Term 1 - Week 1 PWU
Principal's Weekly Update
Dear Parents, Carers and Families
Welcome to 2025!
I would like to extend a warm welcome to the St Joseph’s community to all of our new students and families. To our returning families, it is great to see you all again and I am looking forward to a big 2025. I thank all families for their continued support and trusting us with your child’s education. I take my role as teacher and principal very seriously and strive to do my best for your children, our students every day. I can genuinely say, that even after 37 years in education (36 in Catholic education), I am still excited to come to school/work every day. I love the joy that it brings, the uniqueness of every day and the complex challenges as we strive to grow and develop young people who will eventually go out into the world to make a positive difference.
2025 promises to an exciting and big year for St Joseph’s with our new Strategic Plan and initiatives, that our dedicated and talented staff are working hard on, that will put St Joseph’s on the path to being the primary school of choice not just in Cairns but in Far North Queensland and beyond. I look forward to sharing some of that in coming newsletters.
Finally, I would like to introduce our new staff:
Lindsay Baker – Teacher Yr 1
Stacey Edmonds - Teacher Yr 1
Briony Langler - Teacher Yr 2
Jenna Anning – Learning Teacher Assistant
Katharine Hanna (returning from leave) - part-time Diversity Teacher
With Christ, We Live, Love and Learn
James Roberts
Principal
Highlights of the Week
First Day of School - 2025
On Wednesday morning we welcomed our returning and our new families to the school. We're so excited for the year to come!
Upcoming Events
School Photos - Wednesday 05 February
Our School Photo Days is next Wednesday, 05 February.
Please ensure your children arrive at school in their full formal uniform. If you child has H.P.E on this day, please send their sports uniform to school in their bag.
All students received their order forms during class today. If your child has not get received their form, please contact the front office.
Volunteer Induction
This on-line training course and quiz is designed for parents and other adults who wish to undertake volunteer activities in our schools. It is part of our commitment to provide safe school communities.
If you wish to volunteer in your child's class or class activities, please complete the Volunteer Induction by clicking the link below.
St Joseph’s Communication Protocols
St Joseph’s recognises and respects the right of staff to disconnect from work and not respond to work-related communications outside designated hours. Protocols have been developed and are intended to meet the requirements and support compliance of the Catholic Employers Single Enterprise Collective Agreement – Diocesan Schools Queensland 2023-2026 (Agreement). The protocols apply to all forms of electronic communication originating from the employer, other staff, parents / carers, students or other members of the school community, including emails, texts, telephone calls, messages, video calls or sending or reviewing other messages.
Implications - Response times for communication
Employing authorities have an expectation that staff replies to electronic communication from the employer, students, parents, colleagues or others will occur within the hours of 7.30am and 4.30pm on school days and no later than the close of the following school day ~4.30pm.
Where contact is made by the employer, students, parents, colleagues or others outside the span of hours outlined above, employees will respond by the close of the following school day (4.30pm) of the employee’s next designated working day.
As usual, if the matter is urgent and requires an immediate response, please contact the school office directly by phone 4038 5100 or email secretary.parramatta@cns.catholic.edu.au .
Upcoming Sporting Opportunities
