Those who read our previous newsletter and 2025 staffing communication would have seen information regarding welcoming new staff members, Michael Mastrangelo (to teach year 3) and Maddie Utting (part-time with Belinda Medlow in Year 2). 

I am pleased to share this brief video (below) from Michael, and trust you will introduce and welcome him into our community next year.

I write to inform you that Maddie Utting resigned from her position a few days ago as she was offered a permanent full-time position at another school. Although we are very disappointed in receiving this news, we are excited to announce that Kate Mueller is pleased to take on the role and work in partnership with Belinda in the year 2 class. Many of you and your children know Kate - in 2024 she taughter Joeys, Year 6 and some extension, as well as being a popular relief teacher in many different classes. 

Kate will provide continuity with her commitment to being an educator at St Joseph’s Kingswood. She brings experience as an early year’s educator and is particularly interested in developing curriculum that extends and supports all learners. 

Kate and Belinda have been in contact, ready to make a positive start to the year. I particularly thank Kate for being flexible in taking on the roles, and to Belinda to supporting the change.  

We are looking forward to a great start to the year. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a lovely break form school.

Kind regards,

Jodie

Our focus this year was on creating opportunities to bring our school community closer together while raising funds for our new ‘Green Space’ and other essential resources for our teachers and students. We organised a variety of events that not only entertained but also helped raise money for the school. A few highlights from 2024 include:

• Welcome Picnic
• School Disco
• Bogan Bingo
• Mums Lunch
• Kytons Easter Fundraiser
• Parents in Education Grant –Madhavi Nawana Parker Resilience Workshop
• Book Club
• Second-hand Uniform Shop
• Grandparents Day & Book Fair
• Musical Pop-up Shop
• Colour Run
• Sports Day Sausage Sizzle and Cake Stall
• Picnic on the Green
• Plate Fundraiser

These events were all made possible thanks to the dedication of our Parents and Friends (P&F) group, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. In addition to the fun, we’ve also contributed significantly to the school’s resources. This year, we’ve helped purchase Netball Goals and Protective Covers, Cricket Nets, new Play Items for the Reception Outdoor Space and funded the Lego Club – just to name a few!

We cannot thank enough the many volunteers who have dedicated countless hours to making this year so successful. Whether it was planning, setting up, supervising dancing children, serving drinks, cooking sausages, attending meetings, managing the book club, manning the uniform shop, squirting coloured powder and water cannons, jumping in at the last minute to help and all the bits in between, every bit of help has made a difference. A special thank you to Bianca, whose ‘nothing is too hard’ attitude has kept everything running smoothly, always handling our many requests so graciously and quickly. Also, a big thank you to Jodie, Vanessa, and Christina for your unwavering support, enthusiasm, and collaborative spirit. You all make our community a very special place.

We are very pleased with our fundraising efforts this year. Some standout achievements include:

• The sale of melamine plates, which raised over $2,000.
• Our Inaugural Colour Run, which was a huge success, raising over $16,000!

Thank you to everyone who supported these initiatives, and to all who contributed. Every dollar raised will go towards enhancing the learning environment for our children.

As we wrap up 2024, we’re already looking forward to what’s in store for next year. We have some exciting events planned for 2025, including the Disco, Mums Lunch, Dads Day Out, and the Winter Wonderland Parents Gala, just to name a few! It’s shaping up to be another year full of fun, connection, and community spirit.

If you’d like to join the P&F or help with any of the events next year, we would love to have new members! You can contribute as much or as little as you like. We meet twice a term, and we’d be happy to chat and share more about what we do.

Finally, we would like to wish our Year 6 students and their families all the best for their new adventures in the years to come. We will miss you and look forward to hearing about your future successes!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We can’t wait to see you all back in 2025, ready for another fantastic year.

Bec and Michelle