Term 3 Week 3

Principal's message

Dear Parents and Carers,

It was great to have a week of Cultural experiences in classrooms last week and to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2025 at our NAIDOC Assembly on Friday. As part of the assembly, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students from across the school received Deadly Awards for being a positive role model, academic success, holistic wellbeing including personal pride, resilience and contributing to their community. We were proud to present the 2025 Deadly Awards to the following students:

It was also great to have Mr Mark Mowbray speak with students and families during the assembly about scholarship opportunities for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students to attend a boarding school during their high school years. This year, one of our students, Cooper Lovelock, put in his application and is going through the process to determine whether he is successful. We are all hoping that Cooper fulfils his dream to go to boarding school as one step closer towards achieving his goals in life. Mr Mowbray left some information at the school for any family interested in making contact with him about this fabulous opportunity for our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students.

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Little Joey's 

At the end of last week, we welcomed around twenty Kinder 2026 students to the Little Joey's Transition to School program on Thursday and Friday. Staff have been creating the space for a while now and planning some wonderful experiences for the children. We are excited that we have this opportunity to build on the Successful Foundations to school transition plan and to get to know our new students through play. The Kinder 2026 students have the opportunity to get to know one another, our staff and the school environment. I have included some photos below for you to enjoy the happy faces of these children. If you are aware of any families who have not yet put their applications in for enrolment in Kinder 2026, please encourage them to do this as soon as possible.

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Federal Government Funding model for Schools

Recently there has been much public discussion around the Australian Government's model of funding schools. Catholic Schools NSW have put together some data to explain how government funding for non-government schools—such as Catholic and Independent schools— supports your right to choose the best educational environment for your child while also reducing costs for Australian taxpayers.

Using the most recent data, the report outlines how funding these schools through a mixed education model reduces pressure on public education resources, with savings of up to $6.88 billion annually. The report highlights how school choice benefits families and the broader community alike.

To read more, find the report here: Money invested, Money Saved - July 2025 - Adobe cloud storage.

Staff Professional learning

Next week, Mrs Wall and I are attending training in a pedagogical approach called Talk for Writing. We are exploring options to support the oral language development of our students and the connections between talking and writing. 

Mrs Riddiford will represent our school at the Positive Behaviour for Learning Network meeting in Newcastle, showcasing the work of the St Joseph's staff in our PB4L review. This is a great opportunity and a wonderful celebration of our work led by Mrs Riddiford over the last 18 months.

The following week, 8 of our staff are attending Rock & Water training. This program is grounded in student wellbeing and will teach students how to 'stand strong' when they need to or 'let things wash over them' when it is appropriate. The program aims to decrease bullying and depressive feelings, increase self-esteem, self-regulation and social acceptance through building self-confidence, self-respect and self-reflection. We are excited to see where we take this program for the students at St Joseph's.

School Uniform Review

This Tuesday 5th August, from 3:15 - 4:00pm, the staff and parents who put their hand up to be part of a series of 4-6 meetings to review the St Joseph's Taree school uniform. Our aim is to simplify the options, while making sure we are meeting the needs of the students and their families, as well as the Diocesan policy on uniforms. I look forward to seeing our team at this first meeting where we will familiarise ourselves with the current available options and determine our pathway for the review.

FREE online parent webinars

Parents and carers are the most important educators in their child’s life. To assist you in this important role, a list of upcoming webinars provided by reputable providers, free of charge, has been compiled and is available on the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s Catholic Schools webpage.

A snapshot of Term 3 webinars is included below. More information about these webinars, including links to register, can be found on the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s Catholic Schools webpage www.mn.catholic.edu.au/our-community/supporting-parents-and-carers/upcoming-parent-and-carer-information-sessions/ Please note, the webpage will be updated regularly with news of additional webinars and you can visit the site at any time.  

I have attended webinars with some of these providers previously and left wishing that all staff and parents had had participated. They are truly worth looking at and the good thing is that you don't have to leave your home to join in!

