

It is a delight and a privilege to work with these two parent groups and I sincerely thank them for their energy and contributions. 2026 - we are ready for you!

Congratulations, Harry!

We are so pleased to share that our St Joseph's alumnus Harry Sutherland (2020) has been elected School Captain of St Kevin's College for 2026. We also congratulate Luca Stranges who has been appointed as one of the Kearney Officers for 2026. Nothing makes us more proud than seeing our St Joseph's students achieve great things, and we know Harry and Luca will simply shine in their respective roles next year.

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.

School Communication Update

We have now transitioned fully to nForma as our main platform for school communication. If you haven’t already done so, please ensure you have downloaded the nForma for Parents app from your preferred app store.

The PDF linked above 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 take a moment to check that your child’s medical information is up to date in nForma. With Operoo now closed, all medical and contact details must be entered directly into nForma moving forward.

MACSEYE’s Summer Explorers Holiday Program - Book Now!

Get ready for fun times, creativity and adventure! From water safety sessions with a qualified lifeguard, to hands-on crafts like sea creatures and tie-dye bucket hats, to big days out - there’s something exciting planned every single day.

Book you spot today!

Learn more and book today:

https://macseye.vic.edu.au/oshc/holiday-program/

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

Click here to purchase tickets: https://www.raffletix.com.au/sjelst.

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.

Staff Planning - School Closure Day

A friendly reminder that the school will be closed today, 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 have now arrived and are ready for collection from the office.

Overdue Library Books Reminder

As we move towards the end of the year, we are preparing for our Library Stocktake. We kindly ask that all books be returned to the Library as soon as possible. Overdue notices have already been emailed to families, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Monica Linke at library@sjelst.catholic.edu.au.

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

Congratulations to Miss Crawley and her husband, Mark, who recently participated in their Australian Citizenship ceremony! A very special day for them both.

Mr Hartney's dad, Brendan, was recently elevated to Legend status in the Bendigo Football Leage, after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Congratulations! An amazing achievement.

Our exceptional students continue to shine - with Charlotte and Amelia (Year 1), and Camille, Wells and Immy (Prep) proudly sharing their incredible writing.

Smiles from Miss Murtaugh and Miss Stanley after a night away at camp - I am not sure who had more fun?

2 1/2 weeks left of the 2025 school year! Can you believe it? Hang in there, everyone.

Have a safe and happy weekend,

Claire Tobin | Principal