It is wonderful to see the children running around with big smiles on their faces happy to be back at school, and for our new Kindergarten students also smiling as they get to know all the new and fun things that happen at St Joseph’s.  Students like their parents have mixed emotions about returning to school after a big break.  It can take a little while to get back into the swing of school – up early, packing lunches etc so go gently!

Remaining positive is key, remember children are quick to pick up and copy negative vibes or if parents are anxious about the new school year children will be very aware of this.  Reassuring your child/ren that everything is OK and that they will settle into the routine is a great way to ensure a positive outlook towards school and a great way to start the year.  Open communication between parents and teachers can make such a difference, so if you have any concerns at all about your child and how they are settling in, please touch base with them.

The St Joseph’s Community Council is currently planning a ‘meet and greet’, and will be inviting all parents to come along to learn the role of the community council and the support it provides to the school and meet the current representatives.  We will let you know a confirmed date very soon.

Each year St Joseph’s has goals and plans in place to ensure that we are continually improving and using our evidence to guide our practice.

In 2021 our Annual Improvement Plan has three goals:

K-2 students have begun the Initial Lit program, which is a Literacy Program that Catholic Education is implementing across the Archdiocese.  The program is a research based program that comes from Macquarie University, and uses current strategies and direct and explicit instruction.  Yr 1 and Yr 2 students completed a screener at the end of last year and this data pin points where the students need to begin their Initial Lit journey.  Children are grouped according to their level of need, and these groups are not fixed and as the children go through the program there is flexibility to change these groupings.  The program uses decodable texts which allows children to be explicitly taught to read and to use strategies that will help them decode the text.  More information regarding the Initial Lit program will be discussed in the next couple of weeks at our Information Sessions.

Have a great week.

Kirsty Beavan

Principal