Welcome to St Joseph’s School’s website.

Learning the things that count … makes  the heart of our school !

These words are from the St Joseph's Primary School song and sum up the philosophy of learning and teaching here. This is our work and the most important thing for which we stand… helping every child who is part of this community to grow their progress, achievement and wellbeing so that they may become everything that God created them to be.

So what are the things that count at St Joseph's?

Part of that answer comes from the values we take on from the Good Samaritan Sisters who founded the school in 1925. Directly from the parable of the Good Samaritan there is a strong feeling of hospitality as soon as you enter the school. Learning to help my neighbour, reaching out to those in need, helps develop in our learners a strong sense of justice and peace. Learning to be respectful of others and in our use of resources develops our learners as stewards of all creation. Together these values help us to build a strong sense community where we can celebrate in faith that we all belong.  Building on a strong tradition of Education with Virtue (School Motto), from enrolment to graduation, students here experience a broad range of educational opportunities that are aimed at preparing them for life.

This approach to learning reflects our honouring of the whole child. While the core business of our school is learning and teaching, we appreciate that this happens best when the child's wellbeing is considered as a vital part of learning. Because of this, we work closely with families, in partnership with community organisations and as part of a larger system of schools, to ensure we create the conditions for all to succeed. This school has a proud reputation for its inclusive approach to education, embracing and catering for the needs of its diverse learners. These needs are the starting point of all planning, pedagogy and professional development of staff. Making learning visible is key in the school's pedagogical approach with a special focus on developing the dispositions of a learner which include using creativity; communicating effectively; taking risks in learning; showing resilience and reflecting on progress to plan  next steps forward.

These are exciting times to be in education yet never has the educational agenda been so complex. As the family has much to compete with in forming the values of children, the Catholic school needs to be ever-attentive to these same competing demands of today's society. Additionally, the Australian Curriculum, the call for transparency in student standards and the introduction of professional standards for Queensland teachers and principals set the current context for schooling and it is within this framework that St Joseph's is firmly placed. As our Vision Statement says....

We are a Catholic Learning community, committed to :

You are invited to gain a snapshot of life at our school through your perusal of this website but more importantly, if you seek an education for your child where gospel values are central and best educational practice is pursued, come and meet us. We look forward to welcoming you. 

Michelle Young
Principal

©BCE, St Joseph's Primary (2020)​​