Principal's Page

Dear Parents and Carers

This week, I leave St Joseph's with a very grateful heart. 

On Monday, staff, students, parents, my family, and some friends and colleagues gathered for a farewell liturgy. It was a beautiful occasion and a real celebration of not just my work over the last seven years but of who we are as a school community.

I am particularly thankful to you as parents for the many letters, cards, emails, personally spoken words, and gifts I have received over the last few weeks. Our school community means so much to me and I have loved the privilege of leading the school as principal.

While I look forward to whatever the future holds for me, I have been reflecting on all we have achieved together over the last seven years. Everywhere I look this week, every student I have spoken with, and every staff member, have brought much loved memories and a grateful heart for all that has been. 

I leave you with parts of my farewell speech for those of you who were unable to attend on Monday.

Farewell to St Joseph's Monday 11 December 2023

Imagine a school with 400 children where every student matters and every student counts, and where their learning and faith is the most important thing every day.

 

Imagine a school where the children come to know Jesus and try to be more like him everyday, where students and teachers pray together and take time for stillness every morning.

 

Imagine a school where the teachers learn as much as the students do because great teachers are great learners, where teachers and staff who work hard because they really care about their students.

 

Imagine a school where those who need a helping hand with learning have teachers and children who do that with them.

 

Imagine a school with wonderful buildings, classrooms and resources.

 

Imagine a school with parents who help out to make that school even better. 

 

Imagine a school with extra activites like sports, kindness club, Mini vinnies, lunch time activities, technology, daily mediation, Christmas concerts, spring fairs, colour runs, sports carnivals, a library full of really good books, a caring sick bay and office staff.

 

Of course we don’t need to imagine these things because this is our school. St Joseph’s is this place, our place.

 

Over the last seven years, many people have worked with me so that Bulli has a great Catholic school. A school Father Patrick can be proud of.

 

Teachers, school support officers, parents and carers are wonderful people who have worked with me as principal.

 

Together we have virtually rebuilt the whole school since 2017.

 

Together we created new playgrounds- when we had a dream of an adventure playground, teachers made it happen, when we had a dream of synthetics grass on the playground to replace the dirt, or shade sails, parents made it happen. When we dreamed of a great library, classroom resources and technology, teachers and parents made it happen with me.

 

Together, over the last 7 years, the teachers, school support officers and I have become much better at teaching students, of knowing them as learners and designing learning so that they can grow as learners. 

 

Together, we have survived learning and teaching during the years of Covid 19. We worked together with families to make sure students kept learning and thriving even though they were at home and not at school.

 

Together, we have all tried to be as good as we can be. We haven’t always been perfect, me included, but together we have been guided in all of these things by the truth and light of Jesus.

 

Together we have made a school that we don’t need to imagine, we have it. I know that in the future all of these things will go on. 

 

Staff, parents and students together, will always make St Joseph’s a great school for each other.  And the next Principal, Mrs Duffin, will lead you to make St Joseph’s even better. How blessed if this community to have Mrs Duffin as the next principal.

 

Thank you teachers and our School Support Officers for all of your work, your skill, knowledge and passion for student learning and wellbeing. 

 

I thank our staff for always doing much more than they have to do, for never saying, “That’s good enough”, for always going the extra mile. Thank you for trusting me.

 

Thank you to the school leadership team for always being supportive and  respectful of me, and for your willingness to challenge me at times, I have always appreciated your good humour as well. 

 

Thank you to three Assistant Principal who have worked with me for our school over the last seven years, Kaylene Duffin, Miguel Aguilera and Kylie Grose.

 

Thank you parents for your support of this great school and all we stand for. Thank you for being very present in our school, for supporting staff, for the work of our P&F, but mostly for your support of me in the challenging work of principalship. I have loved your children.

 

Thank you to my family for supporting me and for understanding what it takes to be an educator and an educational leader. You have always been my strength.

 

Thank you students for giving me hope for the future, for saying “Hello,” everyday, for wanting to share your learning with me, for your funny stoiries, for making me laugh, for making me proud.

 

As we all look to the future we must remember that St Joseph’s did not begin 7 years ago when I arrived along with our Year 6 students when they started Kindergarten. 

 

It began in 1882 when just like us, people worked together to build what they imagined as a great school for Bulli’s children. 

 

St Joseph’s was already a great school when I arrived and I hope I did my small part in the long line of principals since 1882, to make is just that bit better.

 

As I say farewell, I hope that we are what they and the Sisters of St Joseph dreamed and imagined back in 1882.

 

I hope that into the future, everyone will continue to dream and imagine a great school that can be even better.

 

I hope that everyone continues to do it together.

 

I hope that the boys and girls of St Joseph's will always be the best students they can be, the best people they can be. 

