Newsletter 5: Wednesday 12 June 2024

Principal's Message

Dear Members of the St Joseph’s College Family,

We have now passed the midpoint of Term 2, and with only four weeks left, time is speeding up towards the conclusion of Semester 1 for 2024.  I hope you enjoyed the long weekend, and had a chance to spend some time with family and friends, as it's so important to find some time together and to reconnect with the people you care about.

These next four weeks will go incredibly quickly, so we endeavour to share with the school community any information that may assist you navigate through this busy time.  As always, so much is sent out to families via Compass, and of course our happenings also appear on Facebook, so there are many avenues for news from the College.  I thank you for your continued support in keeping up-to-date with all that is happening.

Pope Francis' Prayer Intention for June 2024

On Saturday 1 June, Pope Francis released his prayer intention for this month, inviting everyone to pray for people who flee their home countries.  We pray with Pope Francis for migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys fraught with danger and violence; may they find welcome and new life opportunities in their host countries:

Dear brothers and sisters, this month I would like us to pray for people fleeing their own countries.

The feeling of uprootedness or not knowing where they belong often accompanies the trauma experienced by people who are forced to flee their homeland because of war or poverty.

What is more, in some destination countries, migrants are viewed as threats, with fear.

Then the spectre of walls appears – walls on the earth separating families, and walls in hearts.

Christians cannot share this vision.  Whoever welcomes a migrant welcomes Christ.

We must promote a social and political culture that protects the rights and dignity of migrants, a culture that promotes the possibility that they can achieve their full potential, and integrates them.

A migrant needs to be accompanied, promoted, and integrated.

Let us pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys fraught with danger and violence, may find welcome and new living opportunities.

I hope the takeaway for today is that we all need a home and we all need to belong in community with others; that everyone, every single one of us no matter where we come from, has a seat at the table.

Recently, I was reading an article about one of Jesus’ parables for those who have a seat at the table; some are worried where their seat is in relation to others, some have expectations for being placed higher on the list.  The author connected to Luke 14:1, 7-14, where Jesus is invited to dine with a number of the Pharisees.  The people gathered there were observing him carefully – some treating him as a foreigner, some as an interloper, while most were determined to find fault with him – while he maintains his equanimity, and then he goes one step further by suggesting the other guests take some time for self-examination in a lesson on Humility and Hospitality:

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable.  “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.  For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.  And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

And so we invite everyone into our school community, because this is what inclusion means - no-one is excluded and everyone has worth.  This acceptance of others where they are at is at the basis of almost every lesson Jesus imparts.  In the parables mentioned above, Jesus shows that humility is often required from those with a sense of self that is overinflated, as well as for those undervalued in their own eyes and, as the author wrote:

Humility, of course, is not about feeling nervous at parties or inferior to others, about beating ourselves down into the mud or exalting ourselves, either.  Rather, humility is seeing ourselves as we are before God and others, recognising our need for grace and redemption, and celebrating our gifts, but all the while remembering they are just that: gifts we’ve been given.  We’re meant to make a gift of ourselves to others in turn.

Some might say that prayer is also an opportunity for self-examination.  Could you take a few minutes now to ask yourself:  Are you happy?  Are you happy with how you treat others?  Do you meet them where they are?  Or do you have higher expectations of others?  Do you expect more from someone else than what you’re prepared to give?  Might you expect others to maintain a standard that you do not actually hold?  What are your gifts?  Do you use your gifts with good purpose and meaning?  How could you use your gifts better?  Or for the benefit of another?  What can you do to make each day happier for yourself and for those around you?  How can you help in your community?  Ask yourself, ‘What can I do?’ and see if you can do something to make it better.

Even if you take on just one of those, it’s a start.  Don’t think it's wrong to challenge your ‘self’ image.  As adults and to some extent throughout our lives we all re-evaluate our goals, our expectations, our values.  When life throws challenges, as it always does, it's good to have your foundations built in such a way that when you draw back down to the basics to start again, you have a solid and sound place from which to start.