Yours sincerely,

Brooke Stephens

Assistant Principal Report

ICAS Assessments Begin Today 

Today, our students commenced the ICAS assessments for 2025. ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) is a series of online assessments designed to challenge students in a range of subject areas such as English, Mathematics, Writing, and Digital Technologies. These assessments allow students to apply their learning in new contexts, think critically, and showcase their skills on an international stage. 

We are delighted with the number of students who have chosen to participate this year. It is wonderful to see so many of our students embracing this opportunity to challenge themselves and shine. We are proud of their enthusiasm and effort, and we look forward to continuing to grow these opportunities in the future, supporting every student to achieve their personal best. 

We wish all of our students the very best of luck as they undertake their assessments over the coming weeks. Your encouragement and support at home play a vital role in helping them approach these challenges with confidence and a positive mindset. 

Online Safety and Parent Controls  

In today’s digital world, ensuring the online safety of our children has never been more important. As primary school students become more confident using devices and exploring the internet, it is essential that we work together to create safe online environments for them to learn, play, and connect. 

Parental controls are an effective way to help manage what your child can access online, reduce exposure to inappropriate content, and set healthy boundaries for screen time. We also encourage all families to regularly review and update their parental control settings and to have open conversations with their children about responsible and respectful online behaviour.  

For more information and advice on setting up parental controls, please visit the eSafety Commissioner’s website: 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/parental-controls 

Religious Education Coordinator

Sacrament of Confirmation

On Sunday, we gathered as a parish community to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with some of our students. It was a joyful occasion as they were strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and affirmed their commitment to grow in faith. We are proud of each student who prepared so thoughtfully for this step in their faith journey, and we thank Fr. Kevin and the families for their support. 

We were also blessed to have Fr. Kevin visit during the week to speak with the students. His wisdom, warmth and encouragement helped deepen the students' understanding of the Holy Spirit and what it means to live out their faith each day.

A heartfelt thank you to the students in the RCIC program who had already received their Confirmation at Baptism, and attended in support of their peers. Your presence and encouragement were truly appreciated.

May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and strengthen our newly confirmed students in all they do.

Messages of Hope for the Manning

Over the past week, we have felt a strong sense of support from across the Diocese as our community continues to recover from the recent floods. One special initiative was the creation of a flipbook titled Messages of Hope for the Manning, filled with thoughtful and encouraging words from students across our diocesan schools. This beautiful gesture reminded us that we are not alone and that hope continues to grow when we stand together. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Liturgy

We invite families to join us this Friday at 2:15pm for our St Mary of the Cross MacKillop liturgy in the school hall. As Australia’s first saint and a woman of deep faith and compassion, Mary MacKillop continues to inspire us to ‘never see a need without doing something about it.’

Thank you to our Year 6 students and teachers who have prepared and will lead this special liturgy. We look forward to coming together in prayer and reflection.

Our NEW Vision and Mission

We are pleased to share that Bishop Michael has officially ratified our school’s new Vision and Mission. This marks an exciting step forward as we begin to embed these guiding statements into our daily life at St Joseph’s. They reflect who we are and what we value as a Catholic school community, and we look forward to seeing them come to life in our classrooms, liturgies and relationships.

Primary Coordinator Report

Primary Coordinator Report 

As you may be aware our school has been utilising the PIVOT platform to survey our 3-6 students around their sense of wellbeing. We have been using this as a staff to get further insight into how our students are feeling, whether they feel safe and supported in the school environment and if they look forward to coming to school. Unfortunately, we have just learned that CSMN has withdrawn the funding that allowed us to access this application. We are disappointed, but we will investigate ways that we can collect this type of information through other avenues. 

