Principal's Page
Dear Parents and Friends,
This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. This feast is celebrated on the final Sunday of the liturgical year and is a powerful and significant feast that acts as a glorious conclusion to one chapter, and an anticipation of the next, Advent.
To fully understand the Christ The King title, we must contrast Christ’s kingship with the kingship of this world. Unlike earthly rulers who rule through power, authority and often displays of wealth, Christ reigns from the Cross with his crown made of thorns.
This image challenges our conventional ideas of leadership. Christ is the King who:
Serves: He came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
Loves: His rule is based entirely on sacrificial, boundless love, not coercion or fear.
Witnesses to Truth: As he told Pilate, his Kingdom is "not of this world," but is a Kingdom of truth, justice, grace, and peace.
Our Call to Action
As we celebrate Christ the King, we are invited to ask ourselves: Where do I allow Christ to reign in my life?
His Kingdom is not a place, but a state of being, a rule that must be established in our hearts, our homes, and most importantly for this context - within our St Joseph’s school community. Following Christ as King means:
Choosing Service Over Self: Actively looking for ways to serve the needs of others, especially the poor and marginalised, reflecting the nature of our King.
Seeking Justice and Peace: Working to embody His values in our interactions, standing for what is right, and bringing reconciliation where there is conflict.
Bearing Witness to Truth: Living with integrity and honesty, ensuring our words and actions align with the Gospel message.
The Feast of Christ the King is a timely reminder that while the powers of this world will fade, Christ’s reign is eternal. Let us surrender our individual ‘kingdoms’, our desires for control, self-interest, and worldly success, and instead, strive to build His Kingdom of Love and Peace right here, today.
Family Parish Mass
Each term we encourage our families to attend our Parish Community at Mass with a special Family Parish Mass. This will be held on Sunday at 8.30am as celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. We thank our Choir and Mr Aguilera and Miss Boyd-skinner for their music ministry.
STEM Achievements
I am very proud of the recent success our Year 5 students have achieved in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) competitions. Our approach to STEM this year has involved entries into the National STEM Mad competition and NSW NRMA Transport Challenge. These competitions have aligned with the Science and Technology Key Learning Area and focused on developing essential skills, problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, and collaborative design.
Our NRMA Transport Challenge Team - Lewis, Connor & Edwin, competed against 127 state wide entries achieving a top three finish, later progressing to the Grand Final in Homebush where they successfully secured first place for their innovative project, tackling issues with the accessibility of charging stations for EVs in remote and rural areas.
Our STEM Mad National finalists, Lewis, Oliver, Taj and Jordan represented our school in Adelaide on Tuesday whilst Connor, Ashby, Noah and Hayden pitched their STEM Mad winning projects virtually. All the students who participated in this National Final presented their projects with passion and confidence. The future is looking brighter in the hands of these dynamic young minds!
I extend gratitude to the Year 5 teaching team and Mrs Pirie for their foresight, innovation and unwavering commitment to students' STEM learning this year.
Kindergarten 2026
Yesterday's Kindergarten Orientation Day successfully completed our Transition to School Program for our 2026 Kindergarten cohort. This program's primary purpose is to smooth the transition for students, staff, and families. Allowing the children to familiarise themselves with the environment and meet their classmates reduces anxiety and promotes early confidence, whilst building the strong home-school partnership necessary for student success.
We are grateful to all involved in this Program and we are looking so forward to 2026!
Formation of Classes for 2026
All requests regarding a child’s placement in classes for 2026 should be in writing and addressed to the Principal by Friday, 21 November. After this date, classes will be formed and changes will not be possible.
Whilst parental requests are considered, there is never a guarantee that they will be granted. Please be aware that there may be circumstances surrounding requests that prevent them from being granted.
2025 Annual Improvement Plan
Goal: Students will be challenged in their learning, to ensure continual growth and achievement.
Progress Update:
Years 4-6 Learning Walk - This Learning Walk evidenced engaged learning in all classrooms with students being able to explain What they were learning, why that learning is important, how they are going with the learning and how they could improve. Students used Learning Intentions, Success Criteria and Worked Examples within English and Religion lessons.
Place Value Assessment Test (PVAT) - We have successfully completed the second administration of the PVAT for students in Years 2–6, with Year 1 students undertaking the Pre-PVAT. Kindergarten students completed the baseline Pre-PVAT assessment this week.
The preliminary data analysis indicates significant growth in student achievement, which serves as powerful evidence of the efficacy of the professional learning undertaken by staff and the focused engagement of our students. All PVAT data is centrally stored within our school-wide data management system for ongoing pedagogical analysis and targeted instructional planning.
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:
12 November 2025 - Maths Curriculum Day
Mrs Smith & Mrs Clarkson
17 & 18 November 2025 - STEM Mad Competition
Mrs Smith & Mrs Pirie
21 November 2025 - Principal’s Network Meeting
Mrs Duffin & Mr Aguilera
School Assemblies
Our next whole school assembly will be held tomorrow, Friday 21 November at 2pm. All are welcome!
Kaylene Duffin
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 21 November (Week 4).
| Year 2 | |
| Harriet V | 2nd |
| Saskia H | 2nd |
| Year 3 | |
| Isabella N | 4th |
| Ellen H | 4th |
| Max P | 3rd |
| Jude H | 3rd |
| Year 4 | |
| Scarlett C | 4th |
| Year 5 | |
| Louie B | 6th |
| Mia R | 6th |
| Jennifer D | 2nd & 3rd |
| Eloise B | 5th |
| Flynn B | 4th |
| Year 6 | |
| Keon W | 6th |
| Noah D | 7th |
| Zoe C | 3rd |
| Abigail C | 7th |
| Arielle C | 3rd |
| Harper M | 6th |
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.
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
