Principal's Page

Dear Parents and Friends,

Wishing all of our mothers, grandmothers and mother figures a very Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday. Our celebration and liturgy on Thursday was very special. It is always so wonderful to see our students express their love for some of the most important people in their lives. 

In the Catholic tradition, we recognise motherhood as a profound vocation - one that reflects God’s love through care, sacrifice and unwavering presence. We are reminded of Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose faith, courage and tenderness continue to inspire us.

Mothers play a vital role in shaping the hearts and minds of their children, fostering not only their growth and learning but also their sense of compassion, resilience and faith. We are deeply grateful for the partnership we share with our mothers and mother figures, and for the many ways in which they contribute to the life of our school community.

A huge thank you to the many fathers and grandfathers who generously gave their time to help set up and pack away, serve food, and assist with the Mother’s Day Stall. Thank you also to the mums who helped throughout the stall, and a special thank you to Marnie for the many hours she dedicated to organising the gifts.

We really are blessed to have the support of so many parents.

Parent - Teacher Interviews

Thank you to the parents who were able to attend a Parent-Teacher interview in the past week or so. The opportunity for a conversation with your child’s teacher is an important part of the partnership we share together. These discussions allow us to celebrate each student’s progress and share insights into their learning and wellbeing. They may also be the springboard to plan for future conversations and as such I encourage parents to always feel free to arrange to have a conversation about their child’s learning or wellbeing with their child’s teacher at any time throughout the year. 

Tell Them From Me Survey

The Tell Them From Me Survey (TTFM) is an online survey used by all schools in the Wollongong Diocese to gain valuable feedback from students in Years 4-6, teachers and parents on their insights and experiences of St Joseph’s. As such, the surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process. In the coming days, parents will receive further information and a link to complete this survey.

2026 Annual Improvement Plan 

Goal: Students will be challenged to maximise their learning growth in Writing and clearly articulate their learning goals, know their next steps, and monitor their progress.

Progress Update

Collaborative Planning Cycles

Building on our Term 1 model, all classroom teachers will participate in at least two Collaborative Planning Cycles this term. These cycles bring together grade teams and their Instructional Coach to analyse students’ writing samples, identify next steps, set appropriately challenging learning goals, and co-design high quality learning sequences reflective of high impact strategies. These learning sequences are then co-taught by grade teachers and Instructional Coaches. Our intention is to further strengthen the quality of writing instruction established in Term 1 to further support student achievement. Term 2 Collaborative Planning sessions will commence this week.

Grades will also routinely participate in a collaborative mathematics planning session throughout the term. The purpose of this session is to plan units of work within grade teams with the support of our Maths Instructional Coach, Mrs Walls. 

Recent Staff Professional Learning

Research tells us that the quality of the teacher is the greatest in-school influence on student achievement. Therefore high quality professional learning for teachers must be a priority to ensure improved teacher practice that leads to improved student learning growth. 

Please find a snapshot of the professional learning our staff will attend over the coming fortnight:

12 May 2026

Numeracy Moderation Professional Learning

Mrs Smith & Mrs Walls

13 & 14 May 2026

Religious Education Coordinator Overnight Spirituality Retreat

Mr Walker

13 May 2026

Leadership Team Reflecting on Progress of AIP (half day)

Mr Aguilera, Mrs Clarkson, Miss Boyd-Skinner, Mrs Smith, Mrs Duffin

14 May 2026

Collaborative Planning

Mrs Hoile, Mrs Page, Miss Boyd-Skinner

21 May 2026

Collaborative Planning

Mrs Smith, Miss Tighe, Miss Muse, Mrs Duffin  

Mrs Kalinikos, Mrs Greenwood, Mrs Clarkson

22 May 2026

Collaborative Planning

Mrs Lantry, Mrs Parker, Mrs Walls

Parents & Friends Association General Meeting

Our Term 2 P&F General Meeting will be held this Wednesday 13 May. All parents are welcome to join us in the school hall at 7pm.

School Assemblies

Our next whole school assembly will be held this Friday 15 May at 2pm.  All are welcome!

Kaylene Duffin

Principal

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Principal Awards

Our Principal's awards are presented to students fortnightly on the even week.  

The following students will receive their Principal Awards at our whole school assembly on Friday 15 May 2026 (Week 4).

How does my child receive a Principal's Award?

Class teachers nominate students for Blue Merit Awards which are presented at the weekly assembly.  When five Blue Merit Awards have been received, students send them to the school office to be recorded and are then eligible for a Principal’s Award. When students attain their 4th Principal Award, they are awarded a Principal’s Medallion at an assembly. End of Term awards can be included as part of the 5 awards.  Please see the "School Handbook" for a full list of eligible awards.

Acknowledgement to Country

St Joseph's Bulli acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal people past, present and emerging the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is built