I am only one, but still I am one.  I cannot do everything, but still I can do something and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.  (Edward Everett Hale)

In our own school community, we can see this as an opportunity to look around at others and find ways to bridge the gap between our differences.  We can look for, and we can find, common ground.  We can see all the good that we’ve achieved together - or by those who came before us - and find a way to celebrate that, as well as to look to further building together as a community, each ‘coming to the table’ with our individual gifts that benefit the whole.

Week 6 College Assembly 

At our assembly on 4 June, we recognised the following students for their efforts and achievements:

College Values Award ‘Sincerity – Humility – Courage – Wisdom’:

🥇 Travis Aussieker - for Humility (absent)

🥇 Nate Boelen - for Humility

College Mid-Course Academic Excellence Awards:

The following students are awarded Mid-Course Academic Excellence for ONE (1) subject:

The following students are awarded Mid-Course Academic Excellence for TWO (2) subjects:

The following students are awarded Mid-Course Academic Excellence for THREE (3) subjects:

The following students are awarded Mid-Course Academic Excellence for FOUR (4) subjects:

The following students are awarded Mid-Course Academic Excellence for FIVE (5) subjects:

The following students are awarded Mid-Course Academic Excellence for SIX (6) subjects:

College Sports Award:

Outstanding achievements across the board - Congratulations to you all!

College Athletics Carnival

What a fabulous day the College got for its annual Athletics Carnival last Friday!  We’re delighted to share with you the results, and I’m so very grateful for all that the staff do on these kinds of days - the school community cannot run without the unfailing support of the staff!  

Thank you in particular to our Leader of Sport, Ms Madeline Ilic, for all her hard work in preparing for this event, and thank you to all staff who contributed to its smooth running.  The results are included in today’s newsletter.

Year 7 Family Night - Monday 17 June (6-7:30pm) THIS COMING MONDAY!

No doubt, all our Year 7 students and their families are aware of next Monday evening’s:

The Year 7 Family Night is open to all of our Year 7 students and families.  This is an important opportunity to build our partnership together.

This promises to be a fun and exciting evening for all who attend, and we look forward to seeing you on Monday, 17 June at 6:00pm - Please RSVP here.

Final Weeks of Term 2

A reminder that the last two days of this term are student-free days (ie. NO student supervision is provided on either day):

• Thursday 4 July:  Staff Professional Learning Day
• Friday 5 July:  Staff Spirituality Day

This is also a reminder that ALL classes conclude on Wednesday 3 July at 3:15pm for ALL students, so we ask our students to finish the term strongly, working to the best of their capabilities until the last period of the final day of term, that being Wednesday 3 July.

Term 3 Early ‘Reminders’

ALL Students return to the College to commence Term 3 on Monday 22 July 2024. 

No doubt you will have also noted from the school calendar that the first week of Term 3 includes the year group reflection days for Years 7-10:

• Tuesday 23 July:  Year 7 Reflection Day
• Wednesday 24 July:  Year 9 Reflection Day
• Thursday 25 July:  Year 8 Reflection Day
• Friday 26 July:  Year 10 Reflection Day

These days are an opportunity for each cohort to connect/reconnect with one another in their year group, as well as a great way for our students to commence the term (and the second semester).  More details will be provided by Mr Brown in the next newsletter, as well as any other relevant information to be shared with the SJC community.

Again, I thank you for your continued support of all that we do at the College.  It is greatly appreciated.

God Bless

Mr Ryan Campbell
Principal

Principal's Notes:

Student Illness

No doubt our families are aware that there has been a spike in illnesses of late with the change of season, and weather.  At present, we have a number of staff and students who are quite unwell with a variety of respiratory illnesses.

Schools are always heavily impacted by these types of illnesses.  It appears that despite being unwell before leaving home, a number of children are still coming to school while very unwell.  We ask that you please keep your child home if they have any symptoms such as nausea, coughing, headache, sore throat, runny nose. 

