Principal's Update

Good Afternoon 

There has been plenty of activity over the past two weeks with all year levels participating in excursions or camps.  There is a high level of planning and care associated with these off-site events, and I thank our staff for ensuring the safety of our students.  Can I also thank all the parent volunteers who assist these outings, it is a great help. 

2026 Grade Structure

We are pleased to announce our grade structure for 2026.

• 2 x Foundation
• 2 x Year 1
• 2 x Year 2
• 3 x Year 3/4
• 3 x Year 5/6

We currently operate with a mix of multi-age and straight grade levels.  To facilitate the increase in enrolments, we will have an extra junior grade. 

As we begin planning for the 2026 school year, we will soon be working on student placements.  If you have specific requests regarding your child’s placement for 2026, please submit an email to the Principal by Friday November 14.  Requests should focus on your child’s particular learning, social, or emotional needs.

While we will do our best to consider all requests received by the due date, it becomes increasingly difficult to make adjustments after this time, as one change can impact the dynamics of an entire class. 

Our teachers invest significant time and professional judgment into this complex process, ensuring that each student is placed in an environment that best supports their learning and wellbeing.

Social Media Age Restrictions & Your Family

From December 10, 2025, many social media platforms won’t be allowed to let Australians under the age of 16 create or keep an account.  The changes aim to protect under-16s from pressures and risks they can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts.  These come from design features in the platforms that:

• encourage them to spend too much time on screens – for example, by prompting them with streams of notifications and alerts, and pressuring them to view disappearing content

• increase the likelihood of exposure to negative, upsetting or manipulative content served up in their feeds by algorithms.

   

The age restrictions are a delay, not a ban.  You won’t have to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to social media accounts, instead you can say ‘not yet’, knowing other under-16s are also being prevented from creating or keeping accounts so your child won’t be missing out. 

Quick Facts 

• The age restrictions are likely to apply to Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube, as well as other platforms.  See the latest list.

• Under-16s will still be able to see publicly available social media content that doesn’t require logging into an account.

• Most standalone gaming and messaging apps, as well as many services that support health and education, will not be affected by the new law.

• There are no penalties for under-16s who access an account on an age-restricted social media platform, or for their parents or carers.  This is about making the platforms take greater responsibility for the safety of children – they face fines of up to $49.5 million dollars if they don’t take reasonable steps to implement the changes.

Main Resource:Social media age restrictions hub | eSafety Commissioner

Engagement of Volunteers - NEW

There are some great ways for parents to be involved at our school.  We thank you for taking the time to Volunteer and for your continued support.  Volunteers are integral to the school experience for our students, and they provide an important link to the community.

Some of the ways our school use Volunteers include:

• School Tuckshop

• Coaching school sports teams

• Helping during excursions or incursions

• Support at our school sports days

At St Joseph’s Primary School, Quarry Hill the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. To uphold our commitment to child safety, ALL Volunteers are required to review and acknowledge our Child Safe Code of Conduct, Staff & Students Professional Boundaries Policy and Photography & Video Policy and Procedures. Additionally, Volunteers must complete a Volunteer Registration form and successfully complete the CESL School Volunteer Induction before commencing their role as a Volunteer.

We deeply value the contributions of our Volunteers and appreciate your support in maintaining a culture of care and protection. Together, we can continue to provide a safe and nurturing space for every child to thrive.

For more information regarding volunteering click on the link below to complete the Volunteer Registration form.

 Volunteer Registration Form

All Volunteers will be asked to:

• Complete a Volunteer Registration form (including personal details, Working with Children Check (WWCC) and 2 personal referees), please inform your referees they will be contacted by the school in relation to your volunteering.

   

• Once you have completed the Volunteer Registration form and are approved to Volunteer at the school, you will be sent an email with a link to access the required training: (Please note – Completing this induction replaces the previous onsite induction interview)

   

• CESL School Volunteer Induction; and

• Read and acknowledge the Child Safe Code of Conduct, Staff & Students Professional Boundaries Policy and Photography & Video Policy and Procedures.

   

All Volunteers will be required to update details at the start of each year and inform the school of any changes to your circumstances or updates to your WWCC.  All Volunteers will need to complete the CESL School Volunteer Induction and read and acknowledge all relevant safeguarding policies at the start of each school year even if an existing Volunteer.

All information received regarding volunteering and providing referee details will be maintained in line with CESL Privacy Policy.

Mobile Eyes & Dental School Program

Please register your interest by clicking on the QR code below - more information in Community News 

School Fees & Levies

Statements for school fees & levies are emailed to families at the start of each month.  Please check your statement and contact the office if you have any questions.

It is expected that all school fees and levies are finalised each year by the start of December.

The school provides a variety of options for payment of school fees and levies - in full at the start of the school year / part payment at the start of each school term / by direct debit – weekly, fortnightly, or monthly / by direct payment into the school bank account or by regular payments at the school office by cash or EFTPOS.   You can even pay over the phone if you wish.

It is important that payment of school fees and levies are honoured and prompt payment is much appreciated.  However, if you are experiencing difficulty meeting your obligation for payment, please contact the school to arrange a time to discuss this with the Principal, Mr Peter Teggelove.

2026 Enrolment

As we are planning the set up for the 2026 school year, we 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. 

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... 

Before we teach, we need to understand how people learn — and why it matters more than ever.  

In this episode of Magnify Matters, we explore how understanding the science of learning can empower teachers and transform classrooms.

Kind regards,

Peter Teggelove, Principal