Deputy Principal News

Navigating the Digital World Together

At St Joseph's, we are committed to the safe and purposeful use of digital technology across all aspects of school life. Under the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, Digital Literacy is recognised as a core foundational skill, taught alongside Literacy and Numeracy, equipping students to engage with technology critically, creatively, and safely.

While school plays an important role in building these skills, we know that learning doesn't stop at the school gate. The home environment is just as important, and families are a vital partner in helping children develop a positive, healthy relationship with technology.

As the Victorian Department of Education recognises, supporting young people in the digital world is a shared responsibility. Practical steps such as establishing consistent screen time routines, filtering inappropriate content, having open conversations about online safety, and modelling balanced technology use at home can make a meaningful difference. These everyday habits help reinforce what students learn at school and give children the confidence and skills to navigate the digital world responsibly.

To help families navigate this sometimes complex space, I share some key resources that I hope help parents.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/online-safety-basics 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/screen-time 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/good-habits-start-young 

Reading Mentors

This week our Year 6 leaders launched their much-anticipated reading mentor program in partnership with our Year 1 students. It was a joy to see our oldest students reading alongside our youngest, sharing stories and bringing such warmth and enthusiasm.

The reading mentor program sees our Year 6's read with our Year 1 students throughout lunch eating times, assisting our younger readers as they build their foundational literacy skills. For our Year 6 leaders, this is also a powerful experience and one that challenges them to be patient, encouraging, and thoughtful in how they support others.

We extend our thanks to our Year 6 students for embracing this responsibility with such generosity and care and remain grateful for the way they continue to contribute to the school community.

Davinci Decathlon

Congratulations to our Da Vinci Decathlon representatives who participated in the state competition on Tuesday 12 May. Our teams showed great critical thinking skills and teamwork, and we particularly make note of our Year 6 team who achieved third place in the cartography discipline. 

We were proud to be one of the only MACS schools competing in this year’s competition and look forward to participating well into the future.