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| Greg Whitby enjoying a class at Mary Immaculate Primary, Quakers Hill |
To coincide with Catholic Schools Week, Executive Director of Schools, Greg Whitby visited St Joseph’s Primary, Schofields and Mary Immaculate Primary, Quakers Hill to meet with students, staff and school leaders this week.
At St Joseph’s Primary, Greg met with teachers, Roslyn Earl and Katie Bates, to get an understanding of the issues and challenges facing teachers.
In the Year 3 classroom, students shared how using iPads supports their learning and discussed the different Apps and how they use them in the classroom.
Greg then met with the school leadership team – Principal Cheryl Brown, Assistant Principal Joanne Delvecchio, Religious Education Coordinator Leanne Farhat and Coordinator of Learning Trevor Atkins – to talk about the work of using data to improve student outcomes and strategies to improve teaching..
Greg said that he was very impressed with the outstanding commitment of teachers and leaders at St Joseph’s.
‘We need to find more support for teachers to enable them to find time and ways to work together, collaborate, plan and analyse the data they’re collecting so they can meet the needs of each students to improve their learning,’ said Greg.
At Mary Immaculate Primary Greg met with Principal Paul Devlin before touring a number of learning spaces. Greg spoke to Year 4 students to ask what they liked best about school and students responded enthusiastically with ‘learning new things’ being the most popular answer.
The students told Greg about the fun they were having with poetry and read some of their recent work.
Moving onto the Year 5 learning space, staff and students showed off the beginnings of a very impressive igloo made out of plastic bottles as part of their learning unit on Antarctica.
Talking to teachers, Greg spent time getting to know them on a personal level and listening to their stories.
Catholic Schools Week provides an opportunity for Catholic schools to showcase what happens every day in our schools and invites the community in to experience teaching and learning at its best.
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| Greg Whitby talks to students at St Joseph's Primary, Schofields |
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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10 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Last Friday was our Big Water Walk. Seeing our community come together, buckets in hand and spirits high was truly inspiring! Together we didn't just walk, we stood in solidarity with those who travel miles every single day just to access clean water. This event was more than just a physical challenge, it was a powerful lesson in understanding the Catholic Social Teaching of Human Dignity. We learned that every person is created in the image of God and deserves the basic necessities of life. Access to clean water is a fundamental human right. When we protect this right, we honour the inherent dignity of our global neighbours. Thank you for your support with this Faith In Action Initiative and your generous donations to Caritas Australia Project Compassion. #faithinactioncspd
06 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Huge congratulations to this week’s Assembly Award Winners! It was wonderful to see so many proud faces in the hall today. These students have gone above and beyond, demonstrating our school values through their hard work, kindness, and dedication to learning. Whether it was mastering a tricky mathematics problem, being a supportive friend on the playground, or showing great resilience in the classroom—we are so proud of you all!
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10 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Last Friday was our Big Water Walk. Seeing our community come together, buckets in hand and spirits high was truly inspiring! Together we didn't just walk, we stood in solidarity with those who travel miles every single day just to access clean water. This event was more than just a physical challenge, it was a powerful lesson in understanding the Catholic Social Teaching of Human Dignity. We learned that every person is created in the image of God and deserves the basic necessities of life. Access to clean water is a fundamental human right. When we protect this right, we honour the inherent dignity of our global neighbours. Thank you for your support with this Faith In Action Initiative and your generous donations to Caritas Australia Project Compassion. #faithinactioncspd
10 Mar 2026
NAPLAN: What Parents Really Need to Know
Each March, families across Australia hear a lot about NAPLAN. The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. But what does it really mean for your child in 2026?
06 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Huge congratulations to this week’s Assembly Award Winners! It was wonderful to see so many proud faces in the hall today. These students have gone above and beyond, demonstrating our school values through their hard work, kindness, and dedication to learning. Whether it was mastering a tricky mathematics problem, being a supportive friend on the playground, or showing great resilience in the classroom—we are so proud of you all!
05 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Our Big Water Walk is tomorrow! Just a gentle reminder for students to wear sports uniform and bring a small bucket! What a phenomenal effort with our fundraising so far! Thank you! There is still time to donate what you can https://www.projectcompassion.org.au/fundraisers/stjosephsprimaryschoolschofields Together we can work for others in our world!
03 Mar 2026
From Facebook
🌟 Catholic Schools Week 🌟 Belong to Something Greater Catholic Schools Week invites us to reflect on what it truly means to belong. Inspired by the Gospel encounter of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:5–42), we are reminded that belonging is not about status or background, but about relationship, invitation and being part of God’s greater story. Our Catholic schools are modern-day wells — places where faith and life meet, where students, staff and families gather with their hopes and questions, and where we grow together in faith, hope and love. At St Joseph’s, belonging means being part of something greater than ourselves — a community committed to dignity, learning and shared purpose. It was a joy to officially begin Catholic Schools Week together as a community. Last Sunday, several of our families joined staff at Mary Immaculate Parish, Quakers Hill for the 9am Mass — a beautiful sign of the strong connection between our school and parish life. We thank our families for their presence, which enriched the celebration and set a prayerful and vibrant tone for the week ahead. Together, we continue to live our motto — Together We Can — and belong to something truly greater. #CatholicSchoolsWeek #BelongToSomethingGreater #TogetherWeCan #StJosephsSchofields
03 Mar 2026
From Facebook
📘✨ NEW & IMPROVED PARENT HANDBOOK – 2026 ✨📘 We are excited to share our newly refreshed Parent Handbook for 2026! Designed with our families in mind, this updated handbook is full of important information, helpful tips, policies and procedures — all in a bright, easy-to-read format. Whether you’re a new family joining St Joseph’s or one of our valued existing parents, this handbook is your go-to guide for the year ahead. 💙 Inside you’ll find: ✔️ Key school information ✔️ Policies and procedures ✔️ Helpful reminders for a smooth school year We are so proud of this updated version and hope it supports our strong partnership between home and school — because Together We Can achieve great things! 📲 Scan the QR code in our enrolment packs or visit the link to access your copy today. #StJosephsSchofields #ParentHandbook2026 #TogetherWeCan #CommunityAndFamilyEngagement
03 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Thank you to our St Joseph's Community for your donations to Caritas Australia so far! There is still time to make a difference...please spread the word and donate what you can to https://www.projectcompassion.org.au/fundraisers/StJosephsPrimarySchoolSchofields Together we can work to help others in our world!!
