Principals' Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we near the end of another successful term, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our students, especially those in Year 3 and 5, who recently completed their NAPLAN assessments. We understand that NAPLAN can sometimes feel daunting, but our students approached it with a positive mindset and gave their very best effort, and for that, we are incredibly proud of them.
NAPLAN is just one form of assessment that we use to monitor student progress and guide our teaching. While the results, which will be available later this year, provide valuable insights, they are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding each child’s growth and development. We look forward to receiving the results and using the data to further support each child’s learning as we continue to celebrate their individual strengths and achievements across all areas of learning.
We also want to extend our sincere thanks to our teachers for their unwavering support and guidance throughout the process, and to our parents for encouraging their children to always strive for their best. Your ongoing partnership is invaluable in supporting our students' in their learning journeys.
Science & Engineering Challenge
Recently, our Year 6 students had an amazing time at the Science and Engineering Challenge which was held at the TRECC. Their teamwork was outstanding as they engaged in a range of engineering problems and hands-on science experiments.
At the conclusion of the day, the students were awarded first place, which is an awesome achievement and highlights their outstanding efforts on the day. Congratulations Year 6 on your enthusiastic participation and for representing our school so well. We are extremely proud of you. Well done!
Halogen Young Leaders Day
Last week, Mrs Holland and our School Captains, Vice-Captains and Sports Captains attended the 2026 Halogen Young Leaders Day in Sydney. The Young Leaders Day is always a wonderful experience for the student leaders from St Joseph's as they look to develop their own leadership capacity. Our leaders had the opportunity to learn from some outstanding leaders that included: Catherine Laga'aia, Jessica Yates, Nick Hudson and Jacqui Bell. They had a fantastic time and it has been great to hear about the day as they shared their highlights with us. Please read their recount on the following page.
ACS Response to Hate Speech
Our school is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for all students, staff and members of the school community. In accordance with the ACS Living Well Learning Well Student Support Framework, ACS Suspension and Expulsion Policies and Procedures and the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Codes of Conduct, Hate Speech is strictly prohibited.
For all Armidale Catholic Schools, Hate Speech is defined as conduct that is an offence under section 93ZAA of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).
Any incident of Hate Speech will be treated as a serious breach of ACS policies. Where such conduct places the safety, wellbeing or learning of others at risk, or causes significant harm, a significant response must be undertaken. For students, this may include suspension or expulsion in line with ACS and school procedures.
The Principal will ensure that procedural fairness is applied in all matters and that appropriate supports are provided to those affected, as well as interventions to address and prevent further incidents.
This statement reflects our commitment to upholding dignity, respect and the safety of every member of our school community.
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As this is the last newsletter for the term, we would like to acknowledge our wonderful St Joseph's community for your wonderful efforts in all areas of school life this term. Also, we would like to wish all the students, parents, carers and staff a happy and holy Easter season and a safe, enjoyable school holiday break. We look forward to seeing you back at school on Monday 20th April to commence Term 2.
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