Principal's Report

The St Joseph's School Advisory Council (SAC) held its Annual General Meeting on Monday evening. In addition to viewing and providing feedback about the 2025 Annual Improvement Plan (AIP) and receiving a report about the ongoing success of our high-impact academic and positive wellbeing programs, the SAC reaffirmed its collective commitment to our valued advisory body and elected its new Office Bearers for 2025.

Chairperson - Matt Pope

Co-Secretaries - Nicole Watson and Sara Clark

Ex-Officio - Father Thaddeus Ike & Geoff McManus

Staff members - Jackie Barratt & Frances Parsons

Members - Michelle Hancock, Nicole Watson & Sara Clark.

Thank you to these generous people for their willingness to volunteer and make an important and active contribution to our great school. Thank you also to Sara Clark who newly joins the Council after long-term member Moira Munro made the difficult decision to stand down.

On behalf of the St Joseph’s School community, I offer public thanks and appreciation to outgoing member - Moira Munro who has served our catholic education community humbly for close to 45 years. Her wisdom and generosity have served us admirably and she now takes a well-deserved respite to now serve her beautiful family spread around the countryside! Thank you, Moira!

It is my great pleasure to announce the School Captains for 2025. After a period of reflection by the Year 5 candidates and subsequent speeches to the whole school or their House group, the following captains have been elected and affirmed by their peers and the staff.

School Captains

Macie Watson

Matthew Pietsch

Sports Captains

FITZROY                    MACKILLOP                     PENOLA

Claire Bailey              Lara Newberry                  Sophia Nugent

Angus Falconer       Sam Barratt                        Jimmy Chard

Class speeches and elections were also held for SRC members in 2025.

Student Representative Council members

Year 1 - Baxter Gray

Year 2 - McKenzi Jones

Year 3 - Isla Grob

Year 4 - Matilda Schalk

Year 5 - Phoebe Newberry

Year 6 - Joshua Pietsch

As some may remember at the end of 2022, the St Joseph’s School Advisory Council, Father Gleeson and myself decided NOT to raise the school fees for 2023. As a necessary governance move the fees were raised by 4% in 2024 by the overarching governance body of all schools in the Armidale Diocese, the Armidale Catholic Schools Board. As we move forward into 2025, this body has sensitively and wisely advised all schools to raise their fees by a factor of 3.5%.

In making this decision, the Board Directors were cognisant that:

• there are persistent and potentially growing cost-of-living pressures on families
• most schools have not increased their fees for a number of years
• schools also have cost-of-living pressures and must also maintain quality learning resources and environments

As a school that strongly endeavours to ensure that families get value for money from their fees, St Joseph’s School Glen Innes routinely covers the costs of entry/nomination fees, bus transport, minor excursion fees, Community Day, and live performance visits to the school. Consequently, we believe that families get great value by maintaining the upkeep and regular payment of their school fees. Even with the 3.5% increase the total cost to families works out at less than $40 per week or, put even more simply, less than a cup of coffee per day (ie.  $5.33/day). If the fees do become an issue for your family budget please make sure you make a confidential appointment to see me and we will be able to negotiate a sustainable payment plan.

It is my pleasure to announce the 2025 Stage teams of skilful helpful adults who will be working with our wonderful children next year.

Kinder - Miss McShane and Mrs Webel

Stage 1 - Mrs Hogan, Mrs Kent, Mrs Smith and Mr Webel

Stage 2 - Mrs Little, Mrs Parsons,  Mrs Barratt and Mrs Tarrant

Stage 3 - Ms McMeniman, Miss Condrick, Miss Marshall and Mrs Fletcher

Relief from Face-to-Face (RFF) teachers - Mr Withers, Mrs Smith, Mrs Adams, Mrs Core

Library - Mrs Adams

Music/Choir - Mrs Core

Inclusion Support Teacher - Mrs Gannon

MaST Project teacher - Ms McMeniman

While I realise Christmas and Easter bring more opportunities to access sugary treats, I ask all families NOT to send Candy Canes as ‘gifts’ to their children’s peers over the next couple of weeks. Being so cheap and with so many children cheerfully gifting them to each other, the high proliferation of Candy Canes is not to be encouraged. Thank you for your consideration.

Similarly, while children are required to bring joggers to wear on the new Multipurpose Court, all students are required to wear black school shoes every day from Monday to Thursday please.

Term 4 is traditionally busy and involves many and varied opportunities to both continue our mantra for our children of “testing yourself at the next level” as well as providing suitable closure and graduation opportunities for the academic year and those who are taking the next steps in their life journey. Please keep a keen eye on COMPASS notifications.

Important whole community events are:

Presentation Day at the Town Hall - December 11 from 12 noon.

Family Carols Night on the Lawn - December 13 from 5.30 pm.

End of Year Mass at St Patrick’s Church - December 16 at 9.30 am.

Year 6 Retreat Luncheon and Gingerbread Assembly - December 17 (time TBC).

Until next time.

May God go with you.

Geoff McManus

Principal