Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome back to Term Three! It’s been wonderful to see our learners return with such joy and settle back into their school routines with smiles on their faces.

This newsletter is a bittersweet one, as it marks the beginning of my maternity leave. Stefan, Renny and I are excitedly preparing to welcome another little Saccardo, due to arrive in the first week of September. I want to take this moment to sincerely thank the St Joseph’s Kingswood community for embracing me so warmly from the very beginning. Your ongoing support and belief in my leadership have meant the world to me.

Over the past year and a half, we’ve made incredible progress together. I feel truly privileged to work alongside such dedicated, caring, and passionate staff who continue to strive for excellence every day. I’m especially grateful to Jodie and Christine, whose unwavering support, guidance and care — especially throughout my pregnancy — have been a blessing.

While I am thrilled about this new chapter for my family, it is certainly hard to step away from our beautiful community. I look forward to returning and seeing how much our little learners have grown!

Inclusive Education
We’ve recently completed another round of review meetings, and as always, it’s been a pleasure to meet with families and discuss your child’s personalised learning plans. Moving forward, Christine Farrugia will be taking over this role, and all future communication regarding Inclusive Education will come from her. I look forward to hearing about your children’s continued progress when I return.

Additionally, we have completed another round of data collection for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). As mentioned in previous newsletters, this national initiative ensures that students with disability receive the support they need at school. Schools record information about the types of support and adjustments being provided, in line with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, the Disability Standards for Education 2005, and the NCCD guidelines (2019).

STRETCH Program Announcement – Young Engineers After-School STEM Club
We’re excited to announce a new STRETCH initiative starting in Term 4 – the Young Engineers STEM Club, which will be run after school by an external provider.

Open to students from Years 1 to 6 (with limited places available), this hands-on program explores STEM topics including science, engineering, robotics, and programming — all taught through interactive LEGO® models. It’s designed to ignite curiosity and a love for STEM by encouraging students to design, build, and explore engineering principles in a playful and engaging way.

Children will learn about simple machines, circuitry, and motion, while developing valuable skills in collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Each 75-minute session promises a fun and enriching experience. More details, including session days and costs, will be shared soon via SZapp.

STRETCH Program – Ethics Olympiad
As part of our ongoing participation in the Ethics Olympiads, our students and coach Kate Mueller recently took part in a training clinic designed to build confidence and refine their skills.

During the day, students explored ethical case studies, participated in Zoom-based sessions with Philosophy and Ethics specialists, and heard from an international panel of experts. They even had the chance to engage with the judges! It was an enriching and inspiring experience for all involved, and we are so proud of how our students are growing through this program.

There is so much to be proud of at St Joseph’s Kingswood, and I am excited for all that lies ahead.

Until next time – take care, and I’ll see you all again soon!

Warmest regards,
Vanessa Saccardo