Choosing the right education for your child is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. As parents, carers, or grandparents you have a choice – and the right – to offer your child the best education available.
The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle proudly hosts some of the best schools in Newcastle, Maitland, the Hunter and Upper Hunter, Lake Macquarie and Manning regions.
Catholic schools offer a unique educational experience that forms the child as a person of integrity, compassion, faith and wisdom. Catholic schools also work closely with their local parish to enhance in students a capacity to make sense of their world, to make judgments and to recognise the uniqueness of others within a faith community.
Each school has a supportive community of teachers, parents, carers, P&F committees, clergy, parishioners, and support staff working together to focus on students; encouraging success, promoting discipline, supporting creativity and instilling compassion. It means Catholic schools don’t just teach religious studies, they seek to develop spirit, mind, body and character and cultivate Gospel values that support lives filled with joy, endeavour and hope in the future.
St Joseph’s has a commitment to focusing on each individual child’s ability, offering a unique array of educational, creative, sporting and formation opportunities for students.
Finally, Catholic schools offer peace of mind to parents; knowing they’ve made the right choice and the best investment for their child’s future. It is because of this and the many opportunities available to students that we believe a Catholic education is the right choice.
At St Joseph’s Primary School, Taree we provide:
Flexible Learning Environments
St Joseph’s Primary School, Taree, is committed to providing a flexible learning environment that is appealing and engaging to teachers and students. The contemporary learning approach St Joseph’s uses is personalised and responds to the needs, interests and experiences of all students. Learning with technology has also become a central focus in our school. Students have access to interactive Smart Boards, the latest computer technology, and are encouraged to bring their own devices to class lessons. Flexible indoor and outdoor spaces have been implemented in our infant classes to meet the needs of contemporary learners allowing our students to grow in a 21st-century environment.
The flexible learning environments are designed to be multidisciplinary and provide communal spaces that can be configured in a number of ways for specific experiences, allowing for collaboration and personalised learning. Students are given the opportunity to work in a space that is comfortable and suitable to their own learning needs. At St Joseph’s, we also understand the importance of play-based learning in developing social skills and personal development for our younger students. Our outdoor environments offer unlimited possibilities for creative play and learning, where students can express themselves and use their imagination. The use of natural features in an open-ended environment such as a mud kitchen, water wall, sandpit, bridge, shop front and music space allow children to learn together, self-regulate and connect to nature.
Cultural Diversity
St Joseph’s is a unique school community that celebrates and appreciates the cultural diversity of its students. We are a multicultural community with 25 different cultural backgrounds including Anglo-Australian, Aboriginal, Indian, Chinese and Filipino. As a school, we acknowledge and celebrate our diversity through teaching and learning and significant events such as Harmony Day and NAIDOC week.
We maintain strong links between the school and the indigenous members of the local community, the Biripi people. Programs that foster a deeper understanding of Aboriginal culture support these links. St Joseph’s has three Aboriginal education workers liaising closely with parents, carers and teaching staff to ensure all Aboriginal students are supported academically, spiritually and emotionally. We are committed to ensuring Aboriginal students are well supported in all learning areas, in their culture and identity and that respectful relationships are nurtured between the Aboriginal community and the school.
Our EALD teacher also works with students, parents, carers and staff to ensure students with English as a second language are able to succeed throughout their education.
Creative Arts
CAPA is a curriculum area recognised as a strength at St Joseph’s. All students have the opportunity to develop, explore and express their creative abilities and potential through music, dance and drama. Our school values and understands the importance of nurturing and embracing students’ skills and interests in performing arts. We encourage participation in this key learning area and provide a diverse school music program. Students have the opportunity to join the school band with strings, brass or wind instruments, the recorder group, dance club, drama club or sing in our school choir.
Each year, St Joseph’s is represented in the Taree District Eisteddfod in choir, drama, speech and poem recitation. All children are encouraged to participate to showcase their skills and talents.
Sporting Prowess
St Joseph’s offers a range of sports across internal and external programs including rugby league, rugby union, netball, basketball, swimming, athletics, cross-country, touch football, cricket, soccer and futsal.
As a school, we are very proud of the fact that in recent years we have been victorious in a variety of state, regional, diocesan and Polding competitions in a number of team sports. Notable individual achievements include selection in prominent teams and recognition for individual-based sports such as PSSA All Schools.
Students have the opportunity to participate in sport gala days, Knights Knockout, Buderus Sevens, Newcastle Knights All Schools carnival, League of Legends Shield, NSW Catholic Primary Schools basketball challenge, Netball State Cup, Paul Kelly Cup and Futsal state event.
Environmental Education
St Joseph’s is an environmentally friendly school that strives to increase student connection with respect for and awareness of nature. Through our kitchen garden program, storage of rainwater, use of solar panels and our policies to reduce our impact, students are encouraged each day to become environmentally responsive.
Our Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program is an educational facility that integrates learning across the curriculum. Students in Stage 2 have the opportunity to learn valuable skills in maintaining several garden beds where they grow, harvest, care for and prepare vegetables and fresh herbs. The produce supplied goes to the school canteen to be used daily in children’s lunches. We have recently renovated our chook pen where six chickens are nesting to lay eggs for the canteen. The children have the opportunity to interact with the chickens and learn how to look after them by feeding them daily with scraps from the canteen.