Principal's Report

Dear Parents, Carers and Community Members,

Catholic Schools Week - 2025

Last week we celebrated Catholic Schools Week, a time to reflect on and give thanks for the unique mission of Catholic education. This year’s theme, ‘Pilgrims of Hope,’ reminded us of our shared commitment to providing a faith-filled and hope-filled future for every student in our care. Highlights of the week included our student-led liturgy, Armidale Catholic Schools Mass attended by our Year 6 students, and tabloid activities that brought students and families together in a joyful celebration.

A special highlight of the week was the acknowledgement of Mrs Karen Fletcher who was the recipient of the 2025 Armidale Catholic Schools Spirit of Catholic Education Award – Support Staff category. Karen’s dedication, kindness, and humility have had a profound impact on our school community. We are incredibly proud of Karen and are grateful for the example she sets each day. 

2025 University of New England School Acquisitive Art Prize

At the end of last week we were also notified that Year 5 student Harley McPhillips  is amongst a group of 60 finalists in the 2025 University of New England School Acquisitive Art Prize. This is an amazing achievement given there were 583 art entries this year from 50 schools! The opening of the 2025 UNESAP Let’s Hang It! The exhibition will be held from 5pm on Friday 25 July 2025 at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale with the prize-giving ceremony commencing at 5.30pm. The exhibition will be on display until Sunday 10 August 2025. This is just another example of how St Joseph’s, Glen Innes provides many opportunities for all young people to excel and thrive. Congratulations Harley!

Semester 1 Reports

As we continue to teach, learn and gather information on each child, teachers are already collaborating on report grades and comments. The reports will be released on Compass in Week 10 this term. There are some important points to consider before reading your child's report.  

The language in the report is consistent with the new guidelines from NESA - Reporting and Using Grades including:

• the full range of grades can be used at any point in time in relation to what has been taught
• the grade reported should reflect student achievement in relation to the syllabus outcomes for the relevant stage of learning
• students in the first year of a stage are not restricted to lower grades
• students do not need to be working beyond the syllabus for their stage to receive a grade A or B.

NESA also advises - when reporting grades before the end of a stage, teachers consider what has been taught up to that point in time to determine the grade that best matches the standards demonstrated so far. For example, a student in Year 3 should not be limited to a C, D or E grade just because they are at the beginning of a stage. Similarly, students do not need to be working beyond the syllabus for their stage to receive a grade A or B.