Principal's Page

Dear Parents and Friends,

As Term 3 comes to a close, I want to extend a sincere thank you to our entire school community—our staff, students, parents, and parish. Your unwavering support ensures that we are able to work together for the faith, learning, and wellbeing of our students every day.

Term 3 is always a fantastic term, and it was a wonderful way to finish it off with our School Spring Fete last weekend. A huge thank you goes to our dedicated Fete coordinators, Renee Asgill and Shaye Beck, the entire Fete committee, and all the parents who contributed tirelessly throughout the planning process, and with setting up, running stalls, and packing up on the day. Your efforts created a true sense of community and connection.

I would also like to thank our incredible staff who supported and attended the fete, with a special mention to our office ladies, Mrs. Gallagher,  Mrs. Riley, and Mrs. Malys, for all their hard work and support. The funds raised from the Fete will go a long way in supporting our school and are very much appreciated.

We look forward to what Term 4 brings, as it is always a beautiful time of year with end-of-year celebrations, Colour Run, Grandparents Day, Mission Week, Advent, and our Christmas concert. These events provide us with continued opportunities for growth in faith, learning, and wellbeing.

On behalf of Mrs. Duffin and the entire staff, we wish you a safe pupil vacation period. As a reminder, school resumes on Tuesday 14 October. Please note that Monday 13 October, is a Staff Development Day (Pupil Free Day) with a focus on PDHPE.

Here are some photos from our school fete. 

Start of Term 4 Staffing Changes (KM, 2J & 6J)

I'd like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to three of our wonderful teachers, Miss Sally O'Donoghue (6J), Miss Madeline Negus (KM), and Miss Taylor Gemmill (2J), who will all be getting married during the upcoming pupil vacation period. We wish them and their partners all the very best for their special days and a future filled with happiness.

Following their weddings, they'll be taking some well-deserved time off to celebrate and enjoy their honeymoons. Below are the dates for their leave and the names of the teachers who will be stepping in to cover their classes:

• Miss Sally O'Donoghue (6J): Will be on leave from Week 1 to Week 4 (13 October to 7 November). During this time, Mr. Patrick Lantry will be teaching 6J.

• Miss Madeline Negus (KM): Will be on leave from Week 1 to Week 2 (13 October to 24 October). Mrs. Lili Carter will be teaching KM in her absence.

• Miss Taylor Gemmill (2J): Will be on leave from Week 1 to Week 2 (13 October to 24 October). Mrs. Rachelle Hoile will be teaching 2J.

We are confident that this transition will be smooth and that the students will continue to thrive under the guidance of these experienced and caring teachers.

Innovate for Impact STEM Competition

On Tuesday 23 November, nine students from Year 5 proudly represented our school at the Innovate for Impact STEM competition day at the Innovation Campus in Wollongong.

Jordan, Taj, Oliver, Luca, Ashby, Conor, Lewis, Hayden, and Noah represented our school with their innovative ideas and extensive work using the design process. Their projects were incredibly well-designed and varied, showcasing their creativity and problem-solving skills.

• A Kinetic bike that would help with the energy crisis. 

• A hydro pump that would not only clean water but also generate energy. 

• A hearing aid cover that allows people to keep their hearing aids in place while playing a variety of sporting games and events.

While all teams did incredibly well, the Healthy Hearing team won a place at the iAccelerate workshop in October to work on their pitch for industry-level development. This is a "Shark Tank"-like program that will help the students get their design out to investors and developers. We are very excited for these students and proud of all the students who represented our school at the event.

A huge thank you to Mrs. Pirie and the Year 5 teachers for their tireless support in mentoring and guiding our students throughout this process.

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. Professional learning undertaken by our staff over the past fortnight includes:

15 September 2025 - Science Professional Learning Day

Mrs Pirie

17 September 2025 - Tom Sherrington - Coaching with WalkThrus

Ms Boyd-Skinner 

22 September 2025 - PDHPE Professional Learning Day (Syllabus Working Party)

Mrs Mitchell

School Assemblies

Our next whole school assembly will be held tomorrow, Friday 26 September at 2pm.  All are welcome!

Miguel Aguilera

Acting Principal, 

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Principal Awards

Our Principal's awards are presented to students fortnightly on the even week.  

The following students will receive their Principal's Awards at our whole school assembly, tomorrow, Friday 26 September 2025 (Week 10).

How does my child receive a Principal's Award?

Class teachers nominate students for Blue Merit Awards which are presented at the weekly assembly.  When five Blue Merit Awards have been received, students send them to the school office to be recorded and are then eligible for a Principal’s Award. When students attain their 4th Principal Award, they are awarded a Principal’s Medallion at an assembly. End of Term awards can be included as part of the 5 awards.  Please see the "School Handbook" for a full list of eligible awards.

End of Term Awards

The following student will be presented their End of Term 3 Achievement Awards tomorrow, Friday 26 September 2025 (Term 3 Week 10). Parents of students receiving End of Term Awards are welcome to join the assembly.

Academic Achievement Awards

Habits of Mind Awards

Mary of the Cross 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