03 Mar 2026
From Facebook
🌟 Congratulations to Our Award Recipients - Week 5! 🌟 Today at assembly, we proudly celebrated our amazing students who received special awards for the values and effort they show every day at school. We are so proud of each and every one of you! 💛 🏅 Gospel Values Award For students who live out the Gospel values through their actions, showing kindness, respect, compassion, and service to others. 🏅 Quality Work Award For students who demonstrate pride in their learning by producing high-quality work and showing effort, persistence, and a commitment to doing their best. 🏅 Character Strength Award For students who display strong personal character, including resilience, responsibility, integrity, and courage, in their learning and relationships. 👏 Congratulations to all of our award recipients — you are wonderful role models and we are so proud of you! Keep shining and making our school community such a special place. 🌈✨
02 Mar 2026
From Facebook
We’re participating in the Big Water Walk to support Caritas Australia during the Season of Lent. Did you know many school-aged children miss out on their education because they spend their days walking kilometres in search of clean and safe water? St Joseph’s is taking a stand! We want to change this! By joining our Big Water Walk and making donations we are increasing awareness of this issue and helping to provide safe water and a brighter future for students across the globe. Help support our mission and donate what you can- https://www.projectcompassion.org.au/fundraisers/stjosephsprimaryschoolschofields
27 Feb 2026
From Facebook
This Sunday the 1st of March is Clean Up Australia Day, and as a school community, we are reflecting on our call to Care for Our Common Home. 🌏 In the spirit of Laudato Si’, an encyclical letter written by Pope Francis in 2015, we are reminded that our environment is a gift to be cherished and protected. We’re raising awareness this week to encourage everyone to keep our beautiful school and local area clean. Let's work together to keep our "Common Home" beautiful for everyone! 🌏🙏 https://www.cleanup.org.au/clean-up-australia-day/
27 Feb 2026
From Facebook
🌟MARY MACKILLOP AWARD🌟 Congratulations Elena Kavah who is now recieving her award for 2025!🎉 This award is presented to the student who consistently demonstrates the values inspired by Mary MacKillop, especially her guiding principle: “Never see a need without doing something about it.” The nominated student regularly shows: 🌱 Awareness of social justice, by standing up for those who are excluded 🤝 Sensitivity to the needs of others 💛 Active promotion of harmonious relationships within the school community 🌈 Compassion, kindness, and service in daily actions
27 Feb 2026
From Facebook
🌟 Congratulations to Our Award Recipients - Week 5! 🌟 Today at assembly, we proudly celebrated our amazing students who received special awards for the values and effort they show every day at school. We are so proud of each and every one of you! 💛 🏅 Gospel Values Award For students who live out the Gospel values through their actions, showing kindness, respect, compassion, and service to others. 🏅 Quality Work Award For students who demonstrate pride in their learning by producing high-quality work and showing effort, persistence, and a commitment to doing their best. 🏅 Character Strength Award For students who display strong personal character, including resilience, responsibility, integrity, and courage, in their learning and relationships. 👏 Congratulations to all of our award recipients — you are wonderful role models and we are so proud of you! Keep shining and making our school community such a special place. 🌈✨
27 Feb 2026
From Facebook
🕊️ Celebrating Catholic Schools Week 🕊️ Sunday 9am Mass – Sunday 1st March We warmly invite our school community to join us for our Catholic Schools Week Mass this Sunday at 9:00am. 📍 Mary Immaculate Parish Church 125 Barneir Drive, Quakers Hill Important information for families: • Please meet Mrs Watson outside the church at 8:45am so we can gather together and go inside as a group. • Students do not need to wear their school uniform. This will be a beautiful opportunity for our students and families to come together in faith and proudly represent St Joseph’s Primary School as a community. We hope to see many of you there as we celebrate together ✨🙏
27 Feb 2026
From Facebook
✨ St Joseph’s Primary School Schofields – School Tours & Enrolments ✨ We’re excited to invite families to join us for a tour of St Joseph’s Primary School Schofields! 💙 Come and experience our caring Catholic community, where children are supported to learn, grow, and thrive. 👨👩👧👦 Sibling enrolments for 2027 are now open! Scan the QR code on our flyer to complete the enrolment form. 📅 Upcoming Tour Dates: 3rd March 2026 – 9:00am to 10:00am 17th March 2026 – 4:00pm to 5:00pm 24th March 2026 – 5:00pm to 6:00pm 4th August 2026 – 4:00pm to 5:00pm Come and meet our staff, explore our beautiful school, and learn more about how to enrol your child. We can’t wait to welcome your family! 💫 👉 Register for a tour via the link below: https://info.parra.catholic.edu.au/open-day/stjosephsschofields#form-section