A Goldfields Catholic school community has grown so much throughout the year that more than a quarter of its students are new.

St Joseph’s School in Boulder has 208 students, of which 56 started this year – not including the 30 kindergarten students who joined in 2018.

The school’s Principal, Lisa Gallin, also began this year along with a new Assistant Principal, five new teachers and two new education assistants.

Fresh faces: These students (and more) joined St Joseph’s School in 2018

Ms Gallin said the influx of new faces at school was a result of families moving to the bustling mining town and students moving from other schools.

“It has been a great year with so many of us learning about the school and community together,” Ms Gallin said.

“All of my new teachers have been involved in community sports teams and other events, and have settled in very well to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder lifestyle.

“Having this turnover of staff has allowed us to re-focus and evaluate the existing practices to ensure they are meeting the needs of our students, especially the many new students we have.”

The outlook for next year is positive, with a stable cohort of staff and even more families set to join the school.

“Our graduate teachers now all have a year of teaching under their belts, this means that next year we will be able to increase our momentum and continue to make a real impact on the learning outcomes, and also the wellbeing of our students,” Ms Gallin said.

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