Principal's Report

At St Joseph’s our primary focus is for every child to flourish. To continue providing the high-quality education and supportive environment your children deserve, we must maintain a strong financial foundation capable of adapting to increasing costs across many areas of our school operations, as well as a changing broader education sector funding environment. 

Careful cost management and how we set school fees are central to meeting these challenges. Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has analysed other Catholic school systems, sought information from over 50 of our schools, and gathered input from economic experts assessing our current fee model - where families pay the same flat tuition fee no matter how many children they have enrolled - against alternatives. 

With a tiered family fee model, the total fee a family pays is adjusted according to how many children they have enrolled at the school.

Transitioning to tiered family fees has the following benefits:

• Fairness – It ensures that school fees are distributed more equitably across families, with each child’s enrolment contributing to the resources and opportunities they receive.
• Sustainability – It allows the school to continue meeting rising costs and to invest in high-quality programs, staffing, and facilities for all students.

• Consistency – It is in line with the common practice across most Catholic schools, which helps provide clarity and transparency for families. This model is proven and currently already used by many MACS schools.

   

What a tiered family fee means for families at our school

Our school will be moving to tiered family fees beginning in the 2026 school year.

This will mean that your family will pay more depending on the number of children you have enrolled, but the increase of the adjustment for family size is designed to be manageable.

The tiered family fee structure for the 2026 school year will be:

Our commitment to supporting you

A decision to adjust tuition fees is never made lightly, nor without careful and thorough consideration of our students’ needs and our school’s capacity to provide an excellent education experience.  We are also cognisant of the financial pressures that many families have experienced this year.   

We are committed to supporting you through this transition. Please be assured that all existing arrangements and discounts for families holding valid cards (including Health Care Card) will continue and we will work compassionately with any family experiencing financial difficulty.

We are here to answer any questions you may have, and I warmly invite you to contact me directly to discuss your family's specific circumstances.

As Term Three draws to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on what has been a truly vibrant and inspiring few months at St Joseph’s.

One of the highlights of the term was our major school production, Step into the Spotlight. After weeks of dedication, rehearsals, and creative learning, our students took to the stage last Thursday night—and what a performance it was! Across two evening sessions, our talented students performed courageously and confidently in front of more than 600 family members and friends. They truly shone under the lights, and it was a joy to see their hard work pay off.

A heartfelt thank you to Ellen, Natasha, and Zoe for coordinating this spectacular event on behalf of the school, and to Tim Newcombe, Principal of Marymede, for so generously opening up his incredible performance space for us to use.

Beyond the stage, our students have been actively representing St Joseph’s in a range of extracurricular opportunities this term. From athletics and basketball to the Manchester City Football Program and the Fuse Cup esports competition, our students have continued to show commitment, sportsmanship, and school pride.

We also extend our sincere thanks to our Parents and Friends Association for organising the Father’s Day Dinner—an amazing community event that was both well-attended and deeply appreciated by all. It’s always a privilege to see our families coming together to celebrate and connect.

Last week, our Senior Leadership Team attended the MACS Flourishing Learning Conference, reaffirming our commitment to nurturing growing minds and building futures filled with purpose. At the core of our system-wide approach to teaching and learning is a consistent, evidence-informed model—guided by the MACS Vision for Instruction and Vision for Engagement. These frameworks support our teachers in delivering best-practice instruction and ensure all students benefit from a learning environment that promotes academic growth, positive behaviour, and holistic development.

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce that from 2026, St Joseph’s will introduce a new leadership structure. This will include two Deputy Principals:

• Deputy Principal – Logistics, Excellence and Culture, and

• Deputy Principal – Engagement. We believe this new structure will strengthen our leadership capacity and better support our school’s growth and direction into the future.

   

Wishing all of our families a safe, restful, and joyful holiday break. We look forward to seeing you in Term Four for the exciting conclusion of our school year.

Julie McDougall

(Principal)