A reminder also of viral gastroenteritis that also impacts schools quickly, and whose symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, headache and muscle aches.  Of course, our families are no doubt aware that with gastro symptoms, your child should not come to school until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.

If your child is ill for any reason they should not be at school.  As soon as any student presents with any symptoms, you will be contacted by the office to collect them so that you can care for them at home.

Please accept our thanks in anticipation of your cooperation in this matter, and we pray for those who are unwell.

Reminder: Duty of Care and Early Departures Through the School Day

It is our Duty of Care to provide a safe and supportive environment, and this also includes being able to identify any adult who comes to our Parent Reception to collect a student.  If we do not follow procedure, potentially a student could leave our school grounds with an unidentified adult, for which we are not prepared to take that risk for safety and legal reasons.

Therefore, we ask our families to follow the procedure:

If you are collecting a student early, can you please:

• Provide your child with a note (separate from the diary), briefly indicating the reason and stating the time you as parent/carer will be collecting your child from the Parent Reception (This note should be presented by the student to the Student Reception at their earliest convenience upon their arrival to school).
• Remind your child to be at the Parent Reception at the time stated in your note.
• Meet your child at the Parent Reception to sign them out from the College.

Please allow enough time to park and walk up to the Parent Reception to collect your child/ren.  Please also be mindful that this process is done in the best interest of our students, your child/ren, to ensure they get to where they need to go as safely as possible.  Please be patient with our staff assisting at Parent Reception to ensure these processes are followed.

Please also be aware that should you have another person collecting your child on your behalf, you should write these details in your note - If you do not make this clear, our office staff will need to verify the identity of the person who is collecting the student, and they will be asked to provide proof of identity.

We ask all visitors to please remain calm and speak with respect to our staff.  They are simply following our procedure and we are doing our best to ensure the safety of our students.

A last-minute phone request for a student to leave College grounds puts the safety of a student at risk and places undue pressure on our Administration Staff.  We simply ask families to follow this procedure.

St Joseph's Parish

St Joseph's Parish Newsletter 09 June 2024

St Joseph's Catholic Church, 56 Frances Street, Tweed Heads

Weekday Mass times

• Monday to Friday – 9:10am

Weekend Mass times

• Saturday – 9:00am
• Saturday Vigil Mass – 5:00pm
• Sunday – 7:00am & 9:00am

St Camillus Catholic Church, 36 Urliup Road, Bilambil

• Sunday – 9:00am

St Anthony's Parish

St Anthonys Parish Newsletter 09 June 2024

St Anthony’s Church, Kingscliff, 12-14 Pearl Street, Kingscliff

Weekday Mass times

• Wednesday – 8:00am
• Thursday – 9:00am in the school term and 8:00am in the holiday period
• Friday – 8:00am

Weekend Mass times

• Saturday – 5:00pm (6pm during DST)
• Sunday – 9:00am

Sts Mary & Ambrose Catholic Church, 1 Charles Street, Pottsville

Weekday Mass times

• Tuesday – 9:15am

Weekend Mass times

• Sunday – 7:30am

Reconciliation Times

• Kingscliff – Saturday 5:00 – 5:30pm 
• Pottsville – Sunday 7:00 – 7:25am

Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools

Parent Engagement Workshops for Parents and Teachers

Catholic School Parents Australia has developed free resources to strengthen the home-school partnership!  The new video workshops help guide primary and secondary parents, principals, and school staff to take a holistic approach to their children’s well-being and educational experience.

The resources also include guides for local facilitators to run through the video workshops in collaborative sessions with principals, staff and families.  Insights from experts like Andrew Fuller, John Hattie and Donna Cross inform the workshop’s research-backed strategies.

The resources can be found on the Gearing Up for Parent Engagement website.

