Dear Parents and Guardians,

It has been a busy and eventful few weeks at St Joseph the Worker!

2026 NAPLAN results

Following from Sarah's article in our last newsletter, we are delighted to share our 2026 NAPLAN results. Our students performed above the national average in every assessment area across both Year 3 and Year 5, with many results also exceeding or drawing close to the Victorian state average. These results reflect the hard work of our students, staff and families, who should be proud of their efforts.

Year 3	National Mean	State Mean	School Mean	Difference (National)	Difference (State)
Reading	402	418	427	+25	+9
Writing	412	425	441	+29	+16
Spelling	405	417	409	+4	-8
Grammar & Punctuation	408	423	419	+11	-4
Numeracy	403	417	407	+4	-10

Year 5	National Mean	State Mean	School Mean	Difference (National)	Difference (State)
Reading	487	498	495	+8	-3
Writing	482	497	511	+29	+14
Spelling	489	495	492	+3	-3
Grammar & Punctuation	497	508	506	+9	-2
Numeracy	494	504	499	+5	-5

Planning for the 2026 School Year

Planning is already underway for the 2027 school year. If your family is relocating and your child will not be attending St Joseph the Worker next year, please email Michele as soon as possible.

It is important that we work together to ensure a smooth transition, so please include the name of the school your child will be moving to. This helps us prepare the necessary transfer documents and support your child’s next steps.

nForma Connect App

A reminder that from next week, Audiri will no longer be in use at St Joseph the Worker. We ask all families to use the nForma Connect App to record student absences and receive school communications.

Please note that this is a new app (icon displayed to the right) and is different from the previous 'nForma for Parents' app that was used to access student reports. From next week, all newsletters, notices and school updates will be distributed exclusively through the nForma Connect App.

Instructions for downloading and setting up the app were shared with families this week in both hard copy and online formats. If you have not yet installed the app, please do so as soon as possible to ensure you continue to receive important school information.

School Uniform

Wearing the correct school uniform is an important part of belonging to St Joseph the Worker and we expect all students to wear their uniform correctly and with pride. All items for both the old and new uniforms are available through our official uniform supplier, Academy Uniforms. Only approved uniform items purchased through Academy Uniforms should be worn to school.

Father’s Day Activities and Assembly

On Friday 4th September, we will celebrate the wonderful dads, grandfathers and special men who play an important role in the lives of our students. We warmly invite you to join us for our annual Father’s Day afternoon with assembly beginning at 2.00 pm followed by activities with students until 3.00 pm. At this time, students will return to their classroom for pack up and final dismissal. We look forward to another wonderful afternoon celebrating all the special men in our students’ lives. There will also be a sausage sizzle for our special visitors to enjoy.

Father’s Day Stall

Our wonderful Parents & Friends Association will be running our annual Father’s Day Stall next Friday 4th September. Students will have the opportunity to purchase a special gift for their dad, grandfather or another important person in their life, with gifts ranging from $1.00 to $12.00. For our younger students, please place their money in a clearly labelled purse or zip-lock bag to help keep it safe. We also ask that each child brings a plastic bag to carry their gift home.

A big thank you to our P&F for once again organising this much-loved event for our students and families

Parent Code of Conduct

At St Joseph the Worker parents and staff share the same goal; to provide the very best possible environment for our children to learn, grow and feel safe.

From time to time, issues will naturally arise between children. When they do, please trust that our staff will listen, investigate and respond carefully and fairly, always with the wellbeing of the children at the centre of our decisions.

Our Parent Code of Conduct helps ensure St Joseph the Worker remains a safe, respectful and welcoming community for everyone. In particular, we ask parents to remember that it is never appropriate to approach, question or discipline another person’s child. If you have a concern involving students, please speak with your child’s teacher or a member of the Leadership Team and allow us to manage the situation.

Every member of our community has the right to feel safe, respected and valued - even when we may not always agree. Respectful communication and working together provide the best example for our children.

Parent WhatsApp and Messenger Groups

We know that some parents have created WhatsApp groups, and these can be a great way for families to connect, share reminders and support one another.

