Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to school for 2023! I hope your break has been restful and relaxing and you are ready for the year to be dynamic and exciting.

‘Accountability’ 

This year our theme is ‘accountability’. This is to take account of oneself, to be the best you can be, and to take responsibility for your actions. Accountability is different from responsibility as accountability requires evidence. Our young people today hear a lot about being responsible but not about being accountable. Some of the simple things are doing what you will say you will do - if you commit to catching up with someone you do it and do not ditch them for a better offer. What you do online - you are accountable for how you look towards others remembering that in the future it may be looked at by employers for what type of person you are! You are accountable for your learning. Learning is not something that is done ‘to you’ or ‘for you’ - you are accountable for your grades, your effort, and finally your results. Teachers facilitate by providing the curriculum but you are accountable to study and do your best. Sometimes there has to be short-term pain or missing out on things for long-term gains. To acquire bands 5 and 6 when you're in year 12 takes effort - they do not just happen because you are smart. It is hard work doing the study and it all starts in Year 7. 

Welcome to all our new families starting with Joey’s this year. Please be involved with your young person as they move through school. If you have any questions ask their Pastoral and Learning Support Coordinators (PALS) and get them assistance if they need it as early as possible. 

Welcome to our new staff - 

Miss Cristina Curcio - HSIE/ ENG/RE

Mr Gabe Akai - Maths/TAS

Ms Stephanie Powers - PDHPE

Ms Monique Hegarty - TAS

Mr Dimitri Zaris - TAS

Mrs Renee Logan - DLN

Mr Noah Casolin - Marketing Administration

Miss Sabine Abou - Faissal - Maths

Ms Helen Surma - Aboriginal Education Assistant

House System 

This year you will read a lot about the relaunch of Joey’s House system. This is to increase a student's sense of belonging to the community and being accountable to the community by contributing points to their House. This will be across all areas of the school, not just in the sports arena. All community members will be able to contribute points to their House and we are looking to develop a healthy sense of competition between Houses. Watch this space for the details moving forward. 

Uniform 

A reminder to please address uniform issues as soon as possible. In particular skirt length if your child has grown, and making sure that the haircuts are within the guidelines for the school. I would remind parents that on enrolment you all agreed to support the school policies in this area. School is not a ‘pick and choose’ what you do and don’t support; it is a package deal. If you cannot support this then I may suggest that St Joseph's may not be the place that is aligned with your family values. 

Goal Setting

We are asking all members of our community to set some goals for 2023 around their learning. This applies to teachers as well as students. Setting the goal is only the first step - it is then making a plan of how you are going to achieve that goal that is the important part. If you don't know how to achieve it then your second step is finding out what you need to do from a trusted adult or teacher. Goals across all our lives are important. If you ask your parents they may have goals they do at work. Some people in industry have KPIs that they must meet. In some families, there are recycling goals that they commit to or savings for a holiday. This list is endless but please discuss with your child what are going to be their learning goals and help them to find ways to improve their literacy and numeracy in particular. 

Our school goals for teachers in 2023 are

• By the end of 2023, the school reflected a school-wide commitment to the integration of a House System to increase the sense of belonging and engagement in learning. 
• By the end of 2023, data will be used to identify starting points and develop interventions in learning for improvement /growth in literacy/ numeracy and well-being.

These goals are supported by a plan that we as a staff will work through during the year. Parents will be asked to help us review the goals at the end of the year. 

Ms Amanda Wilson

Principal