Vietnam Immersion Program 2024 - Sponsorship Opportunity

As mentioned in our last newsletter, we are reaching out to the local community for possible sponsorship to help build a house for a needy family in South Vietnam.  This is part of the Year 11 Vietnam Immersion program that the College runs annually in September (pictured above are the students in the 2023 Vietnam Immersion Group).

If you are a local business owner who might be interested in sponsoring, please contact the College for more information.

Assistant Principal-Mission

Student Engagement and Application Reports (SEAAR)

As you would be aware, St Joseph’s College provides Student Engagement and Application Reports (SEAAR) periodically throughout the year. SEAAR is a system that monitors and acknowledges students' individual effort and application in each subject.  Scores are based on each student’s effort in completing classwork and homework to the best of their ability; being punctual and organised for class; and behaviour in the learning environment.  SEAAR Cycle 3 was released on the afternoon of Friday 31 May (Year 11 excluded due to Semester Reports).

Please view this video if you need support in how to access and view your child’s SEAAR.  Students will be asked to complete a SEAAR reflection in AWC. Please have a conversation with your child about how they went in SEAAR, and more specifically, areas of strength and areas for growth.

Please note that those students who receive a ‘Gold SEAAR’ across all cycles throughout the year will be invited to attend the Rewards Day at Wet ‘n’ Wild at the end of the year.

Congratulations to the students below who received a perfect SEAAR average of 5.0 for Cycle 3:

Seasons for Growth Program

Change and loss are issues that affect all of us at some stage in our lives.  At St Joseph’s College we recognise that when change and loss occur, young people may benefit from learning how to manage these changes effectively.  As a result, we are again offering the Seasons for Growth Program.

Seasons for Growth is a small group education program that supports children and young people to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand and respond well to experiences of change, loss and grief.  This includes, but is not limited to, friendship changes; family separation; loss or death of someone they care about; loss of a pet; relocation and forced migration; living away in out of home care; physical or mental illness; or impacts of war, terrorism or pandemics.  We suggest that children and young people impacted by bereavement wait 6-12 months before participating in a Seasons for Growth program.

This program is facilitated in small groups (4-7 people) and aims to strengthen the social and emotional wellbeing of young people by exploring the impact of change and loss on everyday life and learning how to respond to these changes.  The program is run over 9 sessions (weeks).  Sessions will run during school time, and we are mindful to alternate classes/subjects that students miss where possible.  The program will be led by one of the College’s counsellor’s, Genevieve Campbell-Star, who is trained to facilitate this program.

If you think your child may benefit from this program please talk to them about it.  Should they decide they would like to participate in the program, please complete the Expression of Interest Form by Monday 17 June.  Heads of House may also approach students and their families regarding their possible inclusion into this program.  If this occurs, there is no obligation to participate in the program.  The College will then be in touch with those students and parents who will form part of the group which will commence Term 3 Week 1.

Should you require any further information please access this link or contact your child’s Head of House, Mathew Lynch, or Eamon Brown for further information.

Mr Eamon Brown
Assistant Principal - Mission

From the Ministry Team

Festa Christi is a gathering for selected Year 8 students from Parish secondary schools in the Diocese to celebrate their faith at a Diocesan level.  The two-day retreat experience involves activities that focus on ‘walking in another person’s shoes’, having the students overcome their fears and gaining a greater awareness of social justice.

Festa Christi is an overnight experience which will allow relationships to be built with other students from throughout the Diocese, as well as a chance for students to talk and share about their faith journey.  We encourage you to have a discussion with your child about attending Festa Christi.  If they wish to attend, please ensure that your child speaks to the College Youth Ministers (Bianca McInnes and Jacob Franey), or to the Assistant Principal-Mission (Mr Eamon Brown), to have their name included for the retreat.

A reminder that applications close this coming Friday, 14 June 2024, and successful applicants will receive further details of the retreat through the events module in the Compass portal where you can give consent for your child to attend.

