From the Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and Students

OUTSTANDING NAPLAN RESULTS 

Congratulations to the Year 7 and 9 students who undertook the NAPLAN tests in May this year. As a College we encouraged the students to give these tests their best possible effort so that we could use the accurate data gathered to inform our future teaching and learning activities. Demonstrating Endeavour and aspiring for excellence in all activities is an integral part of the Joey’s Way and something that we want all members of the St Joseph’s College community to exhibit. St Joseph’s College is pleased to share that our data highlights the student’s efforts in aspiring for excellence.

Highlights of our students results include.

Both Year 7 and 9 cohorts achieved above the national mean in all domains (reading, writing, numeracy, spelling and grammar and punctuation). 

The College strategic goal of being 3% above the national mean was achieved or exceeded in the areas of Year 7 Reading, Writing, Numeracy, Grammar and Punctuation and Year 9 Reading and Grammar and Punctuation.

The Year 9 students achieved continual growth from Year 7 to Year 9 in Reading, Writing, Numeracy and Grammar and Punctuation.

These impressive results show that St Joseph’s College has value added across these years of testing in Reading, Writing, Numeracy and Grammar and Punctuation. They are a testament to the outstanding instructional teaching and support provided by staff; the application and hard work of our students, and the success of the literacy improvement program introduced this year. Individual student results will be distributed in the coming weeks.

Congratulations and well done, Year 7 and 9 students and staff!

With these great achievements and the other wonderful efforts of the students over the year in mind, we now turn our attention to ensuring that we capitalise on this momentum. Specifically, we want to finish Term Three strongly, refresh over the break and then return for Term Four rejuvenated and keen to get on with our learning. Ensuring that we don’t fall into the trap of the Term Four slow down and easing into the Christmas break.

In order to foster, this spirit of continuing the school year well I have provided a few helpful tips that I hope our parents, carers and students will find helpful.

1.  Be intentional about nurturing belongingness.

If a student feels welcomed, valued, trusted and respected there is a high chance that this positivity will enhance the student’s sense of belonging at school. Recent studies show that there is a high correlation between a student’s approach to school, their approach to learning and their sense of belonging. This is the focus of the Joey’s Way framework and our Joey’s Way classes each morning. We encourage our parents to support the students in making it to school on time each morning so that they can actively engage with Joey’s Way classes. 

2.  Model and engender attributes of respect, compassion and dignity.

There are some things that simply cannot be told, but are taught, felt and learnt by example and empowerment. Among these are the vital attributes that allow us to get along with others, such as compassion, dignity and respect. By coaching our students at home and at school about how to care for others, treat others and regard others, we allow students to develop bonds with their peers and the College. These bonds are closely linked to developing not only their sense of belongingness but also a student’s sense of empathy and willingness to lead through service and be assisted in their learning by their peers and teachers.

3.  Champion a Growth Mindset.

Our students need encouragement (from someone that they trust) to demonstrate endeavour and aspire for excellence. They need to understand that participating and persevering (and sometimes not succeeding) is of higher importance than not striving for your best. To dare to be brave and strive for your best elevates personal growth and eventually our students will see this as being more valuable than the risk of disappointment when they do not succeed at first.

4.  Let your child lead.

As students become exposed to a myriad of situations and a greater diversity of personalities, they need to learn how to master themselves. This includes developing self-control, self-discipline, self-regulation and self-awareness. Where learning is required guide your child through social stories and invite them to suggest alternative ways that the situation could have been played out. Allowing our students to lead their own self-discovery empowers them to work through the challenges independently.

5.  Explain to your child that it is important at times to just breathe.

The number one antidote for anxiety and stress is controlled breathing: even one good, deep breath helps. To just breathe is a conscious reminder of an involuntary function. To breathe deeply on purpose injects a boost of oxygen to the brain and vital organs, relaxes muscle tension that impacts our posture and sense of well-being, and takes the brain off high alert to enable clearer thinking.in the moment to make the most of each moment.

I hope that these few tips are helpful in assisting with engaging your student for the remainder of the year.

Kort Goodman - Principal