Dear St Joseph’s Families,

It has been a joy to see our classrooms buzzing with energy and our playground filled with laughter once again. Whether you are a returning family or joining our community for the first time this year, welcome back!

A special warm welcome goes out to our new families. We are thrilled you’ve chosen to join the St Joseph’s school community, and we look forward to getting to know you as the term progresses. We also have a new face in the staff room - please join us in welcoming Sheridan Fernando! We are excited to have Sheridan join our team. Sheridan will be working in the Kindergarten classroom.

Thank you!

A huge thank you Panther and Noah Farr for their hard work over the summer holidays. Noah took care of the school grounds while Panther was on some leave and we appreciate his help. Everything looks incredibly fresh and well-maintained, providing a beautiful environment for our students to learn and play.

New School Award System

We are excited to announce the launch of our new school award system! While each classroom will continue to maintain its own internal reward systems to recognise the everyday efforts of every student, these new weekly awards are designed to be a significant achievement.

Two awards per class will be presented each Monday morning at our school assembly.
These awards will be difficult to receive; recipients must consistently display a high level of respect, safety, and learning each and every day. There will no longer be a hierarchy/or higher levels to achieve with these awards.
To begin with, class teachers will notify parents directly if their child is receiving an award. Eventually, these notifications will be sent via Compass.

In addition to our Monday assemblies, we are looking forward to hosting a Friday Assembly twice a term. These will be special opportunities for students to showcase their learning, and parents are warmly invited to attend.

Canteen Update

We are officially "live" with our new online canteen ordering system! We want to extend a massive thank you to Leonie Price and Bec Yeomans who dedicated their time to getting this system up and running.

We also want to thank our parents and carers for your patience as we navigate this transition. We know there are always a few "kinks" to iron out with new technology, and we appreciate you working with us as we streamline the process.

Professional Learning: 'Our Hope Filled Future'

Prior to the students returning, our staff travelled to Moree for several days of professional development, connecting with colleagues from across the western schools of the Armidale Diocese. The theme of the conference was 'Our Hope Filled Future.'

It was a powerful time of collaboration where we explored several key areas of the curriculum, including:

Catholic Identity: Deepening our mission and spiritual foundation.
Co-Teaching: Refining how we work together in the classroom to support all learners.
Leading Well Framework: Focusing on wellbeing and effective leadership at every level.

There were many various workshops the staff were able to attend that were aligned to their own professional development needs. A massive "well done" to Mrs. Schiller and Mrs. Newton, who were invited to present to the diocese regarding our Spelling Mastery program. They shared the fantastic successes we are seeing here at school, and it was wonderful to see our staff recognised for their hard work and expertise.

Communication & Learning Goals

We value the partnership between home and school. Later this term, all families will have the opportunity to meet individually with teachers to discuss specific learning goals for the year ahead.

In the meantime, if you wish to discuss your child’s progress or have any questions, please feel free to email or phone the school office to organise a meeting.

Our Communication Process:

We would like to remind parents that the first point of contact for any classroom or playground concerns should always be the classroom teacher. Our teachers are highly qualified professionals who hold a high regard for every student; they are the best equipped to assist you and address concerns directly. If a matter remains unresolved after meeting with the teacher, it can then be escalated to the Assistant Principal or Principal.

Invitation: Ash Wednesday & Opening School Mass

We warmly invite all families and community members to join us for our Opening School Mass, which coincides with Ash Wednesday on the 18th of February.

This is a particularly special occasion as we will be holding the Induction of our 2026 School Leaders. Our Year 6 students recently delivered their captaincy speeches, and the student body has cast their votes. We are incredibly proud of all the candidates for their courage and leadership. We look forward to officially commissioning our new leaders during this sacred celebration.

Date: Wednesday, 18th February
Time: 9am
Location: St Mary’s Catholic Church

NAPLAN: Years 3 & 5

A reminder to parents of students in Year 3 and Year 5 that NAPLAN testing is approaching. These assessments provide a snapshot of student progress and help us tailor our teaching to meet their needs. Information has been shared to the parents in Year 3 and Year 5 via Compass. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the upcoming testing, please do not hesitate to reach out and schedule a time to meet with your child’s teacher.

Kindergarten: Best Start

Over the coming weeks, our Kindergarten students will be participating in Best Start testing. This assessment occurs during school hours and helps our teachers identify the individual literacy and numeracy skills each child brings to school. Once completed, the classroom teacher will meet with parents to discuss the results and how we can best support your child's learning journey.

Year 6 Leaders

Announcing Our 2026 School Captains

We are proud to congratulate our 2026 School Captains!

Our Year 6 students recently presented outstanding speeches in front of their peers, parents, and friends. Each student demonstrated confidence, leadership, and a genuine commitment to our school community.

Following the speeches, students in Stage 2, Stage 3, and our staff members cast their votes to select this year’s student leaders. We thank everyone who participated in the voting process and commend all candidates for their courage and preparation.

We are delighted to announce the following leadership positions:

School Captain - Ella Wilson & Oliver Van Boheemen

School Vice Captain - Lucy Troy & Dillon Walford

Fitzroy Sports Captain - Janali Hunt

Mackillop Sports Captain - Bon Sharpley, Rhani Power, Eliza Walford

Penola Sports Captain - Maxwell Ninness, Kallie Moorhouse, Javeah Sharpley, Ivy-Jane Skuthorpe-Green

Congratulations to all of our successful leaders. We know you will represent our school with pride, integrity, and enthusiasm throughout the year.

We also extend our congratulations to every Year 6 student who took part in the process. Your willingness to step forward and lead is something to be truly proud of.

We look forward to a wonderful year of student leadership in 2026!

Reminders

School Start Times: Please remember that school starts promptly at 8:50 AM each day. Arriving on time ensures a smooth and settled start to learning and ensures the students will not miss valuable information.
School Uniform: We appreciate your support in ensuring all students wear the correct school uniform, including appropriate footwear and hats for sun safety. If you need any assistance with uniform requirements, please contact the school office.

Save the Date: Upcoming Events

Swimming Carnival - 13th February
Ash Wednesday/opening school/induction of school leaders Mass - 9am 18th February
Best Start Testing - 16th-27th February
Moorambilla Choir visit - 24th February
Diocesan Swimming Carnival - 27th February - Inverell
Diocesan Winter Trials (League, Netball) - 6th March
Parent meetings - 10th-11th March
NAPLAN - 11th-23rd March
Open classrooms - 18th March
Holy Thursday - 2nd April
Last day of term - 2nd April
Good Friday - 3rd April
Holy Saturday - 4th April
Easter Sunday - 5th April

We look forward to a productive and positive Term 1.

Blessings for the week ahead,

Donna

Important Dates & Events