Dance students impressed the crowd with a range of dazzling performances
Hundreds of students from 35 primary and secondary Catholic schools from across the Diocese showcased their creative talents in a series of music, dance and strings performances throughout June, culminating in the ‘Best Of’ performance on 23 June
The showcase events demonstrated the high calibre of choral, music and dance work from Catholic schools, under the Parramatta Diocese’s creative and performing arts initiative, CAPTIVATE.
The program provides learning and performance experiences for students, as well as builds expertise and a sense of community across the system. CAPTIVATE is very popular with five new schools joining the program since last year.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
-
25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
What a fantastic way to end term 3, celebrating together at our end of term awards. We hope everyone has a wonderful,relaxing and safe holidays. We can’t wait to see you all in term 4.25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Year 5 Builds an Arcade! 🎮✨ This term, Year 5 combined their learning in STEM and forces to create an arcade for the school to enjoy. Following the design process, students brainstormed game ideas, explored how forces could make them work and used recycled materials to build and test their prototypes. They then shared their finished games with other grades in the MPA. It was wonderful to see students enjoying one another’s creations and giving feedback that Year 5 can use in their next STEM challenge. Well done Year 5!
More News
28 Sep 2026
Celebrating 40 years of Voice of Youth and the power of student voice
Six Year 6 students from 58 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) Primary schools came together at St John XXIII Catholic College Stanhope Gardens on 22 September for the Voice of Youth Grand Final, showcasing their public speaking skills through a series of thoughtful and engaging speeches.
25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
What a fantastic way to end term 3, celebrating together at our end of term awards. We hope everyone has a wonderful,relaxing and safe holidays. We can’t wait to see you all in term 4.
25 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Year 5 Builds an Arcade! 🎮✨ This term, Year 5 combined their learning in STEM and forces to create an arcade for the school to enjoy. Following the design process, students brainstormed game ideas, explored how forces could make them work and used recycled materials to build and test their prototypes. They then shared their finished games with other grades in the MPA. It was wonderful to see students enjoying one another’s creations and giving feedback that Year 5 can use in their next STEM challenge. Well done Year 5!
23 Sep 2026
From Facebook
22 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Year 5 Formation for Leadership Day On Friday, our Year 5 students participated in a meaningful Formation for Leadership Day in preparation to take on their roles as leaders of St Joseph's in Year 6, in 2027. Working alongside the Year 10 students from Xavier College, our students explored the call of the disciples and reflected on what it means to be a strong and faithful leader. They considered the example of Jesus as a servant leader, someone who led with humility, compassion and love, always placing the needs of others first. The students also reflected on Jesus’ call to love our neighbour, putting this message into practice through collaboration, kindness and a fun game shared with the Xavier students. We were grateful for the guidance and support of Fr Andrew, Rev Deacon Adrian, Mrs Kemp and the Xavier students, who helped make the day both purposeful and memorable. The students also reflected on inspiring leaders such as Mary MacKillop, Pope Francis and Nelson Mandela, considering their courage, compassion and commitment to the common good. They discussed the importance of collaboration, clear communication, inclusion and service to others. Our students were reminded that leadership is not simply about having a title—it is about noticing the needs of others, working together, standing up for what we believe in and leading by example through our words and actions. We look forward to seeing our Year 5 students continue to grow in confidence, empathy and responsibility as they prepare to serve and lead our school community in Year 6.
11 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Learning, Sharing and Living Out Jesus’ Mission. ✝️ Year 2 students were delighted to welcome our Year 1 students into their classroom for a special opportunity to learn from one another about Baptism.💧 Year 2 shared their learning about what Baptism represents, while Year 1 proudly shared their beautiful Baptism books, featuring the symbols of Baptism and the story of Jesus’ Baptism. Together, the students explored their focus Scriptures: 📖 Year 1 – Luke 3:21–22, which tells the story of Jesus’ Baptism. 📖 Year 2 – Matthew 28:16–20, where Jesus calls his disciples to “make disciples of all nations.” This wonderful learning experience helped our students see that they, too, can live out Jesus’ mission by sharing their faith, teaching others and helping one another to know and follow Jesus. 💙 What a beautiful example of our Year 1 and Year 2 students learning, teaching and growing together in faith! 🌱✨
09 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Last week we celebrated and gave thanks to our wonderful Support Staff. 🤩 Thank you for the care, encouragement and support you provide to our students every day. Whether it's a helping hand, a listening ear, a kind word or simply being thee when our students need you. St Joseph's wouldn't be the same without you all. We thank you for everything you do. 💙💛
04 Sep 2026
From Facebook
🚀 Year 2 are FORCE-fully fantastic! 🤩 Our young scientists have just wrapped up their Forces unit in the most hands-on way—by designing and building their very own arcade games using recyclable materials! ♻️🎮 Students applied their understanding of push and pull forces to plan, create, and test their inventions. The classroom was buzzing with energy as they spent the afternoon playing, testing, and refining each other’s games. 🧪🔧 Well done, Year 2! We’re so proud of your creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork. The future of science and invention is in great hands! 🌟👩🔬👨🚀
03 Sep 2026
From Facebook
A very warm thank you to all our parents and carers who joined us for our Joey’s Café last night. We were so excited to see such a wonderful number of parents and carers come together, connect and support this initiative. Your presence and willingness to engage in these conversations is a wonderful reflection of the strong partnership between our school and families. We were thrilled to welcome award-winning speaker and author, Daniel Merza, who led us through a practical, thought-provoking session focused on building resilience in our children. Daniel shared three powerful messages for raising children to thrive: - build connection by showing up, listening and investing time - build belief by encouraging effort, persistence and a willingness to step outside their comfort zone - build tenacity by helping children see challenges as opportunities to learn, focus on progress over perfection, and recognise what is within their control We hope you left the evening feeling encouraged, equipped and inspired with some practical strategies to take into your homes and conversations with your children. Thank you once again for making our Joey’s Café such a success. Your involvement matters and we are so grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow together as a community. We look forward to welcoming you back to Joey’s Café in Term 4 for another opportunity to connect, share and support one another.
02 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Our Year Three students enjoyed their excursion to the Australian Museum where they experienced two exciting First Nations led programs. Students explored how First Nations peoples care for Sea Country and learned about native plants and their cultural significance. Our students had the opportunity to try traditional weaving techniques through hands-on activities and games. A great day of learning and connection with Country, culture and community.
01 Sep 2026
From Facebook
We’re excited to welcome all SJK parents and carers tomorrow for an inspiring evening with Daniel Merza as he explores Raising Children to Thrive. Come along ... bring a peer parent!
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
28 Aug 2026
Kids get creative: Book Week with a twist as local school encourages students to think deeper
For schools across the nation, Book Week was celebrated through the theme of ‘Symphony of Stories’. For St Joseph’s Primary in Kingswood, they wanted to redefine Book Week and delve into the idea of bringing words to life.
28 Aug 2026
Our schools are cracking the reading code
Do you remember how you learned to read? For a vital skill that is linked to all other learning, it’s surprisingly difficult to explain how to go about learning it.