Principals' Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
We would like to welcome all our new and existing families to St Joseph’s for the start of the 2026 school year. We trust you have enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing Christmas and summer holiday break and spent some precious time with your families and friends. The first few days of a new school year are always filled with excitement as children reconnect with their friends and classmates and share news of what they did in the holidays. To all our new families who are joining us this year, a very warm welcome to the St Joseph's school community, we hope the start of your journey here at St Joseph's is a happy and rewarding one.
Staff returned last Tuesday and spent two busy days of professional learning. We explored our Annual Improvement Plan, Code of Conduct, NSW Government Child Safety Standards and took part in Anaphylaxis and CPR Training. We were also lucky to have Mr John Clery from the Armidale Catholic Schools facilitate a very informative session on our ‘Living Well, Learning Well’ student support framework.
Welcome Kindergarten
Tomorrow we warmly welcome our new Kindergarten class for their first official day of primary school. Starting school is such a big milestone and we look forward to supporting our new students and their families as they embark on their learning journey with us.
Today, Mrs McManus and Mrs Gillett completed the Best Start Assessment with each of our new Kindergarten students. This assessment checks early literacy and numeracy skills and the results will determine individual student learning needs. Kindergarten parents will also receive feedback on ways they can support their child’s learning at home.
Living Well, Learning Well Framework
Last week, staff spent time engaging in meaningful conversations with students about our shared expectations. These expectations help create classrooms where teachers can teach effectively and students can learn and thrive in a safe and respectful environment.
Our Catholic Values and Rules for Living and Learning guide everything we do:
I am Safe
I am Valued, Respected and Cared For
I am a Learner
Through the Living Well, Learning Well framework, we continue to promote wellbeing, positive behaviour and strong learning outcomes for all students, reminding our children that “manners cost nothing but mean a great deal,” and “our actions speak louder than words.” It has been pleasing to see our students embrace these ideas and link them to our rules for living and learning as we commence another school year.
We thank families for your ongoing support in reinforcing these values and working in partnership with us in the education of your child. As Henry Ford wisely said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” This partnership between home and school is important to the success of our students.
We look forward to a wonderful year ahead and hope that 2026 brings many blessings to our St Joseph’s community.
May God bless you and your family.
Maree Holland & Greg O'Toole
Co-Principals
St Joseph's School - a Faith Filled Community Where Learning Matters