Term 1 Week 2
Principal
Dear Families and Friends of St Joseph’s,
Welcome back to school following the summer break. It was a little longer this year and I can imagine that our students are keen to get back to their friends and begin in their new classes. I know that I am very excited to be solely focused on St Joseph’s and am looking forward to working with our students, staff and families to continue to improve out school.
There were a couple of changes to staffing during the summer break and we welcome new staff to our school in 2025. The following list was sent out to you this morning in a Compass message, and I have included the other staff as a way of introducing you to the people who will be working at St Joseph’s from the start of 2025.
Kinder | Teachers | Mrs Riddiford (Primary Coordinator), Mrs Hook and Mrs Khatker |
| Learning Support | Mr Darmody and Mrs Smedley |
Year 1 | Teachers | Ms Hunter and Ms Nolan |
| Learning Support | Mrs Schmitzer and Mrs Reid |
Year 2 | Teachers | Mrs Nies and Ms Wholert |
| Learning Support | Mrs Clarke and Ms Tunstall |
Year 3 | Teachers | Mrs Amidy, Mrs Knowles and Mrs Redman |
| Learning Support | Mrs Crellin and Mrs Bennett |
Year 4 | Teachers | Mrs Burke, Mr Hunt (Religious Education Coordinator) and Mrs Clark |
| Learning Support | Ms Curtis and Mrs Tunstall |
Year 5 | Teachers | Mr Edwards, Mrs Jones and Mrs Radburn |
| Learning Support | Ms Morrissey |
Year 6 | Teachers | Mr Breen and Mr Bramble (Mrs Young back in Term 2) |
| Learning Support | Ms Morrissey and Ms Langdon |
There are many other staff at St Joseph’s and some that you will probably get to know along the way. Mrs Wall is our Assistant Principal, Mrs Grady teaches in the Learning Hub and Mrs O’Dwyer in the Creative Arts space. We also have Mrs Stricker and Mrs Aliberti as Learning Support Teachers and Mrs Cooling as our English as an Additional Language or Dialect teacher. Mrs French, Mrs Slater, Mr Ferguson and Mr Mitchell are employed as Aboriginal Education Workers and Mr Ryan and Mr Lingham are employed as Pastoral Care Workers.
Our front office staff include Mrs Smith and Mrs Schilt. We have additional administration roles including Mrs Mackenzie in the Learning Hub (Library), and Mrs Lambert and Mrs Trembath working in supportive roles. Mrs Brown is in the canteen.
With over 45 staff, St Joseph’s is well resourced and ready to achieve our school goals for 2025!
STRATEGIC PLANNING GOALS
Strategic planning within Catholic schools in the Maitland Newcastle Diocese focuses on 3 areas – Catholic Identity, Learning & Wellbeing. These are the areas that we use the feedback from our community to set goals and strategies that will ensure that St Joseph’s continues to improve. In all areas of the 2025 School Improvement Plan, we are focusing on developing a culture of feedback between all stakeholders.
Catholic Identity
Ensuring that the heart of Jesus Christ is reflected and evident through the Josephite Charism in the Catholic life of the school.
Learning
Implementing school-wide feedback practices as we develop a culture of feedback across the school.
Wellbeing
Capturing data to inform whole school PB4L focus and implement wellbeing support programs to meet student needs.
St Joseph’s has a proud tradition of strong relationships between our staff and families, and we are looking forward to building on this relationship throughout 2025 across the areas of our strategic planning. Our Leadership Team will partner with me in each of the areas. Mr Hunt in Catholic Identity, Mrs Wall in Learning and Mrs Riddiford in Wellbeing. In this newsletter, they will unpack some of our plans to achieve our targets for 2025.
Wishing your families a peaceful start during the return to school period.
Yours sincerely,
Brooke Stephens
PS. We are so proud of Mrs Clark and Ms Bonsor, who both received their Proficient Teacher Accreditation Certificates from the National Education Standards Authority as we returned to school. Both teachers have been working hard since they graduated to meet the required standards for teachers. This involved providing evidence of their work to ensure a high level of competence and confidence in their professional practice. We are so proud of both Mrs Clark and Ms Bonsor and send special wishes to Mrs Bonsor for the best of starts in her new school.
Assistant Principal
Dear St. Joseph’s Families,
Welcome to 2025! I would like to extend a warm welcome back to our students and families. Our leadership team has been hard at work developing our strategic agenda and we are eagerly anticipating an exciting year ahead. This year promises to be filled with new opportunities for learning, growth, and community connection. We encourage you to stay engaged with our school’s activities and initiatives throughout the year, as your involvement makes a significant impact on our students' educational experience.
As Assistant Principal, my role is to work closely alongside our Principal and Leadership Team to drive the school's strategic agenda, focusing on initiatives that improve student learning outcomes and enhance the overall educational experience for all students. This year, my role will focus on fostering a culture of feedback, where students and teachers feel supported and encouraged to provide and receive constructive feedback. I will also be working closely with teachers to support their professional learning through coaching and mentoring, helping them to develop their skills and expertise to deliver high-quality education. Additionally, I will be overseeing student behaviour and attendance, working to create a positive and inclusive school environment that promotes social, emotional, and academic growth. I am committed to supporting the entire school community and look forward to working with you all throughout the year. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I wish you and your family a wonderful year ahead and look forward to seeing the amazing things our students will achieve.
Kind regards,
Kia May Wall
Religious Education Coordinator
After a well-deserved Christmas break, we now step into 2025 with a renewed sense of purpose and excitement for the year ahead. As we embark on a new school year, we do so with a shared commitment to nurturing the faith and learning of our students. Our school continues to be a place where Christ’s love is not only taught but lived daily through our relationships, prayer, and service. Together, we strive to create a community where every student feels valued, supported, and encouraged to grow in faith and knowledge.
We remain dedicated to our School Improvement Plan (SIP) goal: Founded in the person of Jesus Christ and our School Charism, our vision and mission shape the real and lived experience of our Catholic school culture.
Last year, we deepened our understanding of what it means to be a St Joseph’s school, working closely with staff, students, and families. This year, we look forward to strengthening these connections by inviting further feedback from families and our parish as we continue growing together in faith.
A key focus in Religious Education this year is our response to the Jubilee Year 2025, embracing Pope Francis’ call to be Pilgrims of Hope. This theme is also reflected in Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle’s 2025 vision: One Call. One Mission. Pilgrims of Hope.
We are also excited to introduce the new Year 4 Religious Education curriculum, designed to deepen students' engagement through the encounter pedagogy and using real-world faith experiences. Through prayer, service, and formation, we continue our mission to ensure that Christ’s love is lived and witnessed in our school community each day.
Anthony Hunt
Religious Education Coordinator
Primary Coordinator
Welcome to new and existing families,
I am Loretta Riddiford and I have the role of Primary Coordinator (PC) at St Joseph’s Taree.
I am part of the school leadership team and my role here is to support and collaborate effectively with the school leaders to improve student outcomes in learning and wellbeing.
My role includes working with teachers through coaching and modelling to build consistent and effective learning environments for all students.
My PC role includes leading in Wellbeing, which encompasses PB4L—positive behaviour for learning. PB4L, in a nutshell, is a framework that promotes and specifically teaches behaviour expectations based on our core school values. In each newsletter, I will include some information about our PB4L ethos and the areas we will be focusing our teaching on. I look forward to sharing information with our whole community through this platform.
Loretta Riddiford
Primary Coordinator