Parent | St Joseph's Primary School Elsternwick

Parents as Partners

St Joseph's Primary School Elsternwick

A strong sense of identity and belonging enhances the wellbeing of young people, and impacts positively on their learning outcomes. With an emphasis of Parents as Partners in the education, care and wellbeing of each of our students, cements the importance of our shared work in educating the young people of our school and parish.

St Joseph’s Primary School is in a central position to be the ‘hub’ for our community to come together. We promote personal growth, cultural identity, a strong sense of community and belonging. Our students and families have opportunities to identify with the traditions, values and relationships within the school. It is a part of our schools’ core work to include activities that shape students’ sense of identity.

Clear communication between home and school is key to ensuring ongoing, effective partnerships for learning. Our students, your children learn in a variety of environments – school, home, clubs, social groups, and when the language of learning in these worlds, especially home and school can be readily accessed and understood by families, learning will be enhanced.

It is vital that school staff and families share, understand, and effectively communicate a common language around learning, community and shared ownership.

School Advisory Council

The School Advisory Council provides a forum for discussion and discernment, where parent voice and community perspective are available to inform and support the decisions made by the school, where students’ wellbeing and outcomes are paramount.

The following are some examples of the many ways the School Advisory Council may support the school and the principal:

articulating and enacting the school’s vision and mission
promoting the school’s Catholic ethos and culture
promoting faith formation and development
supporting school policies as required
giving advice to the principal on issues such as school improvement plans and enrolment trends
engaging in discussion with the principal about the annual school budget and other financial matters
giving advice to the principal about the school master plan
providing capital resource planning and maintenance support to the principal.

St Joseph’s School Advisory Council for 2025

Claire Tobin

Tom Hartney

John Ferraro (Chair)

Catherine Anderson (Vice Chair)

Matilda Abey

Mikk Godfrey

Michael Swan

Poppy Griffiths

Amanda Goddard

Evan Dimitriou

Parents & Friends

The St Joseph’s Parents & Friends Association (P&F) plays a vital role in fostering a strong sense of community and wellbeing within the school. Guided by three key pillars - Building Community, Children's Enjoyment, and Raising Funds - the P&F aims to create meaningful connections among families, enhance students' school experiences, and support projects that directly benefit the students.

Our Three Pillars

Building Community: Strengthening relationships among families, students, and staff through inclusive events and activities.
Children’s Enjoyment: Creating fun and engaging opportunities that enhance the student experience.
Raising Funds: Supporting the school by fundraising for resources and initiatives that enrich student learning and wellbeing.

Over the years, P&F events have included Welcome BBQs, trivia nights, luncheons, cocktail functions, fetes, art auctions. Fundraising efforts have included cake stalls, raffles and other initiatives that contribute to enriching the school environment.

Getting Involved

The P&F welcomes all parents and encourages active participation. Being a member of the P&F is a rewarding and enjoyable way to engage with the school community, meet other families across different year levels, and contribute to the vibrant culture of St Joseph’s. Most importantly, involvement in the P&F benefits your child/children by strengthening the school’s sense of connection and support.

P&F Executive Team for 2025

Ben Gibbs & Jen Conway (outgoing Co-Presidents)

Tim Newberry (Treasurer)

Rachel Noctor (Class Rep Support)

Role of Class Representatives

Class Representatives play an important role in the P&F by fostering a friendly, supportive, and inclusive community within each class. They serve as key communication links between families and the P&F, ensuring that parents remain informed and engaged with school events and initiatives.

Class Representative Responsibilities:

Develop a welcoming and inclusive class community.
Facilitate open and effective communication across the school regarding P&F social and fundraising events.
Attend P&F meetings to represent class parents and communicate key updates back to them.
Welcome new families to the school and help them integrate into the community.
Help organise and promote social and fundraising events for the school, year level, or class group.
Organise 1-2 key school events throughout the year (e.g., Grandparents’ Day, Mother’s Day), ensuring alignment with the three pillars of the P&F.
Ensure at least one representative from each year level attends all quarterly P&F meetings.
Coordinate teacher thank-you gestures on behalf of the class group.

We encourage all parents to get involved and help us continue to build a strong and connected school community.

P&F Contact Details: pandf@sjelst.catholic.edu.au