Good Afternoon

Welcome to the 2026 school year! It has been wonderful to see our students return with such enthusiasm, ready to learn and reconnect after the break. A very special welcome to our new Foundation students and their families who are beginning their primary school journey with us. We are delighted to have you join our community and look forward to supporting you through this exciting first year of school. We also extend a warm welcome to all new families joining us across other year levels.

I am pleased to share that we have had a fantastic start to the term. Classrooms are buzzing with energy, routines have helped us settle in smoothly, and our students have shown great positivity as they embrace their new learning environments.

As we begin the year, I would also like to invite all families to our Open Classrooms & Sausage Sizzle on Monday, February 9, from 5:00–7:00pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time in your child or children’s classroom, meet their teachers, and build connections with other families in our community. We encourage everyone to come along and be part of this enjoyable evening.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Opening Mass at the church today. It was a wonderful celebration to begin the school year together as a community. We extend our sincere thanks to Father Jackson for leading the celebration and helping us start the year with such a meaningful and uplifting gathering.

Congratulations

A big congratulations to Glenn McMillan and his partner Kat on the safe arrival of their beautiful baby girl, Eleanor Zara. We are delighted for their family and wish them all the joy, love, and precious moments that come with welcoming a new little one.

We also congratulate Jess (Mrs Schofield) and Tom on their wedding during the holidays.

Staffing Update

I am pleased to introduce and welcome several new staff members to our team this year - Graecen Cartwright, Jessica Schofield and Nicole McKenry who join the middle and senior teaching teams and Georgia Smith who begins an exciting new chapter in her role as a Year 1 classroom teacher. We are also delighted to have Luke Watt and Kellie Scott returning to our school in Specialist roles. Each brings wonderful skills, energy, and a passion for supporting students in their learning.

2026 Grade Structure

We are excited to share our grade structure for 2026:

2 x Foundation (Prep)
2 x Year 1
2 x Year 2
3 x Year 3/4
3 x Year 5/6

At St Joseph’s, we currently operate with a combination of straight grades and multi-age classes. To accommodate our growing enrolments, we have introduced an additional junior class this year, ensuring we continue to provide the best learning environment for all students.

School Fees

School Fees for 2026 have been emailed to families today. Please check you have received your Statement and contact the office with any queries. For more details, please go to the Primary School Fees page of this newsletter or the school website - School Fees - St. Joseph's Primary School

Engagement of Volunteers

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.

School Fees & Levies - do we need this still??

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, Mrs Julie Cornwall.

Thank you for your ongoing support. I am truly looking forward to leading our school this year and working together to create a positive, connected, and inspiring learning environment for all students.

Kind regards,

Julie Cornwall, Acting Principal

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