“I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for He wants us all to be united in one family.” Pope Leo XIV

This message aligns seamlessly with our school's mission to foster a nurturing environment where every member including students, staff, and families feels valued and supported. We strive to build strong family, school and community partnerships with initiatives that encourage collaboration and shared responsibility for student learning. At the end of this term, you will be invited to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss their progress and successes this semester. This is a valuable opportunity to receive feedback on your child’s learning and to engage in meaningful conversations about their goals and progress for the remainder of the year.

International Visitors

Last week St Joseph’s was visited by a group of principals and leaders from the Hamilton Diocese in New Zealand. They visited classrooms to see High Impact Teaching Practices and Explicit Instruction in action. The postive and affirming feedback we received from both the international visitors and also the curriculum team at Catholic Education was a credit to both our wonderful teachers and students.

Carpark safety

We cannot emphasise enough the importance of following our carpark rules to ensure the safety of our children. We continue to have cars parking in the drop off zone of a morning which causes congestion and frustration at the entrance to the carpark. If you need to exit your vehicle for any reason, please park in the parking bays which facilitates smooth running of the carline.

CEO sleepout  

This year Mr Tarrant will be participating in the Vinnies CEO sleepout. On a cold winters night in June, he and many other senior leaders from Catholic Education will spend the night sleeping rough. To assist Mr Tarrant with fundraising for this very important cause, we invite all students to participate in a Pyjama dress up day on Friday 30^th May. Students are invited to wear their pyjamas/Oodies in exchange for a gold coin donation. Please ensure appropriate footwear is worn. Further fundraising initiatives will be shared in the coming weeks!

Donations can be made at:

School photos

Please note that school photos are on Wednesday 28^th May. Students must wear their full winter uniform for this day even if they would normally have PE lessons.

Punctuality/Attendance

We are still seeing a high number of students arriving late to school, missing both our morning gathering and the crucial start of the school day. Just five minutes late each day adds up to the equivalent of three full school days lost over the year. Learning begins the moment students enter the classroom, and even a few minutes missed can mean missing out on important instructions and setting the tone for the day. Punctuality is key to ensuring students start their day settled, connected, and ready to learn. With winter illnesses on the rise, we appreciate parents keeping children at home while they are unwell. We also encourage families to return children to school as soon as they are well enough, to ensure they don’t miss out on valuable learning opportunities.

Have a great end to the week.

Yours in Christ,