Happy Birthday

Wishing all our students a very happy birthday who celebrated their special day over the our holiday break and the last fortnight.

17 February - Charlotte R Year 5 and Lucy M Year 5

19 February - Maggie F Year 3 and Emmett G Year 5

21 February - Zahli B Year 6

22 February - Bede B Year 2

24 February - Ellen H Year 4

25 February - Millie M Year 6

27 February - Harlow M Year 3

28 February - Joseph K Kinder and Oceana D Year 3

1 March - Isla T Year 5

2 March - Heidi G Year 1 and Arya N Year 6

The Importance of Attendance

Last year, a new Attendance Policy was implemented across all Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) schools to support regular student attendance. CEDoW schools, in partnership with families, are responsible for encouraging and supporting students’ consistent attendance at school.

Within the Attendance Policy, Regular Attendance is defined as students attending school between 90% – 100% of possible school days. We have introduced attendance monitoring spreadsheets to track student attendance on a fortnightly basis. If students fall below 90% attendance parents will be informed via email. Subsequent intervention support will be provided if attendance levels fall to lower levels. We are committed to working in partnership with parents to support regular school attendance. If you need any advice or support, please contact your child's teacher or member of the leadership team via the school office.

The attached flyer, outlines the Attendance and Communication requirements of CEDoW.

Premier Transport Group

We recently received a letter from Premier Transport Group stating that there are a number of students from St Joseph's are travelling on their bus service without presenting a valid Opal card or paying the required fare.

As per the NSW School Student Code of Conduct, all students are expected to travel with a valid Opal card and tap on and off correctly when using public transport. Failure to do so is considered a breach of this Code and may lead to further action, including written warnings or suspension from travel.

Riding Bikes To and From School

Students may ride bikes to and from school in accordance with our Bicycle Policy. Please note, this Policy has been updated to exclude the riding of ebikes and to discourage students from riding bikes on the Bulli Park Bike Track on their way to and from school.

Before riding bikes to and from school, parents must sign the Bike Rider's Parental/Carers Permission Form. Copies may be collected from the school office or sent home with students upon request.

2026 NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual nationwide assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. It is the only assessment taken by all Australian students, providing valuable insights into their literacy and numeracy skills.

In 2026, students at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Bulli will complete NAPLAN online, except for the Year 3 Writing Test, which will remain in paper format. The online format enhances the assessment process by allowing ‘tailored testing,’ where questions adapt to a student’s ability level, resulting in more precise and meaningful results.

NAPLAN complements existing school-based assessments. While it is important for students to take these tests seriously, we also want to ensure they feel comfortable and confident. To help students become familiar with the online testing platform, they will be given opportunities to participate in practice tests during normal learning time. These practice sessions will allow them to get used to the test format and navigation.

The official NAPLAN testing window begins on Wednesday 11 March 2026. At St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Bulli, the tests will be administered on the following days:

Wednesday 11 March (Week 7): Writing
Thursday 12 March (Week 7): Reading
Monday 16 March (Week 8): Conventions of Language
Tuesday 17 March (Week 8): Numeracy

Students who are absent on their scheduled test day will have the opportunity to complete make-up tests within the test administration window, with the final date for make-up tests being Monday 23 March 2026. Please note Year 3 Writing catch-up ends on Monday 16 March 2026.

To further support students and families, we encourage exploring the NAPLAN Online public demonstration site for additional practice: https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site.

For more information, please refer to the attached flyer: "NAPLAN 2026 – Information for Parents and Carers."

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office for further information.

Miguel Aguilera

Assistant Principal

Equipment Requirement: Headphones

Please ensure your child has workable and suitable headphones or earphones that are compatible with their iPad. While Bluetooth headphones are acceptable, please be aware that Bluetooth connectivity can occasionally affect access to the testing platform. Plug-in headphones or earphones are recommended for a more stable connection.

If your child uses plug-in headphones, please ensure they have a USB-C headphone adapter to connect to their device.

2026 Book Club Issue 2

Students received our Book Club Issue 2, 2026, last week. Issue 2 will close Friday 20 March 2026.

Books will be delivered in the week beginning Monday 30 March 2026.

2027 Enrolments - Online applications now open

Our online applications for Kindergarten 2027 are now open.

The online application form will be accessible from the home page of our school website

2027 Kindergarten School Tours

Hosting school tours for prospective families enrolling in Kindergarten in 2027 provides a valuable opportunity to showcase the high quality education and supportive learning environment we offer. These tours are designed for parents who would like to learn more about the St Joseph's School community and the opportunities we provide in faith, learning, and wellbeing. Tours will be held this Tuesday and Wednesday.

Headlice

We have been advised of cases of head lice. Please check your child's hair and treat accordingly.

Please click on this link from NSW Health that you may find helpful.

Sport

Term 1 Sports Uniform Days

Kindergarten	Tuesdays and Thursdays
Year 1	Tuesdays and Thursdays
Year 2	Wednesdays and Fridays
Year 3	Tuesdays and Fridays
Year 4	Wednesdays and Fridays
Year 5	Mondays and Thursdays
Year 6	Tuesdays and Thursdays

Please note Years 3 -6 will be participating in gymnastics and acrobatic program, which is a 4 week program taking place on Mondays, commencing Monday 23 February and concluding on Monday 16 March Sports uniform changes for Years 3-6 for this 4 week period.

Year 3	Monday and Tuesday
Year 4	Monday and Wednesday
Year 5	Monday and Thursday
Year 6	Monday and Thursday

MacKillop Touch Football and AFL

Congratulations to the following Yr 6 students who we selected in the 2026 Diocesan Touch Football teams: Taj A, Zane N, George W and Grace M. We wish them the best of luck at the MacKillop touch trials in Wagga in June. They will all also compete in the MacKillop AFL trials in Wagga in March.

St Joseph School Cross Country - Whole School Carnival K-6

We look forward to our whole school Cross-Country carnival which will be held in Term 1 on Friday 20 March 2026. Please save the date to spectate, support and/or act as a carnival official! More information will be shared later in the term.

Canteen

FRIENDLY REMINDER: PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE CHANGED YOUR CHILD/S CLASS TO REFLECT THEIR CLASS FOR 2026

PLEASE NOTE - NEW OPENING HOURS FOR CANTEEN

Open TUESDAY to FRIDAY for recess and lunch.

Cash purchases for snacks and drinks can be made at recess and lunchtime. Snacks and drinks can also be ordered via the new platform FlexiSchools.

Lunch orders

Orders for lunch can only be made through Flexischools. Please note that orders close at 9.15am daily. Orders cannot be placed after this time.

Note: Canteen is CLOSED MONDAYS

Flexischool Parent Support Line - 1300 361 769 (Hours: 7.00am-12.00 noon)

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Handbook

2025 Bus Timetable (Premier Charters)

PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning)

Ask your child about the weekly focus for students.

This week's focus:

Respectfully respond to the bell

When the first bell rings, it’s time to STOP, DROP & LISTEN for instructions.

Make sure you have been to the toilet; Make sure you have returned equipment; Make sure you have collect belongings; Make sure you are waiting in class lines; When the second bells rings, it’s time to stop speaking; Make sure you are ready to follow instructions to move to class ready for learning

Community Services

LOWES - 20% off School Wear- 4-8 March 2026

Holy Spirit College - Year 7 2028 Enrolments

Electrify Bulli Community Info Day

AFL Northern Districts Tigers

Thirroul Festival - 27-29 March 2026