Community
10 March, 2026
Students skid to halfway point of term at St Joseph’s
Principal Mary Hogan said the first half of term had been a vibrant and inspiring start to the year at St Joseph’s, filled with learning, faith, community spirit and plenty of fun."
IT’S been a busy first few weeks for the staff and students at St Joseph’s Primary School in Charlton.
Principal Mary Hogan said the first half of term had been a vibrant and inspiring start to the year at St Joseph’s, filled with learning, faith, community spirit and plenty of fun."
She said the opening school mass “set a beautiful tone for the rest of the year ahead” by mirroring the Diocesan theme of ‘peace’.
The school unveiled the “Wings of Peace,” creatively designed and created by the students.
These stunning wings symbolise the shared commitment to being peace-makers in our school and wider community.
After two weeks of practice through this year’s swimming program, students put their new skills to the test at the swimming carnival.
Run each day for two weeks, students enjoyed learning different strokes thanks to “enthusiastic and capable” staff like Emily Lanyon.
“The swimming program was so much fun, I loved it,” one student, Puna, said.
“We practised water safety and I went in the deep end.
“I can’t lie, I think everyone loved it.”
Ms Hogan said all staff were proud of their student’s efforts.
“It was wonderful to see the improvement in confidence, skill and water safety awareness across all year levels,” she said.
Everyone cheered from the sidelines as students showed off their strokes at the swimming carnival, where the Nemo team were the overall winners.
As part of the school’s committment to student wellbeing, staff and students Safer Internet Day through an Inform and Empower program. Students participated in important learning experiences focused on staying safe online, being responsible digital citizens and knowing how to seek help when needed.
“At St Joseph’s, we are deeply committed to child safety — both offline and online. We continue to work with families to ensure our students are informed, empowered and protected in the digital world,” Mrs Hogan said.
Students also participated in the Australian Red Cross Pillowcase Project, learning valuable lessons about preparedness, helping others and community resilience. Students decided what they would need to put in their special pillowcases in the case of an emergency and worked with Red Cross volunteers.
They couldn’t forget sharing a pancake or two for Shrove Tuesday before gathering for Ash Wednesday mass.
“We are excited for the rest of the term as we continue learning, growing and choosing peace together,” Mrs Hogan said.
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