Joey's News - Week 3 - Term 3
From the Principal
Dear Parents, Carers and Families,
Holistic growth of children – physical, academic (cognitive), social & emotional and spiritual - is a rarely a nice gentle curve accelerating upwards as they age and mature. Just as physical growth tends to come in spurts – not dissimilar to the curve of a roller coaster - so too other areas of growth will speed up and slow down throughout everyone’s lifetime.
This semester as all schools in the Cairns Diocese transitioned to new reports, all teachers in all schools were also grappling with significant changes with the curriculum as we transitioned from V8.4 to V9 of the Australian Curriculum in some subjects. These changes are mandated from the government.
In the Australian Curriculum, grades from A to E are assigned based on criterion-referenced achievement standards, not on a fixed percentage of students receiving each grade. This means: There is no mandated quota or distribution for how many students should receive an A, B, C, D, or E.
Instead, students are graded according to how well they meet the achievement standards for their year level and subject area.
GRADE | What It Means |
A | Excellent understanding and application of the learning standard |
B | High level of understanding and application |
C | Satisfactory achievement of t expected standard (year-level benchmark) |
D | Partial achievement; some understanding of the standard |
E | Minimal achievement; limited understanding of the standard |
Why It Matters for Parents
- Helps you understand how your child is progressing in relation to curriculum expectations.
- Encourages targeted support where needed, rather than focusing on rankings.
- Promotes fair and transparent reporting across all schools.
To say that D and E grades are failing grades is disingenuous and puts education and academic research back 30 years to a time where the Australian Curriculum had not even been thought of as it does not account for growth over the previous 12 months. Potentially a student with a D or E grade may have achieved more growth than a student who has received an A or B grade as it does not account for previous or future standards of achievement.
As always, data should be used to start a conversation and not end it, hence why I think student growth (as opposed to achievement) is highly underrated. Afterall, most students don’t complete formal schooling until Yr 12, the culmination 13 years of growth, not just one semester.
With Christ, we live, love and learn
James Roberts
Principal
Highlights of the Week
Catholic Education Week Mass
On Thursday, our school captains Lex and Layla attended the Catholic Education Week Mass at St. Monica's Cathedral with Mr Roberts and Mrs Hurney.
FNQ Gala Day
Over two days this week, students in years 4 - 6 were given the opportunity to represent St. Joseph's for gala days for Rugby, Futsal and Cricket. A huge congratulations to all students who participated, especially our Rugby team, who took home the win on Wednesday.
Grandparent's Day
On Friday afternoon we celebrated all the grandparents in our community.
Upcoming Events
Week 4 - Beginning of Plastic Free August | |
Monday 4th August | |
Tuesday 5th August |
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Wednesday 6th August | |
Thursday 7th August | |
Friday 8th August |
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Week 5 - Science Week - Decoding the Universe | |
Monday 11th August | Under 8's Day
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Tuesday 12th August | |
Wednesday 13th August | |
Thursday 14th August | |
Friday 15th August | St Joseph's School Fete - A Family Picnic Evening
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Plastic Free August
This week we start plastic free August, please try to reduce the amount of plastic in children's lunchboxes. One way to do this is to use small containers rather than zip lock bags. We also encourage the use of reusable water bottles as opposed to juice boxes or poppers.
Under 8's Day
Book Week - August 18-22
From the JCC
St Joseph's School Fete - A Family Picnic Evening
This year, instead of our usual full school fete, we’re hosting a Family Picnic Evening – a relaxed night of fun, food, and community on Friday, 15 August from 5–8pm. There’ll be rides for the kids, food vans, and space to unwind together – so bring a picnic rug or chairs and join the fun!
To keep things simple and sustainable, we've made the thoughtful decision to hold the major fete every second year, with more casual events like this picnic in between.
Our fundraising this year focuses on a new school playground, as well as fresh signage and a community mural – exciting projects that will benefit our whole school.
If you'd like to volunteer on the night, please do so via the link below.
Presale Armbands
Presale armbands are available for $45 via the link below:
Second Hand Uniform Shop Open Days
- Friday 8 August (8:00am - 8:45am)
- Monday 18 August (8:00am - 8:45am)
- Friday 5 September (3:00pm - 3:30pm after the Father's Day Assembly)
- Tuesday 16 September (8:00am - 8:45am)
2026 OSHC Re-enrolments and New Enrolments
Sporting and Educational Opportunities