Please don’t forget to utilize the parenting information on our school website- 

Home Page SchoolTV | St Joseph's Primary School - Taree 

Our new PB4L behaviour matrix is still in the process of being edited by the leadership team and we will soon be taking it back to the whole staff. We look forward to introducing it to the student and parent community in the middle of this term. The Leadership team feel excited at the prospect of having a document that the whole staff have had a voice in shaping and that will provide our students with a simplified set of behaviour expectations.  

This fortnight’s focus will be on using friendly language. After looking through our data, there have been a few issues of students using unfriendly language towards one another at break times.  We will focus on the positive ways we can speak to one another in all our interactions, from greetings to apologising if we have made a mistake with friends. 

Loretta Riddiford 

Primary Coordinator 

Sports News

Wishing Our Athletes the Best at the Diocesan Athletics Carnival! 

We would like to extend our best wishes to all the students representing our school at the upcoming Diocesan Athletics Carnival on Wednesday, 6 August. 

This is a wonderful opportunity for our athletes to showcase their hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship on a larger stage. We are incredibly proud of each student who has qualified to compete and know they will represent our school with pride and enthusiasm. 

Whether you're running, jumping, throwing, or cheering from the sidelines, we know you’ll give it your best and support one another every step of the way. Enjoy the experience, do your best, and most importantly—have fun! 

Go team! 

Yours in Sport 

Tarnya Jones  

Sport Coordinator 

3 – 6 Pedagogical Mentor Report

Purposeful Planning at Joeys – Backwards Design in Action 
This term, our teachers are continuing to focus on designing high-quality learning experiences using the Backwards Design model. This approach begins with the end in mind—teachers first identify the key knowledge, skills, and understandings students should develop by the end of a unit. 

From there, they create meaningful assessments and plan engaging, targeted lessons that support students in reaching those goals. By working backwards from clear outcomes, we ensure that every learning activity is purposeful and aligned to student success. 

This model not only strengthens our teaching practice but also helps us better meet the diverse needs of our learners—ensuring that every student is supported on their learning journey. 

The Power of Feedback at Joeys 

This term, we are continuing to place a strong focus on feedback as a vital part of our teaching and learning approach. At Joeys, we believe that meaningful feedback—when it’s timely, specific, and constructive—has the power to significantly enhance student learning, confidence, and engagement. 

Our feedback culture is built on three key pathways: 

🔹 Teacher to Student 
Our teachers provide regular, targeted feedback to help students understand what they are doing well and where they can improve. This feedback supports students in setting personal learning goals and developing a clear understanding of how to take the next step in their learning journey. Whether it's written comments, verbal guidance, or one-on-one conferencing, this kind of feedback is essential for growth and success. 

🔹 Student to Student 
Students are also learning how to give and receive peer feedback in respectful, thoughtful ways. Engaging in this process helps build critical thinking and communication skills while fostering a sense of responsibility and collaboration within the classroom. When students support each other’s learning, it creates a more connected and empowered learning environment. 

🔹 Student to Teacher 
We value student voice. By encouraging students to reflect on their learning and share their thoughts, teachers can gain valuable insights into what’s working and what might need adjusting. This two-way feedback loop helps us better tailor our teaching to meet the needs, interests, and learning styles of all students. 

By embracing feedback in all directions—teacher to student, student to student, and student to teacher—we are building a classroom culture that values reflection, supports improvement, and nurtures a growth mindset. Our goal is to create learning experiences that are responsive, relevant, and deeply meaningful for every student. 

Tarnya Jones 

3 – 6 Pedagogical Mentor 

Gifted Education Mentor

The CBCANSW Hunter Region Young Writers Story Competition opens today (August 4th) for students aged 10–12.

• Theme: Adventure
• Word Limit: 500 words
• Entries: Max 2 per school
• Closes: September 12th, 2025
• Prizes: $25–$50 book vouchers + illustration for 1st place
• Entry Fee: Free for CBCA members | $20 per school for non-members

Full details, including formatting and submission guidelines, can be found HERE

Awards

Good for Kids Good for Life