St Joseph’s School, Collingwood

St Joseph’s is a small primary school located in the very diverse and vibrant suburb of Collingwood. We are part of the parish of Our Lady of the Southern Cross Collingwood / Clifton Hill, it has a long history dating back to the early 1860s. Our school is rich in cultural diversity, with students from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds. This includes children from 13 different language backgrounds. We believe that schools, along with families, play an important role in educating children while also promoting their social and emotional health. This is essential in improving their learning outcomes. Staff members at our school are highly committed to a holistic approach to schooling and therefore all school programs must be dynamic and responsive to need. We cater for a range of needs through support and extension. Many of the needs which emerge, are catered for through partnership and collaboration. Successful partnerships have been forged with other schools, business and community groups and agencies to support the educational, cultural, artistic, social and wellbeing programs we offer. St Joseph’s, Collingwood is a small school with big expectations. At our school, education of both the HEAD and HEART is paramount. We see reading as a critical key to unlocking a future with joy, information and potential.

We are seeking sponsorship again, as we have participated in the program previously and found it to be of great benefit to our students and community. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. The majority of our students live in the High Rise council flats in Collingwood and Fitzroy. Many are living in poverty and are supported through a number of school initiatives designed to allow our students to participate in as many experiences as they otherwise would not have access to. Many of students are below state expectations for Literacy and we have a large number of English as a Second Language students. We believe Reading is vital for children as it enhances cognitive skills like critical thinking and memory, improves language and literacy, and fosters emotional development through empathy and understanding of diverse experiences. It also stimulates the imagination, increases concentration, builds a strong parent-child bond, and prepares children for academic success. Books in Homes will enable our students to have access to books that their families would not be able to provide. As we have participated in previous years our students know how lucky they are to be included in the program and would like to be included in the future.