Principal's Update

Good afternoon families ... 

Learning Conversations  

A heartfelt thank you to all families who attended our recent Learning Conversations.  It was wonderful to see such strong participation throughout.  These Conversations play a vital role in our reporting process and provide a valuable opportunity for teachers and families to discuss each child’s progress and learning journey.

CESL Staff Spirituality Day (13/08/2025)

On Wednesday August 13, all CESL staff will gather for a Staff Spirituality Day.  This special day of professional learning is designed to nurture the spiritual life of our educators and build community across our Catholic schools.  As a result, this will be a pupil free day at St Joseph's Primary School.  We appreciate your understanding and support.

The Science of Learning - save the date

Parent Opportunity

We are excited to invite parents to an upcoming session exploring the Science of Learning, presented by renowned educational neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath.  Dr Horvath led an impactful Diocesan professional learning event earlier this year and continues to influence our Magnify learning journey.

Session will be held on: 

• Monday September 1 – Sleep, Tech and Stress

   

  This session will be valuable for any parent seeking to better understand how children learn and how to support them, both academically and emotionally.

More information will be circulated to parents later in the term.

Winter Sports

Well done to our Year 5 and 6 students who represented the school in the re-scheduled football and netball carnivals this week.  We saw great effort, teamwork, and sportsmanship—and lots of fun along the way!  A big thank you to our staff and the many parents who came to support.

School Advisory Council Update 

Our next School Advisory Council meeting will be held on Monday August 11 to discuss a number of important matters, including the Child Safe Standards review, Master Planning, and enrolment trends. We thank our Council members for their ongoing commitment and contribution to the life and direction of our school community. 

Pupil Free Day

The remaining Pupil Free Day for this term is Wednesday August 13 for a Staff Spirituality Day.  Please note that this day will be a Pupil Free Day for all Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited (CESL) schools across the Diocese.

We ask families to make alternative arrangements for the care of children on this day, as there will be no classes or supervision.  Thank you for your understanding and support.

CESL Magnify Podcasts 

If you haven't already listened to any CESL podcasts, I encourage you to take the time to listen to the following podcast... 

From the rollout of evidence-informed programs like MultiLit, Ochre and Classroom Mastery to the introduction of Steplab and the new Source of Life curriculum, this episode unpacks what’s working, what’s changing and what’s coming next.

Book Week 

Book Week 2025 will be held from August 15-23 with the theme 'Book an Adventure.'  

Our Annual Book Week Parade will be held on Tuesday August 19 at 9.15am in the school hall.  Students are encouraged to come to school dressed as their favourite book or novel character.  All families are invited to attend.

Supervision Hours (Repeat)

Please note - the school yard is unsupervised before 8:30am.  There are still many, many children on the grounds prior to this time.  For the safety of your children, I am asking that they are not dropped off at school before 8:30am.

2026 Enrolment

We are beginning the planning for 2026 school set up and would appreciate families, who may be leaving St Joseph's, to let us know as soon as possible.  This advanced notice supports not only our organisation for 2026 but the transition of students to other settings. 

Our Foundation 2026 enrolments are being finalised at the moment with interviews taking place at the end of August.  Families will be contacted shortly to arrange a time.

Kind regards,

Peter Teggelove, Principal