Principal's Page

Dear Parents and Friends,

I would like to sincerely thank our students and staff for the kindness and generosity shown to me on World Principals Day. I was genuinely touched by the students’ messages at Friday’s assembly.  

Being a Principal is an absolute privilege, and I am very grateful to be part of such a special school community. It is the people I work alongside and the relationships I share with students and families that make my role so rewarding.

Acknowledging World Principals Day on the eve of the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop was particularly meaningful to me. As the founder of our school some 144 years ago, Mary MacKillop established a strong vision for Catholic education grounded in faith, service and a commitment to every child. As Principal today, I feel a deep responsibility to continue that vision and ensure that the values on which our school was founded remain at the heart of who we are and all that we do. Thank you to staff, students and families for working in partnership to achieve this.

Tell Them From Me Survey Results

We greatly appreciate the input provided through parents' participation in the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) survey last term. Responses provide valuable insights that help inform our planning and ongoing school improvement. We have recently received the survey results, and I am pleased to share that they reflect positive feedback about many aspects of our school community. In all domains, parents' responses were higher than the Tell Them From Me norm:

• Parents feel welcome

• Parents are informed

• School supports learning

• School supports positive behaviour

• Safety at school

• Inclusive school

The open-ended responses also reflected extremely positive sentiments, highlighting the confidence and trust that parents have in our school, as well as areas for future consideration. Common threads for future focus include assembly and award structures, play areas, the length of the school newsletter and optional homework for Stage 3 students. An immediate response to this feedback has included changing the assembly structure for Semester Two. Additional feedback will be considered and communicated through this newsletter.

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:

• Teachers began the first round of Term 3 Collaborative Planning Cycles last week. Our focus continues to be on Writing with emphasis on high impact strategies and Observation & Feedback Cycles 

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:

11 August 2026

Principal Professional Learning (Half Day)

Mrs Duffin

12 August 2026

Collaborative Planning Cycles

Mr Matthews, Mrs Rogers, Mrs Fursey, Miss Boyd Skinner

13 August 2026

Collaborative Planning Cycles

Mrs Kallinikos, Mrs Greenwood, Mrs Matthews, Mrs Clarkson

Mrs Hoile, Mrs Page, Mrs Walls, Miss Boyd-Skinner

14 August 2026

Principal and Assistant Principal Network Day

Mrs Duffin & Mr Aguilera

19 August 2026

System Wide Strategic Professional Learning Day

Mrs Duffin, Miss Boyd Skinner, Mrs Smith, Mrs Clarkson

20 August 2026

Religious Education Coordinator Network Meeting

Mr Walker

School Assemblies

Assemblies will be held in the hall from 2pm. All are welcome!

14 August 2026 (Week 4) - Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2. 

Celebration of Learning - Year 2

21 August 2026 (Week 5) - Years 3-6.

Celebration of Learning - Year 5

Parents will continue to be notified via Compass each Monday if their child is receiving an award at assembly.

Kaylene Duffin

Principal

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Principal Awards

Our Principal's awards are presented to students.

From Semester Two we will move to separate fortnightly assemblies:  

• K–2 (even weeks)

• Years 3–6 (odd weeks)

The following students from K-2 will will receive their Principal Awards at our school assembly, Friday 14 August 2026 (Week 4).

The following students from 3-6 will will receive their Principal Awards at our school assembly, Friday 21 August 2026 (Week 5).

How does my child receive a Principal's Award?

When students have received five awards from any combination of the following categories: Blue Merit, End of Term, Spelling Bee (1st , 2nd 3rd), Stage 3 Public Speaking (1st , 2nd 3rd), Stage 3 Diocesan Christmas Art Story (top three in Yr 5 & Yr 6) and St Francis of Assisi, they submit them to the school office to be recorded and become eligible to receive a Principal’s Award at the school assembly. Upon receiving their fourth Principal’s Award, students are presented with a Principal’s Medallion at a school assembly.

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