Kind regards

The Ministry Team
St Joseph's College

Leader of Pastoral Care

Year 7 Vaccinations - Thursday 20 June (Week 8, Term 2)

As parents/guardians would be aware, NSW Health offers free vaccinations as annually recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for school-aged children.  This is known as the NSW School Vaccination Program.  Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received by NSW Health.  The COVID-19 vaccination is not part of this program.

NSW Health works in partnership with schools across the state to offer these while the student is at school, however, if for any reason that is not possible, parents/guardians can make alternative arrangements through their GP.

Year 7 vaccinations are scheduled for next Thursday, 20 June.  On that day, NSW Health Nurses attend the school, administer the vaccine and properly monitor all students in their care. 
 
Online consent for school vaccinations

Parental consent is required for your child to receive routine vaccinations at school.  You can now provide this consent through the online consent portal by clicking login with a ‘Service NSW Account’.
 
For those Year 7 families at a QLD address, your child will need to collect a paper consent form from the school office and have it signed and returned to the College prior to the vaccination date.

Mr Mathew Lynch
Leader of Pastoral Care

HSIE News

Year 12 Legal Studies students gain insight into the criminal justice system with visit from NSW Community Correction Officers

Recently, Year 12 Legal Studies students had the honour of being visited by Brea and Gary, Community Correction Officers from Corrective Services NSW, who generously volunteered their time to speak with the class.

This visit provided a unique opportunity for students to gain firsthand insight into the inner workings of the criminal justice system, with a particular emphasis on community-based sentences and the supervision and monitoring of offenders.

Throughout the visit, students actively engaged in enriching discussions on various aspects of sentencing including procedures, community-based sentences, rehabilitation programs, and the complexities surrounding the parole process.

By examining the balance between rehabilitation and public safety, students gained a deeper appreciation for the considerations involved in sentencing an offender and its broader impact on society as a whole.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Brea and Gary for generously sharing their time, expertise, and invaluable insights with us during the visit.

Below are some comments from the students:

• I appreciated learning about the day-to-day life of Community Corrections Officers and seeing what we had been learning, in practice. - Annabelle Stribling
• It was interesting to hear about the processes and the measures taken behind the scenes for offenders, out on parole. - Saoirse
• It was a great opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the content we have been studying in class. - Madeline
• It was a fantastic chance to gain direct insight into the material we've been studying in class. - Alexis
• Brea and Gary gave us an insight into penalties such as CROs, CCOs, ICOs, and their association with the State Parole Authority and Correctional Services. We learnt interesting facts and figures to enhance our essays! - Daniel
• Hearing the Community Corrections Officer's firsthand experiences gave me a deeper understanding of their role and duties beyond what we have learnt in class. - Annabelle Shaw
• The Community Correction Officers provided an interesting view into their daily roles and responsibilities, shedding light on the challenges and complexities they face. I was particularly interested in learning about the various programs and strategies they employ to assist offenders in their reintegration into society, specifically their rehabilitative case management approach. - Stella
• I found it fascinating to learn about the daily lives of Community Corrections Officers, which helped me to gain deeper insights into what we've been studying in class. - Sarah

Mrs Georgia James
Leader of Learning Technologies 
& Legal Studies / HSIE Teacher

Student Support at SJC

The NCCD process is well underway for 2024.  NCCD is an annual collection of information about Australian school students with a disability.  This enables schools, education authorities and governments to better understand the needs of students with disabilities and how they can be best supported at school.  At the College, we collaborate with parents to determine the personalised level of adjustments required for students needing a higher level of care beyond teacher adjustments.  Teachers make adjustments in class to meet the needs of diverse learners and allow equal opportunity for students to access the curriculum and achieve results.

We are in the process of completing personal planning meetings for our diagnosed students.  If you have not yet been contacted and would like to organise a meeting with Ms Amie Nugent our Leader of Inclusion & Diversity, or Ms Molly Furchtman our Additional Needs Teacher, please email deborah.pirlo@lism.catholic.edu.au.  We also strongly encourage any updates and changes to documentation, medication, diagnosis etc for students please be shared with the school using the same email address.

