School Life
Catholic Identity
St Joseph’s Primary School was founded under the guidance and direction of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. The Sisters of St Joseph have a strong tradition and lasting educational legacy Australia-wide. At St Joseph’s Culcairn we are aware of our history and continue to build on these traditions of Faith.
Our school, along with all schools in the Diocese of Wagga Wagga, use the Educational Curriculum Document “Sharing Our Story”. It is the core resource from which we teach. Our school celebrates major Feast Days, recognises key times of the Liturgical calendar and reflects important ecumenical activities.
School Masses
A very important part of our school life is when we celebrate mass together. Classes take responsibility and students have leadership roles in the Mass. It is very important for students to have parents attend school masses. I invite you to attend for yourself, but I also invite you to attend for your child.
At St Joseph’s Primary School we have Religious Education classes daily. We welcome and respect students of other religions and we expect them to participate in our Religious Education lessons. Within each person we aim to engender a deep respect for themselves and for others through their relationship with Jesus.
Sacramental Programmes
We conduct Parish based Sacramental programmes. The Sacraments are conducted every year with Confirmation being held in even years. Students in Year 3 are invited to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the sacrament of Eucharist. Students in Years 5/6 will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2024.
A School/Parish Mass is held on the third Sunday of each month (except during School Holidays) with school students taking leading roles in the Liturgy.
Learning
At St Joseph's, our focus is on the education of the whole child
The school provides an educational program based on and taught in accordance with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) syllabuses for Primary Education. The Key Learning Areas (KLA’s) are English, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Human Society and its Environment, Creative Arts and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education. Each KLA is delivered as required for Registration and Accreditation under the Education Act 1990 (NSW) and school’s implement the Religious Education Syllabus requirements for the Catholic Education Diocese of Wagga Wagga.
The school provides the opportunity for children to participate in a wide range of activities that enhance the educational experience for them. Included in these are the opportunity to participate in the University of NSW Tests for Maths, Science, Computing, Spelling and Reading. In Stage 1, children have access to the Reading Recovery programme, with one on one mentoring to help those who are yet to master reading. Identification of vulnerable students throughout the school were exposed in the Extending Mathematics Understanding initiative, which included small group intervention for those deemed to have the higher needs in mathematics.
The Extending Mathematical Understanding (EMU) program continued throughout the diocese. This program enabled the school to engage a Maths Focus teacher for two days a week. As a means of tracking student development in Mathematics, the Mathematics Assessment Interview was utilised throughout the school. This assessment tool provides specific information about the knowledge that each student has of various concepts in numeracy.
Royal Far West continued their partnership with CEDWW as a result students benefit from online weekly speech pathology or Occupational Therapy with Telecare.
In today’s modern world, children need to clearly understand the purpose of learning in order to connect it to their daily lives. Staff at St Joseph’s believe that teaching children to be responsible, effective, lifelong learners is more important than memorising facts and figures.
Staff encourage all children to interact with modern technology, using the resources that are freely available, to support an inquiry based model of learning. In this model, the journey of learning and the questioning that goes with it, is often more important than the final destination.
Aligned with this inquiry based model is a desire on behalf of the staff to ensure that the children are well grounded in the basic skills that are needed to function in a modern society. Support is provided at all levels to ensure that children can and do achieve at the highest level possible.
The school prides itself on delivering to students, programmes that meet their individual learning needs and goals through differentiated lessons.
At St Joseph's, our focus is on the education of the whole child
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Student Wellbeing
”Our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active: only by this can we be certain that we are children of the truth” (John 3:18-19)
St Joseph’s Primary School has a comprehensive Pastoral Care Policy. This policy is about how we expect to be treated in our school.
Pastoral Care is also about identifying how all students can succeed in our school.
Our policy states how we keep all at our school safe
The following headings identify the content of our Pastoral Care Policy.
- Wellbeing – Restorative Practices
- Behaviour Management Programme
- School Routines
- Bullying
- Bus Travel
- Uniforms
- Excursions
- Student Health
- Students who leave school grounds
SCHOOL WELLBEING PRACTITIONER
A qualified school Wellbeing Practitioner is made available to the school in order to work with our students and their families, and visits the school on a regular basis.
NORM SETTING
The beginning of the school year is a time for NORM setting in all classes of St Joseph’s Primary School. Early in Term 1 teachers spend extensive time identifying and establishing NORMS of behaviour in their classroom. This is an important time as behaviour is measured against these NORMS for the remainder of the year.
We have also established NORMS at a whole school level.
We spend time identifying and working with our whole school NORMS.
Behaviour in general is measured against our whole school NORMS.
Behaviour which recognizes and responds to our school and classroom NORMS is referred to as appropriate behaviour.
Behaviour which goes against these NORMS at our school and in our classrooms is considered inappropriate behaviour.
Both decisions have consequences.
Get Involved
At St Joseph’s Primary School, parents are encouraged to maintain an open line of communication with their child’s teacher. Any concerns that parents have should be addressed promptly through appropriate communication with their child’s teacher.
It is important that:
- concerns are documented and dealt with effectively
- necessary follow up action is clearly recorded by the teacher
- action taken is appropriately communicated to the parent
School Councils are legally established through constitutions approved by the Diocesan Catholic Education Commission according to guidelines and policies issued by that body on behalf of the Bishop.
The School Advisory Council of St Joseph’s Primary School is made up of both elected and nominated members, with the Parish Priest and the Principal automatically members of the School Advisory Council.
Our School Advisory Council exists to support the Principal across a wide spectrum of school issues and it is an important forum for parents to communicate ideas. The School Advisory Council provides both financial support and a contact point for all families with the school. Additionally, the Council has the task of managing the physical resources of the school and assisting with policy development.
We value greatly the help given to our students through the School Advisory Council. Our school has a long tradition of tremendous parental support and involvement. If you want to be involved with your child’s education and to know what is happening in our school, please come to the School Advisory Council meetings.
The school tuckshop operates on QKR App and every Friday during lunchtime only. It is run on a voluntary basis by parents with volunteer parents acting as managers.
Our values are an important part of our community of learners
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Faith
St Joseph’s Primary School is a community of learners where children, parents and staff
are witnesses to the Catholic faith.
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Community
As a community of learners, parents are acknowledged and supported in their role as prime
educators. We exist in, and are interdependent upon, our local and wider community.
03
Balance
As a community of learners we promote the balanced development of the whole person.
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Opportunities
As leaders of a community of learners, we strive for personal excellence, equality of
opportunity and justice for all.
01
Faith
St Joseph’s Primary School is a community of learners where children, parents and staff
are witnesses to the Catholic faith.
02
Community
As a community of learners, parents are acknowledged and supported in their role as prime
educators. We exist in, and are interdependent upon, our local and wider community.
03
Balance
As a community of learners we promote the balanced development of the whole person.
04
Opportunities
As leaders of a community of learners, we strive for personal excellence, equality of
opportunity and justice for all.