 

I hope that like St Mary MacKillop, whenever you see a need, you will do something about it.  

 

It is for our students that I have imagined. For students, that  I have worked together with  teachers and  parents. For these children are our hope.

Staff 2024

Parish Priest

Fr Patrick Vaughan

School Leadership Team

Principal: Mrs Kaylene Duffin

Assistant Principal: Mr Miguel Aguilera

Religious Education Coordinator: Mrs Christine Smith

Middle Leaders: Mrs Cathy Lantry, Mrs Anne-Marie Clarkson, and Mrs Kylie Grose

Senior School Support Officers: Mrs Karen Gallagher and Mrs Margot Riley

Kindergarten

KJ- Miss Vanessa Loumanis

KM- Mrs Madeline Negus

Kinder Support Teacher - Mrs Kim Liplyn

Year 1

1J- Miss Emma Wragge

1M- Mrs Michaela Fursey

Year 1 Support Teacher- Mrs Janice Matthews

Year 2

2J - Miss Taylor Gemmill

2M - Mrs Anne-Marie Clarkson (Mrs Emma Rollestone: Wednesdays)

Year 2 Support Teacher- Mrs Emma Rollestone

Year 3

3J - Mrs Christine Smith (Mr Miguel Aguilera: Thursdays)

3M - Miss Sally O'Donoghue

Year 3 Support Teacher- Mrs Lena Harritos

Year 4

4J - Mrs Cathy Lantry (Mrs Kate Kors: Fridays)

4M - Mrs Madolyn Clark (Monday and Tuesday)  and Mrs Hayley Greenwood (Wednesday to Friday)

Year 4 Support Teacher- Mrs Kate Kors

Year 5

5J - Mr Alexander Walker

5M - Mrs Judith Parker

Year 5 Support Teachers- Mr Michael Barr

Year 6

6J - Mrs Koby Allan

6M - Mr Sam Matthews

Year 6 Support Teachers- Mrs Fabiola Walls

Library

Mrs Holly Pirie

Diverse Learning Support Teacher

Mrs Alex Van Gemert

Teacher Professional Planning Time Release Teachers 

Mrs Melanie Brooks

Mrs Annie Harris

School Support Officers

Mrs Leigh Laxton

Mrs Cassie Vincent

Mrs Liz McMahon

Mrs Cath Woods

Mrs Cathy Bailey

Mrs Nicole Parker

Mrs Neicha Malys (School Office)

Welcome

Next year, St Joseph's welcomes Mrs Kaylene Duffin as Principal. Kaylene has been principal at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Helensburgh for the last 4 years. Her experience as a principal, and past knowledge and love of St Joseph's as Assistant Principal in the past, will see our school continue to thrive. 

I am confident that Kaylene will be warmly welcomed by the St Joseph's community.

Staff Farewells

This week we farewell some of our staff and sincerely thank them for their passion for teaching and learning and our students.

Mrs Angela Despotovic has been at St Joseph's since 2016. In 2024, she will teach at St Michael's Mittagong where she has recently moved her family. Angie will take her considerable experience as a teacher and wealth of knowledge gained at St Joseph's to that community. We wish Angie all the best for the future and thank her for her wonderful contribution to every student she has taught and for all she has given to St Joseph's.

Lauren Ah Tong has been at St Joseph's for just one year. Next year she will teach at St Columbkille's Corrimal. This year, Lauren has gained valuable experience from St Joseph's teachers who have supported her as an early career teacher, and we wish her every success in her future career.

Melissa Sommerville has taught most grades this year and we have been gifted by her ability to teach music. We are very grateful for Mel's generosity in sharing her considerable musical skill and wish her well in her future endeavours.

Student Leadership for 2024

Thank you to all of the Year 5 students who nominated themselves for the 2023 student leadership positions. After a process of presenting speeches and voting by students, we congratulate those who have been successful and recognised for their leadership by their peers. Thank you also to the Year 5 teachers who supported students and ensured the process was carried out with integrity.

School Captains

Nash H

Celie S

School Vice-Captains

Ned S

Sophia M

House Captains

O'Reilly House (Gold): Alice Z and Leo S

Polding House (Red): Sadie J and Brody N

McKillop House (Blue): Sophie M and Noah H

McCabe House (Green): Owen O and Zarli A

Christmas Blessings

On behalf of the staff, I wish all of our families a blessed Christmas filled with hope, joy and love. May you be blessed by God, have gratitude for all that has been in 2023, and look toward 2024 with a sense of excitement for what will be. 

Thank you for being a part of St Joseph's this year. Happy Christmas.

For all things at St Joseph's, I give thanks. 

Farewell.

Jen Charadia

Principal, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

2017- 2023

Principal Awards

Principals Awards will resume in 2024.

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 and present, the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is built.