About our school

School Profile

St Joseph's Primary School Springvale is part of the vibrant, culturally and linguistically diverse community of Springvale and broader St Joseph’s Parish Community.

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Our school nurtures a strong Catholic culture centred on Jesus Christ. Our staff, in partnership with our Parrish, strive to ensure that the children in our care have the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with God through the lens of Catholic social teaching and a commitment to student and family wellbeing.

Our highly experienced and capable staff are able to meet the individual needs of students and to support them to achieve and grow to meet their potential. St Josephs is proud of the academic and growth results which students achieve which is above local and state averages.

St Josephs offers a broad range of experiences for students which meets the requirements of the Victorian Curriculum but also develop students as global citizens and independent lifelong learners.

St Joseph's has approximately 620 students in Years Prep – Grade 6. The school is nestled behind the Springvale shopping precinct with its main entrance on St John's Avenue. St Joseph’s school are excited to be able to easily walk to the new Springvale Library and community Hub.

St Joseph's Primary School, Springvale, commenced in 1938 with an opening enrolment of approximately 43 children. It was initially staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame des Missions, but from the 1950s the school was run by the Brigidine Sisters. In 1974 the Conventual Franciscan Friars, OFM Conv, assumed the pastoral care of St Joseph's Parish. The Brigidine Sisters maintained a presence in the school until the mid 1980s.

Our school and parish have grown and reflected the changing post war migration patterns: from British and European immigrants to refugees from Asia, Africa and South America. At present the school has students from 17 different countries, speaking about 27 different languages.

St Joseph’s, like Springvale has a strong and proud link to the Vietnamese community and a significant number of families who's children attend the school are from a Vietnamese background.

Principal's Welcome

It is my pleasure to warmly invite you to become part of our St. Joseph’s school. It’s an honour to be the Principal of this school because of the consistent and very high level of academic achievement and the excellent reputation for the care and nurture we provide all children. I am very proud to say that our students are at the heart of everything we do and say.

We are a very respectful community that lives out the Gospel values of love, forgiveness, justice and truth. We promote a Catholic environment and pastoral tone so that the Catholic message is experienced by students, parents and staff, where-by the climate of the school is a form of catechesis and living witness. (Make disciples of all: Mt 28:19).

Everyone at St Joseph’s strives with high expectations to give each child the opportunity to succeed and shine and to grow in all aspects, across their social emotional, spiritual, cognitive and physical learning. We infuse the core teachings of Catholicity and wellbeing across the whole curriculum. (I Came That You May Have Life and have it to the full: Jn 10:10).

We aim to educate today for tomorrow, so your child will have the self-belief, skills, knowledge, wellbeing and attributes to contribute and flourish in a world that is fast moving, where jobs of the future are yet to be imagined. (Nurture leadership of all: Jn13:12-25).

We are an incredible learning community and as such a wonderful place to belong. I am, along with everyone, truly privileged to be in this unique school community. (Where two or three gather, I am there: Mt 18:20).

As Principal of St Joseph’s I warmly welcome you to come and visit us and have a tour of our beautiful school.

Chris O’Connell

School Vision and Values

St. Joseph’s School is a Culturally and Linguistically diverse community sharing a common belief in a Catholic ideal of life centred on Jesus Christ. We offer students a learning program pervaded with the spirit and values of the Gospel. We are committed to an understanding that education aims to achieve 'wholeness' for all its members.

This Vision Statement is the cornerstone of our school policy. Consequently St. Joseph’s is committed to welcoming, supporting, educating, empowering, serving, celebrating, reconciling and evangelising in order to enable all members of our community to grow in body, mind and spirit.

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School Values

At St Joseph’s we believe that we all have the right:

• To be treated with respect

• To feel safe and be safe

• To learn and to teach

• To a welcoming, stimulating environment.

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St Joseph’s core values reflect the Values of Australian Schooling: love, respect, compassion, tolerance, flexibility, optimism, forgiveness, integrity, cooperation and justice.

Also promoted is Social and Emotional Learning: Self-awareness, Self-management, Social awareness, Relationship skills and Responsible decision-making.