This image outlines how St Joseph’s College supports students using a range of mediums.

Leader of Sport

Athletics Carnival 2024

Congratulations to REYNOLDS House who claimed the title of HOUSE CHAMPIONS at our Athletics Carnival last Friday, 7 June.

REYNOLDS – 7868
HANLY – 7228
HOADE – 6362
DALTON – 6298

It was a terrific day weather-wise, and we had an outstanding attendance by our students.  Go St Joey’s!  With the 2024 Carnival being Disney-themed, we saw many creative and colourful outfits being worn.

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 32

Next

As always, the students participated in a variety of championship and novelty events throughout the day with their friends and peers.  Also, a big thank you to the House Captains and other Year 12 students who came to school early in the morning to help set up the carnival. 

Bill and Christine Hardy presenting the Billy Hardy Memorial Shield to the 2024 winner, Eva Liles

Congratulations to all Age Champions on their success at the carnival with a special mention to Eva Liles (Year 10, Reynolds) who was the recipient of the Billy Hardy Memorial Shield earning an outstanding 160 points across the carnival.

We were very fortunate to have Mr Serone visit the College and present the 2024 Serone Sprint winner, Floyd Badger, with the winning trophy

Congratulations also goes out to Floyd Badger who won the Serone Sprint, which is a 100m handicap race of our best eight sprinters from the carnival, held at the end of the day.

2024 Age Champions and Runners-Up, presented by Assistant Prinicipal - Learning and Teaching, Mr Mason

A reminder that competitors who placed 1st or 2nd in a championship event are eligible to compete at the Diocesan Carnival on Monday 2 September in Coffs Harbour.

Ms Madeline Ilic
Leader of Sport

Leader of Pedagogy

Study Skills Tips for June:  Starting Assignments Straight Away - Why It’s Crucial for Success

As mentioned previously, through our subscription, all College students have free access to the Study Skills Handbook website, www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.  We believe that this website will help your child develop essential skills for academic success.  

Attached is a flyer for this month's Study Skills Tips on Starting Assignments Straight Away: Why It's Crucial for Success, (click on the link provided, or see the flyer below).

As always, your child can access all the wonderful resources the Study Skills Handbook website has to offer.  To access the handbook, go to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au and login with these details:

username:  sjc
password:  24results

Mr Carlo Trimboli
Leader of Pedagogy

Resource Centre

The Resource Centre celebrated National Reconciliation Week with a display of resources and a Book Display Students took time to create posters and to acknowledge the importance of this year’s theme:  Now More Than Ever.  They participated in various activities as a reminder that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will —and must —continue.

Students looked at the display and learnt that there have been many moments in Australia’s reconciliation journey that need to be addressed.  The Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples was at the forefront of the display. Students at St Joseph’s College are committed to defend and uphold the rights of First Nations peoples.  To call out racism wherever we encounter it, and to actively reinforce the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across this continent.

Other Resource Centre News

The New Fiction has continued to be very popular.  The students love the variety and the opportunity to borrow the latest Fiction.  'I love the smell of book ink in the morning.’

The displays are a real focal point of the Library.   Both the Art Department and the HSIE Department have made use of the library space.  Archaeology Week was a real success.  Also, the Year 7 collages and landscape paintings have showcased the talent of these art students.

Mrs Mary Green
Teacher Librarian

Lowes On-Campus Uniform Shop

The uniform shop hours are as follows: 

Every Tuesday during the school term: 12:00pm – 3:30pm
Every Thursday during the school term: 8:00am – 12:00pm

During shop hours: (07) 5523 9300 (This shop is managed by Lowes staff only)

Payments: Cash and EFTPOS Only - NO CHEQUES ACCEPTED

Or, if you'd like to make an online purchase, you can use this handy link.