Principal's Report

Dear Parents, Carers and Community Members,

Welcome to Term 3. I hope all families had a restful and refreshing break. We begin this term with a renewed focus on our mission to nurture each child’s faith, learning and wellbeing. We continue building a community where every student can thrive - not just survive.

Faith, Learning and Wellbeing

Our St Joseph’s school community continues to live out the values of our faith through active service. Recently, we were honoured to receive letters of appreciation from both the Glen Innes St Vincent de Paul Conference and the NSW State Council President of the St Vincent de Paul Society, recognising our substantial donations of food and funds to support local families in need. We also received a Certificate of Appreciation from Caritas Australia for our involvement in Project Compassion. These acknowledgements reflect the generous spirit and shared commitment of our students, staff and families. Acts of service like these teach our young people life-giving values: empathy, compassion, and the importance of contributing to the world around them. These letters can be viewed in the Project Compassion & St Vinnies page of this newsletter. 

I’d also like to thank and recognise Sam, Lara and Jimmy who represented St Joseph’s with pride and reverence at the 75th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemorative Service last Sunday. Their respectful participation in this solemn occasion is another example of our students engaging meaningfully in the life of our wider community.

At St Joseph’s, we are committed to academic growth and excellence for all students. Our 2025 NAPLAN results are a testament to the hard work of students and the skill of our educators in creating purposeful, differentiated learning. Some key highlights include:

• Year 3: 74% of students achieved Strong or Exceeding proficiency in Writing and 69% in Numeracy.
• Year 5: 67% of students achieved Strong or Exceeding proficiency in both Reading and Writing, and 61% in Numeracy.

These results reflect not only strong instruction and support but also the resilience, focus and effort of our learners.

Finally, we acknowledge and congratulate:

Charlotte, who proudly represented our school, the Armidale Diocese and Polding at the NSWPSSA Cross Country Championships - a remarkable achievement.

Harley, who was awarded Highly Commended at the UNESAP Let’s Hang It! Art Competition last Friday evening. This is a fantastic recognition of artistic creativity and talent.

Aboriginal Education Assistant 

We are delighted to welcome Nioka Levy to our school as Aboriginal Education Assistant. Nioka joins us from St Mary of the Angels, Guyra and will be working each Monday to Wednesday. She brings a strong passion for Aboriginal language and culture and is currently studying a Certificate II in Aboriginal Languages. This is an exciting development for our school, as the position has not been filled for many years. We look forward to the positive impact Nioka will have on our students and community.

As we move into the term ahead, may we continue to support one another, celebrate each child’s gifts and remain focused on helping every student grow in faith, learning and wellbeing.

May God bless you and your family.

Casey Chard

Principal