It is important to remember, however, that these groups are created and managed privately by parents and are not monitored or managed by the school. Comments made within these groups represent individual views and not those of St Joseph the Worker.

We ask everyone to use these groups in the same respectful and considerate way we would expect when communicating face-to-face. If you have a concern about something that has happened at school, please come and speak with us directly. A conversation with the right person is almost always the best and quickest way to resolve an issue.

Staffing Updates

Congratulations to Chloe Dewar and her husband, Mick, on the wonderful news that they are expecting a baby later this year. This is such an exciting time for them, and we wish them all the very best as they prepare for this special new chapter in their lives.

As you are aware Roberta Martineo has resigned her position as school counsellor. On behalf of our school community, I would like to thank Roberta for her wonderful work as a counsellor at our school over the past two years. It has been a pleasure to work alongside her as she supported students and families with care and professionalism. We wish Roberta all the very best as she moves into private practice and thank her for the positive contribution she has made to our school community.

Following their wedding earlier last term, Mary Leos and her husband Matthew are heading overseas for their honeymoon. Mary will be on leave during the final week of this term and the first week of Term 4. We wish them a fantastic time away and hope they create many wonderful memories together.

Krystal will be taking long service leave during Term 4. We wish Krystal a wonderful and well-deserved break and hope she and her family enjoy this special time together.

We are currently finalising replacement staffing arrangements to support these leave absences and further information regarding this will be shared with our community once all arrangements have been confirmed.

I will also be taking some long service leave during the final week of this term as I travel overseas for a holiday. While I am away, Sarah will be acting in my absence. Should you have any concerns or enquiries during this time, please do not hesitate to contact her or any member of the leadership team. I appreciate your support and look forward to reconnecting with our community upon my return.

Planning for the Future

Since the beginning of Term 3, we have been planning and budgeting for 2027 to ensure all MACS school remains well placed to support our staff, students and families into the future. Like all Catholic schools, we are preparing for the anticipated changes arising from the new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA). While we strongly support these well-deserved salary increases for staff, they are not government funded and must be accommodated within school budgets.

At the same time, schools continue to face significant increases in operating costs, including staffing, utilities, insurance, maintenance and Work Cover premiums. As a result, despite our commitment to keeping fees and levies as low as possible, increases will be necessary to ensure the ongoing sustainability of our school while maintaining the quality Catholic education our community values.

We are also reviewing the future affordability of our camp program. Rising costs associated with transport, camp providers and staffing are placing increasing pressure on budgets. In particular, the requirement to pass on staff attendance costs significantly impacts the financial accessibility of camps for families. While we recognise the educational and social value these experiences provide, we will need to carefully consider their long-term viability to ensure they remain affordable and accessible for our community.

We will continue to keep you informed throughout this process. As always, our focus remains on maintaining a strong school community, supporting our staff, and providing the best possible learning opportunities for every student.

School Fees

Thank you to all the parents who have paid their school fees in full. It is important that all fees and levies are paid by the end of October, unless direct debiting. If you are unable to meet this requirement, please contact Marisa to discuss further.

Child Safety Standard 8

As Catholic educators, we all share a responsibility to promote and protect the safety, wellbeing and dignity of every child in our care. Child Safety Standard 8 focuses on ensuring that staff and volunteers have the knowledge, skills and support needed to effectively safeguard children, recognise signs of harm, respond appropriately to concerns or disclosures, and create environments where all children feel safe, respected, valued and included. Through regular training, professional learning and ongoing support, we strengthen our ability to uphold our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and foster a culture of vigilance, care and accountability.

Looking forward

Please check the newsletter dates section to see what is happening in coming weeks at St Joseph the Worker. There are lots of events to look forward to, including:

Father’s Day stall – Friday 4th September - morning

Father’s Day Assembly & Activity - Friday 4th September 2pm

Art Show - Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th September

I pray that St Joseph the Worker continues to watch over and bless our parish and school community.

Kind regards,

Maria Barnes

Principal

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