Principal's Report
Thoughts from our Principal - Mrs Casey Chard
Dear Parents, Carers and Community Members,
Catholic Schools Week – Celebrating Faith, Learning and Community
Next week we join with schools across NSW to celebrate Catholic Schools Week, recognising the vital role our schools play in nurturing faith, learning, and community. I am exceptionally proud to announce that Mrs Karen Fletcher has been named the recipient of the Armidale Catholic Schools 2025 Spirit of Catholic Education Award in the Support Staff category! This is a well-deserved honour that reflects Karen’s dedication and care for our students and school community. As part of our celebrations, Year 6 students will attend a special Mass at the Cathedral in Armidale, while our school captains, Matt and Macie, will join Mrs Fletcher and myself in representing St Joseph’s at the Spirit of Catholic Education Awards Ceremony.
Catholic Schools Week is also a timely reminder that we are now taking enrolments for Kindergarten 2026. If you have a child starting school next year, or know someone who does, please collect an enrolment pack from the front office. Interviews are underway, and we are excited to welcome the next generation of learners into our faith-filled school community.
Catholic Schools Principals' Conference
This week, I had the privilege of attending the State Catholic Schools Principals’ Conference, joining colleagues from across the diocese and the state for professional learning and collaboration. The conference provided valuable insights from leading educators and the opportunity to share in rich discussions. Thank you to Rickie Withers for leading the school in my absence.
The Importance of Regular School Attendance
At St Joseph’s we closely monitor student attendance using Compass and our data ecosystem, which provides a clear visual of each child’s attendance across the term and year. This information is also accessible to our Armidale Catholic School’s attendance officers, who help track and support student attendance.
Regular attendance is vital for student learning and helps build strong connections with peers and school life. Even occasional absences can add up, creating gaps in learning and social development that are hard to recover. Being present each day supports academic progress and a genuine sense of belonging.
As parents, you play a key role in ensuring your child attends regularly. While attendance is a legal responsibility, we’re here to support you. At St Joseph’s, we value our partnership with families and are always available to discuss any concerns you may have. Parents can monitor attendance using the Compass app by clicking on ‘more’ → ‘attendance’ → ‘dashboard’. Please note that the ‘Whole Day Other’ and ‘Partial Day Other’ are the number of whole days and partial days the student was not present in class but this was not counted as an absence (this includes days such as Best Start testing for Kindergarten, excursions and sports events).
The table below highlights how even the ‘odd day off’ can accumulate over time, potentially affecting a child’s learning and future success.
| Risk categorisation | Percentage | Impact per fortnight | Impact per year | Impact over 6 years |
| No risk | >95 | Up to 0.5 days absent | 10 days = 2 weeks | Up to 12 weeks = 3 months |
| Potential risk | 90-95 | Up to 1 day absent | 20 days = 4 weeks | Up to 24 weeks = 6 months |
| At risk | 80-89 | Up to 2 days absent | 40 days = 8 weeks | Up to 48 weeks = over a school year |
| High risk | 70-79 | Up to 3 days absent | 60 days = 12 weeks | Up to 70 weeks = one school year and 3 school terms |
| Critical risk | <70 | Over 3 days absent |
We deeply appreciate your partnership in fostering a strong, connected school community. Let’s continue working together to ensure every student feels safe, valued and supported.
May God bless you and your family.
Casey Chard
Principal